Prime Minister of Toloria
| Prime Minister of the Union of Toloria | |
|---|---|
 Official Seal of the Executive Branch | |
 Flag of the Union of Toloria | |
| |
| Style |
|
| Status | Head of Government |
| Abbreviation | PMOTU, PMOT |
| Member of | Government |
| Reports to | |
| Residence | Indawo Malao (working) |
| Nominator | President |
| Appointer | President, with consent of the National People's Assembly |
| Term length | No fixed term. Fills the office until resignation or dismissal |
| Constituting instrument | Tolorian Constitution |
| Deputy | Deputy Prime Minister of Toloria |
| Salary | $103,000 USD |
The Chairman of the Government of the Union of Toloria, colloquially referred to as the Prime Minister is the head of the Tolorian government and the second most powerful figure in Tolorian politics. The working residence of the Prime Minister is Indawo Malao in Asaleka. Under Tolorian constitutional law, the prime minister "is the Chairman of the Government of the Union of Toloria". The Tolorian Prime Minister is considered the second highest position in the government, after the President.
Due to the central role of the President of Toloria in the political system, the activities of the executive branch (including the Prime Minister) are significantly influenced by the head of state (for example, it is the President who appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister and other members of the Government; the President may chair the meetings of the cabinet and give obligatory orders to the Prime Minister and other members of the Government, the President may also revoke any act of the Government).
Duties and Competencies
The Prime Minister generally serves as more of an administrative role, nominating members of the Cabinet and taking the lead in fully implementing domestic and foreign policy as formulated by the President. In accordance with the federal constitutional law, the Prime Minister exercises the following duties:
- Exercises "control and supervision" over the entire executive branch;
- determines the operating priorities of the Government and organizes its work in accordance with the Constitution, federal constitutional laws, federal laws and Presidential decrees, aside from running the day-to-day affairs of the government, in general.
- submits to the President proposals on the structure and functions of the central institutions of the executive branch (e.g. ministries and federal agencies);
- nominates the Deputy Prime Ministers, Federal Ministers and other officers and presents them to the President;
- submits to the President proposals on punishment and rewards of the Government members;
- represents the Government as an institution in foreign relations and inside the country;
- heads the sessions of the Government and its Presidium where he has the decisive vote;
- signs the acts of the Government;
- report quarterly to the People's Assembly about the Government activities;
- distributes duties among members of the Government;
- meets with and informs the President about the Government activities weekly;
- may advise the President to dissolve the Diet's House of Representatives.
Appointment
Initially, the Prime Minister was appointed by the President without needing the consent of the legislature.
In 1968, an amendment was passed in the national legislature that required the President to send the nomination of Prime Minister to the People's Assembly, upon which it had to be approved to become official.
In 1983, President Dumisile Gwaza pressured lawmakers in his party (majority party at the time), to pass a constitutional amendment that allowed the President to override a veto of a prime ministerial nominee. In 2002, an attempt was made in the legislature to reverse this constitutional amendment, but was vetoed by President Gwaza and could not gain the necessary votes to override the veto.
Unlike most other "Prime Ministers", who are also elected members of the legislative body or parliament, the Chairman of the Government of Toloria can be any Tolorian citizen, as long as they do not also hold citizenship of another country.
Under current law, the President shall nominate a new Chairman of the Government within four weeks of the inauguration ceremony of President or six months after the resignation or dismissal of a previous Prime Minister. The People's Assembly is to discuss the matter within two weeks of the nomination and make a decision. The procedure of granting consent by the parliament is usually preceded by several days of comprehensive consultations and interviews of the candidate by the parliamentary factions. Should the State Duma decide to give the President its approval, the President may immediately sign the respective appointment decree. Should the State Duma refuse to give its approval, the President can either nominate another candidate or choose to override the legislative veto for the prime ministerial candidate. The need for consent is mostly just a formality, since the President can override a legislative veto. The confirmation is meant to show cooperation between the executive and legislative branch.
Removal from Office
The Prime Minister may be dismissed by the President at any time the President deems it necessary. The Prime Minister may also tender his resignation to the President on his own initiative. The President may reject such resignation and require him to continue working. The Prime Minister and the whole government are constitutionally obliged to resign after the inauguration of a newly elected President. The resignation of the Prime Minister automatically means the resignation of the whole government as a body.
Under certain circumstances, the President may also theoretically be forced to dismiss the Chairman and the whole government under the pressure of the People's Assembly. If the legislature gives the prime minister a vote of "no confidence", the President has the power to veto the vote by the legislature. If the President chooses not to exercise his veto, the Prime Minister is forced to resign through a legislative resolution. If the President chooses to exercise his veto, he may do so twice for any given incumbent. However, if the legislature passes a third vote of "no confidence" on the same incumbent, he/she must resign.
Term of Office
The term of office for Prime Minister of Toloria is unlimited. The Prime Minister serves as long as the President whom appointed him stays in the Presidential office (barring dismissal or resignation.) If the sitting President loses in the next election, the Prime Minister automatically resigns upon the swearing-in of the new President.
There are no term limits for Prime Minister either. If the Prime Minister resigns or is dismissed, they may be nominated again by the office of the President in the future.
Acting Prime Minister
According to the Tolorian Constitution, if the incumbent Prime Minister is unable to fulfill his duties, the Deputy Prime Minister steps in to fill this role. The President then has 90 days to nominate a new Prime Minister.
In the case that the incumbent Prime Minister is only temporarily unavailable to fulfill his duties, the incumbent has six months from the time of his leave to return to official duties before the office is declared empty. As with before, the Deputy Prime Minister becomes the acting Prime Minister, giving the President 90 days to nominate a new Prime Minister.
Succession of Presidency
In case of the President's death, resignation or impeachment, the Prime Minister becomes a temporary president until new presidential elections which must take place within six months. The Prime Minister as Acting President may not dissolve the People's Assembly, announce a referendum, or propose amendments to the Constitution.