Who is the legal and legitimate ruler of a state - democratic or otherwise.

Whoever is the acknowledged legal and legitimate ruler of a state will take steps such as this:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Inside-Xi-Jinpings-purge-of-Chinas-oil-mandarins/articleshow/39170248.cms

Xi has problems - huge ones but if he to be the legal and legitimated ruler of China, everyone else must know their place in the order of things.

You could not have the Home Secretary in England to become more powerful than the Prime Minister of GB.