Azaña wanted the Second Spanish Republic to emulate the pre-1914 Third French Republic, make secular schooling free and compulsory, and construct a non-religious basis for national culture and citizenship. Following elections in June 1931 the new parliament approved an amended constitutional draft on 9 December 1931. The constitution introduced female suffrage, civil marriage and divorce. It also established free, obligatory, secular education for all. However, some laws nationalized Roman Catholic Church properties and required the Roman Catholic Church to pay rent for the use of properties which it had previously owned. In addition, the government forbade public manifestations of Catholicism such as processions on religious feast days, dissolved the Jesuits and banned Catholic education by prohibiting the religious communities of nuns, priests and brothers from teaching even in private schools. The constitution also made the right to property subject to the public good, such that it could be nationalized as long as the owner was compensated. The constitution granted freedom of religion to all, including non-catholic worship in Spain. Head of State was the President of the Republic, who was elected by an Electoral College composed of members of legislative branch and elector citizens called compromisaries ("compromisarios)" elected by popular vote. Legislature was in charge of a unicameral assembly, the General Courts ("Cortes Generales"), composed by members elected by popular vote for 4 years term. Popular initiative of law could be made at request of 15 percent of the country citizens, with restrictions on the subjects to be presented. Executive branch was exercised by a Prime Minister ("Presidente del Gobierno"), appointed by the President of the Republic and General Courts, and a cabinet of ministers. It was established a Court of Constitutional Guarantees ("Tribunal de Garantías Constitucionales"), whose work was guarding the constitutionality of laws and settling disputes between state powers. It established the territorial division in provinces, and the possibility that those that had common cultural characteristics could be united to obtain the territorial autonomy as unified region through an Autonomy Statute ("Estatuto de Autonomía)". Although the constitution generally accorded thorough civil liberties and representation, there was a notable exclusion regarding the privileges of the Catholic Church, which some regarded as crucial to prevent the forming of an expansive democratic majority. The controversial articles 26 and 27 of the constitution strictly controlled Church property and prohibited religious orders from engaging in education. This was seen as explicitly hostile to Roman Catholicism, both by supporters of the established Church, but also by advocates of church/state separation.