International Communist Party (2nd)

The International Communist Party is a multi-colour Cyber Nations alliance for socialist and communist players, dedicated to the peaceful spread of communist thought.

History
The ICP was founded by Matthijs on the 11th of April, 2006, as one of the political parties of the International Coalition of Socialist Nations. Matthijs and Harry Pollitt were involved in an attempt to split from the ICSN a week later, which failed to gain popular support. Its board was then closed, because the General Assembly of the ICSN voted to close all parties.

On the 27th of April, when the ICSN was at war with the NPO, Matthijs wrote a lengthy history/criticism of the ICSN, announced his leaving of that alliance, and swore an oath of non-aggression to the NPO Emperor Ivan Moldavi. Harry Pollitt soon followed, and a temporary sign-up topic was posted in the Alliances & Wars board of the Cyber Nations forum, for new members who were not at war with the NPO to apply for the founding committee that would be dedicated to laying the groundworks of this new alliance.

Players at war, or those who already had obligations to other alliances, were invited to join the Internationalist Brigade, an organisation within the alliance for non-members to discuss with the ICP membership.

On the 28th of April, the official forum for the ICP was announced, and founding committee members, Internationalist Brigadiers and diplomats from other alliances were invited to register and start posting.

Remaining ICSN members orginally largely reacted negatively to the ICP. They considered the ICP(and all former ICSN members who took the oath) to be cowards and traitors, and found it dangerous to have another communist alliance in the game, which could have taken members away from them. Because of this, many members of the ICSN were in favour of going to war with the ICP in its first days, but eventually adjusted their priorities when Haraldur and NKOS went on to start the Libertarian Socialist Federation, leaving the ICSN struggling to recover.

On May 1st, the International Day of Labour, a traditional socialist holiday, the founding committee of the ICP unanimously voted to establish the party's socialist May Day Constitution and officially founded the alliance, opening it up for all communists adhering to the party's principles who want to join.

It was concluded by a merger with the ASDU, founded by Drakomis, an alliance that never managed to gain more than one member. Because of ASDU's unique ideology, it was originally decided that they were still allowed to operate autonomously. This changed approximately a month later when Drakomis disbanded the ASDU and became a full ICP member.

The ICP was the largest socialist alliance in the game due to the set backs of the ICSN and the inability of the Socialistic Revolution Initiative, the Allied Nations for Global Independence and Liberty, the Allied Socialist Defense Union and the LSF to gain any significant membership.

Since the Popular Front formed the ICP had increasingly better relations with the ICSN and other Leftist Groups.

On August 23rd, the International Coalition of Socialist Nations and the International Communist Party became a single alliance under the ICP's name and the ICSN's flag. The merged alliance is agreed to use the ICP constitution and ICP leadership for the rest of their term.

In early September 2006, a crisis involving the ICP Justice Bureau resulted in the formation of the ICP Constituent Assembly (CA) tasked with writing a new Charter for the Alliance. The CA expounded on the bare bones May Day Constitution, producing a comprehensive document entitled, the Red October Constitution, having been completed and ratified mid-October. As the rewriting of the ICP Charter was, in a large part, a response to what ICP members perceived as a failure of the Justice Bureau, the Red October Constitution has the entirety of the ICP's Code of Laws built into it.

On the First of July of 2007, the International Communist Party came of age again for the first time in nearly half a year.

Organisation
Article 1.1 The name of this united front against the bourgeois will be the International Communist Party. The acronym ICP is an acceptable substitution for the name.

Article 1.2 The Flag of the International Communist Party will be thus:

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Article 1.3 The Coat of Arms of the ICP will be thus:

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Article 1.4 The Anthem of the ICP is the Internationale as sung by Billy Bragg with its lyrics thus:

'''Stand up, all victims of oppression

For the tyrants fear your might

Don't cling so hard to your possessions

For you have nothing, if you have no rights

Let racist ignorance be ended

For respect makes the empires fall

Freedom is merely privilege extended

Unless enjoyed by one and all.

