Page:British and Foreign State Papers, vol. 144 (1952).djvu/344



147. There shall be a Vice-President of the Republic, who shall be elected in the same manner and for the same period of time as the President and jointly with him. To be VicePresident the same qualifications are required as are prescribed by this Constitution in order to be President.

148. The Vice-President of the Republic shall substitute for the President in cases of absence, incompetency or death. If the vacancy is definitive, the substitution shall continue until the end of the presidential term. In case of absence, incompetency or death of both, the President of Congress shall substitute for them for the rest of the term.

149. In any case in which the presidential substitutes established by this Constitution are lacking, the Presidency of the Republic shall be temporarily occupied by the oldest Justice of the Supreme Court, who shall call a national election to be held within a period of not more than 90 days.

When the vacancy occurs in the last year of the presidential term, the substitute Justice shall hold office until the term ends.

The person occupying the presidency by reason of any of the substitutions referred to in the preceding Articles cannot be a presidential candidate at the following election.

150. The Vice-President of the Republic is the presiding officer of the Senate and shall have a vote only in case of tie.

The Vice-President shall receive from the Nation a compensation that can be changed at any time, but the change shall not be effective until the presidential term following that in which jt is resolved upon.

151. For the exercise of the executive power, the President of the Republic shall be assisted by a Cabinet, composed of the number of members determined by law.

One of these Ministers shall have the category of Prime Minister, by designation of the President of the Republic, and can act as such with or without a portfolio.

152. To be a Minister it is required:

(a) To be a Cuban by birth.

(b) To be at least 30 years of age.