6th High Council of Etukan

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Sixth High Council of Etukan
←Fifth Seventh→
Overview
Term1 August 2021 – 4 August 2024
ElectionJuly 2021
GovernmentBiltoft Administration
High Council
Members8 Representatives

Imperial Seat: (1)

  •   IND (1)

Majority: (4)

  •   SLP (3)
  •   LGP (1)

Minority: (3)

MonarchZecheriah O’Hair ( Until 26 September 2022 )
Robert Smith ( From 26 September 2022 )
Majority LeaderTyler Misciagna (SLP)
Minority LeaderPatrick Biltoft (USP)

The High Council of Etukan (officially the High Council of the Empire of Etukan) is the unicameral legislative branch of the government of the Empire of Etukan. The High Council consists of a single chamber, in which there are 7 elected members as well as the Imperial Seat, which is filled by the Emperor of Etukan. The 7 elected Representatives are elected in sub-national elections to represent the province they are registered in. The Imperial Seat represents whichever province the residency of the Emperor is, and unless the Emperor organizes for someone else to represent the seat or holds elections for the Imperial Seat on their own accord, they are its permanent Representative to the High Council.

Representatives to the High Council are elected by the plurality voting system once every 6 months unless the High Council votes to hold elections earlier or delay them, and there is no limit to how many terms they can serve. The High Council is considered to be permanently in session from when it is opened by the Emperor shortly after the conclusion of elections until it is dissolved not long before the new High Council is put into session, unless the High Council is dissolved with emergency powers if they are granted by the High Council beforehand.

History

Etukan's High Council was first established as an informal advisory council to the Emperor in June 2019. At the time of its establishment, the High Council had no official powers or responsibilities, as Etukan lacked a constitution. It was formed by the Emperor in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Republic of Eora, and was inclusive of two civilian representatives and the three former margraves of the Federation of Rocky Point Island. The Emperor of Etukan appointed and dismissed representatives as he saw fit, keeping the High Council non-partisan.

Flag of the Anarcho-Communist Party of Etukan (2020).

The Constitution of Etukan was ratified by the High Council on the 29th of December that year, officially establishing the High Council as an independent branch of the government made up of elected provincial Representatives that could not be dismissed by the Emperor. The country's first elections for the legislative branch were held on 31 January 2020 in the only province where there were multiple candidates, West Rocky Point, in which Ryan Corbett would win 83% of the vote over two opponents. Shortly after, Rep. Kydan Ostin of East Rocky Point founded the first-ever political party to be represented in Etukan's High Council, the Anarcho-Communist Party of Etukan, on the 16th of February, not long before the Social Liberal Party was founded by Tyler Misciagna on the 19th of April.

The Anarcho-Communist Party began to stagnate in membership despite the Social Liberals continuing to grow, resulting in the SLP winning over three seats to the ACP's one in the July 2020 elections. When the province of West Etukan was split in half in late 2020, it resulted in bi-elections for both of the new provinces. The SLP candidate for the new Western province, who had served as the Representative for West Etukan prior to the split, was defeated by the independent Harper Murphy, and Patrick Biltoft, leading the newly formed Socialist Party of Etukan would win the new Eastern province uncontested. After Biltoft was elected, he met with the leader of the Anarcho-Communist Party on the 28th of September, when they agreed to merge the two socialist parties into the United Socialist Party of Etukan.

