ATTENTION - Citizens of Fremont - Second Constitution Proposed

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Yesterday evening, the Legislative Assembly voted unanimously to adopt my proposed draft of the Second Constitution of the Commonwealth of Fremont. This bill seeks to address many of the structural deficiencies present in the existing constitution, to increase transparency and accountability in government, and to set in place a series of emergency measures that will allow Fremont to continue to function even in times of crisis.

Why we need a Second Constitution.
Six months ago, the people of Fremont approved a draft constitution prepared by the legislative committee of this region. This constitution was riddled with flaws. It vests significant constitutional responsibilities in an office that does not exist; it mandates that the governor be elected to a four month term every six months, except when he is elected every two months; it seemingly cannot decide what to call itself (the West? Fremont? the Western Region? the Northeast? All of the above?). It is imprecise, ungrammatical, and close to unworkable; this paper skiff need to go.

How it all works.
The Second Constitution would reform the government of Fremont in three major ways. First, it corrects the structural deficits of the current constitution, establishing a document that is both logical and consistent. Second, it replaces the existing governor-assembly model with a semi-parliamentary system inspired by that used by Israel from 1996 to 2003. Third, it sets in place a "crisis proof" line of succession that provides for every eventuality, borrowing ideas from the Northern Constitution and the Reconstruction Act to build a government that is durable and accountable to the people.

The Government
Legislative power is vested in the House of Commons, whose members are elected every other month. The number of seats in the Commons varies in proportion to the number of candidates in the most recent election, according to the following formula:

where x is the number of candidates and n is the number of seats in the Commons

if x ≤ 3, then n = 2
if 3 < x ≤ 6, then n = x - 1
if x > 7, then n = x - 2

The government is headed by a Prime Minister, who is directly elected every four months. This method of direct election ensures that the ministry is chosen by, and accountable to, the people. The Prime Minister shares administrative responsibilities with the Speaker and may vote on questions before the legislature; he likewise reserves the right to call a public referendum on any act of the Commons he believes contrary to the general welfare.

When Inactivity Strikes
Inactive legislators may be removed by a 3/4 vote of the Commons, and all officeholders are subject to expulsion whenever a majority of the people vote to recall them from office. It is the duty of the Prime Minister to administer recall elections, unless the Prime Minister himself is being recalled; in that case, the title of "election administrator" falls to the Speaker of the House of Commons. If neither officer is able to administer the election, the President of Atlasia will appoint an Emergency Commissioner to act as the temporary elections officer for the region.

In the event that the office of Prime Minister falls vacant, the line of succession is as follows:

(1) the Speaker of the House of Commons
(2) the most senior Member of the House of Commons
(3) an Interim Prime Minister, appointed by the President of Atlasia

The person designated as temporary Prime Minister will then organize a special election to chose a permanent replacement.

What if it's not perfect?
The penultimate article of the Second Constitution allows the House of Commons to propose constitutional amendments, which must be ratified by a majority of voting citizens before taking effect.

What's next?
The Second Constitution will come before the people on February 10, 2017. The citizens of Fremont will then be able to confirm or (if they are foolish) reject the proposed Second Constitution. If it is adopted, the first elections for Prime Minister and House of Commons will begin on February 17, one week later. For now, I have created this thread for citizens to ask and answer (serious) questions relating to the Second Constitution and the government's reform program.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

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[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

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[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

House of Commons? Prime Minister?


Well that will certainly make the region unique

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

House of Commons? Prime Minister?


Well that will certainly make the region unique

That's the idea. Several regions have adopted unique naming systems in the past (the IDS and the Most Serene Republic come to mind), but as far as I know, not since the last of the citizen legislatures were abolished has a region deviated from the governor-assembly model in their constitution. Given the recent history of the region, I decided it was time to shake things up a bit.

[Lumine]

Looking from a distance I found it quite disappointing that the region collapsed as its predecessors did, particularly as it is clear that many of the methods and systems often used in Atlasia have stopped working or have proved supremely ineffectual.

Speaking beyond the grave of self-imposed exile I'd merely like to express that is by far one of the most novel and interesting innovations I've seen in the game itself, and that if this cannot fix the institutional problems of the region, nothing can (indeed, I've never felt more strongly than Atlasia could use a parliamentary system to truly reform itself).

I hope this becomes a successful reality!

[LLR]

Personally, I think seats should cap out at five (though it'll be hard to get 8 candidates no matter what), just to make things more interesting. But other than that, it's interesting, and will certainly make our great region unique.

[Mike Thick]

This is plainly and simply the only reasonable path forward for Fremont. I encourage every citizen to support its adoption.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

This is plainly and simply the only reasonable path forward for Fremont. I encourage every citizen to support its adoption.

^This. I understand if not everything in this constitution is going to be something you will approve of, as with many large documents their is always small minor minute details that we all can disagree with. I ask that when you go to cast your vote on ratifying this proposed constitution, that you consider the entire body of work when doing so. 

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

BUMP.

A public referendum on this Constitution is next week; I encourage all citizens Fremont to review the proposal and pose what questions they have in this thread.

[Blair]

As much as I love the North this is truly making me want to defect to Fremont

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

In accordance with the will of the people, expressed and certified in the just-concluded referendum, this constitution has been RATIFIED and is now fully operative! To those who contributed to this idea, and especially those who supported it at the polls, I offer my sincere gratitude; it is now our responsibility, as citizens of a great commonwealth, to take this victory as an opportunity to rebuild our republican institutions and build a sustainable democracy for the future.

On that note, in accordance with Article V of the Second Constitution, elections for Prime Minister and House of Commons will commence next weekend (February 17 - 20). The deadline to declare your candidacy is Wednesday, February 15. I encourage everyone interested in trying this experiment with parliamentary democracy to take the plunge and run for the House of Commons; this is an opportunity to make history, and I sincerely hope you won't let it pass you by.

[Lumine]

Great news! I hope this experiment works, and helpfully it may provide an even stronger rationale to promoting a Parliamentary Atlasia.

[Clyde1998]

Fantastic to see this pass! I will be very interested to see how this works and it will give everyone insight to see how it could work at a national level.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

As much as I love the South this is truly making me want to defect to Fremont