Counselor
T
he primary elected representatives of the people of the Unified Republic, Counselors are the lawmakers and legislators of the Republic. Their primary role in government is to propose and vote on bills which, if approved by popular vote, will move onto the Directorate of Principles to be signed into law or vetoed and passed back to the Chamber of Law.
Counselors are appointed by their provincial party leadership. Because the Republic is a parliamentary government, the populous casts votes according to political party and then seats are apportioned according to the percentage of the popular vote cast for each elected political party. Each party appoints Counselors to the seats won during the general election. Since there are only twenty five Counselor seats allotted to each province, any party receiving less than four percent of the popular vote receives no seats for that province. Each province also has its own method to determine close calls and percentage errors in the electoral system of Counselors, established in the charter of each province.
Counselors are expected to represent their constituency to the best of their ability. Since Counselors are appointed by their party leadership at a provincial level, sometimes a Counselor will find themselves at odds with the popular opinion of the province as a whole. It is expected that the Counselor will take the popular opinions and interests of their province into consideration when casting votes in Chambers and will be equally available to all members of the voting public within their province while appearing in office therein. Blatantly favoring one's own party over other members of the constituency, especially when one's own party is a minority, is a sure way to have recall vote leveled against a Counselor.
While there are no term limits set for Counselors, there is an implication that 25 years of service should be considered a respectable maximum, especially among the longer lived races. As there have only been two elections so far, the machination of elves and gnomes have not been tested so far but certain government watchdogs are already producing opinion pieces and pro term limit propaganda which would call for yet another Addendum to the Constitution. Critics feel that the option for voters to recall Counselors is enough of a check against long term incumbents and such an Addendum would be a superfluous layer of legislation.
Counselors are appointed by their provincial party leadership. Because the Republic is a parliamentary government, the populous casts votes according to political party and then seats are apportioned according to the percentage of the popular vote cast for each elected political party. Each party appoints Counselors to the seats won during the general election. Since there are only twenty five Counselor seats allotted to each province, any party receiving less than four percent of the popular vote receives no seats for that province. Each province also has its own method to determine close calls and percentage errors in the electoral system of Counselors, established in the charter of each province.
Counselors are expected to represent their constituency to the best of their ability. Since Counselors are appointed by their party leadership at a provincial level, sometimes a Counselor will find themselves at odds with the popular opinion of the province as a whole. It is expected that the Counselor will take the popular opinions and interests of their province into consideration when casting votes in Chambers and will be equally available to all members of the voting public within their province while appearing in office therein. Blatantly favoring one's own party over other members of the constituency, especially when one's own party is a minority, is a sure way to have recall vote leveled against a Counselor.
While there are no term limits set for Counselors, there is an implication that 25 years of service should be considered a respectable maximum, especially among the longer lived races. As there have only been two elections so far, the machination of elves and gnomes have not been tested so far but certain government watchdogs are already producing opinion pieces and pro term limit propaganda which would call for yet another Addendum to the Constitution. Critics feel that the option for voters to recall Counselors is enough of a check against long term incumbents and such an Addendum would be a superfluous layer of legislation.
Qualifications
- Be a citizen of the Republic
- Be Of Age for one's ancestry (This is taken to mean 25 years old for a human, 33 years old for a halfling, 35 years old for a gnome, 40 years old for a dwarf, and 100 years old for an elf)
Requirements
- Obtain a simple majority of the popular vote in the Province one is nominated to represent.
- Take the Oath of Office
Duties
- Serve as the primary representative for one's Province in the Chamber of Law.
- Vote on legislation in such a fashion as to best represent the interests and well-being of the Unified Republic and its holdings.
- Represent one's constituency by voting in Chambers in such a way as to best reflect the views and values held by said constituency.
- Serve on any appointed committees or councils formed within the Chamber of Law.
Responsibilities
- Be in attendance for three quarters of all official meetings of the Chamber of Law and committees thereof.
- Maintain offices within the Province one represents where the Counselor is physically in attendance at least 100 days out of every calendar year and where aids and representatives are present and accessible to the public during all days of standard governmental operations.
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
- All Counselors are subject to recall vote if a significant portion, to be defined as 2% of the registered voters within the Province of representation, willingly submit their signature as part of a lawfully conducted petition process. If the recall shows a simple majority to recall the Counselor, a one-month period beginning at the first of the next calendar month will be granted for new nominees to be named. At the end of this one month period, a special election will be held and once all collected ballots have been counted over a one week period, a new Counselor will be declared.
- All Counselors are subject to impeachment according to Article V of the Constitution of the Unified Republic.
Type
Civic, Political
Form of Address
Master/Madam Counselor
Source of Authority
The Electorate of the Republic
Length of Term
5 years
Related Organizations
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments