The Charter of the Orange Defense Network, also called the Citrus Declaration 2.0, is the charter of the Orange Defense Network.
The Citrus Declaration 2.0[]
The government and constituent nations of the Orange Defense Network do hereby lay forth this charter.
Article I: Membership[]
The Orange Defense Network is an alliance built on the membership of sovereign nations. Each member nation retains authority in conducting their own affairs, except as specified in this Charter. The members of the ODN work together to ensure the common prosperity and security of all other members.
Section I: Applying to the Orange Defense Network
1. In becoming a member of the Orange Defense Network, applicants must register on the offsite forum.
2. After signing in, the applicant must then take the following oath, by posting the oath in its entirety, with their respective nation and ruler names entered appropriately, in the Registration area:
I, [ruler name] of [nation name], swear to adhere to the following conditions upon my honor as a ruler, and upon the lives of my citizens:
I will portray myself and the Orange Defense Network in a light of integrity, honor, and dignity.
I will not declare war on any nation or commit any other act of aggression, regardless of cause, unless authorized to do so by a ranking officer of the military.
I will obey the Charter and Laws of the ODN, all positions adopted by the ODN Senate, and the orders of other elected and appointed government officers in their designated areas of control.
I will not make any statements of Orange Defense Network policy unless I am specifically directed to do so by the ODN Senate.
I, as a member of the Orange Defense Network, will contribute to this alliance. I understand that by actively seeking trade agreements, technology deals, and participating in the military, I better both myself and the Network as a whole. I also understand that the ODN is a community of peers that strives for excellence, and I commit myself to this endeavor.
3. All ODN members are required to have their nation's alliance affiliation set to Orange Defense Network and their team set to "Orange".
4. The Senate, or any senate authorized body, reserves the right to deny and accept potential member as an applicant. If a nation is refused entrance to the Network, a statement from the ODN shall be issued explaining why the decision has been made. The potential member will be masked as an ODN Applicant should they be accepted.
5. While masked as an applicant, the applicant may be required to complete certain tasks before being considered a full member. An ODN Applicant may also be denied by the senate at any time, for any reason.
6. The first 60 days of full ODN membership is probationary. The Senate of the ODN reserves the right to terminate membership within those 60 days without hearing or recourse if previously unrevealed problems concerning membership arise.
7. Members having been found in non-compliance with the oath or removed as per Article IV of this charter may not reapply to become an ODN member within two (2) weeks of being removed.
Section II: The General Assembly
1. Certain decisions in the Orange Defense Network require the approval of the General Assembly.
2. Each member of the Orange Defense Network has the power of one (1) vote in the General Assembly.
3. The General Assembly will actively take part in the decision making process of this alliance. The voting procedure:
General Assembly Vote is defined as a 48h vote in which a supermajority (greater than 2/3 of the votes cast) must be reached in the affirmative.
General Assembly Approval is defined as a 12h vote in which a supermajority (greater than 2/3 of the votes cast) must be reached in the affirmative.
4. Current Senators do not have a vote in the General Assembly.
Article II: Ministries[]
Section I: Secretary-General
The Secretary-General is the chief executive of the ODN. He/she is both our face and our voice to the wider world. He/she is the ultimate leader of this alliance, and as such is entitled to expect lawful obedience from our members.
A. Powers of the Secretary-General
1. The Secretary-General shall act as the public face of the ODN.
2. The Secretary-General may make executive decisions regarding the implementation of Senate plans and the designs of his/her sub-secretaries.
3. The Secretary-General shall release all official statements from the ODN Senate.
4. All powers not expressively given by this charter to any other position or body, are given to the Secretary-General.
5. Taking into consideration advice from the Senate, the Secretary-General shall appoint the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Economics within a 48 hour period of a new Senate being appointed.
6. The Secretary-General shall remove the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Interior, or the Secretary of Economics should he/she feel the current holder of the position is incapable or unwilling to do the job effectively.
7. All appointments/removals must be announced privately to the senate forty-eight (48) hours prior to taking effect. The senate may overrule these moves, or make them effective immediately, with a 3/5 vote completed within the forty-eight (48) hour time frame.
