The Charter was amended by the Assembly on April 4, 2017, confirmed by game-side vote on April 14, 2017.

Article I was amended with the addition of a new Section 4:

4. Any constitutional law that directly affects the game-side community or its home governance, as determined by the Chair of the Assembly, must also be debated and voted upon by the game-side community.

Article IV, Section 1 was amended as follows:

1. The Assembly holds supreme legislative authority in the Coalition, and is comprised of all eligible legislators and a representative of the Local Council. It is responsible for establishing and maintaining the legal code of the Coalition.

Article IV, Sections 9-10 were amended as follows:

9. The Local Council representative will have the power to cast an additional weighted vote worth one-fifth of all non-abstaining votes cast on bills, not including the block vote, giving them a one-sixth share of the total vote, excluding abstentions. The Chair will calculate how many votes are allotted to the representative at the close of each vote, rounding them to the nearest whole number, and will then add the representative’s total votes to the final tally.

10. 9. The legislative history of all laws will be recorded by the Chair, including debate threads, vote results, and amendment histories.

Article V, Section 4 was amended as follows:

4. To help promote inter-governmental relations, the Local Council will send a representative to the Assembly, whose term must not exceed the Local Council’s. The method of selection will be decided by the Local Council, along with how the representative casts their votes in the Assembly.

Article XIII was amended as follows:

XIII. AMENDMENT PROCESS

Setting a procedure for amendment of the Charter and constitutional laws

1. The Assembly may amend any provision of the Charter or constitutional laws by a three-fifths supermajority. Amendments to the Charter or constitutional laws must be constitutional in nature, addressing and amendments to the Charter must address the structure or framework of government. Bills that may exist as general laws, as determined by the Chair of the Assembly, should not be placed in the Charter or constitutional laws.

2. Any amendment to the Charter or constitutional laws that directly affects the game-side community or its home governance, as determined by the Chair of the Assembly, must also be debated and voted upon by the game-side community. Additionally, the Local Council may originate amendments to its constitutional structure, which must be debated and voted upon in the Assembly.

Reply

The Charter was amended by the Assembly on May 1, 2017.

Article IV, Sections 5-9 were amended as follows:

Legislative Rules

5. All bills will be moved to a vote upon receiving a second by another legislator, should the Chair or their designated deputy determine that there has been sufficient debate on the issue. Debate must last for a minimum period of time equivalent to that proposed legislation will be at vote for.

6. All general laws, resolutions, and treaty ratifications must be passed by a simple majority of those voting. Laws marked as constitutional laws, or resolutions that deal with issues found in constitutional laws, require a three-fifths supermajority of those voting to pass. Appointments, unless otherwise specified, require a simple majority of those voting.

7. The Chair or their designated deputy is responsible for the creation of a voting thread, and recording the votes. In the event that the Chair or their designated deputy does not or cannot perform their duties in a reasonable timeframe, any member of the Assembly may create a voting thread.

8. Should a debate lead to multiple competing bills on a single issue, the Chair will bring the competing bills to vote separately and simultaneously, in the same way regular business is done. The bill that gets the most aye votes and meets minimum threshold requirements will become law.

9. The legislative history of all laws will be recorded by the Chair, including debate threads, vote results, and amendment histories.

Reply

The Charter was amended by the Assembly on May 7, 2017.

Article VIII, Section 4 was amended as follows:

4. The High Court has the power to declare any general law or regulation, Cabinet directive, Chair determination, and Local Council law or regulation, in whole or in part, void upon determination that it violates the terms of this Charter or any other constitutional law.

Reply

The Charter was amended by the Assembly on May 19, 2017.

Article IV was amended as follows:

3. The Chair may appoint a deputy or deputies, to whom the Chair may publicly delegate any powers, responsibilities, or special projects of the Chair, subject to all regulations and restrictions imposed upon the Chair by law. The Chair may dismiss such deputies.