CHORUS: So come brothers and sisters

For the struggle carries on

The Internationale

Unites the world in song

So comrades come rally

For this is the time and place

The international ideal

Unites the human race

Let no one build walls to divide us

Walls of hatred nor walls of stone

Come greet the dawn and stand beside us

We'll live together or we'll die alone

In our world poisoned by exploitation

Those who have taken, now they must give

And end the vanity of nations

We've one but one Earth on which to live

And so begins the final drama

In the streets and in the fields

We stand unbowed before their armour

We defy their guns and shields

When we fight, provoked by their aggression

Let us be inspired by life and love

For though they offer us concessions

Change will not come from above.

Article 1.5 The ICP aims to create a united front against the oppressive capitalists and to ultimately perpetuate a global revolution wherein the means of production will be communally owned and the resources produced redistributed to the benefit of all.

Article 2: The General Congress
Article 2.1 The Party is ruled by the General Congress (GC). Each member of the General Congress has one vote. All full members of the International Communist Party are guaranteed the ability to vote within the GC.

Article 2.2 The General Congress has the power to create new legislation, modify past legislation, and propose amendments to the Constitution. The GC will operate under the guiding principle of democratic centralization.

Article 2.3 To become law, legislative proposals must receive the support of a simple majority (50%+1) of all votes cast.

Article 2.4 Declarations of war and constitutional amendments must receive the support of a super majority (67%+1) of all votes cast.

Article 2.5 All proposals must satisfy the conditions of the Quorum to be considered legitimate.

The Quorum

Article 2.6 A poll must remain open for the time specified in Article 3.

Article 2.7 If an overwhelming majority votes a certain way, and it becomes mathematically impossible for the outcome to change, the poll should be closed.

Article 2.8.0 The Membership Bureau Director may set the quorum at whatever he/she feels reflects the current party participation so long as that number falls somewhere between 18% and 30% of the total party membership.

Article 2.8.1 The Chair, Vice-Chair, and the Justice Director may make a "Quorum Objection". If such an objection is raised, a consensus must be reached by the Objecting Party and the Membership Director regarding what quorum level is appropriate for the time being.

Article 3: General Congress Debate Procedures
Article 3.1.0 Proposals to the General Congress will be classed into one of three possible groups by the member whom submits the proposal before the alliance.

Article 3.1.1 This classification must then be confirmed by a director, chairman or vice-chairman:

Urgent Proposals

Article 3.2 Urgent proposals are those that require swift action such as votes regarding war, ultimatums, peace terms and other such matters.

Article 3.3 Urgent proposals require no prior debate and may be submitted before the Congress as soon as they are drafted.

Article 3.4 Urgent proposals require a 24 hour voting period before the Congress. Quorum regulations may be disregarded if not reached.

Major Proposals

Article 3.5 Major proposals are bills that involve foreign alliances or constitutional changes.

Article 3.6 Major matters require 24 hours prior debate followed by 48 hours of voting.

Minor Proposals

Article 3.7 Minor matters are those bills that do not involve other alliances or a change in the constitution.

Article 3.8 Minor matters require 24 hours prior debate followed by 24 hours voting.

Article 4: The Co-Chairs
Article 4.1 The General Congress shall elect two of its members to be Co-Chairs of the alliance.

Article 4.2 The Co-Chairs will be responsible for maintaining order and good conduct in the General Congress and ensuring that all votes satisfy the quorum requirement.

Article 4.3 The Co-Chairs shall archive past legislation and be responsible for maintaining such archives.

Article 4.4 Elections for the office Co-Chair should be held no more infrequently than once every five calendar weeks. Candidates for Co- Chair must run for the positions as a team. To be declared a winner, the candidates must satisfy the quorum and receive a simple majority of all votes cast.

Article 4.5 Elections to the office of Co-Chair can be called at any time by the Co- Chairs or by the General Congress should it resolve, with a simple majority, to do so.

Article 4.6 Should a Co-Chair resign without calling elections, the remaining comrade will assume the roles of both Co-Chair in order to oversee immediate elections. The election must be held within forty-eight hours of the Co-Chair’s resignation.

