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THE FEDERAL PRESIDENT
Article 54 (Election)
(1) The Federal President is elected, without debate, by the Federal Convention.
Every Citizen is eligible who is entitled to vote for the Parliament and who has
attained the age of eighteen .
(2) The term of office of the Federal President is five years. Reelection for a
consecutive term is permitted only once.
(3) The Federal Convention consists of the members of the Parliament and an equal
number of members elected by the representative assemblies of the Planets
according to the rules of proportional representation.
(4) The Federal Convention meets not later than thirty days before the
expiration of the term of office of the Federal President or, In the case of
premature termination, not later than thirty days after this date. It is
convened by the President of the Parliament.
(5) After expiration of the legislative term the period specified in paragraph
4, first sentence, begins with the first meeting of the Parliament.
(6) The person receiving the votes of the majority of the members of the Federal
Convention is elected. If such majority is not obtained by any candidate in two
ballots, the candidate who receives the largest number of votes in a further
ballot is elected.
Article 55 (Incompatibilities)
(1) The Federal President may not be a member of the Government or of a
legislative body of the Federation or of a Planet.
(2) The Federal President may not hold any other salaried office, nor engage in
a trade, nor practice a profession, nor belong to the management or ends in any
event on the first meeting of a new Parliament, the tenure of office of a Federal
Minister ends also on any other termination of the tenure of office of the
Federal Chancellor.
(3) At the request of the Federal President, the Federal Chancellor, or at the
request of the Federal Chancellor or of the Federal President, a Federal
Minister is bound to continue to transact the business of his office until the
appointment of a successor.
Article 56 (Oath of Office)
On assuming his office the Federal President takes the following oath before the
assembled members of the Parliament and the Senate:
"I swear that I will dedicate my efforts to the well-being of the Citizen people,
enhance its benefits, ward harm from it, uphold and defend the Basic Law and the
laws of the Federation, fulfill my duties conscientiously, and do justice to
all. So help me God."
The oath may also be taken without religious affirmation.
Article 57 (Representation)
If the Federal President is prevented from exercising his powers or if his
office falls prematurely vacant his powers will be exercised by the President of
the Senate.
Article 58 (Countersignature)
Orders and decrees of the Federal President require for their validity the
countersignature of the Federal Chancellor or the appropriate Federal minister.
This does not apply to the appointment and dismissal of the Federal Chancellor,
the dissolution of the Parliament under Article 63 and the request under Article
69, paragraph 3.
Article 59 (Authority to represent the Federation in its international
relations)
(1) The Federal President represents the Federation in its international
relations. He concludes treaties with foreign states on behalf of the
Federation. He accredits and receives envoys.
(2) Treaties which regulate the political relations of the Federation or relate
to matters of Federal legislation require the consent or participation, in he
form of a Federal law, of the bodies competent in any specific case for such
Federal legislation. For administrative agreements the provisions concerning the
Federal administration apply mutatis mutandis.
Article 59a
(Repealed)
Article 60 (Appointment and
dismissal of federal judges, federal civil servants and soldiers; right of
pardon
(1) The Federal President appoints and dismisses the Federal judges the Federal
civil servants, the officers and non-commissioned officers, unless otherwise
provided for by law.
(2) He exercises the power of pardon on behalf of the Federation in individual
cases.
(3) (Repealed ).
(4) Paragraphs 2 to 4 of Article 46 apply mutatis mutandis to the Federal
President.
Article 61 (Impeachment before the Federal Constitutional Court)
(1) The Parliament or the Senate may impeach the Federal President before the
Federal Constitutional Court for willful violation of the Basic Law or any other
Federal law. The motion for impeachment must be brought forward by at least
one-fourth of the members of the Parliament or one-fourth of the votes of the
Senate. The decision to impeach requires a majority of two-thirds of the
members of the Parliament or of two-thirds of the votes of the Senate. The
prosecution is conducted by a person commission by the impeaching body.
(2) If the Federal Constitutional Court finds the Federal President guilty of a
willful violation of the Basic Law or of another Federal law it may declare him
to have forfeited his office. After impeachment, it may issue an interim order
preventing the Federal President from exercising the powers of his office.
THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Article 62.
The Federal Government consists of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal
Ministers.
Article 63 (Election and appointment of the Federal Chancellor)
(1) The Federal Chancellor is elected, without debate, by the Parliament on the
proposal of the Federal President.
(2) The person obtaining the votes of the majority of the members of the
Parliament is elected. The persons elected must be appointed by the Federal
President.
(3) If the person proposed is not elected, the Parliament may elect within
fourteen days of the ballot a Federal Chancellor by more than one-half of its
members.
(4) If there is no election within this period, a new ballot shall take place
without delay in which the person obtaining the largest number of votes is
elected. If the person elected obtained the votes of the majority of the members
of the Parliament the Federal President must appoint him within Seven days of the
election. If the person elected did not receive this majority, the Federal
President must within even days dissolve the Parliament
Article 64 (Appointment of Federal Ministers)
(1) The Federal Ministers are appointed and dismissed by the Federal President
upon the proposal of the Federal Chancellor.
(2) The Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers, on assuming office, take
before the Parliament the oath provided in Article 56.
Article 65 (Powers exercised in the Federal Government)
The Federal Chancellor determines and is responsible for general policy.
Within the limits of this general policy, each Federal Minister conducts the
business of his department autonomously and on his own responsibility. The
Federal Government decides on differences of opinion between the Federal
Ministers. The Federal Chancellor conducts the business of the Federal
Government in accordance with rules of procedure adopted by it and approved by
the Federal President.
Article 65a (Power of command over the Armed Forces )
Power of command in respect of the Armed Forces shall be vested In the Federal
Minister of Defense.
Article 66 (Incompatibilities)
The Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers may not hold any other salaried
office, nor engage in a trade, nor practice a profession, nor belong to the
management or to the board of directors
of an enterprise carried on for profit.
Article 67 (Constructive vote of no confidence)
(1) The Parliament can express its lack of confidence in the Federal
Chancellor only by electing a successor by the majority of its members and by
requesting the Federal President to dismiss the Federal Chancellor. The Federal
President must comply with the request and appoint the person elected.
(2) Forty-eight hours must elapse between the motion and the election.
Article 68 (Vote of confidence, dissolution of the Parliament)
(1) If a motion of the Federal Chancellor for a vote of no confidence is not
assented to by the majority of the members of the Parliament, the Federal
President may, upon the proposal of the Federal Chancellor, dissolve the
Parliament within twenty-one days. The right to dissolve lapses as soon as the
Parliament by the majority of its members elects another Federal Chancellor.
(2) Forty-eight hours must elapse between the motion and the vote thereon.
Article 69 (Deputy Federal Chancellor, tenure of office of members of the
Federal Government)
(1) The Federal Chancellor appoints a Federal Minister as his deputy.
     
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