The Senate Lobby: Fake News Lives Here

[Lamaredia]

Oh, I was sure it was the PPT who gave out the mandate to form government, must've remembered incorrectly.

To be fair, now that I think about it, I never did it myself when I was the PPT so I'm probably just an idiot.

Oh my God, when were you last here? I haven't heard the term "PPT" since Aurentina. We should bring that back!

Different note: GEA draft (maybe?) incoming tonight. Depends if Eshan and I get smashed.

Well, Aurentina was the one I was most active in (Not sure if it was on this country or Gallifrey Secundaria, my other one, though. I was a part of the one right after as well, but I sort of lost interest in the game at that time (I think that's when I left) so I took a step back and quit playing for about a year

I do remember your name though!

EDIT: The last time I was active in the senate was on Gallifrey Secundaria back in The Senate Lobby 3.5, so in 2015. Damn, has it really been so long?
EDIT2: Actually, I was in Senate 5.0 as well on this account

[Roosevetania]

I’m familiar with the job and duties. But if we nominate the speaker the does he vote still? I know UK speaker doesn’t so that’s why I’m asking

That's up to the GEA or other bills to determine.

What Merizoc said. Last iteration, the speaker didn't vote.

[New World Oceania]

Here is my draft. See my above summary.

• Statutes. The laws of Galatea are structured in a code. That means whenever you want to write a new law, you insert a new chapter into the code. This is meant to resolve the depository problem, as well as to make bills that amend previous laws clearer during consideration — insertions into the code are underlined, current code is regularly formatted, and repeals from the code are struck through.
• Federalism. Galatea is composed of three provinces. I think that selecting a province should be a part of applying; or perhaps every member will start getting welcome TGs with info about the Senate, including a province they've been assigned to (which they could change).
  The admins should keep a master spreadsheet with membership information so it doesn't get lost.
  Also: why? Because subnational politics can yield a lot of roleplaying opportunity. If everybody has a province from the start, it takes less effort to get involved in subnational legislating and other politics. As often as it was used, federalism was beneficial in Fernão and Elizia.
• Bicameralism. A small upper chamber expands political intrigue and roleplaying opportunities. It can slow some things down, but just enough to make things more interesting — not so much that it will hurt the roleplay. As for the lower chamber, I am still unsure about whether everyone will be automatically a part of this (as opposed to it being elected, and everyone being a part of subnational chambers).
  Input is welcome.
• Presidentialism. It's a personal preference. I think that, when done well, a presidential system can benefit the roleplay much like an upper chamber would. Key to this is an active president and a small cabinet. I've included provisions on an "executive office of the president" to a)
  encourage more roleplaying and b) discourage big cabinets.
  There are compelling arguments for parliamentary systems, though. They've worked really well in the past, and provide regular intrigue, generally when the prime minister takes on characteristics of a president in terms of power exercised. There's a debate to be had here.
• Established rules. I love procedural law, but it just doesn't jive well with our roleplay structure. I've suggested establishing basic rules to govern the chambers, with some minor differences between the ones used in the upper chamber and those used in the lower chamber that will affect how we roleplay the legislative process. But in general, they're just what we've usually done, written down.
• Courts. I have left an entire section blank for someone else to tackle.

---

Government Establishment Act

Sponsors: New World Oceania

An Act relating to the establishment of a government; creating the Federal Statutes; providing for provincial government; providing for the parliament; providing for the executive; providing for the judiciary; providing for elections; providing an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the House and Senate of the Third Galatean Republic in Parliament Assembled:

---

Section 1. Statutory Law
The Federal Statutes are enacted to contain the laws of the Third Galatean Republic. F.S. Title I is inserted to read:

TITLE I — GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 1: STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION

§1 Definitions. In interpreting these statutes, unless the text of the law indicates otherwise,

a) plural words include their singular counterparts;
b) singular words include the plural;
c) words of the masculine gender include the feminine, and vice versa;
d) words referring to the present include the future;
e) the word "person" includes individuals as well as corporations;
f) the word "officer" refers to any person authorized by law to perform the duties of their office;
g) the word "writing" includes printed or typed words; and,
h) the word "Republic" refers to the entire nation.

§2. Statutes shall be divided into Titles, which shall be divided into Chapters, which shall be divided into Sections. The compilation and copyediting of these Statutes shall strive for consistency and conformity in formatting.

CHAPTER 2: CONTENTS

§1 Contents. The contents of these Statutes are as below.

TITLE I — GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. Statutory Construction
2. Contents
3. The Third Galatean Republic
TITLE II — PARLIAMENT

1. House and Senate
2. Rules
3. Organization and Employment
TITLE III — THE EXECUTIVE

1. President and Vice President
2. Cabinet
TITLE IV — COURTS AND JUDICIARY

1. Temporary Provision
TITLE V — ELECTIONS

1. Electoral Commission
2. Administration
3. Contested Elections

§2 Amendments. Notwithstanding inapplicable provisions, §1 shall be automatically amended to conform to the law whenever text shall be inserted into or struck from the Statutes.

