Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol4, 1920.pdf/213

tional Assembly is elected acting president, he cannot execute his mandate in the National Assembly, while he is exercising the office of president.

64. The president of the Republic.

01. represents the state in is foreign relations. He negotiates and ratifies international treaties. Commercial treaties, treaties which impose upon the state or the citizens burdens of a financial or personal nature, especially military, and treaties which change the boundaries of the state, need the consent of the National Assembly. In the case of changes of boundaries the consent of the National Assembly must take the form of a constitutional law (article I. of the enabling laws);

02. receives and accredits diplomatic representatives;

3. proclaims state of war to exist, declares war after first obtaining the consent of the National Assembly, and lays before it the negotiated treaty of peace for its approval;

4. convenes, prorogues and dissolves the National Assembly (sections 28 to 31) and declares the session of the houses closed;

5. may return bills with his objections (sections 47) and signs laws of the National Assembly (sections 51), of the diet of Carpathian Russia (section 3), and ordinances of the commission (section 54);

6. gives to the National Assembly oral or written information of the state of the Republic and recommends to their consideration such measures as he may deem necessary and expedient;

7. appoints and dismisses ministers and determines their number;

8. appoints all professors of universities, and all judges, civil officials and army of ficiers of the sixth or higher rank;

9. grants gifts and pensions in special cases upon motion of the government;

10. is commander in chief of all armed forces;

11. grants pardons in accordance with section 103.

All governing and executive power, in so far as the constitution and laws of the Czechoslovak Republic, adopted after November 15, 1918, do not expressly reserve it to the president of the Republic, shall be exercised by the government (section 70).

65. The president of the Republic promises before the National Assembly (section 58) upon his honor and conscience that he will study the welfare of the Republic and the people and that he will observe constitutional and other laws.

66. The president of the Republic is not responsible for the execution of his office. For his utterances, connected with the office of the president, the government is responsible.

67. He may be criminally prosecuted only for high treason before the senate upon inpeachment by the chamber of deputies (section 34). The punishment may extend only to the loss of his office and disqualification ever to hold it again.

Details are determined by law.

68. Every act of the president in the exercise of his governing or executive power is valid only, when countersigned by a responsible member of the government.

69. Provisions applying to the president of the Republic apply also to the acting president (section 61).

70. The president and members of the government (ministers) are appointed and dismissed by the president of the Republic.

The ordinary seat of the government is Prague (sections 6).

71. The government elects from its membership the president’s deputy who may take his place. If the deputy is unable to act, the oldest member of the government in years acts as president.

72. The president of the Republic decides over which department each minister shall preside.

73. Members of the government promise to the president of the Republic, upon their honor and conscience, that they will conscientiously and impartially perform their duties and observe constitutional and other laws.

74. No member of the government may sit on the board of directors or act as representative of a stock company or a firm which is engaged in business for profit.

75. The government is responsible to the chamber of deputies which may declare its lack of confidence in the government. This shall be done in the presence of the majority of the entire membership by a majority vote upon a roll call.

76. Motion to declare lack of a confidence shall be signed by at least or hundred deputies and shall be referred to committee which will submit its report within eight days.