Supreme Governor of Austenesia
| Supreme Governor of the Commonwealth of Austenesia | |
|---|---|
 Standard of the Supreme Governor | |
 Coat of Arms of the Supreme Governor | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Residence | Tarkan Palace (Moroni City) |
| Nominator | Commonwealth Assembly |
| Appointer | popular vote |
| Term length | appointed for life |
| Constituting instrument | National Charter |
| Formation | 7 July 1662 |
| First holder | Prince Matthias of the East |
| Salary | $130,000 |
The Supreme Governor of the Commonwealth of Austenesia is the head of state of Commonwealth of Austenesia, serving both in a ceremonial capacity and a governing capacity. Originally created as a weak adaption of a monarch in Austenesia's first charter in 1662, the position was further weakened to the point of being a symbolic figurehead by the 1869 National Charter. Nominated by the Commonwealth Assembly and approved by voters for a life-long term, the Supreme Governor is tasked with representing the interests of the Commonwealth as its figurehead but also wields some actual power including the power to pardon individuals of crimes and dissolve the Commonwealth Assembly. The current Supreme Governor is Ichabod Manson who was officially confirmed to his position on November 15, 2000.
Contents
History
The position of Supreme Governor has its roots in the monarchy of the Great Moronic Empire. During the Imperial Period, one of the titles of the Emperor was "Supreme Governor" of the Empire. This was not only meant to highlight the political authority of the Emperor but also differentiated him from the various local governors underneath him who helped enforce his laws and carry out his decrees. After the Empire was overthrown in the Yellow Revolution, the Commonwealth was officially established by the National Charter of 1662. However, while the charter's writers considered creating a constitutional monarchy at first, they began to shy away from anything related to monarchy due to their recent bad experiences with monarchs.
Ultimately, they created a position that was pretty much a constitutional monarch in all but name. Making the position of hereditary one with broad executive powers, they instead used one of the emperor's titles, "Supreme Governor" to style the position. The Supreme Governor basically served as the head of state and had broad executive powers while the newly formed Commonwealth Assembly served to advise him on important matters of state. Widespread corruption however and the imbalance of power between the East and the West resulted in the Seven Years War which began in 1861. When the war came to an end in 1868, the treaty between the two sides called for the drafting of a new national charter which was done the next year. The resulting changes made at the Devana Convention of 1869 included modifications to the position of Supreme Governor. The powers of the Supreme Governor were substantially weakened and the Supreme Governor became a position that was elected rather than hereditary. This change was brought about by concerns that the power of representation for Austenesia was being consolidated in one family that was West-centric. The Supreme Governor also lost the authority to veto laws passed by the Commonwealth Assembly and was stripped of enforcement powers.
Qualifications and Selection
The exact qualifications of the Supreme Governor are intentionally vague in the National Charter which simply states that the Supreme Governor must be an individual of faith with strong moral values and a devotion to his country. The Supreme Governor must also be a citizen of Austenesia and must be at least forty years of age at the time of appointment. According to the National Charter, the Supreme Governor must be selected by the Commonwealth Assembly. Traditionally however, the Moronic Council of Elders usually nominates a selection for Supreme Governor or at least evaluates potential selections that the Commonwealth Assembly is considering. Ultimately, the Commonwealth Assembly conducts hearings on the matter and then holds a vote. All that is required to make a nomination is a simple majority of the votes cast and once a nomination has been made, that choice is forwarded over to be confirmed in an election. By law, the election must be held within three months of the nomination and the Commonwealth Assembly may not make a new nomination until their nominee has been rejected by the voters. In a confirmation election, more than 50% of the votes cast by the eligible voters of Austenesia must be in favor of the confirmation. Two weeks are given after the election for the election results to be certified and on the first day of the third week, the Supreme Governor is officially confirmed in a special ceremony.
Tenure
The Supreme Governor serves a lifelong term and vacates the office either at death, upon resignation, or after being officially removed from office.
Removal From Office
The Supreme Governor can be removed from office upon conviction of high crimes, misconduct, and neglect of duties and there are two ways which this process can happen. First, the Supreme Governor can be removed from office by the Commonwealth Assembly. If the Commonwealth Assembly desires to remove the Supreme Governor from office, they must first issue an official "Recall Resolution" which should detail their exact reasons as to why they wish to remove the Supreme Governor from office. Unlike censures or sanctions which amount to verbal reprimands of the Supreme Governor, an "Recall Resolution" specifically calls for the Supreme Governor to be removed from office with reasons why. The Supreme Governor has exactly one week to respond to the "Recall Resolution" in writing or another form of communication to the Commonwealth Assembly. During such a time, the Supreme Governor cannot dissolve the Commonwealth Assembly. After one week, the Commonwealth Assembly must vote to remove the Supreme Governor from office and must do so sometime within that week. If they fail to recall him, they must wait one month before being able to begin the process again. To recall the Supreme Governor, a majority of three-fourths of the Commonwealth Assembly is required.
The Supreme Governor can also be removed from office via a majority of the elected voters. To begin the process, voters must issue a "Recall Petition" and such a "Recall Petition" must get at least 2,000,000 signatures from eligible voters in at least half of the communes within a six month period. If this petition is filed within the six month period, a recall election must be held within an additional six months and voters will be given the choice to remove the Supreme Governor from office or keep him. At least 75% of the votes cast must be in favor of removing the Supreme Governor for him to be removed from office. Only one recall petition may be filed at a time and if the recall effort fails, voters must wait one year before beginning the recall process again. The Supreme Governor cannot appeal a recall and once removed from office, is not eligible to collect any pension or any other state benefits accured during his or her time as Supreme Governor.
