People's Commissioner of the New Richmond Republic

People's Commissioner of the New Richmond Republic
Flag of the NRR
File:Comrade Riley.jpg Incumbent K. Riley Hewitt since 9 August 2021 (1RY)
Style	Comrade (domestic) His Excellency (diplomatic)
Status	Head of state
Appointer	Congress of People's Councils
Term length	One year, renewable
Inaugural holder	K. Riley Hewitt
Formation	3 August 2021 (1RY)
Website	Office of the People's Commissioner, NRR OGWP

The People's Commissioner of the New Richmond Republic, legally referred to as the People's Commissioner of the Republic and often simplified to People's Commissioner, is the head of state of the New Richmond Republic. The People's Commissioner is constitutionally designated as the representative of the New Richmonder revolution and the guarantor of the Basic Law. In practice, the office of People's Commissioner holds no real authority in executive governance and is mostly ceremonial, although the officeholder tends to command the respect of the Central People's Government, the Blair Mountain League and the populace.

The first and incumbent People's Commissioner of the Republic is K. Riley Hewitt, a former member of the 29th of July Movement and a founding member of the Blair Mountain League.

Origin and history

Although the New Richmond Republic proclaimed its independence from the Commonwealth of New Virginia on 2 August 2021 (1RY), it would not have a constitutional framework until the following day; as such, the Republic was initially governed by a Provisional People's Government under the control of the New Richmonder revolutionaries who reconstituted themselves as the Blair Mountain League. The leader of this provisional government was its President, a post occupied by Vera Hewitt (who also led the Blair Mountain League). Provisional President Hewitt would spend the duration of her time in that office drafting the Basic Law which established the New Richmond Republic's system of governance, including the office of People's Commissioner.

Following the enactment of the Basic Law, K. Riley Hewitt was unanimously selected by the first ordinary session of the new Congress of People's Councils to serve as the inaugural People's Commissioner of the Republic.

Powers and duties

Although the People's Commissioner is the head of state and most senior officer of the NRR Central People's Government, the office is vested with little power under the Basic Law and typically carries out ceremonial duties, with the actual leadership of the government falling under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister. The powers and duties of the People's Commissioner as defined by that document and other laws are:

• The power to serve as the chair of the Congress of People's Councils.
• The power to consent to, or withhold consent from, the enactment of amendments to the Basic Law.
• The duty to countersign all Acts of the Congress of People's Councils, treaties, and declarations of war, thereby formalizing their enactment.
• The duty to undertake work to celebrate, publicize, advance, and promote the Republic’s cultural and social life.
• The duty to champion the ideals of the Revolution and the fundamental principles of the Republic as enshrined in the Basic Law.
• The duty to ensure that the Basic Law is followed in all aspects of state affairs.

List of People's Commissioners

#	Portrait	Officeholder Residency	Term of office
1	File:Comrade Riley.jpg	K. Riley Hewitt OJR Friedecksburg, New Richmond City	9 August 2021 (1RY)	Incumbent
			Former New Virginian politician and 29 July Movement revolutionary. Founding member of the Blair Mountain League. Unanimously elected People's Commissioner by the Congress of People's Councils on the nomination of his sister, Vera Hewitt.

See also

• Prime Minister of the New Richmond Republic
• First Justice of the People's Tribunal (NRR)