Constitution of the Dominion of Righteous Nations

[QUOTE][SIZE=6][color=blue][b]The Constitution of the Dominion of Righteous Nations[/b][/SIZE][/color]

Preamble:

In recognition of the rights and responsibilities of independent self-governing nations to their peoples, and of the difficulties of fulfilling these roles without maintaining a community of trust among nations with this common interest, we do hereby ordain the creation of the Dominion of Righteous Nations. As a unified body of self-governing nations, it is our responsibility to provide a workable framework for the administrative structure of such an alliance. It is the objective of this constitution to outline, improve, and provide for the modification of this structure of government. In this spirit, and aiming to provide for a more secure future, we, the associated Righteous Nations of the Dominion, do ordain and endorse this document.

Admission & Expulsion

Any nation, given that they are not currently involved in an offensive war with any nation that is either neutral or allies with the DRN, and willing to switch to the Maroon team, is permitted to join the alliance. All applying member nations must post the following information which will be examined before being considered approved of precautionary standards and accepted into the alliance:

Nation Name: Nation Ruler: Nation Strength: Former Alliances: Resources:

A member nation may be expelled from the DRN if that nation commits an action which violates or severely offends the principles of the Constitution. The expulsion of a member is decided upon by an advisory vote including the whole Senate. Ultimately, the decision of expelling a member is left up to the discretion of the Sovereign.

War Policy

The DRN does not condone aggressive action. Any random attacks and wars that a DRN member wages against other nations will be condemned as a violation of the Law of the Dominion. Only wars authorized by the DRN Military hierarchy will be legally valid.

The DRN does not condone the use of Nuclear Weapons as a first strike weapon or as a retaliatory means of defending oneself. The use of nukes may only be permitted with clear authorization by the command of the Dominion.

Article I: Executive Administration

The primary routine powers and operation of government within the alliance will be vested in an Executive Administration. This branch of government is organized around a Sovereign who is the leader of one of the associated nations. The Sovereign and his staff will maintain the smooth operation of the various branches of the Dominion by providing services such as recruiting, education, and organization of internal affairs. The Executive Administration will also be responsible for the security of nations of the dominion and the alliances stance with foreign powers.

Section 1: Positions

The Sovereign

Selection: Permanently appointed except in the case of impeachment.

Description/Duties: The Sovereign is appointed for an indefinite term and is vested with the full confidence and support of the Dominion. The status of any particular nation leader as Head of State may only be revoked through his resignation or a conviction in impeachment proceedings carried out by the Senate of the Dominion. The Sovereign will serve as the leader of the alliance in all its affairs, including as the Commander-in-Chief of DRN military forces. The Sovereign is responsible for appointing all government ministers and controlling the stance of the DRN government through his appointed advisors. The Head of State is also endowed with the ability and responsibility to veto anything passed by the Senate provided he can show satisfactory evidence that such laws will damage the security, unity, or happiness of the majority of alliance members.

Duke of Foreign Affairs

Selection: Appointed by the Sovereign

Description/Duties: Description/Duties: The Duke of Foreign Affairs is charged with managing the day to day Foreign Policy objectives of the Dominion. The Duke of Foreign Affairs shall have the power to issue directives to all members of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and conduct diplomacy and official business with other alliances. The Duke of Foreign Affairs is also charged with initial negotiation of treaties, which must be signed by the Head of State. The Duke of Foreign Affairs may be overruled in any directive or decision by the Sovereign, and may be dismissed at his discretion at any time.

Duke of Defense

Selection: Appointed by the Sovereign

Description/Duties: The Duke of Defense is charged with maintaining and utilizing the Dominion Defense Forces. The Duke, through the direction of the Sovereign, will be responsible for coordinating strategies and the incorporation of all DRN members into the DDF in various positions. During peacetime, the Duke of Defense concerns himself primarily with defense readiness, intelligence on the strength of potential opponents, and communication with military allies. During wartime, the Duke of Defense is in charge of tactical engagements and is closely involved in strategic decisions with rest of the Provinces under the direction of the Sovereign.

Duke of Interior

Selection: Appointed by the Sovereign

Description/Duties: The Duke of Interior is responsible for maintaining coherant operation of all internal activities within the Dominion. The Duke, through the cooperation of his own appointed Deputies, will be responsible for coordinating all recruitment, education, and financial efforts within the alliance. The Duke of Interior is also charged with fulfilling any and all other internal duties such as managing alliance records, informing the general populace on internal operations, and coordinating efforts with the other Provinces.

Magistrate of Recruitment

Selection: Appointed by the Sovereign, Duke of Interior

Description/Duties: The Magistrate of Recruitment will organize efforts to recruit and integrate new members into the Dominion. The Magistrate is charged with spreading our values to interested nations while ensuring against the use of coercion or intimidation in the enlistment process. Following recruitment, the Magistrate will work with member states to ensure their successful integration into the DRN.

Magistrate of Education

Selection: Appointed by the Sovereign, Duke of Interior

Descriptions/Duties: The Magistrate of Education is in charge of the continued training of members of the alliance in techniques towards successful development. The Magistrate will teach budding nations the mechanics of international trade and the effects of various decisions on the course of a nation's development. The Magistrate of Education will also be responsible for collecting and publishing literature on a wide range of topics, including guides to rapid development, alliance history, and the state of affairs in the world.

