Shortly before the end of 1859, MW Pretorius, who was the son of the popular Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius, was concurrently elected president of the Orange Free State (OFS). The Volksraad granted him six months leave to take up his office in the OFS during which he would negotiate the unification of the two Boer Republics. However, once his leave expired, the Volksraad would not allow Pretorius to resume his former office of president of the ZAR, as well as that of the OFS. Initially, Johannes Hermanus Grobler was appointed as acting President in Pretorius' absence, but Commandant-General Stephanus Schoeman refused to accept Grobler as acting president. Schoeman instead believed that the presidency should have been granted to him as the constitution at the time stipulated that in cases of the president's dismissal or death, the presidency should be granted to the oldest member of the Executive Council. Being three years older than Grobler, the presidency should thus have been granted to Schoeman. Schoeman, supported by many dissatisfied burghers, relieved Grobler of his office, assuming it himself.