Government of Barrayar

The His Majesty's Government of the Empire of Barrayar is the central government of Barrayar and its planets. It consists of those Ministers responsible for the conduct of national affairs.
Theoretically, ultimate power is held by the Emperor, and descends from him to the 60 Counts, who administer their Districts in his name: however, Government's primary legislation has to pass trough the Council of Counts, which is not merely a rubber stamp for the Emperor. Within Council of Counts most votes are settled by a simple majority, though certain extraordinary actions require a qualified majority.
The Government is led by the Emperor, who could appoint a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and the Ministers belong to the supreme decision-making committee, known as the Council of Ministers, which serves as part of Barrayaran parliament.
Executive authority lies with the monarch, on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. The Ministers advise the monarch and exercise power directly as leaders of the Ministries, but the Sovereign is not bound to follow advices.
The Government is dependent on Council of Counts to make primary legislation. The monarch selects the Prime Minister as the political leader most likely to command a majority in the Council of Counts.

Limits of Government power

Government's powers include general executive and statutory powers, delegated legislation, and powers of appointment and patronage; some powerful officials and bodies are legally more or less independent of the Government, and accountable only to the Crown. Government powers are legally limited to those strictly retained by the Crown or limited by Act of Council.

The Government and the Monarchy

The Barrayaran Emperor is the Head of State and takes a direct part in government. Some decisions to exercise sovereign powers are delegated from the Monarch to Ministers or other public bodies, although the Sovereign retains all power to withdraw the delegation. The Government has the Emperor as both chief executive and chief legislator. He's "advised" by the Council of Counts and the Council of Ministers.
Thus the major part of executive power is exercised by His Majesty's Government. The Government has the operational direction of the Armed Forces of the Crown, the Civil Service and other Crown Servants such as the Diplomatic and Secret Services, although the Emperor's rule is direct and effective.
Judicial power is vested in the Judiciary, who by constitutions and statutes have judicial independence of the Government. No public officers are elected.
According to custom and tradition, the Emperor has, in particular, the following powers:

• The power to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister
• The power to appoint and dismiss other ministers.
• The power to make war and peace
• The power to ratify treaties
• The power to command the Imperial Military Service of Barrayar.
• The power to regulate the Civil Service
• The power to issue passports
• The power to create hereditary Counts.

Kissing hands

To kiss hands is the term used in Barrayaran Empire to refer to the formal installation of government ministers to their office. The office-holder is required to actually kiss the hands of the Sovereign as a symbol of personal fealty and loyalty to the Sovereign, that fealty and loyalty being a requirement to serve in the Emperor's government.

Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of the Empire is one of the political leaders of Barrayar and the Head of His Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister and Council of Ministers are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Emperor and (politically) to Council of Counts. The Prime Minister is the Emperor's executor, in that he sees to the execution and details of laws and governing. Due to the central role of the Emperor, the activities of the executive branch are significantly influenced by him: it is the Emperor who appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister and other members of the government; the Emperor may chair the meetings of the cabinet and give obligatory orders to the Prime Minister and other members of the government and the Emperor may also revoke any act of the government.
As the Head of His Majesty's Government, the Prime Minister is among the highest political authorities in Barrayar: he leads a major political party, generally commands a majority in the Council of Counts and is the leader of the Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister guides the law-making process with the goal of enacting his legislative agenda. He acts as the public "face" and legally the "Voice Ordinary" of Her Majesty's Government, both at home and abroad.The Prime Minister has weekly formal audiences with the Emperor, although theirs are daily meetings.
As "Voice", the Prime Minister is bestowed the hierarchical authority of the Emperor. This bestows authority is plenipotentiary, but applies only where the Prime Minister is carrying out his formal duties, and within his formal and substantial constraints, whereas the Imperial Auditors are bestowed of the broader "Voice Extraordinary".
Current Prime Minister is Prime Minister Lord Admiral Miles Vorlaisner.

