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by Cataluna. . 237 reads.

Charter of the Pacifica Democratic Union

Charter of the Pacifica Democratic Union

We, the residents of Pacifica, declare our unyielding commitment to the principles of liberty, democracy, and solidarity. We affirm our commitment to maintaining a participatory regional government and community that is open, transparent, and accessible to all who are dedicated to the region. We strive to build a regional government that focuses on the regional community in its totality, not merely those residents who participate in off-site platforms. Through this Charter, we mandate that the Pacifica Democratic Union will be governed according to these fundamental principles. This Charter stands as a social covenant between us that we will respect the dignity of each resident of Pacifica, honoring each other's right to freely engage in self-government through this Union.

Article I. Rights of Pacifican Residents

Civil rights of residents

(1) Residents have the right to free expression, speech, assembly, and press, subject to reasonable laws and moderation policies that uphold community safety and protect against community disruption.

(2) Residents have the right to join the World Assembly (WA), or to decline to join the WA. WA residents have the right to vote as they wish in the WA and to withhold endorsement from any other WA resident.

(3) WA residents have the right to gather endorsements, up to 75% of the Secretary General's endorsement count. During transitions of the WA Delegacy, this limit will be based upon the outgoing Secretary General's endorsement count until the transition is complete.

Political rights of residents

(4) Only WA residents have the right to stand for election.

(5) WA residents have the right to vote in elections and referendums, provided they meet the voting requirements established by this Charter.

Article II. Regional Council of Pacifica

Selection and removal of the Regional Council

(1) The Regional Council will be comprised of six WA residents elected every three months to serve as Regional Councillors, as well as the Secretary General as a voting member, for a total of seven voting members. The Secretary General may not simultaneously serve as a Regional Councillor.

(2) In the event a Regional Councillor vacates their seat on the Regional Council before a scheduled election, the seat will be filled as mandated by law.

(3) Regional Councillors may be removed from office by referendum, requiring an absolute majority vote in favor for removal to go into effect. Such a referendum will be preceded by a seven day public comment period. Removal may be referred to referendum in the same manner as bills passed by the Regional Council.

(4) Should the nation with which a Regional Councillor was elected voluntarily relocate for longer than one game update, cease to exist, resign from the WA, or be expelled from the WA, the Regional Councillor will automatically be removed from office.

Basic procedures of the Regional Council

(5) The Regional Council will conduct its voting in public view via the regional Discord server, or if the Discord server is unavailable for its use, via the Regional Message Board (RMB).

(6) Each member of the Regional Council may vote For, Against, or Abstain on any vote before the Regional Council. All votes of the Regional Council will be determined by absolute majority vote of those voting For or Against.

(7) The Regional Council may enact, amend, or repeal additional procedural rules. Such procedural rules may not contradict the basic procedures established by this Charter.

Legislative powers and responsibilities of the Regional Council

(8) The Regional Council may pass bills to enact, amend, or repeal regional laws, including treaties and declarations of war. Following passage, such a bill will be made available for seven day public comment via a dispatch pinned to the World Factbook Entry (WFE) and linked on the RMB.

(9) During the public comment period for a bill, the bill may be referred to referendum, requiring an absolute majority vote in favor for the bill to go into effect. Such a referendum will begin following expiration of the public comment period. A bill may be referred to referendum as follows:

a. The Secretary General may refer the bill to referendum;
b. The Regional Council may refer the bill to referendum;
c. WA residents may refer the bill to referendum by petition signed via the RMB, provided the number of petitioners is at least 10% of the number of WA residents who voted in the immediately prior election or referendum.

(10) The Regional Council may refer an amendment to or repeal of this Charter to referendum, requiring a three-fifths vote in favor for the Charter amendment or repeal to go into effect. Such a referendum will be preceded by a seven day public comment period. This Charter may not be amended or repealed in any other manner.

Executive powers and responsibilities of the Regional Council

(11) The Regional Council will collectively exercise the powers of head of state and government.

(12) The Regional Council will mandate and structure departments of executive government by law.

(13) Executive departments may only be comprised of residents approved by the Regional Council or departmental heads. The Regional Council may appoint or dismiss heads of executive departments, and may dismiss any resident from any executive department.