Article 4.7 The Co-Chairs may, in any combination, seek election and hold office as many times as they wish.

Article 5: Election of Bureau Directors
Article 5.1 The General Congress shall elect seven of its members as Directors for the seven Bureaus.

Article 5.2 Elections for the office of Bureau Director will begin exactly five weeks (35 days) after the conclusion of the previous election.

Article 5.3 To be declared winner, candidates must receive a simple majority of all votes cast and the vote must satisfy the quorum requirement.

Article 5.4 Elections to the office of Bureau Director can be called at any time by the respective Bureau Director or the General Congress, should it resolve to do so, with a simple majority vote.

Article 5.5 A Director who is thought to be in dereliction of his or her duty may be impeached by a vote of no confidence. Such a vote requires a simple majority to pass.

Article 5.6 Should a Bureau Director resign without calling elections, the runner-up during the previous election shall be appointed Lieutenant Director. He or she shall oversee elections to fill the current vacancy.

Article 5.7 The elections to replace a vacancy must be held within forty-eight hours of the Director’s resignation. Should the runner-up be unable to fulfill this duty, the candidate with the next highest vote total able to fulfill the duty of Lieutenant Director shall be appointed.

Article 5.8 Directors may seek election and hold office as many times as they wish.

Article 6: The Defense Bureau
Article 6.1 The seal of the Defence Bureau shall be thus:

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'''Article 6. 2''' The Defense Bureau is the sword and shield of the ICP, protecting the ICP from threats, both foreign and domestic, through intimidation or military action.

Article 6.3 The Defense Bureau's primary duties include, but are not limited to: ensuring the security of ICP members, rogue containment and counteraction, and organizing and commanding the forces of the ICP during war

Defensive Actions

Article 6.4 At the base of the ICP’s foreign policy will be a conscious belief in pacifism unless provoked.

Article 6.5 If an alliance threatens the sovereignty of the ICP and declares war, the Diplomatic and Defense Directors will strive to reach a diplomatic end to the conflict. Should a diplomatic end be unreachable, the ICP will retaliate with full military strength.

Article 6.6 If under Rogue Attack(s), the Defence Director has sole responsibility over the matter and may declare war as he or she sees fit. Evidence showing that the nation in question is a rogue must be presented to the General Congress.

Aggressive Actions

Article 6.7 To undertake non-defensive military actions, the Defense Director must receive a mandate from the General Congress with supermajority approval.

Article 6.8 All Defensive or Aggressive actions must be reported to the Defence Bureau.

Article 7: The Diplomatic Bureau
Article 7.1 The seal of the Diplomatic Bureau shall be thus:

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Article 7.2 The Diplomatic Bureau of the ICP is tasked with establishing and maintaining communication with alliances and nations in the Cyberverse.

Article 7.3 The Diplomatic Bureau’s primary duties include, but are not limited to: establishing embassies with other alliances, designating diplomats, monitoring diplomatic activities, negotiating treaties, examining declarations of war made by other alliances, and investigating the veracity of declarations of war.

Article 8: The Membership Bureau
Article 8.1 The seal of the Membership Bureau shall be thus:

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Article 8.2 The Membership Bureau of the ICP acts as the main moderator of the ICP Forums and Member Roster.

Article 8.3 The Membership Bureau’s primary duties include, but are not limited to: researching and recruiting potential members, masking and unmasking ICP members, maintaining a roster of all members, and moderating the forums.

The Propaganda Brigade

Article 8.4 The Propaganda Brigade is tasked with the development of recruitment videos, posters, letters, and newsletters.

Article 8.5 The Membership Director is the Executive Officer of the Brigade, and has the authority to assign a Colonel of the Media.

Article 8.6 The Colonel of the Media acts as the organizing officer for activities of the Brigade.

Article 9: The Internal Bureau
Article 9.1 The Internal Bureau is responsible for maintaining the forums and of communications between ICP members.