4. During an interim period in which the Chair is not in office prior to election of a new Chair, a deputy appointed by the previous Chair will serve as Acting Chair to exercise all powers and responsibilities of the Chair, subject to all regulations and restrictions imposed upon the Chair by law. In the event that more than one deputy was appointed, the most senior deputy according to order of appointment and availability will serve as Acting Chair. In the event that no deputy was appointed or is available, the Cabinet will designate a legislator to serve as Acting Chair.

Legislator Eligibility

3. 5. All residents of the Coalition are eligible to attain legislator status through application with the Chair, predicated on the Chair ensuring they have a nation in the South Pacific, are not seeking membership in bad faith, are not attempting to obscure their identity, are not attempting to join with multiple nations, and the Council on Regional Security does not declare them a significant risk to regional security. Any member of the Assembly legislator may publicly petition the Chair for or against a prospective legislator’s admission. Anyone admitted to legislator status during a forum election in which only legislators may vote, from the time nominations begin until the conclusion of forum voting, may not stand for election nor vote in that forum election.

4. 6. Within the first week of each calendar month, the Chair will remove legislator status from any person no longer maintaining a nation in The South Pacific, or absent for more than half of all votes finished in the previous calendar month, if a minimum of two votes occurred. The Chair may exercise their discretion and not remove legislators who have participated in assembly debate, but are below the voting threshold under reasonable extenuating circumstances.

Reply

The Charter was amended by the Assembly on May 29, 2017, confirmed by game-side vote on June 1, 2017.

Article IX was amended as follows:

1. The Council of Regional Security will be composed of experienced and trustworthy members of the Coalition, and will be responsible for monitoring and responding to regional security issues. The Council will choose a Chair as needed, who will fulfill all secretarial requirements of the Council that may arise.

Membership

2. The minimum qualifications for membership in the Council on Regional Security are: maintaining a World Assembly member nation in the The South Pacific; a Soft Power Disbursement Rating of at least 50,000, or a Regional Influence ranking of Vassal; 200 endorsements or half the endorsements of the Delegate; and having served at least six consecutive months as a legislator or two terms in the Local Council. The influence and endorsement requirements may be updated by the Council, with majority approval by the Assembly.

2. To be considered for membership in the Council on Regional Security, a person must meet the following qualifications: World Assembly membership in The South Pacific; a Soft Power Disbursement Score of at least 50000, or an Influence Ranking of at least Vassal; at least 200 endorsements or half the endorsements of the Delegate; and six consecutive months of legislator status, or at least two terms in the Local Council. The specific influence score, ranking, and endorsement numbers may be updated by the Council, with majority approval by the Assembly, to reflect changes to the disbursement of influence in the region, or updates to the game.

3. Eligible members may become members of the Council on Regional Security via two methods, either application to the Council itself, or nomination by the Delegate and Prime Minister.

4. If applying directly to the Council, applicants should explain why they are well suited to protect regional security. Applications will remain private. The Council will review the application and determine whether or not the applicant is well suited. If the application is approved, the Council will forward the nomination to the Assembly for approval via simple majority vote.

5. The Delegate and Prime Minister may jointly nominate any person meeting the requirements for membership and who are well suited to protect regional security. Prior to the nomination, the Delegate and Prime Minister will consult with the Council for their advice. To ensure collegiality and prevent dysfunction, if two-thirds of the members of the Council object to the prospective nominee’s membership, the nomination will not move forward. If no such objection exists, then the nomination will be submitted to the Assembly for approval via simple majority vote.

3. Eligible members may submit an application to the Council, clearly showing that they meet the basic requirements, and offering reasons for why they should considered for membership. The Council will review applicants and choose whether or not an applications will be submitted to the Assembly for approval.

4. The Assembly will vote on applications forwarded by the Council, using a simple majority threshold.

5. 6. Continued membership in the Council on Regional Security is predicated upon meeting eligibility requirements. Should any member of the Council fail to meet those requirements, they will lose membership and all the powers and privileges that come with it, if they do not meet the requirements within a week of notification.

