First Secretary of Vardana

First Secretary of the Directory
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 Council for the Security of the Republic
Appointer	The Directory
Term length	one year, renewable
Inaugural holder	Zoravar Davtyan
Formation	17 August 1987

The First Secretary of Vardana, more formally the First Secretary of the Directory or First Secretary of State, 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	III	Arman Giragossian
							IV
		Samuel Heliz Զորավար Դավտյան Director from Mysia (1928–2007)	9 September 1992	22 July 1993	316 days	Radical Party	VII	Diryiar Droshakirn David Yntzay
			21 July 1994	23 July 1996	2 years, 2 days		X
							XI
		Constantine Agajanian Կոնստանտինե Ագաձանիան Director from Tsaghkadzor (1936–2010)	23 July 1996	23 July 1997	1 year, 0 days	One Vardana	XIII	George Kataroyan Toros Hambujean
		George Kataroyan Գեորգե Կատարոյան Director from Eremos (1939–2007)	23 July 1997	17 July 2003	5 years, 359 days	Republican Spirit	XIV	Penyamin Bartev
							XV
							XVI
							XVII
							XVIII
		Penyamin Bartev Պենյամին Բարտեվ Director from Nakorzan (born 1944)	17 July 2003	12 February 2010	6 years, 210 days	Republican Spirit	XIX	Elena Devetzi
							XX
							XXI
							XXII
							XXIII
							XXIV
							XXV
		Elena Devetzi Ελενα Δεβετζι Director from Mysia (born 1947)	12 February 2010	22 July 2010	160 days	Republican Spirit		None
		Anastas Barkhudar Անաստաս Բարկհuդար Director from Nakorzan (born 1959)	22 July 2010	Incumbent	14 years, 128 days	Radical Party	XXVI	Almasd Dzolkert Arman Manoukian Eva Eskandarian Isaac Vorsapetn
							XXVII
							XXVIII
							XXIX
							XXX
							XXXI
							XXXII
							XXXIII
							XXXIV
							XXXV
							XXXVI
							XXXVII

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