Council of State of Nouvelle Alexandrie: Difference between revisions
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==Previous Members== | ==Previous Members== | ||
{{See|List of past Councils of State of Nouvelle Alexandrie}} | {{See also|List of past Councils of State of Nouvelle Alexandrie}} | ||
== Meetings of the Council == | == Meetings of the Council == | ||
Revision as of 19:27, 2 June 2023
The Council of State of Nouvelle Alexandrie (Alexandrian: Consejo de Estado; Wechu: Qharikuna Nisqa) is a thirteen-member executive council that makes up the federal government of the Federation of Nouvelle Alexandrie. The Council of State serves as the collective head of government of Nouvelle Alexandrie, led by the President of the Government, also called the “Premier”. The Opposition has a Shadow Council of State.
The President of the Government serves as the chairman of the Council of State. The Proclamation of Punta Santiago has conferred upon him the status of first among equals, or primus inter pares.
While the entire council is collectively responsible for leading the Federation, each Department Secretary is individually responsible for a specific portfolio of state affairs, organized around thirteen federal executive departments that are each headed by a Secretary.
The Council of State formally advises the King on the exercise of the royal prerogative, and can advise the King to issue Decrees or other executive instruments.
Current Members
Previous Members
Meetings of the Council
The Council of State meets weekly every Friday morning. Minutes are drawn up from these meetings, and the meetings are both deliberative and decision-making. The minutes include the time and place of the meeting, the list of attendees, resolutions adopted, and reports presented therein. To protect the privacy of its members, and to maintain the Constitutional secrecy of the Council, the minutes do not include comments made nor deliberating maintained by each member, and they cannot be made public either.
The meetings are chaired by the President of the Government, though may be chaired by the Vice-President, or in the absence of both, a senior minister. In any case, the President is in charge of setting the agenda and the topics which are to be discussed. Secretaries and the President are also allowed to attend in a digital manner, through secure video connection. In an exceptional case, the meeting can be chaired by the King of Nouvelle Alexandrie; though any such meeting is only consultative, and no deliberations and decisions can be made therein.
The Council has the services of the General Advisory Commission to the Ministers, which advises the Council and works to prepare and monitor the Council meetings. They are the service that produces the minutes of the meetings.
Location of Council meetings
The Council of State meetings are held at the Government House, the official residence of the President of the Government and the headquarters of the government. It has the eponymous Council Building at its disposal for these meetings.
There is no limitation on the location of the Council of State. It can, in practice, meet in any city in the country. This is exceptional, and often carry a symbolical meaning. These include the Council's meetings in 1693 AN and 1705 AN in Punta Santiago, the Council's meeting in New Luthoria in 1712 AN, and the Council's meetings in Parap 1693 AN, 1705 AN, and 1715 AN.
Ancillary Agencies and Departments
Office of the President of the Government
The Office of the President of the Government is commonly abbreviated as the OPG. It is a wholly partisan organization made up of political staff. It exists mainly to support the President of the Government in a wide variety of ways, including providing policy advice, information gathering, communications, planning, and strategizing. The OPG is headed by the Chief of Staff, a key advisor who has the duty of managing and coordinating the activities of the OPG.
Office of the Ministry of the Presidency
The Office of the Ministry of the Presidency, often called the Cabinet Ministry, is the main office that prepares the business of the Council of State, and liaises between the government and the Cortes Federales, as well as regional and municipal governments. It is lead by the President. It has an advisory body, the General Advisory Commission to the Ministers, which has legal experts and researchers who advise the Council on policy choices and issues.
Presidential Press Office
The official spokesperson of the government leads the Press Office, which disseminates information from the government, advises on press interactions to the Council, and is the official owner of The Federal Gazette.
Director of National Intelligence
The Director of National Intelligence, abbreviated as DNI, is a Council of State-level official required by law to serve as the head of the collective New Alexandrian intelligence community, direct and oversee the national intelligence efforts, and serve as an advisor to the President of the Government and to the Council of State on intelligence matters and national security. By law, it is required that the director be an active-duty commissioned officer in the armed forces or have training or experience in military intelligence activities and requirements. The law does not specify what rank the commissioned officer will hold during their tenure in the position.
The DNI, who is appointed by the President of the Government serves at the pleasure of the president. The current DNI is Fouad Al-Khamenei, since 1685 AN.
National Security Committee
The National Security Committee is the principal forum used by the President of the Government and the Council of State for consideration of national security, military, and foreign policy matters with senior national security advisors and other government officials. It is part of the Office of the President of the Government. The function of the National Security Committee has been to advise and assist the government on national security and foreign policies. The Council also serves as the principal arm for coordinating these policies among various federal and local government, civil defense, and law enforcement agencies.
Federal Civil Service
The Federal Civil Service, known colloquially as the Civil Service, is the secretariat of government employees that support the government. Any executive decision of secretaries and departments are implemented by the Civil Service. Its employees are directly under the Council of State, and not under the Cortes Federales. This makes them separate from being used for political advantage by political parties. Statutory regulations and the ministerial code of conduct furthermore protect their privacy, and allows them to make personal expressions in the interest of implementation, without the requirement of public scrutiny. Still, senior civil servants can be called to testify and report to the Cortes.
Delegated Committees of the Councils
The Delegated Committees are decision-making-bodies of the Council that consist of both Secretaries and Undersecretaries. There are the committees which discuss and resolve topics that the Council deems able to be delegated away from the meetings of the Council. They are approved and modified by the President of the Government. Beyond cabinet secretaries and junior ministers, the committees can include other senior officials, including from other departments.
The current committees are:
- Economic Committee: discusses the economy,budgetary affairs, government expenditure, and other affairs.
- Demographics Committee: discusses the changes in demography and in socioeconomic statistics and challenges arising from them.
- Public Administration Committee: discusses the structure of the public administration, as well as relations between the Council and regional and municipal governments.
- International Development Committee: discusses sustainable development and international cooperation.
Special Envoys
The Council of State has Special Diplomatic Envoys to international organizations, including the:
Independent Agencies
'Independent' agencies in the Council of State are considered arms' length agencies.
- Office of National Records: maintains the records concerning the government's publications and information.
- Office of Executive Appointments Standards: advises applications for appointment rules for ministers, civil servants, and other government officials.
- Committee for Ethics in Government: advises the government on the Ministerial Code of Conduct and maintenance of ethics in public administration.
- Office of the Lobbyist and Consultants Registrar: maintains the public registry concerning lobbyists and consultants.
- Office for the Proclamation and Constitutional Affairs: advises the government on compliance with the Proclamation of Punta Santiago and other Constitutional supplements.
- Actuary's Office: advises the government through analysis and modelling of risk and uncertainty.
Intergovernmental Liaisons
Liaisons in the Council are Undersecretary-level officials who work in intergovernmental relations.
- Commissioner for Intergovernmental Relations: advises the Council on collaboration between government departments.
- Commissioner for the Civil Service: advises the Council on the appointments and recruitment into the Civil Service.
- Governmental Advisor on Religion and Minorities: advises the Council on legislative and regulatory impact on religious and ethnic minorities.
- Governmental Advisor on Equalities and Inclusion: advises the Council on regulations regarding equal access and inclusiveness; also advises on impact on the LGBTQI+ community.
- Governmental Advisor on Ministerial Integrity: advises the Council on issues of accountability and transparency, and works as the anti-corruption watchdog.
- Governmental Advisor on Human and Civil Rights: advises the Council on legislative and regulatory impact on the maintenance of human and civil rights.
