President of Bijan

The President of the Republic of Bijan (Esperanto: Prezidanto de la Respubliko Biĵano) is the head of state of the Republic of Bijan.

Bijan is a parliamentary republic, therefore the President is mainly a symbolic figurehead and holds no executive power. The President is obliged to suspend his or her membership in any political party for the term of office. Upon assuming office, the authority and duties of the President in all other elected or appointed offices terminate automatically. These measures should theoretically help the President to function in a more independent and impartial manner.

The President is elected by the Parliament of Bijan, or a special electoral college, for a term of six years. The electoral college is convened in the event no candidate secures a two-thirds majority in the Parliament after three rounds of voting. The electoral college, which consists of all 299 members of the Parliament, plus elected representatives from each of Bijan's 530 county and municipal councils, elects the president.

electoral body, which consists of all members of the Riigikogu and one elected representative from each of Bijan's 23 county councils and 507 municipal councils, elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes. No one can be elected president more than twice.

The current President is Ksenia Brulemo, elected by the Parliament on September 6, 2011, and inaugurated on October 1, 2011.

Qualifications and election
A Bijani citizen by birth, who as attained 40 years of age, may be nominated as a candidate for President of Bijan. The President shall be elected for a term of six years, and no one shall be elected to the office of President of Bijan more than twice. The right to nominate a candidate for President rests with no less than one-fifth of the membership of the Bijani Parliament (at least 60 members).

The President is elected by the Parliament by a secret ballot, with each member of the Parliament having one vote. To be elected, a two-thirds majority of the membership of the Parliament must vote in favor. If no candidate receives the required majority, the voting is suspended for the day. The next day, a new nomination of candidates is held, and then a second round of voting. If no candidate receives the two-thirds majority in the second round, a third round is held later that day between the two candidates with the most votes from the second round. If no candidate receives the two-thirds majority in the third round, a special Electoral College must be convened within 30 days.

The Electoral College consists of all 299 members of the Bijani Parliament and one representative from each of Bijan's 23 county councils and 507 municipal councils, for a total of 829 members. Every member of the Electoral College must be a Bijani citizen. The two candidates from the third round of voting in the Parliament are automatically considered nominees in the fourth round; furthermore, additional candidates can be nominated by at least 21 members of the Electoral College.

In the fourth round of voting, a candidate need only achieve a simple majority of the votes (currently 415 of 829). If no candidate receives a majority in the fourth round, a fifth round is held on the same day between the top two candidates from the fourth round.

Assuming office, legal status and termination of powers
The President assumes office by swearing the following oath of office in the Parliament building:

"In assuming the office of President of the Republic of Bijan, I (given name and surname), solemnly swear to steadfastly defend the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Bijan, to exercise the power entrusted to me in a just and impartial manner, and to faithfully perform my duties with all of my abilities and to the best of my understanding, for the benefit of the people of Bijan and the Republic of Bijan."

Upon assuming office, the authority and duties of the President of Bijan in all other elected and appointed offices termaintes, and the President is required to suspend membership in political parties for the duration of his or her term in office.

The Constitution grants the President of Bijan immunity from prosecution. Criminal charges may be brought against the President only on the proposal of the Legal Chancellor, and with the consent of a majority of the membership of the Bijani Parliament. In the event criminal charges are brought against the President, his or her powers are suspended.

The powers of the President ordinarily terminate upon the assumption of office of his or her successor. A President's powers can also terminate upon his or her death, the entry into force of a criminal conviction against him or her, or his or her resignation. The President is not permitted to resign from office suring a state of emergency or a war. If the President vacates the office prematurely, the Parliament must elect a new President within 14 days.

List of presidents
There have been nine Presidents of Bijan; seven men and two women. Three presidents (Andersfilo, Verdavalo and Forĝisto) were re-elected to a second term. Johano Verdavalo is the only president to have died while in office. Hana Forĝisto is the only president to have resigned the office prior to the end of a term.

Facts

 * The oldest person to become President is Miĥajlo Brando.  He was 66 years, 70 days old when he was inaugurated in 1954.
 * The youngest person to become President is Hana Forĝisto.  She was 45 years, 299 days old when she was inaugurated in 1994.
 * Rikardo Safro lived longer after his term ended than any other President.  He left office in 1988, aged 63, and lived for 20 years and 129 days before his death at age 83 in 2008.
 * Hana Forĝisto will break this record if she is still alive on February 8, 2026.  She will be 77 years old.
 * Andreo Marŝanto will break this record if he is still alive on February 8, 2032.  He will be 88 years old.
 * Not including Johano Verdavalo, who died in office, Tomaso Bakisto had the shortest term as an ex-President.  He left office in 1994, aged 60, and lived for 10 years and 31 days before his death at age 71 in 2004.
 * There have never been more than two living ex-presidents at the same time.  These periods were:
 * between October 1, 1960 and November 8, 1965 (Nustedo/Brando; 1,864 days)
 * between October 1, 1972 and January 31, 1978 (Brando/Andersfilo; 1,948 days)
 * between June 1, 1988 and April 30, 1992 (Andersfilo/Safro; 1,429 days)
 * between June 1, 1994 and July 2, 2004 (Safro/Bakisto; 3,684 days)
 * between October 1, 2005 and October 7, 2008 (Safro/Forĝisto; 1,103 days)
 * since October 1, 2011 (Forgisto/Marŝanto; 874+ days)