Article 9.2 The Internal Bureau's primary duties include, but are not limited to: managing technical problems with the official alliance forums, keeping the forums organized and threads in the most appropriate forums, and maintaining contact between members.

Article 10: The Economic Bureau
Article 10.1 The seal of the Economic Bureau shall be thus:

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Article 10.2 The Economic Bureau is responsible for the economic advancement of all ICP member nations and coordinating the redistribution of economic resources.

Article 10.3 The Economic Bureau’s primary duties include, but are not limited to: arranging optimum trades for members, distributing foreign aid, and maintaining economic statistics of the ICP.

Article 11: The Justice Bureau
Article 11.1 The seal of the Justice Bureau shall be thus:

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Article 11.2 The Justice Bureau is the ICP’s legal arm. It utilizes the Statute of Amercements to enforce the ICP Code of Laws.

Article 11.3 During a trial, the General Congress acts as jury, while the Director of the Justice Bureau acts as judge. The General Congress shall elect a prosecutor and the defendant shall select an ICP member of his or her own choice as their legal representative.

Article 11.4 The Justice Bureau’s primary duties include, but are not limited to: interpreting the ICP Constitution, determining violations of the ICP Code of Laws, and allotting appropriate punishment to ICP members found in violation of the Code of Laws

Article 12: The Education Bureau
Article 12.1 The Education Bureau of the ICP is charged with ensuring that all new members of the ICP receive instruction on basic game play mechanics, alliance procedure, and an overview of current Cybernations politics.

Article 12.2 The Education Bureau's primary duties include, but are not limited to: creating and maintaining a new member training program, creating and maintaining basic game play guides, and informing directors of the latest techniques and ideas they can use.

Article 13: Appended Powers of Directors
Article 13.1 All Directors are entitled to create a Subdivision within their respective Bureau and appoint an Officer to oversee the Subdivision thus created.

Article 13.2 Subdivision Officers can be removed from office at any time by a simple majority vote from the General Congress, or by the Director of their respective Bureau.

Article 14: The Presidium
Article 14.1 The Co-Chairs of the General Congress, and the Directors of Defense and Diplomacy will form the Presidium of the General Congress.

Article 14.2.0 The Presidium is entrusted with executive powers during times of war or turbulence. Upon a declaration of war by/against the Party or the members of the Presidium declaring a “State of Military Preparation,” the Presidium is entrusted with many emergency powers.

Article 14.2.1 The Presidium can self-activate by declaring a State of Military Preparation.

Article 14.2.2 Upon the declaration of such a state, a vote will be put before the Congress allowing it to veto the declaration. The vote shall be open for 24 hours; however, during the vote the Presidium will still be given the emergency powers specified in Article 14.3.

Article 14.3 These emergency powers are: the ability to pass legislation and treaties through consensus among the three members without a GC vote, control of the military and financial institutions of the Party, approve ceasefires, and negotiate peace treaties during times of war, although the treaty must be approved of by the General Congress.

Article 14.4 To ensure the Presidium’s powers are not abused, the General Congress has the ability to veto Presidium actions with a vote gaining a simple majority of votes in favour.

Article 14.5 Should the Congress believes that the Presidium is not acting in the best interests of the alliance, they can impeach the Presidium as a whole or specific members through a supermajority vote.

Article 14.6 At the end of the war the presidium does not relinquish power automatically; they or the General Congress must first vote in favour of doing so.

Article 15: Bill of Unalienable Privileges
Article 15.1.0 Neither the executive, nor the legislative, nor the judicial branches of the International Communist Party shall abridge the freedoms of speech or expression, except in cases that involve slander or libel.

Article 15.1.1 Language removed by obscenity filters for the express purpose of removing obscene language cannot be construed as a violation of this amendment.

Article 15.2 The governmental branches can, in no way, abridge the right of members to peaceably assemble and petition any branch for a redress of grievances.

Article 15.3 Military resources, being necessary for the continued existence of the alliance and the achievement of its ends, shall be allowed to each member in all types and quantities.

Article 15.4 Except by specific subpoena from the Justice Director, ICP members are granted the right to privacy in their correspondences and nation information. Third parties shall not view private correspondence except by consent of one of the original parties.

