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The Imperial Democratic Constitutional Reform Act
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| Verence_Terrawin | Date: Sunday, 27 Nov 2011, 5:22 PM | Message # 1 |
 Major general
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Messages: 285
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| The Imperial Democratic Constitutional Reform Act
The Empire being now in a state of peace and relative harmony, I believe it is the time to begin the restoration of the principles of democratic Governance and traditional constitutional values to the Empire while maintaining a strong state headed by his Majesty, Emperor Palpatine.
Article 1 – Sovereignty
The People of the Empire are the sovereign body through which all power and authority to legislate and govern is derived.
Article 2 – The Emperor
The Galactic Empire represents that sovereignty as an independent benevolent leader who governs according to the will of the people, drawing his power directly though indirect representation, having been elected to fill that role during the clone wars.
His Majesty is encouraged to continue his role as the Supreme Executive of the Empire, however, this act will serve to remove some of the more onerous responsibilities placed on his Majesty imposed by day to day governance and delegate them elsewhere.
This redistribution of responsibility does not imply the Emperor is somehow unsuitable for the role in which he presently sits, nor does it imply he has conducted himself unsuitably or unjustly in the role.
In recognition of this, the Senate re-affirms the Emperor’s position as “Emperor for Life”.
Article 3 – Sector Governance
Imperial Sector Governors and Moffs are delegated sovereignty from the Emperor. They are not (by and large) elected, however, they may be recalled by a petition signed by 51% of the population of their sector. The Emperor is not bound by this recall power and may reject it if he believes the population is acting in an inflammatory or poorly judged manner.
Article 4 – Planets
Planets of the Empire have the right to petition to the Emperor, Sector Governors and Senate to seek restitution for wrongs. This may be done by Senators, although Planetary Leaders may read such petitions in the Senate if floor time is available without the direct permission of the Chair of the Senate.
Article 5 – The Imperial Consulate
Power at all levels should be regulated and delegated on an appropriate basis. At present the Adhocracy of the Imperial Ruling Council does a sterling job of this, however, as we have an Imperial system it would make sense to formalize a “cabinet” arrangement.
Thus this act would introduce the office of “Consul” to the Empire. Consuls would be elected by the Senate and serve a term of five years. There would be three Consuls, each having the powers of the Emperor, acting as “Proxy Emperors”.
The Consuls would meet in Council with the Emperor three times annually and would have the power to force the Senate to reconsider legislation with a simple majority of their number; this would be known as “Consular Veto”. This veto would require a simple majority in the Senate to overturn.
The Consuls would be empowered to overturn an Imperial Veto if all three felt it was unjust. They would also be empowered to remove the Emperor from office in the event he became unwell or unsuitable for office, this would require consensus from all three consuls and a vote from the Senate.
In the event of this occurrence, the Consulate would rule directly as a caretaker Government until a new Emperor or Supreme Executive was appointed.
One Consul would represent the Deep Core and Core Worlds.
One Consul would represent the Colonies, Inner Rim and Expansion Region.
One Consul would represent the Mid Rim, Outer Rim Territories.
The Emperor would be empowered to release Consuls from Service in the event of gross misconduct if he has the support of the other two Consuls to do so.
Consuls would have the power to remove Moffs in their area of influence from Office; however the Emperor would retain the option to reinstate them.
Article 6 - The Imperial Senate
The Imperial Senate is the sole body with the power to authorise taxes on a Galaxy wide level.
The Imperial Senate is the sole body which may legislate for the Galaxy.
The Imperial Senate may remove any official from any office with a 100% vote in favour.
No Senator may be prosecuted for words spoken within the Senate Chamber. This concept will be known as “Senatorial Privellage” and will encourage freedom of speech within the Chamber.
Imperial Senators should not also serve in any major Governmental role.
Article 7 - The Military
The Military of the Empire is to swear allegiance to the Emperor and the Senate, acknowledging the powers and responsibilities under this act.
Article 8 - The Judiciary
Justice shall be dispensed fairly, freely and without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender or sexuality.
