The Sasori Initiative

Constitution
Preamble:

“All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope.”

Article I - Ideals

The Sasori Initiative does not believe in Nuclear First Strike, Eternal ZI or Permanent ZI as a form of punishment. We believe in the freedom of speech for all members and the duty of assisting our fellow citizens through any and all means possible. We, the members of the Sasori Initiative, are committed to the upholding of these ideals.

Article II - Citizenship

To become a member of the Sasori Initiative, the applicant must change his or her or her Alliance Affiliation (AA) to “The Sasori Initiative”. The applicant must not be a member of any other alliance, nor have any outstanding debts (financial, tech or otherwise) or ongoing offensive conflicts with other alliances. The Initiative reserves the right to deny entry to nations that have committed acts of nuclear terrorism (defined as being a "nuke rogue").

Rights of the Citizenry - All members will be afforded the protection of the Initiative as long as they uphold the Initiative’s Ideals. All members shall be afforded the right to leave the Initiative at any time without fear of reprisal once they have settled any outstanding financial or tech debts with the Initiative. It is left to the discretion of the Emperor or Empress as to whether or not said nation has debts to settle. All members shall be afforded the right of free speach and the ability to question the leaders of the Initiative about information.

Obligations of the Citizenry - All members are expected to fight in defense of the Initiative should it be attacked. It is expected that citizens of the Initiative will follow the directives of the Initiative Council, the Imperial Office and the Ministers and, in the event that they disagree, handle their dispute in a respectable and responsible manner. Members are highly encouraged to participate in the inner workings of the alliance including general elections and the discussion of new legislation and ammendments as well as new ideas for the Initiative.

Resignation - Any member may leave The Sasori Initiative at any time, as long as they have settled any debts owed to the Alliance or its members, informed the proper leadership that they will be resigning, and removed “The Sasori Initiative” from their Alliance Affiliation.

Removal - In the event that a member violates the ideals of the Sasori Initiative, commits acts of espionage against the Initiative or continually defies the directives of the Empress or the Council that member will be expelled from the Initiative and denied the protections this document provides. Should the former member continue to attempt to shelter under the Intitiative's AA they shall be declared a Ghost and shall be treated as a hostile target.

Article III - The Emperor or Empress

The Emperor or Empress is the elected single leader and the Ruler of The Sasori Initiative. It is his or her responsibility to conduct the day to day affairs of the Alliance including overseeing defense, recruitment, aid programs and the operation of the government. The Emperor or Empress shall serve until such time as they wish to step down from the post or the Initiative Council finds him or her unfit to continue ruling.

Powers of the Imperial Office - The Emperor or Empress is granted the authority to veto legislation put forward by the Initiative Council, appoint members to lead the Ministries of Communications, Economics, Foreign Affairs and Defense. The Emperor or Empress has the power to delegate responsibilities to the appropriate Ministries and to dismiss a Minister if they are not performing in a satisfactory manner. It is solely within the Emperor's or Empress' purview to determine if a Minister has failed to perform up to the expected standards. The Emperor or Empress is empowered to override the decision of a Minister at any time and, should the need exist in their opinion, assume partial or full responsibility of that Ministry. The Emperor or Empress has the authority to veto legislation passed by the Initiative Council and to veto proposed amendments to the Constitution.

Resignation or Removal - The Emperor or Empress may resign from his or her position at any time for any reason they see fit. After an Emperor or Empress' resignation an election among the general membership will be held immediately. The election shall be overseen by the Initiative Council with a period of three (3) days for candidates to be nominated and post their campaign platforms followed by a vote to last seventy-two (72) hours. A simple majority is required to win this election.

If it is felt that there is a pressing need, the Emperor or Empress may be removed by the Initiative Council and the general membership. In order for an impeachment movement to begin, the Council must pass a Vote of No Confidence with a simple majority. Once completed and announced, a vote by the general membership shall be held. The vote will be conducted for seventy-two (72) hours or until seventy-five (75) percent of the alliance membership has voted, whichever is later. A 3/4 vote for removal is needed to remove the Emperor or Empress. If removed, elections will be held immediately as outlined above. It should be noted that the Imperial Office is prohibited from vetoing the results of a Vote of No Confidence.

Article IV - The Council

The Initiative Council is recognized as the voice of the people. Councilors hold their positions for two (2) months. Elections for the Council will be held on the first Saturday of every even month with a nomination period lasting three (3) days followed by a campaigning period lasting two (2) days and a vote by the general membership lasting forty-eight (48) hours. The number of Councilors elected will be determined by the amount of active members at that time at the discretion of the Imperial Office.

