The Verfassung of Veniciana

The Constitution of Veniciana - Die Verfassung von Veniciana
Motivated by the resolve to serve world peace, an unfaltering faith in the pursuit of a united Republic, Seeking to promote the common good, the acquisition of civil rights bestowed upon all persons, Having regard for the existance and future of our homeland, we do provide for and give to ourselves this Constitution of The Imperial Republic of Veniciana.

Article I- Das Parlament der Veniciana
The Parliament of the Imperial Republic of Veniciana shall be composed of two voting houses, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. They shall serve as the representatives of the people of Veniciana in government.

Section I- The House of Commons
The House of Commons shall be the lower-house of Parliament, and shall be elected directly by the constituencies of Veniciana. They shall convene in the city of Meleroma for three three month sessions, with each session followed by a one month recess.

The House of Commons shall be led by a Speaker chosen by the members of the House of Commons. The Speaker must be a member of the House of Commons, and shall be charged with the duty of leading all official meetings, unless discharged to another member. The term for the Speaker of the House of Commons shall be 2 years, and can be re-elected endlessly. If a vacancy in the office exist, the Imperial Chancellor may appoint another member to fill out the rest of the term.

Members of the House of Commons shall be elected by majority vote in their respective constituencies. Their terms shall begin on the January 7 following the election, and shall last 2 years. If a vacancy exists in any constituency, a special election will be held in the constituency in question to fill the office.

Members of the House of Commons shall be of the age of 25 years.

Section II- The House of Lords
The House of Lords shall be the upper-house of Parliament, and shall be filled the Lords and Duchesses of the Republic. They shall convene in the city of Meleroma for three three month sessions, with each session followed by a month recess.

The House of Lords shall be led by the members themselves on a rotational basis.

Members of the House of Lords are any Lord or Duchess of the Republic. The Imperial Chancellor shall grant Lordship to any person, following approval by the House of Lords. A Lord or Duchess may discharge their Lordship to an heir or the Lordship cancels.

Members of the House of Lords shall be of the age of 25 years.

Section III- The Prime Minister
The Parliament of Veniciana shall be led by a Prime Minister elected by the Members of Parliament every 2 years by February 20. There is no term limit for a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister must be either a Member of Parliament or a Minister in the National Ministry.

The Prime Minister of Veniciana shall be responsible for calling all special sessions of Parliament, and act as a liaison between Parliament and the Imperial Chancellor. The Prime Minister shall also fill the role of Imperial Regent.

Article II- Der Imperial Kanzler
The Imperial Chancellor of Veniciana shall serve as the Head of State and Head of Government for the Republic. They shall act as chief dignitary and the Imperial General of the Armed Forces of Veniciana. They shall hold all powers except the power to declare war which is held by Parliament. They set all policy of the Republic, and are in charge of the National Ministry.

The Imperial Chancellor's term shall be for life. In the case of a vacancy in the office, the line of succession is as follows:

1. The Imperial Regent of Veniciana/The Prime Minister of Parliament 2. The Speaker of the House of Commons 3. The Ministers of the National Ministry according to the creation of their ministry

In order to fill the office of Imperial Chancellor, any person must be of the age of 30 years.

Article III- Die Imperial Regent
The office of Imperial Regent of the Republic shall be filled by the Prime Minister of Parliament. They shall serve as the second-in-command of the State and Government following the Imperial Chancellor.

They provide a link between Parliament and the Imperial Chancellor. They handle all communication between Parliament and the National Ministry. They also hold the powers of the office of Prime Minister of Parliament.

Article IV- Das Nationale Ministerium
The National Ministry is the office of the Imperial Chancellor. It is in charge of the Ministries created by this Constitution. The Ministers in-charge of the Ministries shall be appointed by the Imperial Chancellor and approved by the House of Commons.

Section I- Das Ministerium für auswärtige Angelegenheiten
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall be charged with the duties of providing for and upholding all embassies or consulates of the Republic in foreign states. It is responsible for communicating and promoting the foreign policy of the Republic to states abroad. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is responsible for overseeing the progress and development of the Ministry, as well as communicating on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in all National Ministry meetings.

Section II- Das Ministerium für Verteidigung
The Ministry of Defense shall be charged with the duties of providing for and upholding all military units of the Imperial Armed Forces both domestic and abroad. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for the maintenance and administration of the Veniciana National Police, Veniciana Highway Patrol, Veniciana Coastal Guard, and the Veniciana Space Administration. The Minister of Defense shall communicate on behalf of the Ministry of Defense in all National Ministry meetings.

Section III- Das Ministerium für das Staatsvermögen
The Ministry of the Treasury shall be charged with the duties of managing and executing all financial affairs of the Republic. The Ministry of the Treasury is responsible for the creation of all Treasury notes, and is responsible for the execution and oversight of the National Budget set by the Imperial Chancellor and Parliament. The Ministry of the Treasury is responsible for the maintenance and administration of the Federal Tax Service. The Ministry of the Treasury shall communicate on behalf of the Ministry of the Treasury in all National Ministry meetings.

