Stadtholder of Ashukovo

Stadtholder of the Republic of Ashukovo
Stadtholder's Standard
Incumbent Edward I since 12 January 2018
Style	Lord Stadtholder (Informal) The Most Honorable (Formal) His/Her Excellency (In international correspondence)
Residence	No official residence
Appointer	Direct popular vote
Term length	Two years
Inaugural holder	Vera Hewitt (As President) Edward I (As Stadtholder)
Formation	25 May 2013 (President) 1 May 2020 (Stadtholder)

The Most Honorable Lord Stadholder of the Republic of Ashukovo, and colloquially known as the Stadtholder of Ashukovo, is the head of state and head of government of Ashukovo, the guarantor of the Constitution, and commander-in-chief of the Ashukov Federal Armed Forces.

The Stadtholder is elected by the people for a term of two years, and there is no limit on the number of terms one can serve. The Stadtholder does not have an official residence and may reside wherever he chooses.

The office of Stadtholder is a direct successor to the office of President.

The office of President was established officially on 25 May 2013, although the first presidential elections were held the day prior immediately after the ratification of the Constitution. The election of the first President, Vera Hewitt, was unique in that it was not carried out by the House of Territories, as it did not yet exist, but by an assembly of the leaders of the sovereign states which would join to establish Ashukovo. Jacob Huff was the first President to be elected directly by the people. Edward Jacobs was the final holder of the office of President.

The current office of Stadtholder was established on May 1, 2020.

The current Stadtholder is Edward I.

Origin and history

The office of President was considered a successor of the President of the Confederation of Amager, the final holder of which was Leon Simpson, and the heads of state of the founding states (Akharnes, Dorien, Dradelia and Montania).

The first major reforms to the office of President came with the Presidential Act 2014, which established the Council of State, which advises and assists the President.

In early 2017, after Edward Jacobs took office, the President's powers were heavily reformed by the Federal Assembly, giving the President more executive authority.

In May 2020, upon the adoption of the new Constitution, the office of President was replaced with that of the Stadtholder.

Powers and duties

Legislative role

The Stadtholder's legislative functions are described in the Constitution in Chapter IV: Legislation, specifically Articles 61 and 62. Upon receiving a bill, the Stadtholder has two options:

1. Sign and promulgate the bill, making it an act upon the Stadtholder's signature and the Grand Chancellor's declaration of "The Senate has adopted the following:"

2. Decline to sign the bill; after a passed bill has gone seven days without the Stadtholder's signature, it will be regarded as failed.

This system gives the Stadtholder a veto power, whereby he can go seven days without signing a bill and it would thus fail.

Executive role

The Stadtholder holds a high role in executive governance. He appoints his cabinet to the Council of Ministers and directly oversees their executive activities. He also acts as the nation's top diplomat and may sign international treaties at his discretion.

Judicial role

The role of the Stadtholder in the judiciary is negligible.

Selection process

Eligibility

To be eligible for the office of president, a candidate must meet various criteria, and must not be placed under incapacity by the constitution from holding the office of president. A Stadtholder must:

• be at least eighteen years of age;
• be a citizen of Ashukovo for over a year;
• have a high profile within the Federation.

Nomination

Article 23 of the Constitution states the following: "Any Ashukov citizen who is an official member of a registered party may nominate themselves for the office of Stadtholder."

Election and oath

Elections for the Stadtholder are held at a place and time determined by the Government, usually ten to fifteen days before the expiration of office of the incumbent. A majority of six-tenths is required to win a Stadtholder election.

Following the election, the victor shall take the following oath before the Ashukov people or foreign officials who wish to be present:

In the presence of God, the Senate, and before the people, I do solemnly and sincerely promise and declare that I will maintain the Constitution of Ashukovo and uphold its laws, that I will fulfill my duties conscientiously in accordance with the Constitution and the law, and that I will dedicate my abilities to the service and welfare of the people of Ashukovo. So help me God

Vacancy

There are four possible circumstances that could cause the presidency to become vacant; death, resignation, permanent incapacity or impeachment. In the event of the vacancy of office, the Grand Chancellor shall act as acting Head of State until a new Stadtholder can be elected.

