Constitution of the Republic
| Constitution of the Republic of The League | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | The League |
| Created | October 14, 2019 |
| System | Republic |
| Branches | Executive/Judical, Legislative |
| Chambers | Council of the Republic |
| Executive | Consulate of the Republic |
| Author(s) | Quebecshire |
The Constitution of the Republic of The League, also known as the Fourth Constitution of The League, is the foundational document of The League's current government. The constitution was ratified in 13 March 2018 after a regional referendum.[1]
Contents
Preamble
In our everlasting bid for progress and conservation of our community, The League, or region, in this document, hereby declares this new Constitution of the Republic to govern its people in a uniquely combined experiment under the guidance of the Consulate and the further rule of its remaining institutions. If in the course of future events, it becomes necessary to re-align the order of governance, the Consulate may act with and on behalf of the people as previously to ensure the longevity and prosperity of the region. This document may be altered by the Consulate as deemed necessary under the advisement of the populace and Council of the Republic.
Article I - Established Status and Rights
Section one - Status Definition
I. Defines the following terms of legal status within the League,
- Stayers, the ones whose capabilities of political participation are not acknowledged by the Consulate.
- Citizens, the ones whose capabilities of political participation are acknowledged by the Consulate, although possibly limited if they are not Delegates to the Council of the Republic.
- Residents, the members of the region, including both Citizens and Stayers.
Section two - Defined Rights
I. Residents of The League maintain the right to freedom of speech, so long as it acts within the rules of the relevant official platform and does not harm the further rights defined.
II. The Consulate and appropriate security officials may also formally require the ability to view any communication venue which has been advertised to regional residents by any means so long as this is approved by the Council of the Republic.
III. Citizens have the right to fair trials organized by the organs in charge.
IV. Citizens have the right to file for a session of the Court of the State organized by the organs in charge if they wish to appeal a policy.
V. Residents shan't be met with advertisements from inter-regional organizations unless these are approved by the organs in charge.
VI. The League Government in all its forms will be a secular institution, and that said government upholds the values of freedom of religion for all its members.
Article II - The Consulate of the Republic
Section one - Purpose and Establishment
I. The Consulate is to be formed of three sitting Consuls of the Republic, equal in authority yet organized by the Chief Consul. All Consuls of the Republic sit on the Council of the Republic, an institution which will be further elaborated upon in this document.
II. The Consulate is non-partisan and neutral, and thus its members do not vote or campaign in elections or referenda and abstain from certain Council functions. Consuls of the Republic may maintain and voice their convictions so long as they do not violate previous restrictions and give up those certain aspects of standard citizen rights.
III. The Consulate is tasked with organizing the Council of the Republic and its Delegates, as well as any other organizational mandated duties.
IV. The Consulate is to ensure the longevity and stability of the region, as a guiding hand rather than a micromanaging institution, and thus its succeeding members are selected by the three Consuls at the time of this document’s ratification.
V. The tenure of a Consul of the Republic is until their resignation or until they become unable to fill their position.
VI. The Oath of Office for a Consul of The League is as follows. "I, as a Consul of The League, one of the three Heads of State, vow to serve within the Constitution as my mandate, vow to ensure the government representation of the public, and vow to use my power and impartiality for the longevity, freedom, and prosperity of the region."
Section two - Authorities of the Consulate
I. The Consulate shall use their authority to facilitate regional development and progress.
II. The Consulate maintains veto rights over the Council of the Republic in dire situations, such as those pertaining to Constitutional questionability or regional security.
III. The authority of the Consulate is vested in the citizens of The League, and the Consulate is to act for their benefit in regulating the government.
IV. The Consulate is responsible for proper record keeping of the Council of the Republic and shall oversee the ascension of new Delegates to the Council.
V. The Consulate has the authority to formally convene the Council of the Republic. This may be done by their own initiative or that of at least two Delegates to the Council or three Citizens.
VI. The Consuls of the Republic are vested with the authority to ensure The League's regional stability and security and to prevent any incursions to either. This includes prevention of recruiting, foreign propaganda, and other dangers to The League's sovereignty as deemed by the Consulate.
VII. The Consulate may publish its institutional and judicial opinions, interpretations, and precedents to build upon regional statutes and policies.
- These may be stored in a common location and managed by the sitting Consulate. This compilation shall be considered an extension of regional legal documentations.
VIII. The Consulate of the Republic may establish further institutions under its direct management in an effort to better aid and develop the region and its functions.
IX. Further authorities and responsibilities may be mandated to the Consulate in addition to those in this Constitution, based on the directive of the Council of the Republic.
Article III - The Council of the Republic
Section one - Purpose and Establishment
I. The Council of the Republic is to be the main governmental institution of the region, composed of Delegates to the Council of the Republic, including and presided over by the Consuls of the Republic.
II. The Council of the Republic is a politically-based institution, and thus its members are allowed to have political alignments so long as it does not hinder the region or subvert the Constitution and its intents to ensure the popular will.
III. The Council of the Republic is to handle legislative matters of the region and serve as an advisory to the Consulate.
