People's Chancellor

"The captains and masters propose the laws, the people vote on the laws, but at the end of the day, the People's Chancellor writes them."
-Avadian proverb

The People's Chancellor of the Avadian Admiralty is an elected government official within the Avadian Admiralty, the civil service arm of the Avadian Sovereignty. Drawn from the civil servants that make up the Avadian Admiralty, the People's Chancellor was intended to serve as a check and balance on the Admiralty, ensuring that the laws and motions that the Assembly vote on are implemented by the Admiralty in a manner that matches the spirit in which they were passed.
The Chancellor is an elected official, selected by simple majority from a number of candidates by the various Assemblies throughout the home islands and the colonial holdings.

Requirements

To be eligible for election to the role, a prospective People's Chancellor must have served in the Admiralty for at least five years. While it is not essential for a candidate to have served in multiple departments of the Admiralty, it is considered desirable and a strong advantage.

Duties

The primary duty of the People's Chancellor is to supervise the implementation of laws and motions that have been passed by the Avadian Assembly. The most obvious element of this is physically overseeing the carvings of the new laws into wax and stone tablets and ensuring their distribution throughout the Sovereignty, but in practice, a responsible People's Chancellor will meet with citizens who voted for the law or motion to pass and ensure their will is accurately represented.
They also liaise with other bureaucrats within the Admiralty to ensure the best methods to implement these laws, and travel both to the other home islands and the Avadian colonies in southwestern Arikanda to meet with governors and influential merchants.

Responsibilities

As the highest ranking government official of the Admiralty, and the administrator of the will of the Assembly, the People's Chancellor must regularly and consistently demonstrate that they are implementing that will. This means that a People's Chancellor must meticulously present documentation outlining the measures taken and explain how these measures support a motion or law passed by the Assembly. Overtly disregarding the will of the people is a sure-fire way for a People's Chancellor to fail to be re-elected, and depending on the situation, could also see them facing trial.
To that end, a People's Chancellor must be seen to provide a balanced and unbiased implementation of laws and motions. While cynicism about the playing field of the Sovereignty being slanted towards the mercantile elite is rife, outright being caught favouring a group, or worse, with your own snout in the trough is a fatal faux pas.

Sabina of Ecceno, current People's Chancellor as of 469 TE

Benefits

People's Chancellors can expect significant benefits as part of the role. They are paid a lucrative stipend, and are provided their own residence and offices at Admiralty Headquarters, complete with a personal staff and guard contingent. In a more intangible sense, People's Chancellors tend to make a lot of influential allies and friends very easily, and even if they are not re-elected, those connections can usually pave the way for continuing access to powerful and influential friends and business opportunities.
On a more grandiose level, the People's Chancellor has a significant say in how laws and motions are implemented within the Sovereignty. While the laws and motions are proposed by ship captains, merchants and other Masters and voted on by the Avadian population, it is the People's Chancellor who interprets those laws and motions and directs the government apparatus to implement them. This means that the People's Chancellor has a significant ability to influence and shape Sovereignty policy - and in some cases, shape the will of the people to suit their needs.

Accoutrements & Equipment

There is no official uniform for the People's Chancellor; however with that said, a People's Chancellor is expected to always wear an item of clothing in the same teal colour of the Sovereignty's national banner, to remind them of their ultimate allegiance.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

People's Chancellors are considered sacrosanct for the duration of their term - and as a result, they cannot be removed from office. However, a carelessly corrupt People's Chancellor can expect swift retribution at the next election, at which point they can stand trial for crimes. In addition, People's Chancellors who anger too many powerful and influential people have a habit of suffering tragic accidents in the middle of their term - sometimes at the hands of their own guards.

History

The role of People's Chancellor can be traced back to before the semi-democratic reforms of the Sovereignty as we know it today. At that time, the role was known simply as Chancellor, and was effectively a delegated second in command to the Sealord of Avadia in the style of a vizier or prime minister. After power shifted from the Sealord and the nobility to the merchants and captains of the present-day Sovereignty, the role was retained, but instead of answering to the Sealord, Chancellors instead answered to the Avadian Assembly, and thus the people - hence the term.

Cultural Significance

Despite the considerable power invested in the People's Chancellor, the role is seen as a symbol of the disdain Avadians have for the aristocratic class, and their mercantile and 'meritocratic' spirit.

Type

Civic, Political

Status

Active

Form of Address

People's Chancellor (name)
ie: People's Chancellor Sabina / Chancellor Sabina

Source of Authority

Elected by the Avadian Assembly

Length of Term

One year

Current Holders

• Sabina Ecceno

Related Organizations

• Avadian Admiralty