Public Assembly of Midrasia

Public Assembly of Midrasia Assemblée Publique de Mydrazia
Type
Type	lower house of the Parliament of Midrasia
Term limits	None
History
Founded	5 March 1791
Leadership
Speaker of the Public Assembly	Jocelyn Duverger (PP) since 3 January 2017
Majority Leader	Teodor Armany (PP) since 3 January 2017
Minority Leader	Antoinne LeMahieu (PR) since 3 January 2017
Structure
Seats	572
Public Assembly political groups	Reform Bloc   PP (116)   PSD (106)   LL (27)   LM (21)   SPV (14)   PV (6) Chartist Bloc   PR (127)   UDA (59)   MP (52)   LD (37)   PL (7)
Elections
Public Assembly voting system	Party-list proportional representation
Public Assembly last election	12 September 2019
Public Assembly next election	16 September 2021
Meeting place
Palais del Sute, Parliament Square, Lotrič

The Public Assembly of Midrasia (Midrasian: Assemblée Publique de Mydrazia) is the lower house of the Parliament of Midrasia, which along with the upper house, the Senate make up the legislature of the Republic of Midrasia. Within the Constitution of 1791 the Public Assembly is outlined as an entirely elected body, with each member of the Assembly representing one national constituency, utilising a system of first-past-the-post. As of 1996 however, this has changed with the Assembly adopting a system of party-list proportional representation under the d'Hondt system for allocating seats, with elections taking place every two years. One seat within the Public Assembly represents every 180,000 people, or part thereof within the electorate. The number of seats within the Assembly is reviewed every four years by the Electoral Commission.

As the lower house of the Midrasian parliament, the Public Assembly is charged with the passage of legislation, known as bills, which, after concurrence by the Senate, are sent to the Consul for consideration. In addition to this basic power, the House has certain exclusive powers which include the power to initiate all bills related to revenue and the impeachment of federal officers, who are sent to trial before the Senate. The assembly is presided over by the Speaker of the Public Assembly, normally from the largest political bloc represented. The Speaker is assisted by the clerk of the Public Assembly and their assistants who are tasked with recording the business of the house and ensuring that parliamentary procedure is followed. As elections take place every two years for the entirely of the Public Assembly, the body has the tendency to lead to divided government and the necessity for the leading bloc to form parliamentary coalitions or confidence and supply agreements, which have led to a more partisan environment.

As of the 2019 elections the largest party in the Public Assembly is the Republican Party of the Chartist Bloc with 127 seats, however their electoral alliance is not large enough to control the house. The Reform Bloc holds control over the assembly and the speakership, and is led by the Progressive Party with 116 seats.

Membership

Qualifications

According to the Constitution of 1791, following the Nineteenth Amendment, the only qualification to be a member of Parliament is to be a Midrasian citizen who is eligible to vote in elections. Although this originally only allowed property owning males over the age of 21 to become members of Parliament, though following the amendment any Midrasian citizen over the age of 18 to become a member of either the Senate or Public Assembly.

Elections and term

Elections to the Public Assembly take place every two years. Elections utilise a party-list proportional representation system, using the d'Hondt system to allocate seats. One seat in the Public Assembly is allocated for every 180,000 people or part thereof within the electorate. As there are no constituencies for elections to the Public Assembly in the situation where a member of the House dies, or is removed from office, he or she will simply be replaced by the next member of their particular political party on the electoral list. Elections for the Public Assembly last for around 4 weeks and usually take place when parliament is adjourned. There are strict spending limits placed on senatorial elections, with each party only able to spend a specified amount each year on national and local advertising. This amount is reviewed every year by the Electoral Commission. Each party is allocated a slot on national broadcasting agencies during an election period to air advertisements during an election campaign.

Salary and benefits

Members of the Public Assembly receive an annual salary of Đ100,000, equal to the salary of a member of the Senate. The Speaker of the Public Assembly receives an additional Đ25,000 on top of their regular Parliamentary salary. Each member of the Public Assembly is provided their own office within the Parliamentary Offices to the east of Parliament Square. Members of the Public Assembly are also entitled to claim Parliamentary allowances for expenses relating to their official work. This may include, but is not limited to: travel expenses and Office costs. All expenses are recorded in the Parliamentary 'red books' and are reviewed and published following each Parliamentary term.

Expulsion and other disciplinary actions

The Midrasian Constitution does not give any references to a procedure for the removal of a member of Parliament, however statute law does enable the creation of Investigatory Committees, whether in Parliament on the Midrasian Police Forces, to review the activities of sitting members. Whilst there is no official procedure to remove a member of the Public Assembly, party leaders are empowered to ask a sitting member of parliament to resign which is usually sufficient to force the targeted member to step down.

Officers

Speaker of the Public Assembly

The Speaker of the Public Assembly is the leader of the Public Assembly and is responsible for organising the business of the lower house, overseeing debates and generally ensuring the business of the house is conducted in an orderly manner. The Speaker of the Public Assembly may also cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie within the house. The Speaker of the Public Assembly is a partisan role and particularly during a divided government they can be a major force of opposition and hindrance to the Consulship. As of 3 January 2017, the current Speaker of the Public Assembly is Jocelyn Duverger of the Progressive Party, representing the Reform Bloc.

