Firstly the Constitution or the electoral law determine the authority that will have the power to choose the date of the ordinary elections. Exceptionally, this power is assigned to the legislature. It is mostly up to the Head of State to fix the date of the elections: the King under the responsibility of the Government or the President. If the president is directly elected by the people he most often chooses autonomously the date of the elections. In France, the Council of Ministers appoints the date of the election, which must take place in the sixty days preceding the expiry of the powers of the National Assembly. If the president is not directly elected but appointed by parliament, he decides either autonomously, or under the responsibility of the Government. In a number of States it is explicitly stipulated that if the Head of state neglects to determine the date in due time, another authority will organise the elections.