The Constitution of The Realm of Yggdrasil

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Article I. Preamble

We, the members of Yggdrasil, in order to form a more perfect union for ourselves and our posterity, hereby set forth this Constitution and dedicate ourselves to its preservation.
As first principal, the government serves its members rather than rules them. We hold sacrosanct the tenets of democracy and individual sovereignty. It is forever the intent of this document and all documents issued hereafter that the government exists to serve the people’s interest above and before its own. Recognizing we too but are members in a greater community, we seek to create an honest and effective government under which the membership of this region will prosper.

Membership in Yggdrasil shall be afforded to all nations who publicly assent to our values, norms and regulations. All membership is voluntary, and may be renounced by a member at any time.

The following are recognized as the inalienable rights of the members of the region.

3.1. Self-determination
The regional government of Yggdrasil shall make no law or regulation governing the internal operation of any member within the region. Each member will maintain its own right to govern in accordance with its own desires.

3.2. Freedom of Speech
The regional government shall make no law restricting the freedom of speech within Yggdrasil beyond those rules governing all participation and etiquette in NationStates.

3.3. Freedom of the Press
The government shall make no law or take any action that restricts, censors, or punishes a free press, except in those cases when it might threaten regional security or go against forum guidelines. Censorship of the press by the government must be approved by the full Council in closed session.

3.4. Freedom to form Political Parties
All members shall have the right to form political parties to contest in elections provided there is a minimum of three WA members at the start of its formation. A registered political party will cease to exist when said party has lost every WA member.

3.5. Equality before the Law
All members are equal before the law. No member shall be deprived of any right, privilege or immunity, nor exempted from any burden or duty unfairly.

3.6. Right to Fair Trail
All members will have the right to a fair trial in accordance to the region's Constitution and laws, except in cases where it threatens regional security.

3.7. Right to Vote
All WA members registered on the forum will have the right to participate and vote in elections in accordance to the region's Constitution and laws.

3.8. Reservation of Powers
Powers not enumerated in this Constitution shall be reserved to members by default. The Council shall rule on matters where the reservation of powers is disputed.

The duty of governing Yggdrasil shall fall upon the Council of Elders (CoE). The Council shall consist of an Executive Branch and a Cabinet. Together, the Council shall have seven members.

4.1. The Executive Branch
The Executive Branch shall consist of the Chief Executive (Founder) and Chancellor (Delegate) of Yggdrasil.

4.1.1. The Chief Executive
The position of Chief Executive of Yggdrasil shall be held by the Founder, until such time as the Chief Executive steps down from that position. The Chief Executive shall serve as the region's highest office holder. His main duties are to uphold the Constitution, ensure longevity of the region, and protect the region from external or internal harm.
a) The Chief Executive shall have powers to appoint the Minister of Interior. Under this authority, the Chief Executive may remove the Minister from the Council at his own discretion. The appointment shall be made in consultation with the Chancellor (Delegate) of Yggdrasil.

b) The Chief Executive shall act as Commander-in-Chief of the defense force, and shall be entrusted with the security of the region and her allies.

c) If the Chief Executive detects an abuse of power or neglect of office by members of the Council of Elders, he may unilaterally dismiss any appointed Council member, and seek to dismiss any elected member with consent of at least two other Council members.

d) The Chief Executive shall have powers to award titles, medals, and military or civilian honors to regional members with outstanding service to Yggdrasil.

1.2. The Chancellor
The Chancellor shall receive his mandate to office by being the regional "WA Delegate" through a general election of all World Assembly member nations of Yggdrasil as defined by standing electoral law. The Chancellor's main duties are to ensure smooth day-to-day running of the region, promote a vibrant and active community, and in general act in the best interest of the region.
a) The Chancellor shall hold the title 'Lord Chancellor' and preside over the Cabinet.

b) The Chancellor may appoint to office the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Under this authority, the Chancellor may remove the Minister from the Council at his own discretion.

c) The Chancellor shall be responsible for all World Assembly related matters. Including voting on each WA Resolution in accordance with the wishes of WA members. All WA members shall have the right to express their position on WA Resolutions by a poll in the forum.

d) The Chancellor shall have access to regional controls, except in cases of invasion threat and/or his inactivity.

4.2. The Cabinet
The Cabinet shall consist of three Ministers (Regional Development, Interior, Foreign Affairs) and two Senators.

The post of Interior Minister is seated by direct appointment of the Chief Executive. The post of Foreign Affairs Minister is seated by direct appointment of the Chancellor. The post of Regional Development Minister is seated by a general election of all WA members. Once seated, the Minister is head of their departments and is authorized to make decisions regarding their department without consulting with the Council. All actions of any Minister can be overturned by a majority vote of the Council, or dismissal by the Chief Executive.

