Features
June 23, 2006

The executive branch of the government

by Cedric Harold

Clause 1:

The executive power shall be vested in a President. He shall hold office for four years, and the Vice President likewise. All those eligible to vote in SVG will have the right to take part in this election. The President, and if he so chooses, his Vice-President, shall be eligible for re-election for a second four-year term.

The President shall not be eligible for re-election after that until the expiry of a period of not less than the number of years during which he held the presidency have expired – i.e. his period of ineligibility shall be four or eight years as the case may be; but after any such re-election, which shall be for one term at most, he shall not ever be eligible again.{{more}}

Clause 2:

The President, Vice President and all civil officers, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of: treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

Clause 3:

The President, the Vice-President and Secretaries will be paid an attractive salary and allowances for travel and office. The President and Vice-President will in addition be eligible to receive an attractive pension upon retirement from political life. The level of these expenses will be determined by the Senate one year before the holding of presidential elections.

Clause 4:

He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the State, provided such appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law: but the parliament may by law vest the appointment of such officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

Clause 5:

He shall from time to time give to the parliament information on the state of SVG, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the Officers of the State.

Article V:

The Judicial Branch of government.

Article VI:

The Amendment Process.

Clause 1:

The process of amending the constitution will start with its being tabled in the House of Representatives together with a statement of why it is desirable. It should not however be debated for at least six months, which shall constitute its first reading. It shall not

again be presented for discussion in the House for a period of at least one year following the close of that first debate. There shall likewise be a one year delay between the first and second reading, and again between the second and third reading.

Clause 2:

The Senate will independently take note of the bill when first tabled, and will schedule its own discussion either just before or just after the first and second readings in the House.

Clause 3:

The third and final reading will require the House and Senate to sit jointly and, upon

division, to vote as one body. Passage of the amendment will require that two-thirds of those eligible to vote agree to it.

Clause 4:

In the event the amendment fails to pass, it may not be again presented to the House for at least another 5 years.

Clause 5:

If the amendment succeeds, it should go to the President for ratification, which should be auto-matic.