Part of the government series of articles.
The Consilia (also Sorda, lit. Union) is the paired federal office of Vekllei, with its two seats held jointly by one man and one woman. It is elected by popular referendum across all 83 republics and exercises no special legislative or executive function. In this sense, its role is to preside over the Mandatory Ecclesia, and to represent the Commonwealth abroad.
- Consilia – Federal executive »
- Cabinet – Consultative advisory body
- Mandatory Ecclesia – Federal chamber »
Candidates are nominated through the Mandatory Ecclesia, though it is customary to stand as jointly-nominated pairs and to keep the field small. Their terms lapse with the whale calendar unless the pair are re-elected. Generally, holders include:
- Jurists and legal scholars
- Diplomats
- University faculty
- Figures from the arts and sciences
A term consists of about eighteen months and follows what is known as the whale calendar. It begins with the first Atlantic humpback sighted in the northern coastal waters of Oslola and concludes with the first southbound humpback recorded off Sude.1 Around the expected time many boats take to the water in hopes of spotting one. The first is customarily awarded a bottle from the outgoing Consilia’s cellar.2
The Consilia receive foreign representatives, address the Mandatory Ecclesia and take positions on matters of national character. They hold no power to ratify treaties or commit federal resources, and substantive negotiation rests with the relevant ministry or a commissioned State Secretary. The Cabinet is their consultative advisory body, with membership drawn from the cultural, intellectual and scientific life of the Commonwealth.
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Because the latitudes (in Oslola and Sude) are a matter of constitutional convention, the term lengths can vary. Consilia terms have run as short as fourteen months and as long as twenty-two. ↩︎
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The incoming pair generally agree on a distillery or vineyard between them, and the bottle is sealed on the first day of their term. The anticipation of the southern whale is a big deal in the Commonwealth. ↩︎