Constitution of the RCN

[center][url=https://www.nationstates.net/region=republic of conservative nations][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/715319138545041459/860068165156732948/Header_Small.png[/img][/url]

[size=250][color=#1E3D7B][b][font=georgia]CONSTITUTION[/font][/b][/color][/size]

[background-block=#1E3D7B][color=#1E3D7B]-[/color][/background-block][size=20][background-block=#FEC322][color=#FEC322]-[/color][/background-block][/size][size=20][background-block=#1E3D7B][color=#1E3D7B]-[/color][/background-block][/size][size=20][background-block=#FFFFFF][color=#FFFFFF]-[/color][/background-block][/size][size=20][background-block=#1E3D7B][color=#1E3D7B]-[/color][/background-block][/size][size=20][background-block=#FEC322][color=#FEC322]-[/color][/background-block][/size][background-block=#1E3D7B][color=#1E3D7B]-[/color][/background-block][/center]

[u][b]Preamble[/b][/u]
We, the sovereign nations of the Republic of Conservative Nations, acknowledging the natural rights of all, understanding that governments are created by the people to maintain order, secure our rights, and serve the citizenry, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Republic of Conservative Nations.

[u][b]Article I- Rights and Responsibilities of Nations[/b][/u]
[u]Section I- Rights[/u]
[list=I][*]All nations shall hold sovereignty within their own borders, and the government of the Republic shall not have the power to infringe upon the internal politics and policies of nations.
[*]All nations shall have the right to freedom of speech, provided said speech is not excessively abusive or hostile, treasonous, or violates the terms of the respective platform.
[*]No nation may be banned or ejected without a declaration of reasoning by the government official responsible on the RMB. 
[*]After seven days of residing within the Republic, any non-puppet nation may apply to be granted citizenship on the Republic’s Regional Message Board or Discord server, with a citizenship test to be given by the appropriate official as defined by law. Citizenship shall be recognized in both media regardless of which was used to grant it. The government shall maintain a registry of citizens of the Republic. Puppets of a nation that primarily resides outside of the region are generally not permitted citizenship, but may petition government officials, provided the official has been given such power by the General Assembly of the Republic. The General Assembly may reduce or eliminate the seven-day residency requirement for nations from a given region, though the period when such an exemption is effective may not exceed thirty calendar days continuously per exempted region.
[*]All nations have a right to participate in regional activities.
[*]Nations shall have the right of appeal for executive action, and may bring their case before the courts. Nations may not be tried twice for the same offense nor charged for an offense that was not illegal under Republic law at the time. Furthermore, accused nations shall be considered innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
[*]Citizens shall not be permanently banned without either four fifths of all members of the Assembly present agreeing or a unanimous decision by the justices. No jury shall have the power to permanently ban a nation from the Republic.[/list]

[u]Section II- Responsibilities[/u]
[list=I][*]Nations shall be loyal to the Republic, treason shall be a bannable offense. 
[*]Nations shall not seek to overthrow or unlawfully manipulate the government of the Republic, either independently or conspiring with foreign or domestic actors. Violation of this clause shall be considered treason.
[*]No citizen shall be considered above the law or immune from punishment.[/list]

[b][u]Article II- The Legislative Branch[/u][/b]
[u]Section I- The General Assembly[/u]
[list=I][*]All legislative powers shall be invested into a General Assembly of the Republic, which shall be the highest institution in the region. 
[*]Members of the General Assembly shall be known as a Member of the Assembly, and any nation that is a citizen of the Republic, present on the Republic’s Discord, and a member of the World Assembly shall be eligible to join the Assembly. Puppets of World Assembly nations in other regions may request for the Assembly to allow them to serve, but this shall be at the discretion of the Assembly.
[*]Members of the Assembly who leave the region or relinquish their membership in the World Assembly shall lose their membership in the Assembly, but shall have the right to request an exemption if participating in an operation sanctioned by the Republic.
[*]Members of the Assembly may be temporarily or permanently barred from the Assembly as punishment for rule violations. The Assembly may set limitations on temporary removals, but no temporary removal shall exceed two weeks, and no member of the Assembly may be permanently barred without the concurrence of three fourths of those present.[/list]