CHAPTER 3: THE THIRD GALATEAN REPUBLIC

§1 The State. The Third Galatean Republic is the successor to the Second Galatean Republic of 1952. All political power shall be inherent in the people of Galatea, and military power shall be subordinate to civil power. No bill of attainder shall take effect in the Republic, nor any law be enforced ex post facto.

§2 Treason. Any person responsible for or complicit in the obstruction of §1, or who levies war against the Republic or threatens its constitutional order, shall be found guilty of treason. Notwithstanding confession in open court, no person shall be convicted of treason except on the testimony of two witnesses.

§3 Boundaries. The boundaries of the Republic are the boundaries of its provinces, Galatia, Giroscan and Guria, the city of Coros, and federal nature reserves.

a) The Province of Galatia is defined as the northern part of the westernmost island, bordering Giroscan along the Southern Athetros River, along Mount Athetros to its peak, and along the Northern Athetros River, as well as the island to the north of its mainland.
b) The Province of Giroscan is defined as the southern part of the westernmost island, bordering Galatia along the Southern Athetros River, along Mount Athetros to its peak, and along the Northern Athetros River.
c) The Province of Guria is defined as the easternmost island and the smaller islands north and south of it.
d) The City of Coros is defined as the island west of Galatia and north of Giroscan.
e) The federal nature reserves under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Republic are: the Acene Federal Nature Reserve, which constitutes the entirety of the island between Giroscan and Guria; somewhere else, where monks live probably.

§4 Seat of Government. The seat of government shall be the City of Coros, which shall be under the administration of the Province of Galatia.

§5 Provincial Governments. Every province shall guarantee to its people a democratic government. Each province shall have the same powers as the national government within their own jurisdictions, except the power to tax income, to wage war and peace, to maintain a standing army, to conduct diplomacy with foreign governments, to establish tariffs, to coin currency, and to regulate commerce between the provinces is reserved exclusively to the national government. Where state and national law conflict, the law of the Republic shall take precedence.

Section 2. Parliament
F.S. Title II is inserted to read:

TITLE II — PARLIAMENT
CHAPTER 1: HOUSE AND SENATE

§1 Composition. The legislative power of the Republic shall be vested in its Parliament, consisting of a House of Deputies and a Senate. The House shall be composed of 18 deputies, elected on a closed list in each province. The Senate shall be composed of 6 senators, two from each state.

§2 Qualifications. Any citizen not convicted of treason, having attained the age of 18, may be elected to the House of Deputies. Any citizen not convicted of treason, having attained the age of 25, may be elected to the Senate. No member of Parliament may hold another office in any province, nor in the executive nor in the other chamber. Any member of Parliament who misses three consecutive votes shall be assumed to have resigned.

§3 The House of Deputies. The House shall have the power to initiate legislation, except for finance bills. The consent of the House shall be required for the passage of any legislation.

§4 The Senate. The Senate shall have the power to ratify treaties, confirm executive nominees, and declare war and peace. The consent of the Senate shall be required for the passage of any legislation.

§5 Terms. Deputies shall serve terms of one month. Senators shall serve terms of three months, except the first senators elected for Galatia, Giroscan, and Guria shall respectively serve terms of one, two, and three months. Vacancies shall be filled in the House by the party of the former member, and in the Senate by the executive of the province of the former Senator, and appointees shall serve the remainder of the predecessor's term.

CHAPTER 2: RULES

§1 The House of Deputies. These rules, and supplemental standing rules adopted by the House, shall govern the House of Deputies:

a) The House shall, after swearing in its members, elect by voice a Speaker of the House to preside over the chamber. The individual receiving the most votes shall be elected Speaker, and the individual receiving the second most votes shall be elected Leader of the Opposition.
b) Every bill shall receive at least 24 hours of debate and at least 24 hours of voting, but with the consent of the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition, or their designees, more time may be granted for the consideration of a bill.
c) Legislation may be amended by a motion seconded by a majority of deputies or with the agreement of the sponsor of the bill.
d) Any deputy who has missed five votes in one month shall be replaced by the party to which their seat belongs.
e) The Speaker or their designee shall be entitled to select no more than 75% of the legislation to be considered each week, and the Leader of the Opposition or their designee shall be entitled to select no less than 25% of the legislation to be considered each week.
f) The Speaker may only vote when their decision will affect the final result of a vote.

