The President of the Russian Federation

The institution of presidency itself is sufficiently new for our country. Its evolution and development in Russia have been highly influenced by various national and historical features, such as stable tradition of strong individual power vested in tsars, emperors and general secretaries in different periods of Russian history.

For the first time the idea for establishment of presidency in our country gained the upper hand during the soviet "perestroika" in 1990 when the office of the President of the USSR appeared. A short time later the institution of presidency was introduced in Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic as a result of the all-Russian referendum. The 12^th of July, 1991 became the day of the elections of the first President of Russia. Boris Yeltsin had held this position till 2000 when he sent in his resignation and announced his successor, Vladimir Putin.

The status of the President has been significantly changed with the adoption of the RF Constitution (1993) which proclaimed the President the head of the State.

The President of Russia does not belong to the executive or any other branch of power, although he has enough authority to influence governmental activities.

The President is a guarantor of the Constitution as well as of the rights and freedoms of humans and citizens. He takes measures to protect the sovereignty of the Russian Federation, its independence and state integrity and ensures coordinated functioning and interaction of all the bodies of State power. He also determines the guidelines of the home and foreign policies of Russia and represents the Russian Federation within the country and in international relations.

Any citizen of the Russian Federation not younger than 35 years of age and with a permanent residence record in Russia of not less than 10 years may be elected President. The President is elected for six years on the basis of universal, equal, direct suffrage by secret ballot. One and the same person may not be elected President of Russia for more than two terms running.

When taking office the President of the Russian Federation takes the following oath of loyalty to the people:

"I swear in exercising the powers of the President of the Russian Federation to respect and safeguard the rights and freedoms of human and citizen, to observe and protect the Constitution of the Russian Federation, to protect the sovereignty and independence, security and integrity of the State, to faithfully serve the people".

This oath is taken in a solemn atmosphere in the presence of members of the Council of the Federation, deputies of the State Duma and judges of the Constitution Court of the Russian Federation.

The President of Russia possesses vast authority in government. By agreement with the State Duma he appoints the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, appoints all the Federal Ministers and decides on their resignation.

The President presents to the Council of the Federation candidates for appointment as judges of the Constitution Court, the Supreme Court, and the Higher Court of Arbitration, as well as a candidate for the post of the Procurator-General of the Russian Federation, and appoints judges of other federal courts.

The President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The President has certain powers in his relations with the legislative branch. Thus, he may introduce bills to State Duma, veto laws adopted by the Federal Assembly and dissolve the State Duma in case it rejects three times the candidates for the post of the Chairman of the Government.

The President of the Russian Federation may cease to exercise the powers short of the term in case of his resignation, stable inability to exercise the powers vested in him because of health reasons or in case of impeachment.

The President may be impeached by the Council of the Federation only on the basis of the charges of high treason or another grave crime advanced by the State Duma and confirmed by the conclusion of the Supreme Court on the presence of the elements of crime in the actions of the President and by the conclusion of the Constitution Court confirming that the rules of advancing the charges were observed.

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