Difference between revisions of "Constitution of Coconut Island"

Revision as of 15:42, 12 August 2005

Preamble We, the People of the Sovereign Nations of Coconut Island, recognising the needs for governance and organisation of our region hereby establish this Constitution for the purpose of order and harmony for the nations of Coconut Island. We accept nations of all political persuasions as long as they do not circumvent Coconut Island’s belief in democracy and regional sovereignty. We do not accept invader nations and are against invaders in general.

st Article: The Rights of Nations

The rights of nations are the fundamental rights of all nations. No legislation shall be passed which diminishes these rights in any way. The only way they can be infringed upon is if a section is removed by a constitutional amendment.

   * a. All nations are deemed to be sovereign and within their own jurisdiction. Internal laws and governances are within the jurisdiction of their own government. The currency, national animal and flag are completely up to the individual nation to decide upon.
   * b. Each nation on Coconut Island that is registered on the forum is granted one vote in every referendum and election, the exception is UN Delegate elections and Resolution votes, when only UN members can vote. Each nation that votes must have a different leader/owner to ensure fair elections.
   * c. Coconut Island is and will be a secular and inclusive region. No legislation will be passed that in any way impinges upon persons due to their race, gender, sexual orientation or religion, nor will legislation be passed that promotes a certain race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
   * d. Participation in the Coconut Island regional government and forum is encouraged but is entirely voluntary.
   * e. All nations residing in Coconut Island will abide by this constitution. All nations have the right to secede from this constitution at any time. This can only be done by leaving Coconut Island.
   * f. Once passed, anyone not abiding with the laws of the Coconut Island Constitution is subject to immediate expulsion from the Island. This is on condition of approval by a vote in Parliament. Voting will be undertaken on the forum and the UN delegate or the Regional Governor can propose the vote.
   * g. Only ‘Role-Play’ Laws passed by Parliament overrule nation laws, even then, this is only for any role-play that nations wish to conduct between themselves

nd Article: Amendments to this Constitution

Constitutional Amendments are defined as changes to the wording, clauses and laws of this document. They include changes to the election system, the way the regional governor is elected, how parliament is selected, the time between elections and any other changes to the constitution.

   * a. Amendments can only be proposed by the founder and/or the elected Regional Governor of Coconut Island
   * b. For an amendment to be passed it needs to be passed by Parliament with support from at least 2/3’s of the nations in Parliament
   * c. The amendment must also have the support in a referendum of at least 60% of the nations in the region.
   * d. Voting on amendments will take place over three days to decide if they should be passed or not.

rd Article: Voting and Electoral Procedures

As stated before, all nations owned by a different leader are granted one vote in each and every elections and referendum, the only exception being for a UN Delegate election and votes on UN resolutions, only UN members can vote on them.

   * a. Elections for Regional Governor, UN Delegate and Parliament are held every month, voting will take place from 7pm GMT on the first of the month to 7pm GMT on the fourth of the month.
   * b. Voting will take place on the forum, all candidates wishing to stand and all nations wishing to vote must register on the forum to be able to vote.
   * c. Candidates for the various positions have to announce their candidature on the message board and the forum during the candidate announcing period.
   * d. The candidate announcing period is from 7 days before the election starts to 2 days before the election takes place. In a month with 31 days, this would be from the 24th to the 29th of the month.
   * e. Special dispensation can be made by the founder (or appointed election officer) to any nation wishing to stand that is unable to announce their candidacy during the designated time period due to Real Life events. The candidate must tell the founder (or appointed election officer) before this happens and give them any election materials they wish to post in support of their candidacy. This is to be done either by Private Message on the forum or telegram in game.

th Article: The Role and Responsibilities of the Founder

The Founder, chosen by the nations of Coconut Island to be the new founder nation after the great move out and in, cannot be removed or voted from its position for any action other than the founder’s own resignation. The roles and responsibilities are;

   * a. The Founder is responsible with the elected Regional Governor for all issues and activities relating to the overall security of Coconut Island.
   * b. The Founder is not forbidden from standing for any position in Government. They may stand for Regional Governor, UN Delegate or lead a party.
   * c. The Founder is responsible for the maintenance and activity of the Coconut Island regional forum. The Founder may appoint other nations to moderate and administrate the forum as it sees fit or if necessary under the constitution.
   * d. The Founder is responsible for fair and ordered elections. On the forum the founder will carry out and oversee the elections, even if they are standing in them.
   * e. Should the Founder be away from NationStates during or near to election time they will appoint a nation to oversee and carry out the elections. This nation will be granted moderating powers on the forum to carry out its duties.
   * f. The Founder is expected to remain active in regional politics and on the forum.
   * g. The Founder is responsible for recruiting for the region and may appoint other nations to help them in recruiting.
   * h. The Founder has the authority to eject any nation from Coconut Island with cause or a majority vote from Parliament.
   * i. The following causes are accepted as reason for immediate ejection. Region crashing/invading, recruiting nations from Coconut Island for other regions, threatening the region with actions/invasions, vile abuse against someone for their race, religion, gender or sexual persuasion.
   * j. The following causes are subject to the Regional Governor proposing the ejection to Parliament and Parliament voting to decide if the accused should be ejected from the region. These are; spamming, flaming, other kinds of abuse, and not following the laws of the region or abiding by the constitution.
   * k. If Parliament votes to remove a nation from the ban list after ejection, then the founder must carry this out as soon as possible.
   * l. The Founder will ensure that the powers granted to the Regional Governor, the UN Delegate and Parliament are enforced by the ejection of non-compliant nations or the threat of ejection if they do not comply.
   * m. The Founder will obey and respect the laws and guidelines of Coconut Island.
   * n. The Founder shall not abuse the powers granted to it by this constitution.

