Difference between revisions of "Ceoranan Constitution"

Revision as of 03:05, 17 December 2006

The Ceoranan Constitution defines the government of Ceorana. It has a preamble, a purpose statement containing the Principles of Union, and five articles. See the government section of the article on Ceorana for more details of the government's workings, as the Constitution gives much of the power to decide the workings to the Congerss to be set up in the Ceoranan Meta Law.

Text of the Constitution

Preamble

As the populace of Ceorana, with powers granted to us by the Supreme Law of Nature, with the goal of creating, spreading and enhancing Peace, Hope, Joy, Democracy and Diplomacy not only within our borders but throughout the world, and with the firm belief government can only function with a mandate from its constituents, do hereby declare that the following Constitution shall be the most supreme law in all of the jurisdiction of Ceorana.

Principles

Principles of Union

Ceorana stands for and will always stand for:

Peace

Ceorana will strive to remain neutral in war except in defense of our home country.

Liberty

Ceorana will remember all people are fundamentally equal, and therefore deserve equal rights and justice.

Hope

Ceorana will always persevere to the end of any problem, and put our full effort into removing ourselves from any quandary.

Joy

Ceorana will never leave a person behind, and never forget that everyone deserves a chance.

Democracy

Ceorana will never leave an opinion unheard, a vote uncounted, or a thought unsaid.

Principles of Governance

Ceorana's government is based on:

Rule of law

Laws, not people, set down the rules.

Popular Sovereignty

The populace of Ceorana holds the ultimate power in making laws.

Republicanism

Popular sovereignty is achieved through electing officials to act on behalf of the people.

Checks and balances

No person or group can wield ultimate power, even for a short period of time.

Cooperation

Even though there are checks and balances, all of the government works closely together.

Supremacies of Governance

Supremacy of the United Nations

All resolutions passed by the United Nations will be binding on the government and, where applicable, citizens of Ceorana in all cases whatever.

Supremacy of the Constitution

This constitution is the highest law of Ceorana.

Supremacy of Law

All entities within Ceorana will adhere to the law of Ceorana, passed legally in accordance with this Constitution.

Supremacy of the National Government

The power to make laws is hereby vested in the provincial governments, but such laws are inferior to national law and may be repealed by an act of Congress at any time.

Supremacy of Civilians

Any armed forces created by Congress must remain under the ultimate control of Congress and the President, and may not come into operation unless war or emergency is declared by an act of Congress, or it is determined by the President and confirmed by the Congress that operation is justified.

The Legislature

General

The legislature shall take the form of the Congress of Ceorana, which shall consist of a National Assembly, a House of Delegates, and a Senate. It shall have the exclusive duty of passing national laws for the good of Ceorana.

The National Assembly

General

The National Assembly shall consist of a number of members as prescribed by Congress, and each Representative shall represent the same number of citizens.

Methods of Election

Each Assemblyperson shall represent one Area, each of which shall consist of approximately the same number of citizens, and shall be drawn randomly every five years. Assemblypeople shall be elected from their Area once every two years.

Areas

After each five years have elapsed, a complete anonymous enumeration of the citizens of Ceorana and their locations shall take place to aid in the drawing of Areas.

The House of Delegates

General

The House of Delegates shall consist of one hundred members, twenty from each province.

Methods of Election

Each Delegate shall represent one Province, and be elected from their home province once every five years in a manner prescribed by Congress.

The Senate

The Senate shall consist of one hundred at-large members, elected in a method prescribed by Congress.

Vacancies

If, at any time during a term, a Congressperson shall resign or be forced to resign from office, a special election shall take place within a short period of time in a manner as if it was a regular election, at which time a new Congressperson shall be chosen, and hold office until the next regular election for their seat shall intervene.

Qualifications

All persons wishing to hold an elected office within the Congress must have attained the age of twenty-five years and be full citizens of Ceorana. Assemblypeople and Delegates must be residents of the Area or Province they wish to represent.

Officers

All houses shall elect a Speaker, who shall act as the leader of their respective house and represent the house to the public, the Executive, and at meetings of the Speakers. Houses may elect other members as their respective rules prescribe

Committees

The houses shall have several Committees, which shall correspond between the houses and with the Offices in the Executive. The Committees and their subjects shall be decided by law. Committees shall be grouped into Categories, which shall correspond with Departments in the Executive.

