National Directorate

The National Directorate (Ezerryen Easwegian: Qileichmayevi) is the executive committee serving as collective head of government which legislates and enacts interior policy within the Realm of Easway. Within the National Directorate exists two autonomous branches, one for the Island Commonwealth of Bear Island and the other for the Island Commonwealth of the Pomors Strait. Each Island Commonwealth Directorate contains 5 Directors each. It meets in the Long Palace in Boriopa.
 
The National Directorate in its original days served quite a different role than in its current form, where it is seperate from the Imperative Council (Ez: Rauddozerrva and serves as collective head of Government. During its original form, the National Directorate served as a structure that would be seperate from the then President of Easway, instead, under the guidance of the Emperor (now translated as Grand Councillor) and would help him fulfill projects for Easway. In this sense, the National Directorate and the Imperial Council, now the equivalent of then Governors of Easway (under the command of the President), were the opposite way around. Today, the Directors are independent of the Emperor, whereas Marquis (modern day Governors) are first-among-equals with the Grand Councillor. 
== History ==
=== First National Directorate ===
The birth of the National Directorate was on August 10th 2019, when Sir Csyeigo; who is responsible for the creation of many of Easway's regional flags (and the National Directorate Coat of Arms) was made Director by the Emizerri and tasked with heading its department, the Easwegian Committee for Language and Culture [ECLC]. The Emperor appointed him this after working with Csyeigo closely to create a new flag for the Essrina Municipality (then translated into English as Provinces), which was completed on the same day. 
=== Second National Directorate ===
On January 14th 2020, the January 2020 Constituonal Amendment to Goverment Roles came into effect which abolished the position of President of Easway, replacing the position with three Provincial (now Municipal) Governors and put Directors under the supervision of said Governors. 
Newcomers to the National Directorate, joining Director Csyeigo included Director of the Interior Alperen and Director of Mental Health, Neicu. These were short lived positions. Samme became the Director for Spirit in Essrina on January 20th 2020. On April 29th 2020, at the recommendation of Alperen, Squirrel became the Director for Health in Essrina. All these Directors would later go on to be Marquis.
=== Third National Directorate ===
On June 3rd 2020, the Constitution was updated so the National Directorate would contain 2 identical Directors for each Municipality, which with the acquisition of Hopen, (spearheaded by Director Csyeigo) meant 8 total Directors. Although most seats were left vacant. These positions were the Director for Agriculture, and Director for Business. On July 27th 2020, Yuki became the Director for Business in Essrina. The next month, on August 5th 2020, Metallityöt, who would later go on to become twice Marquis of Essrina became the Director for Business in Boriopa.
=== Fourth National Directorate ===
In the new year on January 1st 2021, the described legendary Ankel chose to become the new Director for Agriculture in Boriopa representing his Social Democrat Party of Easway which he led. He was the first to represent the role since its creation. As Director, Ankel used his new authority to appeal to the government to reform the National Directorate to get rid of its identical Directors by Municipality system which it currently held, to a unified system where each Island would have their own Directors, instead of the Municipalities. He made the point that because of the small size of Bear Island, if you wanted to build a road throughout the Island, you would have to get the permission of all three Diretors which he said was ineficient. This case was put to the Long Palace in an eloquent speech on February 1st 2020 and later the Council convened to draw up a new system with 6 identical Directors (12 each) for each Island being; the Director for Agriculture & Environment, Director for Business, Director for Healthcare & Education, Director for Housing & Community, Director for Labour and Director for Public Works.
The Emperor publically endorsed this and helped back it in a speech bringing forward the case saying:
This will be a big change. It not only divides responsibilities to more people, allowing less chance of corruption, but also on the other ends municipal leaders in the Directorate for a more national leadership style. I believe that this will improve voter turnout, political activity & improve efficiency of the nation, whilst uniting the mainland. If a Director wants to do something, they will not require co-operation of different directors of the same role, who could be from a different party. Each region will continue to contain a marquis with the ability of putting forth a motion to disallow some laws deemed to be unconditional or immoral to apply in their respective municipality, in order to carry out the will of the Zerri & Nord Easwegian People. I urge everyone to consider the new proposed change came up by me, Directors and council members & vote on what you think is best for our nation.
In a January 2021 Directorial Referendum which was given to the people on January 9th, the bill passed with 83.33% of the vote, allowing the changes to come into effect the next day, January 10th. Later on in the year on June 1st, just before the June 2021 Directorial Elections, legislation was enacted, passing with 100% (8 votes) with 1 abstention (which in Easway means it does not tally to the final vote, but removes them from the final equation) on both Island Directorates which merged the Director for Labour with the Director for Business to create the Director for Business & Labour. This received popular support from the people for bringing about a more uniform system, which the people saw as unnecessarily large for Easway's smaller size as a nation.
On March 31st, the now famous Homofascist was created, with the charismatic Hellmut as its leader. Hellmut took up the vacant seat of Director for Public Works on the Pomor's Strait with no contenders. 