Majority and Minority Leader

Both the Chartist and Reform Bloc elect a chief spokesperson within the Public Assembly. The Majority Leader is responsible for controlling the agenda of the chamber by scheduling debates and votes. The Minority leader effectively mirrors the Majority leader, acting as the primary representative for the opposition bloc. Each bloc also appoints an assistant leader, known as a whip who ensures that each senator votes as their respective party dedicates. The foremost whip of each bloc is referred to as the Chief Whip and is responsible for overseeing their deputies. Party voting allegiance however is usually less formal than within the Newreyan system, with MPs generally voting more based on their own personal conscience than party lines. The more prominent nature of Assembly business over the Senate, particularly in regards to domestic concerns essentially ensures that the respective Majority and Minority leaders act as the de-facto leaders for their respective bloc (other than the Consul) in the eyes of the public.

Party leaders

Each political party represented within the Public Assembly also appoints an informal leader who acts as the chief spokesperson and primary representative of their respective party within the lower house, akin to the system utilised within the Senate. Each party leader holds a preferential speaking role, though not as prominent as the two bloc leaders. Each party leader generally co-ordinates with their respective minority or majority leader regarding legislative activity within the lower house.

Non-voting officers

The Public Assembly contains one non-voting officer who whilst able to participate in Public Assembly debates and weigh in on issues are unable to participate in Public Assembly votes. This official is the Representative of the Overseas territories, who is a representative for Midrasia's various holdings outside of metropolitan Midrasia. This official has caused considerable controversy in the past with many calling for the Overseas Representative to be granted voting power within the House. Nevertheless, many of Midrasia's overseas territories, such as Fortnouveau and Oshima maintain a devolved parliament, and may vote within Consular elections, though not within Parliamentary elections for Midrasia proper.

Other important officials within the Senate include the Clerk of the Public Assembly who is the Chief Constitutional adviser to the Public Assembly and is responsible for recording the minutes of parliamentary debates and the outcome of decisions and votes made by the lower house. The clerk sits at the Table of the House, in front of the Speaker of the Public Assembly for every Parliamentary session. Traditionally the clerk of the Public Assembly would wear official dress, including a 'bob' wig and gown. This tradition has declined in recent years however, with office holders no longer required to adhere to official dress, save for formal occasions such as the State opening of Parliament.

Procedure

The Grand Hall within the Public Assembly

Daily sessions

The Procedure of the Public Assembly is, as with the Senate, governed by standing rules which are voted on at the start of a new parliament. For the most part, the body follows the same rules and regulations as the upper-house.

Debate

Debate within the Public Assembly chamber is also governed by the standing rules. During debate, MPs may only speak if called upon by the presiding officer, but the presiding officer is required to recognise the first MP who rises to speak. Customarily, the Majority Leader and Minority Leader are accorded priority during debates even if another MP rises first. All speeches must be addressed to the presiding officer, who is addressed as "Monsieur Orateur" or "Madame Oratrice", and not to another member; other officers within the chamber must be referred to in the third person. As members of the Public Assembly do not hold constituency seats they cannot be referred to by their seat as is the case in the Senate. As such, they are usually referred to by name. The rules of the Public Assembly, as with the Senate provide that no senator may make more than two speeches on a motion or bill on the same legislative day. A legislative day begins when the Public Assembly convenes and ends with adjournment; hence, it does not necessarily coincide with the calendar day. Speaking rules within the Public Assembly are stricter than within the Senate with limits placed upon the length of individual speeches and debate. As a result a filibuster is impossible within the lower house.

Voting

Under the Constitution, the Public Assembly has nearly the same powers as the Senate. Bills may be submitted by either house of Parliament, though the Public Assembly holds priority over all financial legislation and by convention all domestic legislation. Because both houses may amend the bill, it may take several readings to reach an agreement between the Public Assembly and the Senate. When debate concludes on a bill or motion for consideration, the presiding officer may call for a vote. As of 2012 the Public Assembly votes electronically from their seat within the assembly. Votes are tallied in real-time on a projected screen within the chamber once a vote is called by the presiding officer. Once every present member has voted, the presiding officer announced the results to the house. If there is an equality of votes, the Speaker of the Public Assembly may cast a deciding vote, though ties are a rareity within the lower house. A quorum of the Public Assembly must be met for any vote to be valid with the total set at 76 members.

Votes conducted through this electronic method are open ballot with the results of how each member voted released online by parliament following the conclusion of a session. Prior to 2012 the Public Assembly utilised the lobby division system which had been retained by the Senate.

Committees

The Public Assembly uses committees, and their respective subcommittees for a variety of purposes, such as the review of bills, or oversight of the executive branch. Standing Committees are permanent committees, though the Public Assembly may also vote to establish new committees, known as Select Committees, for expressed purposes up-to a total of 8. Each committee is made up of 15 MPs based on each parties representation within the Public Assembly. Officially the whole house votes on appointees, though in realities appointees are selected by the individual parties. Expertise and seniority are usually used to determine the make-up of committees. Once the membership of the committee has been decided the members vote on a chairperson to preside over meetings, usually the majority bloc takes the chairman role. Though the Public Assembly is able to establish its own committees, it the Senate which is seen as the primary authority on committee matters. As such, Senate committees tend to hold much more influence over their official matters, and it is far more prestigious for a member to be appointed to a Senate committee than a Public Assembly body.

Current composition

Further information: List of political parties in Midrasia

Affiliation Members Reform Bloc Progressive Party 116 Social Democratic Party 106 Liberal League 27 The Mountain 21 Vaellenian People's Party 14 Green Party 6 Chartist Bloc Republican Party 127 Alydian Democratic Union 59 Midrasia First 52 The Democrats 37 Liberty Party 7 Total 527