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| − | The Harmless Revolution is |
+ | The Harmless Revolution is a Supporting Policy Document of the [[MHA Charter]], describing every single detail of the new Government. This was first documents to be compiled as the MHA changed to a new Government system with a Triumvirate head of state. The Harmless Revolution also details the responsibilities and operations of the five Ministries, as well as the intricacies of the MHA's judicial system, the MHA Court. At the fundamental heart of this document is the preservation of [[democracy]] in the alliance, and the protection of the people's will, which is central to MHA internal policy and a major factor in the alliance's beliefs. The Harmless Revolution began in November, 2007, when the original idea was proposed by [[WCR]] to move to a new Government system, starting with the Triumvirs in December. The Ministries came in January and the Court was completed in late March, with elections in April. |
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| + | In 2009, as part of a major overhaul of the [[MHA Charter]], the Revolution was updated and improved. The updated version was ratified on Thursday, September 24th, 2009. |
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==The Harmless Revolution== |
==The Harmless Revolution== |
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| + | The Mostly Harmless Alliance has a history of representative democracy, a powerful voice of the people, and respect for all Hitchhikers. Throughout many different Charters and Documents, tthe MHA has lived to serve its people and its people to govern the alliance. In the beginning, our Founders JimmyK, VinnyP, and R11ch established that the alliance was governed by a democratically elected council of five Senators, whose decisions and votes were viewable for all members to see and discuss. In creating MHA, they established an alliance that was run for the people, by the people. |
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| − | Through a history of democracy and the People's Will, the Mostly Harmless Alliance had existed with a democratically run Senate consisting of five MHA members, along with three Overseers. For over a year the Senate worked to implement new departments, handle foreign affairs issues, and wield the legislative and judicial powers for the alliance. But a need for change had arisen. For too long had the alliance simply existed. It hadn't reached beyond what it already was, it had never grasped what it could potentially be. For that change to occur, for the alliance to move into a higher gear, there needed to be a change at the very top; we needed to do things differently. We needed a Revolution. |
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| + | The Harmless Revolution came in November 2007, as decreed by the people. This changed the Government of the alliance to a council of three Triumvirs with five Ministers; but the democracy remained the same. Our Government became organized, efficient, and broad; operations were stream lined and the people's voices were strengthened even more. Through the empowerment of the Third Revolution, the MHA Court, a sound legal system and Judicial Body guarded the people, led by three independently elected Court Officers. Further improvements saw the initiation of an Ombudsman, a completely independent position to liaise between the people, the Government and the Court: to ensure the will of the people was protected. |
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| − | And so, in November of 2007, it began. The call went out to the members to find out what we wanted. To continue as we were, or to adopt a new system of Government - with bigger goals and the power to reach them. On November 20th the first chants for change began as the idea was proposed to replace our Senate and Overseers with a simple system of a Triumvirate, and Ministers. In essence, it took our existing Government and turned it on it's head. Our Triumvirs were given the power to run the alliance. Swift, decisive, active. They would be the best of the best - the top members in the alliance would be running the show. And with them came the Ministers; five organizers, planners, specialists in their fields. They would each focus on one of the major areas of operations for the alliance - War, Economy, Communications, Members, Diplomacy. The call had gone out for change and the MHA responded. |
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| + | The Revolution has been updated on occasion to ensure fairer elections and easier amendments; however, a significant change occurred in mid-2009. The creation of the Hitchhiker's Assembly ensured greater voice and powers to the people and a clear distinction between the Legislative Body (The Assembly), the Executive Body (The Government), and the Judicial Body (the MHA Court) was made. After this change, the Revolution required a significant overhaul to ensure it remained a leading up-to-date document in Government organization and in compliance with the Hitchhiker's Assembly. |
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| − | Through a majority of 77% in favor, the alliance supported the Revolution. The First Legislation, the Triumvirate, written by the Revolution's author Working Class Ruler, was embraced by the Final MHA Senate on December 10th, 2007. It empowered our Triumvirs to wield the full power of the members, to do what was needed to do to make this alliance soar. And the people were feeling the change. Our membership increased, our score skyrocketed. By the end of 2007 we were in range to be Sanctioned - a dream never thought possible a few months ago. The Second Revolution came in January, once the first Triumvirate had been appointed. The Ministries were outlined in full, with their individual departments and responsibilities. What it meant for the MHA was a clear system of operations, and the freedom for our Ministers to run efficiently. It was no coincidence that the Alliance Audit in late January 2008, saw the MHA Sanctioned. We were reaching our goals. |
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| + | The following document outlines the election, powers, and procedures of the Executive Body. |
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| − | The Third and Final Revolution came into power much later, in late March 2008. The Court, previously a jumbled and loosely-controlled mess was then reorganized, given increased power and clear procedures. It meant that the judicial system, for the first time, would be independent of the Government. It meant having an accountable and democratically-elected justice team, something the alliance had never had. At this time, the alliance was riding higher than ever. Our position as a Sanctioned alliance grew, our systems operated like a well-oiled machine to ensure protection for alliance members, services for the economy and growth of our nations, activities and jobs never before available, and a solid democratic system of Government worthy of a Sanctioned alliance. The MHA had stepped up, beyond merely existing, and had grasped full potential with both hands. |
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'''Vive la Révolution!''' |
'''Vive la Révolution!''' |
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==The First Revolution: The Triumvirate== |
==The First Revolution: The Triumvirate== |
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| − | The Triumvirate is a 3 |
+ | The Triumvirate is a 3 member executive council, elected by the people of the alliance. The Triumvirate shall be responsible for management and leadership of the Executive Body: overseeing all Ministries, departments, the deployment of alliance military, the ratification of treaties, the management of all alliance. affairs, and shall act as representatives of the alliance, and leadership of the alliance. The Hitchhiker’s Assembly elects triumvirs for a term of 3 months, with one Triumvir elected each month on a rotating basis. Triumvirs will act with respect, honor, dignity, and honesty to their full capacity, for the complete duration of the term. |
| − | ===Article I: Election of the Triumvirate=== |
+ | ===Article I: Election of the Triumvirate.=== |
| − | '''Part A''': A Triumvirate Term in Office lasts a maximum of three months and new Terms will start on the first Day of the first month, unless delayed by Bi-Elections or contests to the Election results. The Election period shall last for a total of five days, during which time the Incumbent Triumvirate shall remain fully empowered as MHA Government. |
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| + | '''Part A:''' Triumvir candidates must: |
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| − | '''Part B:''' Five days prior to the end of the third month, all Triumvirate candidates [see I.C], including Incumbent Triumvirate seeking re-election, shall put forth their nomination as a candidate for election in a Nominations List. The list will be initiated by any Government member (Triumvir, Minister, Deputy Minister, Secretary, Government Advisor) not running for Triumvir in the current election. Only he or she may edit the list. Should this member be unable to maintain the list, another uninvolved Government member shall re-post (copy) the list into a new List. At the expiration of forty-eight hours from the first Nominations List opening, Nominations shall close and the elections shall begin. |
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| + | 1) Have been with the Alliance for a minimum of six consecutive months directly before their nomination as defined by the in-game Alliance Seniority. |
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| + | 2) Have held at least one position in the Executive Body, Judicial Body, or Legislative body for two months directly before their nomination. |
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| + | 3) Not be serving a conviction from the MHA Court. |
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| + | 4) Have a legal nation in Cybernations. |
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| + | '''Part B:''' Exemptions to these requirements are granted by the MHA Court. The criteria for exemption includes: a member removing their Alliance Affiliation for no more than 24 hours, with proof, a member being no more than a week short of requirements 1 and 2, a member having previously served in a Triumvir or Minister position for over 6 consecutive months, or the member having previously served in a senior-level Government position within another alliance for 6 consecutive months, with proof, and who has also served in a Government position within MHA for one month prior to the election. Exemptions must be heard in the MHA Court at any time before the Nominations Thread closes. |
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| − | '''Part C:''' Triumvir candidates must have served with the alliance for a minimum of six consecutive months directly prior to their nomination, and must have held at least one Government position (Triumvir, Minister, Deputy Minister, Secretary, Government Advisor) for a minimum of the three consecutive months directly prior to their nomination, in order to be eligible for Nomination. As a general rule, Triumvirate candidates shall be active, dedicated members. By nominating, Candidates pledge that they shall hold the position, if elected, for the full 3 months. Candidates may not be members of the MHA Academy or currently serving a conviction from the MHA Court. All candidates must have one legal nation in Cybernations to nominate. |
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| + | '''Part C:''' Ten days prior to the end of each month, all Triumvir candidates, including the Incumbent if that person is seeking reelection, shall announce their nominations in a Nominations Thread that will be initiated by the Speaker of the Assembly, the Legislator of the Assembly if the speaker is unavailable, or a Court Officer if neither of the first two is available. The Nominations Period will last a total of three days, all Exemptions must be applied for during this time. If no one nominates for Triumvir, the Nomination Period will continue until at least one person nominates. |
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| − | '''Part D:''' During elections, Candidates shall be allowed to campaign on the official MHA forums only. Mass messaging or "spamming" of members is not allowed. The use of external non-MHA influence is not allowed. The use of or threats of violence, blackmail, coercion, bribery, interfering with the Election in any way that will alter the Election process or results, interfering with the democracy of the elections through multiple accounts, or other means deemed illegal by alliance policy, are not allowed. Election campaigns shall be fair, reasonable and respectful. Any Candidates deemed to be in violation of the spirit of fair-play by either the Incumbent Triumvirate, the MHA Court or Populace [See III.D], regardless of whether the Candidate is an incumbent Triumvirate, shall have his or her Nomination removed as minimum punishment. Any acts in violation of the MHA Charter or policy shall warrant a court case in the MHA Court [See III.D], resulting in possible suspension, expulsion, or ineligibility to hold a position of Government in the MHA. |
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| + | '''Part D:''' After three days, the Nominations Period ends and the Discussion Period begins. The Discussion Period allows candidates to discuss election issues, debate each other, and campaign for votes. All Candidates must conduct themselves with civility, respect, and maturity, especially to other candidates, during this period in the spirit of fair play. After four days, the Voting Period begins; however, the campaigning and discussions may continue throughout the Voting Period. |
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| − | '''Part E:''' Elections begin three days prior to the end of the third month of a Triumvirate's term. The election shall be decided via Forum Poll on the MHA Forums, and shall be open for a total of three days. All members of the MHA shall vote in Elections, including Candidates. At the end of the three days, which ever three Triumvir candidates have the most votes will be elected as the Triumvirate of the MHA. The Election forum Poll shall be opened by any existing Triumvir, Minister, Deputy Minister, Government Advisor, or Secretary, not nominated as a Candidate in the Elections. Once the elections begin, any editing of the poll shall void it completely and a new poll shall be opened instantly by another Triumvirate, Minister, Deputy Minister, Government Advisor, or Secretary not nominated as a Candidate and not responsible for voiding the previous poll. It is said member's responsibility to close the poll at the conclusion of the 3 days. |
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| + | '''Part E:''' The Voting Period remains open for a period of 3 days. The Vote Poll must be opened by the Speaker of the Assembly, the Legislator of the Assembly if the Speaker is unavailable, or a Court Officer if neither of the first two is available. No one, including the member who opened the Poll, may edit, alter, close, or otherwise change the vote or the post containing the vote, once it has begun. Doing so shall violate the integrity of the Poll and all persons caught doing so shall be placed on Trial in the MHA Court, and a new Vote will be opened with the Voting Period starting again. The candidate with the highest amount of votes at the conclusion of the Voting Period will be elected as Triumvir of the alliance. |
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| − | '''Part F:''' The election results shall be considered final at the conclusion of the voting period of three days. A win by any margin is still considered a win. The only means in which a final vote is completely overturned (with the exception of tie-votes and Bi-Elections, [See I.I and I.J]) is through a decision in the MHA Court whereby the entire vote is considered unreliable [see I.G]. |
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| + | '''Part F:''' In the event only one person nominates for Triumvir, a Confirmation Vote is held for a period of 3 days. The Assembly will vote to Elect the candidate, cast a Vote of No Confidence against the candidate, or Abstain from voting. If the candidate receives a majority vote to elect, the candidate will be elected as Triumvir. If the candidate receives a majority Vote of No Confidence or Abstain, he/she will not be elected and a new nominations period will open. |
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| − | '''Part G:''' In the event of a dispute over the Vote or an elected Triumvirate or Triumvirates' actions during a campaign, the case shall be handled independently by the MHA Court [see III.D] Until the completion of the case, the election result in relation to the particular Candidate or Candidates is considered suspended and the next runner-up or runner-ups shall be elected Acting Triumvirate for the duration. To clarify, if a Candidate is accused of breaking Alliance Charter or Policy during elections, his or her position as a Triumvirate, Triumvirate Candidate, and Triumvirate Runner-Up, is suspended and the next person with the highest amount of votes (the next Runner-Up) shall act as Triumvirate. If the next Runner-Up candidate is implicated or currently involved in a Court Case, then the position falls to the next runner-up, and so on until the position is filled. Should all other candidates be deemed ineligible to act as Triumvir, a new Election for the final position is called with new candidates, following election proceedure [see I.B onwards]. |
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| + | '''Part G:''' In the event of a tie, a runoff vote (By-Election) shall take place. The candidates shall be entered into a new Vote Poll, which will last for 24 hours and will be opened by the Speaker, Legislator, or a Court Officer. No one, including the member who opened the Poll, may edit, alter, close, or otherwise change the Vote, or the post containing the Vote, once it has begun. Doing so shall violate the integrity of the Poll and all persons caught doing so shall be placed on Trial in the MHA Court, and a New Vote will be opened with the By-Election Voting Period starting again. The candidate with the most votes at the conclusion this new Poll shall be deemed elected as Triumvir. During this time, the Incumbent Triumvir, unless otherwise disqualified, retains their office and powers. |
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| − | '''Part H:''' Should the accused Candidate or Candidates be cleared of all charges by the MHA Court, and has gained enough votes to elect him or her as a Triumvir, they will immediately resume their position as Triumvir. Should the Court Case rule that the Election itself has been significantly tainted or influenced illegally then the results shall be overturned and a new Election vote shall be initiated, with the offending member/s removed from Candidacy. During this time, the Incumbent Triumvirate will remain as MHA Government until elections are finalized. Should one or two of the Incumbent Triumvirate be otherwise involved with or implicated in this, or any other, Elections Court Case, then replacement proceedure [See I.G] shall follow. Should all three Triumvirs be otherwise involved with or implicated in this, or any other, Elections court case, then the Ministry shall act as an Emergency Senate [See III.G] for the duration. Should the Court Case rule that the Candidate or Candidates acted illegally during the Election campaign [See I.D], their Candidacy for Triumvirate, regardless of whether they gained enough votes to be elected Triumvir (whereby the position will be filled by the next Runner Up [See I.G]) shall be revoked and their results in the Election deemed void. |
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| + | '''Part H:''' In the event of a tie in the By-election, a second runoff shall be held, following the same procedures as the first By-election. If this vote fails to produce a clear victory, the remaining two Triumvirs and all Ministers will cast the deciding vote with a 4/7 majority required to elect the winner. If a 4/7 Majority is not found, the Speaker of the Assembly, or the Legislator if the Speaker is unavailable, will cast the deciding vote. |
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| − | '''Part I''': In the event of a tie in the elections, whereby the election fails to achieve three clear winners, a simple Bi-election vote-off shall take place. All candidates who received the equal score shall be entered into a new Forum Poll, which will last for twenty-four hours. At the end of twenty-four hours, the candidate/s with the most votes shall be elected. This rule applies if the vote-off is for one, two, or all three Triumvirate positions. During this time, the Incumbent Triumvirate, unless involved in a Court Case [See I.G] remains fully empowered as MHA Government, until the completion of the Bi-Election. |
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| + | '''Part I:''' In the event of a dispute over the Vote, the actions of a Candidate, or the actions of any other MHA member, each of which may directly affect the vote, the case shall be handled by the MHA Court. Until the completion of the case, the election result is suspended and the Incumbent Triumvir will remain as Acting Triumvir. Should the Incumbent Triumvir be implicated or involved in the dispute or otherwise unavailable, the Ministry and remaining Triumvirs shall appoint an Acting Triumvir from any Government member in the alliance for the duration of the Court Case by following the established procedure for selection of an Acting Triumvir. The Hitchhiker’s Assembly may contest the appointment following a Vote of No Confidence. |
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| − | '''Part J:''' In the event a second Bi-election vote-off is required, another Poll shall be opened for all candidates involved, [See I.] which will run for another twenty-four hours. If this vote fails to achieve the necessary conclusion, the previous Incumbent Triumvirate and five Ministers will cast the deciding vote/s. During this time, the Incumbent Triumvirate, unless involved in a Court Case [See I.G] remains fully empowered as MHA Government, until the completion of the Bi-Election. |
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| + | '''Part J:''' Should a candidate be acquitted by the MHA Court and be deemed properly elected, that candidate will immediately assume the office of Triumvir. Should the Court Case rule that the Election itself has been significantly tainted or influenced illegally, then the results shall be overturned and a new Election Vote shall be initiated with the offending member(s) removed from Candidacy. New elections shall follow the same procedure and requirements as per a standard election. |
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| − | '''Part K:''' Any members caught subverting the election process shall be in violation of Alliance policy, and will face immediate suspension from the Alliance until the completion of the Elections and the completion of their court case. |
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| − | '''Part |
+ | '''Part K:''' Upon the completion of the election, each elected Triumvir must post the following official acceptance of the position: |
| − | "I [name here] hereby accept the position of Triumvir of the Mostly Harmless Alliance, as elected by the people of the alliance. I hereby swear to serve the alliance with respect, |