§2 The Senate. These rules, and supplemental standing rules adopted by the Senate, shall govern the Senate:

a) The Vice President of the Republic shall be the President of the Senate, but may designate a President pro Tempore to preside in their absence.
b) The Senate shall simultaneously debate and vote on business, but a petition seconded by a majority of Senators shall limit debate and voting to 24 hours.
c) Each Senator and the President of the Senate shall, in turn, call up business to be considered. The President of the Senate may submit for the Senate's consideration packages of executive business, limited to treaties, executive nominees, finance bills, and declarations of war and peace.
d) The President of the Senate shall vote when the Senate is evenly divided.
e) Any Senator who has missed five votes in one month shall be replaced by the executive of their state.

CHAPTER 3: ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYMENT

§1 Board. Parliament's hiring decisions shall be made by a Board of Trustees, consisting of one MP from each chamber designated by the Speaker of the House of Deputies, one MP from each chamber designated by the Leader of the Opposition, both Sergeants-at-Arms, the Clerk of the House, the Secretary of the Senate, and representatives from the Parliamentary Workers Union and the Parliamentary Intern and Page Association.

§2 Officers. The Board shall employ a Chief Executive Officer, a Chief Financial Officer, a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Administrative Officer, a Chief Communications Officer, and a Director of Parliamentary Police for the purposes of administering the services of Parliament.

§3 Chamber Staff. The Board shall, on the recommendation of the officers, employ a Clerk of the House of Deputies, a Secretary of the Senate, and a Sergeant-at-Arms for each chamber.

§4 Parliamentary Employees. The officers and chamber staff shall employ staff to aid in the execution of their duties.

§5 Interns and Pages. Parliament shall employ students to serve as parliamentary pages. Pages shall serve for six months and receive a stipend of $2,000 per month. The Page program shall be administered jointly by the Sergeants-at-Arms. Members of Parliament may employ students to serve as interns in their offices, but no parliamentary expenses may be made to pay interns. Parliamentary interns and pages may organize in a Parliamentary Intern and Page Association.

§6 Parliamentary Workers Union. All employees of Parliament, but not members employed directly by Members of Parliament,
shall be guaranteed collective bargaining rights through the Parliamentary Workers Union. Employees of Parliament shall not strike.

§7 Salaries. The Board of Trustees, on the advice of the officers, shall set the salaries of all parliamentary employees. Deputies shall be entitled to a salary of $180,000. Senators shall be entitled to a salary of $240,000.

Section 3. The Executive
F.S. Title III is inserted to read:

TITLE III — THE EXECUTIVE
CHAPTER 1: PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT

§1 President. The President of the Republic shall be the head of government and head of state of Galatea. They shall have the duty:

a) to sign legislation into law, unless it has gone into effect after one week of inaction, or to veto bills notwithstanding those passed again by two-thirds of each chamber of Parliament;
b) to command all troops and fleets;
c) to nominate all executives, commissioners, and ambassadors of the Republic;
d) to submit a finance bill to Parliament every two months, designating taxes raised and monies disbursed to each executive department;
e) to see to the execution of all laws; and
f) to appoint staff and, in the event of a vacancy, a vice president or acting secretary.

§2 Vice President. The Vice President of the Republic shall assume the presidency in the temporary absence of the president and become President of the Republic in the event of a vacancy in the office.

§3 Election. The President and Vice President shall be elected jointly in a general election every two months by all citizens of the Republic entitled to vote, but if the Electoral Commission cannot ascertain a winner then the Senate shall select the President and Vice President, and if the vice president assumes the presidency due to the death, removal, or resignation of the president, then they shall select a person to assume the vice presidency, but if there is a vacancy in both offices simultaneously, then a special election shall be called for officers to serve the remainder of their terms and the Cabinet shall select from among themselves a person to act as President until the inauguration of both successors.

§4 Vacancy. A vacancy shall be caused in the office of the presidency if the president fails to report to the House of Deputies, without prior notice of their absence, for a week; the same for the office of the vice presidency if the vice president fails to report to the Senate, without prior notice of their absence, for a week.

§5 Salary. The president shall be entitled to a salary of $400,000, and the vice president shall be entitled to a salary of $300,000.

CHAPTER 2: CABINET

§1 Composition. The Cabinet shall consist of the chiefs of each executive department:

a) a Secretary of Defense, Trade and Foreign Affairs;
b) a Secretary of Agriculture, Energy, and the Environment;
c) a Secretary of the Interior and Justice;
d) a Secretary of Urban Areas and Transportation; and
e) a Secretary of Health, Education, Commerce and Labor.

§2 Appointment. Each Cabinet Secretary shall be nominated by the President of the Republic and confirmed by the Senate. Members of the Cabinet shall serve at the pleasure of the president.

§3 Salary. Members of the Cabinet shall be each entitled to salaries of $275,000.