th Article: The Regional Governor of Coconut Island

Section 1: Election of the Regional Governor

   * a. The election of a Regional Governor will occur every month at the same times as the elections of the other positions within the region.
   * b. The election takes place from the first of the month to the fourth of the month. Starting at 7pm GMT on the first and ending at 7pm GMT on the fourth.
   * c. If there is a tie in the election for Regional Governor, then voting will be extended for 24 hours. If there is still a tie then a run off between the tying candidates will take place over the next 48 hours.
   * d. If the tying candidates are the only candidates, or if there is still a tie, then anyone who has not voted must vote over the next 24 hours to determine a winner, if everyone has voted and/or there is still a tie, then the two candidates will split the length of the term into two and serve in that manner. The Founder will ensure this takes place and decides when the changeover occurs.

Section 2: Powers of the Regional Governor

   * a. The Regional Governor will be at the top of the Hierarchy and the one in charge of running Regional Parliament and the decisions on Coconut Island.
   * b. The Regional Governor is able to suggest new laws. New laws proposed are put before Parliament where a majority vote is needed for it to pass.
   * c. The Regional Governor is able to call for the repeal old laws; this is again done by being put before Parliament where a majority vote is needed to repeal it.
   * d. The Regional Governor may call for the amendment of existing laws. A majority in favour is needed in Parliament for the amendment to be successful.
   * e. The defence of Coconut Island is the responsibility of the Regional Governor in conjunction with the founder.
   * f. The Regional Governor is responsible for putting proposed ejections before Parliament and may also suggest cases of immediate ejection to the founder.
   * g. The Regional Governor has the power to propose amendments to the constitution. These amendments must have the required support to pass.
   * h. The Regional Governor cannot sit in Parliament
   * i. The Regional Governor can be removed by a vote of no-confidence
   * j. The Regional Governor will be given moderation status in the parliament and regional governor proposal sections of the forum. Abuse of this status or voting in Parliament votes without admitting it before the end of the result is deemed serious enough for a vote of no confidence to be placed and supported.
   * k. If the Regional Governor is going to be away for more than 4 days, they can appoint a deputy to take over their role during that period. The deputy and the time period they are in power must be announced on the message board and forum. The Deputy Governor does not have the power to propose constitutional amendments and does not have to be given moderation status on the forum.

th Article: Regional Parliament of Coconut Island

The Regional Parliament is the body in charge of running the politics and issues on Coconut Island during its term in office. It is a sub-ordinate to the Regional Governor. The Parliament is formed by political parties who compete in the elections.

   * a. Its members can propose new laws or propose that previous laws be repealed. These laws can govern the way nations interact within the region on issues (within the boundaries of the constitution) or they can be role-play laws.
   * b. Alliances with other regions and groups must be supported by a 60% vote in Parliament and can be cancelled by a 60% vote for a cancellation of the alliance.
   * c. Any law proposed by a Member of Parliament can be made as long as it passes Parliament with a majority vote and is also approved by the Regional Governor.
   * d. The Parliament is formed by Coconut Island Party Elections held every month.
   * e. There can be a maximum of three political parties on Coconut Island at any one time. In the event that a fourth political wishes to form, this will be up to the Regional Governor at the time, and may involve the disbanding of another political party - the party with the least number of votes in the next Parliament Election will be forced to disband.
   * f. Parties will not have members but simply a leader who, if his/her party is elected, may choose any nation(s) to sit in Parliament under his/her party. However, any party has the right to refuse the invitation (so usually only Nations supporting that particular party will be chosen to sit in Parliament).
   * g. The elections will determine how Parliament looks party wise. Parties are elected by a system of PR, seats are determined in proportion to the number of votes received, except when Parliament is 5 or 7 nations large when different rules apply.
   * h. The number of nations in Parliament is based on a 4:1 ratio with the number of nations in the region. 44 nations in the region would mean an 11 nation Parliament.
   * i. Unless there are less than 10 nations in the region, Parliament will always be a minimum of 5 nations large.
   * j. If Coconut Island falls below 10 nations then Parliament is disbanded or reduced to three nations, depending on a referendum of the nations of Coconut Island.
   * k. If the region reaches certain thresholds in nations then Parliament will be expanded for the next election and term. The number of nations triggering an expansion is based on the 4:1 ratio and a requirement that the number of seats in Parliament will always be an odd number. A 13 seat Parliament needs 52 nations in the region.
   * l. If there are 5 or 7 seats in Parliament, then they are shared between the top two parties in the Parliament Election. In the event there is a tie in the number of votes for 1st or 2nd place, then another election will be held including these two parties only. The winner will be instated, but with the share of seats dependent on the original vote. Therefore, the party in power will always have a majority in a 5 seat or 7 seats Parliament.
   * m. If Parliament consists of 9 seats or more then the number of parties being able to sit in parliament will be 3 instead of 2. The limit on political parties will remain the same unless a constitutional amendment is proposed to increase the limit.
   * n. In a 9 seats or larger Parliament the party with the most seats becomes the Governing Party.
   * o. Coalitions are formed between parties after an election if no one party has a majority or there is a tie.
   * p. The biggest party has first choice on choosing a coalition party; if the other parties refuse to form a government with them then the biggest party will be the minority government and bills can pass depending on support of other members of parliament.
   * q. If there is a tie, the two parties can try and form a coalition either with each other, or with the minority party.
   * r. There will be a limit on the number of seats Parliament can have, this will be 21 seats. If Coconut Island ever expands beyond 84 nations then Parliament does not increase any further despite the 4:1 ratio.