8. The Secretary-General may, at his/her discretion, appoint an assistant. This may be any ODN member in good standing. This assistant shall be given full government access in order to advise and assist the Secretary General. The Secretary-General may delegate any of his/her powers to the Assistant, other than the power to veto legislation, pardon convicted members, or vote in the place of an absent Senator.
9. The Secretary-General may propose issues to the Senate for their consideration at his/her discretion. The Senate is obligated to give these issues pre-eminent importance.
10. The Secretary-General possesses both a legislative veto power and a judicial pardon, the limitations of which are described in Articles III and IV respectively.
B. The Term of Secretary-General
1. The Secretary-General shall be elected by a popular vote of ODN members.
2. The term of Secretary-General shall last two calendar months.
3. In the event of any forewarned absence of the Secretary-General, the Chairperson of the Senate shall perform all of his/her duties in his stead. An absence is defined as any period of forty-eight (48) hours or greater during which the Secretary-General will not be able to perform his/her duties.
4. In the event of the resignation or impeachment of the Secretary-General, the Chairperson of the Senate shall carry out the duties of the Secretary-General while the immediate nomination and election process of a new Secretary-General is conducted to complete the current term.
Section II: Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the chief military officer of the Orange Defense Network. The Secretary General is his/her superior in all things, but the Secretary of Defense is empowered to act decisively within his/her own sphere of influence. Peacetime conflict, wartime planning, and the prosecution of all matters military in nature fall under his/her authority as do all members of the ODN defense forces.
A. Powers of the Secretary of Defense
1. The Secretary of Defense shall act as the head of the ODN defense forces. As such, he/she may compel lawful obedience from all members of the ODN defense forces.
2. The Secretary of Defense acts under the authority of the Secretary General and the oversight of the Senate in all matters concerning war.
3. The Secretary of Defense shall, in times of war, coordinate counter attacks and defense strategies to combat the enemy.
4. The Secretary of Defense shall, in peacetime, coordinate effective strength placement for new and existing members, and advise nations on topics of a military nature.
5. The Secretary of Defense may appoint Deputies to assist in the tasks carried out by the position. A Deputy may be any member in good standing not holding an elected position, or the rank of Secretary. Deputies do not require Senate approval but may be removed by 3/5 vote by the Senate.
B. The Term of Secretary of Defense
1. The Secretary of Defense shall be appointed by the Secretary-General.
2. The Secretary of Defense shall serve for two calendar months and serve concurrent with the Senate term during which they were appointed. At the conclusion of each Senate term, the Secretary of Defense shall step down from the position.
3. If the Secretary of Defense resigns before the end of his/her term, a new Secretary of Defense should be appointed by the Secretary-General.
C. The ODN Defense Forces
1. The ODN shall maintain a defense force for the purpose of defending its member nations and those of its allies.
2. The structure of the ODN defense force should be determined by the Secretary of Defense and his/her deputies.
Section III: Secretary of State
The Secretary of State is the chief Ambassador of the Orange Defense Network. It is he/she who makes ambassadorial assignments and creates a foreign policy agenda. He/she cultivates relationships with all other alliances, and makes him/herself ready to report to the Government on all foreign matters.
A. Powers of the Secretary of State
1. The Secretary of State shall act as the head of the State Department.
2. The Secretary of State acts under the authority of the Secretary General and the oversight of the Senate in all matters concerning foreign policy. The Senate may call upon the Secretary of State to assist and advise in tasks concerning foreign policy.
3. The Secretary of State shall meet foreign diplomats that wish to establish diplomatic relations (opening of an embassy) and recommend to the Senate a course of action.
4. The Secretary of State shall appoint, remove, replace, or switch ambassadors and diplomats to different alliances as (s)he sees fit. All changes may be reversed by 3/5 vote by the Senate.
5. The Secretary of State may appoint Deputies to assist in the tasks carried out by the position. A Deputy may be any member in good standing not holding an elected position, or the rank of Secretary. Deputies do not require Senate approval but may be removed by 3/5 vote by the Senate.
B. The Term of Secretary of State
1. The Secretary of State shall be appointed by the Secretary General.
2. The Secretary of State shall serve for two calendar months and serve concurrent with the Senate term during which they were appointed. At the conclusion of each Senate term, the Secretary of State shall step down from the position.
