National Legislative Council (Talahara)
Supreme Legislative Council ⵉⵙⴰⵡⴰⵍⴰⵡⴰⴽⵔⴰⴷ Isawalawakrad | |
|---|---|
 Lion's paw sigil | |
| Type | |
| Type | Unicameral national assembly of Talahara |
| History | |
| Founded | 1841 |
| Preceded by | Commune Council |
| Structure | |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | Four years, no term limits |
| Elections | |
First election | May 23, 1841 |
Last election | May 23, 2022 |
Next election | May 23, 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 Jama'at Place, Maktarim | |
 | |
| Constitution | |
| Constitution of Talahara, Pt. III | |
The Supreme Legislative Council (Takelat: Isawalawakrad; ⵉⵙⴰⵡⴰⵍⴰⵡⴰⴽⵔⴰⴷ), often referred to as the Supreme Council, is the national legislative body of the Communes of Talahara. Aside from constitutionally-provided authority, most of the Supreme Council's authority is conferred by lower councils that have eminent jurisdiction in cases where the scale of issues or local resources are insufficient. Key areas over which the Supreme Council has authority to legislate include aspects of education, environmental regulations, healthcare, housing, industrial regulations, legal codes, and national transportation.
The Supreme Council is a unicameral assembly and the final level of Talhara's three-tier nested council system. Members are elected from each of the 50 Superior Legislative Councils, who are respectively elected from 1,250 Local Legislative Councils. Elections to a subsequent level of government are held within a council, utilizing an instant-runoff voting system, though with an open ballot rather than a secret one.
Each of the 50 members of the Supreme Council represents approximately one million citizens. Following the Fourth Amendmendment of Part III of the Constitution of Talahara in 2008, additional seats may be added in future redistricting to allow for approximate representation of one million citizens per seat. It is expected that the 2025 redistricting process will see the Supreme Council grow from 50 to 52 or 53 seats.
History
The Supreme Legislative Council is the successor of the Commune Council which was nominally composed of ideologues, military leaders, and community leaders during the Talaharan Revolution. The Commune Council acted as a forum for community groups to organize and develop the new revolutionary society. In effect, it had no official leadership, elections, or membership. After defeating the monarchist and constitutional republican forces in the Talaharan Revolution, the Commune Council reorganized into an effective predecessor of the Executive Council, with no national-level legislative body for a period of three years. During this time, Local Council elected were held for the first time. The first appointments to the Superior Councils followed shortly thereafter. After the first parts of the Constitution of Talahara were unveiled in 1841, the first general election was held and the subsequently appointed Superior Councils appointed the first Supreme Council the same year.
Composition and elections
The 50 seats in the Supreme Legislative Council are elected representatives of 50 Superior Legislative Councils. Each Superior Legislative Council is composed of representatives from 25 Local Legislative Councils. Local Legislative Councils are elected every four years in a general election. The first order of business for each of the 1,250 Local Councils beginning session on June 20 is to appoint a representative to the regional Superior Legislative Council. On June 30, each of the 50 Superior Legislative Councils convenes for the first time and appoints their representative to the Supreme Legislative Council.
The Supreme Legislative Council appoints one of the 50 members to the role of Council Secretary. By tradition, the Council Secretary is the most senior member of the Council but this is not a rule and has not always been followed. The Council Secretary has no formal position, but in practice manages the flow of discussions, calls for votes, adjournments, or recesses, and has a staffer who manages the minutes and recording of meetings.
Any representative at any tier of the legislature may be recalled and replaced by their appointing council at any time. A Superior Council may recall and replace their representative at the Supreme Council and a Local Council may recall their representative at a Superior Council. Each representative at a Local Council represents a cohort of approximately 4,000 citizens, who may also table a motion to recall their representative if the majority of the cohort is in favour.
Members of the Supreme Council are simultaneous members of a Superior Council and a Local Council as well, though they suspend their duties to the lower councils upon winning their election. It is possible for a Supreme Council representative to be recalled by their local cohort, forcing a by-election and sequence of council elections to replace the seat at each level. Redistricting is plotted every 12 years by the Talaharan Elections Commissariat, an independent body that oversees Talaharan elections.
Since 1897, the number of seats in the Supreme Council has remained constant at 50 and the size and composition of Superior Councils and Local Councils fluctuated to maintain a proportional level to the population. In 2008, predicting future population growth that would make the ratio of representative to population greater than 1:106, an amendment was passed that would permit the enlargement of the Supreme Council in proportion to one representative per million citizens.
Powers
Most of the Supreme Council's authority is conferred by the Superior Councils or Local Councils that are ill-equipped to deal with matters of national concern or in circumstances in which the conferral of the power to the Supreme Council is an initiative of national unity. Several key powers are explicitly delegated to the Supreme Council by the Constitution of Talahara. These include the passing of laws and regulations on the portfolios of the Executive Council, the ratification of motions and budgets from the Executive Council, and the passing of legal provisions and regulations. Conferred powers include the legislation of post-secondary education, healthcare, national-level transportation, and certain industry standards and environmental regulations.