Prime Minister of Sierra

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sierra is the head of Her Royal Highness' Government in Sierra and the leader of the civil wing of the. Unlike nations with a, the prime minister of Sierra is  alongside  the deputy prime minister (who is selected by the prime minister as his/her running mate during such election) by the. However, unlike the, the prime minister is also a member of the. In the Parliament, the prime minister is entitled the position as well as the privileges and duties of Speaker of Senate. The prime minister also serves as a member of the Privy Council by . The prime minister serves a four-year and can be  with no.

As the head minister and representative of the monarch's government, the prime minister fulfills most of the duties and powers prescribed to the monarch on their behalf. In addition, the prime minister is in charge of heading the civil government, administrating the executive branch and the Cabinet, and ensuring that all laws are executed and followed. In times of war, the prime minister fulfills the role as the Supreme Field Marshal (the de facto ) of the Sierran Crowned Armed Forces and other military components of Sierra on behalf of the monarch.

Role, powers, and duties
The role of the prime minister is to fulfill all of the inclusive powers and duties of the monarch on their behalf. As an member of the Privy Council, the prime minister is also responsible for advising the monarch on what course of action to take when exercising the exclusive rights which are: the, the , and the. In almost all cases, if at any time the monarch performs these exclusive rights, it is after through the consultation with the prime minister. For this reason, the advice of prime minister is regarded as practically full-binding and therefore functions as the most powerful position in Sierra. The prime minister is able to exercise great political power and execute many actions through the monarch while simultaneously holding legislative power in Parliament as the Speaker of the Senate.

Within Parliament, the prime minister is entitled to the seat as Speaker of the Senate who is in charge with facilitating legislative discussion, monitoring debates, officials, and answering questions to members of both the Senate and House during the Prime Minister's Questions sessions. The prime minister is entitled to one vote in Senate as any other senator although if there is a tie, his/her vote counts as the tie-breaker.

During times of war, the prime minister assumes the role as the Supreme Field Marshal who is charged with coordinating, organizing, and leading all military operations and movements related to the conflict. Declaring and making peace is an exclusive right reserved for the monarch as a prerogative and as such, the prime minister must first consult and confirm with the monarch of his/her opinion and then receive support by Parliament. In both times of war and peace, the prime minister always has access to Sierra's nuclear codes and may activate them if deemed absolutely necessary.

The prime minister may grant, , or clemency so long as the person has not been tried and sentenced for. The prime minister also has the power to ban specific foreign individuals from entering Sierra if deemed to pose a threat to Sierra. Other judiciary powers the prime minister enjoys include executive privilege and the confidentiality privilege, two mechanisms which allow the prime minister to withhold sensitive information from the public, the civil government, and the monarch during a (which would legally protect him/her from being tried under ) and override most  requests. Theoretically, the prime minister has automatic to nearly all classified information from Sierra's military and intelligence agencies but may still be denied access to certain information. This arises by the fact that the prime minister is directly electable and therefore, anyone could easily bypass Sierra's rigorous clearance checks by simply getting voted into office. Another issue is that the prime minister's term of office is also tied to elections and should the prime minister be voted out, he/she would retain any particularly sensitive state information as a civilian.

Elections
Every four years, on Election Day (October 16), a general election is held allowing eligible voters in all the provinces to select the prime minister and other important government offices.

Eligibility qualifications

 * Must be a citizen of Sierra and must renounce any.
 * Must be of 25 years or older.
 * Must have physically lived in any of the provinces or other lands (e.g., overseas military bases) of Sierra for 10 consecutive years or a total of 14 years with the last 7 years being consecutive as a resident.
 * If, must have been a citizen for at least 15 years, and must renounce any if elected.
 * Must have not been convicted and served a sentence for a within the past 20 years, a serious offense within 15 years, a criminal offense within 10 years, or a misdemeanor/minor crime within 5 years.
 * Must have never been convicted of.

Inauguration and oath
If elected for the first time or into a new non-consecutive term, the prime minister must be prior to his/her assumption of the office. Traditionally, the prime minister-elect is sworn into office during a public inauguration ceremony in the presence of the monarch or the monarch's representative on the December 16 following his/her election at the Parliament Building. Before taking office, the prime minister is constitutionally required to swear in front of the monarch the following statement:

The prime minister has the optional choice of adding in the following phrase at the end of his/her oath: So help me God (or Providence). If a monarch was officially declared dead by the state coroner within seven days of the prime minister's inauguration, the oath's end is modified to say, "...Ten thousand years, the King/Queen is dead, glory, glory to the King/Queen...".