Powers of the Council - The Initiative Council is empowered to pass legislation for the purpose of creating new programs within the alliance, creating new laws and codes of conduct for the general membership and engaging in oversight of the Imperial Office. The Initiative Council has the sole authority to sign treaties with foreign powers, declare war on behalf of the Initiative and sue for or accept peace on behalf of the Initiative. Any and all bills, treaties and other legislation need only be passed with a simple majority. None of the powers included here may be delegated to another department or organism within the Initiative.

Treaties with Foreign Powers - Unlike normal legislation which only requires the signatures of the Initiative Council, treaties with foreign powers require additional affirmative approval. The signatures of both the Emperor or Empress as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs should be present on any treaties to signify the approval of all responsible parties within the Initiative's government.

Vetoed Legislation - In the event that the Imperial Office vetoes a piece of legislation, treaty or other document put forward by the Initiative Council, the legislation may be put forward for a vote by the general membership. A simple majority vote by the general membership is required to override an Imperial veto.

Resignation or Removal - A Councilor is permitted to resign their post at any time for any reason. A member of the Initiative Council may be removed through the same impeachment proceedings as the Emperor or Empress, the Council passing a Vote of No Confidence with a simple majority. Once completed and announced, a vote by the general membership shall be held. The vote will be conducted for seventy-two (72) hours or until seventy-five (75) percent of the alliance membership has voted, whichever is later. A 3/4 vote for removal is needed to remove the Councilor. If removed, elections will be held immediately as outlined above.

Article V - The Ministers

Ministers are appointed solely by the Emperor or Empress. No person currently serving in the Initiative Council or in another governmental role is permitted to serve as a Minister within the Initiative. The Ministers are empowered to act within their job duties.

The Current Ministries are:

Office of the Shogun - Commanding officer of the Sasori Initiative Defense Forces (SIDF), the Shogun is responsible for handling any and all matters directly pertaining to the defense of the Initiative including military attacks on member nations, espionage attempts against the Initiative, the overseeing of attacks launched by the Initiative and the organization of the SIDF including the induction, promotion and demotion of SIDF members. It is understood that it is the responsibility of the Shogun to remain apolitical and that they cannot be assigned to fill a secondary role under the possible exception.

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs - The Minister of Foreign Affairs is charged with overseeing the ambassadorial efforts of the Initiative including any and all members assigned as diplomats to other alliances. In the event of work on a treaty with another alliance the Minister of Foreign Affairs is empowered to take charge of any negotiations being conducted by a diplomat for the purpose of coordinating more closely with the Imperial Office and the Initiative Council.

Office of the Minister of Economics - It is the responsibility of the Minister of Economics to oversee technology trade deals ("tech deals"), alliance aid programs and any incoming or outgoing reparations on the part of the Initiative. Should a citizen need assistance in setting up a defined trade circle, they are encouraged to seek the assistance of the Minister of Economics.

Office of the Minister of Communications - The Minister of Communications is responsible both for ensuring that the general membership is kept updated as to important events within the alliance as well as leading recruitment efforts for the Initiative. The Minister of Communications is empowered to request assistance from other citizens in carrying out these duties including the establishment of a group of deputized citizens to assist in the transmission of important messages.

Article VI - Mergers and Dissolution

It is understood that, from time to time, alliances can join together to join larger organizations or can become defunct due to reduced membership, internal inactivity or other factors. As the Sasori Initiative is an alliance founded on the principle of choice for the common member, it is understood that such drastic actions must take place only at the behest of the popular sentiment. In order for the Initiative to 1) merge into or accept the merger of another alliance or 2) officially dissolve and retire the name and flag of the alliance a vote of the general membership must take place. Should 2/3 of the general membership vote in favor, the Initiative Council vote in favor and the Emperor or Empress give their assent, the merger or dissolution shall take place immediately.

Article VII - Amendments

It is recognized that as the political environment changes and the Initiative grows, amendments to this Constitution may be needed. Amendments may be drafted, posted and discussed by any member or group of members in the alliance in the private sections of the forum. A vote on the amendment may be called by the author(s) at any time and will last for seventy-two (72) hours. A vote of two-thirds (2/3) in favor is needed for the amendment to be passed to the Imperial Office for final approval. Should the Emperor or Empress give final approval to the amendment, it shall be immediately incorporated into the Constitution.

Active Treaties
The Sasori Initiative is signatory to the following treaties:
 * Signatory of the Overlord's Protectorate Pact
 * Signatory of the Mokushiroku-Sasori Accords

Previous Treaties
None