being in session at the time, the President shall call it
to convene without delay for such action as may be deemed proper.

ART. 69. The President shall not leave the territory of the Republic
without the permission of Congress.

ART. 70. The President shall be responsible before the Supreme Court for
the common offense he may commit during his term of office, but he shall
not be prosecuted without previous permission of the Senate.

ART. 71. The President shall receive from the State a salary which may
be changed at any time, but the change shall not go into effect until
the next following presidential term.

TITLE VIII

THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC

ART. 72. 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 Vice-President the same
qualifications set forth in this constitution to be President shall be
required.

ART. 73. The Vice-President of the Republic shall be the President of
the Senate, but he shall vote only in case that the votes of the
Senators are equally divided.

ART. 74. In case of temporary or permanent absence of the President of
the Republic, the Vice-President shall act in his place. If the absence
is permanent, the Acting President shall continue in office until the
end of the presidential term.

ART. 75. The Vice-President shall receive from the State a salary which
may be changed at any time, but the change shall not go into effect
until the next following presidential term.

TITLE IX

THE SECRETARIES OF STATE

ART. 76. For the transaction of the executive business the President of
the Republic shall have as many Secretaries of State as the law may
determine, and no one shall be a Secretary of State who is not a Cuban
citizen in the full enjoyment of his civil and political rights.

ART. 77. All decrees, orders and decisions of the President of the
Republic shall be counter-signed by the secretary of State to whom the
matter corresponds. Without this signature no decree, order or decision
of the President shall have binding force nor shall it be obeyed.

ART. 78. The secretaries of state shall be personally responsible for
the measures signed by them, and jointly and severally for the measures
agreed upon or authorized by them at a cabinet meeting. This
responsibility does not exclude the personal and direct responsibility
of the President of the Republic.