IV. Delegates to the Council have varying terms. Consuls serve indefinitely, whereas other Delegates may serve either one month or two-month terms unless they resign prematurely. These terms are flexible for new selections.
V. Delegates to the Council may be removed prematurely by the order of the Court of the Republic, or by the Consulate directly if there is a clear and present ineptitude in their expected duties.
VI. Following the expiration of terms in the Council of the Republic, the Consulate shall open citizen nominations and contesting in the relevant area. If a citizen is nominated and at least two more people explicitly second that nomination, they shall be added to the quorum.
VII. Once the nomination and contestings phase concludes, a citizenry-wide poll for the group at quorum without three contentions will be organized by the Consulate, a simple majority is required for those citizens to take office as Delegates to the Council of the Republic. If a nominated citizen has their nomination explicitly contested three or more times, they will be given an individual poll open to citizens on the regional Discord server which shall require a simple majority of those voting for them to take office.
VIII. Consuls of the Republic shall abstain on ascension votes in the Council of the Republic. This does not include exercising a collective veto in situations or possible corruption or regional security risks.
IX. There shall be a legislative officer titled Speaker of the Council of the Republic with no higher authority than their fellow Council Delegate who shall be tasked with encouraging and facilitating improvements in regional legislation.
X. The Speaker of the Council shall be chosen by a Consulate-managed process which must include the consent of the majority of an incoming Council, and their term shall fulfill a cycle of the Council of the Republic.
XI. The Consulate may set qualifications and requirements on the post of Speaker of the Council of the Republic and may remove the Speaker of the Council from office if there is a clear and present ineptitude in their duties. If the post is vacated by removal or resignation, the Consulate shall appoint an acting Speaker of the Council until the term has expired.
XII. The Oath of Office for a Delegate to the Council of The League is as follows. "I, as a Delegate to the Council of The League, pledge to use my authority to represent the common good in government and advance the legislative and administrative standing of the region, and to contribute to a balance for both the veterans and the advancing youthful members of the region."
Section two - Authorities of the Council
I. Through formal convened votes, the Council of the Republic may create additional institutions, statutes of law, or publish documents of advice for the administration of the region.
- Council of the Republic Bills are documents proposed as regional statutes. Upon passage, they shall be designated as regional laws.
- Council of the Republic Motions are documents and excerpts of non-binding advisement to other institutions or bodies of the Republic.
II. Any citizen or Delegate to the Council may submit a vote request to the Council. Should a non-Delegate citizen do this, the Consulate will present it before the Council on their behalf unless a Delegate to the Council wishes to sponsor it.
III. Consuls of the Republic shall abstain on legislative votes in the Council of the Republic. This does not include exercising a collective veto in the aforementioned dire situations.
IV. The Council of the Republic may be delegated responsibilities not explicitly stated in this document through further legislation, provided it does not violate this document.
V. All members of the Council are equal in authority but may be assigned further responsibilities for specific institutions or work. This does not apply to the further role of Consul of the Republic.
VI. The Council of the Republic shall have two formal and official meeting locations, one which is open to the public viewership and another further including other officials of relevance, this private location being reserved for more sensitive conversations.
Article IV - The Court of the Republic
Section one - Criminal Court
I. The Criminal subset of the Court of the Republic shall handle alleged violations of regional law.
II. The Consuls of the Republic serve as Justices of the Court of the Republic in the Criminal Court and may request testifications or ask formal questions when appropriate. The Delegates to the Council of the Republic will serve as oversight with authorities further elaborated upon.
III. The Consulate may appoint a relevant citizen or official to represent the administration in the Criminal Court if it is necessary.
IV. The Consulate may appoint a relevant citizen or official to represent the accused in the Criminal Court if it is necessary.
V. Delegates to the Council of the Republic may request citizens to testify or request formal questions be asked to those in the Criminal Court if they deem it appropriate.
VI. To formalize a ruling, the Consulate must be unanimous.
VII. For sentencing following the ruling, the Consulate must be unanimous under the advisement of the Council of the Republic. If any Delegate to the Council of the Republic is further involved in the case, they are to recuse themselves.
Section two - Civilian Court
I. The Civilian subset of the Court of the Republic handles formal disputes outside of distinct regional law.
II. The Civilian Court may handle disputes regarding formal agreements between citizens, which are binding if they were previously notarized by the Consulate.
III. Those engaging in the Civilian Court may freely choose their own legal representatives, but are not entitled to them.
IV. The Consuls of the Republic serve as Justices of the Court of the Republic in the Civilian Court and may request testifications or ask formal questions when appropriate. The Delegates to the Council of the Republic will serve as oversight with authorities further elaborated upon.
V. Delegates to the Council of the Republic may request citizens to testify or request formal questions be asked to those in the Civilian Court if they deem it appropriate. If any Delegate to the Council of the Republic is further involved in the case, they are to recuse themselves.
VI. To formalize a ruling, the Consulate must have two of three Consuls in agreement and will publish their decision as collective.
Section three - Court of Appeals
I. The Appeals subset of the Court of the Republic shall handle disputes regarding the validity of government policies, or previous rulings.
