President of the Government Council (Freice)

Prime Minister of the Constituent Island Meeting Government of the Country of Freice
Bịaqą rǡjɨa ġiḡurą kưmịde̩nǡ ġiḡurą nưeɟel aƞqɨaɉȧ 'gi toqąqo ġiḡurą pưƞqyǡ 'gi frɨs
Emblem of Freice
Flag of Freice
File:Official Portrait of Aŋịarǡ Ne̩ḡą.png Incumbent Aŋịarǡ Ne̩ḡą since 20 January 2022
Constituent Island Meeting Government
Style	Madam Prime Minister (address, informal) The Honourable (formal, domestic) Her Excellency (formal; diplomatic)
Member of	Constituent Island Meeting Government Constituent Island Meeting National Cabinet
Residence	Sȧqe nǡrư, Frɨs ưɟte̩qąl
Nominator	Constituent Island Meeting
Appointer	President of the Island Meeting
Term length	One year
Inaugural holder	Eɖia Kiȧrɉǡ
Formation	20 January 2022 (2022-01-20)
Deputy	Minister of Finance
Salary	Ƕ19,750 per annum
Website	kum.fr

The Prime Minister of Freice (Freician: Bịaqą rǡjɨa ġiḡurą frɨs), officially the Prime Minister of the Constituent Island Meeting Government of the Country of Freice (Freician: Bịaqą rǡjɨa ġiḡurą kưmịde̩nǡ ġiḡurą nưeɟel aƞqɨaɉȧ 'gi toqąqo ġiḡurą pưƞqyǡ 'gi frɨs) is the head of the Freician government and keeper of the Public Seal of Freice. The Prime Minister chairs the Island Council and is responsible for the direction of government business and the formulation and presentation of government policy. The office was established in its current form in 2022, following the election of the Constituent Island Meeting, replacing the office of Leader of the Senior Council.

The Prime Minister (and the Island Council) is directly elected by members of the Island Meeting. According to Freice's constitution, the Prime Minister must always be a member of the Island Meeting. Unlike most parliamentary heads of government, who are appointed on the basis of their leadership of a majority bloc in the legislature, the Prime Minister is elected, along with the Cabinet, by the members of the Island Meeting. As all members are officially independent, any delegate may be a candidate providing they have the support of at least two other delegates.

The Prime Minister is the most senior member of the Freician government. As per the interim constitution, they serve as both de jure and de facto chief executive. The Sovereign of Freice (the monarch of Riamo) is chief executive only in areas not devolved to Freice, having no formal role in the politics of the island. The Prime Minister is, however, required to meet with the Minister Plenipotentiary (the representative of the Riamese government) from time to time, although the Minister Plenipotentiary has no political power beyond that provided to them by the External Association Act and which the Sovereign of Freice and the Riamese government possess.

Name

The office, in Freician, is officially called "Bịaqą rǡjɨa", which literally translates as "Senior Minister". In Freician, the word "senior" is used in much the same way that the word "prime" is used in Common, alongside its other uses. Because of this, the official name in Common is "Prime Minister".

History

Prior to the establishment of self-government in 1969, the head of the island's executive branch was the colonial governor, who was appointed by the Riamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The creation of a devolved Freician government saw the governor's position abolished and replaced with that of President of the Assembly of Delegates. The Freician constitution of 1972 vested the President of the Assembly of Delegates with the responsibility of chairing and leading the Senior Council (the cabinet) along with presiding over the legislature.

After several attempts to separate the assembly's speaker from the head of government, the 2021 Freician coup d'état abolished both the presidency of the Assembly of Delegates and the legislative body itself. The Schedules of Government - the constitution that was hastily enacted to replace the since suspended 1972 constitution - replaced the position with that of Leader of the Senior Council, separating the head of government from the legislature's presiding officer. The new office was, in theory, largely ceremonial, with the Senior Council officially the collective head of government. In practice, however, the council's leader held significant authority over its members and was largely the sole head of government.