His new party, the HPE attracted much attention for its outlandish name and platform of "rigorous social programmes to bring out the gays", which thus had the party quickly gain members, and on April 5th new Directors were chosen in uncontested seats, including:
Teireet as Director for Housing & Community on the Pomor's Strait 
Husky as Director for Healthcare & Education on the Pomor's Strait
Brennos as Director for Agriculture & Environment on the Pomor's Strait
Brennos would later resign and be replaced by Homofascist Party Scipio as Director for Agriculture & Enviroment on May 26th 2021
On May 26th, the statesmen and party chief of the Social Democrat Party of Easway, Ankel, resigned his leadership to becoming an independent, wishing to create a more balanced Imperial Council. This led SDPE member and newly (the same day) Director for Healthcare & Education on Bear Island, Boude, to become the second party chief of the Social Democrats. 
On May 26th, the controversial Major Dreadnought became the first Director for Business on Bear Island. He voted yes to the May 27th Mandatory Military Bill authored and proposed by first Director for Labour, and previous President of Easway, Aleksou Maximus Desourrë, which stated all citizens at 18, except for certain exceptions would have to serve 1 year of paid service in Easway's armed forces. The bill passed with strong cross party support from the Social Democrats and the Homofascists, receiving 9 for and 4 against.
Major Dreadnought increasingly after the bill adopted a very military attitude including wanting hegemonic alliances with America, Turkey, and India to annex the rest of the world. One of his main wants was America to take revenge on the British by annexing the UK in a full on assault, aswell as taking Canada by storming its borders. He encouraged Turkey to use its strategic location to put pressure on Europe, and wanted India to start a total war with China. This was described by many as a video game fantasy. He maintained a positive view on a hypothetical world war three, as well as seeing Imperialism as natural and "the strong taking over the weak", often using Tony Blair and George Bush as examples of good because of his aforementioned "philosophy." This behaviour, although receiving many complaints was tolerated at first, until he was temporarily suspended from duty for an outburst where he wished genocide against the Iraqis, and then he was permanently banished from the Realm and stripped of his positions on June 2nd 2021 after making genocidal threats towards Kasimo. The Emizerri publically approved of this banishment. The Mutualist Ouroboros Party after this went into damage control mode, including denouncing the actions of Major Dreadnought, although for many the damage was done, and to many this scandal contributed to the eventual downfall and no confidence motion against Party Chief Maximus down the line in a different National Directorate term.
=== Fifth National Directorate ===
June 2021 Directorial Elections
The Fifth National Directorate reestablished in the constitution the Supreme Directorate on the 16th of October 2021 with the position of Supreme Director (Qileivaise). This position was created as a mainly honorary role serving as Chief head of Government and was tasked with chairing meetings and acting as first liaison between the Imperial Council and Prefectural Assembly. The Supreme Director would be chosen by a majority vote in the National Directorate. Hellmut of the Homonationalist Party of Easway served as the second Supreme Director. Previously the position had existed from the 14th January 2020 to the 25th May 2020 with Csyeigo as its inaugural holder, although the position was previously translated as Senior Director.
=== Sixth National Directorate ===
December 2021 Directorial Elections
On December 14th, elections were held to elect the sixth National Directorate of Easway. Those elected on the day included:
==== Bear Island ====
Director for Agriculture & Environment- Gaia Grìbhinneach - Republican People's Party of Easway
Director for Business & Labour - Etchasketch - Mutualist Ouroboros Party
Director for Healthcare & Education - Ghost - Homonationalist Party of Easway
==== The Pomor's Strait ====
Director for Agriculture & Environment - Syrian Ball - Mutualist Ouroboros Party
Director for Business & Labour - Archiennè - Homonationalist Party of Easway
Director for Healthcare & Education - Sustinance - Homonationalist Party of Easway
Director for Housing & Community - Moth - Homonationalist Party of Easway
The election of the Director for Housing & Community on Bear Island, which was held between Swapardeshi (I) and Sage (HPE) led to a tie between the two. Via constitutional law, an emergency anonymous election was held on December 21st 2021 for all Long Palace representatives to vote on. Sage won with 8 votes to Swapardeshi's 5. This was largely attributed to Swapardeshi's increasingly unmanageable conduct in Easwegian life, which gained her many enemies. The vote was soon proven to have not have mattered either way, as she was permanently banished from the Realm by the High Court of Easway one day later.
The composition of the National Directorate when all had taken their seats on December 22nd were as follows:
==== Bear Island ====
2 Mutualist Ouroboros Party Directors
2 Homonationalist Party of Easway Directors
1 Republican People's Party of Easway Director
==== The Pomor's Strait ====
4 Homonationalist Party of Easway Directors
1 Mutualist Ouroboros Party Director
This translated to a National Directorate composition of 60% HPE, 30% MOP, and 10% RPPE, with 3 parties represented.
