Premier of the Republic of Zhenia

The Premier of the Republic of Zhenia (Zhenian: 진화민국 총리) is the of Zhenia, as well as its deputy  and nominally the second-highest position of the nation's Government. Ultimately appointed by the consent of the Parliament, the Premier is also the Speaker of the Sangseowon and is thus regarded as the primary leader of Zhenia's. As the head of government and deputy head of state, the Premier is in charge of forming the and primarily leading the day-to-day governmental affairs of the nation, while he is also expected to assume command of the state and government if the Chancellor is not present. The position commands both the executive and legislative branch of Zhenia's government, and together with the Cabinet is accountable to the Chancellor and both houses of the Parliament, for the government's policies and actions.

The Premier in theory could be any member in the Sangseowon or the National Assembly, although historically more Premiers were Sangseowon representatives at the time of appointment. The Premier is normally selected after the for both houses of the Zhenian Parliament, chosen primarily from the majority party: he is initially nominated by the Chancellor and appointed by the Parliament. Because of its nature of selection, there are no specific term limits for the Premier: in theory, a Premier can stay within his position as long as his party remains the majority and he is continuously elected in the position. The Premier and his cabinet, however, can be dismissed by the consent of both houses of Parliament in certain circumstances.

History
The history of the position of Premier shares its lineage of the Prime Minister (Zhenian: 제국수상), a position existent during the Empire of Zhenia as the in the later days of the Empire. While the Prime Minister existed as one of the positions of the Cabinet, most of which was directly appointed by the Emperor, the Prime Minister transitioned into a governmental position that was directly elected by and lead the newly-established Imperial Parliament in 1479 AC, during the rule of Emperor Taejong as a result of the Civil Liberties Movement. The roles and duties of the Empire's Prime Minister was further solidified with the Imperial Constitution ratified the same year, specifying the position as "the head of government directly chosen from the parties that form the Imperial Parliament to be held confident to the Cabinet and the Imperial Parliament he leads". The imperial origins of the Premier partly explain the similarities the symbols of the Premier used to this day, including the emblem of the position.

Following the December Revolution and the dissolution of the Empire via the Declaration of Union in 1499 AC, there was the need for a new head of government under the Republic's system. While some factions leading the December Revolution proposed a presidential system in which the head of state was equal to the head of government, but a parliamentary system was selected partly in reverence to existing imperial traditions. A set of changes were made to the authorities given to the Premier, due to the existence of what would be the Chancellor and his powers in the government. The position itself was renamed a level lower than it was previously, from Prime Minister to Premier (Zhenian: 총리).

Powers and duties
As Zhenia, since the First Republic, has remained a, the Premier shares some of its role as the head of government with the Chancellor. Regardless, however, the Premier exercises several key roles in the government as its head, intervening heavily in the formation and day-to-day operations of the administration. His duties as the head of government, as well as a key leader of the legislative branch, include:


 * Authority over the formation of the Cabinet: while the appointment rights of some ministers, including the Minister of Defense, is assigned to the Chancellor, the Premier retains authority over most members of government. The Premier can also dismiss and take legal actions against members of the Cabinet.
 * Executive supervision and control over the day-to-day operations of the Cabinet.
 * Signs laws and administrative orders: legal orders signed by the Premier are of equal power to the Chancellor, although the Premier retains priority if the two collide.
 * Report to both the National Assembly and the Sangseowon in regards to domestic and foreign affairs, as well as to provide answers and explanations in regards to national affairs.
 * Call for the National Security Council in national emergencies, such as invasions, major terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
 * Call for all legal means of national protection, including, in national emergencies, under consent from the Sangseowon.

Selection and qualifications
The Premier is normally designated by both houses of the Parliament after their respective general elections. Each houses of the Parliament conducts a ballot under the runoff system, with each party being able to submit only one candidate - normally a Sangseowon representative or the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly - for the Premier as a whole. If the decision of the Sangseowon collides with that of the National Assembly, a joint committee of both houses is formed to make the final decisions: if a decision is not made within the next seven days, the decision of the National Assembly is prioritized over that of the Sangseowon. After selection, the chosen candidate is sworn into office before both houses of the Parliament, with a formal appointment to office by the Chancellor.

Although any National Assemblymen or Sangseowon representative can in theory become a candidate of the Premier, the Premier is in practice almost always selected among Sangseowon representatives belonging to the majority party of the Sangseowon or the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly. Kim Junghun, the incumbent Premier as of 1610 AC, has been the only Premier in Zhenian history to have been neither a Sangseowon representative nor the head of the majority party in the National Assembly to be selected as Premier. Regardless, the following conditions are required for eligibility as a Premier candidate:


 * The candidate must be a member of either house of the Parliament at least once. This condition also implies that the candidate is of Zhenian nationality, as well as a minimum age of 25. This is equal to the Zhenian law specifying the limits of anyone being a member of the Parliament.
 * A condition implemented since the December Revolution as a means of, the candidate must be completely "civilian", meaning the candidate must not be in military service at the time of candidacy. While former military personnel remain eligible for candidacy, they must be at least five years after retirement from the military.

Succession and disability
Since the selection process of the Premier goes in hand with the general elections for both houses of the Parliament, the nominal term of the Premier is equal to each parliamentary term, at four years. Since his fate is tied to the support of his party and the Parliament, while no law specifies term limits for the position, a Premier can in theory serve an infinite number of terms as long as he is elected. Thus, it is not always the case for the Chancellor and the Premier to be replaced at the same time, although such can be the case, if the general elections for Zhenia's Parliament is held alongside the Chancellor elections.

Residence and transport
The Premier's official residence is the Jinsungkwan House, located in Daedo's Sudo district. Built upon the site of the Sungjin Imperial Gardens, one of the three major imperial gardens constructed around Daedo during the Empire of Zhenia, it was used by the Prime Minister of Imperial Zhenia, but has been converted into the residence of the Premier since 1499 AC. The Jinsungkwan House is connected to the Premier's office building via a 65-meter causeway cutting through the center of a restored portion of the site of the Sungjin Imperial Gardens.