EXPLAINING THE PROPOSAL AND THE CHANGES THAT MAKE UP
THE TRANSITION FROM THE CURRENT SYSTEM TO THE NEW
Dear citizens of Titulia-
These are some questions and answers to the parliamentary model about to be proposed and what it means to the current system of government.
Q. What is wrong with the current system?
A. Citizens some time ago decided they wanted to move from a direct democracy to a representative democracy. The challenge now is making sure the best possible system replaces the current way government functions and provides more clarity.
Q. Is this a move from a republic to a monarchy?
A. Not at all. Titulia will still be a republic and the office of president of the republic will still exist even under the parliamentary model. Many successful parliamentary systems around the world have retained or put in place a federal president after its creation to conduct the necessary functions of a quasi head of state.
Q. Will there be any changes to the function of president of the republic?
A. Not in terms of the site function of the role. There still needs to be a programmed person built into the Titulia site to perform these duties. Under a parliamentary model, the president will still post officials and act as the signatory of bills to be sent to Admin. Making it simple-the president's constitutional functions will remain largely unchanged.
What will change is the president's role as a government official.
Under a parliamentary model, the powers of the president to develop political policy and to direct government will be wholly referred to the parliament. This is an exciting change that evolves our identity and shapes the fullness of democratic establishment for the first time ever and increase activity in political participation.
Q. In what way will the parliament increase activity?
A. Under the current model there is one government decision maker-the president of the republic. The current constitution places all government decision making power in one place and the cabinet members are subordinate to the president at all times (other than the Attorney-General on prosecution actions). Instead of one person being in charge of our future the democratic nature of the parliament is realised in its fullest.
Q. How will the new system change governing in Titulia?
A. Titulia will realise three full branches of government for the first time-Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches. The judicial branch will not be included in the reform proposal and is fully functional at the current time.
The core complaint with the current executive only republic is that all matters of government are directed only by the president through their designated cabinet officers. This places the integrity of government in jeopardy. This will change under the parliamentary system. Instead of one elected person directing government policy and legislation, all members of parliament will have the legal right to take part in the governing of our state.
Q. How will members of parliament be elected?
A. Following on from agreed solutions tried in the past, the City of Titulia map will be divided into 'districts'. North, South, West, East and Central districts of Titulia. Each district will elect a total of 1-2 members of parliament depending on the resident population in each district.
The number of seats will be decided by district census counts of how many citizens reside in each district. The principle is the more the residents per district-the more seats that district will have in the parliament. The total number of citizens counted might exceed a reasonable number of seats per district at a future date and this will lead to the first redistributions and the possible creation of new districts.
Using the poll system that allows custom voting, elections will be conducted for each of the five city districts. The winner shall be determined by voter majority. In the case of an equal number of votes between candidates, a runoff ballot is held between those tied for first place.
Q. The invitation: how will parliament be organised following elections?
A. For this we will use the Westminster system with some variation to suit Titulia condictions.
After election the president of the republic (i.e constitutional head of state) will set a date for the new parliament to come to order after they have viewed the results of the different district races. The president will formally invite the majority party or coalitions of parties who have won the most seats to form a government in the name of the republic.
Q. What happens if there is no majority party following an election?
A. The president will meet in a single setting with the parliamentary leaders of all parties that have contested successful candidates in the election just conducted. The president will ask each of the parliamentary leaders if a government can be formed in coalition or minority form if there are independent or minor party MPs elected that desire to support a particular parliamentary party.
If a parliamentary party leader or leaders (if coalition) can advise the president at the meeting that they can command support of the House in either way and can prove this support, the president will invite that parliamentary leader to form a government.
Q. As the president will retain the role of head of state, who will be the new head of government?
A. The head of government will be elected by the members of the largest seat holding parliamentary party will be the Prime Minister of Titulia. The Prime Minister must be a member of parliament.
In the case of a coalition government, the parliamentary leader of the largest seat holding party will be invited to become the Prime Minister.
Q. What role do the non-government parties and independent MPs hold in the parliament?
A. The non-government parties will be form the government in the sense but still play a very important role in the parliament. All members of parliament under this proposal have equal power to debate, propose members bills and vote on all bills before the parliament.
Q. Who heads the non-government side of the House?
A. The parliamentary party with the second highest number of seats in the parliament will form the base for the opposition. The leader of that party as elected by their party's caucus will become the Leader of the Opposition of the Titulian Parliament.
The job of the opposition is to hold the government to account.
Like the government, the opposition can be organised in coalition with other minority parties and independents if they wish. The Leader of the Opposition must advise parliament of their organisation and the parliament will ask the president to make the appropriate shadow cabinet designations on the officials list in the Legislative branch section.
Q. Does your model include parliamentary committees?
A. The LRP is eager to pursue parliamentary committees for the purposes of scrutinising legislation but is appreciative of the small size of the first parliament. Until such time as citizenship and political interest grows adequate for a larger parliament the entire House should be able to manage this in session.
Q. Other models for a legislative branch incorporate a high level of technical reform to the website. What does this proposal need in order for it to function?
A. Nothing more. That's correct. Everything this proposal needs to function is already in place.
Voting system- Titulia has a polling system in place open to scrutiny
Parliamentary sitting- Titulia has forums to convene the parliament
Officials listing and head of state- Titulia has the function of president of the republic to act as head of state to post officials and send passed bills to Admin or the General Court for action or filing respectively.