Powers and constraints

When commissioned by the Emperor, a potential Prime Minister's first requisite is to "form a Government". The Prime Minister then formally kisses the hands of his Sovereign. The Prime Minister will propose all other ministers, without any formal Parliamentary control or process over these powers. At any time, he may propose to the Emperor the appointment, dismissal or nominal resignation of any other minister; he may resign, either purely personally or with his whole government. The Prime Minister co-ordinates the policies and activities of the Government departments, acting as the main public "face" of Government.
Although the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Service is legally the Emperor, under daily and ordinary routine the Prime Minister, with the Minister of War, holds power over the deployment and disposition of Barrayaran forces: nonetheless, the Chief of General Staff is largely autonomous and responsible directly to the Emperor.
The Prime Minister proposes the major part of the most senior Crown appointments, and many others are made by Ministers. Ambassadors, senior civil servants, senior military officers, members of important committees and commissions, and other officials are selected, and in most cases may be removed, by the Prime Minister.

Crisis management

The natural operator of the crisis is the government. The emergence of a crisis situation determines the initiative and alerting the individual departments, responsible for protecting the interests threatened or endangered.
The organization of technical and operational support of the political leadership is composed of three major functional centers with specific expertise strictly delimited. The institutional actors defining the defence strategy are diverse, from general political figures down to those with more concrete and technical functions, along the whole political-military hierarchy. The most general guidelines are given by the Prime Minister who is the only one to have a general view of the activities of the various ministries and is the only one who can guarantee their coherence and coordination.

Strategic Political Committee

The Strategic Political Committee performs the tasks of coordination and decision-making lines of action. It is made by the Emperor, the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, War, Protection Imperial Loyalty and Interior. Participation in the meetings is provided in an advisory capacity only to the Chief of the General Staff and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Committee meets only during a state of crisis, replacing the Council of Ministers and acquiring the results of the pre-decision made ​​by the technical staff.

National Decision Making Centre

The National Decision Making Centre, is the seat of the support to Strategic Political Committee, in which concrete measures are substantiated in the choices made. The Decision Making Room, the Control Room and the Situation Room are modular elements of the Centre, in close liaison with their counterparts in the individual ministries and the Imperial Security.
The concerted action radiates from the National Decision Making Centre in respect of the various areas of relevance.

Political Military Section

The Political Military Section is formed by the President of the Department of State (directly subordinate to the Prime Minister), representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, of Interior, of Protection of the Imperial Loyalty, of the General Staff and the Imperial Security as an element apart. The Political Military Section is a permanent body, also active in normal conditions, in order to prevent sudden escalations in a timely manner.
In a crisis it assists the Strategic Political Committee, in its capacity as auxiliary and advisory service.

Council of Ministers

In the Empire of Barrayar, a Minister is the person who seats in the Council of Ministers and in charge of a Government Ministry, usually with extremely long tenures in office. The Minister is a member of the Council of Ministers, and acts as an advisory against the Prime Minister and the Emperor and, on the other hand, is an organ placed in charge of a Ministry. In this role the Minister ensures the transmission of political address in the administrative policies.
The Council of Ministers is one of two Councils that serve as Barrayar's parliament. Unlike the Council of Counts, it is appointed and not hereditary, although Counts could also serve as Ministers. The Council of Ministers has been created by Emperor Dorca the Just Vorbarra as part of his reforms to create a centralized monarchy at the expense of the District Counts. It is significantly smaller than the Council of Counts, since there are only, by law, 15 Ministers with voting rights: the Prime Minister in his own capacity as Prime Minister has voting rights as well as other Ministers, but he does not cumulate additional voting rights of the specific Ministry he may lead directly. In Joint Council sessions they have a vote equal to Counts.
Ceremonial ministerial robes are black and purple, and are worn at ceremonies such as the Emperor's Birthday.
Ministerial posts with voting rights are:

• Prime Minister of the Empire of Barrayar
• Minister of War:in charge of the Barrayaran Imperial Service
  • Imperial Bureau of Veterans and Veterans Affairs
• Minister of the West: in charge of the ministry that oversees Barrayar's South Continent, which is in the planet's western hemisphere. (Barrayar's North Continent, containing the bulk of the planet's population, is in the eastern hemisphere). As Barrayar entered interstellar affairs, the Minister of the West became a foreign ministry as well, sending Barrayaran ambassadors to foreign worlds. However this situation ended up to Komarran conquest: nowadays Minister of the West is in charge of both Southern Continent and Sergyar and Komarr.
  • Imperial Representative on Komarr
  • Imperial Viceroy of Sergyar
• Minister of Protection of Imperial Loyalty: in charge of Barrayar's general security and intelligence. It is intended to counterbalance the Imperial Security.
• Minister of the Interior: it has jurisdiction over Barrayar's heavily populated North Continent, including functions such as police, education, and public health. For non-police and security functions, Barrayar's South Continent and the planets Komarr and Sergyar are under the Minister of the West and the Viceroys of Komarr and Sergyar instead of the Interior Ministry.
• Minister of Agriculture: charged with promoting farming, fishing, animal husbandry, forestry, and ecology.
• Minister for Economy and Heavy Industry: charged with promoting industries that manufactured advanced technology. Many advanced industries on Barrayar are state-owned rather than private businesses, though the Emperor may lease state businesses promoting advanced technology to favoured individuals, particularly Vor.
• Minister of Finance: charged with collecting taxes for the Emperor's government.
  • Imperial Customs
  • Imperial Financial Monitoring Service
  • Imperial Accounting Office: designed to monitor the fiscal health and responsibility of the Imperium. The Accounting Office works closely with the Imperial Auditors and often it provides them with support staffs, both permanently or on a temporary basis.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Industry
• Minister of Justice;
• Minister of Colonization and Terraforming: is in charge of colonization and terraforming efforts, in conjunction with both Vor Districts and Ministry of the West.
• Minister of Energy;
• Minister of Culture, Science, Media and Sport;
  • Imperial Astro-Control Service;
  • Imperial Astrophysics Investigation Agency;
• Minister of State Property: controls government-owned lands and any other government property, especially farms and agricultural land and the government peasants that work the lands;
• Minister of Posts and Communications;
  • Imperial Postal Service
  • Imperial Monorail Services
  • Imperial Bureau of Ships and Services: the Imperial Bureau of Ships and Services is an agency responsible for assigning unique transponder codes to Barrayaran registered starships and tracking their movements through space. The Bureau fields offices on all three planets. It also keeps track of astrographic and navigational information as well as data on lanes used in navigation computers.

Interministerial Committee

The Interministerial Committees are collegial bodies of the Government of accessories made ??from more Ministers, which arose to address the needs of particular sectors of public administration involving the skills and assets of more Ministers and, therefore, require the coordination of the activity. There are two types of committees Intrministeriali:

• Interministerial Advisory Committees: they provide external relief and opinions mandatory but non-binding, they do not have power to adopt acts with external effect;
• Interministerial Regulatory Committees, who have specific skills of active administration, including the issuance of administrative acts, permits, approvals and regulations.

Interministerial Committee for Planetary Internal Affairs, Public Order and Security

The Interministerial Committee for Public Order and Security (IC-PIA-POS) is the body responsible for the programming of the policy of the government of the territory and to protect the safety of Barrayar. The Committee is chaired by the Minister of Interior and is made on a permanent basis by the Minister of the Interior, the Minister for the West and the Minister of Protection of Imperial Loyalty. Some technical members outside the ministerial team may participate in its meetings, but they cannot express their opinion by voting. The Committee prepares the guidelines of the policy of imperial security and examines the general situation for the adoption of economic measures.<nr> The secretariat of the Committee within the Ministry of the Interior. The Secretariat is divided into three offices:

• Central Office of the Secretary of the IC-PIA-POS;
• Office for the regulation of the police and local government policies;
• Office for the analysis and coordination of economic policy;
  • Technical Secretariat;
  • Project Finance Technical Unit.