4.2.1. The Region Development Minister
The Regional Development Minister shall be in charge of both matters relating to Role-Playing as well as the regional economy. He shall be responsible for encouraging RP activity in the region (including sports, inter-regional politics, economy, war, and peace activities) and managing the Monetary Authority of Yggdrasil. The Minister has the authority to approve businesses in the region. He shall be chosen by way of an election as stipulated in Part V of this Constitution. The Minister shall be elected for a term of four months, during elections beginning on the second Tuesday of every March, July, and November of the calendar year.

4.2.2. The Interior Minister
The Interior Minister shall head the region's Department of Interior. He shall be responsible for keeping up to date with the happenings in the region, communicate with (new) members and provide information to regional members. The Minister shall also initiate and oversee activities for the general entertainment of the region. Additionally, the Minister will work closely with the Chief Executive to ensure no espionage activities exist within the region. The Minister has the right to recommend for removal any nations deem as an invader cell or spy from other regions.

4.2.3. The Foreign Affairs Minister
The Foreign Affairs Minister shall head the region's Department of Foreign Affairs. He shall be responsible for maintaining and opening relations with regions and organizations outside of Yggdrasil, appointing ambassadors and emissaries to represent Yggdrasil in foreign regions, and receiving ambassadors from foreign regions in Yggdrasil. Notwithstanding his authority to open friendly relations or communicate with foreign regions, no formal alliances or written treaties must be made without the consent of the Chief Executive or the Chancellor.

4.2.4. The Senators
Senators are elected representatives from Yggdrasil's General Assembly. They shall be chosen by way of an election as stipulated in Part V of this Constitution. Senators shall be elected for a term of four months, during elections beginning on the second Tuesday of every January, May, and September of the calendar year.

Senators shall have the powers to approve statutes for the better governance of Yggdrasil, ratify treaties, approve ambassadors, advise the Chancellor concerning WA issues, appoint subordinate tribunals to act as courts within Yggdrasil, and generally represent the voice of the people.

4.3. Deputy Ministers
Any Minister may appoint one deputy-minister to assist them in their capacity with approval from the Chief Executive. Deputy Ministers have no standing in Cabinet and may work for more than one Ministry.

4.4. Cabinet Inactivity
The Cabinet forms the core of the Council of Elders and are expected to maintain a high level of activity. If the Chancellor is inactive for two weeks or more without giving prior notice of his inactivity, a replacement election may be called by the Chief Executive with agreement of one Senator and one Minister. If a Minister or Senator becomes inactive for two weeks or more without giving prior notice of their inactivity, they may be subject to removal by the Chief Executive with agreement of the Chancellor. When a Minister is dismissed for inactivity, the Chief Executive may promote a replacement immediately. When a Senator is dismissed for inactivity, the Chief Executive will deliberate whether or not to hold a replacement election immediately or wait until the next scheduled round of elections.

5.1. General Procedures

5.1.1. Only Yggdrasil WA members are eligible to stand for election. Members interested in running for the Senate or the Chancellor's (Delegate position) must notify the whole region through the forum during election season. Nations may only run for and hold one position at a time.

5.1.2. Elections shall follow a course of seven days for nomination and campaigning, followed by a period of seven days for voting.

5.1.3. All Senators shall have a term of four months starting from the conclusion of elections. Existing Senators may seek re-election but no nation shall serve more than three consecutive terms unless decided otherwise by a vote of the Council.

5.1.4. The Regional Development Minister shall have a term of four months starting from the conclusion of elections. The incumbent Minister may seek re-election but no nation shall serve more than two consecutive terms unless decided otherwise by a vote of the Council.

5.1.5. The Lord Chancellor (Delegate) shall have a term of six months. The Chancellor may seek re-election at the end of his term but shall not serve more than three consecutive terms.

5.1.6. If a Senator or Minister vacates his seat before his term, the Council will deliberate whether or not to hold a replacement election immediately or wait until the next scheduled round of elections. If a Chancellor vacates his seat before his term, a replacement election will be held as soon as possible.

5.2. Voting
The binding principle behind the actions of Yggdrasil is the fair and democratic representation of the region. Whenever possible, votes with the largest possible groups of electors will be held.

5.2.1. In the event of a tie, voting will be extended by seven days to allow more members to vote. The candidate with the most votes at the end of two weeks of continuous voting (or three weeks including the first week of nomination) will be declared the winner. If at the end of two weeks, the votes are still tied. The contested position will be decided by a vote of the remaining Council members.

5.2.2. If an election position is contested by only one nation, the voting will proceed with "I refuse to vote for candidate name" as an alternative choice. If in the unfortunate scenario the sole candidate accumulates a lower vote count than "I refuse to vote for candidate name", the election will be declared a mis-vote. In such a case, the Chief Executive may either call for a new round of elections, or appoint a suitable candidate to fill the position.

5.3. Eligibility
All WA members registered on the forum are eligible to vote in elections as well as any regional issues on ballot. To ensure equal suffrage in regional affairs, each WA member shall have one vote. If a player is in control of multiple nations, it is illegal for him to cast multiple votes.

Whereas Yggdrasil is a free region with open borders, conduct that will lead to a nation's ejection from the region should be clearly defined.

6.1. Posting of any content considering spamming. Spamming is defined as any activity that is considered obscene, illegal, threatening, malicious or defamatory, or advertising of regions, forums, websites, and other causes not related to Yggdrasil.

6.2. Griefing another member in Yggdrasil. Griefing is defined as acting with ill-intent to annoy or upset other people.

6.3. Attempting to steal another nation's identity or impersonate another player, including attempting to hack nation or region passwords. Any such activity will be reported to NS moderators.

6.4. Invading other regions or war-mongering. Yggdrasil is a peaceful region and will not harbor invaders or condone such activity. Known nations of invader groups may be ejected at the discretion of the Chief Executive or Chancellor.

6.5. Gross misconduct. Members are expected to behave with high honesty. Dishonest behavior, including election fraud, or any other attempts to deceive or mislead the region will not be tolerated.

6.6. Plotting against the region. Any member found to engage in subterfuge, espionage, sabotage, usurpation of power, intimidation of member nations, and other such plots with the primary aim of destablizing Yggdrasil and her government, will be immediately banjected.

7.1. Emergency Powers
A state of emergency may be declared in the region in two instances. Both of which will render all other parts the Constitution void with the exception of this section. A state of emergency may be declared upon:

7.1.1. Founder Expiry/Deletion
The Council shall have emergency powers over the region, exercised through the Chancellor/Delegate, immediately after the expiry or deletion of the Chief Executive (for any reason). Council members, led by the Chancellor, are to follow procedures outlined in 'Founder Expiry Emergency Act' for the appropriate scenario. Any action taken without the backing of the Council is deemed illegal and may be subject to ejection or ban by the Chancellor/Delegate.

7.1.2. Imminent Danger to Yggdrasil
The Chief Executive may also declare a state of emergency if he detects an imminent threat to Yggdrasil's survival. The key word being survival. Potential scenarios may include, but are not limited to: An invasion by an aggressor region or regions, NS-moderator actions that threaten Yggdrasil and her members, and a severe lull in activity in the region and Council of Elders.

7.2. Motion of No Confidence
Every official, with the exception of the Chief Executive, may be made subject to a motion of no confidence. WA members not within the Council of Elders may privately contact the Chief Executive to start a motion of no confidence, provided the requisition is accompanied by the written endorsement of three WA members. The Chief Executive will then proceed to introduce a motion of no confidence. The motion will be subject to a general vote of WA members lasting for seven days. A two-thirds vote margin is required for passage (the accused member shall not vote). When such motion passes, the official will be removed from office.

7.3. Impeachment/Chastisement of the Chief Executive
The Chief Executive may be subjected to impeachment. An impeachment vote is akin to a chastisement of the Chief Executive for the Chief Executive's handling of the region and does not amount to forced removal from office. WA members not within the Council of Elders may privately contact their elected representatives (Senators or the Lord Chancellor) to force a vote of impeachment, provided the requisition is accompanied by the written endorsement of ten WA nations. The Council, absent the Chief Executive, will then proceed to introduce a motion to impeach the Chief Executive. The motion will be subject to a general vote of WA members lasting for seven days. A two-thirds vote margin is required for passage (the accused member shall not vote). When such motion passes, the Chief Executive will be impeached.

7.4. WA Endorsement Rule
With the exception of the WA Delegate (Chancellor), the practice of endorsement swapping is strongly discouraged. WA member nations are free to endorse whoever they please, so long as it is done out of free will and no written request was carried out.

Any nation which at anytime receives more than three-quarters of the current endorsements of the serving WA Delegate shall be given 24 hours to reduce the number of endorsements. Failing that, he will be subject to ejection from Yggdrasil for a period of 24 hours to clear out his endorsements.

The Ratification of this Constitution shall take place two full weeks following discussion by founding members, after which members not willing to observe its provisions may take liberty to seek other regions.

8.1. Proposal and Enactment of Amendments
An amendment to this Constitution may be carried out in the following two ways:

8.1.1. Via the Council of Elders
The Council may propose and vote to enact an amendment so long as the changes are minor and technical in nature and no amendments have been carried out in the past 6 months. To pass an amendment, the Council poll must achieve a majority of 70 percent in favor.

8.1.2. Via a Regional Poll
Any WA member may propose an amendment, so long as he receives the written support of ten WA members. The Council shall then poll all citizen nations on the proposed amendment in the forum for one full week. In order to pass, the regional poll must achieve a majority of 70 percent in favor.