[u]Section II- Powers of the Assembly[/u]
[list=I][*]Members of the Assembly shall vote aye, nay, or present on legislation, with those not voting or voting present not counted. Legislation must be seconded by at least one member of the Assembly before being formally considered.
[*]Legislation must be passed by a majority of those present, but no amendment to this document may be passed without two thirds of those present concurring.
[*]The Assembly may create and alter its own rules and procedures with the consent of two thirds of those present. Prior to passing any other act, the Assembly must establish rules and procedure immediately upon its first deliberation.
[*]The Assembly may elect or provide for the appointment of officers to aid in the management and administration of the Assembly, but all officers shall serve at the pleasure of the Assembly.[/list]

[b][u]Article III- The Executive Branch[/u][/b]
[u]Section I- The President[/u]
[list=I][*]The popular authority of the Republic shall be invested into a President of the Republic, who shall serve as head of state.
[*]The President shall appoint members of the High Court, members of the Cabinet, and the Chancellor, provided that the Assembly accepts such appointments.
[*]The President shall serve as the World Assembly Delegate of the Republic.
[*]The President shall be granted control over regional Appearance, Border Control, Communications, Polls, and Embassies on NationStates; he may use these powers to further objectives of the region or its government, as well as for the general benefit of the citizenry. Additionally, he shall possess moderative power on the Republic Discord server. In both of these forums, he shall have the power and duty to suppress posts that violate Republic law or the rules of the platform on which they are made, which must then be reviewed by the High Court.
[*]The consent of the President is needed for the passage of any constitutional amendment. If the President does not take action on any amendment presented to him within seventy two hours, it shall be considered to have his consent. The consent of the President is not needed for regular laws, but he shall have the power to veto them, provided that the veto is issued within seventy two hours of the bill’s passage.
[*]The President shall be allotted up to three executive orders during his term. These executive orders must be used within the confines of the powers of the President and shall not take effect if they conflict with either this document or any law passed by the Assembly. The Assembly may repeal executive orders with a two thirds vote.
[*]The President may pardon nations who would otherwise be punished under Republic law, but the Assembly may overturn such a pardon with a majority vote.
[*]As the highest officer in the executive branch, the President may set the day to day operations of the executive.
[*]The President shall be elected by citizens by absolute majority. If no candidate has a majority, the two with the highest number of votes shall move on to a second election. In the event of a tie in the second election, the General Assembly shall select the winner. In the event of a tie in the Assembly, the vote of the incumbent Chancellor shall count twice, in order to break the tie. 
[*]No person who has served two consecutive terms shall be allowed to seek the office of President, but they shall be allowed to seek the office of President once another election has been held. If a person has ascended to the office of President due to incapacitation, removal, or resignation, and serves one month or less of that term, it shall not count to the limit stated in the prior clause.
[*]During a time of transition, the President must campaign and take action necessary to ensure the WA Delegacy is passed unto his successor.
[*]The President shall take office on the same day of a new session of government, and his term will last for the duration of that session. On that day, he shall take an oath of office that shall be “I _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I shall abide by, preserve, and protect the Constitution of the Republic.”The addition of any religious swear before or after the oath of office is permitted and shall not affect the integrity of the oath, and the swearing or affirmation of such an oath shall constitute resignation from both the General Assembly and any and all partisan affiliations for the duration of that person’s term as President. 
[*]The President must have been a citizen of the Republic for no less than fifteen days as well as meet the requirements of to be a member of the Assembly.
[*]A member of the Cabinet shall be designated as Deputy President with the advice and consent of the General Assembly. The Deputy President shall serve as Acting President if the President is unwilling or unable to discharge his duties. Whenever the President announces to the Regional Message Board that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Deputy President as Acting President.
[*]In the event that the President has been removed from office, has resigned, or is otherwise permanently unable or unwilling to executive his duties, he shall be denied the powers of his office, and may not issue executive orders, veto legislation, remove the Chancellor, or execute any of his perogratives until his successor has become the WA Delegate. If the vacancy occurs within the first two months of the term, a snap election shall be held to fill out the remainder of the term. If the vacancy occurs in the third month, the Assembly shall select a successor. The President may temporarily declare that he is unfit to hold office by transmitting to the Chief Justice such a declaration. The Deputy President shall assume the title of Acting President until the President is capable of resuming the duties of his office or the office becomes vacant, in which case the Deputy President shall remain Acting President until a new President is selected.[/list]

