USSD REGIONAL CONSTITUTION

REGIONAL CONSTITUTION
OF THE
UNITED SOVIET SOCIALIST DICTATORSHIP
8th of April, 2017.
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Table of Contents

• I. Preamble

• II. The Identity of the USSD

• III. General Laws

• IV. Partisans

• V. Government Structure

• VI. Armed Forces

• VII. Foreign Affairs

• VIII. Information and Communication Services

• IX. Commemorations

• X. Legislative Protocol

• XI. Political Parties

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  I. Preamble

• The United Soviet Socialist Dictatorship, commonly known as the USSD, is a pan-leftist region which declared independence from the Coalition of Sovereign Nations on January 29th, 2015. The USSD was founded by its first Supreme Commissar, Vetelo, alongside the original Central Committee. During its early days, the region existed in a state of extreme isolationism, protected by a password. The period of isolationism lasted three months, and was succeeded by near-constant development. Even though the regional government didn't remove the policy of not letting WA nations join the region until 12th June, 2016, it now boasts a respectable number of WA members. The region is prosperous and dynamic, always walking the long and complex path of progress. The USSD is a proud meritocracy, expecting its members, especially those in government, to be competent, friendly, respectful and useful in order to advance in the region in particular, and everyday life in general.

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  II. The Identity of the USSD

• Article 1. The official name of the region is the “United Soviet Socialist Dictatorship.” The official short version is “USSD.”

• Article 2. All the power in the USSD belongs to its members.

• Article 3. The USSD aims to provide a safe home for all leftist regions, regardless of the style of socialism they have adopted.

• Article 4. The USSD is visually represented by its emblem and its flag, which are subject to change with the agreement of the Politburo.

• Article 5. The official languages are English, Spanish, Portuguese and Esperanto. The most commonly spoken language in the region is English, followed by Spanish. The USSD recognises the right of all members to communicate in their desired languages, providing they follow the general principles of the USSD, and NS community guidelines.

• Article 6. The USSD is proud to call itself a meritocracy, where all members are expected to contribute the region if they wish to obtain a higher rank.

• Article 7. The USSD is an atheist state. As such, the regional government does not recognise or respect the role of religion in its policy decisions. This ensures that fair and uniform policies can be pursued. Partisans with religious affiliations are tolerated, providing they follow Article 11.

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  III. General Laws

• Article 8. The Constitution is to be respected by all members, regardless of rank or alternative distinguishing factors. The USSD reserves the right to eject or ban-ject any nation which breaks the following laws.

• Article 9. Establishing, belonging to or supporting any unofficial government entity that claims the powers, authority, and rights given to the official USSD government will be considered treason and will not be tolerated.

• Article 10. Impersonating any member of the official USSD government is considered treason and will not be tolerated.

• Article 11. Spreading religious or fascist propaganda or statements on any of the regional media outputs, be they Discord, forums, newspaper or RMB, is strictly forbidden.

• Article 12. In the USSD, there are certain NS political categories[1] which are not tolerated. In case of being categorized as a banned political category, it is advised to answer issues in a leftist fashion. Nations categorised as a banned category will be given a warning telegram. If no progress is made after a reasonable time period, the USSD reserves the right to eject such nations from the region.

• Article 13. The region commends and follows the community rules of NationStates. In case of breaking said rules and depending on the offense, the nation will be asked to either recant or leave the USSD.

• Article 14. The USSD condemns the actions of the United States of America against humanity’s movement towards freedom, equality and socialism. As such, usage of the American flag is forbidden in the region.

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  IV. Partisans

• Article 15. Members of the USSD are denominated "Partisans". Partisans are granted both rights and responsibilities in the USSD by this constitution.

• Article 16. To retain the title of partisan, one must remain in the region with at least one nation. This nation is not required to be a WA member.

• Article 17. The freedom of reasonable speech (defined in Article 36) is granted to partisans. As such, they may object to government actions and policies. Objections are expected to remain civil and in the spirit of debate. Partisans are, however, expected to defer to government officials and should accept their final decisions.

• Article 18. The USSD, in the spirit of promoting meritocratic advancement, encourages all Partisans to take an active role in regional politics. Government positions, if available, are open to those partisans who prove themselves worthy of the relevant responsibilities.

• Article 19. Partisans shall be promoted to "Veteran Partisans" after spending a significant amount of time active in the region. Veterans are more likely to be trusted in government positions.

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  V. Government Structure

• Article 20. The USSD stresses meritocratic advancement in its government. Government positions are not to be awarded to less competent candidates without good reason.

• Article 21. The government ranks of the USSD in descending order are as follows;
  -Supreme Commissar,
  -Deputy Supreme Commissar,
  -Commissar (Politburo),
  -Commissar (non-Politburo),
  -Minister,
  -Partisans or foreign advisors in the employ of a Commissariat or Ministry.

• Article 22. The position of Supreme Commissar (SC) is the ultimate authority within the USSD. The SC is tasked with running the regional government, and acting as the region’s WA delegate. The SC is appointed by the Deputy Supreme Commissar with the approval of the Politburo. The SC’s tenure is unlimited, and it is expected that most changes in SC will be brought about by resignations. In the unlikely case of the Supreme Commissar not acting in the interests of the region, they can be removed with the unanimous approval of the Politburo.