Section 4. Courts and Judiciary
F.S. Title IV is inserted to read:

TITLE IV — COURTS AND JUDICIARY
CHAPTER 1: TEMPORARY PROVISION

§1 Supreme Court. Until March 1st, 2018, a Supreme Court of Galatea shall be appointed by the President of the Republic, with the consent of the Speaker of the House of Deputies and the Leader of the Opposition, and authorized to establish lower federal courts.

§2 Powers. The courts shall have the power to try federal crimes, to direct members of the executive branch to execute laws,
to nullify actions taken by the Parliament in violation of the law, and to remove individuals from federal office with the consent of the Senate.

Section 5. Elections
F.S. Title V is inserted to read:

TITLE V — ELECTIONS
CHAPTER 1: ELECTORAL COMMISSION

§1 Composition. The Electoral Commission shall be composed of three (3) Commissioners, one from each province, and a Chairman, appointed by the President, with the consent of the Senate, on the recommendation of the executive of the province of which the nominee is a resident.

§2 Powers. The Electoral Commission shall be authorized to:

a) set the dates of general and special elections;
b) issue regulations for elections;
c) approve the content and formats of ballots; and
d) certify the results of elections.

§3 Dates of Elections. General elections shall be set for dates in the final week of every month. Every election shall provide at least two days for balloting.

§4 Certification. Before reviewing or announcing the results of any election, the Electoral Commission shall, for each election:

a) certify and the conditions for which a result may be contested, which may include:

i. percentage of votes separating two candidates;
ii. number of votes separating two candidates; or
iii. total percentage of votes earned by a single candidate.
b) not certify and reorder the election.

§5 Employees. The Commission shall employ a Chief Supervisor of Elections to coordinate elections policy, a Director to coordinate the implementation of Commission regulations, an Inspector General to ensure compliance, and other staff as it deems necessary.

§6 Salary. Members of the Electoral Commission shall be entitled to a salary equal to members of the House of Deputies. The Electoral Commission shall set the salaries of its staff.

CHAPTER 2: ADMINISTRATION

§1 Supervisors. Each state province shall, with the consent of the Electoral Commission, appoint a Supervisor of Elections to oversee elections within that province's jurisdiction.

§2 Duties. Each Supervisor of Elections shall implement and ensure compliance with the regulations of the Electoral Commission, oversee the employment of all electoral officials in their province, appoint Chiefs of Elections in each administrative district, and submit proposals for the design of administrative divisions to the Electoral Commission.

§3 Divisions. Each province shall be divided into districts based on geographical areas, which shall be divided into precincts based on population. Supervisors of Elections shall submit recommendations to the Electoral Commission for the maps of administrative divisions prior to each election at the direction of the Commission.

§4 Districts. Each district shall be administered by a Chief of Elections and ensure compliance with Commission regulations, maintain voter rolls, distribute absentee ballots, count ballots, and resolve voting issues on election day.

§5 Precincts. Each precinct shall be administered by a Precinct Secretary and establish polling places, maintain any voting machines, print and collect ballots, and assist in the resolution of voting issues on election day.

CHAPTER 3: CONTESTED ELECTIONS

§1 Grounds. Certified elections may be contested on the grounds provided with certification by the Electoral Commission, or based on evidence of irregularities in the election.

§2 Recourse. Elections contested on the grounds allowed by the Electoral Commission shall be subject to a recount pursuant to procedures established by the Electoral Commission. Elections contested for irregularities shall be investigated by the Electoral Commission and referred, with a recommendation to uphold or reorder the election, to a court. All contests shall be resolved within one (1) month.

§3 Ties. Ties, or any election where the Electoral Commission assesses that a clear winner cannot be ascertained, shall be referred to the Senate.

Section 6. Referendum; Effective
This legislation shall be effective upon approval by popular referendum, to be held on February 9, 2018, the question being in English, "Do you approve of the Government Establishment Act?" and the options being "Yes" and "No;" in Galatean, "[Translation]?" and the options being "[Yes]" and "[No];" in Esperanto, "Ĉu vi aprobas la Leĝo kiu Establas Registaron?" and the options being "Jes" and "Ne." Suffrage shall be granted to all citizens over the age of majority in each province, and each provincial government shall administer the referendum within their own jurisdictions. Parliamentary and presidential elections shall occur concurrently with the referendum. The Parliament, when assembled, shall certify the results of the referendum.

The Admins may interpret any law to expedite the roleplay if IC processes fail to quickly or sufficiently interpret the law.

[Roosevetania]

I am wholly opposed to this bill.

