by recall or conviction on impeachment, or permanent disability of the Governor, or the
death, or resignation, or permanent disability of a Governor-elect, or for any other
reason, the Lieutenant Governor or Lieutenant Governor-elect shall become Governor
to hold office for the unexpired term and until he or his successor shall have been duly
elected and qualified at the next regular election for Governor.

 Section 16. Temporary Absence or Disability of Lieutenant Governor. In the
 case of the temporary disability or temporary absence of the Lieutenant Governor from
 the Virgin Islands or during any period when the Lieutenant Governor is acting as
 Governor, the Governor or upon his failure to do so, the Lieutenant Governor, shall
 designate the head of one of the executive departments as Acting Governor.

 Section 17. Permanent Vacancy in Office of Lieutenant Governor. In case of a
 permanent vacancy in the office of the Lieutenant Governor, arising by reason of the
 death, resignation, conviction on impeachment, or permanent disability of the
 Lieutenant Governor or because the Lieutenant Governor or the Lieutenant Governor-
 elect has succeeded to the office of Governor, the Governor shall appoint a new
 Lieutenant Governor, with the advice and consent of the Legislature, to hold office for
 the unexpired term and until he or his successor shall have been duly elected and
 qualified at the next regular election for Lieutenant Governor.

 Section 18. Permanent Vacancy in Office of Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
 In case of permanent vacancies in the offices of both the Governor and Lieutenant
 Governor, the President of the Legislature shall vacate his office and he shall succeed
 to the office of Governor to hold that office for the unexpired term and until he or his
 successor shall have been duly elected and qualified at the next regular election for
 Governor; Provided, however, that should such vacancies occur prior to one year next
 preceding the succeeding general election, a special election shall be held to fill the
 offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor within sixty days from the date such
 vacancies occur. In the event a special election is required, the President of the
 Legislature shall issue a call for such election and he shall serve as the Acting
 Governor until a Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected and qualified.

 Section 19. State of Territory Message. The Governor shall render annually to
the Legislature a report which shall constitute his State of the Territory message to the
Legislature and to the Congress of the United States.

 Section 20. Recommended Legislation. The Governor may recommend bills to
the Legislature at anytime and give expression to his views on any matter before the
Legislature.

 Section 21. Executive Departments. All executive and administrative offices,
agencies, and instrumentalities of the Government, and their respective functions,
powers, and duties, shall be allocated by law among and within executive
departments, so as to group them as far as practicable according to major purposes,
except for independent bodies whose existence may be required by Federal law for