Article 15.5 No member shall be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense, except following the discovery of new and considerable evidence deemed so by the Justice Director.

Article 15.6 No member shall be compelled to be a witness against her or himself.

Article 15.7 No member shall be involuntarily deprived of liberty without due process.

Article 15.8 Any member accused of criminal or civil offense must be notified of the specific charges of said offense.

Article 15.9 Members accused of a crime shall enjoy the rights to a fair and impartial hearing, to be confronted by and confront witnesses on behalf of the prosecution, and to obtain witness on her or his behalf. The accused shall further have the right to counsel as desired.

Article 15.10 No member shall be removed from the alliance except following conviction of a grievous crime, such as treason or spying by the General Congress.

Article 15.11 Members may leave the alliance as they please but no member shall hold their membership hostage to GC decisions.

Article 15.12 All members, in the event of defensive or approved offensive warfare, shall have the right to petition other members for aid. Specific members shall be compelled to give aid to warring members following due process by any and at least one branch of government.

Article 15.13 Developing nations or those in non-wartime crisis shall have the right to petition other alliance members for aid.

Article 15.14 All members, in the event of non-provoked defensive warfare, shall have the right to compel other members to declare war upon the same enemy.

Article 15.15 In the event of approved inter-alliance warfare, members must declare war upon any enemy nation within their range, except when showing sufficient cause to the Justice Director not to do so.

Article 15.16 All members shall have the right to run for elected office, excepting cases of dual-office holding forbidden by the Constitution.

Article 15.17 These enumerated rights shall not apply to prospective members, diplomats, or other visitors. However, such parties shall enjoy a reasonable degree of civil treatment when dealing with the International Communist Party.

Article 16: Code of Conduct with Regards to Matters of War (BELLACODE)
Article 16.1 ICP Members are forbidden from attacking another ICP Member without militant provocation unless given supermajority authorization from the General Congress.

Article 16.2 ICP Members are forbidden from attacking a foreign nation without militant provocation, unless given a supermajority mandate from the General Congress.

Article 16.3.0 A nation which launches militant action against an ICP Member will hereafter be referred to as “the Aggressor”. The ICP Member(s) thus attacked and any nation(s) in aid of the ICP Member(s) under attack, will hereafter be referred to as “the Defender”.

Article 16.3.1 The Defender may, without restriction or permission, retaliate against the Aggressor unless informed specifically by the Diplomatic Director or Defence Director to cease such activity.

Article 16.4 The Defence Director, at his discretion, may sanction attacks against confirmed rogue nations. Such sanctions are subject to veto by the Co-Chairmen, or Diplomatic Director.

Article 16.5 The interpretation and prosecution of ICP Members under the BELLACODE falls within the jurisdiction of the ICP Justice Bureau and its elected officials.

Article 17: Code of Conduct with Regards to Economic Matters (ECOCODE)

Article 17.1.0 An ICP Member may not request Aid through the ICP Economic Bureau if his or her intent is malicious.

Article 17.1.1 Intent might thus be declared malicious if the Aid Applicant knowingly falsifies his or her economic statistics to elicit undeserved Aid, or applies for Aid with full knowledge and intention of leaving the ICP once Aid is received.

Article 17.2 The interpretation and prosecution of ICP Members under the ECOCODE falls within the jurisdiction of the ICP Justice Bureau and its elected officials.

Article 18: Code of Conduct with Regards to Limits on Authority (DUCICODE)
Article 18.1 Elected officers of the ICP receive their Mandate of Authority from the General Congress and are therefore answerable to the General Congress.

Article 18.2.0 An Officer deemed in abuse of his or her powers can, at any time, be challenged by any present ICP Member. Such accusations must be made public and must contain a lucid instancing of all perceived abuses. The Officer thus accused has every right to publicly rebut said accusations.

Article 18.2.1 If the Abuse Challenge remains unresolved, a vote may be put forward to the General Congress by the accusing party to determine whether a majority of Party Members agree that an abuse of powers has been committed.

