Chancellor of the Bai Empire

The Chancellor of the Bai Empire, also known as the Zhongli Dachen (Baiyu: 总理大臣), is the head of government in the Bai Empire and the leader of the Bai Cabinet. Under the semi-constitutional monarchy system of the Empire, many considered the position to be the second-highest office after the Emperor.

Working directly with the Emperor, the Chancellor commands the legislative process and has powers that include dictating the agenda of the Gaoyuanhui and selecting a cabinet. The Chancellor is appointed by the Emperor and must enjoy the confidence of the Yihuiting (lower house) to remain in office. As such, the Chancellor is typically the leading figure of the majority party in the Yihuiting.

The Chancellor serves for up to two six-year terms. The powers of the Chancellor are limited, and the Chancellor can be removed via impeachment of the Censure Yuan, a loss in confidence by the Yihuiting, or dismissal by the Emperor. The current incumbent Chancellor is Li Shenkang, who took office since 10 October 2019.

History
The predecessor equivalent of the position was the Grand Secretariat or Inner Secretariat (中书省), which was established during the Suo Dynasty. The Secretariat’s tasks include assisting the Emperor in administering the day-to-day affairs of the state. In addition, the Grand Secretariat also had the powers to monitor and take charge of the activities of civil servants, making the position to be the second-most powerful position in the imperial government.

Under the Lin Dynasty, the position was succeeded by a group of Ulethan "Residents", which were given advisory roles in the imperial government. The Bai Grand Secretariat was reduced to a nominal position as true power resided in the Residents overseeing the Lin's administration besieged by the colonial powers.

In Prince Hu Fengyao’s examination of the Mauretian government, he proposed that the Grand Secretariat shall be elected by a legislative body, that shall be the intermediary between the elected legislature and the monarch. It was unclear when Prince Hu adopted the term Chancellor, or Zongli Dachen, for the role. The name first appeared in Ying Masun’s journals during Prince Hu’s and Ying’s trip to the Federal States in 1787.

Since the formal establishment of the position through the Chenghong Constitution and the successive constitutions, at least 20 Chancellors have served during the Middle Bai Dynasty. Many analysts noted the largely councilatory relationships between the Chancellor and the Emperor, and seldom do the two come in conflict. The only time the two never saw eye to eye was Chancellor Yu Shanliu and the Yongren Emperor, who eventually dismissed Yu, judging him to be "too radical and dangerous". The position was briefly abolished and replaced by the Prime Minister post during the Fascist Era, but reinstated with the restoration of the Empire in 1962.