1 - PreambleWe, the residents and citizens of Iseori, hereby, according to the contents of this document, assert our rights and responsibilities with regards to this region of Iseori, as well as asserting the overall sovereignty and importance of this region. This document should be on display for all current and future residents and citizens to access with ease whenever they wish or require it.
1.1 - Definitions:
- Residents: Nations on the game NationStates who inhabit the region of [region]Iseori[/region]
- Citizens: Nations on the game NationStates who inhabit the region of [region]Iseori[/region] and also have an account on the Iseori Forums.
- The region / this region / our region: The region of [region]Iseori[/region]
- Regional services: Public communication services that include (but are not limited to) the forums, IRC channel, and regional message board. Inclusion of a service is the perogative of the Council of Iseori.
- Elected Official: An Official representing the citizenry who has been chosen by popular vote among all citizens, in accordance with §10.
- Appointed Official: An Official representing the citizenry who has been chosen by a higher Official (regardless of selection process).
- The Assembly: the group of Citizens not in either the Council or the Judicature.
- The Delegate: The WA member chosen by the region through popular vote to represent Iseori in the World Assembly.
2 - Rights and Responsibilities of ResidentsResidents are the fundamental building blocks of a good region. We, the Citizens of Iseori affirm that those who enter are region should be afforded certain basic rights as a human courtesy. We also note that Residents cannot always immediately give back to the community, but that they should be encouraged to do so by becoming Citizens.
2.1 - Rights of ResidentsResidents have the right to remain in the region excepting when their presence causes undue harm to one or more members. Undue harm is defined as continued harassment, malicious talk or actions, offensive language, or abuse. Residents also have the right to use any of the regional services, excepting where this conflicts with previous parts of this constitution.
2.2 - Responsibilities of ResidentsResidents are encouraged to be active in all areas of Iseori life. This should include regular use of all of the services. This is not a requirement for residency, and residents should not be coerced in any manner (this being a form of harassment, thus undue harm), however it should be considered good practise.
3 - Rights and Responsibilities of CitizensThe citizens of Iseori are those members who have committed to regular participation in this region by becoming a member of the forums and requesting official citizenship. This citizenship is required to take part in Iseorian elections, run for any elected position, or be appointed to any appointed position.
3.1 - Rights of CitizensThe rights of citizens are a superset of the rights of residents, such that any right that is held by a resident should also be held by a citizen. In addition to these initial rights, citizens also have the right to vote in elections for any elected position. They also have the right to vote on the Delegate's stance on the current World Assembly resolution. In addition to this, citizens may abstain (by placing a vote of abstinence) or refuse to vote in any elections where they have the right to vote.
As well as voting for candidates, citizens are allowed to run for any of the elected positions provided that they have been a citizen of the region for at least the length of one term of the office for which they are running, and that they have been a citizen or resident of the region for at least the length of two terms for that office. Citizens must state that they shall be running at least two weeks before elections start in a Proposal To Run thread in the Elections forum.
In addition to this, any citizen may propose a new law (using a Proposal for Legal Amendments), or submit a Proposal to Recall. They may also act as legal representatives in the Iseorian Courts.
3.2 Responsibilities of CitizensA citizen's elevation above a resident occurs due to a sign of their activity, therefore it should be reasonable to expect all citizens to be active in some manner within the Iseori community. Thus a citizen who has not posted on the RMB, forums or IRC channel for a period of three weeks shall become a resident, although they should be permitted to reapply immediately to become a citizen again. Citizens who know that they will not be able to comply with this should provide prior notice in The Assembly. This notice will be accepted or rejected at the discretion of the Judicature, but it should only ever be rejected in extreme circumstances.
4 - The Domino LineThe Domino Line is first and foremost an Iseorian military organisation. However, it is not regulated by Iseorian code. Members of the Domino Line should be Iseorian citizens, and so are subject to Iseorian law. However, they are also subject to whatever law should be laid down by the Shogun. Iseorian control over the Domino Line extends thus far: The Domino Line is mandated to ensure the protection of Iseori and her allies, and encouraged to work for the protection of all regions in NationStates; and Iseorian law must supersede the law and orders of the Domino Line - where there is conflict, citizens are mandated to follow Iseorian law.
The Domino Line is represented to the region by the Shogun, and offences of the Domino Line as an army against this code are therefore offences by the Shogun of that time. (Offences of individual members of the Domino Line against this code are not, however, offences of the Domino Line.)
