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**Amerion** · 02-13-2019, 05:21 AM

GUIDE TO THE ASSEMBLY

(This post was last modified: 02-17-2019, 01:24 AM by Amerion.)

**Amerion** · 02-13-2019, 05:23 AM

INTRODUCTION

ABOUT THE ASSEMBLY

The Assembly of The South Pacific is the primary legislative authority of the Coalition. The principal function of the Assembly is to pass bills (a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one). However, beyond legislating, the Assembly also serves as a place where:

Elections for the Cabinet and the Chair of the Assembly, as well as the first round of the Delegate elections, are held;
the confirmation of High Court Justices take place: and
other similar appointments are presented and voted upon (such as those to the Legislator Committee and the Council on Regional Security).

Law-making

The Assembly makes new laws or amends laws currently in place. To make or amend a law, a Legislator first introduces the bill in the Assembly’s Main Chamber. Other Legislators will then comment and make suggestions to the bill. After an appropriate amount of time, the bill can be brought to a vote. A bill becomes law if a certain majority (simple or supermajority) vote to pass the bill. However, if the bill affects the gameside community of TSP, it will be voted on in a regional poll.

Formation of Government

The Cabinet of TSP is elected from among and by Legislators. The Cabinet is responsible for managing crucial aspects of TSP’s governance, such as foreign, regional, and military affairs. A nation needs to be a Legislator to both contest an election for a Cabinet position as well as vote in that election. Many successful candidates for Cabinet have previously contributed to the Assembly in meaningful ways, such as writing bills or participating in debates.

Oversight of Government

The Assembly acts as a check and balance on the Government as part of a Separation of Powers. A Separation of Powers is where different groups of individuals possess powers unique to each group, to avoid any one group from monopolising power. In TSP, the Assembly makes laws, the Cabinet administers the region, and the High Court interprets and applies the law.

BECOMING A LEGISLATOR

Minimum requirements in order to be eligible for Legislator status

Any person is eligible to become a Legislator so long as:

the Legislator Committee does not believe that they are seeking membership in bad faith;
they have a nation in The South Pacific (it does not need to be the main nation, nor one holding World Assembly membership — although the latter is strongly recommended);
are not attempting to join with multiple nations or identities; and
are not considered by the Council on Regional Security to be a significant risk to regional security.

The Application Process

Create a new thread in the Welcoming and Registration Centre with a title of your choosing.
Introduce yourself.
Copy and paste the contents of the Application Form, and fill the form out.
Post the thread.

(Read more about becoming a Legislator)

MAINTAINING LEGISLATOR STATUS

In order to maintain their status as a Legislator, a person must vote in at least half of the votes each month that there are two or more votes.

There are three exceptions to this:

If a Legislator has received a Leave of Absence, they are exempt from the voting requirement for the period they are absent.
New Legislators are exempt for the month in which they joined.
The Chair of the Assembly may exercise their discretion and exempt a Legislator with extenuating circumstances.

Previous guide (Legislators' FAQ)

(This post was last modified: 02-17-2019, 12:51 AM by Amerion.)

**Amerion** · 02-14-2019, 01:27 AM

LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

PROPOSAL

Any Legislator may introduce a proposal to the Assembly. Proposals can originate in two locations:

Private Halls of the Assembly — for proposals which are highly sensitive such as Declarations of War, Treaties, and Security Matters; and
Main Chamber of the Assembly — for everything else.

A bill can be either a:

General Matter — any bill which relates to general laws, amendments, resolutions, and appointments; or a
Constitutional Matter — any bill which deals with constitutional laws, constitutional amendments, resolutions dealing with matters of constitutional law, and treaties with foreign regions.

The Local Council can also propose amendments to the Charter, altering its constitutional structure. However, these amendments must go to the amendment process in the Assembly before they can be enacted.

Format of Bills

Formatting guidelines

Example of a (ficticious) Bill

Code

Format of Amendments

Formatting guidelines

Example of a (ficticious) Amendment

Code

DEBATE

Bills regarding:

General Matters are debated for a minimum period of three days.
Constitutional Matters are debated for a minimum period of five days.

If a debate leads to multiple bills or resolutions which address the same issue, the Chair of the Assembly will separately and simultaneously bring these competing bills or resolutions to vote, following the standard voting procedure. The bill or resolution that receives the most votes in favour and meets the minimum requirement for passage will become law.

The Chair may waive the minimum debate period if a Legislator motions for them to do so. This Motion must be Seconded by another Legislator. If there are no objections to the motion within twenty-four hours, the period may be waived.

MOTIONS TO VOTE

Following the completion of the minimum debate period, any Legislator may Motion to Vote. This Motion must be Seconded by another Legislator before a vote can commence.

VOTE

Bills regarding:

General Matters are voted for a minimum period of three days.
Constitutional Matters are voted for a minimum period of five days.

In the event of multiple bills or resolutions which address the same issue, the Chair will separately and simultaneously bring these competing bills or resolutions to vote, following the standard voting procedure. The bill or resolution that receives the most votes in favour and meets the minimum requirement for passage will become law.

FINALISING THE VOTE

The Chair will finalise the vote by counting the votes and determining whether the bill has passed or failed to pass. They will inform the Assembly of the result and amend any existing law (if the bill was an amendment)

Bills regarding general laws, amendments, resolutions, and treaties require a simple majority of those voting to pass. Appointments, unless otherwise specified, require a simple majority of those voting to pass.
Bills regarding constitutional laws, constitutional amendments, and resolutions dealing with matters of constitutional law require a three-fifths supermajority of those voting to pass. Treaties require a simple majority of those voting to pass.

Any bill passed by the Assembly which affects the gameside community or its home-side governance does not immediately take effect. Rather, it proceeds to the Local Council who will arrange for it to be debated and voted upon by the gameside community. Only after it has passed the gameside vote can a bill take effect.

(This post was last modified: 02-17-2019, 12:53 AM by Amerion.)

**Amerion** · 02-15-2019, 10:31 PM

ADMINISTRATION

OFFICE OF THE CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY

Chair of the Assembly

The Chair is the principal office holder in the Assembly. They perform a role similar to that of a Cabinet Minister in a government ministry. The Chair presides over the legislative process and is responsible for maintaining order and decorum, helping guide Assembly debate into the creation of bills, creating voting threads. and recording votes.

A Chair serves for a term of four months. Eight days before the end of a Chair's term, the Assembly will convene to elect the Chair. The next election is scheduled to begin on the 24^th of February 2019.

Deputy(s) Chair of the Assembly

The Chair may appoint a Deputy or Deputies, to whom the Chair may delegate any powers, responsibilities, or special projects of the Office of the Chair of the Assembly. They assist the Chair in presiding over the Assembly and in the absence of a Chair, they may serve in an acting capacity as Chair to ensure the continuing business of the Assembly.

Office	Officeholder	Discord ID
Chair	Amerion	Amerion#9702
Deputy Chair	Rebeltopia	Rebeltopia#9473
Deputy Chair	Bzerneleg	LordHoneybee#7654

LEGISLATOR COMMITTEE

The Legislator Committee is the commission responsible for granting and revoking Legislator Status to members. It is a separate and independent institution from the Office of the Chair of the Assembly and has no political function.

Office	Officeholder	Discord ID
Member	Nakari	Nakari#3538
Member	Seraph	Seraph#4235
Member	USoVietnam	USoVietnam#2258

(This post was last modified: 02-17-2019, 12:53 AM by Amerion.)