Tribunus militum consulari potestate (Nova Roma)
The tribuni militum consulari potestate, or "military tribunes with consular power" (in English usually referred to as "consular tribunes"), were special presidents of Nova Roma, heads of state, during a crisis period of Nova Roma. They were modelled on the ancient Roman tribuni militum consulari potestate who were replacing the consular government of the Roman republic a turbulent century of Roman history. Both in ancient Rome and in Nova Roma, they had essentially the same functions and powers as the consuls, but their number was larger, and they filled the duties of other, lower, magistracies, too.
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Election of the tribuni militum consulari potestate
They were elected by the comitia centuriata of Nova Roma. A candidate to the office of tribunus militum consulari potestate had to be at least 21 years of age and had to have been a citizen of Nova Roma for at least 3 years. The magistrate presiding at the election was allowed to make an exception from under the requirement of length of citizenship, and was authorized to accept or refuse all kinds of candidates based on their merits to Nova Roma.
The role of the tribuni militum consulari potestate
The tribuni militum consulari potestate had to fill the role of the consules, in that they had to provide the citizenry with guidance in their Nova Roman community life, by serving as a center offering cohesion and coordination to the citizens, their activities and initiatives. They filled the role of the praetores and censores as well, likewise to their ancient Roman counterpart. In addition, the Nova Roman tribuni militum consulari potestate had to fill the role of the four aediles as well.
Their had exactly the same powers and rights that the consules, praetores, censores and aediles would have.
The tribuni militum consulari potestate, however, had a special mandate and mission, to work, as their primary goal, on the restoration of the res publica out of the turmoil of the Third "Civil War" of Nova Roma.
The tribuni were required to appoint, by unanimous collegial decision, a praefectus officio tribunicio praetorio who, while not being a tribunus but a subordinate first officer, was responsible for the coordination and organization of the administrative work and all activities of the joint office of the college of the consular tribunate.
The consular tribunes were assisted by eight quaestores.
Term of office of the tribuni militum consulari potestate
The term of office of the tribuni militum consulari potestate started on January 1 and ended on the day before the Ides of October. They had to pass a senatus consultum ultimum with the decision whether the tribunal form of government was to be continued for the next year or the res publica should revert to the consular government. After the decision, a period of interregnum was to follow, for ceremonial and religious reasons, and for the holding of next year’s elections.
If the senate had decided to continue the tribunician government for the next year, the next slate of consular tribunes would have had to fill the entire year in office.
There was an alternative mechanism to disband the entire college of the tribuni militum consulari potestate: if two of the tribuni jointly had declared that they would step down from office with the intention of dissolving the college of the tribuni by this action, the term of office of the entire college of the tribuni would have expired immediately.