+ | "I [name here] hereby accept the position of Triumvir of the Mostly Harmless Alliance, as elected by the people of the alliance. I hereby swear to serve the alliance with respect, honour, dignity, and honesty to my full capacity, for the complete duration of the term." |
===Article II: Procedure of the Triumvirate=== |
===Article II: Procedure of the Triumvirate=== |
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| − | '''Part A:''' A vote by the Triumvirate is considered final, unless superseded by a Petition Poll, on all matters. They are the only three required to vote on legislation and other alliance affairs. They are, by simple definition, the executive decision-making body of the alliance. |
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| + | '''Part A:''' In all affairs, all three of the Triumvirate must be present for votes and discussions, unless an urgent decision is required. All Triumvirs must contribute to the running of the alliance and must be allowed to contribute to the running of the alliance. It is the individual Triumvir's duty to ensure they remain active on the forums, or face replacement. It is the whole Triumvirate's duty to ensure all three Triumvirs are included in all decisions. |
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| − | '''Part B''': All members of the alliance shall be encouraged to discuss all decisions currently under review by the Triumvirate. The main government Forum, The Open Floor, shall be open for all these groups to contribute to decisions and discussions informally, with the exception of a necessary Private Forum, which shall remain for security reasons only accessible to the Triumvirate and the Ministry. Article II.A remains that it is the Triumvirate who cast the formal vote on issues. |
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| + | '''Part B:''' Major decisions, defined as the mobilization of the MHA Military, ratification of any treaties with Military Defence obligations, the cancellation of any treaties, the appointment of Ministers, Government Advisors, and other special positions; require a 3/3 agreement by the Triumvirs. |
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| − | '''Part C:''' In all affairs, regardless of any factor, all three of the Triumvirate must be present for votes and discussions. All Triumvirs must contribute to the running of the alliance and must be allowed to contribute to the running of the alliance. It is the individual Triumvir's duty to ensure they remain active on the forums, or face replacement [See III]. It is the whole Triumvirate's duty to ensure all three Triumvirs are included in all decisions. |
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| − | '''Part |
+ | '''Part C:''' For Urgent decisions, defined as the activation of Military Defence treaties, the immediate activation of the MHA Military, representation of the alliance, and the management of the Ministry requiring immediate on-the-spot decisions, or any other act deemed "Urgent" by the Triumvirate, any subset of the Triumvirate who are available may chose to act for the alliance as a whole providing reasonable efforts have been made to contact the remaining Triumvir(s). Once the urgency of said decision has passed, the whole Triumvirate may act to endorse or over-turn the decision by a two out of three majority. Treaties, decisions, or official representation conducted during this time shall be done so with the pre-emptive announcement that any decisions may be over-turned in the future. Abuse of this article, deemed to violate MHA Charter and policy, or to circumvent the democracy of the alliance and Triumvirate, shall be grounds for the dismissal of the Triumvir responsible. |
| + | '''Part D:''' For all other decisions, a Majority Vote required for a formal decision shall be two out of three Triumvirs. A 2/3 majority either way must be achieved to be considered final. Should a single Triumvir abstain from voting, the remaining two Triumvirs may still reach a consensus on a final decision. Should a Triumvir require a temporary Leave, he/she may opt to give their support (pre-approval) to any decision that the remaining two Triumvirs have reached a consensus on. |
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| − | '''Part E:''' For Urgent decisions, defined as the activiation of Defense or Aggression treaties, the immediate activation of the MHA Military, represenation of the alliance, and the management of members, elections, and Ministry appointments requiring immediate on-the-spot decisions, or any other act deemed "Urgent" by the Triumvirate, any singular Triumvirate may act for the alliance as a whole. Once the urgency of said decision has passed, the whole Triumvirate may act to endorse or over-turn the decision by a two out of 3 majority. Abstaining from voting on an "Urgent" decision is considered automatically a vote in favor of endorsing the act by default, as the abstaining Triumvir is not voting to over-turn the decision. Treaties, decisions, or official representation conducted during this time shall be done so with the pre-emptive announcement that any decisions may be over-turned in the future. Abuse of this article, deemed to violate MHA policy and charter, or to circumvent the democracy of the alliance and Triumvirate, shall be grounds for the dismissal of the Triumvir responsible. |
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| + | '''Part E:''' In general, the Triumvirate are expected to act as a united team, empowered by the people to lead and improve the alliance. Issues and disputes must be settled quickly and fairly, Triumvirs should handle any serious problems between themselves in the privacy of the Triumvir's forum, and will always put the prosperity and harmony of the alliance above all else. |
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| − | '''Part F:''' For all other decisions, a Majority Vote required for a formal decision shall be two out of three Triumvirs. A 2/3 majority either way must be achieved to be considered final. On such votes, a single Triumvir may abstain from voting, but the remaining two Triumvirs must still reach a consensus (either both voting for or both voting against) for the decision to be final. Should the remaining two Triumvirs be unable to reach a consensus, including if a second Triumvirs abstains from voting, the topic shall be considered dropped for a minimum of five days. Should two or more Triumvirs abstain from voting, the decision/s is considered automatically dropped for a minimum of 24 hours. |
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| − | '''Part G:''' The Populace retains the power at all times to over-turn and influence a decision. At anytime, any member of the alliance may open a Petition Poll in order to decide, support, or over-turn a Decision made by the Triumvirate. A Petition Poll shall be open for a minimum of 48 hours and a maxiumum of 72 hours, and requires 60% of the Total Alliance's approval to be considered formal. Petition Polls may be opened even if a particular decision is still on-going and open, or after the decision has been made and the people wish to overturn it. Should Petition Poll fail to meet the 60% requirement in the required time, the Poll is considered closed and the issue dropped for a miniumum of one week. The failed Poll, however, will be presented as recommendation to the Triumvirs, without the legal authority of the alliance. No one may interfere with or attempt to stop a Petition Poll at any time. Attempting to subvert the People's will shall result in an automatic suspension of the person/s responsible, regardless if they are a Triumvir. |
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| + | '''Part F:''' Any issues not specifically mentioned in this section though reasonably a part of the Triumvir's duties shall be considered under the jurisdiction of the Triumvirate. |
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===Article III Replacement of the Triumvirate=== |
===Article III Replacement of the Triumvirate=== |
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| − | '''Part A:''' Should a Triumvir become inactive, defined as either not appearing on the forums or not contributing to Government posts or private messages, without any explanation, for a period of over five days, |
+ | '''Part A:''' Should a Triumvir become inactive, defined as either not appearing on the forums or not contributing to Government posts or private messages, without any explanation, for a period of over five days, he or she will be stood down from office and a Replacement Triumvir will be elected. The remaining Triumvirs and Ministers will elect any member of the Executive Body to fill this position for the rest of the term, regardless of how long is left in the term. |
| + | '''Part B:''' Should an inactive Triumvir that was replaced return, his re-instatement will be decided by the Court, based on individual circumstances for the absence, deliberation of any evidence, and the desire of the Replacement Triumvir to continue serving on a permanent basis. Based on the Court's ruling, the inactive Triumvir may be re-instated, or if not, the Replacement Triumvir will continue. The Court will also decide if the inactive Triumvir is eligible to nominate for the position of Triumvir in the future. |
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| − | '''Part B:''' Should a Triumvir give notice of Leave by posting an official warning of their absence, the Ministry and remaining Triumvirs shall vote on a replacement from the Ministry for the duration of the absence. This shall be the procedure if one or two Triumvirs require replacement. [See III.G] The only exception to this rule is if the Triumvir is absent for over five days or more without posting an official warning of their absence or if the period of absence is greater than the length of remaining term, in which case Article III.A supersedes this Article. |
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| + | '''Part C:''' Should a Triumvir give notice of Leave of over five days by posting an official warning of their absence, the Ministry and remaining Triumvirs may opt to vote on a replacement from another member of the Executive Body to fill this position for the duration of the absence, as Acting Triumvir. Should a Triumvir require a temporary Leave, he/she may opt to give their support (pre-approval) to any decision that the remaining two Triumvirs have reached a consensus on. Should the Triumvir not return at the specified date, the Acting Triumvir will continue to hold the position. If the Triumvir has not returned five days after the specified date, permanent replacement procedure, Part A, will come into effect. |
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| − | '''Part C:''' At all times, the Populace retains the power to remove a Triumvir or Triumvirs, or all three Triumvirs at once. In such cases, a Vote of No Confidence can be opened by any member, and must achieve over 60% of the Total alliance membership's approval to be successful. Should any member of the Government attempt to or successfully manage to alter, influence, change, or stop a Vote of No Confidence, they shall be automatically suspended and added (if they are not already) to the Vote of No Confidence, whereby they too shall be removed if the vote reaches the required minimum of 60%. In such cases whereby the Populace votes to remove a Triumvir, the Ministry and (if applicable) remaining Triumvirate shall vote on a replacement from the Ministry for the duration of the term. This shall be the procedure if one or two Triumvirates require replacement, [See III.G] |
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| + | '''Part D:''' Replacement Triumvirs must be supported by the Assembly through a Confirmation Vote held for two days, whereby the members can vote to Support the appointment, cast a Vote of No Confidence, or Abstain from Voting. If the No Confidence Vote or Abstain reaches a majority, the remaining Triumvirs and Ministers must pick a new candidate. Replacement Triumvirs hold the full powers and responsibility of a normal Triumvir. The Speaker of the Assembly, or the Legislator if the Speaker is unavailable, will initiate the Vote. |
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| − | '''Part D:''' Should a Triumvir/s breach Alliance Charter or Policy in any form during the duration of their term, they are automatically suspended from duties and a court case shall be initiated in the MHA Court. Once the accused Triumvir/s is suspended the Ministry and (if applicable) remaining Triumvirate shall vote on a replacement from the Ministry for the duration of the term. This shall be the procedure if one or two Triumvirates require replacement, [See III.G] |
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| + | '''Part E:''' The Hitchhiker's Assembly retains the power at all times to remove a Triumvir or all three Triumvirs at once. A Vote of No Confidence motion may be opened in the Assembly and discussed for a period of 3 days, whereby at least ten other members must support the motion. At that time, a Vote will be opened by the Speaker of the Assembly and all Hitchhikers will be given the right to cast a Vote of No Confidence, Retain the Triumvir, or Abstain from voting. If the No Confidence vote receives a 67% majority in favor, the Triumvir/s is Removed from office immediately and the remaining Triumvirs and Ministers will appoint a Replacement. |
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| − | '''Part E:''' Should the MHA Court convict the Accused Triumvir/s, they are automatically removed from office and the Acting Triumvir shall remain in the position until the end of the term. Should the Accused Triumvir be found not-guilty through the court, they are considered innocent and will return to their duties. |
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| + | '''Part F:''' Should a Triumvir breach MHA Charter or Policy in any form during the duration of their term, they are temporarily suspended from duties, and a court case shall be initiated in the MHA Court. If the Court concludes a breach has occurred, the Triumvir is suspended and the remaining Triumvirs and Ministers will appoint a Replacement. |
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| − | '''Part F:''' Acting Triumvir have all the same powers and representation as a normal Triumvir and shall be considered equal with the other Triumvirate. Should an Acting Triumvir become inactive or be suspended, the Ministry and (if applicable) remaining Triumvirate shall vote on a replacement from the Ministry for the duration of the term. |
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| + | '''Part G:''' Should the MHA Court convict the Accused Triumvir, they are permanently removed from office and the Replacement Triumvir shall remain in the position until the end of the term. Should the Accused Triumvir be found not guilty through the Court, they are considered innocent and may return to their duties. |
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| − | '''Part G:''' Should all three Triumvirs be removed or resign from office at once, the five Ministers shall act as an Emergency Senate until the end of the Triumvirate term. The Emergency Senate shall be responsible for dealing with all current and immediate issues. An Emergency Senate majority is defined as four out of five Senators agreeing either way. Should a Senator/s become inactive or require replacement, they are replaced immediately by an active Deputy Minister, at the remaining Senate's appointment. The Senate will be empowered with all rights and responsibilities of the Triumvirate. At the end of the existing Triumvirate term, elections shall be called as normal, three Triumvirs shall be elected and the Senate reverts back to Ministerial positions. |
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| + | '''Part H:''' Should all three Triumvirs require replacement, the Ministry can act as an Emergency Senate until the end of the current month. Procedures outlined in Article II remain the same, whereby Major Decisions require a 5/5 vote and all other decisions require a 3/5 Vote. At the end of the month, elections will be held to replace the Triumvirs, following normal procedure. The Triumvir who receives the highest amount of votes will serve for 3 months, second highest serves for two months, and third highest for one month, to maintain the staggered elections. |
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| − | '''Part H:''' Neither the Triumvirate or the Ministry have the legal power to remove a Triumvirate. Two Triumvirate may vote in consensus to suspend a Triumvirate and initiate a court case and a Vote of No Confidence [See III.C]. Five of the Ministry may vote in consensus to suspend any number of Triumvirate and initiate a court case and a Vote of No Confidence [See III.C]. However, neither has the power alone to remove a Triumvir. A Triumvir may only be removed following a court case initiated by either a Triumvir or Ministry whereby they are found guilty, and/or by a 60% of the total alliance membership Majority Vote of No Confidence by the Populace. The decision by the MHA Court and/or Populace is considered final. This article is to ensure the people's will remains the will of the alliance and that only breaches of Alliance law, and no other factor, (with the exception of inactivity as outline in III.A) can remove a democratically elected Triumvirate. |
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| + | '''Part I:''' No member of the Executive Body may remove a Triumvir, the Court cannot remove a Triumvir without a free and fair trial, and a Vote of No Confidence must follow the requirements in III.E before a Triumvir is removed. |
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| − | ==The Second Revolution: The Ministries== |
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| + | ==The Second Revolution: The Ministry== |
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| − | The Ministry of the Mostly Harmless Alliance shall consist of five appointed Ministers, each responsible for one of five key areas of alliance operations; War, Economics, Communications, Diplomacy, and Members. The Ministers shall each be empowered by the Triumvirate to organize, manage, and improve their Ministry for the betterment of the alliance. In addition, the Ministry shall act as a recommendatory body to the Triumvirate to assist in discussions and decisions based on alliance operations. The Ministries shall be nicknamed in the following manner; |
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| + | Alliance operations are organized into five equal departments, known as Ministries, consisting of War (Ministry of Destructor Fleets), Economics (Ministry of Towels), Foreign Affairs (Ministry of Babel Fish), Internal Affairs (Ministry of Hitchhikers), and Communication (Ministry of Bad Poetry). A Minister, appointed by the Triumvirate, shall lead each Ministry. The Ministers shall each be empowered to organize, manage, and improve their Ministry for the betterment of the alliance. In addition, the Ministry shall act as a recommendatory body to the Triumvirate to assist in discussions and decisions based on alliance operations. |
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| − | - [[#Ministry of Destructor Fleets (War) | Ministry of Destructor Fleets (War)]] |
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| − | |||
| − | - [[#Ministry of Towels (Economics) | Ministry of Towels (Economics)]] |
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| − | |||
| − | - [[#Ministry of Bad Poetry (Communications) | Ministry of Bad Poetry (Communications)]] |
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| − | |||
| − | - [[#Ministry of Babel Fish (Diplomacy) | Ministry of Babel Fish (Diplomacy)]] |
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| − | |||
| − | - [[#Ministry of Hitchhikers (Members) | Ministry of Hitchhikers (Members)]] |
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===Article I: Ministerial Appointments=== |
===Article I: Ministerial Appointments=== |
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| − | '''Part A:''' Ministers shall be appointed by a 3/3 Majority of the Triumvirs |
+ | '''Part A:''' Ministers shall be appointed by a 3/3 Majority of the Triumvirs. A Minister requires the support of 2/3 Triumvirs to remain in the position. |
| − | '''Part B:''' In order to be eligible for appointment as a Minister, a member must have been in the alliance for a period of |
+ | '''Part B:''' In order to be eligible for appointment as a Minister, a member must have been in the alliance for a period of two consecutive months directly prior to their appointment and held another position within the Executive Body, Judicial Body, or Legislative Body for a period of one month prior to their appointment. Ministerial Candidates may not be currently serving a conviction from the MHA Court, or under trial in the MHA Court. A Minister must hold no other position upon appointment. In the event of no members of the MHA passing the eligibility criteria, the Triumvir may vote to relax the criteria on a case-by-case basis. |
| + | '''Part C:''' Prior experience in the MHA and other alliances shall be counted towards eligibility for the position. Any member who has previously held any position in MHA for over three months will be eligible to apply after two weeks of active membership in MHA directly prior to their application. Any member who was previously held a Senior Government position, with proof, in another alliance for over three months will be eligible to apply after two weeks of active membership in MHA. All Prior Experience must be detailed with evidence upon application for the position. |
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| − | '''Part C:''' Ministerial candidates must show constant activity on the forums, defined as being present and contributing at least every two days; a physical example of skill in the Ministry/Ministries they wish to apply for; prior history of capability in management and organization; and motivation and commitment to the Ministry/Ministries. As a general rule, Ministerial Candidates are recommended to show a plan or idea on improving the Ministry/Ministries they wish to be appointed to. Candidates who can show imagination and solid ideas will be more likely to be appointed, so that the MHA Government is kept consistently fresh and efficient. |
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| + | '''Part D:''' The Hitchhiker's Assembly retains the power at all times to remove a Minister or all five Ministers at once. A Vote of No Confidence motion may be opened in the Assembly and discussed for a period of three days, whereby at least five other members must support the motion. At that time, a Vote will be opened by the Speaker of the Assembly, or the Legislator if the Speaker is unavailable, and all Hitchhikers will be given the right to cast a Vote of No Confidence, Retain the Minister/s, or Abstain from voting. If the No Confidence or Abstain vote receives a 67% majority, the Minister is removed from office immediately and the Triumvirs will appoint a replacement. |
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| − | '''Part D:''' Ministerial Candidates need to be prepared to start work instantly upon appointment, and this should be considered a major factor in a member's application to be appointed. |