3. If the Secretary of State resigns before the end of his/her term, a new Secretary of State should be appointed by the Secretary General.
Section IV: Secretary of the Interior
The Secretary of the Interior oversees the interior organizational structure. He/She sees that that ODN is kept in an organized state, and may make programs to ensure the alliance is always kept organized and efficient.
A. Powers of the Secretary of the Interior
1. The Secretary of the Interior shall act as the head of internal organization, as well as all other programs not under mandate of the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Economics, or the Senate.
2. The primary concern of the Secretary of the Interior is the internal organization of the alliance.
3. The Secretary of the Interior acts under the authority of the Secretary General and the oversight of the Senate in all matters concerning internal affairs.
4. The Secretary of the Interior may appoint Deputies to assist in the tasks carried out by the position. A Deputy may be any member in good standing not holding an elected position, or the rank of Secretary. Deputies do not require Senate approval but may be removed by 3/5 vote by the Senate.
B. The Term of Secretary of the Interior
1. The Secretary of the Interior shall be appointed by the Secretary General.
2. The Secretary of the Interior shall serve for two calendar months and serve concurrent with the Senate term during which they were appointed. At the conclusion of each Senate term, the Secretary of the Interior shall step down from the position.
3. If the Secretary of the Interior resigns before the end of his/her term, a new Secretary of the Interior should be appointed by the Secretary General.
Section V: Secretary of Economics
The Secretary of Economics oversees the constituent economies of the alliance. He/She sees that the nations of the ODN are growing steadily, organizes programs to facilitate that growth, and organizes the financial/internal resources of the ODN so that they may be applied in a fashion to maximize their efficacy.
A. Powers of the Secretary of Economics
1. The Secretary of Economics will act as the head of all financial matters in the alliance, including, but not limited to: trade circles, technology deals, or aid distribution.
2. The primary concern of the Secretary of Economics is the development of all constituent nations.
3. The Secretary of Economics acts under the authority of the Secretary General and the oversight of the Senate in all matters concerning financial affairs.
4. The Secretary of Economics shall also oversee inter-alliance financial affairs including (but not limited to) the payment of reparations or the creation of inclusive financial programs.
5. The Secretary of Economics may appoint Deputies to assist in the tasks carried out by the position. A Deputy may be any member in good standing not holding an elected position, or the rank of Secretary. Deputies do not require Senate approval but may be removed by 3/5 vote by the Senate.
B. The Term of the Secretary of Economics
1. The Secretary of Economics shall be appointed by the Secretary General.
2. The Secretary of Economics shall serve for two calendar months and serve concurrent with the Senate term during which they were appointed. At the conclusion of each Senate term, the Secretary of Economics shall step down from the position.
3. If the Secretary of Economics resigns before the end of his/her term, a new Secretary of Economics should be appointed by the Secretary General.
Article III: Senate[]
The Orange Defense Network Senate shall create all government procedure, act as the voice of the ODN membership. All matters of internal and external legislation are under their purview. They are leaders of the Network, and shall conduct themselves accordingly, adhering to the highest standards of duty and responsibility.
Section I: Senate Organization
A. Senators
1. The Senate shall be composed of five (5) able and qualified ODN members.
2. Each Senator has the power of one (1) vote within the Senate.
B. Chairperson
1. The Chairperson is head of the Senate.
2. The Chairperson shall bring issues presented by ODN members to the Senate for discussion and vote.
3. The Chairperson shall oversee votes conducted by the Senate.
4. The Chairperson shall be elected by the Senate, from its own number, at the beginning of each Senate term.
Section II: Procedure for Passing Legislation
1. The Chairperson shall bring ODN Membership concerns to the Senate for discussion and vote.
2. The Senate shall discuss each issue and produce a vote in a timely manner.
When voting, the following must occur for a vote to pass:
Legislation - 3/5 Senate Approval Constitutional Amendments - 4/5 Senate Approval and General Assembly Vote Treaties without a defense clause - 3/5 Senate Approval Treaties containing an optional defense clause or higher - 4/5 Senate Approval and General Assembly Vote
3. The Secretary-General may veto any decision in Article III, Section II not requiring a 5/5 approval within forty-eight (48) hours of an item being passed. The Senate may override this veto with a re-vote receiving 5/5 approval. If after a re-vote, a 5/5 approval is not reached, the item up for vote may be rewritten and re-introduced as a new piece of legislation.