§3 Boundaries. The boundaries of the Republic are the boundaries of its provinces, Galatia, Giroscan and Guria, the city of Coros, and federal nature reserves.

a) The Province of Galatia is defined as the northern part of the westernmost island, bordering Giroscan along the Southern Athetros River, along Mount Athetros to its peak, and along the Northern Athetros River, as well as the island to the north of its mainland.
b) The Province of Giroscan is defined as the southern part of the westernmost island, bordering Galatia along the Southern Athetros River, along Mount Athetros to its peak, and along the Northern Athetros River.
c) The Province of Guria is defined as the easternmost island and the smaller islands north and south of it.
d) The City of Coros is defined as the island west of Galatia and north of Giroscan.
e) The federal nature reserves under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Republic are: the Acene Federal Nature Reserve, which constitutes the entirety of the island between Giroscan and Guria; somewhere else, where monks live probably.

§4 Seat of Government. The seat of government shall be the City of Coros, which shall be under the administration of the Province of Galatia.

It names one of the states one letter off from the nation's name, and puts the national capital in a far corner of the country on a tiny island.

§5 Provincial Governments. Every province shall guarantee to its people a democratic government. Each province shall have the same powers as the national government within their own jurisdictions, except the power to tax income, to wage war and peace, to maintain a standing army, to conduct diplomacy with foreign governments, to establish tariffs, to coin currency, and to regulate commerce between the provinces is reserved exclusively to the national government. Where state and national law conflict, the law of the Republic shall take precedence.

I just want to say that we don't need subnational legislating, it will just lead to more division and distraction from the Senate.

§1 Composition. The legislative power of the Republic shall be vested in its Parliament, consisting of a House of Deputies and a Senate. The House shall be composed of 18 deputies, elected on a closed list in each province. The Senate shall be composed of 6 senators, two from each state.

First of all, why do we need a bicameral legislature? Second of all, this says there will only be 24 legislators. 24?! Why are we only letting 24 people vote?

confirm executive nominees

Last iteration, that took way too long. Maybe we should have them confirmed en masse, have a smaller cabinet, or both.

CHAPTER 2: RULES

§1 The House of Deputies. These rules, and supplemental standing rules adopted by the House, shall govern the House of Deputies:
a) The House shall, after swearing in its members, elect by voice a Speaker of the House to preside over the chamber. The individual receiving the most votes shall be elected Speaker, and the individual receiving the second most votes shall be elected Leader of the Opposition.
b) Every bill shall receive at least 24 hours of debate and at least 24 hours of voting, but with the consent of the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition, or their designees, more time may be granted for the consideration of a bill.
c) Legislation may be amended by a motion seconded by a majority of deputies or with the agreement of the sponsor of the bill.
d) Any deputy who has missed five votes in one month shall be replaced by the party to which their seat belongs.
e) The Speaker or their designee shall be entitled to select no more than 75% of the legislation to be considered each week, and the Leader of the Opposition or their designee shall be entitled to select no less than 25% of the legislation to be considered each week.
f) The Speaker may only vote when their decision will affect the final result of a vote.

Again, we should only have one house. There's no reason to have two. Section a) allows for someone to be elected with less than half of the vote. Also, I think we should allow the Speaker to vote.

§2 The Senate. These rules, and supplemental standing rules adopted by the Senate, shall govern the Senate:
a) The Vice President of the Republic shall be the President of the Senate, but may designate a President pro Tempore to preside in their absence.
b) The Senate shall simultaneously debate and vote on business, but a petition seconded by a majority of Senators shall limit debate and voting to 24 hours.
c) Each Senator and the President of the Senate shall, in turn, call up business to be considered. The President of the Senate may submit for the Senate's consideration packages of executive business, limited to treaties, executive nominees, finance bills, and declarations of war and peace.
d) The President of the Senate shall vote when the Senate is evenly divided.
e) Any Senator who has missed five votes in one month shall be replaced by the executive of their state.

Not much to say here, just what I've already said about bicameralism and executive nominees. Just an idea, but what if we somehow allowed filibusters? I feel like this would make it more interesting, and would prolong the iteration (which is what we want, right?).

CHAPTER 3: ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYMENT

§1 Board. Parliament's hiring decisions shall be made by a Board of Trustees, consisting of one MP from each chamber designated by the Speaker of the House of Deputies, one MP from each chamber designated by the Leader of the Opposition, both Sergeants-at-Arms, the Clerk of the House, the Secretary of the Senate, and representatives from the Parliamentary Workers Union and the Parliamentary Intern and Page Association.

§2 Officers. The Board shall employ a Chief Executive Officer, a Chief Financial Officer, a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Administrative Officer, a Chief Communications Officer, and a Director of Parliamentary Police for the purposes of administering the services of Parliament.

§3 Chamber Staff. The Board shall, on the recommendation of the officers, employ a Clerk of the House of Deputies, a Secretary of the Senate, and a Sergeant-at-Arms for each chamber.

§4 Parliamentary Employees. The officers and chamber staff shall employ staff to aid in the execution of their duties.

