Referendum on the Title of Emperor vs Chancellor (Transitional Movement)

On the 4th July 2022 Supreme Director and Director of Business & Labour Etch, Party Chief of the Mutualist Ouroboros Party submitted a referendum motion to the Long Palace legislature which proposed changing the English title of the chief head of state and nation; Emperor to Chancellor; (both Zerrich in Ezerryen Easwegian), as is the title when referring to the role within the Imperative Council. The motion passed with 6 votes in favour and 3 votes against, with the M.O.P and the Social Democratic Party of Easway representatives being split, but Solidarity and the Pomory Reformist Party of Easway being firmly in favour. The public referendum took place on the 7th July 2022 and resulted in a shock result where both sides got 50% of the vote. This led to a short constitutional crisis which was solved when Etch announced he was retracting his vote, allowing the side of the title of the Emperor to win.

A referendum motion asks the Easwegian public if you wish to change the English title of the Easwegian chief head of state, currently the Emizerri, from the current name of Emperor to Chancellor; both referred to as Zerrich in Ezerryen Easwegian, with the full title of Chancellor of the Easwegian Realm and of its Council. How do you vote?

### Location

The Realm of Easway on Bear Island and the Pomors Strait

### Outcome

Title remains as Emperor after Etch agrees to retract vote to end tie

## Background

Easway has since its inception referred to the English title of the Ezerryen Easwegian word Zerrich as Emperor, although since the 25th May 2020 it changed the name of the Imperial Branch to the Chancellery and uses the title Chancellor when referring to the Imperative Council vs when referring to the Realm using Emperor. Therefore the official title of the chief head of nation and state is *the Emperor of the Easwegian Realm and Chancellor of its Council; Ez: Zerrich vi Ezerrye jau vi Rauddo'di.*

Zerrich literally means "the chief Easwegian richness." (The denonym for Easwegian in Ezerryen Easwegian stems from the word for rich).

Whilst Zerrich (when referring to an Easwegian leader) can mean either Emperor or Chancellor, the roles are not the same. The Emperor of the Easwegian Realm; Zerrich vi Ezerrye, carries out the roles of co-commander in chief of the Easwegian National Guard and acts as the Imperative Commander for state security. The Chancellor of its Council; jau [Zerrich] vi rauddo'di, carries out the adminstrative work. Constitutionally a regent can take over the roles of Chancellor as Regent Chancellor whilst the Emperor or Empress serves in their remaining roles although this isn't often practiced.

### Opposition to a Monarchical Title, the Transitional Movement

The introduction of a monarchy after the Easwegian Revolution was embraced by the National Electoral Committee who elected the Emizerri as the first Emperor of the modern Realm of Easway. The position of Bear Island at independence was bleak. Due to Norwegian colonial policy it had purposefully been undeveloped and left in a feudal state. A Provisional Government was set up to tackle the problems of building a functioning modern state, and with the help of founders Aleksou Maximus Desourrë and Oelaanni, the Emizerri had became the most respected cultural icon of the Easwegian nation. An all encompassing overseer who could use his status as monarch to pass sweeping legislation and create the script for the modern Ezerryen Easwegian Language was seen as incredibly neccessary to the revolutionary population. The title of Emperor was chosen over other monarchical titles because it made the Easwegians feel strong and regal, and the title was also named after the concept of Imperium in Roman times.

The first small opposition to the title of Emperor was seen in 2019 when during the Emizerri taking a small break from active work to see family, the then President of the Easwegian Government Maximus Desourrë took control of the Chief Head of Police position absorbing it into the powers of the President on 20th May 2019 and dismantled the People's Committees who had been running a large portion of governmental and legislative local functions, as he saw them as a disruptive nature in ending the provisional government which many wanted. Many looked to the Emperor Emizerri to do something about this centralisation of power into the Presidency and also to push for the end of the provisional government. The Emperor responded by setting up the first National Directorate in August 2019, continued work on the Constitution of Easway, and ended the provisional government by establishing the Directorial Realm through referendum in January 2020. The original referendum largely stripped the Emperor of most powers and made the position a ceremonial monarchy, which slowed down government and led to the establishment of the Imperial Council on 25th May 2020, with the Imperial Branch of the Council being renamed in English to the Chancellery. These decisions largely diminished all notable opposition to the monarchy for over a year.