Section III: ODN Membership Proposals
1. Any ODN member in good standing may bring to attention any issue they believe the Senate should deal with. The Chairperson should then bring the issue to the Senate for official discussion and vote. Issues may include - but are not limited to - Legislation or Procedure.
Section IV: Terms of Senators
1. Senators shall be elected by a popular vote of ODN Members.
2. The vote shall include all candidates and each ODN member may place three (3) votes for those Senators they wish to see with a Senate place. The five (5) candidates with the most votes shall be deemed Senators.
3. A Senator shall serve a two calendar month term.
Section V: Absences
1. In the event that a vote is motioned and a Senator has been absent for at least forty-eight (48) hours following the motion to vote, the Secretary-General shall act as a proxy and vote in his/her stead. Should the Secretary-General vote in the case of an unauthorized absence, he/she shall forfeit his/her veto power on that particular item of legislation.
2. In the event that a Senator knows they will be absent for greater than forty-eight (48) hours, he/she shall designate a proxy to vote in his/her stead. The proxy may be any of the Secretary-General, the Assistant to the Secretary-General, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Interior or the Secretary of Economics..
Section VI: Procedure for Declaring War
A war declared on a member of another alliance. - 4/5 Senate approval
A war declared on an alliance in aggressive support of an ally with which we hold a treaty with a mutual aggression clause – automatic*
A war declared on an alliance in defense of an ally with which we hold a treaty with a mutual defense clause – automatic*
A war declared on an alliance in defense of an ally with which we hold a treaty with an optional defense clause – 4/5 Senate approval
A war declared on an alliance through the activation of an optional aggression clause – 5/5 Senate approval and General Assembly Approval.
A war declared on an alliance without activation of any treaty - 5/5 Senate Approval and General Assembly Vote
- In the event that the ODN has mandatory defense or treaty obligations on multiple sides of a conflict, the Senate may override the activation of a defense or aggression clause by reaching a 4/5 vote within 12 hours after the initiation of hostilities. Activation of a treaty containing both mandatory defense and aggression may not be overridden.
Article IV: Judiciary[]
The responsibility of the Judiciary is to see that Justice prevails within the ODN. They hold both the government and its members accountable to the law. In situations where no law exists, they rule with an eye toward justice.
Section I: Duties of the Judiciary
1. The Judiciary shall act as the Justice of the Orange Defense Network
2. The Judiciary shall oversee the internal discipline of all ODN members, and shall call for punishments when deemed necessary.
3. The Judiciary shall oversee the conduct of all government affairs and ensure proper procedure is followed in all cases.
Section II: Composition of the Judiciary
1. The Judiciary shall be made up of three (3) Justices.
2. Justices shall be appointed by the Senate and their appointment must be approved by the Secretary-General. The Senate shall appoint one (1) Justice to the Judiciary at the culmination of its term, to begin serving at the beginning of the following Senate term. Should the Secretary-General withhold his/her approval, sufficient reason must be given publicly.
3. Justices shall serve until they are relieved or resign.
4. One Justice shall resign his duties upon the election of a new Secretary General but will continue to hold the position until the appointment of a new Justice with the start of the next Senate term. Should no Justice resign the Senate shall vote to remove one Justice.
5. A Justice may be removed from the Judiciary. The removal of a Justice must have the approval of the Secretary General and a 4/5 vote of the Senate.
6. In the event that a Justice should resign or be removed from the Judiciary in mid-term, the Senate should appoint a replacement consistent with the strictures outlined above.
Section III: Procedure for Investigations
1. Any probationary member or member in good standing of the Orange Defense Network may bring a grievance against another to the Judiciary.
2. Should a judge wish to bring forward a complaint of his/her own, he/she must recuse him/herself from the case before bringing the complaint before the judiciary. Notice of the recusal must be posted in the ODN Membership Updates and Inquiries and sent by PM to the other two judges, the Ombudsman, the Chair of the Senate, and the Secretary General.