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| + | '''Part E:''' Each month, the Ministers shall perform a brief review of their individual Ministry and likewise, the Triumvirs shall review the Ministers. Said reviews shall be based on performance-based factors such as activity, decision-making skills, efficiency, review of major decisions, and other factors contributing to the performance of the Minister. At this time, the Triumvirs may vote to replace a Minister based on their performance. A 3/3 agreement is required by the Triumvirate to remove a Minister. |
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| − | '''Part E:''' Any member may contest a Ministerial appointment in the MHA Court at any time. The MHA Court shall judge as to whether the case has merit. In order to act, there must be reasonable proof that the appointment was illegal in accordance to Alliance Policy and Charter. Should the case fail to reach this standard of evidence, the case shall be dropped and cannot be re-opened for one month. During the case, the Deputy Minister shall act as Acting Minister, with all rights and powers of a Minister, unless deemed ineligible by the criteria in Article I, Part B. If the MHA Court judges that a Ministerial appointment was illegal, they may Petition the Triumvirs to over-turn the ruling. Should the petition reach a majority in favor from the MHA membership, defined as 60% in favor of over-turning from over 60% of the MHA membership total; the appointment shall be over-turned. Should the Petition fail, the Court's decision shall be considered as a non-binding Recommendation to the Triumvirs, who shall re-evaluate the appointment, without any obligation to act. |
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| + | '''Part F:''' Should a Minister breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a Minister, become inactive on the forums for a period of over five days, become incapable or incompetent in his/her position, or superseded by a more capable member, the Triumvirs may replace the Minister instantly. Should a Minister require a temporary Leave, the Deputy Minister shall be appointed as Acting Minister. |
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| − | '''Part F:''' A Ministerial appointment shall last for an indefinite amount of time. A Minister can be removed or replaced from office due to inactivity, incapability, breach of alliance policy or charter, replacement following a review of other candidates, removal from the MHA Court, removal by the Triumvirs, or voluntary retirement at any time. |
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| + | '''Part G:''' Should an inactive Minister return after the replacement, they are not automatically re-appointed but may be considered eligible for any Ministerial position in the future, at the discretion of the Triumvirate. |
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| − | '''Part G:''' Each month, the Ministers shall perform a brief review of their individual Ministry and likewise, the Triumvirs shall review the Ministers. Said reviews shall be based on performance-based factors such as activity, decision-making skills, efficiency, review of major decisions, and other factors contributing to the performance of the Minister. At this time, the Triumvirs may vote to replace a Minister based on their performance. A 3/3 agreement is required by the Triumvirate to remove a Minister based on their performance review. |
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| + | ===Article II: Deputy Ministers=== |
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| − | '''Part H:''' At any time should a Minister breach alliance policy or charter, act against or without the Triumvir's wishes, act in a behavior deemed unsuitable for a MHA Minister, or otherwise fail to live up to the standards of conduct for the MHA, they shall be immediately suspended from office, granted a reasonable body evidence has been collected. A Trial shall by carried out immediately by the MHA court, and the Accused Minister's Ministry shall be re-opened for appointment, during which the Deputy Minister shall act as Acting Minister, with all rights and powers of a Minister, unless deemed ineligible by the criteria in Article I, Part B; in which case the Acting Minister shall be appointed by the Triumvirs. Should the MHA court convict the Accused Minister, he shall be permanently removed from office and automatically banned from re-appointment for a period of three months. Should the court exonerate the candidate, the exonerated Minister is not automatically re-appointed but is considered eligible for the position in the future, equal to all other candidates. |
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| + | '''Part A:''' In order to be eligible for appointment as Deputy Minister, a member must have been in the alliance for a period of one month directly prior to their appointment and held another position within the Executive Body, Judicial Body, or Legislative Body for a period of two weeks prior to their appointment. Deputy Ministerial Candidates may not be currently serving a conviction from the MHA Court, or under trial in the MHA Court. A Deputy Minister must hold no other position upon appointment, apart from Secretary in the same Ministry. In the event of no members of the MHA passing the eligibility criteria, the Triumvir may vote to relax the criteria on a case-by-case basis. |
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| − | '''Part I:''' Should a Minister become inactive, defined as being absent from the forums without explanation for a period of more than 5 days, their position shall be automatically suspended and the Deputy Ministry shall be appointed as Acting Minister, with all rights and powers of a Minister, unless deemed ineligible by the criteria in Article I, Part B; in which case the Acting Minister shall be appointed by the Triumvirs. Should the inactive Minister return after the replacement, they are not automatically re-appointed but are considered eligible for any Ministerial position in the future. Should a Minister require a vacation from their position, the Deputy Minister shall be appointed as Acting Minister, with all rights and powers of a Minister, unless deemed ineligible by the criteria in Article I, Part B; in which case the Acting Minister shall be appointed by the Triumvirs. Should their absence extend longer than four weeks, the Minister will simply be replaced by an eligible candidate. The Minister is still considered eligible for positions in the future. |
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| + | '''Part B:''' Prior experience in the MHA and other alliances shall be counted towards eligibility for the position. Any member who has previously held any position in MHA for over two months will be eligible to apply after one week of active membership in MHA directly prior to their application. Any member who was previously held a Senior Government position, with proof, in another alliance for over two months will be eligible to apply after one week of active membership in MHA. All Prior Experience must be detailed with evidence upon application for the position. |
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| − | '''Part J:''' In all cases, the Deputy Minister shall be given first preference to replace a Minister, unless deemed ineligible by the criteria in Article I, Part B; in which case the Acting Minister shall be appointed by the Triumvirs. In the event of the absence of a suitable Deputy replacement, the position shall be considered open for all eligible members. Candidates shall have 48 hours to nominate themselves for the position, and after the 48 hour period, the Triumvirs shall vote, in private, on a suitable replacement. |
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| + | '''Part C:''' Should a Deputy Minister breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Minister or Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a Deputy Minister, become inactive on the forums for a period of over five days, become incapable or incompetent in his/her position, or superseded by a more capable member, the Minister may replace the Deputy Minister instantly. Should a Deputy Minister require a temporary Leave, a Secretary shall be appointed as Acting Deputy Minister. |
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| + | '''Part D:''' Should an inactive Deputy Minister return after the replacement, they are not automatically re-appointed but may be considered eligible for any Deputy Ministerial position in the future, at the discretion of the Minister. |
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| − | ===Article II: Deputy Ministers, Secretaries and Government Advisors=== |
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| + | ===Article III: Secretaries=== |
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| − | '''Part A:''' Deputy Ministers are appointed by the Minister as necessary for an indefinite amount of time. |
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| + | '''Part A:''' Each Ministry shall have a selection of Secretaries designed to complete specific jobs within the Ministry itself. Secretaries are appointed by the Minister on an case-by-case basis. There shall be no fixed designations for Secretaries as their positions may be redefined and shaped as needed by the Ministry at any time. |
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| − | '''Part B:''' In order to be eligible for the appointment, Deputy Minister candidates must have served in the alliance for a period of two consecutive months directly prior to their appointment and held a position of Triumvir, Minister, Deputy Minister, Secretary, Government Advisor, Legion Commander, or Lieutenant Commander, for a period of one month in total prior to their appointment. Deputy Ministers may not concurrently hold any other position in the alliance other than Secretary in the same Ministry. Deputy Ministers may not be currently serving a conviction, under going a trial, or under investigation by the MHA Court or MHA Government. In the event of no members of the MHA passing the eligibility criteria, the Triumvirate may vote to relax the criteria on a case-by-case basis. |
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| + | '''Part B:''' In order to be eligible for appointment as Secretary, a member must have served in the alliance for a period of one week in total directly before their appointment. Secretaries may not be currently under investigation, under trial or serving a conviction by the MHA Court. Secretaries may hold up to two other concurrent positions within the alliance up to the rank of Secretary, or Deputy Minister within the same Ministry. Any member who has previously held any Government Position within MHA for a period of one month shall be eligible for the position after one week of active membership within MHA. Any member who has served in any Government position in another alliance, with proof, for one month shall be eligible for the position after one week of active membership within MHA. |
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| − | '''Part C:''' The Deputy Ministrer shall be given first preference to replace a Minister, unless deemed ineligible by the criteria in Article I, Part B; in which case the Acting Minister shall be appointed by the Triumvirs. For this reason, Deputy Ministers must be active and capable members, able to replace a Minister at short notice. In the event a Deputy Minister is appointed to Acting Minister or Minister, they must immediately appoint a Deputy Minister to replace them, based on the criteria in Article II Part B. |
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| − | '''Part |
+ | '''Part C:''' Should a Secretary breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Minister or Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a Secretary, become inactive on the forums for a period of over one week, become deemed incapable or incompetent in his/her position, or superseded by a more capable member, the Minister may replace the Secretary instantly. Should a Secretary require a temporary Leave, another member may fill their position as necessary. |
| + | '''Part D:''' Should an inactive Secretary return after the replacement, they are not automatically re-appointed but may be considered eligible for any Secretary position in the future, at the discretion of the Minister. |
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| − | '''Part E:''' Each Ministry shall have a selection of Secretaries designed to complete specific jobs within the Ministry itself. Secretaries are appointed by the Minister on an case-by-case basis. There shall be no fixed designations for Secretaries as their positions may be redefined and shaped as-needed by the Ministry at any time. Each Ministry is recommended, though not restricted, to have at most 5 Secretaries at any one time. |
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| + | ===Article IV: Team Member Positions=== |
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| − | '''Part F:''' In order to be eligible for appointment as Secretary, a member must have served in the alliance for a period of one month in total directly prior to their appointment. Secretaries may not be currently under investigation, under trial or serving a conviction by the MHA Court. Secretaries may not hold any other concurrent positions within the alliance, with the exception of Deputy Minister within the same Ministry. |
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| + | '''Part A:''' The Ministers may elect to create positions in order to complete alliance operations, such as (but not limited to) Recruiter, Diplomat, Tech Dealer, Banker, Mailer etc. Such positions will be generated on a case-by-case basis, as deemed necessary by the Minister. Such positions will count as experience towards higher roles. |
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| − | '''Part G:''' Should a Secretary breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Minister or Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a Secretary, become inactive on the forums for a period of over one week, become deemed incapable or incompetent in his/her position, or superseded by a more capable member, the Minister may replace the Secretary instantly. Any serious breaches of policy will result in a trial in the MHA Court, though his/her position is automatically replaced regardless of the out-come. If the Court deems the Secretary has acted illegally, he/she is automatically banned from being re-appointed for a period of one month. If the Court deems the Secretary is exonerated of charges, he/she is not automatically re-appointed but is deemed eligible for any other positions in the future. |
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| + | '''Part B:''' In order to be eligible for appointment as a Team Member Position, a member must have served in the alliance for a period of one week. All other criteria will be decided on a case-by-case basis by the Minister. |
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| − | '''Part H:''' Secretaries shall be given first-preference to fulfill a Deputy Minister Position, assuming they fulfill the criteria in Article II part B, with the exception of the Ministry of Destructor Fleets (War), whereby a Legion Commander and Lieutenant Commander is also eligible; and the Ministry of Babel Fish (Diplomacy), whereby a Diplomat is also eligible. |
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| + | '''Part C:''' Should a Team member breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Minister or Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a government position, become inactive on the forums for a period of over one week, become deemed incapable or incompetent in his/her position, or superseded by a more capable member, the Minister may replace them immediately. Should a team member require a temporary Leave, another member may fill their position as necessary. |
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| − | '''Part I:''' The roles of Deputy Minister and Secretary are designed to help cover the necessary operations of the Ministry. The Ministers and Triumvirs reserve the right to ensure every Deputy and every Secretary in the alliance is working to their full potential in order to ensure the alliance as a whole is working to it's upmost efficiency. These roles should be seen as a chance for regular members to prove their capabilities in the official positions. |
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| + | '''Part D:''' Should an inactive team member return after the replacement, they are not automatically re-appointed but may be considered eligible for any team member position in the future, at the discretion of the Minister. |
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| − | '''Part J:''' Government Advisors are long serving members of the Alliance with Administration powers on the MHA Forums. Government Advisors must have served in the alliance for a period of over 6 months and must have previously held a position of Triumvir or Minister, for at least three months, to be considered eligible. The MHA shall have a set designation of no more than three Government Advisors at one time. The Government Advisors are there to assist with forum maintenance and to contribute to alliance decisions and work. |
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| + | ===Article V: Powers of the Ministry=== |
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| + | '''Part A:''' Each Minister shall have jurisdiction over his or her area of operations and all departments herein specified as part of their Ministry. The Ministers are empowered to act within their Ministry to manage and instruct Deputy Ministers, Secretaries, and members working within the Ministry; to moderate and organize all forums within their Ministry; to review and improve all departments within the Ministry; to act as a counsel to the Triumvirs on alliance affairs; and to represent their Ministry to the Government and to other alliances. |
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| − | ===Article III: Powers of the Ministry=== |
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| + | '''Part B:''' At no point may a Minister act against the wishes or orders of the Triumvirate, or against the intentions and policies of the alliance. While Ministers are indeed empowered to act as organizers and facilitators within their Ministry, Ministers are to counsel with the Triumvirs on major factors affecting the alliance, such as war, inter-alliance relations, membership misconduct, organization, major projects or other factors deemed of importance to the Triumvirs or alliance. Breaches of this policy may lead to a review of the Minister's appointment and possible removal from the position. |
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| − | '''Part A:''' Each Minister shall have jurisdiction over his or her area of operations and all departments herein specified as part of their Ministry. The Triumvirs, however, have complete autonomy over the entire alliance as a whole, including the Ministries, to assist and direct the Ministers where necessary. The Ministers are empowered to act within their Ministry to manage and instruct Deputy Ministers, Secretaries, and members working within the Ministry; to moderate and organize all forums within their Ministry; to review and improve all departments within the Ministry; to act as a counsel to the Triumvirs on alliance affairs; and to represent their Ministry to the Government and to other alliances. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Part B:''' At no point may a Minister act against the wishes or orders of the Triumvirate, or against the intentions and policies of the alliance. While Ministers are indeed empowered to act as organizers and facilitators within their Ministry, Ministers are to counsel with the Triumvirs on major factors affecting the alliance, such as war, inter-alliance relations, membership misconduct, or other factors deemed of importance to the Triumvirs or alliance. Breaches of this policy may lead to a review of the Minister's appointment and possible removal from the position. |
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'''Part C:''' Each Minister is entrusted to organize and improve all departments within their Ministry. Each Minister, upon appointment, commits him or herself to remaining active and dedicated to their Ministry and the alliance; to ensuring the on-going growth and stability of the alliance; to contributing to alliance affairs; to acting in a conduct appropriate for a leader of the alliance; and to serving the alliance. |
'''Part C:''' Each Minister is entrusted to organize and improve all departments within their Ministry. Each Minister, upon appointment, commits him or herself to remaining active and dedicated to their Ministry and the alliance; to ensuring the on-going growth and stability of the alliance; to contributing to alliance affairs; to acting in a conduct appropriate for a leader of the alliance; and to serving the alliance. |
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| − | '''Part D:''' The Five Ministers shall act as a counsel to the Triumvirs on alliance affairs, both privately and publicly within the alliance. The MHA has always been improved by the availability of varied opinions and experience, and that shall continue hereafter in the Ministers. While their focus will remain primarily on their selected Ministry and departments therein, Ministers are encourage to contribute to all affairs affecting the alliance as a whole |
+ | '''Part D:''' The Five Ministers shall act as a counsel to the Triumvirs on alliance affairs, both privately and publicly within the alliance. The MHA has always been improved by the availability of varied opinions and experience, and that shall continue hereafter in the Ministers. While their focus will remain primarily on their selected Ministry and departments therein, Ministers are encourage to contribute to all affairs affecting the alliance as a whole. |
| − | |||
| − | '''Part E:''' For the purpose of maintaining an active and efficient Ministry, each Minister shall partake in a monthly review of their selected Ministry, and present said review to the Triumvirs of the alliance. The key factors of the review shall focus on the efficiency of the Ministry, activity of the Deputy Minister, Secretary, and Team members of the Ministry, decisions made by the Minister and Ministry, success in the completion of tasks, success in facilitating improvements deemed necessary from the previous review, and the identification of improvements necessary for the future. During this time, the Minister may wish to make recommendations or suggestions to improve any area of the Ministry, especially concerning the appointment of Deputy Minister, Secretary and other Team Members. It is essential that reviews are prompt and productive and take no longer than 48 hours in length to complete. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Part F:''' For the purpose of maintaining an active and efficient Government, the Triumvirs of the alliance will make recommendations based on the Ministers' reviews in regards to the appointments of Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Secretaries, and other Team Members, as well as the operations of the Ministry. It is essential that reviews are prompt and productive and take no longer than 48 hours in length to complete. During Triumvir election periods, the incumbent Triumvirs will review the Ministries as necessary and shall present their evaluation as a non-binding recommendation only. |
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| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | ===Article IV: Division of Ministerial Portfolios=== |
