President of Melanesia

President of Melanesia
Presidential Seal
Presidential Standard
Incumbent Joseph Durham III since January 14, 2009
Executive branch of the Melanesian Government Executive Office of the President
Style	Mr./Mrs./Madam President (informal) The Honourable (formal) His/Her Excellency (international correspondence)
Status	Head of state Head of government
Member of	Cabinet Domestic Policy Council National Economic Council National Security Council
Residence	Defiance Complex
Seat	Independence
Nominator	Political parties or self-nomination
Appointer	Electoral College of Melanesia
Term length	Six years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Alistair Barclay January 14, 1865
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Melanesia
Formation	January 14, 1865 (1865-01-14)
Salary	$513,936 annually
Website	mlima.an.gov

The President of Melanesia (POM) is the head of state and head of government of Melanesia. The president serves as the head of the executive branch of the federal government, and as the commander-in-chief of the Melanesian Defense Forces. Over the course of the last century and a half, the office of the president has evolved to become one of the most powerful political posts in the world. The person holding the office is generally regarded as the single-most powerful individual within Melanesia and the surrounding regarding, wielding vast political and judicial powers, and enormous leverage over fellow politicians and subordinates. The president is the head of the Cabinet, the Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, and National Security Council, all of which serve to carry out the foreign and domestic policies of the president's administration.

The president has as a part of their mandate, leadership over the Melanesian armed forces, and an wide degree of hard and soft power, granting them flexibility in achieving their political objectives domestically and internationally. The other powers of the president includes the enforcement of federal law over the states and their inhabitants, the right to appoint or dismiss federal officials ranging from diplomats, military personal, judicial officers, and other federal employees, and signing treaties and declaring war with the consent of Congress. The president may also pardon criminals, grant stays of execution, and convene or adjourn both houses of Congress based on valid conditions of extraordinary circumstances. In line with the balance of power within the federal government, the president directs foreign and domestic policy, and has the right of veto federal legislation from the Congress.

The president is indirectly elected by all registered voters within the country, through the Electoral College which mirrors the number representatives from each state in the country to the number of votes cast for the new president. The college's existence has been justified by the vast size of the nation itself, and the uneven population distribution of the various states, with the end goal being to make each state's vote equally valuable during the presidential election. According to the Nth Amendment, the president is only allotted two six-year terms, precluding the possibility of a third term. The individual is likewise prohibited from serving a third term if they had previously served as president, or acting president for more that two years in place of the previous president's term.

To date–since the creation of the presidency in 1865–there have been a total of 24 individuals have served as the president. Joseph Durham III of TBD is the 24th and current president of Melanesia. He assumed office on January 14, 2009 for the Republicans, after defeating his opponent, TBD, in the 2008 presidential election.

Timeline of presidents

Main article: List of Presidents of Melanesia