Grand and General Council of Elsanor
Grand and General Council of the Kingdom of Elsanor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Speaker | Lord Wagner, Libertarian |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 13 |
Political groups | Elsanor First(4) Libertarian Party (5) |
| Elections | |
Last election | 15 June 2016 |
| Meeting place | |
| Maddocsburgh | |
The Grand and General Council of the Kingdom of Elsanor is the parliament of Elsanor. The unicameral legislature consists of 13 seats, 12 of which are determined by single mandate constituencies and one of which is appointed by the King of Elsanor. It is headed by the Speaker. The Council appoints from among its members the Ministers of State, which is the executive branch of the government.
History
The United States still considers Elsanor to be part of its territory, although Elsanor declared independence on 10 June 2005. With the enactment of the Constitution of the Grand Duchy of Elsanor on January 1, 2006 the Grand and General Council was formed from scratch. Prior to the legislature's creation, Elsanor was ruled as an absolute monarchy, with foreign affairs and defense managed at the national level while domestic affairs were handled by the semi-autonomous baronies.
On 1 January 2006, the first elections to the Grand and General Council took place on Sand Island. The first Grand and General Council was composed of 6 delegates, but was expanded to 9 delegates upon the creation of a 3rd province in June 2006. The Grand and General Council was elected for a three-year term from candidates proposed by the Grand Duke.
On 20 October 2010, the Grand and General Council of Elsanor in extraordinary session elected the Provisional Chancellor of Elsanor, who was tasked to stabilize the government in wake of the Odinist Coup. After a successful referendum on October 30, 2010 and the adoption of the second Constitution of Elsanor, the name of the legislature was changed to the National Assembly of the Republic of Elsanor, though structurally it remained the same. Elections to the National Assembly took place on 3 August 2012.
On 13 May 2016 a successful national referendum restored the monarchy, with HM King Eric I as Head of State. The Constitution of 2006 was re-instituted, and the legislature was again named the Grand and General Council. In June 2016, amendments were passed to allow the King to appoint a personal delegate to the legislature, expanding the number of delegates to 13 and changing the term of delegates to two years.
Until 2010, the speaker of the legislature was Lord Wagner, but following his election as Chancellor of the Republic of Elsanor, the new speaker became Lord Pierce, Elsanor First party leader. Lord Wagner, as leader of the Libertarian Party, became Speaker again on 13 May 2016 due to the elevation of Lord Pierce to Chancellor.
Members of parliament
No member of the Grand and General Council was born in Elsanor, most being native to the United States of America. To qualify for holding office, candidates must be citizens of Elsanor in good standing, aged 16 or older and physically reside in the kingdom for no less than 30 days each year.
Latest election
15 June 2016
List of speakers
- Lord Wagner (1 January 2006 – 20 October 2010)
- Lord Pierce (30 October 2010 – 13 May 2016)
- Lord Wagner (13 May 2016–present)