• Article 23. The Deputy Supreme Commissar (DSC) position is fixed, and will always be held by the USSD’s founder nation, Vetelo. The DSC may appoint the SC when the position is vacant, with the approval of the Politburo. As the founder, it is expected that the DSC is consulted about major changes to the region’s policies. The DSC is provided broad powers to act on behalf of the SC, and can fulfil any role required.

• Article 24. Commissars are in charge of Commissariats, large or vital government departments, often with subordinate staff. Commissars are afforded regional powers relevant to their position. Politburo members have the privilege of exercising a great amount of authority within their mandated role. Commissars are appointed by the SC. Commissars are promoted into the Politburo by the SC or DSC, with the unanimous approval of the currently active Politburo.

• Article 25. Both the SC and DSC are members of the Politburo. In the absence of the SC or DSC, the Politburo are granted the authority to run the region. The Politburo may contain up to 6 members, which must include the SC and DSC.

• Article 26. Ministers are trusted to run Ministries, the smaller branches of the USSD government. Ministers are granted regional powers appropriate to their Ministry.

• Article 27. Commissariats and Ministries are required to have their own charter, detailing their role and anyone holding a position within their section of government.

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  VI. Armed Forces

• Article 28. The USSF are the official Armed Forces of the USSD. The USSF is expected to defend the region, its allies and its interests at all costs.

• Article 29. Members of the USSF are denominated "Sailors". Joining the USSF is voluntary. Sailors are expected to respect the chain of command and serve with devotion and honour.

• Article 30. The official Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces is the Supreme Commissar. The Supreme Commissar has complete control of the USSF’s actions, but delegates its operations to the DSC or Marshal. Officers are granted the authority to take command of the USSF in emergency situations, should neither the DSC nor Marshall be available.

• Article 31. Serving in, running, and attempting to recruit for enemy military organisations is strictly prohibited. Partisans are permitted to cooperate with other regional militaries, providing the targets of their actions are not leftists or USSD affiliates.

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  VII. Foreign Affairs

• Article 32. The USSD will not tolerate fascism or anti-leftism. Regions with these ideals are considered enemies of the USSD, and diplomatic relations with them shall not be attempted.

• Article 33. The USSD is committed to the policy of leftist unity, and will seek to obtain and maintain relations with other leftist regions.

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  VIII. Information and Communication Services

• Article 34. The region’s primary offsite communication platform is Discord. The region also maintains offsite forums. Links to the regional Discord Server and Forums can be located on the region’s World Factbook Entry (WFE). Discord rules can be found in the Extensive Reference dispatch[2] and forum rules can be found within the regional forums.[3]

• Article 35. The USSD has a regional newspaper, visible to those with NS++. In the newspaper, any type of news is allowed, providing it doesn’t break any of the NationStates community guidelines and is not fascist/anti-leftist propaganda.[4] Partisans are invited to contribute to it.

• Article 36. Freedom of reasonable speech is defined as;
  -Freedom to criticise the USSD government in the spirit of genuine debate.
  -Freedom to express (but not attempt to spread) moderate religious views.
  -Freedom to openly discuss politics, without support for the economic right-wing or fascism.
  -Obligation to follow the NS community guidelines.
  -Obligation to follow the USSD’s communication guidelines.
  All definitions are open to the interpretation of the regional government. Enforcement is to be conducted by the regional government.

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  IX. Commemorations

• Article 37. The title "Honorary Partisan" is awarded to those non-members of the USSD who have nonetheless contributed to the region. The title, while purely ceremonial, expresses the gratitude towards said people. Likewise, the title of "Kitten Overlord" is purely ceremonial.

• Article 38. The USSD bestows the "Hero of the USSD" award [5], the highest distinction the region can give, to those Partisans who have made great efforts to support the USSD. The award is bestowed by the DSC, Vetelo.

• Article 39. The title “Propagandist” shall be awarded to those noteworthy Partisans who have been long-serving members of the USSD’s government, but whose personal lives make it impossible to continue contributing.

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  X. Legislative Protocol

• Article 40. The Politburo may propose laws and changes to existing laws for consideration by the SC and DSC.

• Article 41. The SC must approve all laws before they are passed.

• Article 42. The Politburo may propose constitutional amendments for consideration by the SC and DSC.

• Article 43. Any constitutional amendments must be approved by a majority of the Politburo, and must have the support of both the SC and DSC.

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  XI. Political Parties

• Article 44. The USSD is a one-party-state. The sole legal party is the USSD Pan-Leftist Party.

• Article 45. The position of leader of the USSD Pan-Leftist Party is jointly held by the SC and DSC.

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  [1] - Information on the matter can be found here:
  page=dispatch/id=465607
  [2] - The 'Extensive Reference' can be found in this dispatch:
  page=dispatch/id=460705
  [3] - The 'Rules' thread can be found here:
  http://www.ussdns.tk/showthread.php?tid=13&pid=46#pid46
  [4] - The newspaper can be read here:
  https://nationstatesplusplus.net/newspaper?id=3342
  [5] - A dispatch on the matter can be found here:
  page=dispatch/id=664625