6. 7. If a majority of the Council deems a member to be a threat to regional security, they will be suspended from the Council pending an official investigation and report to the Assembly. Following the investigation, the Assembly must vote on whether to remove or reinstate the member.

7. 8. Participation, in whole or in part and at any time, in any coup d’etat or invasion of the Coalition or any of its allies will disqualify an applicant prospective or sitting member from membership in the Council on Regional Security immediately and permanently. Participation in normal raiding, defending, or liberation efforts as part of an organized military will not be considered a violation of this clause.

Powers

8. 9. The Council on Regional Security will be responsible for establishing an appropriate cap on endorsements, ensuring that such cap is not detrimental to the growth of the region. Enforcement of the endorsement cap should be done with leniency if a violator does not pose a significant risk to regional security.

9. 10. During a coup d’etat, whether committed by outside forces, infiltrators, or duly elected officials, the Council on Regional Security may assume martial command of the Coalition declare a state of emergency, until such a time that a legitimate government is restored. All necessary measures may be taken to defeat a coup d’etat or hostile invasion, except that the legitimate Assembly may not be suspended.

10. 11. The Delegate must grant members of the Council on Regional Security appropriate Regional Officer powers to fulfill their duties. When there is a limited number of Regional Officer positions available, those positions must be given to the most senior Council members.

11. 12. The Council on Regional Security, the Prime Minister, and the Delegate will establish a line of succession for the Delegate seat.

12. 13. The Council on Regional Security shall designate an individual as Intelligence Coordinator, who must be notified of and approve all intelligence and counter-intelligence operations. The Intelligence Coordinator will be responsible for disseminating any and all intelligence to the Council on Regional Security and other bodies as needed. The Intelligence Coordinator and the Minister of Military Affairs will maintain a regional intelligence classification system, as necessary for the ensuring information security.

Reply

Article XIV was amended from the below on June 8, 2017.

XIV. GREAT COUNCILS

Setting a procedure for constitutional conventions

1. When the Assembly wishes to debate the fundamental principles and structures of the Coalition, it may call a Great Council to rewrite all laws in their entirety, or establish a new state for The South Pacific.

2. A majority vote by both the Assembly and the game-side community is required to begin a Great Council. At least one year must pass between a Great Council before another one is called.

3. The purpose of a Great Council is to rewrite all laws from the ground up, not merely to amend existing ones. The Assembly should use the normal amendment process for basic amendments, reserving Great Councils for a time when extreme changes are necessary and proper.

4. If a Great Council fails to pass a new constitution and set of laws to replace the existing ones, then the existing laws will remain in place.

(This post was last modified: 10-15-2017, 09:02 PM by Farengeto.)

Reply

Article III was amended from the below on August 28, 2017.
 

III. RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

Recognizing the democratic rights and freedoms of all members of the Coalition

1. All members of The South Pacific will enjoy the freedoms of expression, speech, assembly, and the press, limited only by reasonable forum moderation policies.

2. The right to a fair trial and defense against criminal accusations will not be abridged. No member may be subject to any bill of attainder, be tried for the same crime more than once, or be tried ex post facto.

3. No member may be banned or ejected from the in-game region without the due process of law.

4. No member may be denied the right to vote or hold office, unless prohibited by constitutional law.

5. No law may be passed by the Assembly that directly affects the activities of the in-game community, without the consent of the in-game community.

6. The High Court may strike down any general law or action that violates any right or freedom found in this Charter.

Reply

Articles IV, VI, and VII were amended from the below on September 15, 2017.

IV. THE ASSEMBLY

Establishing legislative authority in the Assembly

1. The Assembly holds supreme legislative authority in the Coalition, and is comprised of all eligible legislators.

2. The Assembly will elect a Chair for a term lasting four months. The Chair is responsible for maintaining order and decorum, and helping guide Assembly debate into the creation of bills. If a Chair is recalled or otherwise not in office, a new Chair will be elected for a new term lasting four months. The Election Commission will be responsible for organizing Chair elections.

