First Secretary of Vardana

First Secretary of Vardana
Առաջին քարտուղար
Cockade of Vardana
Incumbent Anastas Barkhudar since 12 February 2010
Directory of Vardana
Style	His Excellency (international correspondence)
Status	Presiding officer
Member of	Directory of Vardana People's Defense Council
Appointer	The Directory
Term length	one year, renewable
Inaugural holder	Zoravar Davtyan
Formation	17 August 1987

The First Secretary of Vardana, more formally First Secretary of State or First Secretary of the Directory, is the presiding officer of the Directory, and undertakes representative duties typically associated with a single head of state.

Upon its establishment in 1992, the First Secretary has always been elected by the Directory from among its members. Functionally, the First Secretary holds a number of powers typically associated with a traditional head of state, and is the de facto commander in chief of the armed forces. The First Secretary appoints at least one deputy, who leads the Directory or assumes other duties in the First Secretary's absence.

The First Secretary is an extraconstitutional office and originally intended to be the title held by the most senior member of the Directory. Due to its extraconstitutional status, the legal standing of the office has been debated among constitutional scholars and lawyers in Vardana. The constitution does not provide for a presiding officer of the directory and instead relies on all directors to undertake functions of the head of state and government collectively. Some constitutional scholars have noted that the creation of the First Secretary could be explained through the Directory's exclusive power to appoint other officers or fill vacancies. However, others still widely criticize this view and have called for the position to be abolished or officially created in a constitutional amendment to limit its potential powers and influence over the Directory as a whole.

Powers and duties

Domestic affairs

Chief of the First Secretary's duties is serve as the presiding officer and primus inter pares of the Directory.

As Vardana is a directorial republic, it has no single head of state and the Directory serves as the collective head of state. To offset the potentially impractical nature of multiple heads of state, the Directory grants the First Secretary substantial power, such as day-to-day governing. The First Secretary sets the guidelines and instructs cabinet ministers, recommends dissolution of the National Convention to call for new elections. These are technically powers of any member of the Directory, but as leader of the largest or controlling party of the Directory, the First Secretary wields

Foreign affairs

The First Secretary is responsible for determining the country's foreign policy, and foreign affairs. As primus inter pares of the Directory, the First Secretary is the chief representative of Vardana internationally, and represents the country in international relations, negotiations and signs ratification documents. Ambassadorial appointments to foreign countries and international organizations are made by the Directory, though the First Secretary often proposes candidates to the Directory.

The First Secretary also serves as the functional commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Vardana.

Ceremonial duties

The First Secretary is integral in issuing state awards. Typically, state awards are given for military, economics, art, education, or other civil achievements. Hero of the Republic of Vardana is the highest honor awarded by Vardana, but the Directory may establish other awards as it sees fit.

Selection process

Eligibility

To serve as First Secretary, one must first be eligible to serve on the Directory. Those requirements are:

• be a citizen of Vardana
• be at least 30 years old
• be a resident for the last 10 years
• not be married to a non-citizen spouse

Election

First Secretary elections are held annually on the first Monday of August. While in theory any citizen can be elected First Secretary, in practice the Directory elects from its own membership. Most often from a member of the controlling party.

List of First Secretaries

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Tenure (Years and days)	Political Party	Directorates	Deputies
		Zoravar Davtyan Զորավար Դավտյան Director from Armavir (1930–2008)	17 August 1987	20 July 1989	1 year, 337 days	Hravart	3rd 4th	Arman Giragossian
		Samuel Heliz Զորավար Դավտյան Director from Mysia (1928–2007)	9 September 1992	22 July 1993	316 days	Radical Party	8th	Diryiar Droshakirn David Yntzay
			21 July 1994	23 July 1996	2 years, 2 days		10th 11th
		Constantine Agajanian Կոնստանտինե Ագաձանիան Director from Tsaghkadzor (1936–2010)	23 July 1996	23 July 1997	1 year, 0 days	One Vardana	13th	George Kataroyan Toros Hambujean
		George Kataroyan Գեորգե Կատարոյան Director from Nakorzan (1939–2007)	23 July 1997	17 July 2003	5 years, 359 days	Republican Spirit	14th 15th 16th 17th 18th	Penyamin Bartev
		Penyamin Bartev Պենյամին Բարտեվ Director from National At-large (born 1944)	17 July 2003	12 February 2010	6 years, 210 days	Republican Spirit	19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th	Elena Devetzi
		Elena Devetzi Ελενα Δεβετζι Director from Mysia (born 1947)	12 February 2010	22 July 2010	160 days	Republican Spirit	25th	None
		Anastas Barkhudar Անաստաս Բարկհuդար Director from National At-large (born 1959)	22 July 2010	Incumbent	14 years, 128 days	Radical Party	26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th	Almasd Dzolkert Arman Manoukian Eva Eskandarian Isaac Vorsapetn Lucine Argutian

Living former First Secretaries

• Living former First Secretaries
• 

  Constantine Agajanian
  served 1996–1997
  born 1936 (age 88)

• 

  Penyamin Bartev
  served 2003–2010
  born 1944 (age 80)

• 

  Elena Devetzi
  served 2010
  born 1954 (age 70)

See also

• Directory of Vardana