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| − | |||
| − | ====Ministry of Destructor Fleets (War)==== |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Portfolio:''' The Ministry covers the MHA's Destructor Fleet Headquarters, War Room, and the Applications and Training forums for the management and defense of our members. The Minister is responsible for overseeing each Legion, the traineeship of Legion Commanders, and will attend to any issue of attention. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Team:''' The Minister may appoint one Deputy Minister, a team of Secretaries, at least one Legion Commander for every Legion, Lieutenant Commanders where necessary, and other military-group leaders where necessary. At all times, the Minister may appoint, replace, or remove any member of the team as necessary. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Procedure:''' In the event of singular or minor wars against the MHA, or MHA nations breaching alliance policy through unsanctioned offensive wars, it is the Minister of Destructor Fleets and Legion Commander's duty to appropriately deal with the situation. In the event of a conflict with an outside body (a nation from another alliance, for example), it is The Ministry's (any member of the War Ministry) responsibility to notify the Triumvirs and the Ministry of Babel Fish (Diplomacy). The Minister is responsible for the organization and maintenance of Legion Commanders, Lieutenant Commanders, Flight Groups, and any other military groups. The Minister shall be notified in advance of all possible alliance-wide conflicts, and will lead the MHA Military in times of war. In the event of the mobilization of the MHA Military, the Minister shall be entrusted to organize the war effort and strategy. The Minister shall organize a training program to ensure new Commanders are appropriately trained in running a Legion and all responsibilities therein. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Destructors:''' In the event of War, or the possibility of War, the Minister shall take command of the MHA Military in order to properly prepare and mobilize MHA nations. Other functions of the alliance shall be focused on the war effort as required by the Minister. The Triumvirs remain sole authority over the alliance as standard. Only the Triumvirs of the alliance may declare war or peace on behalf of the alliance. The Minister shall have access to the private forums of discussion of Government both internally and with Mutual Defense Pact partners in order to be appropriately informed and aware of conflicts or potential conflicts. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''''Bold text''''Review:''' Monthly, the Minister shall present a brief report on the Ministry's activities for the month, including reports on offensive and defensive wars, a review on Team members (including Legion Commander and Lieutenant Commander) performance, and the effectiveness and efficiency of Flight Groups, Traineeships, and Rapid Response Groups. During this time, the Minister may wish to make recommendations or suggestions to improve any area of the Ministry. The purpose of this review is to ensure the security and defense of all MHA nations and efficiency of the MHA military. |
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| − | |||
| − | ====Ministry of Towels (Economics)==== |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Portfolio:''' The Ministry will include the MHA Bank, Tech Center, Audit, and Trade center forums. The Minister will organize and facilitate aid chains, loans, donations, reparation payments, tech dealing, nation resource trading, auditing of MHA nations, the MHA bank nations, and any factor effecting the economy of the MHA and her nations. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Team:''' The Minister may appoint one Deputy Minister, a team of Bankers, a team of Auditors, and a team of Secretaries to assist in their duties. At all times, the Minister may appoint, remove, or replace Deputies, Secretaries, and Bankers as necessary. The Minister is also responsible for the management of the MHA Bankers, in order to facilitate financial transaction for the alliance, as well as Auditors to ensure the efficiency of MHA nations, and Tech Dealers to ensure success in technology transactions. |
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| − | '''Procedure:''' The duties of the Ministry include organizing aid chains to strengthen the alliance, organizing donation buying for MHA banker nations, reviewing and improving the banking system, working with the Minister of War, Minister of Members, the MHA Tech Guru and the MHAcademy to ensure that money is flowing where it is needed, and generally ensuring the continued growth of the MHA. The Minister shall also ensure the organization of alliance resource trade agreements, and trade-rings to enhance the economy of MHA nations. The Minister will also oversee a team of Auditors to ensure efficiency in MHA nations. The Minister will contribute to discussions on the MHA Bank and factors effecting the economy of the alliance, as well as report on the organization and efficiency of the Ministry. In times of war, the MHA bank shall liaise with the Minister of Destructor Fleets to ensure the safety and funding of the MHA Military. |
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| − | '''Towels:''' In the interest of prosperity and growth for the alliance, it shall be the Minister's responsibility to organize frequent Aid-Chains from the MHA bank nations. It is a requirement of this position to hold at least one Aid Chain per month, unless otherwise instructed by the MHA Triumvirs. As the resource-center of the alliance, the Minister must ensure all Bank nations hold a reserve fund of finances in the event of emergencies or aid chains. |
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| − | '''Audit:''' In the interest of improving the efficiency of MHA Nations, the Minister shall appoint a team of Auditors to review and advise our members. MHA Bank nations are required to follow advice given by the Ministry in order to ensure they are appropriately capable of being a bank nation for the MHA. Recommendations to MHA Military nations shall be done so with the advice of the Ministry of Destructor Fleets. Recommendations to general members shall be seen as non-binding but highly-endorsed advice though refusal to comply with advice may result in exclusion from aid chains or other alliance benefits. |
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| − | '''Trade:''' In order to assist MHA nations financially, the Ministry of Towels will appoint a Secretary of Trade as necessary, to facilitate and organize alliance resource trading. Wherever possible, it is recommended that trades agreements are made between MHA nations. Trade advice given shall be seen as a non-binding yet highly endorsed recommendation. Refusal to comply with Trade advice or inability to manage one's trades may result in exclusion from aid chains or other alliance benefits. It shall be sworn policy of the MHA that every nation shall be courteous and respectful to every trade partner. It is the Trade department's duty to educate MHA nations on appropriate trade etiquette, including the practice of allowing at least 24 hour's notice prior the cancellation of a trade agreement. |
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| − | '''Review:''' Monthly, the Minister shall present a brief report on the Ministry's activities for the month, including aid chain and audit review and trade organization. During this time, the Minister may wish to make recommendations or suggestions to improve any area of the Ministry. A brief evaluation of the Deputy Minister and Secretaries, and other appointed officials in the Ministry, is expected. The purpose of this review is to ensure the Financial center of the alliance is operating efficiently and successfully. |
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| − | ====Ministry of Babel Fish (Diplomacy)==== |
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| − | '''Portfolio:''' The Ministry will include the Office of Diplomacy, Embassy Row, Open Diplomatic Chat, the Red Telephone, and Diplomat Training. The Minister is responsible for the management and appointment of Diplomats, the moderation and surveillance of Embassy Row, Open Diplomatic Chat, and The Red Telephone for diplomatic correspondence, and the facilitation of special diplomatic meetings as instructed by the Triumvirs. The Minister shall ensure potential Diplomats are appropriately trained to handle diplomatic duties. The Minister shall contribute to all discussions relating to Foreign Affairs and diplomatic issues. |
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| − | '''Team:''' The Minister may appoint one Deputy Minister, a team of Secretaries, a Training mentor, and a team of Diplomats as necessary. At all times, the Minister may appoint, remove, or replace Deputies, Secretaries, mentors and Diplomats as necessary. |
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| − | '''Procedure:''' The Minister will assign Diplomats as necessary and respond to any immediate Foreign Affairs issues that have arisen. It is important for the Minister to be active in all discussions on Foreign Affairs and be decisive in his or her opinions. The Minister shall also endeavor to answer all queries and correspondence in the diplomat forums (Embassy Row, Open Dip. Chat, Red Telephone). Apart from the Triumvirs, the Minister of Diplomacy is the spokesperson for the MHA and should remain active in the aforementioned forums, as the primary point of focus for the Ministry. The Minister, or an appointed Team member, shall also review and report from the Cybernations Forums on all issues involving the MHA. The Ministry will work simultaneously with the Ministry of Communications to report all potential issues relating to Foreign Affairs. All major activities need to be reported to the Triumvirs and Ministry immediately. Finally, the Minister shall facilitate a training program to ensure MHA diplomats are properly skilled in the fine art of diplomacy prior to their appointment. |
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| − | '''Foreign Affairs:''' The Minister shall be responsible for reviewing all treaties proposed in the Treaty Room of the MHA Government for any potential Foreign Affair issues that may occur and to stay up-to-date with all progress made by the MHA in Foreign Affairs. It is the responsibility of the Minister to notify the Triumvirs of their support or disapproval of the treaty in question. The Minister, Ministry Team, and the MHA Diplomats are empowered to seek treaties only with alliances that the MHA has an established, strong diplomatic relations, though may not seek to propose any treaty with obligation-based Mutual Defense, Mutual Aggression, Mutual Aid, or Mutual Political Support, Alliance-bloc or Protectorate clauses, or treaties with whom the MHA considers hostile or untrustworthy without consent from the Triumvirs. The Minister, Ministry Team, or Diplomats are not empowered to Declare War upon another alliance, threaten to Declare War upon another alliance, provide support for war against an alliance, declare Peace with an enemy of the alliance, or propose peace with an enemy of the alliance without prior consent from the Triumvirs. The Triumvirs are required to sign all treaties, including Declarations of War and/or Peace, before they are ratified into law. The Triumvirs reserve the right to withdraw treaty offers and diplomatic relations made by the Minister, Team, and Diplomats at all times. The Triumvirs may over-rule any official or non-official verbal representation (such as posts in embassies or on the CN forums) made by the Minister, Team, and Diplomats at all times. The Minister, Ministry Team, and Diplomats must abide strictly to alliance policy at all times, and will not act against or without the orders of the Triumvirs or against the spirit of the alliance. |
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| − | '''Review:''' Monthly, the Minister shall present a brief report on all activities of the Ministry, focusing primarily on diplomatic relations, any issues relating to MHA foreign affairs, and performance of Ministry team members. During this time, the Minister may wish to make recommendations or suggestions to improve any area of the Ministry. A brief evaluation of the Deputy Minister and Secretaries, and other appointed officials in the Ministry, is expected. The purpose of this review is to ensure the face of the MHA is running efficiently and appropriately in accordance with the alliance's image and policies. |
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| − | ====Ministry of Bad Poetry (Communications)==== |
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| − | '''Portfolio:''' The Ministry will include the departments of the Harmless Intelligence Agency, Public Relations, Morale, Records, Recruitment, Senate Voting, and IRC management. The Minister will be responsible for the facilitation of an organized and inter-connected Team to run each of these areas. Each department within the Ministry shall use and depend on each other, as well as connecting to other Ministries within the alliance. The Minister must therefore appropriately manage all the levels of communication occurring within the alliance by managing and creating communications projects, organizing the Communications teams, liaisons with other Ministries, and reporting to the Triumvirs on the progress of the Ministry. This ministry is key to internal and external relations. |
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| − | '''Team:''' The Minister may appoint one Deputy, a team of Secretaries, and selected Project Advisors based on Communications projects. At all times, the Minister may appoint, replace, or remove any member of the team as necessary. It is important to note that this team will need some of the most active members in the alliance to ensure a constant flow of intelligence and information is passed through the alliance. |
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| − | '''Poetry:''' The main function of the Communications ministry will include an updated list of all MHA members, the completion of communications (ie; Mass PM's, Newsletters, Public Relations) projects, and the collection of information (HIA, Records). The Minister will be responsible for organizing teams to follow these projects and to ensure networking with other potentially involved Ministries. The Minister shall be responsible for setting the projects and time-lining their progress, ensuring that the Ministry works at an efficient pace and to schedule. It is the Minister's responsibility to ensure all facets of the team are working to their full capability to ensure inter-alliance communications are strong. Along with their monthly review, the Ministry shall propose a list of set projects for the month. One major factor in the Ministry is the implementation of a Morale department, to ensure the happiness and activity of members. Another factor is for members of the Ministry to be active posters on the CN forums and especially to contribute to threads/discussions on the MHA and her allies. These people will help form the "Face" of the MHA, along with the Diplomats, to ensure the MHA has a presence in the world. Members of the Bad Poetry Ministry will be encourage to post (respectfully) whenever and wherever possible for this reason. |
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| − | '''Intelligence:''' The HIA is an important factor in ensuring the MHA's kept up to date on all progress in the Cyberverse. As the key component to the information portion of this Ministry, the HIA requires active members to report on events from all public areas of communications such as the CN Forums, Cybernations, and IRC. Any information deemed of relevance to the MHA shall be reported. Additionally, the MHA Government may wish to develop specific research projects that the HIA can complete. A further purpose of the HIA could be to help maintain the MHA's presence on the CN forums. HIA reporters may be encouraged to post and contribute to discussions (As described in Poetry) in order to show a presence of the MHA to the world. The HIA may not ever commit any form of espionage, which is punishable by Permanent Destruction. |
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| − | '''Communicate:''' Mass PM'ing will be a major factor in the Communications team, as they will need to do so for all important information (From Triumvirs, Bank, and others), and for the MHA newsletter. As an Aqua alliance, it is essential for the MHA to hold it's position in the Aqua Team Senate. For this reason, the Minister is instructed to appoint one person responsible for the organization of Team Senate voting, to mass PM all Aqua MHA nations during voting periods with information on voting for the MHA's candidate. A raffle will be permanently held to reward all nations voting for their team senator. In addition to this, the Public Relations department shall ensure activities for members and foreign guests, in order to boost internal moral and our presence in foreign affairs. Games, contests, competitions, and other activities shall be organized at least monthly to ensure there is a sufficient level of entertainment for members and interest from foreign guests. The MHA newsletter shall be published at least weekly to ensure a constant connection to MHA members and abroad to allies and foreign guests. |
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| − | '''Information:''' Pertinent to alliance operations, the Ministry shall collect and maintain several areas of information, such as a MHA member list, list of Government positions, and the keeping of important dates for the alliance such as Government elections and the Aqua Senate reset. Said information shall be maintained in areas accessible for all members and kept constantly (daily, at best) updated to ensure all information provide by the Ministry is free, accurate and current. |
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| − | '''Review:''' Monthly, the Minister will submit a short review based on the performance of the Ministry's projects and team members, to regard the effectiveness and fluidity of the communications Ministry. It is essential to this Ministry that the flow of information is constant and efficient. As a vital tool in internal and external operations, this Ministry needs constant supervision and improvements to ensure it is working to it's full capacity. During this time, the Minister may wish to make recommendations or suggestions to improve any area of the Ministry. |
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| − | ====Ministry of Hitchhikers (Members)==== |
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| − | '''Portfolio:''' The Ministry will include the Departments of the Mostly Harmless Academy, Member Services Desk, Bio Checking and Ghost Hunting. The purpose of this Ministry is to provide assistance and information to our Members, including our new and young Hitchhikers. It will provide training and education for new members, an Information Kiosk on the forums for all members, ensuring all MHA members are flying the appropriate Alliance Affiliation and flag, and the identification of ghosts. This Ministry is essential for ensuring members can find information and alliance resources on the forums and receive the best advice possible. Ghost hunting and bio-checking will be necessary to ensure the protection of the alliance and all her registered members. |
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| − | '''Team:''' The Minister may appoint one Deputy, a team of Secretaries, a team of Bankers from the Ministry of Towels, a team of Academy Mentors for grading quizzes, a team of Mentors to address issues in the Member Services Desk, and a team of Bio-Checkers/Ghost-Hunters. Due to the nature of the Ministry, experience and knowledge will be a major factor in the appointment of members to these teams. At all times, the Minister may appoint, replace, or remove any member of the team as necessary. |
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| − | '''Procedure:''' The main function of the Minister is to assign active members to cover the Member Services Desk, the Academy and the Ghost Hunting and Bio-Checking teams, to ensure these areas are properly covered at all times. The Minister will need to liaise with the Bank to assist with Starter Aid organization and the War ministry for punishment of ghosts. It is vitally important that the Academy is appropriately up-to-date with clear and concise information, as well as reviewed for the quality of it's Quizzes and procedures. The Member Services Desk will need to be constantly updated to ensure it can answer as many queries as possible. The Minister and the Service Desk team will need to idle in a MHA IRC room to be available for all member questions. Any major concerns raised in the Service Desk will need to be referred to the Triumvirs. Concurrently, the Bio-Checking team needs to ensure all new MHA nations are showing the correct Alliance Affiliation, whereas Ghost-Hunters need to track down any nation falsely showing the MHA Affiliation without being a member in order to invite them to the alliance (if applicable) or issue a warning to remove the false AA. As a whole, the Minister is there to ensure stability and activity in the Ministry. |
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| − | '''Review:''' A monthly review of the Ministry will ensure the Academy is appropriately up-to-date and that all members of the Academy are able to pass fairly. As a major point of introduction into the alliance, it is important for this Ministry to be clear, concise and active so that members are passing through at a reasonable rate. Additionally, the review will check that the Services Desk is being properly addressed by an active team. A review on the progress of the Bio Checkers and Ghost Hunters will also ensure these departments are working effectively. During this time, the Minister may wish to make recommendations or suggestions to improve any area of the Ministry. |
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| − | ==The Third Revolution: The Court== |
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| − | The Court is a 3-member judicial team responsible for the defense, prosecution, and judgement of cases brought before them. Democratically elected into 3 month terms by the people and independent of the MHA Government, the Court shall ensure a fair and open justice system for all of the alliance. |
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| − | ===Article I: Election of the Court=== |
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| − | '''Part A:''' A Court Officer's term in office lasts a maximum of three months and new Terms will start on the first Day of the first month, unless delayed by Bi-Elections or contests to the Election results. The Election period shall last for a total of five days, during which time the Minister of Hitchhikers shall act as Chief Judge. [See I.L] |
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| − | '''Part B:''' Five days prior to the end of the third month, all candidates for the Court [see I.C], including incumbent Court Officers seeking re-election, shall put forth their nomination as a candidate for election in a Nominations List. The list will be initiated by any Government member (Triumvir, Minister, Deputy Minister, Secretary) not running for the Court in the current election. Only he or she may edit the list. Should this member be unable to maintain the list, another uninvolved Government member shall re-post (copy) the list into a new List. At the expiration of forty-eight hours from the first Nominations List opening, Nominations shall close and the elections shall begin. |
