Governor (Zamastan)
| Governor | |
|---|---|
 Flag of Zamastan | |
| Style | Mister/Madam Governor |
| Status | Chief Officer and Commander in Chief of Administrative Districts |
| Nominator | Political parties or self-nominations |
| Appointer | Popular vote |
| Term length | 2 years Unlimited election candidacy |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Zamastan |
| Formation | September 22nd, 1804 |
In Zamastan, a governor serves as the chief executive officer and commander-in-chief in each of the seventeen Provinces, functioning as both head of state and head of government therein. As such, governors are responsible for implementing district laws and overseeing the operation of the district executive branch. As district leaders, governors advance and pursue new and revised policies and programs using a variety of tools, among them executive orders, executive budgets, and legislative proposals and vetoes. Governors carry out their management and leadership responsibilities and objectives with the support and assistance of department and agency heads, many of whom they are empowered to appoint. A majority of governors have the authority to appoint district court judges as well, in most cases from a list of names submitted by a nominations committee.
All districts have a lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor succeeds to the gubernatorial office if vacated by the removal from office, death, or resignation of the previous governor. Lieutenant governors also serve as unofficial acting district governors in case the incumbent governors are unable to fulfill their duties, and they often serve as presiding officers of the upper houses of district legislatures. But in such cases, they cannot participate in political debates, and they have no vote whenever these houses are not equally divided.
Role and powers
Provinces are semi-sovereign republics sharing sovereignty with the federal government of Zamastan, and possess a number of powers and rights under the Constitution of Zamastan, such as regulating intraprovincial commerce, holding elections, creating local governments, and ratifying constitutional amendments. Each province has its own constitution, grounded in republican principles, and government, consisting of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Also, due to the shared sovereignty between each province and the federal government, Zamastanians are citizens of both the federal republic and of the province in which they reside.
The governor heads the government's executive branch in each province or territory and, depending on the individual jurisdiction, may have considerable control over government budgeting, the power of appointment of many officials (including many judges), and a considerable role in legislation. The governor may also have additional roles, such as that of commander-in-chief of the province's National Guard (when not federalized) and of that province's respective defense force (which is not subject to federalization). In many provinces and territories the governor also has partial or absolute power to commute or pardon a criminal sentence. All governors serve two-year terms and can be reelected to unlimited consecutive terms. In all provinces, the governor is directly elected, and in most cases has considerable practical powers, though this may be moderated by the provincial legislature and in some cases by other elected executive officials. Governors can veto provincial bills. In some cases legislatures can override a gubernatorial veto by a two-thirds vote, in others by three-fifths.
Governors of provinces may also perform ceremonial roles, such as greeting dignitaries, conferring state decorations, issuing symbolic proclamations or attending the provincial fair. The governor may also have an official residence.