Summation For Successful Succession

The Slabovian Summation for Successful Succession

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary (or politically expedient) for the Slabovian people (including the paeple thereof) to part ways with the sitting monarch, it is both advantageous and desirable that the transition of power be accomplished as smoothly as possible and with a minimum of the usual chaos, bloodshed, and civil war that has historically accompanied and foreshadowed an accession to the throne.

Therefore, to that end, being mindful of the historic legacy of Slabovia and having studied and considered various possible replacements for the "First To The Chair" method that has been used with mixed success in the past, We do hereby declare that the Divine Wrong Theory is the most suitable method for naming and appointing a successor to the throne, and shall be implemented as the Slabovian Summation for Successful Succession (S4). The details of the process are enumerated below.

1. It is the both the right and the duty of the reigning monarch to hand-pick his or her successor. Succession does not automatically follow bloodlines, nor does it necessarily descend through the hierarchy of the titled nobility. The reigning monarch shall use whatever criteria he or she deems necessary and appropriate, the only operative requirement being that the best possible successor (or the least-worst in any event) should be chosen from the citizens of the Land.

2. The monarch shall nominate their proposed successor to the Royal Council for review. The Royal Council shall take whatever steps they deem necessary to vet the nominee. A simple majority vote of the Royal Council is necessary and sufficient to approve the nominee for advancement to the people. The Royal Council consists of whatever ministers the monarch has appointed. In the event of a tie vote at the Royal Council, the monarch or their representative may cast a deciding vote.

3. Should the Royal Council find the proposed candidate to be appropriate, then a referendum will be held among all of the citizens of the nation who have held citizenship for longer than three months as of the date of the referendum. A simple majority (50% + 1) of all those citizens bothering to cast a vote is necessary to approve the successor. Once a nominated successor is approved by both the Royal Council and the voting public, they are considered the Regent-in-Waiting. This position affords no official power within the country until such time as the ruling monarch abdicates or is incapacitated and the Regent-in-waiting ascends to the throne via the traditional swearing-at ceremony. However, the Regent-in-Waiting may be asked by the sitting monarch to attend functions in the latter's stead, and may be granted certain powers at the whim of the sitting monarch.

If a sitting monarch becomes incapacitated without a named and approved Regent-in-waiting, the Royal Council may choose to ask a previous ruler of Slabovia (of which there are several) to keep the throne warm while the Royal Council identifies and vets an appropriate successor. In such a circumstance, citizens may feel free to forward nominations to the Royal Council for consideration. Nothing in this section shall preclude the throne-warmer from being considered for nomination should the Royal Council deem it appropriate.

If a nominated successor is not approved, either by the Royal Council or the voting public, then the sitting monarch (or Royal Council per the previous paragraph) must begin anew the search for a viable candidate. If an approved Regent-in-Waiting is subsequently found to be lacking or inappropriate, but has not yet ascended the throne, the monarch can obviate the existing approvals by simply forwarding a new nomination to the Royal Council. From the time such a nomination is made, the previous Regent-in-Waiting is no longer in that position, having lost the faith of the Crown.

Finally, if a sitting monarch is found to be lacking, well, maybe y'all shouldn't have been so quick to vote them in, should you?