President of France to. He was succeeded by Nicolas Sarkozy on 16 May 2007. Following a further change, the constitutional law on the modernisation of the institutions of the Fifth Republic, 2008, a President cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac are the only Presidents to date who have served a full two terms (14 years for the former, 12 years for the latter). In order to be admitted as an official candidate, potential candidates must receive signed nominations (informally known as "parrainages", for "sponsors") from more than 500 elected officials, mostly mayors. These officials must be from
Powers of the President of Singapore decisions of the Executive under the Internal Security Act and the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act. The office of the President is one of Singapore's most heavily altered institutions, and it is still being re-made today. As of 2007, almost one-third of all the constitutional amendments since Singapore became independent in 1965 consisted of changes to the President's office. Approximately half of the amendments implemented were to alter the President's fiscal powers. The powers of the President are divided into those he may exercise in his own discretion, and those he must exercise in accordance with the advice of the