Sultan of Packilvania

The Sultan of Packilvania is the hereditary head of state, head of government and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Packilvania and the nominal head of Paxism. The position of the Sultan was prophesied by Prophet Sohadek following the fall of the United Kingdom of Bakil in the reign of High King Jezril IV of the Zubrayn Dynasty. King Saidun of Fidakar is the first Sultan of Packilvania and he established the office when the realms of Bakil where re-united during his reign. The human Demirite Dynasty controlled the office until 1917 when Zerah Demir IV was dethroned. The first non-Packilvanian to bear the title Sultan was King Thadeus I of Great Morstaybishlia, who married the Sultana in 1897. The position was restored by the first feline monarch, Sultan Amhoud I when he was crowned at Adrien following the Second Packilvanian Civil War. The incumbent monarch is Sultan Namdun III. The office of Sultan is currently controlled by the Bedonite Dynasty.

Although the Constitution of Packilvania delineates the powers of the Sultan, in reality he is an absolute monarch as he has full control over the levers of political power. Succession is by agnatic primogeniture to prevent the ability of a man outside of the ruling family from inheriting the throne as was nearly the case with Thadeus II of Great Morstaybishlia. The female equivalent of the title is Sultana however this title is only used for the Sultan's wife and mother. The Staynish equivalent of the Sultan's style is contentious as some academics differ on whether the Sultan is the equivalent of an Emperor or a King. The Sovereign resides and works in the Bingol Royal Palace in the capital city of Bingol. According to international observers, the Sultan is an autocratic totalitarian dictator.

Powers and duties

The powers and duties of the Sultan are enumerated in the Constitution of Pacilvania. Nevertheless, the country is classified as an absolute monarchy because of the unlimited powers he possesses in real terms. He has the following powers:

1. Make laws by decree.
2. Appoint and dismiss members of the Council of Ministers of Packilvania at will.
3. Appoint and dismiss members of the Parliament of Packilvania (which de facto consists of the Consultative Assembly of Packilvania) at will.
4. Delegate duties and responsibilities to government officials as he sees fit.
5. Appoint and dismiss Governors of provinces.
6. Appoint and dismiss Justices of the Supreme Court of Packilvania.
7. Create other courts and tribunals and appoint judges thereto.
8. Raise taxes and levies.
9. Regulate commerce and the movement of people and goods into, out of and within the nation.
10. Delineate the boundaries of provinces and the scope of the powers of provincial officials.
11. Raise, regulate and command armies and navies in defence of the nation and the Crown.
12. Declare war and make peace.
13. Ratify treaties with foreign nations
14. Grant pardons and commute sentences.
15. Take any action deemed necessary to provide for the welfare of the nation and to uphold the values of Paxism in the nation.
16. Approve the national budget and to coin currency.

In practice the country is too big and complex for the Sultan to manage every part of it so he delegates most of the daily running of the country to the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. He ahs separated the powers of the provinces and the national government so that each is responsible for their own scope of affairs. The Sultan is support by the Imperial Household Agency which employs over 10,000 people. Although the Consultative Assembly has little political power, a tradition has arisen whereby the Prime Minister presents the State of the Empire Address to its members. Furthermore, the are certain oversight duties that have been delegated to the Consultative Assembly to prevent an excessive accumulation of powers in the executive branch at the expense of the Sultan's power.

King of Drakkengard

The Constitution of Drakkengard stipulates that the person who is the Sultan of Packilvania is also the King of Drakkengard. The King of Drakkengard is entirely separate from the position of the Sultan from a legal position. The position of King of Drakkengard is not mentioned in Packilvanian laws. Nevertheless, the Constitution of Drakkengard grants the King vast powers. Not as many as that of the Packilvanian Constitution but a significant amount. Thus, political analysts describe Drakkengard as a semi-constitutional monarchy. This personal union is known as Pax-Draconica.

As King of Drakkengard, the Sultan has the following powers:

1. Declare war and make peace
2. Grant royal assent to legislation passed by the Parliament of Drakkengard
3. Dissolve the Parliament of Drakkengard
4. Appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister of Drakkengard and the Cabinet of Drakkengard
5. Conclude treaties and international agreements

Because Drakkengard does not have a tradition of liberal democratic values and government, conventions restraining the power of the Sultan and the Cabinet have not arisen. Furthermore, the geopolitical and economic weight of Drakkengard continues to shape the policies of its government. The Sultan despite living in Bingol for most of the year, takes a relatively active role in the governance of Drakkengard, often dictating policies to the Cabinet or refusing to grant assent to bills that he disagrees with. Despite these factors, the government of Drakkengard has more independence from the Sultan over domestic issues than the government of Packilvania in part due to the fact that Sultan tends to concern himself primarily with Drakken foreign policy and defence. Interestingly, the Sultan has pursued divergent foreign policies for Drakkengard and Packilvania to largely leverage their respective differences for the gain of the Bedonite dynasty.

Emoluments

The Sultan has an annual salary of 4 million SHD. The Imperial Household has a budget allocation of 70 million SHD. The Sultan's income is not taxed and he is not required to publicly disclose his finances. The Sultan's net worth is reportedly valued at 1.57 billion SHD. This includes residential and industrial property, stakes in companies, bonds, art, jewelry, farmland and other asset classes. The Sultan has unlimited use of state resources such as security, state properties, etc.

Title and style

The Sultan's full title is: By the Divine Beneficence of Noi, Namdun III, His Imperial and Royal Majesty, Sultan of Packilvania, King of Drakkengard