1. PRESIDENTIAL TERM. Section 5.4 is repealed and replaced as follows:
Quote:"The President shall sit in office for a period of six months barring his resignation or removal from office by a vote of no confidence in the Dáil Tománn."
2. CITIZENS' COUNCIL DISBANDED, INITIATIVE RETAINED.
2.1 Section 8 is repealed.
2.2 Section 10.1.iii is repealed and replaced as follows:
Quote:"All citizens of the Republic have the right to run and vote in elections unless they are incarcerated or have been citizens for less than 28 days."
2.3 Sections 10.1.iv-v are repealed, remaining clauses renumbered accordingly.
2.4 Section 10.1.vi is created as follows:
Quote:"All citizens of the Republic may force the Dáil to take up legislation by a petition containing the text and signatures of one third of the population, rounded up to the nearest whole citizen."
3. DÁIL TERM, VACANCIES PROVISION RETAINED. Section 12.4 is repealed and replaced as follows:
Quote:"4. DÁIL ELECTIONS. Elections to the Dáil Tománn are held the second weekends in February, May, August, November, or when the President has dissolved it.
4.1 Vacancies must be filled by the parties of the members who last occupied those seats. If the seat was held by an independent, the President must appoint another independent to the vacancy.
4.2 Each party may nominate a party list with up to as many candidates as there are seats. Independents also may nomiante.
4.3 The number of seats is equal to the population of the Republic divided by three and rounded up to the nearest whole, odd number."
4. 28 DAY REDUNDANCY REMOVED. Section 12.6 is repealed.
5. REFERENDUM INITIATIVE RETAINED, ADD PRESIDENT. Section 1.4 is repealed and replaced as follows:
Quote:"1. Constitutional amendments are ratified by two-thirds of the population at referendum, rounded up to the nearest whole citizen. Referenda are held at the nearest general election.
2. The Dáil may call a referendum by majority vote. The President may call a referendum. The citizens may call a referendum with a petition containing the amendment text and the signatures of one-third of the population, rounded up to the nearest whole citizen."
6. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. Section 12.3 is repealed and replaced as follows:
Quote:"Presidential elections are held the second weekends in November and May; or upon resignation, or a vote of no confidence in the Dáil Tománn."
Former President of Talamthom 11/06/04 - 19/06/05 Citizen of Talamthom Knight of Gotzborg and Alexandria DLP
Posts: 1831
(19/7/05 17:53) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
This is an interesting document Alex. I have one small issue, i think, but i will come back to it when i have looked into its consequences in greater depth.
Well done,
___________________________________________
Tomás Seosamh Ó Ceallaigh,
Foreign and Overseas Territories Minister, An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha,
Baile na hÁlainn, Poblacht na Tománn.
Former President of Talamthom 11/06/04 - 19/06/05 Citizen of Talamthom Knight of Gotzborg and Alexandria DLP
Posts: 1844
(19/7/05 21:34) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
I don't know why bu ti don't like the sound of this.
Quote:2.4 Section 10.1.vi is created as follows:
"All citizens of the Republic may force the Dáil to take up legislation by a petition containing the text and signatures of one third of the population, rounded up to the nearest whole citizen."
I'd possibly rather keep a simplified CC but apply a threshold before it becomes 'active'. For example it would only exist when there were 4 citizens outside the Dáil.
___________________________________________
Tomás Seosamh Ó Ceallaigh,
Foreign and Overseas Territories Minister, An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha,
Baile na hÁlainn, Poblacht na Tománn.
Tománnach Citizen Party Leader LPT
Posts: 804
(19/7/05 21:59) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
That's essentially what you've got with the proposed amendment. My own opinion: the institution is superfluous, especially since its reason for being is retained in different form.
Minister for Baile na hÁlainn Former President of Talamthom 11/06/04 - 19/06/05 Citizen of Talamthom Knight of Gotzborg and Alexandria DLP
Posts: 1853
(19/7/05 22:35) Reply
___________________________________________
Tomás Seosamh Ó Ceallaigh,
Foreign and Overseas Territories Minister, An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha,
Baile na hÁlainn, Poblacht na Tománn.
Uachtarain na Tománn
President of Talamthom DLP
Posts: 204
(20/7/05 7:48) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
I'm with Mr Garine on this one. The concept is nice -- the general population can effect change if there's a strong feeling to do so, but we really don't need a political organ for this.
