Zaquroum

Zaquroum is the name given to the small artificial planetoid at the center of the Rodinian Planetarium housing the executive branch of the Imperial Government. The name comes from the surface spanning city of elaborate and enormous temple-like structures containing the various government departments, based on the Rodinian word for temple “Zaquro”    

Role

  This branch is responsible for implementing the laws passed by the legislative branch (The Grand Court of the Creatures of Earth), enforcing decisions passed down from the Inner and Outer Courts, and carrying out direct instructions from the Imperial Majesty themselves or their Witenagemot.   It does not make laws, and has no arbitration power to settle disputes in law. Its interpretation of the law is inferior to that of the Imperial Courts. Its purpose is to administer and enforce the laws given to it.    

Key Office Holders

  Zaquroum is lead by the Viceregal and their cabinet of archministers, who each manage and direct the various departments within the Zaquroum. Archministers are chosen from the elected members of the lower legislative chamber (the Polupat) and vetted by the upper chamber (the Telochat). This makes them accountable to their constituents for their actions in running a department. The Viceregal is elected through ranked choice voting by every eligible voting Rodinian in the Weave of Worlds, as they are technically the Archminister for the entire executive.    

Powers and Appointments

  As the name suggests, the Viceregal is considered the right-hand of the Imperial Majesty and as such receives the Imperial Majesty’s powers of law enforcement. If required, they have the right to request from the Imperial Majesty temporary command over the Imperial Service until such a time when the Imperial Majesty should choose to revoke this. This ensures that the most powerful military in the known cosmos remains solely under the command of the Imperial Majesty, safe from potential capture by populist demagogues who may be elected from time to time, whilst also providing for its use where required.   The Viceregal appoints arbiters to the Inner Courts (the imperial civil and criminal court system) from a pool of candidates curated by the Outer Courts (The appeals courts), subject to vetting by the Telochat (the technocratic upper chamber of the Rodinian legislature). It was decided that whilst the Courts should interpret law as written, this is going to differ from arbiter to arbiter based on interpretation. How this turns out should be in the people’s favor, therefore the arbiters would be appointed by the people’s representative, the Viceregal. The Outer Courts and Telochat vet them however, to ensure suitability for the role in terms of experience and non-partisanship.   The Viceregal is the Imperial Majesty’s direct representative during much of the policy gruntwork that’s below the station of the Emperor or Empress. One aspect of the power delegated to them is the authority to act as the figurehead representing Rodinia to other civilizations in matters of foreign policy. They therefore enable Rodinia to have a single decisive figurehead in matters of foreign policy and defense (through requesting command of the Imperial Service), as opposed to there being eight figureheads in a quarrelling Dynastium.   Members of the Great House ruling families, their next of kin and those with close social or financial connections to them are prohibited by the Standing Order (the constitution of Rodinia) from running for office of Viceregal. The Standing Order doesn’t contain exact definitions for these criteria however, as consensus couldn’t be reached during negotiations with the Great Houses at the genesis of the Imperial Government. The compromise instead was to leave this to the legislature (and by extension sitting Imperial Majesties themselves) to decide, making it far more mutable than the infamously immutable Standing Order.    

Tranza Empar

  In exceptional circumstances, the Viceregal can be granted the power of Tranza Empar by the Witenagemot. This grants the Viceregal the full powers of Imperial Majesty if the throne should be vacant during an emergency of profound urgency. This promotes the Viceregal to Chief Marshall of the Imperial Service, a title normally held exclusively by the Emperor or Empress, enabling direct command over the Imperial Service until a new Imperial Majesty is elected. They also gain the power to resolve disputes between both chambers of the legislature, as well as convene or adjourn them if necessary, and pass laws where required. They also obtain the Imperial Majesty’s power to appoint and remove public office holders, and more. Granting this requires a unanimous vote by the Witenagemot, a vacant Imperial Throne, and it expires when a new Imperial Majesty is elected. This power has never been used in the Imperial Government’s 66-million-year history, and is considered by many to be a significant vulnerability in the structure of Rodinia’s governance.    

Summary

  In summary, the Viceregal is constrained in case of capture by the Great Houses via the following means:  

• Their appointments to the cabinet must already be elected and accountable to Rodinian citizenry, and must be vetted and confirmed by a different independent branch of government – the technocratic upper chamber of the legislature, the Telochat.
 
• Their appointments to the Inner Court must be vetted and confirmed by the same chamber, and come from a pool curated by the non-partisan Outer Courts.
 
• They have no control over the Imperial Service unless they formally ask for temporary command from the Imperial Majesty.
 
• They, their archministers and the Inner Court arbiters they appoint can be removed from office by the legislature. Inner Court Arbiters can also be removed by Outer Court Grand Arbiter tribunals.
 
• The work and results of their departments are scrutinized by the Imperial Commissions.
 
• Everything and anything they do can be vetoed, nullified or overturned by the Imperial Majesty. They can be removed by the Imperial Majesty and a replacement either appointed by them, or a new election called.
 
• They must win re-election by winning a ranked-choice election before the entire Weave of Worlds electorate.