Magistrate of Finance

Selection: Appointed by the Sovereign, Duke of Interior

Descriptions/Duties: The Magistrate of Finance will be the coordinator of all economical affairs within the alliance. The Magistrate will ensure that nations are achieving ultimate efficiency in industrial and economical growth. The most important duty of the Finance Director is to head the Dominion bank. He/she holds veto over the CEO of the Bank and will verify that Bank operations are running smoothly and successfully.

Article II: Legislative Assembly

The Knights of the Roundtable is an elected body of member nations assigned the responsibility to make laws, act as a judicial body in disciplinary proceedings, and choose a Regent to lead the Roundtable and represent the people in the cabinet. The Rountable is not concerned with the routine activities of the Dominion, but instead passes appropriate measures to be carried out by the Executive Administration. During any judicial actions, a committee of Senate members will be responsible for judging guilt and handing out disciplinary action. While the Roundtable may be vetoed by the Sovereign on many matters, they retain an ultimate tool of control in the guise of impeachment powers.

Section 1: Positions

The Regent

Selection: Elected by simple majority vote in the Roundtable out of the pool of available Knights, if no candidate gains a simple majority, run-offs will be held to determine who gets the position. The two candidates with the highest vote getters will participate in the run-off. Should the run-off remain indecisive, the outgoing Regent will choose from among the candidates with the highest vote totals. Knights cannot vote for themselves. The Regent is elected at the start of every Roundtable term.

Description/Duties: The Regent is the only member of the DRN government to be effectively involved in the Legislative and Executive branches of government. While the Regent holds no power in the Executive Administration. While the Regent retains the powers of a Knight, his primary role besides breaking ties in the Roundtable is to serve as a liaison between the legislative and executive branches. The Regent also has the important role as the only member of the government able to initiate a vote towards impeachment of the Sovereign. This judgment may be submitted by the Regent for consideration by the Roundtable at any time.

Knight of the Roundtable

Selection: Nominees for the Roundtable will be submitted in the last 5 days of each month. To be a candidate, two nominations are necessary. Knights of the previous term may choose to be placed on the ballot without nomination, but will lose their ability to nominate someone else. Prospective Knights and Incumbents must pledge to conduct their campaigns in with full integrity. The general election will be on the last day of each month, and the top eight vote-getters (nine once every quarter when a Regent's term expires) will be elected as knights.

Description/Duties: A Knight is responsible for drafting and voting on legislations and foreign policies to ensure the safety of the Dominion. Each Knight also may be selected at any time by the Sovereign to serve on a judicial panel for disciplinary action, and is responsible for being part of any impeachment proceedings against the Sovereign.

Section 2: Bills/Laws

Introduction: Laws may be introduced for consideration by any Knight. They may also be introduced directly by the Sovereign when they are not within his executive powers. Petitioners may include Dukes, Magistrates or Knights.

Consideration: Each law passing the criteria for consideration will be judged and debated before a meeting of the whole Roundtable, and a simply majority will be required to pass the vote.

Effect: After passage of a bill as Law of the Dominion, the Sovereign must either sign or veto it within a week of passage except during an absence from office, or it will be automatically judged to have the weight of law.

Time Limit: Each vote proposed to the Roundtable will have a time limit of three days (unless otherwise specified). The result after three days will be made final, any Knights that haven't voted will be considered to have "abstained" from the vote.

Article III: Impeachment

While the Sovereign is appointed for a life term each time he is chosen, the position is not without a check on its power. The Regent may authorize the impeachment of the Head of State, in which case he is put up for trial and judgment by the Roundtable.

Section I: Initiation of Proceedings

The Initiation of impeachment proceedings must be declared by the Regent, along with a brief description of the cause for impeachment. This notice must be delivered to the attention of the Sovereign and to the Roundtable by the Regent.

Section II: Vote for Impeachment

The vote to impeach the Sovereign must be a unanimous vote by the Roundtable, different from any other vote or law put before the Roundtable. The question here is whether to consider beginning a trial of the Sovereign, not whether he should be removed from office.

Section III: Impeachment

The actual impeachment proceedings will proceed as a judgment of the fitness of the Sovereign to perform activities consistent with the security of Dominion nations. During these proceedings, the Roundtable will act as jury, with the Regent acting as chief prosecutor and the Sovereign acting in his own defense. The conviction of the Sovereign in these proceedings will begin the process of removing him from office, and requires unanimous vote of the Roundtable to be in agreement.

Section IV: Popular Approval

Due to the serious nature of this act, the impeachment conviction of any Sovereign will be turned over to the member nations of the Dominion for their consideration. A referendum will be held within 10 days of conviction, and two-thirds or more of the member nations that voted must approve the removal of the Sovereign from office for the conviction to be upheld. The total number of nations that voted must be 30% of the alliance or more. This referendum must be held for seventy-two hours. If the referendum receives sufficient public support once the vote is taken, the Head of State is removed from office.

Section V: Aftermath

After an impeachment, the Regent will hold office with the existing cabinet members retaining their positions until a popular election can be held for the next Sovereign, this will be the responsibility of the top vote-getter besides the Regent in the Roundtable to organize, and must be completed in 10 days or the Sovereign will be re-instated.

Article V: Amendments

The Constitution, while essentially considered to be complete and viable to serve the alliance, is subject to amendments. If at any time does a nation of the alliance feel the Constitution must be amended, it must propose the Amendment to the general public. If the support of at least 15% of the nations within the DRN is established, the amendment will be forwarded to the Roundtable for consideration and debate. If a majority vote is established by the Roundtable, the amendment will be ratified.[/QUOTE]