With less than 24 hours remaining until the the first Presidential ballot, here is what the Greek Constitution entails for the election of the President of the Hellenic Republic. According to Article 31, to be eligible for election to the Presidency, a person must be a Greek citizen for at least five years, be of Greek descendent from the father’s line, have attained the age of 40 and be legally entitled to vote. Furthermore, according to Article 32, the President of the Hellenic Republic shall be elected by the Parliament through vote by roll call in a special session called for this purpose by the Parliament President at least one month before the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent President, as specified by the Standing Orders. In case of permanent incapacity of the President of the Hellenic Republic to discharge his duties as well as in case of his resignation, death, or removal from office in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, the Greek Parliament shall be assembled to elect a new President within ten days at the latest from the premature termination of the tenure of office by the previous President. The office of the President shall be incompatible with any other office, position or function, while the Presidential tenure commences upon the swearing-in of the President. In case of war, the Presidential tenure shall be extended until termination of the war. Reelection of the same person as President is permitted only once. The election procedure In all cases, the election of a President shall be made for a full term. The person receiving a two-thirds (200 votes) majority of the total number of MPs shall be elected President of the Hellenic Republic. Should the said majority not be attained, the ballot shall be repeated after five days. Similarly, should the second ballot fails to produce the required majority, the ballot shall once more be repeated after five days; the person receiving a three-fifths (180 votes) majority of the total number of MPs shall be elected President of the Hellenic Republic. In case even the third ballot fails to produce the said qualified majority, Parliament shall be dissolved within ten days from the ballot and elections for a new Parliament shall be called. As soon as the elected Parliament have constituted itself as a body, it shall proceed through vote by roll call to elect the President of the Hellenic Republic by a three-fifths majority of the total number of MPs. Should the said majority not be attained, the ballot shall be repeated within five days and the person receiving an absolute majority of the votes of the total number of MPs shall be elected President of the Hellenic Republic. Should this majority also not be attained, the ballot shall once more be repeated after five days between the two persons with the highest number of votes, and the person receiving a relative majority shall be deemed elected President of the Hellenic Republic. Should the Parliament be absent, a special session shall be convoked to elect the President of the Hellenic Republic. If the Parliament has been dissolved in any way whatsoever, the election of the President of the Hellenic Republic shall be postponed until the new Parliament shall have constituted itself as a body and within twenty days at the latest thereof. Should the procedure specified under the preceding paragraphs for the election of a new President not be completed in time, the incumbent President of the Hellenic Republic shall continue to discharge his duties even after his term of office has expired, until a new President of the Hellenic Republic is elected. After the election and the Oath The President-elect shall assume the exercise of his duties on the day following the expiration of the term of the outgoing President or, in all other cases, on the day following his election. Before assuming the exercise of his duties, the President of the Hellenic Republic shall take the following oath before Parliament: “I do swear in the name of the Holy and consubstantial and Indivisible Trinity to safeguard the Constitution and the laws, to care for the faithful observance thereof, to defend the national independence and territorial integrity of the Country, to protect the rights and liberties of the Greeks and to serve the general interest and the progress of the Greek People.”
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