President of the Canadian Republic

From Daily Escape

Revision as of 07:28, 26 September 2007

The President of the Canadian Republic (sometimes referred to as POTCR) is both the chief of state and head of government of Canada. The president is the head of the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The President has additional duties including signing legislation into law or vetoing bills passed through the Federal Parliament, make treaties and appoint federal officials, ambassadors, federal judges and Justices of the Supreme Court.

The President is elected directly by the general population to a four-year term. There are no limitations on consecutive terms. Canadians elect a president by using the plurality voting system.

In office the President resides at the Presidential & Executive Building Complex in Ottawa. The President is entitled to use its staff and facilities that include a medical clinic, recreation, house keeping and security services. One of two Bombardier Global 5000 private jets are available to provide long range transportation for the President for North American Travel for international usage the President uses a refitted Boeing C-3.

The current President is Anthony Wittrock whom was inaugurated on June 10, 2007. The current term expires on June 10, 2011.

Origin

The Articles of Independence (1866) peacefully declared Canada’s independence from Great Britain on October 22, 1866. The Constitutional Act (1867) passed unanimously in the Federal Parliament.

Great Britain sent a delegation led by Prime Minister Edward George Smith-Stanley visited Canadian officials in Montreal to sign the Treaty of Montreal (1867). President Andrew Johnson of the United States visited the newly independent nation on official business to establish the framework of the Treaty of Baltimore (1868) which would be signed in Baltimore, Maryland.

Term of office

A president’s term of office begins at midnight on June 10 (commonly referred to as Inauguration or Accession Day), the week following the general election that occurs on June 3. June 10 marks the beginning of the four-year term for the President and Vice President. Before assuming the Office of the Presidency, the president-elect is constitutionally required to take the presidential oath:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the Canadian Republic, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the People and the Constitution of the Canadian Republic.”

Presidents often include “So help me God” at the end of the oath.

Removal from office

There are three ways there can become a vacancy in the Office of the Presidency; death, resignation or removal from office. The Constitution grants the House of Representatives powers to impeach the president and other high-ranking government officials for “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors”. The Senate has the power per constitutional accords to remove impeached officials from office, given that clearly large majority of sixty-five percent of the vote is required for removal. President Alexander Urquhart was impeached for extortion in 1973, however the Senate was unable to remove him from office.

The Vice President and a majority of the cabinet can suspend the president’s powers and duties once they transmit a statement declaring the president’s incapability to perform their office’s responsibilities to the Speaker of the House and the Speaker of the Senate. If this occurs the Vice President in acting capacity takes over the Office of the Presidency until the event of an election. The President however can deny that there is no inability to perform and uphold the duties and other responsibilities of his office. The Vice President and the majority of the cabinet may contest the President’s claim which will be set to a joint session of the Federal Parliament.

The President may resign from office for personal, family and medical reasons.

The President may pass away while in office. President Yann Lefebvre is the only Canadian President to die in office.

Duties and powers

The president is the chief executive of the Canadian Republic placing him (or her) as the chief of state and head of government who’s responsible to take care of the country and to ensure that the democratic process continues to be faithfully executed. The President is also the commander-in-chief of the Canadian armed forces.

The President is responsible for making executive and judicial branch appointments. The President can appoint judges (and justices to the Supreme Court), ambassadors, cabinet members, and other appointments able to be made by the Presidency. However all appointments must be confirmed with the majority of the Senate. The President may also grant pardons.

The president cannot directly introduce legislation to the Federal Parliament. He can however shape legislation if the president’s political party has a majority in either house. Officials from the executive branch are prohibited by law to hold office during their appointment; Members of the Federal Parliament likewise. The Presidential staff may write legislation and request if a politician affiliated to the President to introduce legislation if he or she accepts. The President can also influence the legislative branch of government during the annual constitutional required State of the Republic delivered three times (first one is called the Inaugural Address). The President isn’t required to deliver a speech to Congress if he or she is defeated or not facing reelection during an election year.

The president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces; he cannot declare war upon a hostile nation without the consent of the majority of the Federal Parliament. He can however deploy armed personnel around the world for ninety days in length without the consent or approval from the Federal Parliament.

Canada’s foreign policy is also directed by the president, he has the powers to negotiate and sign treaties. However to ratify the treaty, a two-third of the vote in the Federal Parliament is required.