(14) The Regional Council will enforce the laws of the Pacifica Democratic Union and may mandate the ejection and/or ban of any resident of Pacifica for violation of such laws.

(15) Anyone banned by mandate of the Regional Council may appeal their ban to referendum, requiring an absolute majority vote in favor of reversing the ban for reversal to go into effect. Such a referendum will be preceded by a seven day public comment period.

Article III. Secretary General of Pacifica

Selection and removal of the Secretary General

(1) The Secretary General will be a WA resident elected to serve a term of undefined length, subject to challenge election.

(2) In the event the Secretary General vacates their office, a new election for Secretary General will be conducted as soon as possible. An Acting Secretary General and Acting WA Delegate may be selected during vacancies or extended unscheduled absences in the office of Secretary General as mandated by law.

(3) The Secretary General may be removed from office by referendum, requiring a three-fifths vote in favor for removal to go into effect. Such a referendum will be preceded by a seven day public comment period. Removal may be referred to referendum in the same manner as bills passed by the Regional Council.

(4) Should the nation with which the Secretary General was elected voluntarily relocate for longer than one game update, cease to exist, resign from the WA, or be expelled from the WA, the Secretary General will automatically be removed from office.

Powers and responsibilities of the Secretary General

(5) The Secretary General will serve as WA Delegate of Pacifica, and may administer matters relating to the WA in Pacifica, including determination of their own vote on behalf of Pacifica in the WA as well as WA voting and endorsement programs.

(6) The Secretary General will preside over the Regional Council according to its procedural rules. The Secretary General may create provisional procedure for circumstances unaddressed by the Regional Council's procedural rules, but such procedure may not contradict the Regional Council's procedural rules or regional laws.

(7) The Secretary General will have the prerogative to serve as spokesperson of the Regional Council to the general public, both domestic and foreign, and to other regions and organizations, and will be invited to participate in all formal interactions with officials of other regions and organizations.

(8) The Secretary General may select a Regional Councillor to serve as Acting Secretary General during scheduled absences. Under such circumstances, the Acting Secretary General may only serve as Acting WA Delegate, or select another Regional Councillor to serve as Acting WA Delegate, if authorized to do so by the Regional Council.

Article IV. Elections and Referendums

Voting criteria for elections and referendums

(1) All elections and referendums will be conducted using gameside regional polls. Voting in such regional polls will be restricted to the following, as defined by the game:

a. Residents;
b. Natives;
c. WA Members; and
d. Influential Nations.

(2) A separate process by which participants in the military force of Pacifica may vote while their WA nations are being used for Pacifica's military operations may be mandated by law.

Basic election procedure

(3) The election period for all elections will proceed as follows:

a. Three days for nominations and declarations of candidacy;
b. Four days for additional campaigning;
c. Three days for voting; and
d. Three days for run-off election voting, if needed.

(4) Regardless of the length of an election period, the incumbent official(s) will continue to serve until conclusion of the election period.

Procedure for Regional Council elections

(5) Elections for Regional Council will be administered by the Secretary General or, if the Secretary General is unavailable or will be a candidate, a resident selected by the Regional Council who will not be a candidate for Regional Councillor.

(6) Regional Councillors will be elected in three cohorts, with one cohort comprising two seats. This first cohort will be elected in the first month, the second cohort in the second month, and the third cohort in the third month. The two candidates who receive the most votes in a Regional Council election will be elected to the Regional Council.

(7) In the event of a tie between two candidates for the last available seat on the Regional Council, the two candidates will proceed to a run-off election. In the event of a tie between more than two candidates, the two candidates with the highest regional influence will proceed to a run-off election. In the event that a run-off election results in a tie, the candidate with the highest regional influence will be elected.

Procedure for Secretary General elections

(8) Elections for Secretary General will be administered by the Secretary General or, if the Secretary General is unavailable or will be a candidate, a resident selected by the Regional Council who will not be a candidate for Secretary General.

(9) The Secretary General will be elected by majority vote. In the event no candidate receives a majority vote, the two candidates with the most votes will proceed to a run-off election. In the event that more than two candidates are tied for the most votes, the two candidates with the highest regional influence will proceed to a run-off election. In the event that a run-off election results in a tie, the candidate with the highest regional influence will be elected.

