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
Vice President of the Dominican Republic Vice President of the Dominican Republic The Vice President is the first person in the presidential line of succession, ascending to the Presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal of the President. There have been thirty-nine Vice Presidents of the Dominican Republic. Under the Constitution of the Dominican Republic, the Vice President shall be elected along with the President. Since the independence of the Dominican Republic in 1844 until 1865, what is considered the First Republic, there were no constitutional Vice Presidents. Yet, during that time there were acting Vice Presidents; this was under the rule of Pedro Santana. After