Vacancies
When the Supreme Governor resigns, dies, or is removed from office, the position remains vacant until the Commonwealth Assembly appoints a new one. As soon as the Commonwealth Assembly makes a nomination, the nominee is named "Acting Supreme Governor" until he or she is either confirmed or rejected by the voters. Acting Supreme Governors have very limited authority and can only approve appointments or sign legislation that is vital to the national security of the commonwealth. Acting Supreme Governors also cannot deliver an address to the nation or represent the nation abroad except in times of emergencies and can only dissolve the Commonwealth Assembly during an emergency or when elections are required at the five year mark. Unlike Supreme Governors, Acting Supreme Governors cannot dissolve the Commonwealth Assembly early and trigger new elections.
Duties and Powers
As the head of state, the Supreme Governor is tasked with two primary duties: representing the government of Austenesia including its interests and people, and ensuring the smooth operation of the government. To do so, the Supreme Governor is tasked with a host of ceremonial duties that are vital to ensuring the continuity of power. In representing the government and its people, the Supreme Governor has the duty and power to
- Receive all foreign dignitaries, representatives, and ambassadors
- Travel abroad and speak to foreign governments and officials on the behalf of the government of Austenesia
- Issue national communications through various mediums (TV, radio, articles, ect.) that inform citizens on the state of the nation (the Supreme Governor is not typically allowed to take sides in political issues but may only weigh in if he feels it is for the national good)
- Address the Commonwealth Assembly on a routine basis to present the state of the nation and the priorities of the current government
- Issue decrees or proclamations to recognize certain events or issues (both are symbolic and have no force of law)
- Present awards, honors, and oversee important ceremonial events
In additional to having ceremonial duties that represent the government, the Supreme Governor also has both ceremonial duties and actual power that he wield to promote the continued function of the government. The Supreme Governor has the duty and power to:
- Dissolve the Commonwealth Assembly and call for new elections upon their request or on his own (Note: the Commonwealth Assembly can override the Supreme Governor's order to dissolve by a simple majority and this power is often only used when the Commonwealth Assembly is unable to come to an agreement on an issue and is trapped in gridlock)
- Officially establish acts of the Commonwealth Assembly signing them into law (this is ceremonial and the Supreme Governor is required to sign an act into law)
- Officially appoint all cabinet members, executive government officials, national commission members, ambassadors, arbiters, and magistrates after they have been nominated (this also is ceremonial and the Supreme Governor cannot refuse to appoint a nominee)
- Officially sign all death warrants issued in the Commonwealth (the Supreme Governor can utilize his power to pardon by refusing to sign a death warrant)
- Issue pardons or commute sentences for individuals accused and convicted of crimes against the Commonwealth (this is a power exercised by the Supreme Governor alone)
- Officially approve all warrants to authorize the seizing of foreign supplies, persons, resources, or individuals (this is a ceremonial power and the Supreme Governor cannot refuse to authorize a warrant issued by the Commonwealth Assembly
- Preside over the military of Austenesia as "commander in chief" (the Supreme Governor has no actual command authority which rests alone with Chancellor and the Commonwealth Assembly
Compensation and Benefits
Salary and Monetary Compensation
The Supreme Governor is allotted an annual salary of NSD$130,000 in addition to having travel, lodging, and food expenses covered by a special dedicated budget for the Supreme Governor. The Supreme Governor is allowed to conduct other business ventures as well provides such business interests or ventures to not conflict with his or her duties as Supreme Governor. The Supreme Governor is however not allowed to accept money from any individual and gift values are capped at NSD$100. Any gifts or money given to the Supreme Governor is redirected to the national budget and cannot be used for any of the Supreme Governor's expenses. The same goes for any of the spouses or direct children of the Supreme Governor.
Title and Spouse
The Supreme Governor is officially styled as "His/Her Excellency, the Supreme Governor of the Commonwealth of Austenesia" both abroad and at home. In more relaxed settings the Supreme Governor is called the "Supreme" or "Governor". Acting Supreme Governors are merely referred to as "Supreme Governors". The spouse(s) of the Supreme Governor are referred to as Supreme Governess when they are female. The duties of the spouse(s) of the Supreme Governor are scant and basically consist of appearing with the Supreme Governor publicly, serving as a hostess, and providing support to him. Supreme Governesses are allowed to live with the Supreme Governor but they do not receive compensation or paid staff and are not allowed to speak officially on the behalf of the Supreme Governor.
Lodging and Transportation
While in office, the Supreme Governor is allowed to take residence in the Tarkan Palace in Moroni City which originally used to be one of the residences for the emperors of the Great Moronic Empire. While part of the Tarkan Palace is reserved as a museum for the public, other portions of it are used for official receptions, events, the Supreme Governor's staff, and the Supreme Governor's residence. When traveling, the Supreme Governor usually travels by air in a modified CV140 SkyLifter airplane or in a H17C military helicopter. When air travel is unavailable, the Supreme Governor can travel by land in an armored Harvard CHX or by boat in a specially modified yacht. Acting Supreme Governors are not allowed to live in the Tarkan Palace but they are allowed to use the Supreme Governor's fleet of vehicles and aircraft when they are traveling in an official capacity.