[u]Section II- The Chancellor and Cabinet[/u]
[list=I][*]The executive authority of the Republic shall be invested into a Chancellor of the Republic.
[*]The Chancellor shall serve as the Speaker of the Assembly, and shall have final interpretation of the rules of the Assembly, but may not vote on legislation, but may break ties.
[*]The Chancellor may be dismissed by the President or by a motion of no confidence by the General Assembly, provided such motion has three fifths support. If removed from office, the Chancellor shall serve as a caretaker until his replacement has been appointed. In the event that the Chancellor is unwilling or unable to discharge his duties but was not forcibly removed from office, the President shall assume the powers of Acting Chancellor until a replacement has been appointed.
[*]The Chancellor shall coordinate executive officers and shall have the power to remove them.
[*]The Chancellor shall be granted control over regional Appearance, Border Control, Communications, and Polls on NationStates; he shall also possess moderative power on the Republic Discord server. He may use these roles to the same ends as the President.
[*]The Chancellor’s approval of laws and constitutional amendments shall be required for them to enter into effect; a Chancellor’s veto may be overturned by a three fifths vote in the General Assembly. Bills presented for Chancellor approval automatically become law if the Chancellor does not act on them within three days.
[*]The Chancellor must have been a citizen of the Republic for no less than ten days as well as meet the requirements of to be a member of the Assembly. No citizen may nominate himself for the Chancellorship.
[*]The Cabinet shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Assembly, but must retain the confidence of the Chancellor and Assembly. New Cabinet departments may be created by the Assembly, and members of the Cabinet must meet the same requirements to serve as a member of the Assembly.[/list]

[u]Section III- The Founders[/u]
The Founders of the Republic shall hold no power by virtue of that office save that to assist in the coordination of elections, and operate the regional Founder account on NationStates and Discord as custodians of regional security and continuity. Founders must be citizens of the Republic. No fewer than three and no more than six citizens shall be designated as Founders at one time; the Founder role may be granted by the Assembly with a four-fifths vote.

[b][u]Article IV- The Judicial Branch[/u][/b]
[u]Section I- The High Court[/u]
[list=I][*]The highest judicial body in the Republic of Conservative Nations shall be the High Court of the Republic, and three justices shall be appointed.
[*]The Court shall have the power to interpret this document and hear appeals of executive action against nations, and overturn executive or legislative action on the basis of constitutionality. Any case involving constitutional doctrine may be claimed by the High Court, and the Court may take up appeals of jury trials, but shall not be required to. Any case regarding the President or Chancellor shall automatically go to the High Court.
[*]The High Court shall have the power to choose among itself a Chief Justice, who shall preside over the Court.
[*]Justices shall exercise power within the confines of the Constitution and shall not seek to expand their influence beyond this document’s limitations, and the High Court must interpret the Common Law without having ideological or philosophical mental reservations. If found to have violated this clause, a member of the Court may be removed with a two thirds vote in the General Assembly.
[*]Justices may not serve as members of the General Assembly if the number of members of the Assembly would be equal to or greater than twenty two without justices present.
[*]Justices may not vote on impeachments or bans when acting as members of the General Assembly.
[*]A quorum of two shall be required for rulings to be made by the High Court. If such a quorum cannot be met due to vacancy, the ruling shall be delayed until a quorum is met. If such a quorum cannot be met due to recusations, a temporary tribunal may be appointed by the Assembly, with the consensus of the parties behind the dispute. No rulings regarding bans or impeachments shall be administered without a full court being present.[/list]

