Constitution of Lemovicia

The Constitution of Lemovicia (Lemovician: Mendiluŕaren konstituzioa) is the foundational legal document of Lemovicia.

Following the establishment of the State of Lemovicia in 1979, it became urgent for the Lemovician Section of the Workers' International to develop a constitution for the fledgling state, in order to be able to establish legitimate control over what was previously the West Miersan voivodeship of Malomiersa. Thus, the party organized a constitutional convention at the Second Party Congress in 1980, with the delegates drafting the constitution. Following its approval by the First Secretary, Nikolas Lezana, it went into effect, and continues to remain in effect to this day.

Constitution

Preamble

We, the Lemovician nation, having for generations suffered under foreign yoke and lacking the ability to control our own destiny,

We, who have, for generations, been dispossessed of our lands, our freedom, and our identity, endured suffering and hardship under the Miersan Commonwealth, Soravia and West Miersa,

Now having emerged from chaos, from disorder, and from oppression to create a sovereign socialist state, proclaim the establishment of a State of Lemovicia

Chapter 1: National symbols

Article 1: Flag

• §1 The flag of the Lemovician nation shall comprise of two green diagonal stripes, two white stripes, and two red diagonal stripes, each alternating and going from the upper dexter to the lower sinister
• §2 The meaning shall be as follows:
  • §2a The red shall represent the progression of Lemovicia to a socialist society
  • §2b The green shall represent the Lemovician nation
  • §2c The white shall represent peace among the fraternity of peoples
• §3 The flag shall be used on all institutions associated with the national government

Article 2: Emblem

• §1 The emblem of the Lemovician nation shall be the Three Arrows as portrayed on the flag of the Miersan Socialist Republic
• §2 The circle and the middle arrow shall be colored red to represent socialism, and the outer two arrows shall be colored green to represent the Lemovician nation
• §3 The three arrows shall stand for resistance against imperialism, exploitation, and assimilation
• §4 The emblem shall be used on all institutions associated with the national government

Article 3: National anthem

• §1 The national anthem of the Lemovician nation shall be Mendi haujetan jaio ginen
• §2 Requires the national anthem to be used at all governmental functions, including at the start of the school day

Article 4: Capital city

• §1 The capital city of the Lemovician nation shall be Topagunea, with all national institutions to be based there

Chapter 2: Rights and duties

Article 1: Citizenship

• §1 Defines a Lemovician citizen as being a West Miersan citizen residing in the West Miersan voivodeship of Malomiersa on 20 November, 1979, and their descendants
• §2 Any Lemovician living outside its borders who has maintained Lemovician culture
• §3 Any naturalized citizen and their descendants

Article 2: Languages

• §1 The official language of the State of Lemovician is Lemovician
  • §1a All documents and laws must be written in Lemovician in order for it to legally go into effect
• §2 Requires the recognition of minority languages in areas where they are spoken by a specific percentage of the population, as determined by the National Assembly or by the provincial government

Article 3: Rights and duties

• §1 All Lemovicians shall have the right to:
  • §1a Express their opinions and beliefs
  • §1b Vote and to stand in elections, if they are eighteen years or older
  • §1c Live without being persecuted
  • §1d Housing, food, and work
  • §1e To marry another adult, regardless of sex
  • §1f Travel in and out of Lemovicia with no hassle
• §2 All people in the State of Lemovicia shall have the right to:
  • §2a Receive a fair trial and be represented by a lawyer
  • §2b Not receive cruel and unusual punishment, nor be detained arbitrarily
  • §2c Free healthcare for any ailments
  • §2d Practice their religion in a respectful manner
• §3 All Lemovicians shall have the duty to:
  • §3a Attend school
  • §3b Serve in the Lemovician Armed Forces in time of war
  • §3c Contribute as much to the development of society as they are able to

Chapter 3: Governance

Article 1: Executive

• §1 The head of state and of government shall be the Presidency of the Lemovician Nation
• §2 The Presidency shall be comprised of four individuals, who collectively shall serve a four year term
  • §2a Two Lemovicians
  • §2b One Miersan
  • §2c One from all other communities in the Lemovician nation
• §3 The duties of the Presidency shall be to:
  • §3a Promulgate new laws into effect
  • §3b Conduct Lemovicia's foreign policy
  • §3c Present a yearly budget to the National Assembly
• §4 The Presidency shall be based at the Presidential Palace
• §5 The Presidency shall be elected by the National Assembly every four years at the start of a new term, with all Lemovician citizens who have not been part of two Presidencies (consecutively or not) eligible to be chosen by the National Assembly