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| − | '''Part C:''' In order to eligible for election as Court Officer, a member must have served in the alliance for a period of one month in total directly prior to their appointment. Court Officers may not be currently under investigation, under trial or serving a conviction by the MHA Court. Court Officers may not hold any other concurrent positions within the alliance. |
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| − | '''Part D:''' During elections, Candidates shall be allowed to campaign on the official MHA forums only. Mass messaging or "spamming" of members is not allowed. The use of external non-MHA influence is not allowed. The use of or threats of violence, blackmail, coercion, bribery, interfering with the Election in any way that will alter the Election process or results, interfering with the democracy of the elections through multiple accounts, or other means deemed illegal by alliance policy, are not allowed. Election campaigns shall be fair, reasonable and respectful. Any Candidates deemed to be in violation of the spirit of fair-play by either the MHA Government, the MHA Court or Populace [See II.H], regardless of whether the Candidate is an incumbent Court Officer, shall have his or her Nomination removed as minimum punishment. Any acts in violation of the MHA Charter or policy shall warrant a court case in the MHA Court, resulting in possible suspension, expulsion, or ineligibility to hold a position in the MHA. |
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| − | '''Part E:''' Elections begin three days prior to the end of the third month of a Court Officer's term. The election shall be decided via Forum Poll on the MHA Forums, and shall be open for a total of three days. All members of the MHA shall vote in Elections, including Candidates. At the end of the three days, which ever three Court Officer candidates have the most votes will be elected as the Court Officers of the MHA. The Election forum Poll shall be opened by any existing Triumvir, Minister, Deputy Minister, Government Advisor, Court Officer, or Secretary, not nominated as a Candidate in the Elections. Once the elections begin, any editing of the poll shall void it completely and a new poll shall be opened instantly by another Triumvirate, Minister, Deputy Minister, Court Officer, or Secretary not nominated as a Candidate and not responsible for voiding the previous poll. It is said member's responsibility to close the poll at the conclusion of the 3 days. |
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| − | '''Part F:''' The election results shall be considered final at the conclusion of the voting period of three days. A win by any margin is still considered a win. The only means in which a final vote is completely overturned is through a decision in the MHA Court whereby the entire vote is considered unreliable [see I.G]. |
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| − | '''Part G:''' In the event of a dispute over the Vote or an elected Court Officer or Court Officers' actions during a campaign, the case shall be handled independently by the MHA Court. Until the completion of the case, the election result in relation to the particular Candidate or Candidates is considered suspended and the next runner-up or runner-ups shall be elected Acting Court Officer, if applicable, for the duration of the trial. To clarify, if a Candidate is accused of breaking Alliance Charter or Policy during elections, his or her position as a Court Officer, Court Officer Candidate, and Court Officer Runner-Up, is suspended and the next person with the highest amount of votes (the next Runner-Up) shall act as Court Officer. If the next Runner-Up candidate is implicated or currently involved in any Court Case, then the position falls to the next runner-up, and so on until the position is filled. Should all other candidates be deemed ineligible to act as Court Officer, the Minister of Hitchhikers shall appoint an Acting Officer for the duration. Should a Court Case into the election deem the entire vote to be unreliable then a new vote shall be called. |
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| − | '''Part H:''' Should the accused Candidate or Candidates be cleared of all charges by the MHA Court, and has gained enough votes to elect him or her as a Court Officer, they will immediately resume their position as Court Officer. Should the Court Case rule that the Election itself has been significantly tainted or influenced illegally then the results shall be overturned and a new Election vote shall be initiated, with the offending member/s removed from Candidacy. During this time, the Minister of Hitchhikers will remain as the MHA Court until elections are finalized. Should all three elected Court Officer be otherwise involved with or implicated in this, or any other, Elections court case; OR if the replacement procedure cannot fill the positions, then the Minister of Hitchhikers shall remain as the Acting Court for the duration. Should the Court Case rule that the Candidate or Candidates acted illegally during the Election campaign [See I.D], their Candidacy for Court Officer, regardless of whether they gained enough votes to be elected Court Officer (whereby the position will be filled by the next Runner Up [See I.G]) shall be revoked and their results in the Election deemed void. |
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| − | '''Part I:''' In the event of a tie in the elections, whereby the election fails to achieve three clear winners, a simple Bi-election vote-off shall take place. All candidates who received the equal score shall be entered into a new Forum Poll, which will last for twenty-four hours. At the end of twenty-four hours, the candidate/s with the most votes shall be elected. This rule applies if the vote-off is for one, two, or all three Court Officer positions. During this time, the Incumbent Court Officers, unless involved in a Court Case [See I.G] remains fully empowered as the MHA Court, until the completion of the Bi-Election. |
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| − | '''Part J:''' In the event a second Bi-election vote-off is required, another Poll shall be opened for all candidates involved, [See I.] which will run for another twenty-four hours. If this vote fails to achieve the necessary conclusion, the five Ministers will cast the deciding vote/s. During this time, the Incumbent Court Officer, unless involved in a Court Case [See I.G] remains fully empowered as MHA Court, until the completion of the Bi-Election. |
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| − | '''Part K:''' Any members caught subverting the election process shall be in violation of Alliance policy, and will face immediate suspension from the Alliance until the completion of the Elections and the completion of their court case. |
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| − | '''Part L:''' The Catch 22 article. In the interest of protecting impartiality, no Court Officer can preside over a case involving him or herself. For this reason, the Minister of Hitchhikers is required to handle all Cases during and involving a Court Officer Election. For all such cases during and involving the election, the Minister shall act as Chief Judge, and will appoint two people to fulfill the Defense and Prosecutor positions. These positions may be fulfilled only by the general membership, Court Officers explicably uninvolved in the case, or Court Officer Candidates explicable uninvolved in the case. No one involved or implicated in the case shall ever be allowed to preside over it. No MHA Government (anyone holding rank other than "MHA Hitchhiker" or "MHAcademy Hitchhiker") shall be eligible. It shall be up to the Minister's discretion over who is appointed. Once all Election-time Court Cases are resolved then the democratically elected Court Officers shall assume their positions. |
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| − | ===Article II: Jurisdiction of the Court=== |
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| − | '''Part A:''' At all times the MHA Court is legally entitled to investigate, trial, and prosecute any member of the Alliance, regardless of position. |
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| − | '''Part B:''' In the interest of protecting impartiality, no Court Officer can preside over a case involving him or herself. However, Court Officers are included as "any member" specified in Article 2, Part A. In the event of a Court Officer being investigated or under trial refer to Article II.G. |
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| − | '''Part C:''' The Court is the legal representation of the people. For this reason, the Court is empowered to open a Vote of No Confidence against a Triumvir/s, or the Triumvirate, or any member of Government (including the Court itself) or open a Petition Poll against a decision, the signing or cancellation of any treaty, a declaration of War or Peace, Triumvir Election, Government Appointment, Court Officer Election, or legislation, or any other event, statement, or resolution by the Government. |
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| − | '''Part D:''' Procedures as outlined in Article III, The Hitchhiker's Code, or the Cybernations Guide to the Mostly Harmless Alliance, may supersede the necessity for a trial. At all times these procedures take precedent over a trial, due to the efficiency of resolution they provide. All other cases not specifically mentioned or outlined in said documents shall warrant a trial in the MHA Court. However, through the power of Article II, Part A, the Court is legally entitled to investigate the necessity for a trial in cases covered in said documents. Should the Court judge that a necessity exists, a trial shall begin with the procedure outlined in said documents as the recommendatory guide for the method and punishment in the trial. |
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| − | '''Part E:''' The maximum punishment that the Court can deliver shall be expulsion from the Alliance and destruction of the offender's nations. All other punishments shall follow the guide in Article III. |
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| − | '''Part F:''' The Court is held responsible with due care, in that it is responsible for ensuring a clear, accountable, and trustworthy system. For this reason, the Court is not a power unto itself, it is not allowed to (for example) willingly impeach Triumvirs, or fragrantly strip Government of power without due process. Basic crimes are listed in the Precedent Guide (See Article III), whereby these cases are given automatic sentences. For all other cases, including the examples given, a trial must be followed and the proper process and representation must be followed. Should the Court breach the alliance's trust by exceeding it's responsibility, the Court will be impeached. Any member of the MHA may wish to Impeach the Court through a Petition Poll. A Minor Abuse of Court shall be classified as general negligence or incompetence in proceedings, inactivity in the position as Court Officer, or disrespectful or offensive language towards others in the Court. A Major Abuse of Court Consists of willingly and knowingly interfering with the course of justice; threats of, or the act of, blackmail, bribery, extortion, or violence within the court; accepting bribery or other forms of payment or coercion; exceeding the boundaries of the court for any reason; the discussion of cases outside of the Trial thread; the use of external influence to impact ones' judgement, a trial, or the Court proceedings; or any act that will otherwise seriously effect a Trial, or the ability for the Court to proceed as normal. |
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| − | '''Part G:''' Court Officers are not immune from the Court itself. Should a complaint be filed against a Court Office, he/she will be automatically suspended from duty and a trial on his/her conduct shall ensue, as held by the Minister of Hitchhikers. The Minister will hear all evidence by the Plaintiff (the member who made the official complaint) and the Defendant (the Court Officer), and will make the final judgement. Guilty punishment may include the removal from office (whereby a by-election is called for a replacement), ineligibility to re-apply for the Court Office position for a set period of time, and ineligibility to run for any other Government position for a set period of time. If the Court Officer has broken alliance policy, they are automatically suspended and shall go under trial following the normal procedure. |
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| − | '''Part H:''' The Court is unable to rule upon Court Officer Elections, due to the possibility of maintaining impartiality. For this reason, the Minister of Hitchhikers shall investigate any cases involving the Court Officer Elections. He/She alone will cast the final judgement on the Election. He/She may wish to void certain candidate's nomination if they are suspected of, or found guilty of interfering with the election process; or over-turn the election result if reasonable grounds exist. Such decisions will not be taken lightly, and the Minister of Hitchhikers will do their upmost to ensure the people's will is upheld - in that, the alliance is able to choose the Court that it desires from all eligible candidates. |
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| − | '''Part J''': Triumvirs may never be impeached by the Court alone. Should a Triumvir be found to be in breach of Alliance policy, he/she shall undergo a trial in the MHA Court. At the conclusion of the trial, the Chief Judge may recommend a Vote of No Confidence against the Triumvir, whereby the alliance votes to remove him/her from office. Additionally, at any time, any member of the alliance may open a Vote of No Confidence, regardless of an existing trial or it's outcome. The Court can only add it's recommendation to the Vote, it cannot decide for the people. For a Triumvir to be impeached, a VONC must achieve 60% approval from 60% of the alliance. |
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| − | '''Part K:''' Court Cases, by default, shall be held in Public. However, should the Case relate to private Out of Character information (that has not been displayed publicly), or Alliance Security (as deemed by the Triumvirate), a Case may be held in Private, whereby the Triumvirate, Ministers, Court Officers, and Defendant may view. Witnesses will give their statements based on their involvement in the case, and will only be privy to the private information if they have an existing knowledge of it. Private cases will have their final judgement by the Chief Judge displayed on Public Records, and Court proceedings (with the sensitive information removed) shall be placed in the public archive, with the full un-censored version stored in archive in another location. Private trials may only be released at the conference of the Triumvirate, Chief Judge, and Defendant. |
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| − | ===Article III: Precedent Guide === |
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| − | '''Part A:''' Article III shall henceforth be the legal precedent for specific crimes against Alliance Policy. At all times the punishments and procedure outlined in this Article shall supersede the necessity for a Trial in the MHA court. There are three severities of crimes (Minor, Major and High Crime), and three types of crimes (either In-Game, Anti-Hitchhiker, or External crimes). These rules are applicable to all members of the alliance, regardless of position. |
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| − | '''Part B:''' A Minor In-Game Crime shall include the declaration of war against another nation without authorization from MHA government; committing a Spy Operation against another nation without authorization from MHA Government; aiding a nation deemed an enemy of the alliance, sending inappropriate or offensive communications via Private Message to another nation; displaying offensive language in a Nation Bio, Aid Reason, War Declaration or Alliance Affiliation; the increment of one in-game Warn by Cybernations Moderators; Triumvir candidates mass messaging members or other players during election campaigns; the improper use of private messaging with the intention of spreading unauthorized or inappropriate information to other members or CN players; or the premature cancellation of a trade deal contract, whereby the nation has accepted Aid to maintain a Trade Agreement for a set period of time. |
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| − | '''Part C:''' First offenses for a Minor In-Game Crime crimes shall be provided with leniency towards offender, whereby they have committed one singular Minor In-Game Offense crime in one singular occurrence. Precedent for first offenses shall include the payment of reparations to offended parties at a base rate of 150% of damages caused for war and spy operations, and 100% of aid or trade deals and a public apology to those involved and to the MHA to be posted in the Court forum for documentation. Should reparations be arranged by another MHA member, the amount will be subtracted from future Aid handouts or be repaid by the offending nation in installments. For crimes involving the mass messaging feature, they shall be banned from mass messaging anyone for a period of one month. Offending nations shall be placed on probation for a period of one month. |
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| − | '''Part D:''' Second offenses for a Minor In-Game crime shall result in the loss of any Government position for two months; re-education period through the MHAcademy whereby members shall undergo the complete course, regardless of NS or prior position; ineligibility to receive any aid from the alliance for two months; the exclusion from alliance military operations for one month; the payment of reps to offended parties at a base rate of 200% of damages caused for war and spy operations, and 150% of aid or trade deals; and a public apology to those involved and to the MHA to be posted in the Court forum for documentation. Should reparations been arranged by another MHA member, the amount will be subtracted from future Aid handouts or be repaid by the offending nation in installments. For crimes involving the mass messaging feature, offenders shall be banned from mass messaging anyone for a period of three months. Offending nations shall be placed on probation for a period of three months. |
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| − | '''Part E:''' A Major In-Game Crime shall include the Third Offense of a Minor In-Game Crime in a three month period, multiple declarations of war against another nation without authorization from MHA Government in a 72 hour period; additionally using nuclear weapons against targets declared on during the 72 hour period; committing multiple (two or more) Spy Operations against another nation without authorization from MHA Government in a 72 hour period, aiding multiple nations (two or more) deemed an enemy of the alliance, multiple (two or more) premature cancellations of a trade deal contract, whereby the nation has accepted Aid to maintain a Trade Agreement for a set period of time; the increment of a 100% Warn Level, Nation Deletion, and/or Game Ban by Cybernations Moderators; and the theft of alliance aid, defined as applying to or being accepted into another alliance within three months of accepting aid from the MHA, without making arrangements with MHA Government to repay the aid at 100% of it's original value. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Part F:''' The act of committing a Major In-Game Crime shall incur instant expulsion from the alliance, and offenders shall be officially classified as Treacherous Scum by the MHA. For Major In-Game Crimes involving a Third Minor In-Game offense, multiple hostile actions against another nation, sending aid to an enemy nation, and aid theft; the Alliance shall target the offender's nation for destruction and they shall be banned from the MHA permanently. Additionally, offenders shall be recognized as an Enemy of the Alliance. For Major In-Game Crime involving Spy Operations and multiple cancellations of trade deals contracts; the offender shall be banned from the MHA for a period of over six months. Should the offender wish to apply after the ban period, they shall be subject to a review by the MHA Court. For Nation Deletions and In-Game Bans by Moderators, the offending nation shall be banned for a period of six months. Should the offending nation wish to apply after the ban period, they must do so with a legal, clean nation approved by Cybernations Moderators and they shall be subject to review by the MHA Court. The Court is under no obligation to allow offending nations back into the alliance, even after the ban period has expired. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Part G:''' A Minor Anti-Hitchhiker Crime includes breaking Forum and IRC Code of Conduct (rude, offensive language, the posting of inappropriate material); disrespectful language towards another MHA member, allied member, or another CN player; use of violence, threats, or any similar act deemed dishonorable by the MHA Government or MHA Court towards another MHA member, allied member, or another CN player; any act deemed to be in violation of the spirit of fair-play in elections by either the Incumbent Triumvirate, the MHA Court or Populace; intentionally recruiting members (whether successful or not) from another alliance; minor abuse of the MHA Court (see II.F); or any act deemed consistent with the previous crimes. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Part H:''' Judgement of Minor Anti-Hitchhiker Crimes shall occur on a case-by-case basis, due the nature of differences between the severity of crimes. For first offenses of Minor Anti-Hitchhiker Crimes, the penalties available shall be the loss of alliance position, loss of eligibility for alliance position, loss of eligibility for alliance aid, the payment of reparations to offended nations, re-education through the MHAcademy, suspension from the alliance for a set period of time, expulsion from the MHA Forums or IRC channel for a set period of time, ban from posting in public forums or IRC channels for a set period of time or permanently; ineligibility to run for Triumvir Candidate for a set period of time or permanently; or any other punishment deemed suitable by the MHA Court or MHA Government. These punishments apply for First or Second Offenses of Minor Anti-Hitchhiker Crimes. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Part I:''' A Major Anti-Hitchhiker Crime includes a Third offense of a Minor Anti-Hitchhiker Crime; the act of blackmail, bribery, extortion, or any similar act deemed dishonorable by the MHA Government or MHA Court towards another MHA member, allied member, or another CN player the use of external influence to extort or blackmail the alliance or her members; the use of Out of Character information to slander, insult, offend, bribe, blackmail, extort, threaten, or otherwise improperly use (as deemed by the MHA Government or MHA Court) against a MHA member, allied member, or other CN Player; being a registered and accepted member of another alliance (dual membership) without posting an official resignation; severe abuse of the MHA Court (see II.F); or any act deemed consistent with the previous crimes. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Part J:''' The act of committing a Major Anti-Hitchhiker Crime shall incur instant expulsion from the alliance, the payment of reparations to offended parties, and hostile action taken by the MHA against the offender as deemed appropriate by the MHA Court. All of the crimes listed as a Major Anti-Hitchhiker crime are strictly forbidden within the alliance and no reason given shall ever justify committing said crimes. For that reason, punishment must be instant and severe. |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Part K:''' A High Anti-Hitchhiker Crime includes the collection and redistribution of classified or internal information, guides, images, screen shots of private forums, or any intellectual property deemed private in nature, from another alliance (otherwise known as espionage); the illegal misuse of Forum Position (as deemed on a case-by-case basis); attempting to, or successfully obtaining control over the alliance through illegal means (in a way not prescribed by MHA charter, performing a coup d’état); or any act deemed consistent with the previous crimes. |
