First Draft of the Constitution, part 8

Article 28 Sessions and Conclaves

(1) A session of the Senate shall last from the election of the Senate as a whole until the next such election.

(2) A session of the Council shall last from the election of the Council as a whole until the next such election.

(3) Two weeks after the election of the Senate the First Senator shall call a Conclave; each such Conclave shall consist of a two-month period during which the work of the Assembly is performed.

(4) At the end of a Conclave there is a two-week recess. One the first day of the third week the First Senator shall call the next Conclave.

(5) Once per session of the Senate the First Senator may request that the Sovereign grant a Null Conclave; such a Conclave is a two-month period of extended recess between standard recesses. It is the decision of the Sovereign to honor or refuse such a request.

(6) Once per session of the Council the President of the Council may also request a Null Conclave, as above.

(7) There must be no less than a full Conclave separating Null Conclaves.

(8) The Grand Conclave shall be held each year on the first of November.

(a) The Cabinet, the High Tribunal, and the Sovereign shall attend the Grand Conclave in addition to the Assembly.

(b) The only business of the Grand Conclave shall be the Royal Address, where the Sovereign declares the state of the Kingdom and addresses the citizens concerning the upcoming year.

Article 29 Votes of Confidence

(1) A Vote of Confidence is a vote cast by the members of the Senate demonstrating their confidence in the existing government. If such a vote fails to pass by a simple majority of the Senate, the First Senator shall ask the Sovereign to dissolve the Senate. The Sovereign must honor this request by issuing a Royal Decree of Dissolution within two days.

(2) Any member of the Senate may request a Vote of Confidence once per session during a Conclave. No other business shall be conducted until the Vote of Confidence has been resolved. No more than one Vote of Confidence may be requested during any single Conclave. Votes of Confidence may not be called during Special Conclaves or Null Conclaves.

(3) In exception to the above, the First Senator may request a Vote of Confidence at the end of each Conclave. This Vote of Confidence is in addition to any other request and is to be the final vote of the last day of the Conclave. If this vote fails, the Sovereign is asked by the First Senator to dissolve the Senate. The Sovereign is obliged to honor this request. The First Senator is not obligated to call for this vote.

(4) Once per session of the Council the President of the Council may ask that the members of the Council take a Special Vote of Confidence. If this vote fails to gain a simple majority of the votes of the Council, the President of the Council shall ask the Sovereign to Dissolve the Council. The Sovereign is not obliged to honor this request, but any Royal Decree of Dissolution must be issued within two days.

(5) Once per session of the Senate and Council, respectively, the King may call for a Vote of Confidence as detailed above for each house of the Assembly. This is in addition to any other calls for a Vote of Confidence.

(6) If the Senate or the Council is Dissolved, the Sovereign shall direct the Minister of State to hold special elections for the dissolved house(s) as detailed in this Constitution. Announcements of such special elections must be made no more than four days after the Royal Decree of Dissolution is issued.