Section IV- Das Ministerium des Innern
The Ministry of the Interior is charged with the duties of maintaining and creating the infrastructure of the Republic. It is responsible for the maintenance of the National Park Administration, the Department of Roads and Highways, and Bureau of Medical Services. The Minister of the Interior shall communicate on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior in all National Ministry meetings.

Section V- Das Ministerium für Landwirtschaft und Umwelt Sicherheit
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Safety shall be charged with the duties of ensuring the security of farmland and energy sources throughout the Republic. It is responsible for the maintenance and administration of the Food and Drug Bureau, the Environmental Security Agency, the Farmland Protection Service, and the National Utilities Commission. The Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Safety shall communicate on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Safety in all National Ministry meetings.

Section VI- Das Ministerium für Arbeit
The Ministry of Labor shall be charged will the duties of maintaining and ensuring the security of the workforce of the Republic. It shall be responsible for the maintenance and administration of the Unemployment Services Agency, the Workplace Security Commission, and the Public Retirement Bureau. The Minister of Labor shall communicate on behalf of the Ministry of Labor in all National Ministry meetings.

Section VII- Das Ministerium für die Gerichte
The Ministry of the Courts shall be charged with the duties of ensuring the rule of law in the Republic. It is responsible for maintaining all District, Appellate, and Federal Courts. It is also responsible for the maintenance and administration of the National Corrections Agency, the National Bureau of Justice, and the Federal Prosecution Service. The Minister of the Courts shall communicate on behalf of the Ministry of the Courts in all National Ministry meetings.

Section VIII- Das Ministerium für Bildung
The Ministry of Education shall be charged with the duties of ensuring and promoting the education of all citizens. It is responsible for maintaining and staffing all National Public School Systems. It is also responsible for the maintenance and administration of the Student Finance System. The Minister of Education shall communicate on behalf of the Ministry of Education in all National Ministry meetings.

Article V- Wahlverfahren
The Electoral Procedure set forth in this constitution shall be overseen by the National Bureau of Justice.

Any elections shall be held on a date set by the Imperial Chancellor. In order to vote in any election, you must be a Citizen of the Republic and you must be of the age of 18 years.

Any office or item not specifically covered by this Constitution shall fall under the express description of state or local election commissions.

Section I- The House of Commons
The Members of the House of Commons, the elected House of Parliament, shall be elected in the constituency in which they hold residency. They must win with a simple majority of all votes cast.

Section II- Electoral Measures
Any measure or proposition placed on a ballot in any local, state, or national election must pass with a simple majority of all votes cast in order to be approved.

Article VI- Steuern
Taxation of all peoples of the Republic shall be managed by the Federal Tax Service. Tax Rates shall be set by Parliament and approved by the Imperial Chancellor. Any subsidies shall be managed by the Ministry of the Treasury.

Article VII- Amtsenthebungsverfahren
The only office which can be impeached is the office of Imperial Chancellor. The House of Commons must vote with a 2/3 plus one majority to pass a Vote of Impeachment. A trial is then held by the House of Lords with the Minister of the Courts acting as presiding officer. The House of Lords must vote with 50% plus one to convict and thus remove from office the Imperial Chancellor.

State and Local governments shall set rules for impeachment for state and local officials.

Article VIII- Staatliche Zulassung
For any State to be admitted into the Republic, the state legislature shall pass and approve this Constitution. The Parliament of Veniciana will then vote to approve the admittance. This must pass with a 51% majority of all Members of Parliament.

A Period of Transition will then begin in which the National Ministry sets the State for Statehood. This includes the creation of courts, education systems, taxation, and electoral constituencies. Once all transitional projects are completed the State will officially gain Statehood.

Article IX- Bürgerrechte
All Citizens of the Republic shall be endowed the following Civic Rights. These rights cannot be infringed upon or violated in any way by any local, state, or national agency.

Abusal of these rights is considered to be a crime, and will be prosecuted.

Section I- The Right to Free Expression
All citizens are allowed to express themselves freely through speech, press, media, and any forms of open communication.

Section II- The Right to Religious Freedom
All citizens are allowed to pursue their religious beliefs in their own way, as long as it does not violate laws or bring physical harm to others. The Republic shall not support or endorse any religion, and no Republic matters shall involve official religious practices. This does not include tax subsidies approved by Parliament.

Section III- The Right to Bear Arms
All citizens who successfully complete safety training and hold a valid owner's license and registration, may bear arms in the form of pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, or any weapon approved by Parliament.

Section IV- The Right to Protest the Government
All citizens shall reserve the right to openly protest the action of any government entity. This right does not include any form of protest that brings physical harm to any other person.

Section V- The Right to Trial by Jury
All citizens reserve the right to a trial by a jury of peers when charged with a felony crime. No person can be tried for the same terms twice.

Section VI- The Right to Freedom of Torture
All citizens reserve the right to be free from any form of physical or emotional torture. The Republic shall not exercise any form of torture to any citizen or non-citizen.

Article X- Änderungen
Any Amendment to this Constitution must be made through Parliament, and it must be approved with at least a 2/3 majority of each House of Parliament. It must also be approved by the Imperial Chancellor as well. Each State must ratify the amendment within a period of 5 months. If a State has not ratified it within the time limit, it must be repassed by parliament and will then become law.