(10) The Secretary General may be challenged for election by any WA resident four months following initial election or a previous challenge election. An election will only be initiated if a challenge is seconded within seven days via the RMB by WA residents who number at least 10% of the number of WA residents who voted in the immediately prior election or referendum. Once a challenge has been successfully initiated, any WA resident may be a candidate for Secretary General.

Procedure for referendums

(11) Referendums will be administered by the Secretary General or, if the Secretary General will be unavailable or is subject to a referendum to remove them from office, a resident selected by the Regional Council.

(12) Referendum voting will be conducted for three days.

Article V. Out-of-character Administration

Gameside administration

(1) The Founder will not be required by law to grant Executive power to the Secretary General, nor Border Control power to any Regional Officer. The Founder may revoke any gameside power granted to any Regional Officer for abuse of such power.

(2) The Founder, or the Secretary General if granted Executive power, may manage gameside regional administration controls and RMB moderation, and may apply such penalties as deemed necessary for RMB moderation or authorize such penalties to be applied by others.

(3) The Founder, or the Secretary General if granted Executive power, will ban or authorize the banning of any resident from the region for commission of a grievous out-of-character offense that, in the Founder's or, if applicable, the Secretary General's estimation:

a. Poses an unacceptable risk to the out-of-character safety or security of other residents;
b. Poses an unacceptable risk to the out-of-character security of the gameside region;
c. Seriously damages or destroys the off-site property of any NationStates community; or
d. Violates the rules imposed by NationStates, including those found in the NationStates FAQ, the NationStates One Stop Rules Shop, and the NationStates Terms & Conditions of Use.

Discord server administration

(4) Cormactopia Prime will be the Owner and Chief Administrator (OCA) of the regional Discord server. Should he wish to retire from service as OCA, he will select a new OCA, and this provision will be updated to reflect the change in OCA.

(5) The OCA will manage moderation of the regional Discord server, and may apply such penalties as deemed necessary for such moderation or authorize such penalties to be applied by others.

(6) The OCA will ban or authorize the banning of any user from the regional Discord server for commission of a grievous out-of-character offense that, in the OCA's estimation:

a. Poses an unacceptable risk to the out-of-character safety or security of other users;
b. Poses an unacceptable risk to the out-of-character security of the regional Discord server;
c. Seriously damages or destroys the off-site property of any NationStates community; or
d. Violates the rules imposed by Discord, including those found in the Discord Terms of Service and the Discord Community Guidelines.

Additional powers of the Founder

(7) In the event that a provision of this Charter or any regional law renders the regional government non-functional, the Founder may determine the course of action necessary to restore functionality to the regional government, provisions of law notwithstanding.

(8) In the event of a serious dispute over legal interpretation that cannot be resolved by ordinary legal means, the Founder may resolve such a dispute, and the Founder's ruling on legal interpretation under such circumstances will be binding upon all parties.

(9) In the event the Founder determines that government under this Charter has proven detrimental to the region or has been irreparably damaged by long-term inactivity, the Founder may void this Charter and take such corrective measures as the Founder deems appropriate.

Founder succession

(10) Should the Founder wish to retire from service as Founder, they will select a resident of Pacifica to serve as the new Founder.

(11) In the event the Founder nation ceases to exist, the Regional Council may declare a state of emergency and suspend this Charter, exercising such powers as the Regional Council determines necessary for the duration of the founderless state.

Article VI. Continuity with the Republic of Pacifica

Establishing the Union as Legal Successor to the Republic

(1) The Pacifica Democratic Union established under this Charter is the legal successor to the Republic of Pacifica established under the Constitution of the Republic of Pacifica.

(2) Legal succession notwithstanding, no law of the Republic of Pacifica will be automatically continued by the Pacifica Democratic Union unless otherwise mandated by this Charter.

Honoring the Republic's treaties and declarations of war

(3) All treaties and declarations of war in effect under the Republic of Pacifica at the time the Constitution of the Republic of Pacifica was repealed will be automatically continued by the Pacifica Democratic Union.

Cataluna

Edited:

RawReport