No Imperial Judge shall sit in any Legislative or Governmental position outside of his role as a Judge.
The Senate Justice Committee and Senate Ethics Committee are encouraged to scrutinise the actions of the Judiciary and raise any injustices or major problems to the public attention swiftly.
The Consulate shall be empowered to remove Imperial Justices with the consent of the Senate.
Article 9 - Freedom of Speech
No being may be criminally punished for the contents of his mind, nor expressing them.
This does not preclude the possibility of civil prosecution for liable, slander etc.
Verence Terrawin
Senator of Alsakan
First Lord of the Foreign Office, Alsakan
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| Avadrie_volFyr | Date: Monday, 28 Nov 2011, 2:39 AM | Message # 2 |
 Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 338
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| Empress Teta must vote against this proposed legislation for the following reasons;
1). The preamble declares that there is a need to return to the principles of democratic government and traditional constitutional values, Senator Terrawin I don't mean to be rude, but do you mean the same values that brought us the Clone Wars and the treachery wrought upon us by the Jedi? The Trade Federation blockading member planets such as Naboo, thousands upon millions of deaths?
2.) We also do not approve of Article 5 of this legislation. We have an Emperor, and he has not abused his power - so why would we create three positions that would then have a constitutional potential to usurp him and then abuse their power?
3.) We also take cause with article 6, in which Senators are given "Senatorial Privilege" to say whatever they like. Like it or not, Senators are role models, and if I thought it was acceptable to stand in the Senate floor and say whatever it was that came to mind - what kind of example would I be setting for loyal Imperial citizens everywhere? Why should we have the freedom to say whatever we like, especially in the public venue we are provided? There is freedom of speech, and there is seditious speech, traitorous speech, slanderous speech - does this need to be in the Senate with impunity for the sake of freedom of speech? Empress Teta thinks not.
4) We also take cause with article 9 for many of the same reasons already listed.
Lady Avadrie volFyr
Senator of Empress Teta
Defense Committee Member
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| Verence_Terrawin | Date: Monday, 28 Nov 2011, 7:00 AM | Message # 3 |
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Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 285
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| 1. No.
2. Because it would produce a more efficient system, releasing the Emperor from some of the more tedious duties of day to day governance.
3. We should have that freedom because then we would be able to freely represent the opinions of our constituents and mind without risking persecution by overzealous prosecutors seeking to make a career for themselves by attacking Senators over one word here or there. If people are able to speak freely without threat of prosecution they are able to more efficiently exchange ideas, which is good for all of us.
Verence Terrawin
Senator of Alsakan
First Lord of the Foreign Office, Alsakan
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| Avadrie_volFyr | Date: Monday, 28 Nov 2011, 7:12 AM | Message # 4 |
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Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 338
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| Doesn't the Council and the Senate already remove the Emperor from the more onerous duties of day to day governance?
Lady Avadrie volFyr
Senator of Empress Teta
Defense Committee Member
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| Verence_Terrawin | Date: Monday, 28 Nov 2011, 7:35 AM | Message # 5 |
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Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 285
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| The Senate is merely a legislative body. The Imperial Ruling Council does provide the Emperor respite from day to day governance. However, the Council does not have a well established constitutional role at present, this act seeks to redress that imbalance.
Verence Terrawin
Senator of Alsakan
First Lord of the Foreign Office, Alsakan
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| Avadrie_volFyr | Date: Monday, 28 Nov 2011, 8:09 AM | Message # 6 |
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Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 338
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| Is it within the scope of the Senate to define the scope of our own authority, in so much that with a legislative act we could create 3 pseudo Emperors in addition to the Emperor?
Lady Avadrie volFyr
Senator of Empress Teta
Defense Committee Member
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| Verence_Terrawin | Date: Monday, 28 Nov 2011, 8:52 AM | Message # 7 |
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Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 285
Status: Offline
| These proposed Consuls are not "pseudo Emperors", they would not hold a Monarchical title, they would be elected for a limited term and would have their powers heavily limited.