Article 18.2.2 If in the affirmative, the Accused Officer is suspended from his or her post. Punishment proceedings within the Justice Bureau thus begin.

Article 18.2.3 If in the negative, the Accused Officer must be publicly exonerated and may not be re-accused of the infractions he or she was speculated to have committed for the remainder of his or her term.

Article 18.3.0 The interpretation and prosecution of ICP Officers under the DUCICODE falls within the jurisdiction of the ICP Justice Bureau and its elected officials.

Article 18.3.1 In the event of a conflict of interest, the General Congress gains the powers of the Justice Bureau until such time that the crisis is resolved.

Article 19: Statute of Amercements
Article 19.1 ICP Members found in violation of the Code of Laws, and whose guilt is established by a fair trial and impartial ruling, shall hereafter be known as the “Guilty Party”. If the infraction involved crime against another, that other shall hereafter be known as the “Victim”.

Article 19.2.0 The Justice Bureau may demand additional amercements from the Guilty Party if the situation warrants it, so long as these amercements do not exceed the Maximum allowable penalty and do not excuse the necessary Minimum penalty.

Article 19.2.1 If the Guilty Party feels his or her punishment is too severe, he or she may petition the General Congress for a more lenient sentence.

Article 19.3.0 Conviction of violating Article 16.1 carries with it the following minimum and maximum penalties.

Article 19.3.1 Minimally, the Guilty Party must repay an amount three times the value of the damage inflicted upon the Victim, and deliver a public and sincere apology to both the Victim and the ICP.

Article 19.3.2 Maximally, a proposal to expel the Guilty Party from the ICP will be submitted to the General Congress. If passed, the sentence is to be carried out immediately. Otherwise, the Guilty Party is subject to the Minimum penalties and any appended amercements.

Article 19.4.0 Conviction of violating Article 16.2 carries with it the following minimum and maximum penalties.

Article 19.4.1 Minimally, the Guilty Party must repay an amount three times the value of the damage inflicted upon the Victim, and deliver a public and sincere apology to both the Victim and the ICP.

Article 19.4.2 The proposed expulsion of the Guilty Party will be submitted to the General Congress. If passed, the sentence is to be carried out immediately. Otherwise, the Guilty Party is subject to the Minimum penalties and any appended amercements

Article 19.5.0 Conviction of violating Article 17.1.0 carries with it the following minimum and maximum penalties.

Article 19.5.1 Minimally, the Guilty Party must return to the Victim the entirety of the aid illicitly appropriated, and deliver a public and sincere apology to both the Victim and the ICP.

Article 19.5.2 The Guilty Party must return to the Victim two times the total of the aid illicitly appropriated, and deliver a public and sincere apology to both the Victim and the ICP. The Guilty Party is excluded from future participation in the ICP Aid System for a period of time to be determined by the Justice Bureau.

Article 19.6.0 Conviction of violating Article 18.2.0 carries with it the following minimum and maximum penalties.

Article 19.6.1 Minimally, the Guilty Party must be immediately removed from his or her current post and will be ineligible for re-election to that same post until the following term.

Article 19.6.2 Maximally, The proposed expulsion of the Guilty Party will be submitted to the General Congress. If passed, the sentence is to be carried out immediately. Otherwise, the Guilty Party is subject to the Minimum penalties and any, appended amercements.

Article 20: Oath to the Proletariat and Party
Article 20.1 Upon joining all members must swear the following oath:

''I, as a member of the International Communist Party, do hereby swear allegiance to the Socialist cause. I pledge both myself and my nation in the fight against Capitalist and Imperialist oppression. The International Communist Party is the torch that shall spark the Revolution. I shall defend the Party and its cause with all the resources at my disposal. I shall not take up arms against my brethren, nor will I disobey the mandates of the General Congress. I will honour the rules laid out by the Constitution of our Alliance, and swear obedience to its Laws. I pledge my life and my honour to the good of the Proletariat, for it is through them that the Party is made strong. Let my comrades bare witness to this oath.''