Charter of the Sweet Oblivion

I. Preamble
We, the People of The Sweet Oblivion, being bound in amity, do hereby establish this Constitution to secure the freedoms and values of all member nations.

II. Commanders
The Commanders shall consist of three members and have absolute power over the alliance, although any of these powers may be delegated to others. They may veto any decision made by the Security Council, and block any member from election if they so see fit. Should a Commander retire, the collective Commanders shall select a replacement. All decisions of the Commanders shall be ratified by a two-thirds majority.

III. Security Council
The Security Council shall consist of five members elected by the Body Republic on a bi-monthly basis. In case of a vacancy, the Commanders may fill any vacant seats without elections. All Security Council decisions shall be ratified by a simple majority. The Security Council is responsible for the following:

i. Approving all written agreements with foreign powers ii. Approving binding policy decisions iii. Appointing and removing Directors iv. Monitoring Directorial programs and activities, and intervening if needed v. Resolving any disputes between members in a fair and balanced trial vi. Petitioning the Commanders to act on all other decisions which may affect the alliance's well-being

IV. Directors
The Security Council may select individuals to serve as Directors, at the approval of the Commanders. Those individuals shall fill, at minimum, the positions of Director of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Armament, Domestic Affairs and Finance. Other positions may be created by the Commanders as needed. No member shall ever hold more than one Director position at a time. These Directors shall have complete control over their respective departments, and shall serve until such time as they retire or are removed. Each Director shall appoint at least one Deputy to serve as his right-hand man.

A. Director of Defense

This official is responsible for maintaining the military readiness of the alliance during peacetime, and conducting all military operations during wartime. The duties of the Director of Defense include overseeing military exercises and operations, creating and staffing military corps positions, educating the alliance membership about effective war strategies and briefing the Security Council on matters of military importance.

B. Director of Foreign Affairs

This official is responsible for representing the alliance in all matters involving other alliances. The duties of the Director of Foreign Affairs include assigning ambassadors to alliances, maintaining embassies on the alliance forums, negotiating treaties and submitting them to the Security Council for consideration, and briefing the Security Council on matters of foreign relations.

C. Director of Domestic Affairs

This official is responsible for maintaining the alliance's internal organization. The duties of the Director of Domestic Affairs include maintaining a roster of all member nations, oversight of forum masks, education of members, recruitment and admissions of outside nations. These duties shall be designated to sub-departments run by Deputies, who shall appointed by the Director.

D. Director of Finance

This official is responsible for overseeing the financial well-being of the alliance. The duties of the Director of Finance include organizing tech deals, aid programs and trades.These duties shall be designated to sub-departments run by Deputies, who shall appointed by the Director.

E. Director of Armament

This official is responsible for upholding the military standards of the alliance. The duties of the Director of Armament include coordinating goals with the Director of Defense, educating members on military readiness, setting guidelines for required military purchases, and briefing the Cabinet on matters involving the alliance's preparedness for war.

V. Body Republic
The Body Republic consists of all member nations who have not had their rights revoked as per VI.B Trial Proceedings. Each member of Body Republic shall have a number of votes equal to the number of positions vacant in case of elections.

VI. Membership
A. Requirements

Although all members of the Cyber-Nations community may apply to The Sweet Oblivion, the Commanders, Security Council and Director of Admissions all reserve the right to reject any applicant for any reason.

B. Trial Proceedings

Any member may be brought to trial by any other member Any member may be punished for crimes by a three-fifths majority vote by the Security Council for reasons including, but not limited to:

i. Declarations of war on an The Sweet Oblivion member or ally

ii. Unauthorized declarations of war on any nation

iii. Membership in another alliance

iv. Forwarding information to other alliances

v. Actions unbecoming of an The Sweet Oblivion member

Members brought before the Security Council for trial proceedings shall be given notice that such a proceeding is taking place and have the opportunity to present a defense before the Security Council within 24 hours of said notice. Trials shall last for a period of time no less than 48 hours unless the Security Council unanimously votes in favor of punishment. Members of the alliance brought before the Security Council for trial proceedings shall be considered under suspension of all rights within the alliance until such time as the court proceedings have concluded. These suspended rights include, but are not limited to, government positions, forum administration rights, military command positions and access to sensitive forums.

Should a member present an immediate and severe security threat to the alliance, the Commanders may punish the member immediately by a unanimous vote.

C. Elections

The Commanders shall conduct bi-monthly Security Council elections. Any alliance member may run, except in circumstances granted by II. Commanders and IX.B Limitations. The voting period shall last forty-eight hours. The five candidates with the most votes after the allotted time period has elapsed shall be selected as the new Security Council.

D. Impeachment

Any member of the alliance may petition the Commanders to impeach any government official for any reason. They must provide a document stating their case. The impeached may also present a defense within forty-eight hours of being impeached. No impeachment decisions shall be made in less than 48 hours unless a unanimous decision is made by the Commanders declaring the impeached a security risk.

i. Commanders

Should a Commander be impeached, he shall have no vote. A three-fifths Security Council and unanimous Commanders vote shall be required to successfully impeach.

'''ii. Security Council'''

Should a Security Councilor be impeached, he shall have no vote. A three-fourths Security Council and two-thirds Commanders vote shall be required to successfully impeach.

'''iii. Directors'''

Should a Director be impeached, he may be removed by a four-fifths Security Council vote, or by a Commanders decision as per II. Commanders.

VIII. Military and War
The Sweet Oblivion is a peaceful alliance, but also recognizes that military action is, in certain circumstances, unavoidable. To prevent unnecessary warfare, all declarations of war must be approved by the Commanders or Director of Defense. No exceptions shall be granted to this rule. Other guidelines for military conduct may be published by the Commanders, Security Council or Director of Defense.

IX. Rights and Liberties
A. Freedoms

Each member nation of The Sweet Oblivion has certain rights and liberties considered essential for the prosperity of their own nation. The following rights are guaranteed by this Constitution:

i. Freedom of speech, expression, trade, aid, self-defense

ii. Freedom to run for political office

iii. Freedom to vote

iv. Freedom to petition the government

v. Right to military assistance in situations where the member has committed no wrongs

B. Limitations

These rights are not without limitations: punishments and other provisions allowed for in this Constitution may override these rights. Additionally, the Commanders and Security Council may, via a unanimous vote from both bodies, issue a mandate which, for a period no longer than two months, limits or eliminates any or all rights for any number of member nations, should the situation warrant it.

X. Amendments
Any member may submit an amendment proposal to the Commanders, who, along with the Security Council, shall debate the merits of the proposal. The proposal shall then be put up for vote. Amendments require any two of these three requirements to be met before they are signed into law:

i. Three-fourths approval from the Body Republic ii. Unanimous approval from the Commanders iii. Four-fifths approval from the Security Council

XI. Conclusion
This document serves to uphold the rights of each member and the methods of conducting internal affairs. The values enshrined herein are not to be taken lightly, nor are they to be disobeyed; this document is absolute and binding.

Amendments
Apr2009 - An amendment merging The departments and staff of Domestic Affairs and Applications were merged into Domestic Affairs.