During the general election campaign, all candidates for the National Assembly declare whom they endorse for President when they lodge their nomination papers. If a party or
alliance secures an absolute majority of elected MPs in the legislative elections, its presidential candidate, always the party or alliance's leader, becomes the new president immediately without the need for an investiture vote. In practice, since legislative elections are conducted through
first-past-the-post voting, elections have always produced single-party majority governments ever since the first
general election in 1965 and thus a presidential election by Members of Parliament has never happened. The president is elected by the members of the
National Assembly following a general election that produces a
hung parliament. In the event that no candidate secures a simple majority, the National Assembly elects the president through secret ballot, with a simple majority of the total number of MPs (excluding 'specially-elected' MPs) required to win. This election is limited to candidates whose party at least 10 MPs. If, after three rounds of voting, no candidate is elected, two additional rounds may be authorized by the
speaker, if it is deemed that a successful election remains possible. Should these rounds also fail to produce a winner, or if the speaker declines to authorise further rounds, the National Assembly will be dissolved and
snap elections will be held. The president's survival in office is dependent on whether their government enjoys the
confidence of a majority of the National Assembly. They can be removed by a
motion of no confidence, prompting their resignation or if not, the
dissolution of parliament if the president refuses to do so, which triggers a snap election. == Presidential powers ==