The president of Benin () is both head of state and head of government in Benin. The Cabinet of Benin is under the authority of the President, and serves to advise and help formulate strategies. It also liaises with ministries and other government institutions. A total of seven people have served as President (not counting two acting presidents, several interim military officeholders and a collective presidency). Additionally, one person, Mathieu Kérékou, has served on two non-consecutive occasions. Description of the office Election The President of the Republic shall be elected by direct universal suffrage for a mandate of five years, renewable only one time. In any case, no one shall be able to exercise more than two presidential mandates. The election of the President of the Republic shall take place with a uninominal majority ballot in two rounds. No one may be a candidate for the office of President of the Republic unless: He is of Béninese nationality at birth or shall have acquired it for at least ten years; He is of good morality and of great honesty; He enjoys all his civil and political rights; He is at least 40 years old but not more than 70 years old at the date of the filing of his candidacy; He resides in the territory of the Republic of Bénin at the time of the elections; He enjoys a satisfactory state of physical and mental well-being duly verified by a collegiate board of three doctors sworn and designated by the Constitutional Court. The President of the Republic shall be elected by an absolute majority of votes cast. If that shall not be obtained in the first round of voting, it shall be followed, after a delay of fifteen days, by a second round. The only ones who may be presented in the second round of balloting shall be the two candidates who shall have received the greatest number of votes in the first round. In case of the withdrawal of one or both of the two candidates, the next ones shall be presented in the order of their filing after the first balloting. The candidate having received the relative majority of votes cast in the second round shall be declared elected. The convocation of the electors shall be made by a decree issued in the Council of Ministers. The first round of balloting for the election of the President of