Memorandum for: Cul'utaan Forte
Chairman of the Defense Council
Subject: Principles & Priorities re: Fleet Limitations

Senator Forte, as promised, a set of principles and priorities that I think may be useful to you in revising your legislation on planetary fleet restrictions. Some of these are my own opinions and policies, but most are simply clarifications of the rights that planetary fleets do have, so that your final draft can bring about real, concrete rules that will stand up to the Common Charter.

→ The New Republic respects the sovereignty and the autonomy of its member worlds, and their rights to self-defense and self-determination. However, insofar as one world (or worlds) may abuse these rights to the detriment of another planet's self-defense and self-determination, we recognize that some reasonable limitation of the use of a planet's fleet is necessary, under such circumstances.

→ We must also recognize, however, that member planets, as sovereign and autonomous, do have certain rights and prerogatives reserved to them in the Common Charter, with respect to the use of their fleets; that among these are the defense of the planet, the defense of the planet's properties outside the New Republic, the enforcement of trade policies, sanctions and piracy laws, certain acts of protest (i.e. the blockade of another New Republic world), the assistance of other Republic worlds in disasters or famines, and combat operations against other Republic worlds if a reciprocal state of war exists between them.

→ The aforementioned rights and prerogatives are inalienable, and may not be "revoked" unless by amendment to the Common Charter. Furthermore, a member world cannot have New Republic troops or bases stationed upon it without its consent, punitively or otherwise.

→ New Republic member worlds are sovereign over their own soldiers and vessels unless incorporated (temporarily, only in a state of emergency) into the New Republic Defense Forces at the request of the Chief of State. The Senate does not have the authority to nationalize a planet's defense forces without its consent, unless by amendment to the Common Charter.

→ Member worlds do not have the right to, and are specifically prohibited from, conducting their fleets in such a manner as to contravene New Republic foreign policy and interstellar trade policy, as determined by the Chief of State and the Senate (respectively). Republic worlds have the right to determine their own policies with respect to other Republic worlds; a planet's policies toward unaligned worlds, outside of the Republic, is more ambiguous and should be clarified under law.

→ The Senate's current powers of oversight over planetary fleets are adequate and appropriate, and we do not see the need to invest Senate Councils with additional, extraconstitutional authority (i.e. fines should be determined by the courts and not the Economics Council, enforcement should be conducted by the NRDF/NRSF and not the Defense Council, etc).

→ (A note from the Chief of State's staff, regarding Vocabulary & Public Relations): It is recommended that in promoting the "Revised Militia Oversight Act," that its proponents refrain from using the term "militia," and use instead "planetary fleet," "planetary defense force," or "PDF." The terms "oversight" and "restrictions" are also discouraged, in favor of "limitations," "accords," or "protocols." Finally, in discussing the justifications for the measure, Senators are advised to use hypothetical examples, rather than specific instances, of fleet excesses (this promotes the bill as a preventive measure, rather than a punitive one).

Eli Fitzgerald
Chief of State