I am somewhat concerned about the continuous absence of the Council Speaker. Let it be clear, I do not blame him for this - he evidently has legitimate reasons for his inability to tend to the Council. However, it has effectively caused Deputy Speaker Tusk to become Speaker - and of course I do not take major issue with this, but I believe there are some problems in regards to this arrangement.

While the conduct of Deputy Speaker Tusk has been mostly without incident in regards to the conducting of Council business, I do not believe that it is entirely appropriate for the Deputy Speaker to effectively become Speaker - there are a number of duties which he cannot undertake, and then again there is the abstract issue of conflict of interest - there must be a substitute, in such cases, and as of now there is effectively none.

Some form of action, I feel, must be taken. Perhaps we might, as Councillor Yahontov proposed several months ago, create two Deputy Speakers, equal in power, with the same power of the Speaker in their absence? Yet this is only necessitated by the current situation; I feel that it may be necessary, as terrible as the thought may be, to take more radical action.

Iras Tilkanas
Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen