How Edan Works: Voting, Sessions, and the Government's Calendar

This 'nuts and bolts' discussion is a deeper dive into how elections work and the calendar of the government. 

  The Kingdom of Edan uses Greenwich Mean Time for all governmental purposes although local time is usually also included for ease of understanding.
  General elections for the Senate are held every two years and are overseen by the Ministry of State. Voting begins at 1 minutes after Midnight on the 1st of March and ends 1 minute before midnight on the 2nd of March, giving citizens just under 48 hours to cast their votes. In general it is believed that voting will be permitted by electronic communications as well as in person.
  In certain cases a special election will be needed. Special elections are scheduled and announced by the Ministry of State and the voting period lasts for 72 hours.
  All senate elections use the single transferable vote proportional representation system with voting groups decided by the Ministry of State as needed. It is expected that citizens will be divided into groups that select between 4 and 8 senators, probably based upon fiefdoms.
  All votes will be tallied and a complete count will be done at least twice. If more than 7 counts are required the Ministry of Justice shall assist with counts and in the unlikely event of a tie a run-off elections will be held until elections are complete.
  The Assembly (which is the Senate and the Council) has 1 session each year; a session is the period when the legislature is available to performs its duty. Each year's session lasts from March 8th and ends on October 31st unless one or both days fall upon a Sunday - if that happens the date is delayed until the following Monday.
  The session is divided into conclaves of eight weeks each with a recess of 2 weeks in between. The conclaves are periods of active legislation while the recesses are for discussion, time with citizens, relaxation, etc. The period of a session contains enough time for 3 conclaves plus an addition 4 weeks; the extra time is in case the budget process is delayed, to accommodate government holidays (which do not count as part of the time of a conclave!), or if there is a need for a special election.
  The First Senator may request a null conclave - this is, essentially, a conclave where no work is done. The First Senator may ask once per session and the King may refuse the request.
  The grand conclave is held each year on the 15th of November. On that day the tax schedule for the upcoming year is published and the King makes his address to the people on the state of the kingdom and the upcoming year.
  Members of the Council may assign a proxy to serve in their stead (usually due to illness or military service).A council member who fails in their duties to the legislature (not attending and not assigning a proxy) by lose their noble status.
  Senators must vote on each proposed law introduced during a conclave, Failure to vote in 3 consecutive conclaves means they are removed from the Senate. In an exception, once per term a senator may request a leave of absence of up to two conclaves.
  The High Tribunal meets in session from the first Monday in February until the first Monday in November. The High Tribunal may take two recesses per year, each lasting a month and each separated by at least 2 months.
  On to more direct information.
  In general the royal and noble governments do no non-essential business on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation. Emergency services will, of course, always be available.
  King Richard has created a list of days in which the government is restricted to essential work only;
  Fixed:
  January 1st - the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
  January 6th - the Epiphany
  March 19th - the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  April 1st - Constitution Day
  June 29th - the Solemnity of the Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
  August 15th - the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  August 19th - the King's Birthday
  August 25th - the Feast of St. Louis IX
  September 22nd - the Feast of St. Maurice
  November 1st - All Saints' Day
  December 8th - the Feast of Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  December 24th through December 31st - The Nativity of the Lord and the beginning of Christmastide

  Movable:
  Ash Wednesday
  Holy Week and Easter Monday
  The Ascension
  Whit Monday
  The Feast of Corpus Christi

  Local nobles may set their own holidays, of course.

How Edan Works: The Assembly

 The Assembly is the legislative portion of the government and is made up of two sections, the Council and the Senate.

The Council:

The Council is made up of the 7 to 12 nobles of highest precedence in the Kingdom. The highest ranking within the Council is the President of the Council.

The Senate:

The Senate is made up of between 8 and 120 elected members (size of the Senate is based on total national population). Voting is 'at large' and is a single transferable vote proportional system. Senators are elected every 2 years. Once elections are complete the Senators elect one of their members to the position of First Senator.

What they do:

The Assembly mainly exists to create legislation. The process is:

1) A Senator, Council Member or the King introduces a proposed law (any proposal made by the King is entered into the Council).

2) If the proposal is approved by a simple majority of the portion of the Assembly where it was introduced it is sent to the other portion.

2) The other portion now votes on the proposal. If a simple majority votes in favor of it, it is sent to the King.

3) The King may approve the entire proposal, reject the entire proposal, or approve the proposal with select sections removed. If the bill is rejected in anyway it is sent back to the originating portion of the Assembly with an explanation for refusal.

A) If the originating portion votes to uphold the proposal with a ¾ majority, it is resent to the other portion.

B) If the other portion also upholds the rejected proposal with a ¾ or greater vote, the proposal becomes law over the King's refusal.

EXAMPLE: Senator Jones introduces a proposal that says;

“All adult citizens shall be required to have a national identification card. This card must be presented when any citizen;

1) votes for Senate

2) applies for professional credentials

3) enlists in the Royal Forces

All ID cards shall be issued at such time as a person becomes a full citizen. Citizens are responsible for applying for replacement or updated cards. The database for all such cards shall be maintained by the Ministry of State. Such cards shall be paid for with funds from the Treasury.”

After a short debate 9 of the 12 Senators vote to support the proposed law. It is then sent tot he Council. Two days later the Council holds a short debate and 10 of 12 members also vote for the proposal. It is now sent to the King.

A week later the king signs the following into law;

“All adult citizens shall be required to have a national identification card. This card must be presented when any citizen;

1) votes for Senate

2) applies for professional credentials

3) enlists in the Royal Forces

All ID cards shall be issued at such time as a person becomes a full citizen. Citizens are responsible for applying for replacement or updated cards. The database for all such cards shall be maintained by the Ministry of State.”

His note to the Senate and Council reads,

“Struck the element 'Such cards shall be paid for with funds from the Treasury' as this constitutes a budget item that is not contained within the budget and further violates Article 28 Section 3 of the constitution.”

Senator Jones decides to re-introduce the proposal in full but only has 2 of 12 Senators vote for the full version – the proposal as signed by the King is now law.

The Assembly also ratifies treaties and appointments made by the King.

How Edan Works – the Balance of Powers

  The goal of Edan is to have a just, ethical, and moral government that is also as stable as possible. In imitation of the perfection of Heaven Edan is ruled by a king. The king is the Head of State and the Head of Government, highest commander of military forces, and the enforcer of all laws. Indeed, the sovereignty of the Kingdom is an extension of the king's sovereignty and all laws are, in the end, the expression of his authority.

Since men are not perfect and it is possible for a weak or unjust king to harm a nation and its people the King limits his own power by swearing to obey the constitution; in effect, the constitution is the King's oath to his people as to how he will limit himself and his government.

Nobles are also part of and an extension of the king's authority. The king grants them a portion of his sovereignty and authority and, in return, they must justly and faithfully lead those of the kings subjects in their care. The nobles and their rights and privileges are also a bulwark against a bad king – while a good king can improve things overall nobles can shield themselves and their subjects from a bad king's actions.

The constitution also empowers the Assembly with primary legislative duties. The two branches of the Assembly, the Council and the Senate, debate and formulate the budgets and laws of the kingdom, subject tot he king's approval. The Council is made up of the senior nobles and is another method for them to aid a good king and hinder a bad king. The Senate is comprised of elected citizens and is the method in which the citizens have a voice in government. Again, the Senate can aid a good king and hinder a bad king.

Together, these elements represent a solid balance of power; the king limits himself and the nobles and citizens have a voice in government, all while maintaining a strong monarchy.

Discussion of the First Draft of the Constitution, part 6

Article 22 The Assembly; the Council
This establishes the Council as a counter-point to the Senate in the bicameral houses of the legislature. The Council is, here, based on Provinces. Councilors serve longer terms than Senators, there are fewer of them, and they are strictly regional. So they are in some ways much more like the British House of Lords. Although it is not mentioned, Councilors were meant to be elected by regional 'first past the post' voting.

Article 23 The First Senator
This describes the First Senator's duties a bit and explains about the Secretary of the Senate, who keeps the official record of legislation and debate.

Article 24 The President of the Council
The President of the Council was originally planned to fulfill a role identicle to that of President in a parliamentary system - a symbol of the nation with neither the sovereignty of the King or positional power of the First Senator, but above the First Senator in precedence for such things as treaties and visits by Heads of State. This article also mentions the Secretary of the Council with suties similar to the Secretary of the Senate