What more does a legislative branch need?
These are some questions and answers to the parliamentary model about to be proposed and what it means to the current system of government.
Q. What is wrong with the current system?
A. Citizens some time ago decided they wanted to move from a direct democracy to a representative democracy. The challenge now is making sure the best possible system replaces the current way government functions and provides more clarity.
Q. Is this a move from a republic to a monarchy?
A. Not at all. Titulia will still be a republic and the office of president of the republic will still exist even under the parliamentary model. Many successful parliamentary systems around the world have retained or put in place a federal president after its creation to conduct the necessary functions of a quasi head of state.
Q. Will there be any changes to the function of president of the republic?
A. Not in terms of the site function of the role. There still needs to be a programmed person built into the Titulia site to perform these duties. Under a parliamentary model, the president will still post officials and act as the signatory of bills to be sent to Admin. Making it simple-the president's constitutional functions will remain largely unchanged.
What will change is the president's role as a government official.
Under a parliamentary model, the powers of the president to develop political policy and to direct government will be wholly referred to the parliament. This is an exciting change that evolves our identity and shapes the fullness of democratic establishment for the first time ever and increase activity in political participation.
Q. In what way will the parliament increase activity?
A. Under the current model there is one government decision maker-the president of the republic. The current constitution places all government decision making power in one place and the cabinet members are subordinate to the president at all times (other than the Attorney-General on prosecution actions). Instead of one person being in charge of our future the democratic nature of the parliament is realised in its fullest.
Q. How will the new system change governing in Titulia?
A. Titulia will realise three full branches of government for the first time-Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches. The judicial branch will not be included in the reform proposal and is fully functional at the current time.
The core complaint with the current executive only republic is that all matters of government are directed only by the president through their designated cabinet officers. This places the integrity of government in jeopardy. This will change under the parliamentary system. Instead of one elected person directing government policy and legislation, all members of parliament will have the legal right to take part in the governing of our state.
Q. How will members of parliament be elected?
A. Following on from agreed solutions tried in the past, the City of Titulia map will be divided into 'districts'. North, South, West, East and Central districts of Titulia. Each district will elect a total of 1-2 members of parliament depending on the resident population in each district.
The number of seats will be decided by district census counts of how many citizens reside in each district. The principle is the more the residents per district-the more seats that district will have in the parliament. The total number of citizens counted might exceed a reasonable number of seats per district at a future date and this will lead to the first redistributions and the possible creation of new districts.
Using the poll system that allows custom voting, elections will be conducted for each of the five city districts. The winner shall be determined by voter majority. In the case of an equal number of votes between candidates, a runoff ballot is held between those tied for first place.
Q. The invitation: how will parliament be organised following elections?
A. For this we will use the Westminster system with some variation to suit Titulia condictions.
After election the president of the republic (i.e constitutional head of state) will set a date for the new parliament to come to order after they have viewed the results of the different district races. The president will formally invite the majority party or coalitions of parties who have won the most seats to form a government in the name of the republic.
Q. What happens if there is no majority party following an election?
A. The president will meet in a single setting with the parliamentary leaders of all parties that have contested successful candidates in the election just conducted. The president will ask each of the parliamentary leaders if a government can be formed in coalition or minority form if there are independent or minor party MPs elected that desire to support a particular parliamentary party.
If a parliamentary party leader or leaders (if coalition) can advise the president at the meeting that they can command support of the House in either way and can prove this support, the president will invite that parliamentary leader to form a government.
Q. As the president will retain the role of head of state, who will be the new head of government?
A. The head of government will be elected by the members of the largest seat holding parliamentary party will be the Prime Minister of Titulia. The Prime Minister must be a member of parliament.
In the case of a coalition government, the parliamentary leader of the largest seat holding party will be invited to become the Prime Minister.
Q. What role do the non-government parties and independent MPs hold in the parliament?
A. The non-government parties will be form the government in the sense but still play a very important role in the parliament. All members of parliament under this proposal have equal power to debate, propose members bills and vote on all bills before the parliament.
Q. Who heads the non-government side of the House?
A. The parliamentary party with the second highest number of seats in the parliament will form the base for the opposition. The leader of that party as elected by their party's caucus will become the Leader of the Opposition of the Titulian Parliament.
The job of the opposition is to hold the government to account.
Like the government, the opposition can be organised in coalition with other minority parties and independents if they wish. The Leader of the Opposition must advise parliament of their organisation and the parliament will ask the president to make the appropriate shadow cabinet designations on the officials list in the Legislative branch section.
Q. Does your model include parliamentary committees?
A. The LRP is eager to pursue parliamentary committees for the purposes of scrutinising legislation but is appreciative of the small size of the first parliament. Until such time as citizenship and political interest grows adequate for a larger parliament the entire House should be able to manage this in session.
Q. Other models for a legislative branch incorporate a high level of technical reform to the website. What does this proposal need in order for it to function?
A. Nothing more. That's correct. Everything this proposal needs to function is already in place.
Voting system- Titulia has a polling system in place open to scrutiny
Parliamentary sitting- Titulia has forums to convene the parliament
Officials listing and head of state- Titulia has the function of president of the republic to act as head of state to post officials and send passed bills to Admin or the General Court for action or filing respectively.
What more does a legislative branch need?
What are your thoughts?
Visit the official website of Titulians for a Parliament
Titulians for a Parliament-for a better system of government.
Leah Carmody
President of the Liberal Republican Party
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