[u]Section II- Juries[/u]
[list=I][*]All cases regarding criminal charges against a citizen may, at the request of the accused, be decided by a jury of five citizens, chosen at random and presided over by a Justice. No Justice shall be eligible for jury duty, nor shall the President or Chancellor.
[*]No jury shall have the power to ban a nation.
[*]No jury shall convict without a four fifths vote.[/list]

[b][u]Article V- Government Operation and Elections[/u][/b]
[u]Section I- Separation of Powers[/u]
[list=I][*]All branches shall be separate and equal branches, with no branch able to check the others beyond what powers they have been given by this Constitution.
[*]All branches may affect their own internal debate and rules of procedure without interference from the other branches.[/list]

[u]Section II- Regional Elections[/u]
[list=I][*]Elections for President shall be conducted on the seventh day of January, April, July, and October, with the Assembly having the power to establish institutions governing these elections to ensure fairness and transparency. 
[*]The Chancellor must be chosen by the eleventh day of those months.
[*]The new session of government shall begin five days after the Presidential election, with the new government officials taking office on the twelfth day of January, April, July, and October.
[*]The period between an election and the beginning of a new session shall be called a transition period. During such a period, the WA Delegacy shall be handed over to the President-elect, and the members of the High Court, Cabinet, and the Chancellor shall be chosen by the President-elect and confirmed for the coming session.
[*]A snap election for President may be held if two thirds of the Assembly and the incumbent President consent to such an election. This election must be held no more than ten days and no less than seven from the day of declaration.
[*]The execution and results of any election will be monitored for illegitimate votes cast and potential poll spam by the Founders and any government officer charged with conducting elections. They shall make a report of any suspicious or unlawful actions made during the election, and decide whether the nations involved have committed any offense, and if so, the sentence for said offenses.[/list]

[u]Section III- Abstentions[/u]
[list=I][*]All officials shall abstain from performing their duties provided that they have an external interest in the matter. Failure to abstain may constitute criminal charges, at the discretion of the High Court and the Assembly. 
[*]No official shall be eligible to vote on his own impeachment or removal, and no official shall be eligible to vote on the impeachment or removal of an official to whom he is the designated successor. 
[*]No candidate in an election, being in a position normally granted power to monitor or conduct elections, shall be able to exercise these powers over an election in which they are a candidate.
[*]Members of the High Court may not conduct trials of fellow members, instead an extraordinary tribunal must be formed by the Assembly.[/list]

[u]Section IV- Requirements to Vote and Hold Office[/u]
[list=I][*]Only citizens may be elected, vote, or be appointed to office.
[*]All nations who are citizens who were placed on the registry a minimum of twenty four hours before the beginning of the election shall be allowed to vote.
[*]The offices of President, Chancellor, Justice, or any member of the Cabinet shall be considered “major offices”. Any other office may be considered a “minor office”, although the Assembly may declare certain offices to become “major” or ”minor”.
[*]No citizen may hold more than one major office, but may hold an unlimited number of minor offices with the exception of deputy for a member of the Cabinet.[/list]

[b][u]Article VI- Ratification[/u][/b]
[u]Section I- Requirements[/u]
[list=I][*]This Constitution will be considered to come into effect once a majority of citizens have ratified it.[/list]

[u]Section II- Transition Process[/u]
[list=I][*]Immediately upon ratification, the General Assembly may assemble and may set the date for an election. The Interim President shall exercise executive power on a caretaker basis until such an election has been held and a President has been selected.[/list]

[background-block=#1e3d7b][center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/715319138545041459/864031413795029002/Footer_Ribbon.png[/img][/center][/background-block]