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| + | '''Part E:''' For the purpose of maintaining an active and efficient Ministry, each Minister shall partake in a monthly review of their selected Ministry, and present said review to Ministry and Triumvirs. The key factors of the review shall focus on the efficiency of the Ministry, activity of the Deputy Minister, Secretary, and Team members of the Ministry, decisions made, success in the completion of tasks, success in facilitating improvements deemed necessary from the previous review, and the identification of improvements necessary for the future. During this time, the Minister may wish to make recommendations or suggestions to improve any area of the Ministry, especially concerning the appointment of Deputy Minister, Secretary, and other Team Members. |
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| − | '''Part L:''' The Act of Committing a High Anti-Hitchhiker Crime shall incur instant expulsion from the alliance, instant hostile action by MHA forces, and a sentence to "Perma ZI", whereby the offender's nation shall be reduced to zero infrastructure for the life of it's existence. Any and all means of achieving Perma ZI, including In-Game Spies and Nuclear Weapons shall be fully endorsed. Due to the nature of the crime, offenders will never leave our Perma ZI List and they will never be granted leniency or mercy. |
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| + | ===Article VI: Division of Operations for the Ministry=== |
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| − | '''Part M:''' A Minor External Crime includes the attack by a foreign party on a MHA Nation, the use of In-Game Spies against a MHA nation, the threat or acts of violence against a MHA nation, posting offensive or disrespectful language on the MHA boards or MHA IRC Channel by a foreign diplomat or visitor, premature cancellation of a Trade Contract (as defined above) with a MHA nation, attempting to or successfully recruiting a MHA nation, disrespectful behavior towards a MHA ally, or any act deemed consistent with the previous crimes. |
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| + | '''Part A:''' The Ministry of Destructor Fleets (War), is responsible for the organization, preparation, training, and wartime operations of the MHA Military, the protection of all members, the engagement of all approved targets, and any activities involving the MHA Military. |
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| − | '''Part N:''' The Act of Committing a Minor External Crime shall incur punishment on a case-by-case basis. However, reparations for hostile action and the use of in-game Spies against a MHA Nation shall be set at 150% of the damages caused OR hostile action taken against the offenders, which will be handled by the Ministry of Destructor Fleets. All other crimes may carry a punishment of removal from the MHA Forums or IRC channel, sanctioned on the Aqua trading sphere, sanctioned against receiving MHA Trade Deals or Contracts, public apology on the CN Forums, or any other punishment deemed necessary by the MHA Court. These punishments are guidelines only. If the Offender is a member of another Alliance, the MHA Government shall work with the alliance to receive a suitable resolution to the issue. |
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| + | '''Part B:''' The Ministry of Babel Fish (Foreign Affairs), is responsible for designation of diplomats, maintenance and communication within the alliance's embassies, proper management of the MHA's foreign agreements, representation of the alliance, discussion and planning of the alliance's Foreign Affairs direction and movements, the leadership and guidance of any Protectorate alliances, and any activity involving MHA diplomacy. |
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| − | '''Part O:''' A Major External Crime includes two or more offenses of a Minor External Crime, the aiding of a MHA Enemy, or any other act deemed consistent with these previous crimes. |
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| + | '''Part C:''' The Ministry of Towels (Economics), is responsible for the management and distribution of aid, creation and maintenance of Trade, Tech, and other financial agreements, both internally and with external nations, the planning and management of the alliance's finances, and any activity involving the MHA's economics. |
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| − | '''Part P:''' The Act of Committing a Major External Crime shall incur hostile action, taken by the MHA Ministry of Destructor Fleets, payment of reparations set at 200% of the damages caused, being listed as an enemy of the MHA, apology on the CN forums, or any other punishment deemed necessary by the MHA Court. These punishments are guidelines only. If the Offender is a member of another Alliance, the MHA Government shall work with the alliance to receive a suitable resolution to the issue. |
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| + | '''Part D:''' The Ministry of Hitchhikers (Internal Affairs), is responsible for the recruitment of new nations to the alliance, education and training of new nations through the MHAcademy, development of guides and information resources, further higher education, mentoring and providing services to members, the identification and maintenance of ghosts on the MHA's alliance affiliation, and any activities concerning internal services to the MHA's members. |
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| − | '''Part Q:''' A High External Crime includes attempting to or successfully obtaining and redistributing information, guides, screen shots, or any other property deemed private in nature from the MHA to an external source (espionage); the use of Nuclear Weapons against the MHA without prior Nuclear provocation (first-strike nuking); or any other act deemed consistent with these previous crimes. |
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| + | '''Part E:''' The Ministry of Bad Poetry (Communications), is responsible for the publication of alliance newsletters, distribution of alliance-wide messages, maintenance of the MHA's IRC channel, collection of public information for intelligence purposes, entertainment of the alliance, creation of art and alliance imagery, the morale of the alliance, public relations, and any activity involving the MHA's communications. |
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| − | '''Part R:''' The Act of Committing a High External Crime shall incur instant hostile action taken against the offenders, classification as an official enemy of the MHA; sentencing to Perma ZI (as described above); and any other punishment deemed necessary by the MHA Government and Court. All due care will be taken if the offender of a High External Crime is from another alliance, but due to the crime, offenders will be pursued with deadly force. Alliances willingly harboring an enemy of the MHA shall be treated as a hostile alliance. |
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| + | '''Part F:''' Any operations not specifically mentioned in this article, though reasonably part of a Ministry's duties, shall be designated as part of that Ministry's jurisdiction by the Triumvirate. Changes to the division of operations may occur at any time, upon the agreement of the Triumvirs and Ministers. |
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| − | '''Part S:''' The precedents prescribed in this article shall be taken as law in all cases relating to the Crimes described. This is to ensure an efficient and clear legal process, which is necessary for the alliance. In these cases, a trial will not be necessary. However, in cases where the evidence or situation deviates from the specific crimes mentioned, the Court shall be required to run a trial and decide on which type and severity of Crime and which punishment suits the situation. The Court shall never impose crimes higher than what is prescribed for the type of offense. For example, they cannot sentence a Minor In-Game Crime with the punishment for the High Anti-Hitchhiker Crime. The Court must work within the confides of the acceptable punishments. In short: the punishment must fit the crime. |
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| + | ==Additional Government Positions:== |
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| − | ===Article |
+ | ===Article I: Government Advisors=== |
| + | '''Part A:''' Government Advisors are former Triumvirs or Ministers who have served at least three months in office, who have been appointed by the current Triumvirate to assist and advise the Executive Body on alliance operations and affairs. Advisors must request the position at the conclusion of their terms, and will be appointed by a 3/3 vote by the current Triumvirate. |
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| − | '''Part A:''' The Court is the legal body of the alliance, responsible for the administration of legal proceeding; recording of offenses, trials, and sentences; maintenance of the court; reporting to the MHA Government on suggestions, reforms, and developments on the running of the Court; and any other duty that may transpire in relation to the legal system. The three internal Court Positions are Chief Judge (See IV.C), Prosecutor (See IV.D), and Defense (See IV.E); the three operational arms of the Court System. These roles are automatically selected to ensure the impartiality of the Court. |
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| + | '''Part B:''' The Government Advisor position will count as experience and/or continued service in a position within the Alliance, should the Advisor seek office elsewhere. Government Advisors may hold one other position in the alliance, excluding Triumvir, Minister, or Deputy Minister. The Triumvirate will decide the access and powers of each Government Advisor. Government Advisors remain eligible to Replace a Triumvir or Minister if appointed by the Triumvirate, at the withdrawal of their Government Advisor title. |
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| − | '''Part B:''' Court Positions are rotated at the expiration of one month. The Chief Judge becomes the Defense, the Defense becomes the Prosecutor, and the Prosecutor becomes the Chief Judge. In the event a trial is in progress at the end of the month, the positions remain until the expiration of the trial. Once the trial is over, they will rotate as prescribed. The Court Officer with the most votes in the election is appointed Chief Judge for the first month, the one with the second most votes is Prosecutor, and the third most votes is Defense. |
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| + | '''Part C:''' Should a Government Advisor breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a government position, become inactive on the forums for a period of over two weeks, become deemed incapable or incompetent in his/her position, the Triumvirs may remove them immediately. |
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| − | '''Part C:''' The Chief Judge is responsible for reviewing all Cases that are brought to the court (See IV.H), either by the Court Officers or Requested by the MHA members. He/She shall decide whether the evidence and type of case warrants enacting the Precedent Policy (See III), or if a Trial is required. During Trials, he/she is responsible for maintaining court procedure and finally to pass verdict and sentencing on the Case itself. |
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| + | '''Part D:''' Should a Government Advisor require a temporary Leave, they must post a notice of their absence to the Triumvirs. If the Advisor concurrently holds another position within the alliance, they must also post notice to either the Minister, Assembly, or the MHA Court, whichever is applicable. The Government Advisor may be replaced as necessary. |
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| − | '''Part D:''' The Prosecutor is responsible for conducting the case against a Defendant, and to recommend the verdict and sentencing of the crime based on the evidence provided. The Prosecutor will also recommend which punishments are necessary for Policy Breaches (see IV.H) where the convictions are automatic. |
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| + | ===Article II: Retired Triumvirs=== |
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| − | '''Part E:''' The Defense is responsible for conducting the case on behalf of a Defendant, to prove their innocence of the alleged charges, or to recommend sentencing based on the evidence provided. The Defense will also recommend punishment for Policy Breaches (see IV.H) where convictions are automatic. |
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| + | '''Part A:''' Triumvirs who are retiring after at least two terms in office will be entitled to the rank of Retired Triumvir, if they do not wish to act as Government Advisor or any other position. Triumvirs have the right to accept the title or not, but must clearly state their intention at the conclusion of their term. By doing so, they are considered to have officially retired from Active duty. |
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| − | '''Part F:''' In it's proactive role, The Court is responsible for monitoring alliance activity to report any breaches of alliance policy or Charter (referred to as a Policy Breach Case). For example, monitoring alliance wars and the Ministry of Defense for members who have taken unauthorized hostile action. Or, to watch the forums for breaches in forum behavior protocol. In this sense, the Court shall remain vigilant on alliance behavior to ensure all breaches are suitably recorded and resolved. Should the Court discover a policy breach, it is instantly considered a Case for the Chief Judge to review (See IV.H). |
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| + | '''Part B:''' The powers and access of each Retired Triumvir will be determined by the current Triumvirate and may change at their discretion, though will remain equal to the access of a Government Advisor. Having retired, they may not hold any other position within the alliance and cannot replace a Triumvir or Minister in any capacity. While they may be given access to the Ministry to provide an experienced point of view, Retired Triumvirs have no official vote in discussions and their voices remain unofficially advisory in capacity. Retired Triumvirs may assist with Forum administration though only at the direction of the official Forum Admins, Triumvirs, Ministers, or Government Advisors. |
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| − | '''Part G:''' In it's responsive role, The Court must suitably address all Court Cases requested by members or Government, whereby a member of the alliance has requested the Court to investigate an alleged offender or situation (referred to as a Requested Case). In such cases, it shall be up to the Chief Judge to decide on the validity of the claims (See IV.H) and the procedure for the court. In this sense, the Court shall be ready to investigate and respond to cases brought before it at all times, and that proper procedure is followed. |
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| + | '''Part C:''' Should a Retired Triumvir breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Triumvir's consent, or act in a manner inappropriate for a government position, the Triumvirs may remove any special access he/she has been awarded, and any Forum Admin access they may have, to equal that of a normal Hitchhiker. The rank of Retired Triumvir will remain. |
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| − | '''Part H:''' When a Policy Breach or Requested Case occurs, it shall be reported within the Court (either by the Court Officers or by another Member), and the Chief Judge shall either enact the Precedent Policy (See Article III) with Punishment, and record an automatic conviction; OR the case shall be brought to trial. Automatic convictions are recorded and enacted instantly, and will be listed in a public record in the MHA Court forum. Should the case require judgement based on an investigation (See III.S), a Trial will ensure (See IV.K). Trial conclusions shall likewise be listed in a public record in the MHA Court forum. The Chief Judge may also opt not to act on the case if the evidence or the case falls below the minimum standard of policy breach for a Court case (eg; if the Chief Judge believes no breach has occurred), and the case itself is dropped. In the event the case is dropped, it may not be presented to the Court again until it fully constitutes a policy breach (either with new evidence or further supposed breaches); until a period of one week has passed; or unless requested by the MHA Government. In which case, the Chief Judge will review the case and pass judgement again. |
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| + | ===Article III: Administrators=== |
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| − | '''Part I:''' For Policy Breach cases, as described, the Judge will affirm which crime/s have been committed based on the evidence, and which Punishment shall follow. He/She may wish to enter a plea by the defendant for public record. The Prosecutor and Defense may also enter a recommendation for the punishment. The Judge will enter his Sentencing into the record and case is resolved. All cases are listed in the Public records with the crimes, evidence, pleas, and sentencing. Should the defendant, or the Defense wish to Appeal the crime, see Article IV, Part L. |
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| + | '''Part A:''' For the maintenance of the MHA Forums and IRC Channel, the MHA may appoint one or more Administrators to host and manage these facilities. All OOC property will remain the property of the Administrators who have provided it for the alliance's use. The MHA has no right or ownership of OOC property provided by the Administrators. The MHA has no right to request payment from the Administrators or members of the alliance for the Administrator's services or property. Administrators will not be paid, nor will they request payment, for their services. The MHA has no financial or any obligations to the Administrators for their services. |
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| − | '''Part J:''' For Requested Cases, as described, the Judge is responsible for overseeing the Court Procedure, from the maintenance of evidence lists, witness calls, court decorum, and trial progress. They will be responsible for opening official Trials, granting delays, and the final deliberation of the trial. |
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| + | '''Part B:''' Disputes relating to the services of Administrators will be settled quickly and fairly, preferably with the use of a non-MHA arbitrator. The MHA has the right to choose to alternate services at any time, providing discussion and notice of at least one week is provided to the Administrator. The Administrators have the right to discontinue their service at any time, providing discussion and notice of at least one week is provided to the MHA and that the Administrators assist in moving the MHA to another service. |
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| − | '''Part K:''' Once a Trial is called, the Chief Judge will set up a Trial thread outlining the basis for the trial (evidence and the reason why it's gone to trial), the defendant, and a reminder as to who the Prosecutor and Defense are. The Court shall allow a 24 hour Grace Period after the official posting for the collection of information and evidence. It is in this time that the Defendant and the Defense will need to confer on the Defendant's Plea for the trial of guilty, not guilty, or no contest (the person does not refute the charges, but also does not claim guilt for the charges), whereas the Prosecutor must also collect their case against the Defendant. Any witnesses and evidence must be presented during this time. Either party may ask for a Grace Period Delay of an additional 24 hours in the event more time is needed. The Chief Judge will decide whether the delay is necessary. |
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| + | '''Part C:''' The MHA will understand and appreciate that services provided by the Administrators are done so on a voluntary basis, without financial reward, and will endeavour to acknowledge and respect the Administrator's services. The title of Forum Admin will count towards experience as a Government position within the alliance, should the Administrators seek office elsewhere. Administrators must be members of the MHA. |
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| − | '''Part L:''' Once the Grace Period is over, the Defense and Prosecutor will state their cases, list the Defendant's plea, list of evidence, list of witnesses, and any other factor. The trial shall begin with the Prosecutor going through their evidence and their witnesses, and the Defense or Defendant responding in a cross-examination. The Defense will then go through their evidence and witnesses, with the Prosecutor cross-examinating. At the conclusion of all evidence and witnesses, the Prosecutor and then the Defense will make their closing remarks and, if applicable, recommendation for punishment. |
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| + | ===Article IV: Special Appointments=== |
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| − | '''Part M:''' After closing remarks, the Judge will consider his/her verdict and punishment. This period may take any time as necessary. Once the Judge as deliberated, he will announce his verdict, and the reasons for it, and then his/her sentence and the reasons for it. Sentencing, if applicable, shall happen immediately after. All of the court proceeding shall be entered into Archive and the result recorded in Public Records. |
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| + | '''Part A:''' The Triumvirate and Ministry may create special positions not otherwise covered in this document, as deemed necessary to assist with alliance operations. All positions created must be publicly announced to the Assembly, and the Assembly has the right at all times to revoke the special appointment through a motion. The Triumvirs and Ministers will decide upon the access and powers of the special position as necessary. The appointment will count towards experience and service as a Government Position. |
