Prime Minister of Lihnidos
| Prime Minister of Lihnidos | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the Government of Lihnidos | |
| Style | Prime Minister The Right Honorable His Excellency |
| Member of | Cabinet of Lihnidos |
| Reports to | Empress of Lihnidos and to the National Assembly |
| Residence | Palamaras Mansion |
| Seat | Arcadia |
| Nominator | National Assembly |
| Appointer | Empress of Lihnidos |
| Term length | Four years Renewable indefinitely as long as the incumbent has majority support in the National Assembly and has the confidence of the Empress of Lihnidos |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Lihnidos |
| Formation | 1803 |
| First holder | Athanasius Palamaras |
| Salary | £200,000/year (includes parliamentary salary of £150,000) |
| Website | www.pmo.gov.lnd |
The Prime Minister of Lihnidos is the second highest-level government official in the Empire of Lihnidos who serves as the head of government. He or she is considered the first among equals among his or her fellow members of the National Assembly and is only second to the monarch. The Prime Minister is often the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the National Assembly. The Prime Minister acts as the head of the Cabinet of Lihnidos and holds the responsibility of assisting the empress in appointing ministers to the cabinet. The position was created in 1803 following the adoption of the constitution and the establishment of the National Assembly. The first Prime Minister of Lihnidos was Athanasius Palamaras.
The current Prime Minister is Fotis Raptis who took office in 2010 after Prime Minister Lycaon Buros died while in office and Raptis was selected as his replacement. Upon the results of the 2014 general election being finalized, the National Assembly nominated Fotis Raptis as Prime Minister and the empress approved of his appointment. The same occurred following the 2018 general election.
History
The position of Prime Minister has existed since 1803 following the adoption of the Constitution of Lihnidos. Prior to 1803 and the establishment of the National Assembly, the only representation that the citizenry had in government was through the Commoner Council. Despite being the only representation citizens had in government, members of the council were appointed by members of the nobility. The position of Prime Minister was included in the constitution and intended to be the leader of the National Assembly. The Prime Minister was to be primus inter pares, or the first among equals, in the cabinet and the National Assembly. The National Assembly and its members were meant only to advise the empress, and their vote was not binding. Because of this, the powers of the Prime Minister in the 1800s were few. As the constitution was amended over time, the power of the Prime Minister increased to what it is today.
Responsibilities and Powers
Powers and Constraints
The Prime Minister obtains their powers and duties from the Constitution of Lihnidos. The constitution lays out a number of powers that the Prime Minister, as the head of government, has while in office. The Prime Minister, as the head of the cabinet, may appoint and dismiss cabinet ministers with approval of the monarch and National Assembly. The Prime Minister is given sufficient powers to choose and introduce bills in the National Assembly alongside the Speaker, as well as institute a number of legislative motions, one of which being the request to dissolve the National Assembly. These powers are granted to the Prime Minister, along with many others, in order for them to effectively run the legislative parts of the government that they have control over.
While the Prime Minister is granted a number of powers under the Constitution there are also a number of constraints on those powers that seek to create a balance with the powers they are granted. For instance, the Prime Minister may be removed from office at any time if a motion of no confidence passes in the National Assembly or if they lose the confidence of the monarch. Other constraints on their power are also that they cannot solely dissolve the National Assembly, it must be a joint process between them and the head of state. The Prime Minister is meant to follow the will of the monarch and is their subordinate, meaning that all power of the Prime Minister is given to them by the monarch. Several of the powers of the Prime Minister could be revoked by the monarch if necessary, which could result in a Prime Minister being a largely ceremonial role if the monarch decides to revoke the Prime Minister's powers.
Cabinet
Main Article: Cabinet of Lihnidos
One of the responsibilities and powers of the Prime Minister is to form a Cabinet of capable ministers to assist him or her in the day to day running of the government and its ministries, which comprise executive departments and agencies. The ministers that comprise the leadership of the fourteen cabinet ministries specialize in the field that the ministry they lead has authority and specializes over. These ministers assist the Prime Minister in formulating policies and ensure that those policies are carried out by their respective ministries and the civil servants working for those ministries.
The Prime Minister has the power to nominate Cabinet Ministers for an unspecified amount of time during their tenure but also has the ability to dismiss them as seen fit.
The Prime Minister chairs the weekly cabinet meetings and can set the agenda for those meetings. The cabinet ministers report directly to the Prime Minister and can be directed to do certain tasks within their jurisdiction by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is tasked with taking notes about these meetings and reporting the events of the meetings to the monarch if they is not present at the meeting.
The Cabinet, much like the Prime Minister, must maintain the confidence of the National Assembly and the monarch. If certain members of the entire Cabinet lose the confidence of one of these then it is possible that they will be forced to resign either by a censure from the National Assembly or a direct request for a resignation by the monarch.
Selection
The Prime Minister is nominated by the National Assembly after a general election. In order to become Prime Minister, the National Assembly's nomination must be accepted by the monarch. If the nominee presented to the monarch by the National Assembly is rejected, the National Assembly will be required to nominate another individual for the position of Prime Minister. It is common that the monarch approve of the Prime Minister nominee, but not required, as the Prime Minister is required to hold the confidence of the monarch. If for whatever reason the nominee is unable to gain the confidence of the monarch, they are constitutionally ineligible to be Prime Minister. Because the Prime Minister must also command the confidence of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister is often the leader of the biggest party or coalition of parties in the legislature.
Eligibility
In order to be nominated as Prime Minister, an individual must meet the requirements to be a member of the National Assembly. The nominee must be at least at least twenty years of age and have been a citizen of Lihnidos for five years. The nominee must be able to speak fluent Hellenic. The Prime Minister does not have to be a member of the National Assembly in order to be nominated. This means that any citizen who meets the aforementioned requirements is able to be nominated as Prime Minister by the National Assembly.
Amenities
Upon forming a government and becoming Prime Minister the holder of the office is automatically given ownership of the Residence of the Prime Minister, Palamaras Mansion in the capital city of Arcadia. The residence serves as both a private residence and a workplace for the Prime Minister, although also having an office at Parliament Hill where he or she may take up work on legislative duties. Palamaras Mansion is also the location of a majority of the cabinet meetings.
Since 2012 the yearly salary of the Prime Minister has been 200,000 Denarii. This salary includes the yearly salary each member of the National Assembly earns of 150,000 Denarii. The Prime Minister is awarded an additional 50,000 Denarii to their salary upon entering office. If the Prime Minister is not a member of the National Assembly their salary will still be 200,000 Denarii.
Along with the other amenities given to the Prime Minister, he or she is also given dual ownership, along with the Air Force, of a modified Boeing 747, much like the private plane of the monarch, which is used to transport the Prime Minister throughout the empire and abroad.
List of Prime Ministers
Main Article: List of Lihnidosi Prime Ministers