The President is the Head of State and is elected with direct elections once in every five years, for not more than two mandates. The Vice President is elected at the same time, with the same voting paper, and under the same conditions and procedure as of the President. The President is the supreme commander of the military forces of the Republic of Bulgaria. He assigns and discharges the supreme command staff of the military forces and promotes the supreme officers into higher ranks on proposals by the Council of Ministers. The President is the Chairperson of the Consultative Council for national security and has the power to: - declare war in case of armed attack against Bulgaria or, if necessary, the country’s implementation of international agreements; - declare general, or partial mobilisation at the request of the Council of Ministers; - declare martial law, or any other state of emergency, in cases when the National Assembly is not in session and is impossible to be called; - give an order to the Prime Minister to form the government; - select the date of the elections for the National Assembly, as well as for the local self-management authorities; - point out the date for a national referendum, after the corresponding decision of the National Assembly; - approve the laws adopted by Parliament with a Decree, signed also by the Prime Minister, or by the relevant Minister;