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| − | '''Part N:''' All members of the MHA are required to respond to Court Cases if called as a Defendant, witness, or character witness, or if they posses information or evidence that relates to the Trial. Witnesses must be clearly identified at the beginning of the trial and/or contacted during the 24 hour period prior to the trial commencing. Only those invited to the Trial may respond in Court Threads. All other members, including MHA Government, shall not be allowed to speak or post in the Trial threads, nor shall they attempt to add to, edit, or otherwise interfere with the Court process. It is the Chief Judge's role to maintain decorum at all times. |
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| + | '''Part B:''' Should a Special Appointment breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Minister or Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a Special Appointment, become inactive on the forums for a period of over five days, become incapable or incompetent in his/her position, or superseded by a more capable member, the Triumvirs or Minster may remove the Special Appointment immediately. Another member if necessary may fill the Special Appointment. If a Special Appointment requires leave from their position, they must provide notice to the Triumvirs or Ministers, and an Acting Special Appointment may be selected if necessary. |
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| − | '''Part O:''' The Defendant, Defense, or Prosecutor may Appeal the verdict up to two months after it has been announced. The grounds for appeal shall be the arrival of new evidence (character witnesses excluded); errors of law (correct procedure not being followed); inefficient representation (Defense were insufficient or negligent in their defense); Trial interference (evidence tampering, court case interrupted, etc); or genuine claims of bias against the Chief Judge or any Court Officer. Appeals will be heard by the Minister of Hitchhikers, and he/she shall judge the Appeal based on the grounds claimed. Should the Appeal be successful, the Minister will overview all evidence again and will make his/her decision based on these factors. If "New Evidence" was not listed as the grounds for the Appeal, then no new evidence will be included in the Appeal Case. The Minister's decision on the case is final. |
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| + | ==Froodification== |
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| − | '''Part P:''' The law of double jeopardy does not apply. An alliance member may under go trial for the same crime if new evidence has been presented that may alter the verdict of the previous trial, or if the defendant commits the exact same crime again. It is vitally important that the Court, and be extension the MHA, is free to ensure the security of the alliance is never placed in doubt. Our legal system, through the Revolution, must be sound, clear, and responsive to all cases brought before it. |
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| + | ===Article I: Amendments=== |
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| − | ==The Revolutionaries: == |
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| − | - The Hitchhikers of the [[Mostly Harmless Alliance]] |
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| + | '''Part A:''' This document serves as Supporting Policy for the MHA Charter; a guide for alliance functions and operations. This document will not alter, substitute, infringe, ignore or bypass any portion of the MHA Charter. |
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| − | - [[Raholia]] of The Last Senate |
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| + | '''Part B:''' Any amendments to this Document may be made at any time by any member, through the creation of a Motion in the Hitchhiker's Assembly. All Hitchhikers will be given the right to vote on the Amendment Motion, including the right to abstain from voting. The Vote will last for a period of three days. |
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| − | - [[Iron Will]] of The Last Senate |
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| + | '''Part C:''' An Amendment Motion must receive at least 51% in favour in order to pass, and all amendments will be immediately made to the document at the completion of the vote. Should the Vote fail to receive that majority, the Motion has failed, and no further action will be taken. |
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| − | - [[Keishii]] of The Last Senate |
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| + | '''Part D:''' The Mostly Harmless Alliance is constituted as a Democratic Society. Each and all the MHA Officials are elected by the Assembly or appointed by a body elected by the Assembly. Lifetime or indefinite terms for Officials are forbidden, with the only exception of titles purely honorific in nature and attributions. No Official, Elected or Appointed, is immune from removal by a Vote of No Confidence. This article cannot be removed, ignored, or bypassed in any way. Grammatical alterations to the wording of this article may occur, so long as alterations maintain the purpose of this article and continue to protect the Democracy of the Mostly Harmless Alliance. |
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| − | - [[Craftj2]] of The Last Senate |
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| + | ===Article II: Signatures=== |
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| − | - [[Snagglepuss]] of The Last Senate |
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| + | '''The 2007 Revolutionaries:''' |
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| − | - [[MadOverseer]] of The First Triumvirate |
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| − | + | * Raholia of The Last Senate |
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| + | * Iron Will of The Last Senate |
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| + | * Keishii of The Last Senate |
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| + | * Craftj2 of The Last Senate |
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| + | * Snagglepuss of The Last Senate |
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| + | * MadOverseer of The First Triumvirate |
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| + | * Denzin of The First Triumvirate |
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| + | * Working Class Ruler of the First Triumvirate, Revolution Author |
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| + | '''The 2009 Revolutionaries:''' |
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| − | - [[Working Class Ruler]] of the First Triumvirate, Revolution Author |
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| + | * The First Hitchhiker’s Assembly |
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| + | * Crushtania of the Triumvirate |
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| + | * Scutterbug of the Triumvirate |
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| + | * Pourquoi of the Triumvirate |
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| + | * Working Class Ruler, Revolution Author |
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| + | * Dynasty, Revolution Author |
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[[Category:Mostly Harmless Alliance]] |
[[Category:Mostly Harmless Alliance]] |
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| + | [[Category:Alliance charters]] |
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Latest revision as of 22:21, 14 May 2010
The Harmless Revolution is a Supporting Policy Document of the MHA Charter, describing every single detail of the new Government. This was first documents to be compiled as the MHA changed to a new Government system with a Triumvirate head of state. The Harmless Revolution also details the responsibilities and operations of the five Ministries, as well as the intricacies of the MHA's judicial system, the MHA Court. At the fundamental heart of this document is the preservation of democracy in the alliance, and the protection of the people's will, which is central to MHA internal policy and a major factor in the alliance's beliefs. The Harmless Revolution began in November, 2007, when the original idea was proposed by WCR to move to a new Government system, starting with the Triumvirs in December. The Ministries came in January and the Court was completed in late March, with elections in April.
In 2009, as part of a major overhaul of the MHA Charter, the Revolution was updated and improved. The updated version was ratified on Thursday, September 24th, 2009.
The Harmless Revolution[]
The Mostly Harmless Alliance has a history of representative democracy, a powerful voice of the people, and respect for all Hitchhikers. Throughout many different Charters and Documents, tthe MHA has lived to serve its people and its people to govern the alliance. In the beginning, our Founders JimmyK, VinnyP, and R11ch established that the alliance was governed by a democratically elected council of five Senators, whose decisions and votes were viewable for all members to see and discuss. In creating MHA, they established an alliance that was run for the people, by the people.
The Harmless Revolution came in November 2007, as decreed by the people. This changed the Government of the alliance to a council of three Triumvirs with five Ministers; but the democracy remained the same. Our Government became organized, efficient, and broad; operations were stream lined and the people's voices were strengthened even more. Through the empowerment of the Third Revolution, the MHA Court, a sound legal system and Judicial Body guarded the people, led by three independently elected Court Officers. Further improvements saw the initiation of an Ombudsman, a completely independent position to liaise between the people, the Government and the Court: to ensure the will of the people was protected.
The Revolution has been updated on occasion to ensure fairer elections and easier amendments; however, a significant change occurred in mid-2009. The creation of the Hitchhiker's Assembly ensured greater voice and powers to the people and a clear distinction between the Legislative Body (The Assembly), the Executive Body (The Government), and the Judicial Body (the MHA Court) was made. After this change, the Revolution required a significant overhaul to ensure it remained a leading up-to-date document in Government organization and in compliance with the Hitchhiker's Assembly.
The following document outlines the election, powers, and procedures of the Executive Body.
Vive la Révolution!
The First Revolution: The Triumvirate[]
The Triumvirate is a 3 member executive council, elected by the people of the alliance. The Triumvirate shall be responsible for management and leadership of the Executive Body: overseeing all Ministries, departments, the deployment of alliance military, the ratification of treaties, the management of all alliance. affairs, and shall act as representatives of the alliance, and leadership of the alliance. The Hitchhiker’s Assembly elects triumvirs for a term of 3 months, with one Triumvir elected each month on a rotating basis. Triumvirs will act with respect, honor, dignity, and honesty to their full capacity, for the complete duration of the term.
Article I: Election of the Triumvirate.[]
Part A: Triumvir candidates must: 1) Have been with the Alliance for a minimum of six consecutive months directly before their nomination as defined by the in-game Alliance Seniority. 2) Have held at least one position in the Executive Body, Judicial Body, or Legislative body for two months directly before their nomination. 3) Not be serving a conviction from the MHA Court. 4) Have a legal nation in Cybernations.
Part B: Exemptions to these requirements are granted by the MHA Court. The criteria for exemption includes: a member removing their Alliance Affiliation for no more than 24 hours, with proof, a member being no more than a week short of requirements 1 and 2, a member having previously served in a Triumvir or Minister position for over 6 consecutive months, or the member having previously served in a senior-level Government position within another alliance for 6 consecutive months, with proof, and who has also served in a Government position within MHA for one month prior to the election. Exemptions must be heard in the MHA Court at any time before the Nominations Thread closes.
Part C: Ten days prior to the end of each month, all Triumvir candidates, including the Incumbent if that person is seeking reelection, shall announce their nominations in a Nominations Thread that will be initiated by the Speaker of the Assembly, the Legislator of the Assembly if the speaker is unavailable, or a Court Officer if neither of the first two is available. The Nominations Period will last a total of three days, all Exemptions must be applied for during this time. If no one nominates for Triumvir, the Nomination Period will continue until at least one person nominates.
Part D: After three days, the Nominations Period ends and the Discussion Period begins. The Discussion Period allows candidates to discuss election issues, debate each other, and campaign for votes. All Candidates must conduct themselves with civility, respect, and maturity, especially to other candidates, during this period in the spirit of fair play. After four days, the Voting Period begins; however, the campaigning and discussions may continue throughout the Voting Period.
Part E: The Voting Period remains open for a period of 3 days. The Vote Poll must be opened by the Speaker of the Assembly, the Legislator of the Assembly if the Speaker is unavailable, or a Court Officer if neither of the first two is available. No one, including the member who opened the Poll, may edit, alter, close, or otherwise change the vote or the post containing the vote, once it has begun. Doing so shall violate the integrity of the Poll and all persons caught doing so shall be placed on Trial in the MHA Court, and a new Vote will be opened with the Voting Period starting again. The candidate with the highest amount of votes at the conclusion of the Voting Period will be elected as Triumvir of the alliance.
Part F: In the event only one person nominates for Triumvir, a Confirmation Vote is held for a period of 3 days. The Assembly will vote to Elect the candidate, cast a Vote of No Confidence against the candidate, or Abstain from voting. If the candidate receives a majority vote to elect, the candidate will be elected as Triumvir. If the candidate receives a majority Vote of No Confidence or Abstain, he/she will not be elected and a new nominations period will open.
Part G: In the event of a tie, a runoff vote (By-Election) shall take place. The candidates shall be entered into a new Vote Poll, which will last for 24 hours and will be opened by the Speaker, Legislator, or a Court Officer. No one, including the member who opened the Poll, may edit, alter, close, or otherwise change the Vote, or the post containing the Vote, once it has begun. Doing so shall violate the integrity of the Poll and all persons caught doing so shall be placed on Trial in the MHA Court, and a New Vote will be opened with the By-Election Voting Period starting again. The candidate with the most votes at the conclusion this new Poll shall be deemed elected as Triumvir. During this time, the Incumbent Triumvir, unless otherwise disqualified, retains their office and powers.
Part H: In the event of a tie in the By-election, a second runoff shall be held, following the same procedures as the first By-election. If this vote fails to produce a clear victory, the remaining two Triumvirs and all Ministers will cast the deciding vote with a 4/7 majority required to elect the winner. If a 4/7 Majority is not found, the Speaker of the Assembly, or the Legislator if the Speaker is unavailable, will cast the deciding vote.
Part I: In the event of a dispute over the Vote, the actions of a Candidate, or the actions of any other MHA member, each of which may directly affect the vote, the case shall be handled by the MHA Court. Until the completion of the case, the election result is suspended and the Incumbent Triumvir will remain as Acting Triumvir. Should the Incumbent Triumvir be implicated or involved in the dispute or otherwise unavailable, the Ministry and remaining Triumvirs shall appoint an Acting Triumvir from any Government member in the alliance for the duration of the Court Case by following the established procedure for selection of an Acting Triumvir. The Hitchhiker’s Assembly may contest the appointment following a Vote of No Confidence.
Part J: Should a candidate be acquitted by the MHA Court and be deemed properly elected, that candidate will immediately assume the office of Triumvir. Should the Court Case rule that the Election itself has been significantly tainted or influenced illegally, then the results shall be overturned and a new Election Vote shall be initiated with the offending member(s) removed from Candidacy. New elections shall follow the same procedure and requirements as per a standard election.
Part K: Upon the completion of the election, each elected Triumvir must post the following official acceptance of the position:
"I [name here] hereby accept the position of Triumvir of the Mostly Harmless Alliance, as elected by the people of the alliance. I hereby swear to serve the alliance with respect, honour, dignity, and honesty to my full capacity, for the complete duration of the term."
Article II: Procedure of the Triumvirate[]
Part A: In all affairs, all three of the Triumvirate must be present for votes and discussions, unless an urgent decision is required. All Triumvirs must contribute to the running of the alliance and must be allowed to contribute to the running of the alliance. It is the individual Triumvir's duty to ensure they remain active on the forums, or face replacement. It is the whole Triumvirate's duty to ensure all three Triumvirs are included in all decisions.
Part B: Major decisions, defined as the mobilization of the MHA Military, ratification of any treaties with Military Defence obligations, the cancellation of any treaties, the appointment of Ministers, Government Advisors, and other special positions; require a 3/3 agreement by the Triumvirs.
Part C: For Urgent decisions, defined as the activation of Military Defence treaties, the immediate activation of the MHA Military, representation of the alliance, and the management of the Ministry requiring immediate on-the-spot decisions, or any other act deemed "Urgent" by the Triumvirate, any subset of the Triumvirate who are available may chose to act for the alliance as a whole providing reasonable efforts have been made to contact the remaining Triumvir(s). Once the urgency of said decision has passed, the whole Triumvirate may act to endorse or over-turn the decision by a two out of three majority. Treaties, decisions, or official representation conducted during this time shall be done so with the pre-emptive announcement that any decisions may be over-turned in the future. Abuse of this article, deemed to violate MHA Charter and policy, or to circumvent the democracy of the alliance and Triumvirate, shall be grounds for the dismissal of the Triumvir responsible.
Part D: For all other decisions, a Majority Vote required for a formal decision shall be two out of three Triumvirs. A 2/3 majority either way must be achieved to be considered final. Should a single Triumvir abstain from voting, the remaining two Triumvirs may still reach a consensus on a final decision. Should a Triumvir require a temporary Leave, he/she may opt to give their support (pre-approval) to any decision that the remaining two Triumvirs have reached a consensus on.
Part E: In general, the Triumvirate are expected to act as a united team, empowered by the people to lead and improve the alliance. Issues and disputes must be settled quickly and fairly, Triumvirs should handle any serious problems between themselves in the privacy of the Triumvir's forum, and will always put the prosperity and harmony of the alliance above all else.
Part F: Any issues not specifically mentioned in this section though reasonably a part of the Triumvir's duties shall be considered under the jurisdiction of the Triumvirate.
Article III Replacement of the Triumvirate[]
Part A: Should a Triumvir become inactive, defined as either not appearing on the forums or not contributing to Government posts or private messages, without any explanation, for a period of over five days, he or she will be stood down from office and a Replacement Triumvir will be elected. The remaining Triumvirs and Ministers will elect any member of the Executive Body to fill this position for the rest of the term, regardless of how long is left in the term.
Part B: Should an inactive Triumvir that was replaced return, his re-instatement will be decided by the Court, based on individual circumstances for the absence, deliberation of any evidence, and the desire of the Replacement Triumvir to continue serving on a permanent basis. Based on the Court's ruling, the inactive Triumvir may be re-instated, or if not, the Replacement Triumvir will continue. The Court will also decide if the inactive Triumvir is eligible to nominate for the position of Triumvir in the future.
Part C: Should a Triumvir give notice of Leave of over five days by posting an official warning of their absence, the Ministry and remaining Triumvirs may opt to vote on a replacement from another member of the Executive Body to fill this position for the duration of the absence, as Acting Triumvir. Should a Triumvir require a temporary Leave, he/she may opt to give their support (pre-approval) to any decision that the remaining two Triumvirs have reached a consensus on. Should the Triumvir not return at the specified date, the Acting Triumvir will continue to hold the position. If the Triumvir has not returned five days after the specified date, permanent replacement procedure, Part A, will come into effect.
Part D: Replacement Triumvirs must be supported by the Assembly through a Confirmation Vote held for two days, whereby the members can vote to Support the appointment, cast a Vote of No Confidence, or Abstain from Voting. If the No Confidence Vote or Abstain reaches a majority, the remaining Triumvirs and Ministers must pick a new candidate. Replacement Triumvirs hold the full powers and responsibility of a normal Triumvir. The Speaker of the Assembly, or the Legislator if the Speaker is unavailable, will initiate the Vote.
Part E: The Hitchhiker's Assembly retains the power at all times to remove a Triumvir or all three Triumvirs at once. A Vote of No Confidence motion may be opened in the Assembly and discussed for a period of 3 days, whereby at least ten other members must support the motion. At that time, a Vote will be opened by the Speaker of the Assembly and all Hitchhikers will be given the right to cast a Vote of No Confidence, Retain the Triumvir, or Abstain from voting. If the No Confidence vote receives a 67% majority in favor, the Triumvir/s is Removed from office immediately and the remaining Triumvirs and Ministers will appoint a Replacement.
Part F: Should a Triumvir breach MHA Charter or Policy in any form during the duration of their term, they are temporarily suspended from duties, and a court case shall be initiated in the MHA Court. If the Court concludes a breach has occurred, the Triumvir is suspended and the remaining Triumvirs and Ministers will appoint a Replacement.
