President of Invicta

The President of Invicta is the Head of Government and Chief Executive Officer of Invicta. Invicta practices a unique form of government, sometimes called "dictatorship by consensus," in which decisions are made collectively by the senior leadership, with the President having the final say. At various points in its history Invicta's presidency has been occupied by two Co-Presidents. By tradition, Invictan Presidents name their own successors.

History of the Presidency
The first presidency of Invicta was a co-presidency between the alliance's storied Founders, Dawny and DoubleU. They ruled together from 26 May 2007 until early 2008, when DoubleU withdrew, leaving Dawny as sole President. Dawny herself stepped down on 12 August 2008, and was succeeded by Atlashill of Kansouri, her Vice President. Atlashill served for only a brief time, and was succeeded on January 19, 2009 by his own VP, Jorost, then of the Triune Republic.

The Jorostian Era & Regnum Invictorum
Jorost's term of office was marked by tremendous upheaval in the structure and function of Invictan government, and as such the role of the presidency changed several times. At first an elective office, Jorost made the presidency a lifetime appointment and ruled as a (mostly) benevolent dictator. Because his management style was more hands-off than his predecessor's had been, Jorost usually delegated day-to-day management of routine affairs to a Prime Minister, Vice President, or both.

For several weeks in the Fall of 2009 Jorost took a temporary leave of absence, during which time Waltar served as Acting President.

On 9 April 2010 Invicta formally changed her name to Regnum Invictorum, a move widely seen as a mistake by people both inside and outside the alliance (see Regnum Invictorum Controversy). But Jorost was determined, and charismatic enough to get the change approved. At that time the title of President vanished and was replaced by Lord Protector.

The Second Co-Presidency
In January of 2011 Jorost retired from active governance, retaining the title Lord Protector of Invicta but adopting a more ceremonial role. The reins of power were transferred to a reconstituted co-presidency, with Thrash and Dan2680 filling the roles. Unfortunately, the arrangement was not as harmonious as it had been between the Founders, and it soon became apparent that although they were equal in name, Thrash was the "senior" President. Tension grew, eventually causing the Lord Protector to intervene and remove Dan2680 from office, leaving Thrash as the sole President once again.

The Presidency Today
After the drama of Jorost's term and the Second Co-Presidency, the office of President has settled into a more collegial, first-among-equals style of absolute dictatorship. The office has had several holders since reverting to one-person rule, including President Gunn, Learz, and the incumbent, Rotty.

Succession
By tradition, outgoing Presidents name their own successors, who are then confirmed by a majority of the senior leadership. This confirmation is in practice a formality, as Invicta's culture of government tends to be very collegial and strong disagreements are rare. In the event of a sudden vacancy (i.e. resignation, death, etc.), the Invicta Charter contains provisions for succession. Finally, the Lord Protector retains the option to intervene and remove a President from office, and may either name a successor or let the normal succession process proceed.