3. Should a judge need to recuse him/herself for other reasons, including planned absences, notice of the recusal must be posted in the ODN Membership Updates and Inquiries and sent by PM to the other two judges, the Ombudsman, the Chair of the Senate, and the Secretary General.
In the event that one or more justices has been recused from a case or is unavailable due to absence, and the Ombudsman is unavailable to act as a justice, then the next most recently retired justice shall be asked to sit in for the case. If this justice declines or is unavailable, then the next most recently retired justice shall be asked. Should they also either decline or be unavailable, the process will be repeated until there are three justices in charge of the case.
Should there be no retired justice being available due to absences or due to provision b. the next most recently retired board member shall be asked, and so forth, until there are 3 justices available.
If any of the retired justices or board members currently hold a government position (Senate or the Secretariat) or are directly involved in the case, they shall be ineligible to act as a justice.
4. The Judiciary must have a 2/3 majority to determine whether or not the complaint has merit. Complaints without merit warrant no judicial attention.
5. All investigations shall be conducted in full view of the ODN membership. However, the investigation may be conducted in private, if conducting it in public would compromise the results of the investigation or damage the security of the ODN. In this case, the full investigation and trial must immediately be made public once privacy is no longer needed or the investigation and trial are concluded. The need for privacy is to be determined by the Judiciary, on the advice of the Secretary-General and the Senate.
6. In the event that the accused is accused of a major crime and determined by the Judiciary to be a flight risk, the Judiciary may ask the Secretary of Defense to select a nation to declare war on the accused, in order to prevent the accused from escaping. No attacks or additional declarations are to be made on the accused without the approval of the Judiciary.
7. The Judiciary shall hear testimony from both the plaintiff and the defendant, and shall make a decision based upon the testimony and evidence given.
8. Possible punishments for members found guilty shall include:
Fines - Monetary or Technological penalty, an appropriate amount of which is to be determined by the Judiciary. The Secretary General shall designate an appropriate nation for the fine to be paid to. Requires 2/3 approval of the Judiciary.
Censure - Being declared "not in good standing" and subject to limited alliance benefits for a determined period of time including, but not limited to, the inability to vote in elections or call for investigations. Requires 2/3 approval of the Judiciary.
Impeachment - Removal from public office. Impeachment applies for Senators, all Secretaries, and the Ombudsman and Requires 3/3 approval of the Judiciary.
Expulsion - Removal from the Orange Defense Network. Requires 3/3 approval of the Judiciary.
7. The Secretary General shall have the right to offer a pardon to any member found guilty within forty-eight (48) hours of being found guilty. The Secretary General shall further have the right to commute unserved portions of any sentence. The Secretary General may not pardon him/herself or commute his/her own sentences.
Article V: Ombudsman[]
The Ombudsman is the trusted representative and the eyes and ears of the General Assembly in the private areas of Government.
Section I: Duties of the Ombudsman
1. The Ombudsman shall oversee all government discussions and decisions, and voice the concerns of the General Assembly in private discussions
2. The Ombudsman shall ensure that correct procedure is followed by the government at all times. In the event of a mistake in procedure, the Ombudsman shall first notify the government of the infraction. If the mistake is not rectified, the Ombudsman shall report the breach of conduct to the Judiciary.
3. Should a judge need to be temporarily replaced for the duration of an investigation or trial, the Ombudsman shall be the temporary replacement for that judge.
Section II: Term of the Ombudsman
1. The Ombudsman shall be elected by a popular vote of ODN members. Current Senators, the Secretary-General, and any member of the Secretariat appointed by the Secretary-General may not vote in Ombudsman elections.
2. The term of the Ombudsman shall last 2 calender months, and be staggered such that elections for the Ombudsman should occur at the midpoint of the term of the Secretary General.
Article VI: Amendments[]
Any ODN member in good standing with the ODN has the right to bring to discussion an amendment to this constitution. It should be brought before the ODN membership for discussion, and given to the Senate for approval. After an amendment is approved, it shall go into effect immediately and be added to the charter.
Article VII: Ratification[]
A. Date of Ratification: 15 December, 2007