Timeline of Heads of State of Ashukovo

First Federation

Orthodox (2)       Labour (1)       Green (1)       National (1)
Presidency		President		Prior office	Party		Term		Prime Minister(s)		Notes
1	25 May 2013 – 24 September 2013		Vera Hewitt 1999–present	N/A		Labour	1st	7002122000000000000♠122 days		Rilgar Ompastre 25 May 2013 – 1 July 2013	Was elected President after Edward Jacobs withdrew his candidacy.
										Edward Jacobs 1 July 2013 – 25 September 2013
2	25 September 2013 – 25 January 2014		Edward Jacobs 1995–present	Prime Minister		Orthodox	1st	7002122000000000000♠122 days		Vera Hewitt 25 September 2013 – 13 November 2013
										Sebastian Schriber 13 November 2013 – 25 January 2014
3	25 January 2014 – 17 May 2014		Sebastian Schriber 1999–present	Prime Minister		Green 25 January 2014 – 21 March 2014	1st	7002112000000000000♠112 days		Nathan Ford	Green Party Merged with the Orthodox party.
						Orthodox 21 March 2014 – 17 May 2014
4	18 May 2014 – 11 October 2014		Jacob Huff 1996–present	Minister of Defense		National	1st	7002146000000000000♠146 days		Vera Hewitt	Represented the United Ashukovo Coalition.

Tsardom

PPP (0)
Rule		Tsar		Prior office	Party		Term		Prime Minister		Notes
(-)	11 October 2014 – 29 January 2017		Emmanuel I 1998–present	Chairman of the Ashukov Central Bank		N/A	1st	7002841000000000000♠2 years, 110 days		Pravoslav Kosnickij	Abdicated.

Second Federation

National Liberty (3)       Orthodox (1)       Conservative (0)
Presidency		President		Prior office	Party		Term		Vice-President		Notes
5	29 January 2017 – 25 June 2017		Edward Jacobs 1995–present	Deputy Prime Minister		Orthodox 29 January 2017 – 3 June 2017	2nd	7002147000000000000♠147 days		Manolis Afentoulis	Unelected, but publicly recognized as Head of State.
						National Liberty 3 June 2017 – 25 June 2017
6	25 June 2017 – 12 January 2018		Jacob Huff 1996–present	Governor of Saint Constantine		National Liberty	2nd	7002201000000000000♠201 days		Edward Jacobs
7	12 January 2018 – 5 April 2020		Edward Jacobs 1995–present	Vice-President		National Liberty	3rd	7002814000000000000♠2 years, 84 days		Vacant	Unelected, but publicly recognized as Head of State.

Republic

National Liberty (1)       Conservative (0)
Regency		Stadtholdera		Prior office	Party		Term		Grand Chancellor		Notes
(7)	5 April 2020 – Incumbent		Edward I 1995 –present	President		National Liberty 5 April 2020 – 21 May 2022	(3rd)	7003169100000000000♠4 years, 230 days		Noel Sallier 5 April 2020 – 1 May 2020 as Vice-President	Serves as Stadtholder in accordance with Article 23 of the Constitution.
						N/A 21 May 2022 – present				Manolis Afentoulis 2 May 2020 – 21 May 2022

^a Official title until 1 May 2020 was President.

Political affiliation

Party		# of heads of state	# of terms	Name(s)
	Orthodox/National Liberty	3	5	Edward Jacobs, Sebastian Schriber, Jacob Huff
	Labour	1	1	Vera Hewitt
	Green	1	1	Sebastian Schriber
	National	1	1	Jacob Huff
	Non applicable	2	2	Emmanuel I Prince Edward

Term of office in years

List

1. Prince Edward: 7 years, 218 days as of 21 November 2024 (first term: 122 days; second term: 147 days; third and current term: 6 years, 314 days)
2. Emmanuel I: 2 years and 110 days
3. Jacob Huff: 347 days (first term: 146 days; second term: 201 days)
4. Vera Hewitt: 122 days
5. Sebastian Schriber: 112 days

Timeline

See also

• Vice-President of the Republic of Ashukovo
• Supreme Judge of the Ashukov Federation