II. Those engaging in the Court of Appeals to challenge government policy or ruling may freely choose a legal representative, but are not entitled to one.
III. The Consulate may call the Court of Appeals to a session by their own initiative if they determine a document, policy, or precedent should come under legal review. Citizens may request involvement in the discussions to make cases in either direction, but the Consulate may also deliberate independently if necessary.
IV. The Consulate may appoint a relevant citizen or official to represent the administration in the Court of Appeals if it is necessary.
V. The Consuls of the Republic serve as Justices of the Court of the Republic in the Court of Appeals and shall review all documents in question, and may request further contextual information if necessary, from either or both sides in the dispute.
VI. To overturn a previous policy or ruling, the Consulate must be unanimous, and the effects of the overturn shall be put into place immediately.
Reception
This document obliterated the tradition initiated by the First Constitution. Nowadays, the previous three Constitutions mean next to nothing to the region's institutions, and I can only imagine how newer residents would perceive them — as alien artifacts, I presume. Just as I exercise my imagination with the new, I imagine what the old, long-gone members of the League would say about this historical culmination. The Fourth Constitution was a blatantly revolutionary project, a "disgrace and a traitorous act" in a conservative region — that's what I imagine people like the founder would catalogue it as. Well, it was indeed revolutionary, and it indeed put years of organizational efforts to rest, in a way. But you have to be unhealthily charged to interpret any revolution as bad, as you would have to be to interpret any conservative disposition as ideal. The main challenge of NationStates — the root of all problems, I think — is to actually make a forum work like a government. The reality of it is that most of us can, after a disagreement, leave the region we are in, or even the game, or we can use our meager virtual powers to send our opponents to the trash bin; but that warrants the question, "Why bother?" None of this is "real", none of it matters, and in our day and age, as the social-media ecosystem imprisons more people in bubbles, and the oppression by the State feels like an exponential threat, who would be the lunatic who would consider going through the annoyance of fictional (!) bureaucracy a pleasure?! I think I have the answer to that, or at least a fragment of it.
When you look at NationStates, a lot of the nations are crazy dystopian experiments for the occasional delight of the player. That is not very surprising: who wouldn't want to play god for a while? Who wouldn't want to escape the absolute boredom and hardship of the life of a commoner and just have fun with fictional scenarios? That explains a good portion of the players. Now imagine their polar opposite: the people who actually take this game seriously and want to build something great out of it. These people are not so simple to explain: they certainly are here for the momentary pleasures of silly game issues and interactions, but that wouldn't explain their greater objectives. In reality, most of them are either individuals with ideas or ideals. Those with ideals (which I'm using as a synonym for ideology) would like to see their utopias prosper, and are possibly the most powerful founding forces in this game, due to their exacerbated convictions. The League of Conservative Nations was based upon conservatism, but what kind of conservatism? Even Adawn could not answer this question. He was a charged founder transforming his personal matters into a region. He had a set of beliefs which, although he could hardly explain, attracted numerous nations to the League, and so its history began. But the League would never prosper under Adawn's supervision: he had no plan, didn't understand the game very well and, rather often, got into conflicts regarding the usage of his powers. His was an important role in creating a flag that fellow players could wave, but his attempt to ideologize a social structure that has hardly anything to do with historical political structures was disastrous. Enter the people with ideas, of whom Icaris is a great representative, with his first two Constitutions. These people are not so easily fooled by the transfiguration of real-life issues into virtual ones. When the First Constitution was written, this region had nigh no history, and a key aspect of modern conservatism is that we ought to respect the traditions that we cannot fully grasp. What tradition is there to respect in a recently-founded region? Thus, Adawn's conservatism falters both off and in-game.
Icaris' work was a mixture of real-life knowledge and in-game interpretation, a revolution upon null traditions. And thus began the League's conservatism: through a revolution. As I said, the Third Constitution was the culmination of the conservative spirit developed throughout the first two republics. It had very little to adjust, and mostly preserved the region's institutions, while refining core aspects of the political system. What right has the Fourth Constitution to exist, then? It destroyed our progress towards the apex of conservatism, restarted the system, put an end to democracy as we knew it! Well, that is correct, but this happened after months of experience with the Third Constitution, and the region was coming to a halt. Interest in the positions consolidated by the first republics was reaching all-time lows, and that seemed to be it. We had finally won. But the cost of victorious stability was inactivity, and inactivity was a very real threat to the institutions that we sought to maintain. Paradoxically, the supremacy of conservatism meant its own annihilation.
The privilege of retrospection is amazing: I am now convinced that the Fourth Constitution was inevitable — it would have come one way or another, from whatever individual was most fit to lead the region towards a new path. If the Fourth Republic signaled the end of many great things, it also meant the beginning of many others. I like the interpretation that there is a religious significance to most large-scale changes, and I think that applies, in essence, to what this culmination represented: a new search for meaning, because we had already found all of the meaning that we could with the first three Constitutions. And that is what, by popular vote, the League chose: a revolution to supersede that which sprouted from another, a new age of experimentation (with the political parties, the provinces, the many councils...) and innovation (with role-play and off-site interactions increasing exponentially).