The new United Socialist Party was successful in the next elections on 31 January 2021, but Ostin chose not to continue his time in the High Council for another term and did not run, effectively retiring and leaving all power in the USP to Biltoft. Despite five of the seven seats of the High Council now being in the hands of political parties, the High Council remained largely non-partisan and members of the two parties continued to vote together on almost all proposed legislation in the Council. Despite this, as the next elections of 2021 grew closer, the leadership of the Social Liberal Party became concerned that the USP may gain a majority in the High Council if they did not act to gain more seats themselves. They decided that instead of opposing the leader of the new Labour Greens Party, Samuel Hart, who was running against their incumbent Representative for Athol in what they determined to be an unwinnable race for their Representative due to Hart's connections in the province, they agreed with Hart to form a cooperative coalition with his party in exchange for Athol's incumbent Representative withdrawing his candidacy for the election, effectively giving Hart the province without a fight. After the elections, the Social Liberals maintained three seats, and the LGP gained the seat of Athol, giving their coalition a total of four of the seven seats that were not under control of the Emperor. Despite this, the coalition did not block Patrick Biltoft from becoming the State Chancellor after the July elections and would confirm his cabinet one week later. Currently, every Representative to the High Council is also employed in a cabinet position in Biltoft's government.

Members and Elections

An early version of the digital Google Forms ballot used in the 31 July 2021 Provincial Election for Kurrigal, which was the only provincial election held in the 31 July Etukara Elections.

Each election day, in provinces where there is more than one candidate running to be the Representative for the province, virtual elections are held exclusively for citizens registered in that province to vote in. These elections are hosted digitally on Google Forms. Voting remains open for exactly 24 hours, usually from 9 AM on the 31st of July or January until 9 AM the next day (AEST). Whichever individual candidate receives the plurality of votes in these elections becomes the new Representative to the High Council for that province. In Etukan, it is common for the seats of Representatives to go uncontested in elections due to public content with elected officials and opposition choosing not to run when they deem victory unlikely based on pre-election poll results. Unofficially, Representatives to the High Council hold the title of "Representative", which can be abbreviated to "Rep."

As per the Constitution of Etukan, Representatives to the High Council must have attained the age of 12 years and must have been registered as a citizen for no less than two months.

The 6th High Council of Etukan is Etukan's incumbent High Council. The last election was from the 31st of July until the morning of the 1st of August, with the High Council being putting into session later that day. It consists of seven elected members, representing three political parties, and the incumbent Emperor of Etukan.

The only Representative to the High Council who is not elected is the incumbent Emperor of Etukan, who serves as a permanent Representative to the High Council for the province in which they reside unless they decide otherwise.

Incumbent Representatives

Key:

  = Independent

  = Social Liberal

  = Labour Greens

  = United Socialist

Province Name First Elected
Athol Samuel Hart 1 August 2021
Balmoral Laurence Mizzi 1 August 2021
Carlow Robert Moreton 1 February 2021
East Rocky Point Jasper Kinsmen 1 August 2021
Imperial Province of Walloa Zecheriah O'Hair 24 June 2021 (Province Established)
Kurrigal Patrick Biltoft 31 October 2020 (Province Bi-Elections)
Patriam Tyler Misciagna June 2019 (High Council Established)
West Rocky Point Natalie Haikalis 1 August 2021

Duties and Powers

Etukan's Constitution lists the powers of the High Council as the following;

The High Council has the power to borrow money on the credit of the Empire of Etukan; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several provinces; To coin money, regulate the value thereof; To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries; To declare war, and make rules concerning captures on land and water; To raise and support armies; To provide and maintain a navy and to make rules for the government and regulation of the land, air and naval forces.

The constitution also states that "all legislative powers" and the power to "reschedule provincial elections to a more suitable date if the conditions are considered bad enough by the Emperor and 75% or more of the High Council votes in favour..." are vested solely with the High Council of Etukan.

List of High Councils

This is a list of all previous High Councils put into session. The current High Council is the 6th High Council of Etukan.

Term Put into session Plurality
1st High Council Establishment of the High Council Non-partisan
2nd High Council 28 December 2019
3rd High Council 7 March 2020 Anarcho-Communist (1/6)
4th High Council July 2020 Elections Social Liberal (3/6)
5th High Council January 2021 Elections Social Liberal (3/7)
6th High Council July 2021 Elections Social Liberal-Labour Greens Coalition (4/8)
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