12. {Government Secretary; appointment; custody of seal; powers and
 duties)

 The President shall appoint a Government Secretary for the Virgin Islands. He
 shall have custody of the seal of the Virgin Islands and shall countersign and affix
 such seal to all executive proclamations and all other executive documents. He shall
 record and preserve the laws enacted by the legislature. He shall promulgate all
 proclamations and orders of the Governor and all laws enacted by the legislature. He
 shall have such executive powers and perform such other duties as may be assigned
 to him by the Governor. *

 13. {Administrative assistants; residence; duties; preference in
 appointment)

 The Governor may appoint an administrative assistant who shall reside in Saint
 Croix and an administrative assistant who shall reside in Saint John. These
 administrative assistants shall perform such duties as may be assigned to them by the
 Governor. In making such appointments, preference shall be given to qualified
 residents of the Virgin Islands. *

 14. {Vacancy in office, or absence, of Governor; powers of Government
 Secretary)

 In case of a vacancy in the office of Governor or the disability or temporary
 absence of the Governor, the Government Secretary shall have all the powers of the
 Governor. *

 15. {Vacancy in offices, or absence, of Governor and Government
 Secretary; designation of department head to act)

 The Secretary of the Interior may from time to time designate the head of an
executive department of the government of the Virgin Islands to act as Governor in the
case of vacancy in the offices, or the disability or temporary absence, of both the
Governor and the Government Secretary, and the person so designated shall have all
the powers of the Governor for so long as such condition continues. *

 **

 16. {Reorganization of government-Consolidation of departments,
 bureaus, etc.; limitation on creation of new departments)

 (a) The Governor shall, within one year after the date of approval of this Act,
reorganize and consolidate the existing executive departments, bureaus, independent
boards, agencies, authorities, commissions, and other instrumentalities of the
government of the Virgin Islands or of the municipal governments into not more than