On January 3rd 2022 the National Directorate voted to change the title of "Director for..." to "Director of..." for all Directors titles with 5 votes (100% of voting) for. Those who voted for were; Gaia Grìbhinneach, Don, Ghost, Etchasketch, and Syrian Ball.
On December 31st 2021, Sustinance stood down as the Director of Healthcare & Education for the Pomor's Strait.
On January 17th 2022, Moth stood down as Director of Housing & Community for the Pomor's Strait.
The NDMPATRIOTICPC Referendum act was passed on the 12th of February 2022. This mandated that the Supreme Director now had interim powers to submit policy on vacant Directorial seats. It also made healthcare a Realmslevel responsibility and so the Directorates for Healthcare & Education were changed to the Directorates for Education & Recreation.
=== Elections Affair ===
A poll conducted on behalf of the Mutualist Ouroboros Party on 17th March 2022 asking the public if they would like National Directorate elections to be moved from the current 6 months to once per year came back with a massive 90% for the change. The reasoning given by MOP Party Chief Etchasketch was that low turnout in the March elections meant that every six months was too much, and he argued that a change to once per year would give more incentive for the Prefectural Assembly to fill seats. The National Directorate Elections Update act entered the Long Palace on 24th March (only two days before the scheduled elections for the seventh National Directorate), proposing the elections of the National and Supreme Directorate take part in June, with a date set in the month by the Ministry of the Interior, and originally received endorsement by the Emperor. It passed within the Long Palace the next day with 5 votes for and 1 against. (For: Etchasketch, Don Cho, Syrian Ball, Hellmut, Demitrou Chostacovitch) (Against: Gaia Grìbhinneach). Things began to fall apart when the Emperor Emizerri pulled his endorsement deciding that an entire year for the ND elections was too long, and he was backed up by Alderman of Bear Island, Gaia. Given the elections were set to take place the next day, the Emperor and Chostacovitch (the latter voting in favour of yearly elections) decided to postpone the elections until the affair could be concluded one way or the other. The Emperor opened negotiations with the Mutualist Ouroboros Party and offered a counter proposal where the article clauses of the hefty NDMPATRIOTICPC act which changed elections of the National and Supreme Directorate to March and September would be reverted to June and December. Etchasketch agreed and withdrew his vote. It is rare the Emperor openly negotiates in party politics and this rare style of leadership reminded people of the stories of the Zerrich Exchequer's leadership in the Easwegian Commonwealth.
A further popular referendum on one of the article clauses of the act, which proposed the changed National Directorate elections dates of March and September be changed back to June and December took place on 7th April and was announced with 75% of votes as passing on 11th April. The vast difference in public voting between the 17th March poll and 7th April popular referendum can be attributed to lower turnout and political apathy. The results ended the Imperative measures taken by the Ministry of the Interior on 25th March which delayed the planned 26th March elections until the election question was concluded.
Director of Agriculture & Environment on Bear Island Syri announced on the 17th April that he would not be seeking re-election in the June National Directorate elections.
=== Coup Attempt ===
On the 19th of April 2022 the Emperor Emizerri and Grand Marshal Kasimo were informed by the Alderman of the Pomors Strait Demitrou Chostacovitch of messages he had received from Director of Agriculture & Environment on Bear Island Syri through the social media app Discord, which revealed that Syri was looking to overthrow the democratic government, including the Emperor and install a junta Presidential Committee. The public were informed that the High Court of Justice was being formed at 15:52 (Bear Island time). Evidence was given and Syri tried to get ahead of the allegations by falsely accusing Chostacovitch of being the mastermind. Ultimately the screenshots were proven to be real showing Syri tried to gain allies to take over the government and he was sentenced unanimously as guilty. He was ordered to be removed from the National Directorate and the Mutualist Ouroboros Party was given full rights to immediately expel him from their party. Syri shall not be allowed to serve in public office for the remainder of 2022, and him being allowed to stand in the future after that period is contingent on review of the Commissar of his resident municipality.
=== Writ of Election ===
The Minister of the Interior, Demitrou Chostacovitch communicated with representatives of the government and public and decided that the 25th June 2022 would be the formal date for the seventh National Directorate elections, electing all 10 members from the two Commonwealth Directorates.
=== Further Developments ===
On the 25th May 2022, Director of Housing & Community on Bear Island, Sage resigned from the National Directorate making the position vacant.
== Current and Former Supreme Directors ==
* 1st Inaugural Holder - Csyeigo: 14 January - 25 May 2020, serving as Director of Culture for Essrina and then Boriopa City
* 2nd - Hellmut: 16 October - 11 December 2021, serving as Director of Public Works for the Pomors Strait 
* 3rd - Don Cho: 19 January - 26 June 2022, serving as Director of Public Works for Bear Island
* 4th - Etch: 28 June - 14 November 2022, serving as Director of Business and Labour on Bear Island
* 5th - Don Cho and Aleksou Desourrë: 24 November 2022 - 8 April 2023, as heads of the General Directorate
* 6th - Syri: 14 April - 25 May 2023
* 7th Eichorn: Since 1 June 2023