Where would the petition be directed, Alex? I'm thinking the Home Office should deal with that sort of thing... something like:
Procedure:
1. Petition lodged with Home Office.
2. Home Office organises referendum on legislation, perhaps imposing a time-limit of three or four days?
3. If the petition gains its required 2/3 in favour, the Interior Minister presents it to the Dáil.
I guess I'm just keen to see some sort of official framework for this.
Minister for Baile na hÁlainn Former President of Talamthom 11/06/04 - 19/06/05 Citizen of Talamthom Knight of Gotzborg and Alexandria DLP
Posts: 1862
(20/7/05 15:34) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
I'll go with this. Its all good stuff really. A set of rules for the conducting of Petitions would satisfy me.
___________________________________________
Tomás Seosamh Ó Ceallaigh,
Foreign and Overseas Territories Minister, An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha,
Baile na hÁlainn, Poblacht na Tománn.
Tománnach Citizen Party Leader LPT
Posts: 808
(20/7/05 19:11) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
Text of amendment or bill, requisite number of signatures, nice and simple. Send it to the Electoral Commissioner - or if you're posting it on the Home Office forum, make sure he gets it. In the case of an initiative, make sure the Dáil Speaker gets it. It's important that the document doesn't stop on the middleman's desk.
I envisioned someone starting a thread in the general forum with the text of the bill or amendment, collecting the signatures in same.
This is the kind of thing you lay down in regular legislation later on.
Minister for Baile na hÁlainn Former President of Talamthom 11/06/04 - 19/06/05 Citizen of Talamthom Knight of Gotzborg and Alexandria DLP
Posts: 1869
(20/7/05 22:05) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
Okay. That isn't quite what i was thinking of; unless what you are saying is that the signatures mean that the Dáil has to debate a piece of legislation.
Its a little confusing.
___________________________________________
Tomás Seosamh Ó Ceallaigh,
Foreign and Overseas Territories Minister, An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha,
Baile na hÁlainn, Poblacht na Tománn.
Tománnach Citizen Party Leader LPT
Posts: 809
(20/7/05 22:35) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
The CC had two main functions: (1) to force the Dáil to consider a bill, (2) to initiate the constitutional amendment process.
With respect to (1), which becomes the initiative, someone starts a petition. The petition must include the text of the bill they want to send to the Dáil. The person proceeds to gather the signatures of 1/3 of citizens. If he is successful, the Dáil must debate and vote on the bill.
With respect to (2), which becomes the referendum (perhaps a misnomer, but that's how they call it), someone starts a petition. The petition must include the text of the amendment they want to see ratified. The person proceeds to gather the signatures of 1/3 of citizens. If he is successful, the proposed amendment appears on a ballot at the next general election.
Minister for Baile na hÁlainn Former President of Talamthom 11/06/04 - 19/06/05 Citizen of Talamthom Knight of Gotzborg and Alexandria DLP
Posts: 1870
(20/7/05 22:42) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
I don't like you but I like this idea!!
___________________________________________
Tomás Seosamh Ó Ceallaigh,
Foreign and Overseas Territories Minister, An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha,
Baile na hÁlainn, Poblacht na Tománn.
Tománnach Citizen Party Leader LPT
Posts: 810
(21/7/05 2:17) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
I think it'll do a lot to make the country generally more accessible to newcomers. Our election schedule had a learning curve steeper than service in the legislature of another republic I know!
Minister for Baile na hÁlainn Former President of Talamthom 11/06/04 - 19/06/05 Citizen of Talamthom Knight of Gotzborg and Alexandria DLP
Posts: 1871
(21/7/05 9:24) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
Well we'll set about getting you into the Dáil, getting a speaker and getting this ammendment proposed. I like it.
___________________________________________
Tomás Seosamh Ó Ceallaigh,
Foreign and Overseas Territories Minister, An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha,
Baile na hÁlainn, Poblacht na Tománn.
Tománnach Citizen Party Leader LPT
Posts: 811
(22/7/05 15:15) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
Mr. President,
We can send it anywhere we desire. Ultimately it needs to land in the Dáil. Let's pass the amendment first and work out the procedural details in legislation later.
Minister for Baile na hÁlainn Former President of Talamthom 11/06/04 - 19/06/05 Citizen of Talamthom Knight of Gotzborg and Alexandria DLP
Posts: 1887
(22/7/05 17:34) Reply
Re: Sensible Elections Amendment (6/3 proposal)
Okay. This time tomorrow you'll be in the Dáil so you can do it all yourself!!
___________________________________________
Tomás Seosamh Ó Ceallaigh,
Foreign and Overseas Territories Minister, An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha,
Baile na hÁlainn, Poblacht na Tománn.
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