In 2022, following controversial constitutional amendments that saw the Common Wealth Party split and lose its two-thirds majority, a new constitution was written that included provisions for a clear separation of the three branches of government and the establishment of a parliamentary system of government. The new office of Prime Minister was established to lead the executive branch. Eɖia Kiȧrɉǡ was elected as the first officeholder on 30th April 2022.

Powers, duties, and responsibilities

According to the Constitution of Freice, the Prime Minister:

• Exercises "supreme executive authority."
• Presents bills to the Island Meeting on behalf of the Island Council.
• Appoints members of the Island Council with the approval of the Island Meeting.
• Serves as the commander-in-chief of the Freice Public Service Force.
• Reports on domestic and foreign relations to the Island Meeting.
• Declares a state of emergency and oversees relief in the event of a disaster.
  • Declares public schools and government offices closed during civil or weather emergencies.
• Oversees all government offices.

Although the Prime Minister exercises these powers independently of any other individual (and not in the name of the chief islander), they are nonetheless obliged to consult with the Island Meeting in the execution of these powers. For instance, any state of emergency exceeding 90 days must be approved by the Island Meeting, whilst the appointment of members of the Island Council requires the Island Meeting's confidence in the appointees. As such, the Prime Minister is constricted in their ability to execute their powers and duties by the support they have.

Acting Prime Minister and succession

The Prime Minister's deputy is the Minister of Finance. In the event that the Prime Minister is unable to execute the powers of the office (either due to death, incapacity or absence), the Minister of Finance and Resources serves as acting Prime Minister.

As the Prime Minister is not elected on the basis of their leadership of a formal parliamentary bloc, an acting Prime Minister does not automatically succeed to the office upon their predecessor's resignation. If a Prime Minister resigns before the end of their term, a new election is held to elect their successor; an acting Prime Minister may stand for election, but has no greater right to the office than any other candidate.

Oath of office

The Prime Minister is sworn in by the President of the Island Meeting, in the presence of delegates to the Meeting and the Chief Justice of Freice. In order to assume the office, the Prime Minister-elect must recite the following affirmation:

I _____________________ do affirm and declare my allegiance to the Constitution and to the people of the Country of Freice, to the laws and customs of the Freician nation, and to the free, democratic order; that I recognise the sovereignty of the Freician people, encompassing their fundamental political, social, economic, and cultural rights, as supreme; and that I dedicate myself to the service and well-being of the Freician people without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.

Precedence and privileges

The Prime Minister is third in the Freician order of precedence, behind the Sovereign of Freice and the Chancellor of Riamo. Because both the Sovereign and the Chancellor are not resident in Freice, the Prime Minister is the de facto most senior individual within the order of precedence. By virtue of this position, they are entitled to attend public ceremonies and receive certain distinctions (such as commemorative medals).

The Prime Minister is entitled to draw a total salary of Ƕ19,750 per annum, composed of their salary as a Delegate to the Island Meeting (Ƕ14,500) and an additional salary (Ƕ5,250) as Prime Minister. This makes the Prime Minister the highest paid official within the Freician state service. The Prime Minister may also draw on expenses to cover costs associated with their duties as chief executive.

For the duration of their time in office, the Prime Minister resides at Sȧqe nǡrư in Frɨs ưɟte̩qąl, which also serves as their official office. As chief executive, Sȧqe nǡrư is an important location for significant events: it is where press conferences are held and where official receptions for visiting dignitaries are hosted. Furthermore, the Prime Minister is entitled to the use of the style 'Honourable', which they use for life.

Elections

Year	Candidates and votes	Elected
2022	Aŋịarǡ Ne̩ḡą – 6 Siegi Pogikŋǡ - 5	Eɖia Kiȧrɉǡ

List of heads of government

No.	Portrait	Name	Term of office		Legislature
1	File:Official Portrait of Aŋịarǡ Ne̩ḡą.png	Aŋịarǡ Ne̩ḡą	20th January 2022	present	First Island Meeting

See also

• Politics of Freice
• Constituent Island Meeting

External links

• Official website of the Freician government