French Fifth Republic of the election on 9 January 1959. The new president began his office on that date, appointing Michel Debré as Prime Minister. The 1958 constitution also replaced the French Union with the French Community, which allowed fourteen member territories (these did not include Algeria) to assert their independence. 1960 became known as the "Year of Africa" because of this wave of newly independent states. Algeria became independent on 5 July 1962. The president was initially elected by an electoral college, but in 1962 de Gaulle proposed that the president be directly elected by the citizens, and held a referendum on
1996 President of the Senate of the Czech Republic election 1996 President of the Senate of the Czech Republic election An election of the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic was held on 18 December 1996. Petr Pithart was elected the first President of the Senate. Pithart was a candidate of the Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL), and his election was opposed primarily by the Civic Democratic Party. The first election of Senate was held in November 1996. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) emerged as the strongest party with the Social Democrats second. The first meeting was held on 18 December 1996 to elect