Council of State (Carucere)

Council of State of Carucere Konsey Deta Karuke
Coat of arms of Carucere
Type
Type	Executive council (as collective head of government)
History
Founded	August 12, 1972 (1972-08-12)
Leadership
President	Neil Gaubina
Vice President	Bernard Lepvraud
Members	Neil Gaubina, Bernard Lepvraud, Henry Allen, Dhuga Zazoanevi, Alain Berset, David Jonas, George Hall, Philippe Samot, Camille Darsières, Marri Reddy, Ganobiunu Dangenhide
Seats	11
Meeting place
Hall of State, Jameston, Carucere
Constitution
Constitution of Carucere

The Council of State of Carucere (Papotement: Konsey Deta Karuke), is an executive body which serves as the collective de jure head of government of Carucere. While the President of Carucere is the leading political figure within the Council of State as de facto head of state, it is the Council as a whole that serves as the highest executive authority in Carucere.

The number of members on the Council of State typically varies, but it always includes the President of Carucere, Vice-President, and Premier. The Council of State formally exercises executive power in Carucere, such as the authority to formulate policies and draft measures. The Council oversees the administration of the country through its supervision of the Cabinet, which consists of the heads of government ministries. The Council also serves as an unofficial upper house to the Senate. Although the President is the permanent presiding officer of the Council, they are primus inter pares within the Council which operates through consensus decision-making.

Composition

The exact number of members that preside on the Council of State has varied since its creation, based upon political convention. The Constitution of 1972, mandated the inclusion of seven members but gave no limit to the number of delegates the President may appoint. In the 1990s, the Senate limited the number of delegates the President may appoint to five; as a result the maximum number of delegates that could serve on the Council of State is twelve.

Today the Council consists of the following members:

• President of the Council of State
• Vice-President and Chairman of the Council of State.
• Four members of the Cabinet.
  • Minister of Defense, Home Affairs and External Communications
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development
  • Minister of Justice
• Premier of Carucere.
• Other delegates appointed by the President.

Role

Carucere has a de-facto fusion of a presidential and a collegiate system. While the President decides the direction and priorities of the Government as the permanent presiding officer, ultimately executive power is collectively wielded by the Council. While the President wields significant political influence as de jure head of state and as presiding officer of the Council, ultimately their de facto power relies on a supportive Council of State, and is not directly attributed to the post of president. Traditionally the Council operates "above" ethnic partisanism, representing the entire country instead.

As the main executive organ, the Council defines the collective political and policy direction of the executive branch and oversees the Cabinet to ensure the implementation of policy as determined by the Council of State. The Council of State also has limited legislative powers by enacting decrees with the full force of law and by submitting legislation to the Senate. All decrees enacted by the council requires an enabling act from the Senate for it to take effect. All bills must be approved by the Council of State for it to become law. The Council of State has the authority to veto laws, although the Senate can override this by a two-thirds majority vote. They may also refer the law for review by the Constitutional Council if the Council votes to doubt its constitutionality.

The Council has the ability to appoint the Premier and other members of the Cabinet; however, the Senate must approve the election by a majority vote. As a result the Premier named by the Council must be supported by the Senate, or the candidate will be denied. The Council of State has the discretionary power to dissolve the Senate when they see fit, such as when the Council of State is unable to govern due to the Senate's disapproval.

Powers & Duties

To perform their duties, the Council of State are given the following powers:

• to promulgate laws.
• to veto laws, decree-laws, regulatory decrees and other Government decrees.
• to refer a law for review by the Constitutional Council if the Council of State doubts its constitutionality.
• to declare war.
• to hold a referendum regarding issues of national importance.
• to issue decrees with the full force of legislation. However decrees can be overridden if the Senate passes conflicting legislation.
• to submit legislation to the Senate.
• to issue medals and honors for serving the nation.
• to issue pardons.
• to declare a state of emergency suspending all laws or enacting a state of martial law.
• to regulate and join treaties, alliances, and other agreements coming from foreign states according to the Constitution.
• to appoint the Premier and other members of the Cabinet.
• to appoint senior public officials.

Election

The electoral system for the Council of State is unique among many democracies in the world as it uses an elected electoral college. Under the current electoral law, candidates are required to have a certain number of signatures from the public or endorsements by five Senators to stand for election. A candidate can stand individually or form a electoral coalition with additional candidates. On election day, the public elects presidential electors to form an Electoral College using proportional representation. The electoral college then elects the President. All candidates are elected together on a single ticket by a simple majority vote.