President of Brazil
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The President of the Federal Republic of Brazil is the head of state and head of government of Brazil. He is also the supreme commander of the Brazilian Armed Forces.
The first president of Brazil was Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca, who proclaimed the republic in a military coup d'etât against the Emperor Dom Pedro II. Since then, Brazil had six constitutions, two dictatorships and three democratic periods.
The current president is Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from the Worker's Party, elected in 2002 for the 2003-2006 term. He was the most voted president in the world until then, receiving 56,7 million votes. It should be noted that voting is compulsory in Brazil.
Presidential powers
As a presidential republic, Brazil grants significant powers to the President. He effectively controls the government, represents the country abroad, appoints the cabinet and judges for the Supreme Federal Tribunal.
Presidents in Brazil also have significant lawmaking powers, exercised either by proposing laws to the National Congress, or by using the instrument of the Medidas Provisórias, a law that comes immediately in effect, for a specific span of time, before the Congress vote it.
Requirements to hold office
According the 1988 Constitution, the president must be natural-born citizen of Brazil, be at least 35 years of age, be a resident in Brazil, be an elector, have all the electoral rights and be inscripted in a political party.The length of the Term
Nowadays, the president serves a four-year term. The president can be reelected to just one more term sequentially.The reelection for executive posts has existed since 1997, when the Amendment nº 16 was passed. It was very controversial, because Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who was president at the time, was reelected.
History
- The 1891 Constitution estabilished a four-year term and did not allow reelection for an immediately consecutive term.
- The 1934 Constitution estabilished a four-year term and did not allow reelection for an immediately consecutive term.
- The 1946 Constitution estabilished a five-year term and did not allow reelection for an immediately consecutive term.
- The 1967 Constitution estabilished a four-year term and did not allow reelection for an immediately consecutive term. The Amendment number 1 of 1969, referred to as the <
> for having re-published the entire constitutional text with several changes, raised the duration of the presidential term to six years. - The 1988 Constitution estabilished a five-year term and did not allow reelection for an immediately consecutive term; the term was shortened to four years in 1994 with the Amendment nº 5 of 1995, and the Amendment nº 16 of 1997 allowed a single reelection.
Latest election
Other informations
The official residence of the president is the Palácio da Alvorada, designed by Oscar Niemeyer and located in the suburbs of Brasilia.
The official office of the president is the Palácio do Planalto, in the city center of Brasilia. Also designed by Niemeyer, the palace faces the Three powers squares, where the Justice Palace and the National Congress are also located.
See also
External links
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