Law on National Symbols of 1959
| Law on National Symbols of 1959 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Popular Assembly | |
| Date passed | 15 September 1959 |
| Date commenced | 5 October 1959 |
| Summary | |
| Defines the national symbols of Gylias. | |
| Status: Current legislation | |
The Law on National Symbols of 1959 is a Gylian federal law that establishes Gylias' national symbols — its flag, seal, and anthem.
The law was passed during the transition from the Free Territories to Gylias, after a contest had been held to design national symbols.
Background
Simultaneously with the popular drafting of the Constitution and six codes, the Darnan Cyras government organised a contest to define new national symbols for Gylias. Anyone could submit proposals; the only criteria was that the symbols be neutral and not favour a particular group.
Following lengthy consideration and gradual referendums across Gylias, the winning submissions were Elne Maréy's flag design and Danat Mæţyş' composition, which were legally adopted as federal symbols in September 1959.
After the presidency was established in 1961, Reda Kazan signed all federal laws passed up to that point as a formality.
Text of the law
- This law shall define the federal and national symbols of Gylias.
- The flag of Gylias is a golden sun on a white field, designed by Elne Maréy.
- The seal of Gylias is a golden sun in a seal, designed by Elne Maréy.
- The anthem of Gylias is The National Anthem of the Republic of Gylias, composed by Danat Mæţyş.
- These symbols shall represent Gylias federally and as a whole, without infringing on regional and local symbols.
Effects
The law specifically defines the flag, seal, and anthem as federal symbols — intended to represent Gylias as a federation and Gylians as a whole. This reflects the federal framework of Gylian nationalism. Regions and municipalities are empowered by the law to adopt their own flags and symbols to reflect their identity, which are given equal prominence to the federal symbols.
The text of the law also reflects Gylian ambivalence towards displays of open patriotism, specifically restricting federal symbols from "infringing" on regional and local ones.