3. The Chair may appoint a deputy or deputies, to whom the Chair may publicly delegate any powers, responsibilities, or special projects of the Chair, subject to all regulations and restrictions imposed upon the Chair by law. The Chair may dismiss such deputies.

4. During an interim period in which the Chair is not in office prior to election of a new Chair, a deputy appointed by the previous Chair will serve as Acting Chair to exercise all powers and responsibilities of the Chair, subject to all regulations and restrictions imposed upon the Chair by law. In the event that more than one deputy was appointed, the most senior deputy according to order of appointment and availability will serve as Acting Chair. In the event that no deputy was appointed or is available, the Cabinet will designate a legislator to serve as Acting Chair.

Legislator Eligibility

5. All residents of the Coalition are eligible to attain legislator status through application with the Chair, predicated on the Chair ensuring they have a nation in the South Pacific, are not seeking membership in bad faith, are not attempting to obscure their identity, are not attempting to join with multiple nations, and the Council on Regional Security does not declare them a significant risk to regional security. Any legislator may publicly petition the Chair for or against a prospective legislator’s admission. Anyone admitted to legislator status during a forum election in which only legislators may vote, from the time nominations begin until the conclusion of forum voting, may not stand for election nor vote in that forum election.

6. Within the first week of each calendar month, the Chair will remove legislator status from any person no longer maintaining a nation in The South Pacific, or absent for more than half of all votes finished in the previous calendar month if a minimum of two votes occurred. The Chair may exercise their discretion and not remove legislators under reasonable extenuating circumstances.

VI. THE EXECUTIVE

Establishing an executive branch consisting of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet

1. The Prime Minister will be the head of government and the leader of the Cabinet. They will be responsible for the overall coordination of executive activities, being a liaison between the government and the community, and protecting the Coalition.

2. The Cabinet will consist of ministers with the following portfolios: Foreign Affairs, Regional Affairs, and Military Affairs.

Elections

3. Executive elections will be held every four months, where the Prime Minister and all Cabinet positions will be up for election.

4. The date, time, and manner of elections will be set by the Assembly in a general law.

Minister of Regional Affairs

5. The Minister of Regional Affairs will be responsible for promoting regional and forum activity, integrating new players into the forums, organizing cultural events, and communicating with the world about The South Pacific’s activities.

Minister of Foreign Affairs

6. The Minister of Foreign Affairs will be the Coalition’s chief diplomat. They will be responsible for establishing the government’s foreign policy program, communicating with allies, and coordinating with the military on foreign policy priorities when necessary.

7. The Minister of Foreign Affairs holds the sole power to initiate treaty negotiations with other regions, groups, and organizations, but may designate officers to handle those negotiations. Upon completion of a treaty negotiation, the Minister must present it to the full executive for majority approval, before submitting it to the Assembly for ratification.

8. The Minister of Foreign Affairs will be responsible for establishing standards for the creation and maintenance of consulates and embassies.

Minister of Military Affairs

9. The Minister of Military Affairs will be the civilian leader of the armed forces of the Coalition, the South Pacific Special Forces. In conjunction with a group of Generals, the Minister of Military Affairs will be responsible for the defense of the Coalition, building military activity, and conducting military operations.

10. The Minister of Military Affairs may elect to establish an intelligence office, in equal coordination with the Council on Regional Security.

Executive Authorities

11. The executive may exercise the collective authority of executive orders, by unanimous consent among the Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers. Executive orders may only be issued to address an immediate and pressing issue created by ambiguity or holes in a particular law, which will immediately have the effect of law. 

12. Upon declaring an executive order, the order will be presented automatically to the Assembly for three days of debate, followed by a vote according to legislative rules, where it will expire and its effects be reversed if the Assembly does not incorporate it into law.

13. The Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers may elect to appoint deputies and advisors, who will be considered junior members of the Cabinet, but will not have voting rights in any executive decision.

VII. THE DELEGATE

Establishing a head of State

1 The Delegate will be the head of state of the Coalition. They will be responsible for helping maintain the security of the region, promoting growth and activity, and serving as an advisor to the forum-side government.

