The Constitution of Taijitu

[Sovereign Dixie]

The Constitution of Taijitu
Article I: Residents & Citizens

1. Any Person in possession of a Resident Nation within the Region of Taijitu may apply to be recognized as a Resident of Taijitu by the Government. The Government may revoke any Resident's status.

2. Any Person who has been a Resident of Taijitu continuously for 35 days and who has accumulated at least 50 posts on the Regional Forum may apply to be recognized as a Citizen by the Government. Once granted, Citizenship may not be revoked without prior due process unless a Citizen fails to maintain a Resident Nation.

3. Citizens may introduce legislation and may implement it as law by a majority vote. The Delegate may veto any legislation not passed by a two thirds majority. If a quarter of all Citizens or if a number of Citizens equal to a quarter of those who voted in the most recent vote request it, a referendum will be held on any legislation implemented by the Delegate. Legislation may be overturned by a two thirds majority of voting Citizens in such a referendum.

Article II: The Government of Taijitu.

1. The Delegate of Taijitu will be a Citizen, will have held Citizenship continuously for 90 days, will have accumulated at least 300 posts on the regional forum and will possess a Nationstates UN nation with a population of at least 1 billion. The Delegate will hold office for 4 monthsk, at which point a referendum will be held to determine whether or not the incumbent will retain office. Elections will be held should three fifths of those Citizens voting request it.

2. The Delegate will have a Cabinet of Ministers and will appoint and dismiss these Ministers freely. All Ministers will be Citizens, will have held Citizenship continuously for 35 days and will have accumulated at least 75 posts on the Regional Forum.

3. The Delegate will appoint from among those who have met the requirements for the office of Delegate a number of ranked successors. If the Delegate is unable to perform their duties the highest ranked successor will assume the office of Delegate. If no successor is available the Cabinet will choose a new Delegate from among themselves. The successor will retain office for the remainder of the term.

4. The Delegate will have both executive and legislative authority. The Delegate will negotiate and conclude treaties with foreign powers and will be Commander in Chief of the armed forces.

5. The Delegate or Ministers may be removed from office by a two thirds majority vote of Citizens if found guilty of violating the Constitution or Laws of Taijitu by the Judiciary or by a three quarters majority vote of Citizens.

Article III: The Judiciary

1. The Judiciary of Taijitu will be composed of at least one Justice.

2. The Delegate will appoint Justices from among those Citizens who have held Citizenship continuously for at least 90 days and have accumulated at least 300 posts on the regional forum. No person who holds the office of Delegate, Vice Delegate or Minister may hold the office of Justice. Justices will hold their office indefinitely unless removed. All appointments will be subject to confirmation by a majority of voting Citizens.

3. The Judiciary will hear cases brought before it, issue verdicts on them and pass sentences. Any verdicts and sentences will be final.

4. Justices may be removed from office by a two thirds majority vote of Citizens and the consent of the Delegate or by a three quarters majority vote of Citizens.

Article IV: Declaration of Rights

1. The freedom of speech or to petition the government will not be abridged.

2. No Citizen will be found guilty of and convicted for any crime by legislation and no Citizen will be charged under any law retroactively.

3. No Citizen will be deprived of their rights and liberties or ejected, restricted or banned from the Region or Regional Forums without being charged and  informed of the charges against them. No Citizen will when charged be denied a swift, impartial and public trial. No Citizen will be deprived of their rights and liberties or ejected, restricted or banned from the Region or Regional Forums indefinitely without the due process of the law.

4. No Citizen will be denied legal counsel if they desire it and no Citizen will be compelled to bear witness against themselves. No Citizen shall be tried for any single offense on more than one occasion and no punishment disproportionate to the offense committed will be issued.

5. No Citizen will be denied the equal protection of the Constitution and Laws of Taijitu.

6. No Citizen will be considered necessarily deprived of those rights not enumerated here.


Article V: Amendments


1. The Constitution of Taijitu may be amended by a three quarters majority vote of Citizens.

[Allama]

[Of Crazed]

The way someone becomes delegate is a joke.  In fact not much has changed besides the Senate is composed of citizens, and we are a dictatorship.  I don't see how the current system stopped you from doing any of this.  You appoint the MoEA, you appoint who runs the army.

Tell me how this new constitution allows you do complete your goals, and why the other one did not.

I don't see how this inspires anyone into action.

If someone could explain this to me, thanks.

[Durnia]

I agree.

This is just the old constitution minus an independent Senate to oppose your legislation, congratulations.

