Supreme Council of the Republic
Supreme Council of the Revolution بىرېن ئىنقىلاب ئالىي كېڭىشى Biren Inqilobining Yuqori Kengashi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type |
|
| Leadership | |
Great Leader | Erkin Sabir since 5 September 2002 |
Premier | Anvar Almas since 18 June 2017 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 40 |
| File:Birenstan Council seating.svg | |
Political groups | Presiding: Great Leader (1)
Serving: Centrists: (15)
Old Guards: (13)
Reformists: (9)
|
| Elections | |
| Appointment by the Great Leader on advice of the Secretary-General | |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Taglikend, Birenstan Capitol, Birenstan | |
The Supreme Council of the Revolution (Biren: بىرېن ئىنقىلاب ئالىي كېڭىشى, Biren Inqilobining Yuqori Kengashi, lit. Supreme Council of the Biren Revolution) is the constitutional court of Birenstan, that also serves as a de facto upper house for the General People's Assembly and as an executive council by appointing members of the Service Sector and parts of the judiciary. Created to ensure that Birenstan continues to follow the principles of the peoples' state, the Council wields significant power and influence in the country's government.
The Council consists of the Great Leader and 39 serving members who serve until mandatory retirement at age 75. While the Leader is technically the highest ranking member, it is largely a presiding position; instead the Premier wields the most power as leader. As the nation's constitutional court, it is tasked with ruling on whether laws and actions by the Peoples' Sector are in fact constitutional, with the power to strike them down if the Council decides they are not. In addition the Council has legislative powers in the form of a limited veto against laws passed by the General People's Assembly. Although the Assembly can override the veto with a two-thirds majority, doing so is a major task and vetoes usually stand. Finally, the council has the power to appoint high ranking members of the Service Sector and judges of the high courts, although all appointments must be approved by the Assembly.
Before constitutional reforms were passed in 1993, the Council held an absolute veto and made appointments without approval from the Assembly. With the end of the Old Guards' dominance of the Council in the late 1990s, the body has become significantly less obstructionist to ruling governments in the Assembly. Despite the reforms, it is still considered by many to be the institutional heart of the peoples' state.