Ministry of War

The Ministry of War is a ministry under the Council of Ministers, headed by the Minister of War. The MOW does not exercise command authority over the Imperial Service, which is instead subordinate to the General Staff and the Emperor. The MOW itself only serves as liaison body when dealing with foreign military in military exchange and cooperation. As interface with the political leadership, the Minister of War reports to the Council of Counts in a formal way the evolution of the strategic framework, military implications of the situation of alliances which Barrayar is involved in and the evolution of operational commitments with regard to the operational capacity of the Imperial Service.
Almost all leaders in Barrayar society are from military or Vor class, and share a set of values and outlooks. The ruling class strategic vision views Barrayar as threatened by wormhole blockage, and one of the prime motivations for the great development policy after the Cetagandan Wars was to strengthen Barrayar's economic and industrial foundations, so that a strong military could be built to defend Barrayar against outside powers which could block the vital wormhole.
Domestic issues also call for a strong military: Barrayar is continuously threatened by internal and rural peasant uprisings.
The initial Armed Forces Military Staffs and, later, the Imperial General Staff are equal to the Ministry of War in terms of authority: however, most times the Minister of War is a former (or even still in active duty( high-ranking officer, highly respected by his former colleagues still in active service.
The Armed Forces Military Staff offices were responsible for the planning and execution of military operations, and reported directly to the Emperor. As the Chiefs of the Armed Forces Military Staff and, later, Chiefs of Imperial General Staff are not cabinet ministers, they do not report to the Prime Minister, or to Council of Ministers, and are thus independent of any civilian oversight or control. However, during Aral Vorkosigan's Regency and Emperor Gregor's reign, budget allocations are in strict responsibility of Council of Counts, which therefore could control the military grand-policies. This is a fundamental rule, and Emperor Serg Vorbarra strictly enforces it.
The main, albeit unofficial, political function of both the Ministry and the Minister of War is the political representation of the military State-within-the-State. The Imperial Service is also influential in business, engaging in road, monorail and housing construction, consumer goods, resort management, and vast tracts of real estate. According to some researches, as much as 35% of the Barrayaran economy is controlled by or close related to the Barrayaran military. Empire-military interaction also occurs at lower levels, and it enables the Imperial Service to coordinate their activities with local authorities and draw on them for assistance. Commanders of military districts are usually members of the General Council of the Southern District which the district is located in. Other senior military officers sit on lower levels or city assemblies.
The Ministry of War has a strong role in the administrative and industrial: it takes care of the armaments policy, and, if necessary, its international cooperation programs, in order to achieve the pre-set efficiency targets. The budget and financial affairs, as well as non-military administrative inspections, are under the responsibility of the Ministry, as well as the military works and management of military property.

Intelligence and security agencies

The Barrayaran intelligence and security agencies are the complex of Government agencies and bodies responsible for security and intelligence activities of Barrayar. While consisting of two major bodies, Barrayaran intelligence operates as a coordinated complex under the Governmental direction. The major departments are: the Political and Security Committee (the political supervision body), the Ministry of Protection of Imperial Loyalty (the civilian agency) and the Imperial Security (military intelligence and state security agency). From a general point of view, in the case of officially approved internal actions, prosecution for acts committed by agents of the services in the performance of their duties may be brought only after the prior approval of the Prime Minister.

Political and Security Committee

The Political and Security Committee is the overseeing body of the secret and security services of the Empire. Is established within the Council of Ministers.
The Committee has an advisory and decision-making functions about the services policy. The Committee is chaired by the Emperor, assisted by the Prime Minister, if present, who summons the Committee, and is composed on equal civilian-military basis:

• Ministers of the West (Foreign Affairs), of the Interior, of War and of Protection of Imperial Loyalty;
• Heads and chiefs of Imperial Security, of Military Intelligence Service and of Service Security.

Because Imperial Security is in charge of overall coordinating activity, it has a prominent position. In order to avoid a "praetorian degeneration", exist other intelligence-related military bodies, such as the Military Intelligence Service and Service Security. Moreover, primary internal security and high policing function is vested by MoPIL, and external intelligence is performed by Military Intelligence Service: ImpSec acts as a trait-d'union and high profile security service. It is the Emperor's right hand, but without his civilian and military counterparts it would not be able to fulfil all security duties.

Ministry of Protection of Imperial Loyalty

The Ministry of Protection of Imperial Loyalty is the civilian and mainly domestic intelligence agency of Barrayar. Its headquarters are based at the Loyalty Building, Vorbarr Sultana. It is a separate structure from the Imperial Security, with 64 District offices. The MoPIL maintains resident agencies in the District capitals and on Komarr and Sergyar, as well as numerous clandestine basis. MoPIL mission is targeted to the defence of the Empire and its Institutions against whoever tries to threaten them, and from all subversion attempts and matters involving organized crime. The surveillance is focused on both internal and external threats related to political and ethnic loyalty to the empire, although the Ministry works mainly within Barrayaran borders, taking care of espionage. The Ministry displaces many officers at the military units, in order to report on any possible activities or feeling of treason among the ranks (especially the commanding officer).
The Ministry works in liaison and in competition with the Imperial Security, although it is more focused on vigilance against bureaucratic corruption.

