Charter of the Benacian Union (1738 draft)

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1. The Benacian Union is formed of sovereign realms brought into a condition of Harmonious Coordination for the purpose of maintaining the Human Supremacy throughout the continent of Benacia.
   1. These sovereign realms may be further divided into circuits, governorates, and bailiwicks.
2. Every subject born and residing in the Benacian Union fully fifteen years of age, who has caused his name to be inscribed upon the Union Covenant and has been assessed to have been possessed of appropriate loyalty, merit, and utility, is a citizen of the Union-State.
   1. A foreigner becomes a Benacian subject when, after having reached the full age of twenty-one years and having declared his intention to settle in a realm of the Benacian Union, he has resided there for ten consecutive years.
3. The enrollment of subjects as citizens of the Union-State shall be overseen by the Benacian Censorate.
   1. No subject shall be deprived of liberty without the prior determination of a properly constituted court in accordance with the rule of law.

The Congress

The supreme legislative power of the Benacian Union shall be vested in the Congress of Chryse

Composition

1. The Congress of Chryse is composed of members of at least thirty-five years of age.
2. For the formation of the Congress there shall be a number of members equal to three multiplied by the number of realms, and the Uvngætz, and the Szodan.
3. Each member is assigned one seat which, in turn, is assigned one vote.
4. Appointment to the Congress is conducted thusly:
   1. Each realm must provide 3 of their citizens selected in a manner that is legally defined by their respective legislature.
   2. The members selected above shall, in turn, elect the Uvngætz from a field of candidates nominated by the Chamber of Guilds and Corporations.
   3. The members selected above shall, in turn, elect the Szodan from the citizenry of the whole Union.
5. A member may be recalled from their seat on the advice of either the Uvngætz or the Szodan in a manner that is legally defined by their respective constituency.

Congressional Quorum

1. The Congress shall have a quorum when all of the following criteria are met:
   • There is one member elected from each realm present.
   • The majority of members are present.
   • Both the Uvngætz and Szodan are present.
2. A member of the Congress of Chryse is forever ineligible to any other public office.
3. The rights, privileges, and powers of the Congress of Chryse, beyond the scope of this document, are unlimited and inalienable.
4. The sittings of the Congress of Chryse are not public.

The Szodanadtz

The magistral power of the Benacian Union shall be vested in the Szodanadtz.

1. The Szodan shall assume direct control over the Szodanadtz upon confirmation by a two-thirds majority of the realms, each of which may spend a singular vote in a manner that is legally defined by their respective legislature.
2. The Szodanadtz is composed of the heads of state of each realm, the Lord High Censor, and the Szodan.
3. The Szodanadtz

The Chamber

1. Composition
   1. The Chamber shall consist of two hundred and eighteen (218) seats, holding a total of two hundred and ninety-six (296) votes divided among:
      1. The Guild of Academicians: 1 seat holding 40 votes
      2. The Guild of Magisters-Carnifex: 1 seat holding 40 votes
      3. The Guild of Factors: 40 seats, each holding 1 vote
      4. The Guild of the Lotus: 40 seats, each holding 1 vote
      5. The Benacian Union Defence Force: 12 seats, each holding 1 vote
      6. The Honourable Company: 12 seats, each holding 1 vote
      7. The Nationalist & Humanist Party: 8 seats, each holding 1 vote
      8. The United Ecclesiastical Corporation of Benacia: 4 seats, each holding 1 vote
      9. And the remaining one-hundred seats distributed proportionally among the continental governorates of the Benacian Union based on population size. Each governorate shall have the discretion to fill these seats by election or appointment, or a combination of both, as determined by the laws of each realm.
   2. Seats may be reassessed and redistributed by the Uvngætz on the advice of the Benacian Cencorate within one year of an official census of the whole Union.
2. Additional Seats for National Interests
   1. An additional five provisional seats may be created for national interests, filled at the discretion of the Uvngætz. These seats shall represent emerging sectors of societal importance, including but not limited to technological innovation, environmental sustainability, and education.
   2. The Uvngætz may appoint representatives for these seats who are not otherwise affiliated with the guilds or corporations to ensure an inclusive perspective in Chamber deliberations.
   3. These seats may cast one vote collectively in the case of a tied vote in the Chamber.
3. Leadership and Oversight
   1. The Uvngætz shall preside over the Chamber, acting as a neutral arbiter to ensure fair and effective conduct in all sessions.
   2. The Uvngætz shall have the authority to:
      1. Oversee the appointment of members to their presidium and to the Chamber’s special advisory councils.
      2. Ensure that decisions of the Chamber are published in a manner that is both transparent and accessible to the citizenry.
      3. Call for emergency sessions of the Chamber when matters of national importance require immediate attention.
4. Term Limits and Rotation
   1. All delegates to the Chamber shall serve terms of up to 5 years, with a maximum of two terms.
   2. To ensure diverse leadership, the presiding chair of the Chamber shall rotate their presidiums biennially, between the guilds, corporations, and governorate representatives.
5. Public Consultation
   1. The Chamber shall maintain a mechanism for public participation through:
      1. Petitions: Citizens of the Benacian Union may petition the Chamber to address specific issues or propose legislation. A petition with signatures from at least 5% of the population of a realm shall compel the Chamber to deliberate on the matter.
      2. Referendums: For decisions of extraordinary national significance, the Chamber may call for a referendum to seek the direct will of the people.