[Proposal] Speaker of the Frenzy

[Asara]

Your Imperial Highness, Lord Chancellor Meir,

I would like to propose to you--and seek input from interested Citizens--a new feature of the Frenzy which would serve to reduce the number of mundane tasks assigned to the Chancellor so that your office can instead focus on being Head of Government. I admit it is a feature I have admired of the Alexandrian Imperial Assembly wherein a designated, apolitical Speaker performs the parliamentarian and clerical tasks of a Presiding Officer. I believe we can adopt a similar system here. A speaker of the Frenzy would be a subordinate position to the Chancellor, and the Chancellor would be the final say in rule interpretation, censure, and other matters that require the legitimacy of the electoral mandate that the Chancellor enjoys.

I would also propose, that the role of Speaker not be filled by an elected official, or a current representative, or minister, but a civil servant. In particular, a member of one of the Empire's forgotten minorities: the Greivar. They are one of Natopia's more fantastic peoples, their minds evolved from KlaasSoft AI, their bodies crafted from Natollonian copper alloys, and most currently work on our space station. There is one such Greivar, a unit named Tinker Sprocket, who served as Administrator of mining operations in the old Natollonia colony, who has the temperament, experience, and skills to serve the Frenzy. He is one of the few Greivar to use a humanoid chasis, and thus would be an approachable figure on the Frenzy floor. I would envision Mister Sprocket serving as the permanent Speaker of the Frenzy, opening debates, acknowledging when a voting motion is seconded, how long a vote has left, closing and passing bills, automatically updating the Caprine Code, and performing clerical work for the Library of Law.

If this meets your approval, I would like to introduce the following changes to the Caprine Code to allow for a Speaker as a permanent position:

1. The Imperial Chancellery is established as the executive arm of the Imperial Government.
2. The Chancellor presides over the Frenzy, maintains the Library of Law, serves as head of the government, executes the will of the Frenzy, upholds and enforces the Caprine Code, oversees immigration, recommends foreign policy, grows and maintains the economy, and administers the normal affairs of government.
3. The Chancellor issues Chancellorial Decrees that have the authority of law when the Frenzy is unable to convene or in matters of national emergency.
3.1 Frenzy Resolutions overturn Chancellorial Decrees.
4. The Imperial Chancellery has subordinate departments to assist in carrying out executive and legislative duties. The Chancellor appoints subordinates to administer the following departments:
4.1 The Ministry of Information, responsible for the census, cartography, the Bureau of Assistance Services, and the Empire Library.
4.2 The Ministry of Security, responsible for immigration, maintaining the List of Protected Persons, emergency service and temporary administration for collapsed Demesnes (16.4).
4.3 The Ministry of Justice, responsible for the Imperial Natopian Constabulary, providing legal advice to the Imperial Government, prosecuting cases, and representing the Imperial Government in courts of law.
4.4 The Speaker of the Frenzy, responsible for presiding over the Frenzy, performing all parliamentarian duties of the Chancellor as defined in Section Two including, but not limited to: maintaining the Library of Law, updating and publicizing the Caprine Code, maintaining order in the Frenzy, and declaring votes passed or failed.
4.5 (Deleted)
5.(Deleted)
6. Chancellors are appointed by Resolution of the Frenzy, or by an Imperial general election so authorized.
7. During any temporary absence of the Chancellor from the Frenzy or the Imperial Chancellery, or a vacancy in the office of Chancellor, the most senior appointee within the Imperial Chancellery assumes the duties and rights of the Chancellor, insofar as it is practicable to do so and provided that the initial period of absence or vacancy is at least 3 Natopian months (1 week).
8. The Chancellor issues Executive Orders to fulfill the obligations outlined in this Section. Executive Orders are instruments of government to instruct government officials where the Imperial Chancellery has jurisdiction to govern.

With these changes I hope to strengthen the Imperial Chancellery, and the Empire. I look forward to any comments or suggestions.

Sincerest regards,

Asara

[Armin Jamal-Arminzadeh]

Your Majesty,
Chancellor,
My Lords,

Perhaps there is another way we can look at it – I grew up in Elwynn, and I am not all that used to the procedures and traditions here in Natopia. The old Elwynnese senate, while having a president, was largely self-regulating. This is quite similar to the Frenzy traditions. However, one intriguing aspect of the Elwynnese senate was the president pro tempore, and the considerable power he or she had.

The first person to respond to a bill or so, would be that measure's president pro tempore, and be in charge of managing that thread.

I agree with the Emperor that some weight ought to be brought off our poor chancellor's shoulders, but while we are at it, might we not all collaborate to preside here. We already do well enough with the calling for votes, and seconding, so why not simply expand that to closing votes too?

[Gwyneth Angus-Moonoak]

Your Majesty,
Chancellor,

With all the respect I hold for this Chancellery, I do not believe in the rightness of this course. As far as I am aware serving the Frenzy is the Chancellor's primary responsibility, alongside eventually exercising executive power which is nowadays largely left to the discretion of the Demesnal Leaders. But taking away the Chancellor's rights, and responsibilities, as Presiding Officer of the Frenzy will largely reduce his power, authority, status, and function. I understand that this is a vital, time-consuming and, be honest, hard job, but it is also an honourable and highly respected one.

[Asara]

Dearest Aunt,

I have been quite careful to not remove the Chancellor as the formal, official, and highest presiding officer of the Frenzy. My proposal is to allow the Chancellor to appoint a subordinate, a speaker or clerk, to do the work instead. There is nothing that would prevent the Chancellor from presiding over the Frenzy. I must disagree profusely that this reduces the power of the Chancellor as it takes nothing away from the office.

[House Meir]

Your Imperial Majesty,

This is a measure that I find to be very agreeable. It has my support.

[Sprocket]

I am very pleased that the Frenzy has created this position and I sincerely thank Her Most Bovic Majesty for the recommendation. If the Lord Chancellor sees me fit, I would be delighted and humbled to serve as the Speaker of the Frenzy. I will work tirelessly to provide accuracy, impartiality, and near-automatic service to the Frenzy as facilitator, clerk, timekeeper, vote-counter, and courier.

At your service,
Tinker Sprocket