Eternity RPC Board
Overview
The government of Drahen is a constitution monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance and is the second largest monarchy behind Ishnalla.
Branches of Government
Moderating Branch
The Avtokrator (Emperor); is the head of the moderating branch and is aided by the Council of State; the constitution declares the person of the Emperor as inviolable and sacred and is not subject to any responsibility. He is tasked with ensuring national independence and stability of the Imperial Republic and has the power to summon the General Assembly in the intervals between sessions; extend or postpone the voting General Assembly; freely appointing and firing ministers of state; pardoning and modifying judicial sentences and granting amnesty. Outside of these responsibilities however, the Constitution gives the Emperor very few avenues for imposing his will upon the General Assembly. The Emperor has two main recourses, the right to dissolve or extend legislative sessions and his power as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces of Drahen. In the Senate, an emperor's authority to appoint life senators does not necessarily give him added influence since life senators hold their offices for life and thus are freed from government pressure once confirmed. In the case that the legislature is dissolved, new elections are required to be held immediately and the new Chamber seated within 6 months.
Executive Branch
The Prime Minister is the head of the executive branch, aided by the Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister is charged with implementing the laws of the legislature and acting as a bridge between the General Assembly and the Emperor. The Prime Minister alone has the power to interpret laws and can veto any said bill, though said veto can be overturned by a 75% vote in both legislative houses. He or she has complete control over the offices of the executive, and is selected by the Emperor from a list of five candidates prepared by the legislature and holds the position for a twelve year term.
Legislative Branch
The General Assembly of The Imperial Republic of Drahen is composed of 324 delegates, split into two chambers, the Senate, with 54 senators and the Chamber of Deputies, compromised of 270 general deputies. The prerogatives and authority granted to the legislature by the constitution means that the legislature plays a major and indispensable role in the functioning of the government. Only the General Assembly can enact, create, interpret and suspend laws.
The legislature also holds the power of the purse and is required to annually authorize expenditures and taxes. In addition the General Assembly also sets the size of military forces and can create and dissolve government organizations. The constitution requires that the General Assembly, or a subset of it be consulted about declarations of war, treaties and the conduct of international relations. This means that the legislature can block or limit government decisions, influence appointments and force reconsideration of policy.
Deputies are elected by majority vote from their District for 3 year terms, while Senators are elected by their respective Provincial Assembly for six year terms. Life Senators, of which there are 12, are chosen by the Emperor and hold their positions until they either retire or die.
Judiciary Branch
Drahen has a unitary three-tier independent judiciary that comprises the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of Drahen, 24 High Courts, and a large number of trial courts. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over cases involving fundamental rights and over disputes between states and the centre; it has appellate jurisdiction over the High Courts. It has the power both to declare the law and to strike down union or state laws which contravene the constitution. The Supreme Court is also the ultimate interpreter of the constitution.
Foreign Policy
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for managing the foreign relations of Drahen. Drahen is a significant political and economic power in East Skathia and a key player on the world stage. Drahen's foreign policy reflects its role as a regional power and a potential world power and is designed to help protect the country's national interests, national security, ideological goals, and economic prosperity.
With the rise of Protasekretis Gallus Statius, in 1560 to the office of the Prime Minister, Drahen's foreign policy has aimed to strengthen ties with other countries throughout Skathia and several nationalist and pan-nationalist countries abroad, while continuing to maintain relationships with great powers and act as a countervailing force to Brigandian political and economic influence in Skathia. After Gallus Statius was removed as Prime Minister, the Drahen has attempted to renormalize relations with the rest of Siora and continued to develop it's relationship with the Menstran Imperium.
Administrative Divisions
Provincial Government
A Provincial Assembly is composed of 24, 36 or 48 elected deputies, the number depending on the size of the province's population. The election of provincial deputies followed the same procedure as used to elect deputies to the national Chamber of Deputies. The responsibilities of the Provincial Assembly include: defining provincial and municipal budgets and levying the taxes necessary to support them; providing primary and secondary schools (higher education is the responsibility of the national government); oversight and control of provincial expenditures; and providing for law enforcement and maintenance of police forces at the provincial level. The Assemblies also control the creation, abolishment and salaries for positions within provincial civil services. The nomination, suspension and dismissal of civil servants is reserved for the Praetor (governor) of the province, but how and under what circumstances the governor can exercise these prerogatives is delineated by the Provincial Assembly. The expropriation of private property (with due monetary compensation) for provincial or municipal interests is also a right of the Assembly. In effect, the Provincial Assembly can enact any kind of law—with no ratification by the legislature—so long as such local laws do not violate or encroach upon the Constitution or national laws. However, provinces are not permitted to legislate in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure laws, civil rights and obligations, the armed forces, the national budget or matters concerning national interests, such as foreign relations. The provincial Praetors are appointed by the Emperor and confirmed by the Senate and are, in theory, charged with governing the province. In practice, however, their power is somewhat intangible, varying from province to province based upon each Praetor's relative degree of personal influence and personal character. Since the national government wanted to ensure their loyalty, Praetor are, in most cases, sent to a province in which they have no political, familial or other ties. In order to prevent them from developing any strong local interests or support, Praetor usually are limited to terms of only a few years in office. As the praetor usually spends a great deal of time away from the province, often traveling to their native province or the imperial capital. As a result, in many provinces the de facto governor is the Kephale, who was chosen by the Provincial Assembly and is usually a local politician. With little power to undermine provincial autonomy, the Praetor is an agent of the central government with little function beyond conveying its interests to the provincial politicians.