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The President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
The Trinidad and Tobago Republican Constitution provides for a President who is the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed forces. He is also the repository of all Executive Authority. His powers are exercisable within certain constitutional limits and most of his constitutional acts must be performed in accordance with the advice of or after consultation with another authority, usually the Cabinet, the Prime Minister or the Leader of the Opposition. Although the President does not sit in Parliament, he is responsible for the summoning, prorogation and dissolution of Parliament and also gives his assent to Bills. A person is qualified to be nominated for election as President if he is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago of age thirty five years or upwards who, at the date of his nomination as President has been ordinarily resident in Trinidad and Tobago for ten years immediately preceding his nomination. The Constitution provides for an Electoral College consisting of all the Members of the Senate and all the Members of the House of Representatives assembled together and convened and presided over by the Speaker of the House. The President is elected by the Electoral College voting by secret ballot. Ten Senators, the Speaker and twelve other Members of the House of Representatives constitute a quorum of the Electoral College. The President so elected shall normally hold office for a term of five years. All Bills passed in both Houses of Parliament must be assented to by the President before they become law. The President also appoints Members of Commissions and other senior officials. He is also responsible for appointing Senators - sixteen on the advice of the Prime Minister, six on the advice of the Opposition Leader and nine on his own discretion. His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards, TC, CMT, Ph.D
The President of Trinidad and Tobago is His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards. Professor Richards is Professor Emeritus in Chemical Engineering at the Department of Engineering, The University of the West Indies and is the first President of the Republic who is not an Attorney-at-Law. He was born in San Fernando in 1931 and received his primary education there before winning a Government Exhibition to Queen's Royal College in Port of Spain. From May 1950 to September 1951 he was a staff trainee (Exploration, Production and Refining) at United British Oilfields of Trinidad Ltd. From 1957 to 1965, Professor Richards held a number of managerial posts at Shell Trinidad Ltd., and then joined the University of the West Indies as a Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering. In October 1970, he was appointed Professor of Chemical Engineering. He also held the post of Deputy Principal and Pro-Vice Chancellor from August 1980 to May 1985. Professor Richards became Acting Principal in October 1984 and held this post until May 1985, when he was appointed Principal and Pro Vice Chancellor. He held this position until November 1996. Professor Richards has served on the board of a number of local companies, including the Trinidad Publishing Company, TRINTOC, and the National Gas Company, and has also served on the boards of several service organizations, including the National Training Board (Chairman), the National Advisory Council and the Institute of Marine Affairs (Chairman). He is also a member of several professional societies, including the Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago, the Institute of Chemical Engineers (London), the Institute of Petroleum (London); the Royal Society of Chemistry (London). He received the Chaconia Medal of the Order of the Trinity - Class1 (Gold) for Public Service. Professor Richards is married with two children. Former Presidents
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