Article 2: Legislature

• §1 The legislative branch shall be the National Assembly, comprised of 110 seats
• §2 The National Assembly shall be empowered to propose legislation affecting all of Lemovicia and its associated institutions, including itself, provided it does not conflict with this constitution
• §3 All members of the National Assembly must either be part of the Lemovician Section of the Workers' International or be independent politicians
• §4 The National Assembly shall be elected every four years, and shall have the task of electing the Presidency
  • §4a The voting age shall be decided by the National Assembly
  • §4b All legislators must represent provinces under Lemovician control

Article 3: Judiciary

• §1 The legal system of the State of Lemovicia shall be based on the socialist law system
• §2 The Lemovician judicial system shall be organised as follows:
  • §2a Minor criminal offences shall be tried before a police tribunal, and private offences before a civic tribunal
  • §2b Misdemeanors and all crimes involving juveniles shall be tried before a criminal court
  • §2c Crimes and appeals shall be heard before a higher court
  • §2d Final appeals shall be heard before the Supreme Court of Lemovicia

Article 4: Administrative divisions

• §1 The Lemovician State shall be divided into eight provinces
• §2 Below the provinces shall be regions, which shall be further divided into municipalities, and further into districts

Article 5: Powers

• §1 The national government shall have responsibility over cultural affairs, customs control, defence, economic regulation, education, foreign affairs, healthcare, monetary policy, policing, social services, taxation, and telecommunications
• §2 Provinces shall have powers over the administration of wills, the creation and dissolution of regions and municipalities, construction and maintenance of infrastructure, cultural affairs, and land management
• §3 Regions and municipalities shall have responsibility over construction and maintenance of infrastructure, land management, and urban planning
• §4 Any powers not mentioned shall be assumed to be under national jurisdiction unless otherwise delegated

Chapter 4: Amendments and limitations

Article 1: Amendments

• §1 The amendment must be proposed in the National Assembly, and be passed with a simple majority
• §2 If passed, it must go to the provinces under Lemovician control, of which a simple majority of all provinces must approve of the amendment
• §3 If the amendment is approved, it shall go to the Presidency so the amendment may be promulgated into law
  • §3a If any member of the Presidency exercises his or her veto to the amendment, it shall not go into effect

Article 2: Limitations

• §1 This constitution may be limited in the event of a state of emergency or a state of war
• §2 A state of emergency may only be imposed with three-quarters of the Presidency and the National Assembly, and lasts for six months before it must be renewed: it may not be renewed more than once, nor be imposed more than once in a four-year period
  • §2a During a state of emergency, the government must do everything possible to ensure that the emergency is resolved in a timely fashion, even if they are in conflict with the constitution, such as applying martial law to specific regions
• §3 A state of war may only be imposed with unanimous approval from the Presidency and the National Assembly, and lasts for four years before it must be renewed: it may be renewed indefinitely until the war's conclusion, in which case the state of war must end
  • §3a During a state of war, the entire constitution, excluding the entirety of the first and fourth chapters, is suspended, and the government may use any means possible, so long as it falls within internationally-accepted agreements, to maintain Lemovician sovereignty

Chapter 5: Technical details

Article 1: Language

• §1 This document is only legally binding in the Lemovician language, although translations shall be produced in all recognised minority languages, as well as Kirenian and Gaullican

Article 2: Citation

• §1 This document shall be cited as Constitution of Lemovicia

Amendments

First Amendment (July 1992)

• §1 Amends the fourth section of the second article of the third chapter to add a subsection reading "All legislators must represent provinces and autonomous regions under Lemovician control"
  • §1a Declares that all current legislators representing West Miersan-occupied territories will not be re-elected, and their seats redistributed with effect from the 1992 general elections
• §2 Declares that all provinces fully under West Miersan occupation shall not exercise any powers beyond registration of internally displaced persons formerly resident in the province, and
• §3 Declares that the reference to all provinces in the second section of the first article of the fourth chapter of this constitution shall be interpreted as referring to all provinces under Lemovician control
  • §3a Also declares that for the purposes of this amendment, the Corridor Security Zone shall be considered a province

Second Amendment (September 2021)

• §1 Amends the first section of the fourth chapter of the third chapter to change the number of provinces from seven to eight
• §2 Declares that all references to the Corridor Security Zone be changed to Ekialdebeŕija Province
  • §2a Declares that all powers applicable to the provinces shall also be applied to Ekialdebeŕija Province, and that all martial law over the province shall be constrained by the provisions contained within the constitution