Ecclesia Procedure Act

[Cormac]

I say move forward with this disregarding the privacy issue. Those of us who support secret ballots can attempt to move such through and discuss the merits of such in legislation specific to it. I am in full support of the rest.

My concern with this approach is having different Citizen-Initiators doing different things. Gulliver and I have been making legislative votes public and election votes private. The next Citizen-Initiator could make both votes private. The Citizen-Initiator after that could make both votes public. I'm not sure we want the inconsistency of that until whenever we pass separate legislation on the matter.

[Khem]

I say move forward with this disregarding the privacy issue. Those of us who support secret ballots can attempt to move such through and discuss the merits of such in legislation specific to it. I am in full support of the rest.

My concern with this approach is having different Citizen-Initiators doing different things. Gulliver and I have been making legislative votes public and election votes private. The next Citizen-Initiator could make both votes private. The Citizen-Initiator after that could make both votes public. I'm not sure we want the inconsistency of that until whenever we pass separate legislation on the matter.

Oh I mean move forward with your proposed set of privacy policies with myself having the intention of later moving to amend that specifically. Move forward with what is and worry about votes being private at a later time. Hoping this moves forward without this point of contention holding up the rest.

[Cormac]

Oh okay, I misunderstood. Sounds good!

[Khem]

I would like to motion this to a vote tomorrow (after the three day period of discussion). I would like to see this put in place with all due haste.

[Cormac]

As a note for anyone who wants to explore future legislation on private voting, it is now possible to make the results of polls invisible until voting concludes -- though I'm fairly sure they would still be visible to admins.

[Myroria]

I would like to motion this to a vote tomorrow (after the three day period of discussion). I would like to see this put in place with all due haste.

Seconded.

[Cormac]

Tonight's issue with Lazarus has actually raised some issues about the mandatory discussion period and five day voting period during emergency situations, as well as public legislative votes when those could be used by foreign governments or individuals as basis for reprisal.

So I would like to ask that the motion to vote be withdrawn while we consider how to work out these issues.

[Khem]

I would rather we handle such with its own legislation but if we are to work such into the draft before voting I can support it. Perhaps a clause specifying the C-Is ability to call for a discussion on emergency measures with a drastically reduced timeframe? Like three days total with two days on each discussion and voting with the middle day having both?

[Cormac]

1. Legislative Procedure
1. Any citizen of Taijitu may introduce a proposal before the Ecclesia. A proposal will go to vote after a mandatory consideration period of three days.
2. Following the mandatory consideration period, a proposal will proceed to vote after a motion to vote has been made by any citizen and seconded by any additional citizen.
3. Any proposal at vote before the Ecclesia will remain at vote for five days.
4. For time sensitive, emergency matters, the Citizen-Initiator may waive the mandatory consideration period or expedite the voting period.
5. Citizens may vote Aye, in favor of a proposal; Nay, against a proposal; or Abstain, indicating a vote neither in favor of nor against the proposal but that one has participated in the vote.
6. Unless otherwise mandated by law, all votes of the Ecclesia will be determined by simple majority vote. The result of any vote will be determined by taking into account only citizens who have voted and discounting abstentions cast in the vote.

2. Election Procedure
1. The election period for any elected office will begin with a ten day period for nominations and declarations of candidacy, followed by a five day period for voting.
2. An election period will begin fifteen days prior to the expiration of an elected official's term or as soon as practical after an elected office is vacated.
3. Citizens may vote for one eligible candidate who has submitted candidacy, may vote to re-open nominations, or may abstain from voting. Abstentions will count only toward participation in an election but will not count for or against a majority.
4. If no candidate receives a simple majority of votes cast in an election, discounting abstentions, a run-off election will be conducted. If the option to re-open nominations receives a plurality of votes, nominations will be re-opened for five more days.
5. Should an election period extend beyond expiration of an elected official's term, the incumbent elected official will remain in office until the election period has concluded.
6. Elections for Citizen-Initiator will be administered by the Citizen-Delegate. Elections for all other elected offices will be administered by the Citizen-Initiator.
7. In the event that any designated election administrator is standing for office in the election they are designated to administer or the office of the election administrator is vacant, administration of that election will pass to the citizen who has maintained citizenship for the longest continuous period and who is available to serve as election administrator.
8. The candidate for whom a citizen has voted in any election will not be publicly visible and citizens will be permitted to change their votes while voting is ongoing.

In light of recent events, I have added a provision (1.4) to allow for an expedited process for emergency matters, and I have removed the requirement that legislative votes must be public so that we can still use discretion if a public vote might result in reprisals by foreign governments.

Thoughts?

[Delfos]

I disagree with "waving" the obligatory discussion or shorten time to vote, we'll be alienating people from the Ecclesia process. There are already in place other ways for citizens or organized citizens to act in regards to emergencies through or around our militia, anything else I don't see why it needs to be called an "emergency".

I rather the previous draft.

[Cormac]

I disagree with "waving" the obligatory discussion or shorten time to vote, we'll be alienating people from the Ecclesia process. There are already in place other ways for citizens or organized citizens to act in regards to emergencies through or around our militia, anything else I don't see why it needs to be called an "emergency".

I rather the previous draft.

I disagree. If the mandatory consideration period and voting period were currently in effect, we would not yet even be able to vote on whether to close in-game embassies with Lazarus for another two days, and the outcome of that vote would not be known until next Wednesday. That is an unacceptable delay when regions are counting on our support in a matter of hours, rather than having to wait more than a week for us to make an official decision.

[Khem]

If there is objections to legislation done in expedited fashion they can be repealed easily via normal discussion and voting time. Maybe this would be good if it demanded at least three executive  offices and three independent citizens called for the vote rather than just the Citizen-Initiator?

[Delfos]

If there is objections to legislation done in expedited fashion they can be repealed easily via normal discussion and voting time. Maybe this would be good if it demanded at least three executive  offices and three independent citizens called for the vote rather than just the Citizen-Initiator?

It'd be easier to use IRC for a "quicky vote" using either the method you described or a better method which I'm not entirely sure what, but I'm sure the Delegate should be part of this double troika. These

But this bring another issue, what type of votes are we going to be allowed to do that? You have to define this "emergency", it's only allowed when what? "time sensitive, emergency matters" isn't definition enough for me.

In case we actually go with Khem's Quorum (which should be the technical term for this), to avoid the same 6 people deciding the emergencies all the time there should also be a provision to renovate at least a third each time this "tool" is used and this vote should be done with any Citizen available in IRC able to participate, so everyone can actually participate, and such log be pasted in the forums.

Yes it does sounds complicated, but that's why I don't see the need of "emergency quicky votes" unless you surpass Ecclesia and it's intention of being.

[Khem]

Definition of emergency situations would need to be made. I do like the term Quorum I'm unsure if I like the idea of posting logs necessarily, rousing folks from IRC to quorum in a legislative thread should work as easily for record keeping. I do like the idea that the same people should not consistently make up the body of this group, though in certain hours only certain folks tend to be about.

[Lindisfarne]

I think only "foreign affairs" issues should qualify as emergencies. i.e. business that are conected to the NationStates game and the time-limits imposed in game. All Taijituan internal affairs must be handeled the proper way.