Executive Council (Talahara)

Executive Council of Talahara
ⴰⵙⴻⵇⵇⴰⵎⵓ ⵏ ⵓⵙⴻⵍⵡⴰⵢ Aseqqamu n Uselway
Lion's paw sigil
The Uselwayadeg (left) in the Zar Talahara complex
Executors Taos Jebar Damiya Izil Ušem Zemrassa Tuka Dassin Juga Mekiussa Thiya Tara'adawa Vermina Abašan Asafar Gaya Ider Makarin Meɣiɣda Izlan
Type	Directorial executive
Seat	Uselwayadeg, Maktarim, Talahara
Appointer	Popular vote, ranked ballot
Term length	Four years
Constituting instrument	Supreme Consensus of Talahara, Pt. III
Formation	1841 (1841)

The Executive Council (Takelat: Aseqqamu n Uselway; ⴰⵙⴻⵇⵇⴰⵎⵓ ⵏ ⵓⵙⴻⵍⵡⴰⵢ) is a body of ten elected officials who make up the executive branch of the United Communes of Talahara. In addition to overseeing their individual portfolios and deliberating over motions and directives within the council, the Executive Council acts as a collective head of state for Talahara. The Executive Council has limited innate jurisdiction under the Supreme Consensus, but the Supreme Legislative Council has devolved additional powers to the executors.

Members

The current executors are, in alphabetical order by portfolio:

Executor		Portrait	Portfolio	First elected
	Taos Jebar ⵜⴰⵧⵙ ⵊⵦⴱⴰⵔ		Defense	2010 (2010)
	Damiya Izil ⴷⴰⵎⵉⵢⴰ ⵉⵣⵉⵍ		Education and Culture	2018 (2018)
	Ušem Zemrassa ⵓⵛⵦⵎ ⵣⵦⵎⵔⴰⵙⵙⴰ		Finance	2022 (2022)
	Tuka Dassin ⵜⵓⴽⴰ ⴷⴰⵙⵙⵉⵏ		Foreign Affairs	2018 (2018)
	Juga Mekiussa ⵊⵓⴳⴰ ⵎⵦⴽⵉⵓⵙⵙⴰ		Health	2006 (2006)
	Thiya Tara'adawa ⵝⵉⵢⴰ ⵜⴰⵔⴰⵯⴰⴷⴰⵡⴰ		Housing and Vital Statistics	2022 (2022)
	Vermina Abašan ⵠⵦⵔⵎⵉⵏⴰ ⴰⴱⴰⵛⴰⵏ		Industry and Commerce	2018 (2018)
	Asafar Gaya ⴰⵙⴰⴼⴰⵔ ⴳⴰⵢⴰ		Oversight and Public Safety	2014 (2014)
	Ider Makarin ⵉⴷⵦⵔ ⵎⴰⴽⴰⵔⵉⵏ		Transportation and Communications	2018 (2018)
	Meɣiɣda Izlan ⵎⵦⵖⵉⵖⴷⴰ ⵉⵣⵍⴰⵏ		Water and Resources	2018 (2018)

Political groups
	Unity Group
	Community Alliance
	Young Workers Movement
	Industry First
	Eco-Future Industrial Group

History

The Executive Council has its origins in the revolutionary-era Commune Council which was nominally composed of ideologues, military leaders, and community leaders. The Commune Council acted more as a forum for community groups to organize and develop the new revolutionary society. In effect, it had no official leadership, elections, or membership. After defeating the Monarchists and Liberal Republics in the Talaharan Civil War, the Commune Council reorganized itself with 10 elected members who were tasked with drafting a constitution by 1842, within four years. The first parts of the Supreme Consensus of Talahara were completed approximately one year ahead of schedule and the first elections were called for 1841, with the dissolution of the Commune Council effective upon the formation of the new Executive Council and Supreme Legislative Council.

The first Executive Council was composed primarily of members of the dissolved Commune Council. The ten members initially did not have distinct portfolios and directed the developing bureaucracy of the Commune as a collective. By the 1860s, distinct portfolios were developed which would then be distributed by the elected executors according to the perceived best abilities of each member. The 1895 Constitutional Crisis and following voter reform led to the 1897 elections which were the first in which each portfolio would have its own list of candidates.

Aside from the constitutionally-provided portfolios with innate jurisdiction, the number and nature of portfolios assigned to the executors are determined by the Supreme Legislative Council. However, the total number of seats on the Executive Council is set at ten. A constitutional amendment would therefore be necessary to expand the number of executors, but those with extensive portfolios have proceeded with commensurately extensive administrative staffs.

Powers and operation

The Executive Council has limited innate jurisdiction according to the Supreme Consensus of Talahara. A majority of the functions of the executors' portfolios are devolved from the Supreme Legislative Council by statute. As such, the Executive Council has power only over a select number of issues, each of which must necessarily be of national importance.

In practice, a great number of powers have been thusly conferred upon the Executive Council as a matter of practicality and political centralization. These include the administration of education, healthcare, and transportation. In most cases, only aspects that are of a national concern have been devolved to the Executive Council and other aspects are retained by more local jurisdictions.

Other functions of the Executive Council are provided directly by the Supreme Consensus. These include the organization of national defense, financing, and the conducting of foreign affairs. These functions are generally checked by the Supreme Legislative Council, including the necessity to approve treaties, budgetary plans, or military actions.

The Executive Council meets at least twice per week (once every five days) to deliberate and approve or reject motions. Each executor may direct the administrators under their portfolios and set policy guidelines. Substantive provisions and orders affecting the allocation of material or intellectual resources are subject to approval before the Council. The ratification of certain motions by the Supreme Legislative Council may be required by statute or according to the Supreme Consensus.

Elections

Executors are elected in general elections every four years. In order for an individual to run as an executor, they must submit a petition with 50,000 signatures to be added to the national ballot. Executors run to administer a specific portfolio and the typical election cycle will see ten to twelve candidates per portfolio. In practice, political parties, salons, or associations of industrial unions organize the campaigns of preferred or associated candidates, including the completion of petitions and production of media. Aside from the petition, there are no formal requirements to run as an executor, though the United Communes Elections Commissariat posts and distributes short autobiographies for each candidate which are tailored toward explaining their qualifications.

As with all elections in the United Communes of Talahara since 1897, voters fill out a ranked instant-runoff ballot, voting a single time. The candidate for each portfolio who receives the least number of votes in the first round is excluded and the next choice on each ballot is then counted towards the next round's count. This continues until a single candidate remains. Election day is held on May 23 every four years. Election results are certified for June 6 and new executors take office on June 20, which is the Talaharan New Year.

Status of executors

Talaharan executors have official residences in a complex called the Uselwayatazedɣa which is adjacent to the Uselwayadeg building in Maktarim. Executors also have the power to enlist and dismiss personal staff members for administrative duties, but cannot take on household staff as a matter of state expenditure. Security details, if necessary, are provided by the United Communes Defense Forces. Hourly wages for executors are set at 150% of the median income in Talahara, recalculated every four years. For the 2021-2025 term, each executor's wages total 52,248 rubrics per annum. Most lifestyle costs and amenities are also furnished by the office.

As the collective head of state of the United Communes of Talahara, executors are expected to be present for state occasions. The division and nature of the fulfillment of different ceremonial obligations may be determined by the Executive Council. The families and partners of executors have no official or ceremonial roles or status. In extraordinary circumstances, security details may be extended to persons who are close to an executor.

See also

• Supreme Legislative Council
• Political groups