Imperial Security

Imperial Security is formally a branch of the Barrayaran Imperial Service, devoted to protecting the Empire from threats within and without. Officers publicly assigned to Imperial Security wore silver departmental insignia in the shape of an Eye of Horus.
The Imperial Security is the military secret service designed to defend the security of the Empire from any threat, to meet the tasks of information, protection of secret and other defence activities; carrying the work also aims to prevent malicious war potential, working internally and abroad, taking care of the counter-intelligence activities. ImpSec deals with Electronic Intelligence and with human intelligence, especially raw intelligence reports from field agents and other sources.
The Imperial Security has access to the resources of the Service Security, with the right of requisition of resources towards the operational departments of the Imperial Service, if authorized by the Chief of the General Staff.
The acts performed by agents of ImpSec or by their employees in relation to foreign targets, even in the Empire, when carrying out their duties with operations prepared and approved by relevant government authorities, are not punishable if it can constitute criminal offences, if not at the request of the Government. The request is provided for the conduct of preliminary investigations.

Other national security organizations

Beyond security and intelligence agencies, such as ImpSec and MoPIL, there are also some organizations which are necessary in order to carry out security services in a polity where the rule of law is required. However, the rule of law is enforced only if the security of the Empire would not be affected. These organizations are:

• Intelligence units and organizations within the Ministry of the Interior (mainly, but not only, the SOCA and the Special Police Service);
• Service Security, within the Imperial Service;
• Imperial Anti-Terrorism Prosecution;
• Dedicated Imperial Courts: Terrorism Criminal Court, Terrorism Court of Assizes, Terrorism Appellate Court and Terrorism Appellate Court of Assizes.

Emergency security framework

The security framework is mainly designed to react to the rebellion for the Southern Continent but also serves for large uprisings in the Northern Continent. However, each Count has a duty to ensure a structure capable of supporting a domestic uprising. The entire Southern Continent is divided into a series of large wards, each of which comprises several districts; in each ward, a general manager is designated secretly, for a possible time of emergency. These structures entry into force automatically, when communications with Vorbarr Sultana are interrupted: at that time the general managers entry into action taking on the whole State powers the knowing exactly, according to a prearranged plan, what to do. In case of emergency moments of an alternative system of satellite and orbital communications is active, being secured by a number of military ships.
Not always the general manager is the most senior High Sheriff or the High Sheriff of the most important city: in some cases, he can be the Director of Public Security, the Military Commander of the Square or another man of strong energy and absolutely trustworthy.

Mass Organizations

The Empire of Barrayar maintains some mass organizations, whose membership is strongly encouraged, although not strictly mandatory. These organizations are instrumental to militarise the Barrayaran society, as well as those of Komarr and Sergyar, although to a lesser degree. Officially recognized and State-sponsored Imperial Mass Organizations are:

• Imperial Junior Scouts
• Association of Sport and Technology of Barrayar

The mass organizations are an integral part of society. They serve to integrate the individual into the social life of the Empire and are designed to support the unity of interests and deeds. The mass organizations are very much the stepchildren of the ruling ideology. They have been created from above to supervise and mobilize the public.

Hierarchy

The bureaucratic hierarchy includes the rank of Minister, which is considered the uppermost part of the bureaucratic hierarchy rather than a political appointment. It is to note that, since Ministers serve as bureaucratic top positions rather than political figures, their terms of service can be significantly longer than a political period.
The Chancellor is the highest rank of civil service: only the most distinguished government officials are promoted to this grade, and it is customarily awarded to the Prime Minister, although this is not a strict and mandatory rule: the first Prime Minister to be awarded such a title was Aral Vorkosigan, who was promoted posthumously.

Actual State Councillors and higher ranks are usually created a Knight or Dame Commander of the Order of Dorca Vorbarra after ten or more years of service in the grade or on retirement if not already holding the title. The most senior officials, such as the President of the Department of State, may be created a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Dorca Vorbarra.

Imperial Administrative Consultative Conference

The Imperial Administrative Consultative Conference is a political advisory body in the Empire of Barrayar. The organization consists of all officials ranking Actual State Councillor, Vice-President of Department or President of Department of all government and State agencies and organizations, as well as independent members. The Conference includes eight committees:

• Committee for Handling Proposals
• Committee for Economic Pianification
• Committee of Population, Resources, Terraforming and Environment
• Committee of Education, Science, Culture, Health and Sports
• Committee for Social and Legal Affairs
• Committee for Minorities Affairs
• Committee of Historical Affairs