5 - Elected and Appointed OfficialsOfficials should be considered primarily as servants of the region of Iseori. That is, their status is not principally about granted powers, but about providing services for the region. Thus, while Officials retain all of the rights of the citizenry, they must also bear a measure of responsibility.
Any Official can be recalled at any time during their term. To do this, a citizen must submit a Proposal To Recall, and receive signatories of at least 10% of the total number of residents of the region. This will trigger a referendum with two choices: either to keep the current official, or to elect a new official. If two-thirds of the votes cast in the referendum (excluding abstentions) vote to elect a new official, elections will be triggered. Throughout this process, the current official shall continue to perform their role. The new incumbent will then continue the same role until the end of the term, at which point elections must take place.
6 - Branches of Government6.1 - The CouncilThe Council of Iseori is the group of elected leaders in Iseori. The Council has the role of ensuring the continued success of the region of Iseori, through recruitment, internal and external affairs, and the writing of laws. While any citizen can propose an amendment to the legal code of Iseori, the Council are the people who must debate it's worth. At the end of this debate, the Council may choose to ignore it, to pass it, or submit it for a referendum. This choice should be made by democratic vote, with a requirement of four out of the six Councillors approving the outcome, or three out of six, with one of the approvals being the Emperor. The referendum must take place within one week, and the amendment may pass if it receives more than half of the votes.
The Council contains the delegate, the Emperor, the Shogun, and three other Councillors. The Councillors need not be elected with a position in mind, and it is not for the Constitution to demand roles be filled. Roles within the Council are allocated by the Emperor and the Delegate. These roles may be changed between terms as the situation in Iseori evolves, but must remain constant throughout a term. A description of each role must be written out before the the Councillors take their positions.
Each elected Councillor should choose a Vice-Councillor before they take their position. The Vice-Councillor is an appointed Citizen who should be able to assist in the running of the Councillor's affairs, and who should replace the Councillor in Council meetings if the Councillor is unavailable. Alongside this, a Councillor may create up to two more positions, appointed by whichever method they see fit, to assist them (and their Vice-Councillor) in their work.
6.2 - The JudicatureThe Judicature is the system controlling the constitution. While the Council are charged with keeping the legal code in working order, the Judicature must ensure that the constitution is up-to-date, and reflective of the region's current climate. They must also ensure that the spirit of the constitution remains constant. As well as this, the Judicature manages the legal aspects of the region, such as enacting trials for offenders of both the law and the constitution.
With regards to legal proceedings, no member of the Judicature may serve as council for either side, nor must they take part in the proceedings in any other manner than on behalf of the court. If a proceeding requires all four members of the Judicature, then emergency elections should be held to replace those members.
The Judicature's responsibility over the constitution occurs in two ways. Firstly, where there is debate or discussion on the meaning of the constitution, the Judicature should discuss amongst themselves on the correct interpretation, and release the full decision within two weeks. Secondly, where it is believed that the constitution must be changed, it must be a member of the Judicature that proposes the amendment, and the Judicature as a whole must vote on whether it is a suitable amendment. If they believe it to be so, then it is put to a referendum requiring a two-thirds majority for support.
At any time, there should be four elected Justices on the Judicature.
8 - The DelegateThe delegate bears the responsibility of representing the region to the World Assembly (WA). In its simplest form, this involves voting as the region wishes for potential WA resolutions, and approving resolutions that members of the region believe to be good for the region of Iseori, and for the world in general. Discerning which resolutions to approve, and which way to vote should be up to the incumbent Delegate, but it must be democratic.
However, as well as this, the Delegate also has responsibility of ensuring that the region's standing within the World Assembly is strong, and that proposals made by citizens and residents are well represented. The Delegate should utilise as many of the following methods to do this as requested or required:
- Approve proposals from citizens and residents.
- Provide endorsements to those citizens and residents who wish to submit a resolution.
- Submit resolutions on behalf of the region if requested to by the author. (However, this should be discouraged.)
- Provide drafting support to citizens and residents.
- Provide support for the region during the proposal and voting stages (through telegram campaigns, and vocal support in the WA offices).
- Anything else deemed necessary.
9 - The EmperorThe Emperor is the highest authority in the region, and should thus be the most akin to what a regional servant must be like. The Emperor's principle role is ensuring that the council always represents the opinions of the people. To this end, the Emperor is charged with the care of all elections. This involves ensuring that all elections are free from voter fraud, and encouraging all members of the region to participate.
10 - VotingVoting must be democratic. The method should an Majority Judgement.