2. The Delegate will work with the Local Council in moderating the Regional Message Board, fulfilling Regional Officer positions, promoting game-side activities, and representing the preferences of the game-side community.

3. The Delegate must fulfill in-game actions required by law but assigned to others, if those actions can only be taken by the person holding the in-game Delegate seat.

Elections

4. Delegate elections will be held every six months.

5. The date, time, and manner of electing the Delegate will be set by the Assembly in a general law, but must include the participation of the game-side community.

Reply

Article IV was amended from the below on October 3, 2017.

IV. THE ASSEMBLY

Establishing legislative authority in the Assembly

1. The Assembly holds supreme legislative authority in the Coalition, and is comprised of all eligible legislators.

2. The Assembly will elect a Legislator as Chair for a term lasting four months. The Chair is responsible for maintaining order and decorum, and helping guide Assembly debate into the creation of bills. If a Chair is recalled, loses Legislator status, or is otherwise not in office, a new Chair will be elected for a new term lasting four months. The Election Commission will be responsible for organizing Chair elections.

3. The Chair may appoint a deputy or deputies, to whom the Chair may publicly delegate any powers, responsibilities, or special projects of the Chair, subject to all regulations and restrictions imposed upon the Chair by law. The Chair may dismiss such deputies.

4. During an interim period in which the Chair is not in office prior to election of a new Chair, a deputy appointed by the previous Chair will serve as Acting Chair to exercise all powers and responsibilities of the Chair, subject to all regulations and restrictions imposed upon the Chair by law. In the event that more than one deputy was appointed, the most senior deputy according to order of appointment and availability will serve as Acting Chair. In the event that no deputy was appointed or is available, the Cabinet will designate a legislator to serve as Acting Chair.

Legislator Eligibility

5. All residents of the Coalition are eligible to attain legislator status through application with the Chair, predicated on the Chair ensuring they have a nation in the South Pacific, are not seeking membership in bad faith, are not attempting to obscure their identity, are not attempting to join with multiple nations, and the Council on Regional Security does not declare them a significant risk to regional security. Any legislator may publicly petition the Chair for or against a prospective legislator’s admission. Anyone admitted to legislator status during a forum election in which only legislators may vote, from the time nominations begin until the conclusion of forum voting, may not stand for election nor vote in that forum election.

6. Within the first week of each calendar month, the Chair will remove legislator status from any person no longer maintaining a nation in The South Pacific, or absent for more than half of all votes finished in the previous calendar month if a minimum of two votes occurred. The Chair may exercise their discretion and not remove legislators under reasonable extenuating circumstances.

Reply

Article IV was amended December 8th 2017 as following (debate thread - vote thread)

Legislator Eligibility

5. All residents of the Coalition are eligible to attain legislator status through application with the Chair, predicated on the Chair ensuring they have a nation in the South Pacific, are not seeking membership in bad faith, are not attempting to obscure their identity, are not attempting to join with multiple nations, and the Council on Regional Security does not declare them a significant risk to regional security. Any legislator may publicly petition the Chair for or against a prospective legislator’s admission. Anyone admitted to legislator status during a forum election in which only legislators may vote, from the time nominations begin until the conclusion of forum voting, may not stand for election nor vote in that forum election.

6. Continued legislator status requires active membership and good behaviour. Within the first week of each calendar month, the Chair will remove legislator status from any person no longer maintaining a nation in The South Pacific, or absent for more than half of all votes finished in the previous calendar month, if a minimum of two votes occurred. The Chair may exercise their discretion and not remove legislators under reasonable extenuating circumstances. Legislators who have an approved leave of absence from the Chair shall not be considered absent. Additionally, the Chair may suspend privileges for disruptive members. Frequent suspensions may be grounds for ineligibility, if found appropriate in a fair trial by the High Court.

Legislator Eligibility

5. A standing commission of legislators will be tasked with granting and revoking legislator status. All residents of the Coalition are eligible to attain legislator status through application. Continued legislator status requires active membership and good behaviour.

Reply