§5 Interns and Pages. Parliament shall employ students to serve as parliamentary pages. Pages shall serve for six months and receive a stipend of $2,000 per month. The Page program shall be administered jointly by the Sergeants-at-Arms. Members of Parliament may employ students to serve as interns in their offices, but no parliamentary expenses may be made to pay interns. Parliamentary interns and pages may organize in a Parliamentary Intern and Page Association.

Would these just be generic positions that a parliament needs IC, or will we actually appoint people to fill these spots?

§6 Parliamentary Workers Union. All employees of Parliament, but not members employed directly by Members of Parliament,
shall be guaranteed collective bargaining rights through the Parliamentary Workers Union. Employees of Parliament shall not strike.

We're banning a strike? This is not starting out on good note for the new nation.

CHAPTER 1: PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT

§1 President. The President of the Republic shall be the head of government and head of state of Galatea. They shall have the duty:
[list]a) to sign legislation into law, unless it has gone into effect after one week of inaction, or to veto bills notwithstanding those passed again by two-thirds of each chamber of Parliament;
b) to command all troops and fleets;
c) to nominate all executives, commissioners, and ambassadors of the Republic;
d) to submit a finance bill to Parliament every two months, designating taxes raised and monies disbursed to each executive department;
e) to see to the execution of all laws; and
f) to appoint staff and, in the event of a vacancy, a vice president or acting secretary.
§2 Vice President. The Vice President of the Republic shall assume the presidency in the temporary absence of the president and become President of the Republic in the event of a vacancy in the office.

We should NOT have a presidential system. It was shown last iteration to not work and we should never use it again.

§3 Election. The President and Vice President shall be elected jointly in a general election every two months by all citizens of the Republic entitled to vote, but if the Electoral Commission cannot ascertain a winner then the Senate shall select the President and Vice President, and if the vice president assumes the presidency due to the death, removal, or resignation of the president, then they shall select a person to assume the vice presidency, but if there is a vacancy in both offices simultaneously, then a special election shall be called for officers to serve the remainder of their terms and the Cabinet shall select from among themselves a person to act as President until the inauguration of both successors.

There should not be an election, there should be a confidence vote in the senate, the only house.

CHAPTER 2: CABINET

§1 Composition. The Cabinet shall consist of the chiefs of each executive department:
a) a Secretary of Defense, Trade and Foreign Affairs;
b) a Secretary of Agriculture, Energy, and the Environment;
c) a Secretary of the Interior and Justice;
d) a Secretary of Urban Areas and Transportation; and
e) a Secretary of Health, Education, Commerce and Labor.

I like that there are fewer cabinet positions than in Fernao. However, I feel like Commerce doesn't belong with the Services & Labor, and Interior doesn't belong with Justice.

§1 Supreme Court. Until March 1st, 2018, a Supreme Court of Galatea shall be appointed by the President of the Republic, with the consent of the Speaker of the House of Deputies and the Leader of the Opposition, and authorized to establish lower federal courts.
§2 Powers. The courts shall have the power to try federal crimes, to direct members of the executive branch to execute laws,
to nullify actions taken by the Parliament in violation of the law, and to remove individuals from federal office with the consent of the Senate.

I know you left that for someone else, and whoever that is needs to clarify how many justices, if there will be juries, if the courts will try all cases, etc.

§1 Composition. The Electoral Commission shall be composed of three (3) Commissioners, one from each province, and a Chairman, appointed by the President, with the consent of the Senate, on the recommendation of the executive of the province of which the nominee is a resident.

§2 Powers. The Electoral Commission shall be authorized to:
b) issue regulations for elections;
c) approve the content and formats of ballots; and
d) certify the results of elections.

Why do we need an Electoral Commission? We shouldn't have national elections anyway *cough* parliamentary system *cough*

Is all the Electoral Commission purely IC as something a nation needs, or will it seriously be used?

Section 6. Referendum; Effective
This legislation shall be effective upon approval by popular referendum, to be held on February 9, 2018, the question being in English, "Do you approve of the Government Establishment Act?" and the options being "Yes" and "No;" in Galatean, "[Translation]?" and the options being "[Yes]" and "[No];" in Esperanto, "Ĉu vi aprobas la Leĝo kiu Establas Registaron?" and the options being "Jes" and "Ne." Suffrage shall be granted to all citizens over the age of majority in each province, and each provincial government shall administer the referendum within their own jurisdictions. Parliamentary and presidential elections shall occur concurrently with the referendum. The Parliament, when assembled, shall certify the results of the referendum.

Will they not be provided in Greek or Italian? How will the referendum work? Will it be a campaign-based thing like last iteration, or will we just vote?

Also, what about the EU referendum?

[New World Oceania]

Ignoring the irrelevant fillers, I’ll address the actual critique, which is that trying things we have not tried might not work.

