Chancellor of Delkora
| Chancellor of Delkora | |
|---|---|
 Federal Coat of Arms | |
| Member of | Federal Executive Cabinet |
| Reports to | Federal Parliament |
| Residence | 24 King's Road |
| Seat | Norenstal, Delkora |
| Nominator | Chamber of Representatives |
| Appointer | The Monarch |
| Term length | Four years Renewable indefinitely as long as the incumbent has the confidence of the Chamber of Representatives |
| Constituting instrument | Delkoran Constitution |
| Formation | 1 December 1833 |
| First holder | Elrond sar Telberath |
| Salary | ⊻250,000 annually |
The Chancellor of Delkora is the head of government of the Kingdom of Delkora. He or she presides over the Federal Executive Cabinet and carries out government policy in the name of the monarch. The chancellor is generally the leader of the largest political party in the Chamber of Representatives in the Federal Parliament, and must be a member of that body. Since 1833, there have been 23 chancellors. The current chancellor, Adric Azengaard, took office in 2014, commanding a rare traffic light coalition consisting of the Liberal Party, National Labor, and the Greens.
History
The position of chancellor in Delkora dates as far back as 1732, when the position was created as part of a set of legal reforms implemented by Falymyr IV, although the modern chancellorship did not come into existence until 1833 with the drafting a of a new constitution in the aftermath of the Delkoran Civil War. Prior to this, the chancellor was appointed by the monarch and their role was essentially limited to that of a senior adviser who lacked any independent authority. Most were members of the aristocracy who were appointed on the basis of having a strong personal relationship with the monarch.
The new constitution ratified in 1833 fundamentally changed this arrangement by adopting a parliamentary system of government. The monarch retained formal sovereignty, but was now constitutionally obligated to act on the advice of the chancellor, effectively making the chancellor the de facto head of the executive branch. Observers have also noted the change in the relationship between the chancellor and the public. Prior to the assassination of Donzvar Gameryn in 1959, it was not uncommon for Delkoran chancellors to go about their daily business unaccompanied by guards and in some cases use public transportation. During some chancellorships, the chancellor's official residence was not guarded, and members of the public could walk in and speak with the chancellor if he or she was available. Since 1959, the chancellor's residence has been heavily guarded, and chancellors are always accompanied by agents of the Kingsguard when traveling. Chancellors also now rarely use public transportation, and are provided an official car, plane, and helicopter for travel.
Appointment
After convening following a federal election, the Chamber of Representatives works to nominate a candidate for chancellor. The leader of the largest party typically spearheads the effort to form a coalition government, since it is rare for a single party to gain a majority. Once a government has been formed, it presents its chancellor candidate, typically the leader of the largest party in the coalition, to the chamber. After being approved, the chancellor candidate is then presented to the monarch, who is constitutionally obligated to appoint him or her. The chancellor can remain in office indefinitely as long as their coalition has a working majority, although they can be removed by a vote of no confidence from the Chamber of Representatives.
Authority
The Delkoran Constitution tasks the chancellor with the responsibilities of “overseeing the faithful administration of the law, conducting diplomacy and negotiating treaties, appointing ministers of the Executive Cabinet and other senior officials of the executive, and overseeing and commanding the Kingdom's armed forces and commissioning officers of the same.” Aside from their constitutional powers, the chancellor also possesses the power to manage the operations of the federal government through executive decrees. Although they retain their seats in Parliament upon taking office, the chancellor and other members of the Federal Executive Cabinet are barred from sitting on committees and are not normally permitted to speak on the floor of the Chamber of Representatives or even be present during debates without an invitation from the speaker, except during government questions.
Conventions
It is considered bad form for a chancellor to resign before the expiration of their current term absent a vote of no confidence, as the chancellor who is subsequently appointed to succeed the outgoing chancellor is thought to lack an explicit popular mandate. Instead, chancellors typically announce that they intend to step down at the next election and allow their party to elect a new leader prior to the start of campaigning, thereby allowing voters to know who the party's chancellor-candidate will be and take this information into consideration when casting their ballot. Particularly influential or prominent chancellors are sometimes awarded peerages after their term in office. It is customary for former chancellors to be appointed by their successor to the Federal Privy Council.
Living Former Chancellors
As of December 2018, there are four living former Chancellors: Uldric Bekenheimer (age 96), who served from 1991 to 1994, Emma Olymyr (age 55), who served from 1994 to 2002, Kol Vossgaard (age 59), who served from 2002 to 2006, and Monz Kryzer (age 69), who served from 2006 to 2014.