However, I think your reasoning is perhaps rebounding on your argument. The Senate has the power to appoint the Emperor, so why do we not have the power to appoint him a number of executive assistants?
Verence Terrawin
Senator of Alsakan
First Lord of the Foreign Office, Alsakan
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| Avadrie_volFyr | Date: Wednesday, 30 Nov 2011, 5:53 AM | Message # 8 |
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Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 338
Status: Offline
| Wouldn't it be assumed that by making him Emperor, the Senate gave up much of its ability to control the executive branch of the government?
Lady Avadrie volFyr
Senator of Empress Teta
Defense Committee Member
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| Johannes_Oswaldt | Date: Saturday, 03 Dec 2011, 11:40 PM | Message # 9 |
 Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 250
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| I'm going to level with you.. I didn't read all this. I don't have to. The Empire was created to solve a problem, and that problem was the Old Republic. Am I the only one who remembers that a war was fought because of how dysfunctional the Old Republic and its "democratic constitution" were? Secession is a bunch of bantha crap and I fought it as hard as anyone, but there were a lot of planets the Republic forgot about. That and a lot of aliens and Jedi with too much power. Especially aliens. And when the war did happen the Republic couldn't even finish the fight. It took an Empire to do that, friends. The Emperor understood that and so did the Senate once and I hope it still does. I vote against Senator Terrawin's mutinous motion. Mutinous, I say!
Johannes Oswaldt
Senator and Governor of Eriadu
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| Senator_Cambrist | Date: Tuesday, 06 Dec 2011, 0:04 AM | Message # 10 |
 Lieutenant general
Group: Users
Messages: 761
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| I'll presume to advocate on behalf of the Ruling Council for a moment and note that it does have an established constitutional role, Senator Terrawin. Sovereign power rests with the Emperor—who, I remind the Senator, was elected—and it is his prerogative to delegate that power as needed. The Ruling Council, in advising the Emperor and assisting in the execution of his decrees, is quite legitimate. It is demeaning to the Chair to question his legitimacy or to refer to the Ruling Council as an "adhocracy."
The rest of the measure, too, is problematic. Especially its fast and loose provisions on the freedom of speech. But also this proposed "Consulate," based as it is on astrography, is a divisive structure that would resurrect the structural iniquities of the Old Republic that the Empire has remedied. The fact is, Senator, that a galactic government must have a strong central authority with the ability to delegate power broadly. The Old Republic was gratuitous in its iniquity because the principle of democratic representation on an astrographic basis is useless to tens of millions of worlds with smaller populations than yours or mine; this principle imposes a tyranny of the majority of the most infamous sort, serving the interests of certain worlds in certain areas and discarding those disparate worlds of the Rims.
Not so with an Empire. The Senate persists to represent the interests of the people, but now there is a central authority that can listen to these interests and weigh them against the interests of the galactic government, rather than simply a supreme legislative body arguing among its members whose provincial interests are more important than whose. The Empire has brought us peace and prosperity, and I vote against changing that in so radical a fashion as you propose, Senator Terrawin. At the very least, this magnitude of uncertainty would be horrible for the markets.
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| Sate_Pestage | Date: Wednesday, 28 Dec 2011, 6:18 PM | Message # 11 |
 Lieutenant general
Group: Moderators
Messages: 639
Status: Offline
| Senator Terrawin, there appears to be little enthusiasm for these reforms of yours, which have been described—correctly, in my view—as "radical." Comparing the condition this galaxy was in the day before the Empire was founded to the day after, one wonders if returning to pre-Imperial conditions is desirable in the least. I agree with Governor Oswaldt on this point. I also remind Senator Terrawin that while "democracy" is not at all common to all societies, the Empire does remain, essentially, a democracy. You, as a Senator, are elected to represent the people of Alsakan, and the Senate elected the Emperor and endorsed his New Order, too (resoundingly, at that).
As it would seem there will be no further votes on this measure, it is defeated with 25% in favor and 75% opposed.
Sate Pestage
Grand Vizier of the Empire
Assistant to Emperor Palpatine
Chair of the Imperial Senate
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