Part G: Should the MHA Court convict the Accused Triumvir, they are permanently removed from office and the Replacement Triumvir shall remain in the position until the end of the term. Should the Accused Triumvir be found not guilty through the Court, they are considered innocent and may return to their duties.
Part H: Should all three Triumvirs require replacement, the Ministry can act as an Emergency Senate until the end of the current month. Procedures outlined in Article II remain the same, whereby Major Decisions require a 5/5 vote and all other decisions require a 3/5 Vote. At the end of the month, elections will be held to replace the Triumvirs, following normal procedure. The Triumvir who receives the highest amount of votes will serve for 3 months, second highest serves for two months, and third highest for one month, to maintain the staggered elections.
Part I: No member of the Executive Body may remove a Triumvir, the Court cannot remove a Triumvir without a free and fair trial, and a Vote of No Confidence must follow the requirements in III.E before a Triumvir is removed.
The Second Revolution: The Ministry[]
Alliance operations are organized into five equal departments, known as Ministries, consisting of War (Ministry of Destructor Fleets), Economics (Ministry of Towels), Foreign Affairs (Ministry of Babel Fish), Internal Affairs (Ministry of Hitchhikers), and Communication (Ministry of Bad Poetry). A Minister, appointed by the Triumvirate, shall lead each Ministry. The Ministers shall each be empowered to organize, manage, and improve their Ministry for the betterment of the alliance. In addition, the Ministry shall act as a recommendatory body to the Triumvirate to assist in discussions and decisions based on alliance operations.
Article I: Ministerial Appointments[]
Part A: Ministers shall be appointed by a 3/3 Majority of the Triumvirs. A Minister requires the support of 2/3 Triumvirs to remain in the position.
Part B: In order to be eligible for appointment as a Minister, a member must have been in the alliance for a period of two consecutive months directly prior to their appointment and held another position within the Executive Body, Judicial Body, or Legislative Body for a period of one month prior to their appointment. Ministerial Candidates may not be currently serving a conviction from the MHA Court, or under trial in the MHA Court. A Minister must hold no other position upon appointment. In the event of no members of the MHA passing the eligibility criteria, the Triumvir may vote to relax the criteria on a case-by-case basis.
Part C: Prior experience in the MHA and other alliances shall be counted towards eligibility for the position. Any member who has previously held any position in MHA for over three months will be eligible to apply after two weeks of active membership in MHA directly prior to their application. Any member who was previously held a Senior Government position, with proof, in another alliance for over three months will be eligible to apply after two weeks of active membership in MHA. All Prior Experience must be detailed with evidence upon application for the position.
Part D: The Hitchhiker's Assembly retains the power at all times to remove a Minister or all five Ministers at once. A Vote of No Confidence motion may be opened in the Assembly and discussed for a period of three days, whereby at least five other members must support the motion. At that time, a Vote will be opened by the Speaker of the Assembly, or the Legislator if the Speaker is unavailable, and all Hitchhikers will be given the right to cast a Vote of No Confidence, Retain the Minister/s, or Abstain from voting. If the No Confidence or Abstain vote receives a 67% majority, the Minister is removed from office immediately and the Triumvirs will appoint a replacement.
Part E: Each month, the Ministers shall perform a brief review of their individual Ministry and likewise, the Triumvirs shall review the Ministers. Said reviews shall be based on performance-based factors such as activity, decision-making skills, efficiency, review of major decisions, and other factors contributing to the performance of the Minister. At this time, the Triumvirs may vote to replace a Minister based on their performance. A 3/3 agreement is required by the Triumvirate to remove a Minister.
Part F: Should a Minister breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a Minister, become inactive on the forums for a period of over five days, become incapable or incompetent in his/her position, or superseded by a more capable member, the Triumvirs may replace the Minister instantly. Should a Minister require a temporary Leave, the Deputy Minister shall be appointed as Acting Minister.
Part G: Should an inactive Minister return after the replacement, they are not automatically re-appointed but may be considered eligible for any Ministerial position in the future, at the discretion of the Triumvirate.
Article II: Deputy Ministers[]
Part A: In order to be eligible for appointment as Deputy Minister, a member must have been in the alliance for a period of one month directly prior to their appointment and held another position within the Executive Body, Judicial Body, or Legislative Body for a period of two weeks prior to their appointment. Deputy Ministerial Candidates may not be currently serving a conviction from the MHA Court, or under trial in the MHA Court. A Deputy Minister must hold no other position upon appointment, apart from Secretary in the same Ministry. In the event of no members of the MHA passing the eligibility criteria, the Triumvir may vote to relax the criteria on a case-by-case basis.
Part B: Prior experience in the MHA and other alliances shall be counted towards eligibility for the position. Any member who has previously held any position in MHA for over two months will be eligible to apply after one week of active membership in MHA directly prior to their application. Any member who was previously held a Senior Government position, with proof, in another alliance for over two months will be eligible to apply after one week of active membership in MHA. All Prior Experience must be detailed with evidence upon application for the position.
Part C: Should a Deputy Minister breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Minister or Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a Deputy Minister, become inactive on the forums for a period of over five days, become incapable or incompetent in his/her position, or superseded by a more capable member, the Minister may replace the Deputy Minister instantly. Should a Deputy Minister require a temporary Leave, a Secretary shall be appointed as Acting Deputy Minister.
Part D: Should an inactive Deputy Minister return after the replacement, they are not automatically re-appointed but may be considered eligible for any Deputy Ministerial position in the future, at the discretion of the Minister.
Article III: Secretaries[]
Part A: Each Ministry shall have a selection of Secretaries designed to complete specific jobs within the Ministry itself. Secretaries are appointed by the Minister on an case-by-case basis. There shall be no fixed designations for Secretaries as their positions may be redefined and shaped as needed by the Ministry at any time.
Part B: In order to be eligible for appointment as Secretary, a member must have served in the alliance for a period of one week in total directly before their appointment. Secretaries may not be currently under investigation, under trial or serving a conviction by the MHA Court. Secretaries may hold up to two other concurrent positions within the alliance up to the rank of Secretary, or Deputy Minister within the same Ministry. Any member who has previously held any Government Position within MHA for a period of one month shall be eligible for the position after one week of active membership within MHA. Any member who has served in any Government position in another alliance, with proof, for one month shall be eligible for the position after one week of active membership within MHA.
Part C: Should a Secretary breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Minister or Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a Secretary, become inactive on the forums for a period of over one week, become deemed incapable or incompetent in his/her position, or superseded by a more capable member, the Minister may replace the Secretary instantly. Should a Secretary require a temporary Leave, another member may fill their position as necessary.
Part D: Should an inactive Secretary return after the replacement, they are not automatically re-appointed but may be considered eligible for any Secretary position in the future, at the discretion of the Minister.
Article IV: Team Member Positions[]
Part A: The Ministers may elect to create positions in order to complete alliance operations, such as (but not limited to) Recruiter, Diplomat, Tech Dealer, Banker, Mailer etc. Such positions will be generated on a case-by-case basis, as deemed necessary by the Minister. Such positions will count as experience towards higher roles.
Part B: In order to be eligible for appointment as a Team Member Position, a member must have served in the alliance for a period of one week. All other criteria will be decided on a case-by-case basis by the Minister.
Part C: Should a Team member breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Minister or Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a government position, become inactive on the forums for a period of over one week, become deemed incapable or incompetent in his/her position, or superseded by a more capable member, the Minister may replace them immediately. Should a team member require a temporary Leave, another member may fill their position as necessary.
Part D: Should an inactive team member return after the replacement, they are not automatically re-appointed but may be considered eligible for any team member position in the future, at the discretion of the Minister.
Article V: Powers of the Ministry[]
Part A: Each Minister shall have jurisdiction over his or her area of operations and all departments herein specified as part of their Ministry. The Ministers are empowered to act within their Ministry to manage and instruct Deputy Ministers, Secretaries, and members working within the Ministry; to moderate and organize all forums within their Ministry; to review and improve all departments within the Ministry; to act as a counsel to the Triumvirs on alliance affairs; and to represent their Ministry to the Government and to other alliances.
Part B: At no point may a Minister act against the wishes or orders of the Triumvirate, or against the intentions and policies of the alliance. While Ministers are indeed empowered to act as organizers and facilitators within their Ministry, Ministers are to counsel with the Triumvirs on major factors affecting the alliance, such as war, inter-alliance relations, membership misconduct, organization, major projects or other factors deemed of importance to the Triumvirs or alliance. Breaches of this policy may lead to a review of the Minister's appointment and possible removal from the position.
Part C: Each Minister is entrusted to organize and improve all departments within their Ministry. Each Minister, upon appointment, commits him or herself to remaining active and dedicated to their Ministry and the alliance; to ensuring the on-going growth and stability of the alliance; to contributing to alliance affairs; to acting in a conduct appropriate for a leader of the alliance; and to serving the alliance.
Part D: The Five Ministers shall act as a counsel to the Triumvirs on alliance affairs, both privately and publicly within the alliance. The MHA has always been improved by the availability of varied opinions and experience, and that shall continue hereafter in the Ministers. While their focus will remain primarily on their selected Ministry and departments therein, Ministers are encourage to contribute to all affairs affecting the alliance as a whole.
Part E: For the purpose of maintaining an active and efficient Ministry, each Minister shall partake in a monthly review of their selected Ministry, and present said review to Ministry and Triumvirs. The key factors of the review shall focus on the efficiency of the Ministry, activity of the Deputy Minister, Secretary, and Team members of the Ministry, decisions made, success in the completion of tasks, success in facilitating improvements deemed necessary from the previous review, and the identification of improvements necessary for the future. During this time, the Minister may wish to make recommendations or suggestions to improve any area of the Ministry, especially concerning the appointment of Deputy Minister, Secretary, and other Team Members.
Article VI: Division of Operations for the Ministry[]
Part A: The Ministry of Destructor Fleets (War), is responsible for the organization, preparation, training, and wartime operations of the MHA Military, the protection of all members, the engagement of all approved targets, and any activities involving the MHA Military.
Part B: The Ministry of Babel Fish (Foreign Affairs), is responsible for designation of diplomats, maintenance and communication within the alliance's embassies, proper management of the MHA's foreign agreements, representation of the alliance, discussion and planning of the alliance's Foreign Affairs direction and movements, the leadership and guidance of any Protectorate alliances, and any activity involving MHA diplomacy.
Part C: The Ministry of Towels (Economics), is responsible for the management and distribution of aid, creation and maintenance of Trade, Tech, and other financial agreements, both internally and with external nations, the planning and management of the alliance's finances, and any activity involving the MHA's economics.
Part D: The Ministry of Hitchhikers (Internal Affairs), is responsible for the recruitment of new nations to the alliance, education and training of new nations through the MHAcademy, development of guides and information resources, further higher education, mentoring and providing services to members, the identification and maintenance of ghosts on the MHA's alliance affiliation, and any activities concerning internal services to the MHA's members.
Part E: The Ministry of Bad Poetry (Communications), is responsible for the publication of alliance newsletters, distribution of alliance-wide messages, maintenance of the MHA's IRC channel, collection of public information for intelligence purposes, entertainment of the alliance, creation of art and alliance imagery, the morale of the alliance, public relations, and any activity involving the MHA's communications.
Part F: Any operations not specifically mentioned in this article, though reasonably part of a Ministry's duties, shall be designated as part of that Ministry's jurisdiction by the Triumvirate. Changes to the division of operations may occur at any time, upon the agreement of the Triumvirs and Ministers.
Additional Government Positions:[]
Article I: Government Advisors[]
Part A: Government Advisors are former Triumvirs or Ministers who have served at least three months in office, who have been appointed by the current Triumvirate to assist and advise the Executive Body on alliance operations and affairs. Advisors must request the position at the conclusion of their terms, and will be appointed by a 3/3 vote by the current Triumvirate.
Part B: The Government Advisor position will count as experience and/or continued service in a position within the Alliance, should the Advisor seek office elsewhere. Government Advisors may hold one other position in the alliance, excluding Triumvir, Minister, or Deputy Minister. The Triumvirate will decide the access and powers of each Government Advisor. Government Advisors remain eligible to Replace a Triumvir or Minister if appointed by the Triumvirate, at the withdrawal of their Government Advisor title.
Part C: Should a Government Advisor breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a government position, become inactive on the forums for a period of over two weeks, become deemed incapable or incompetent in his/her position, the Triumvirs may remove them immediately.
Part D: Should a Government Advisor require a temporary Leave, they must post a notice of their absence to the Triumvirs. If the Advisor concurrently holds another position within the alliance, they must also post notice to either the Minister, Assembly, or the MHA Court, whichever is applicable. The Government Advisor may be replaced as necessary.
Article II: Retired Triumvirs[]
Part A: Triumvirs who are retiring after at least two terms in office will be entitled to the rank of Retired Triumvir, if they do not wish to act as Government Advisor or any other position. Triumvirs have the right to accept the title or not, but must clearly state their intention at the conclusion of their term. By doing so, they are considered to have officially retired from Active duty.
Part B: The powers and access of each Retired Triumvir will be determined by the current Triumvirate and may change at their discretion, though will remain equal to the access of a Government Advisor. Having retired, they may not hold any other position within the alliance and cannot replace a Triumvir or Minister in any capacity. While they may be given access to the Ministry to provide an experienced point of view, Retired Triumvirs have no official vote in discussions and their voices remain unofficially advisory in capacity. Retired Triumvirs may assist with Forum administration though only at the direction of the official Forum Admins, Triumvirs, Ministers, or Government Advisors.
Part C: Should a Retired Triumvir breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Triumvir's consent, or act in a manner inappropriate for a government position, the Triumvirs may remove any special access he/she has been awarded, and any Forum Admin access they may have, to equal that of a normal Hitchhiker. The rank of Retired Triumvir will remain.
Article III: Administrators[]
Part A: For the maintenance of the MHA Forums and IRC Channel, the MHA may appoint one or more Administrators to host and manage these facilities. All OOC property will remain the property of the Administrators who have provided it for the alliance's use. The MHA has no right or ownership of OOC property provided by the Administrators. The MHA has no right to request payment from the Administrators or members of the alliance for the Administrator's services or property. Administrators will not be paid, nor will they request payment, for their services. The MHA has no financial or any obligations to the Administrators for their services.
Part B: Disputes relating to the services of Administrators will be settled quickly and fairly, preferably with the use of a non-MHA arbitrator. The MHA has the right to choose to alternate services at any time, providing discussion and notice of at least one week is provided to the Administrator. The Administrators have the right to discontinue their service at any time, providing discussion and notice of at least one week is provided to the MHA and that the Administrators assist in moving the MHA to another service.
Part C: The MHA will understand and appreciate that services provided by the Administrators are done so on a voluntary basis, without financial reward, and will endeavour to acknowledge and respect the Administrator's services. The title of Forum Admin will count towards experience as a Government position within the alliance, should the Administrators seek office elsewhere. Administrators must be members of the MHA.
Article IV: Special Appointments[]
Part A: The Triumvirate and Ministry may create special positions not otherwise covered in this document, as deemed necessary to assist with alliance operations. All positions created must be publicly announced to the Assembly, and the Assembly has the right at all times to revoke the special appointment through a motion. The Triumvirs and Ministers will decide upon the access and powers of the special position as necessary. The appointment will count towards experience and service as a Government Position.
Part B: Should a Special Appointment breach alliance policy or charter, act without the Minister or Triumvir's consent, act in a manner inappropriate for a Special Appointment, become inactive on the forums for a period of over five days, become incapable or incompetent in his/her position, or superseded by a more capable member, the Triumvirs or Minster may remove the Special Appointment immediately. Another member if necessary may fill the Special Appointment. If a Special Appointment requires leave from their position, they must provide notice to the Triumvirs or Ministers, and an Acting Special Appointment may be selected if necessary.
Froodification[]
Article I: Amendments[]
Part A: This document serves as Supporting Policy for the MHA Charter; a guide for alliance functions and operations. This document will not alter, substitute, infringe, ignore or bypass any portion of the MHA Charter.
Part B: Any amendments to this Document may be made at any time by any member, through the creation of a Motion in the Hitchhiker's Assembly. All Hitchhikers will be given the right to vote on the Amendment Motion, including the right to abstain from voting. The Vote will last for a period of three days.
Part C: An Amendment Motion must receive at least 51% in favour in order to pass, and all amendments will be immediately made to the document at the completion of the vote. Should the Vote fail to receive that majority, the Motion has failed, and no further action will be taken.
Part D: The Mostly Harmless Alliance is constituted as a Democratic Society. Each and all the MHA Officials are elected by the Assembly or appointed by a body elected by the Assembly. Lifetime or indefinite terms for Officials are forbidden, with the only exception of titles purely honorific in nature and attributions. No Official, Elected or Appointed, is immune from removal by a Vote of No Confidence. This article cannot be removed, ignored, or bypassed in any way. Grammatical alterations to the wording of this article may occur, so long as alterations maintain the purpose of this article and continue to protect the Democracy of the Mostly Harmless Alliance.
Article II: Signatures[]
The 2007 Revolutionaries:
- Raholia of The Last Senate
- Iron Will of The Last Senate
- Keishii of The Last Senate
- Craftj2 of The Last Senate
- Snagglepuss of The Last Senate
- MadOverseer of The First Triumvirate
- Denzin of The First Triumvirate
- Working Class Ruler of the First Triumvirate, Revolution Author
The 2009 Revolutionaries:
- The First Hitchhiker’s Assembly
- Crushtania of the Triumvirate
- Scutterbug of the Triumvirate
- Pourquoi of the Triumvirate
- Working Class Ruler, Revolution Author
- Dynasty, Revolution Author