th Article: The UN Delegate of Coconut Island

The UN delegate is the region’s representative to the UN and holds the status of UN Delegate by elections. The UN Delegate is responsible for UN affairs and jointly responsible for foreign affairs.

   * a. The UN Delegate is elected every month and is answerable to Parliament.
   * b. The UN Delegate is elected by a simple majority vote by the UN members of Coconut Island.
   * c. The election is held not by poll but by replies to the election thread to ensure only votes from UN members are counted.
   * d. If there is a tie in the election, the same procedures that are undertaken if there is a tie for Regional Governor will be used to determine a winner.
   * e. Whoever is voted UN Delegate must be endorsed by all members of Coconut Island who belong to the UN so as to maximise power and increase the importance of votes on UN resolutions. The enforcement of this rule is up to the UN delegate, the delegate can decide if he/she wants to put any nation that refuses to endorse them before Parliament for ejection.
   * f. The UN Delegate is expected to endorse every UN nation in Coconut Island as long as it does not take them over the endorsement limit.
   * g. The endorsement limit is set at 60% of the number of endorsements the elected UN Delegate has.
   * h. Nations breaching this limit can of their own free will leave the region and come back a day later to clear their endorsements.
   * i. The UN Delegate will not be granted access to Regional Controls but can request a message be put in the World Factbook Entry by the Founder.
   * j. Foreign Affairs such as Alliances and Embassies are the responsibility of the UN delegate and the Founder. The UN Delegate and the Founder represent Coconut Island outside the region.
   * k. The appointment of Ambassadors to embassies in other regions and alliances is the prerogative of the UN Delegate. Ambassadors appointed by a previous Delegate can only be replaced due to the nation ceasing to exist or not maintaining the embassy.
   * l. The UN Delegate can be a Member of Parliament
   * m. An ambassador who feels they were wrongly removed can go to Parliament; a vote will be scheduled to reinstate the Ambassador or to approve the replacement. If the UN Delegate is in Parliament they may not vote on it.
   * n. The UN Delegate can approve proposals in the UN independently
   * o. The UN Delegate must hold referendums when participating in a full scale vote of a resolution currently in session, with its outcome changing how all UN Nations govern.
   * p. The delegate’s vote on UN resolution votes counts the same as every other UN member in the region. However, if there is a tie then the Delegate may vote as Delegate to break the tie.
   * q. The UN delegate can be removed from power by a vote of no-confidence.
   * r. The UN Delegate will be given moderator powers over the United Nations area of the regional forum. These powers are not to be abused.

th Article: Votes of No-Confidence

A vote of no-confidence can be placed against the UN Delegate or the Regional Governor for abuses of power or other actions deemed grossly serious by Parliament.

   * a. Any MP can propose the vote and there must be a 75% majority in favour to propose the dismissal of the Regional Governor or UN Delegate.
   * b. If it is proposed, then a referendum is held for all the nations in the region and a 66% vote for the dismissal is needed in the region for it to be passed.
   * c. The accused official (Regional Governor or UN Delegate) is not permitted to vote in either of the votes.
   * d. Both of these votes will be conducted on the forum.
   * e. If a vote of no-confidence passes then the official is removed from power and the candidate who finished second at the previous election takes over.
   * f. If there was no candidate then Parliament votes within itself for a replacement, once decided, that MP is the replacement until the next election.
   * g. At the next election the deposed official (Delegate or Governor) may not stand for election and cannot sit in Parliament. At the election after that they may stand for any position and/or sit in Parliament.
   * h. If the UN delegate is removed from power, and the nations of Coconut Island are unable to make it so that the replacement is the Delegate then the Delegate who was removed from power will be asked to leave for a day and come back, if they do not then they face ejection for a day before being removed from the ban list.

This constitution was written by the Kingdom of Wegason