Continuing with structures that do not increase activity means that activity will decrease. You either give people more to do or they’ll find a more interesting use of their time than the senate. That is the trend we have been seeing for years. “There’s no reason to _______” would be a valid criticism if this were our third incarnation. But it’s our seventh.

And I know you’ve only been around since Elizia, but presidents have worked excellently. They’ve brought activity to the roleplay since Aurentina. Sarian and Archism both disappeared during their terms, and surely you’re not going to tell me you think the Eliot presidency would have been a failure?

[Roosevetania]

Ignoring the irrelevant fillers, I’ll address the actual critique, which is that trying things we have not tried might not work.

Continuing with structures that do not increase activity means that activity will decrease. You either give people more to do or they’ll find a more interesting use of their time than the senate. That is the trend we have been seeing for years. “There’s no reason to _______” would be a valid criticism if this were our third incarnation. But it’s our seventh.

And I know you’ve only been around since Elizia, but presidents have worked excellently. They’ve brought activity to the roleplay since Aurentina. Sarian and Archism both disappeared during their terms, and surely you’re not going to tell me you think the Eliot presidency would have been a failure?

Alright, you make good points. I'll be willing to try the bicameral legislature, but I still believe we need a parliamentary system. I just think it's more interesting and better for the RP. Could you please address my other points, like about the provinces or why the Act only allows for 24 legislators?

[The Sarian]

Ignoring the irrelevant fillers, I’ll address the actual critique, which is that trying things we have not tried might not work.

Continuing with structures that do not increase activity means that activity will decrease. You either give people more to do or they’ll find a more interesting use of their time than the senate. That is the trend we have been seeing for years. “There’s no reason to _______” would be a valid criticism if this were our third incarnation. But it’s our seventh.

And I know you’ve only been around since Elizia, but presidents have worked excellently. They’ve brought activity to the roleplay since Aurentina. Sarian and Archism both disappeared during their terms, and surely you’re not going to tell me you think the Eliot presidency would have been a failure?

I went on holiday for a week and left the senate because merizoc tried to impeach me for it.

[New World Oceania]

Alright, you make good points. I'll be willing to try the bicameral legislature, but I still believe we need a parliamentary system. I just think it's more interesting and better for the RP. Could you please address my other points, like about the provinces or why the Act only allows for 24 legislators?

Provinces names and stuff can all be changed. This isn’t a final draft at all. Not even remotely. It’s not my possession, either. I welcome everyone to copy the bill and change parts they would like to see changed.

The idea behind the legislators is that federal ones would be elected and everyone would be a provincial legislator. Another option, though, would be having everyone in the lower house, with the upper house elected, and in turn decreasing the prominence of the provinces.

Another option to consider in terms of the executive is the semi-presidential model we used in Aurentina and Calaverde. I think it asks too many people to be involved in the executive branch, but it’s a valid system.

[Roosevetania]

Alright, you make good points. I'll be willing to try the bicameral legislature, but I still believe we need a parliamentary system. I just think it's more interesting and better for the RP. Could you please address my other points, like about the provinces or why the Act only allows for 24 legislators?

Provinces names and stuff can all be changed. This isn’t a final draft at all. Not even remotely. It’s not my possession, either. I welcome everyone to copy the bill and change parts they would like to see changed.

The idea behind the legislators is that federal ones would be elected and everyone would be a provincial legislator. Another option, though, would be having everyone in the lower house, with the upper house elected, and in turn decreasing the prominence of the provinces.

Okay. I like your second idea, but I might try to write my own.

[Ikania]

Opposed generally because obviously bicameralism is a stupid idea but specifically:

in Esperanto, "Ĉu vi aprobas la Leĝo kiu Establas Registaron?" and the options being "Jes" and "Ne."

What the fuck is this?

[Roosevetania]

Another option to consider in terms of the executive is the semi-presidential model we used in Aurentina and Calaverde. I think it asks too many people to be involved in the executive branch, but it’s a valid system.

How does this work?

Opposed generally because obviously bicameralism is a stupid idea but specifically:

in Esperanto, "Ĉu vi aprobas la Leĝo kiu Establas Registaron?" and the options being "Jes" and "Ne."

What the fuck is this?

We voted to have Esperanto as the lingua franca of Galatea.

[Ikania]

We voted to have Esperanto as the lingua franca of Galatea.

Where? That's ridiculous.

[Roosevetania]

We voted to have Esperanto as the lingua franca of Galatea.

Where? That's ridiculous.

Uh...in this thread, about a week ago.

[MERIZoC]

https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=33413726#p33413726

We voted for Sovcan's language proposal, not esperanto

[Roosevetania]

https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=33413726#p33413726

We voted for Sovcan's language proposal, not esperanto

No, I'm pretty sure Espernto is still the lingua franca. In the results, Zurk didn't list all of the options, just SovCan and Esperanto, showing that Esperanto still has some significance.