I have a question,

3. The Delegate will appoint from among those who have met the requirements for the office of Delegate a number of ranked successors. If the Delegate is unable to perform their duties the highest ranked successor will assume the office of Delegate. If no successor is available the Cabinet will choose a new Delegate from among themselves.

4. The Delegate will have both executive and legislative authority. The Delegate will negotiate and conclude treaties with foreign powers and will be Commander in Chief of the armed forces.

5. The Delegate or Ministers may be removed from office by a two thirds majority vote of Citizens if found guilty of violating the Constitution or Laws of Taijitu by the Judiciary or by a three quarters majority vote of Citizens.

Does this mean that if the delegate is impeached by the citizens, then the delegacy is handed over to the next in line? If so this is no democracy, it is a quirky, oligarchy/dictatorship.

[Sovereign Dixie]

  So you're saying, that the government is the same, except for 2 out of 3 branches of it?

  First off, I really don't see this as a total dictatorship, as the citizenry has the ability to remove the Delegate, Ministers, or the Judiciary. That is not a feature prevalent in dictatorships. At least not in malevolent ones.

 As for the Citizen Assembly, it's creation removes the elitism often displayed in the senate, and makes democratic legislation accessible to everyone, the removal of representative legislation, and the introduction of participatory legislation.

  Assuming, for a moment, you're right in that this could have all been accomplished under the old system, (I really don't think it could.. I seen what happens when someone tried to introduce any major reform into that senate...) it would have taken weeks if not months to bring about. In all likelihood however, most reforms were debated endlessly and fruitlessly for days and die out due to an inability to compromise.

 You can't force activity, but you can make sure that the mechanics are in place to try to encourage it. This new constitution is shorter, and devoid of legalese both in style and content. It is designed so that a n00b off of the feeder can take a look at it, and know within a few minutes, how things are ran. The simplified structure of the executive branch will foster greater communication and hopefully as a consequence, produce results in a more timely and efficient manner.


@ Durnia, the Citizen Assembly has the ability to overturn any legislation enacted by the delegate by voting against it with a 2/3 majority. The Delegate, on the other hand, can only veto legislation from the Citizen Assembly if it was passed with less than a 2/3 majority. The citizens hold the trump card in that one.

   Your understanding is correct of succession in the event of resignation/removal. The next appointed successor would take office. Is the executive branch democratic? No, it's not.

[Durnia]

Thanks for answering my question.

I'm out of this region until or if this is overturned, and the old constitution restored.

My thanks.

[kor]

This is all very lulzy. Glad I'm not in the government anymore.  

[Eientei]

Will there be any requirements for a quorum in voting?  Say a citizen brings up a vote to remove the Delegate.  If four citizens vote for, and one against, would that be enough for removal?  (Hypothetically, of course.)

[Delfos]

[PoD Gunner]

Please refrain from silly stuff in here. If you got nothing productive to say, go spam somewhere else.

[kor]

Spam? Who spammed? Anyway I have to say I am disappointed by this new Constitution. Taking power and making it lopsided in your favor is sad. I actually believed you when you said this wasn't a power grab. Guess you really can't trust anyone in this game. 

[Eientei]

I'm fine with the new constitution as it now stands.

[PoD Gunner]

I think that, again, you are too quick to judge. I'm willing to take that chance and have you doubt me, or have anyone else doubt me. This is a NS-connected move with one aim: that of reinvigorating Taijitu. If you see things differently, I'll have to live with it. Accusing me of lying and of deceit is however something I don't have to live with. If you see this a power grab, I suggest you remove your blindfold. That would have been the simplest option for either SD or myself to get a kick out of NS. I'm not doing it. What the trust issue is concerned, it's you disappointing me this time, not vice-versa.

[kor]

The way this Constitution is setup SD will be Delegate for life. A majority vote of 3/5ths to hold an election. Wow. It'd take a miracle to get those numbers to hold an election.    Maybe you need to remove your blindfold and read that Constitution. And you can be disappointed with me all you like. It changes nothing about how I feel about this Constitution. It's the reason I had my citizenship removed. I've even contemplated moving my nation out because of the language of it. The word Resident.

[Myroria]

Laughable.

The first Constitution is the REAL one.

Executive - dictatorial. We must have ELECTIONS, not a referendum to DECIDE IF WE SHOULD.

Legislative - non-existant.

Judiciary - Dictatorship, even more so than the executive. One justice? That's ridiculous.