The Executive

General

The Executive shall take the form of the President and his Cabinet. It shall have the exclusive purpose of carrying out the laws passed by the Congress.

Methods of Election

The President shall be elected to a four year term by a popular vote of all citizens above an age determined by law. He shall then appoint members of his Cabinet, each who shall lead a department. Members of the Cabinet must be approved by at least two houses of Congress, otherwise the President must choose a different person. Cabinet members serve at the pleasure of the President, subject to approval by Congrss.

Vacancies

If, at any time during the course of his term, the President shall be forced to retire from office, due to illness, death, or other issues, the highest-ranking cabinet member shall fill his post, and exercise all duties as President of Ceorana, including choosing a replacement cabinet member under the guidelines prescribed above.

Qualifications

All persons wishing to hold the Presidency must have attained the age of thirty-five years and be a ten year citizen of Ceorana, and all persons wishing to hold a cabinet post must have attained the age of twenty-five years.

Departments

Each Cabinet member shall lead a Department. Each Department will correspond with a Category in the Congress. Departments shall be divided into Offices, each of which shall correspond with a Committee in the Congress. Offices and Departments shall have the purpose of executing laws passed by the Congress, primarily those handled by their corresponding Committees and Categories, unless the President shall appoint a different department.

The Judiciary

General

The Judiciary shall take the form of the Court of Ceorana, consisting of eleven members, as well as the Provincial Courts. They shall have the exclusive purpose of interpreting laws, deciding the guilt or innocence of a person accused of a crime, and conducting trials for the impeachment of officials in other branches.

Method of Election

The members of the Court of Ceorana shall be elected by the Congress and must be approved by the President.

Qualifications

All persons wishing to hold a position on the Court of Ceorana must have attained the age of forty years and be a citizen of Ceorana.

Lower Courts

The lower courts shall be administered by the provinces but are under the ultimate jurisdiction of the Congress.

Officers

The member of the court who has been present on the court for the longest time will be the Presiding Member, who shall lead meetings and decide the writer of opinions.

Trials

Whenever a question is brought before the Court of Ceorana, they may choose to accept it if five out of eleven members agree or decline it if less than five agree to take it. If accepted, they shall hear arguments and vote. The majority vote decides the case.

Government Processes

Legislation

Legislation shall take place by the following steps:

1. A bill shall be introduced by a member of either house of Congress.
2. Bills shall be debated and voted on in each house in a manner prescribed by that house.
3. If the bill passes in two of the three houses, a committee consisting of the members of the corresponding committees to work out the differences in the passed bills, after which it shall be voted on again by all three houses.
4. If the bill passes two of those houses, it shall be sent to the Executive. If the President shall approve it, it becomes law.
5. If the president fails to pass the bill, then it is dead unless one of the following events shall occur:
   1. All three houses pass the bill by a two-thirds supermajority.
   2. Two of the three houses pass the bill by a three-fourths supermajority and the other passes it by a simple majority.
   3. Any citizen or group of citizens of Ceorana obtains approval of three-one hundredths of the populace of Ceorana to call a special election on the subject, and the bill passes by a five-elevenths supermajority.

Impeachment

In the event that any elected government official is accused of a crime, they must first be found guilty by the Court of Ceorana in order to be removed from office, at which point they can undergo the normal criminal trial. If a member of the Court of Ceorana is excused, they and one other member, determined at random, will recuse themselves from the trial process.

Rights of the People

• The right to express themselves freely, to express and practice their religion freely, to distribute news and opinions freely, to assemble freely, and to demonstrate and petition freely.
• The right of all people to peace in their homes, and free from undue government inspection.
• The right of all citizens above an age determined by the Congress to participate equally in the election of the government.
• The right of all citizens accused of any crime to a fair and speedy trial by their peers.
• The right of all citizens to be free from punishment which is dangerous or cruel.
• The right of all citizens to be free from any compulsory work, unless convicted of a crime in a fair trial.
• The right of all citizens to life, peace, and general freedom.

Provisions for Amending

This constitution may be amended in any way by a three-quarters vote of Congress plus approval of at least sixty percent of the provinces.

Notes

• The system of election for the House of Delegates is done by a Wikipedia:single transferable vote system, and is described in Ceoranan Meta Law. See Ceorana House of Delegates elections.