[Crylante]

Used to be Arachaea, going to join this version of the NSG Senate. Probably gonna join the Alliance for Change.

[New World Oceania]

Opposed generally because obviously bicameralism is a stupid idea

I never thought of it that way. Thanks for your insight and nuanced arguments, Ike.

[The Sarian]

I've shared with people on discord, but I've also been writing a draft GEA which can be found here. Still being written atm, but enough is done that you can see where I'm going with it. Suggestions not only welcome but encouraged.

[MERIZoC]

https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=33413726#p33413726

We voted for Sovcan's language proposal, not esperanto

No, I'm pretty sure Espernto is still the lingua franca. In the results, Zurk didn't list all of the options, just SovCan and Esperanto, showing that Esperanto still has some significance.

That's not how it works. It was an IRV vote and he was showing the final tally. Esperanto has no bearing on the nation.

[Roosevetania]

Used to be Arachaea, going to join this version of the NSG Senate. Probably gonna join the Alliance for Change.

Welcome back! I remember you.

Opposed generally because obviously bicameralism is a stupid idea

I never thought of it that way. Thanks for your insight and nuanced arguments, Ike.

Lol

I've shared with people on discord, but I've also been writing a draft GEA which can be found here. Still being written atm, but enough is done that you can see where I'm going with it. Suggestions not only welcome but encouraged.

I like it a lot, though I haven't been able to read the whole thing. But from what I've read so far, it looks like a parliamentary system with a separate, ceremonial Head of State. Am I correct?

No, I'm pretty sure Espernto is still the lingua franca. In the results, Zurk didn't list all of the options, just SovCan and Esperanto, showing that Esperanto still has some significance.

That's not how it works. It was an IRV vote and he was showing the final tally. Esperanto has no bearing on the nation.

I see your point, but I still think it will be the lingua franca. Zurk, am I wrong?

[MERIZoC]

I've shared with people on discord, but I've also been writing a draft GEA which can be found here. Still being written atm, but enough is done that you can see where I'm going with it. Suggestions not only welcome but encouraged.

I like it, just a few recommendations right now.

WRT the appointment of the prime minister, perhaps put in something stipulating that after each "election" (whether it be legislative, presidential, or we do both at the same time), the president give first preference to trying to get a majority to the largest party, then the second largest party, and so on, just so there's an established method to it.

However, The President shall not consent to the appointment of members to the Cabinet of Ministers who would underwrite the democratic nature of the Republic of Galatea.

Confused as to what this means.


Maybe change presidential elections to 2 months instead of 3, those are always fun and there's no need to limit ourselves.

The Senate may, by majority vote, determine that it does not have confidence in the Prime Minister.

Change Prime Minister to "government" maybe.

(b) No more than six individuals, including the Prime Minister, may be members of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Ooooh. I like this, very interesting. Maybe change to 7 or 8, just to make allocating spots for coalitions a bit easier.


Speaker election should be majority vote, that is the candidate needs 50%+1 of votes to be elected. Vote on candidates one by one until one gets enough votes.

[Roosevetania]

I've shared with people on discord, but I've also been writing a draft GEA which can be found here. Still being written atm, but enough is done that you can see where I'm going with it. Suggestions not only welcome but encouraged.

Would the President have much real power, or would it be ceremonial like Queen Elizabeth II?

[New World Oceania]

I've shared with people on discord, but I've also been writing a draft GEA which can be found here. Still being written atm, but enough is done that you can see where I'm going with it. Suggestions not only welcome but encouraged.

What’s the improvement of this over copying a constitution from another incarnation?

No, I'm pretty sure Espernto is still the lingua franca. In the results, Zurk didn't list all of the options, just SovCan and Esperanto, showing that Esperanto still has some significance.

That's not how it works. It was an IRV vote and he was showing the final tally. Esperanto has no bearing on the nation.

There’s precedent for Merizoc’s position on this, too. For instance, one time we didn’t vote on whether or not there would be Muslims in Calaverde. Because it wasn’t decided beforehand, we didn’t do it, and the roleplay was much better.

[Lamaredia]

I've shared with people on discord, but I've also been writing a draft GEA which can be found here. Still being written atm, but enough is done that you can see where I'm going with it. Suggestions not only welcome but encouraged.

We have a Discord server now?

Can I have an invite?

[Lamaredia]

[

That's not how it works. It was an IRV vote and he was showing the final tally. Esperanto has no bearing on the nation.

There’s precedent for Merizoc’s position on this, too. For instance, one time we didn’t vote on whether or not there would be Muslims in Calaverde. Because it wasn’t decided beforehand, we didn’t do it, and the roleplay was much better.

But, if we specifically voted to have the other language as the Lingua Franca, then that means that it is the one we will use, right? It wasn't a question on the language distribution, but more along the lines of that the national language would be.