The oath in its entirety is administered by the Chief Justice and it has been traditionally dictated that the prime minister's left hand be placed on a (interchangeable with any other religious texts such as the  or a secular text such as the Constitution). As soon as the prime minister has completed his/her oath, the prime minister is officially inaugurated into the office with all its powers, responsibilities, and benefits. Following the inauguration, the Getty House bids farewell to the departing prime minister and prepares for the arrival of the new prime minister. At the desk of the prime minister, a manila folder containing a personal letter from the leaving prime minister, sensitive state information, and a debriefing document awaits the prime minister. There, the prime minister also finalizes all his/her credentials in order to fulfill the task of prime minister.

Term
The term of office for the prime minister is four years and can serve an indefinite number of terms if reelected. Prior to the ascension of King Lewis I, all prime ministers prior to his reign served a maximum of two terms. Only two prime ministers have ever served more than two terms: Poncio Salinas (he was elected into one term from 1925 to 1929, was defeated in the 1929 election, and then ran and served for two more terms from 1937 to 1945) and Kirk Siskind (he served two full terms and half of his third term before he ).

Vacancy and succession
In the event of a vacancy, the deputy prime minister fulfills the role as acting prime minister for either the remainder of the vacant prime minister's term or until the prime minister is able to competently fulfill his/her duties. A special election may be called forcing a new prime minister to be voted in if Parliament deems it necessary. If the prime minister is removed from office through, death, or resignation, the deputy prime minister automatically becomes the prime minister. According to the Sierran line of succession, should the deputy prime minister be unable to fulfill the role as prime minister, the responsibility is transferred onto the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The line continues down the offices of the Cabinet according to the numbering of precedence of the ministries with the last in line the Minister of Veteran Affairs.

Style, compensation, salary, and benefits


The prime minister enjoys an annual salary of $500,000, $50,000 personal expense account, $100,000 travel account, and $30,000 for miscellaneous spending. In addition, the prime minister is provided residence at the Getty House Estate and may utilize all its facilities and services at his/her pleasure. State dinners, official visits, and other public functions are funded by the government but all other expenses including food and laundry must be paid out of the prime minister's finances.

The prime minister has unrestricted access to the Occidental Palace, the official residence of the monarch, as well as several government-owned country retreats throughout Sierra. A guest room within the Palace is readily available personally for the prime minister and his/her family whenever visiting the monarch.

The is a modified armored version of the  limousine which is used as ground transport for the prime minister. Two heavily modified and custom-fitted models serve as the official aerial means of transport for the prime minister and the Sierran royal family. The prime minister also has a fleet of 20 Marines-operated helicopters and cruisers at his/her disposal.

The prime minister, his/her family, and personal guests receive continuous protection from the Secret Service and continue receiving protection up to 20 years after exiting office. Under special circumstances, this post-office protection may be extended unto former prime ministers at the discretion of the current prime minister. In the case of a severe national emergency, the prime minister can be brought to any of the undisclosed amount of heavily guarded secret locations throughout Sierra to continue normal government operations.

The prime minister is officially styled with the title His/Her Excellency and outranks all titles and offices with the exception of the Sierran Royal Family.

Current ministry
The incumbent ministry under Steven Hong has been in government since December 16, 2008.

Post-prime ministry
All living former prime ministers are entitled to pensions, offices, and security protection. As of January 2015, the current pension stands at $125,000 a year. In addition, former prime ministers enjoy privileges, covered traveling expenses, and nationally sanctioned. Upon leaving office, former prime ministers may lose access to security-clearance locations, government-operated residences including the Getty House or the Occidental Palace, and various other privileges. After stepping down, some prime ministers continued to pursue a prolific career in politics or policymaking. There are no constitutional restrictions that prevent former prime ministers from taking office or even running for prime minister yet again. As such, extensive opportunities and advantages are offered to former prime ministers (who enjoy statutory pensions), even more so than does who have not been.

Prime ministers who have been regarded positively during their tenures generally continue their legacy after leaving office. Almost universally, approval ratings for former prime ministers are higher than they were during their service. Without the responsibilities or scrutiny associated with the prime ministerial profession, former prime ministers have well-established images and credibility, allowing them to enter into any field in society. Prior to the extortion scandal that brought impeachment and then imprisonment upon former prime minister Kovrov Stoyanovich, Stoyanovich had relatively positive ratings. Following his release from prison in 1997, Stoyanovich rebuilt his image by dedicating a life to humanitarian concerns by traveling around the world. His charity work and promotion of global peace allowed former critics to overlook his scandal and praise him for his work.

When former prime ministers pass away, a is held in honor and recognition of their service. Their body is beneath the Rotunda of the Parliament Building for about a week before buried at their's or their family's desired location. Considered a solemn event, the entire procession itself is managed jointly between the Sierran Crown Armed Forces and members of the Parliament, reaffirming national solidarity with the prime ministerial office. The event is considered an obligatory ceremony that the Sierran royal family must attend. The last state funeral held for a prime minister was for former prime minister Kovrov Stoyanovich (2007) who died of a at the age of 91.