Prime Minister of Yamatai

The Prime Minister of Yamatai (内閣総理大臣) is the head of government of Yamatai and the commander in chief of the Yamataian Armed Forces. The Prime Minister is appointed by the Empress of Yamatai after being designated by the Teikoku Gikai and must enjoy the confidence of the Gikai to remain in office. She is the head of the Cabinet and appoints and dismisses the other ministers of state. The literal translation of the name for the office is Minister for the Comprehensive Administration of (or the Presidency over) the Cabinet.

The current Prime Minister of Yamatai is Yamamoto Hanako, who was elected in 2016 and is in the midst of her second term.

History
Before the adoption of the Aozora Constitution in 1758, Yamatai had in practice no written constitution. Originally, a Hua-inspired legal system known as Ryōritsu was enacted in the early Kouya period. It described a government based on an elaborate and rational meritocratic bureaucracy, serving in theory under the ultimate authority of the Empress. In practice, real power was often held elsewhere throughout Yamataian history, such as in the hands of the Imperial Court nobles, local feudal leaders, or the Kamamori Shrine's Kannushi Conclave during the Holy Empire of Yamatai era.

Following the Aozora Revolution in 1758 and the forcible removal of the Kamamori Shrine from matters of governance, a hierarchical and quasi-meritocratic government system was put in place under the Second Imperial Court of Yamatai. Though democracy existed in a low level, control over the higher echelons of government during this era was still controlled by the nobility. This government was led by the Imperial First Minister, who officially acted as an advisor to the Empress, who still officially held absolute power under the Aozora Constitution.

The subsequent Sakura Revolution in 1838 and the start of military rule over Yamatai drove the civilian element out of the Yamataian government entirely, with the Imperial High Council formed to govern all areas of Yamataian society, forming the basis of the modern Yamataian Cabinet. The head of government was the Imperial Grand Marshal, who answered directly to the Empress and was also appointed by the Empress. The Imperial Grand Marshal was personally selected by the Empress from a pool of candidates selected by the upper echelons of both the Imperial Army and Navy.

The democratically-elected position of Prime Minister of Yamatai would only be created after the Endwar, during the sweeping reforms enacted by Okabe Nariakira to restructure the Yamataian society and government in order to better integrate and rebuild in the post-defeat world order. Aiming to bring civilian rule back into the government to eradicate the corruption and inflexibility of the military government and absolute monarchy, Okabe disbanded the Imperial High Council and formed a new civilian-led government, with himself as the first unelected Prime Minister, though he subsequently won two more elections before being assassinated in 1962. According to the 1957 constitution, ratified by the newly-empowered Teikoku Gikai, the Empress still held absolute power over a body known as the Imperial High Council and the Imperial Grand Marshal, but did not hold power over the new civilian government, effectively ending the absolute monarchy in Yamatai.

Okudera Gunzo was the first Prime Minister of Yamatai to be elected after Okabe's death, ushering in a new era of civilian leadership over Yamatai. To date, 18 people have served in this position. The current Prime Minister of Yamatai is Yamamoto Hanako, who also happens to be the granddaughter of Okudera Gunzo. She was elected in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020.

Appointment
The Prime Minister is designated by the Teikoku Gikai, before the conduct of any other business. For that purpose, the body conducts a ballot under the run-off system. The candidate is then presented with his or her commission, and is formally appointed to office in a ceremony by the Empress.

In practice, the Prime Minister is almost always the leader of the majority party in the Gikai, or the leader of the senior partner in the governing coalition.

Qualifications

 * Must be a member of the Teikoku Gikai. This implies a minimum age of 25 and that the individual is a Yamataian national.
 * Must be a civilian. This excludes all serving members of the Yamataian Armed Forces. Following constitutional reinterpretation under the Ishihara Junichiro administration in 2005, retired or former military personnel may be appointed Prime Minister.

Role

 * Constitutional roles
 * Exercises "control and supervision" over the entire executive branch.
 * Presents bills to the Gikai on behalf of the Cabinet.
 * Signs laws and Cabinet orders (along with other members of the Cabinet).
 * Appoints all Cabinet ministers, and can dismiss them at any time.
 * May permit legal action to be taken against Cabinet ministers.
 * Must make reports on domestic and foreign relations to the Gikai.
 * Must report to the Gikai upon demand to provide answers or explanations.
 * May advise the Empress to dissolve the Teikoku Gikai.


 * Statutory roles
 * Presides over meetings of the Cabinet.
 * Commander-in-chief of the Yamataian Armed Forces.
 * May override a court injunction against an administrative act upon showing of cause.
 * Is one of the three signatories required to deploy a nuclear weapon (the other two being the Minister of Defence, and the Empress).

Unlike most of his counterparts in constitutional monarchies, the Prime Minister is both de jure and de facto chief executive. In most other constitutional monarchies, the monarch is nominal chief executive, while being bound by convention to act on the advice of the cabinet. In contrast, the Constitution of Yamatai explicitly vests executive power in the Cabinet, of which the Prime Minister is the leader. His countersignature is required for all laws and Cabinet orders. While most ministers in parliamentary democracies have some freedom of action within the bounds of cabinet collective responsibility, the Yamataian Cabinet is effectively an extension of the Prime Minister's authority.

Constitutionally, the Empress is still the nominal chief executive over a non-existent body known as the Imperial High Council, which has since become illegal to be recreated following constitutional reform in the 1990s, in response to the 1991 Heian Incident.

Official office and residence


Located near the Teikoku Gikai Complex, the Office of the Prime Minister of Yamatai is known as the Kantei (官邸), located in Kishiwada, Ishibashi, Heian. The original Kantei was initially the Official Headquarters of the Imperial Grand Marshal and was used until 1992, when a new building was inaugurated to serve as the current Kantei. The Old Kantei has been preserved as a National Historical Site, and is the site of two museums, one dedicated to the Endwar and one dedicated to the Prime Ministers of Yamatai. The Official Residential Quarters of the Prime Minister is known as the Kōtei (公邸), and lies north-east of the Kantei, and is within the same security compound as the Kantei.

The Prime Minister's residence is guarded by the Special Protection Service, a branch of the National Police Agency.

Travel
The Prime Minister of Yamatai travels in a modified, the official transport for the head of government. For long-distance air travel, the Yamatai Air Defence Force operates two aircraft, which are reserved mostly for the Prime Minister of Yamatai, the Empress of Yamatai, and other members of the Imperial Household. These aircraft use the radio callsign Izanami when transporting the Empress, and Amaterasu when transporting the Prime Minister. The aircraft always fly together on government missions, with one serving as the primary transport and the other serving as a backup with maintenance personnel on board.