Delkoran Federal Parliament
Delkoran Federal Parliament Delkorsk Føderaleting | |
|---|---|
| 49th Føderaleting | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Chamber of Nobles Chamber of Representatives |
| Leadership | |
Monarch | |
Lord Speaker of the Chamber of Nobles | Lady Dædra af Alvenbrand (K) |
Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives | Tor Henriksen (L) |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 700 consisting of 500 MPs 200 Nobles |
 | |
Chamber of Representatives political groups | Government (314) Liberal (134) National Labor (123) Greens (57) Official Opposition (145) Conservative (94) Agrarian (51) Other Opposition (41) Alliance for National Action (19) Communist (14) Lebøvian People's Party (5) Free Republican (3) |
 | |
Chamber of Nobles political groups | Conservative (54) Liberal (46) National Labor (42) Agrarian (35) Greens (8) Independent (15) |
| Elections | |
Chamber of Representatives voting system | Open list proportional representation |
Chamber of Nobles voting system | |
Chamber of Representatives last election | 5 March 2018 |
Chamber of Representatives next election | 7 March 2022 or earlier |
| Meeting place | |
| Hyengaard Palace, Norenstal, Delkora | |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Delkoran Federal Parliament (Delkoran: Føderaleting, lit. "Federal Thing") is the bicameral legislative body of Delkora, consisting of the Chamber of Representatives and the Chamber of Nobles. The Chamber of Representatives, the lower house, consists of 500 members who are elected from multi-member districts using party-list proportional representation for four year terms. The Chamber of Nobles consists of 200 peers, including one delegation of 25 from each of the Kingdom's seven states who are appointed by the state's jarl on the advice of the state government, and an additional 25 who are appointed by the national monarch on the advice of the federal Cabinet. Members of the Chamber of Nobles serve eight year terms.
History
The Chamber of Representatives traces its origins back to the House of Commoners formed by King Edvard IV in 1732 in response to growing demands for popular representation. In practice, it had little power and served mainly as an advisory body for the monarch. It could propose legislation, but the monarch had full authority to veto its proposals. Additionally, eligibility to vote was restricted to property-owning males.
The Chamber of Nobles, meanwhile, traces its origins back to the Jarl Council established by the Peace of Aberald in 1385. The Council served as a representative body for the Kingdom's jarls, who would send members of their noble courts as delegates to propose laws to the King on their behalf and resolve disputes with other jarls. Although this body was reconstituted as the Chamber of Nobles following the Civil War, it continued to function in more or less the same way as the Council had until the ratification of the Jarls Amendment in 1885, which reduced the jarls to constitutional monarchs who could only act on the advice of their state government.
Elections
Elections to the Chamber of Representatives are required to occur at least every four years. MPs are elected from multi-member constituencies on the basis of party-list proportional representation using the D'Hondt method. To be eligible to vote, one must be a Delkoran citizen, at least 18 years old, and a current or former resident of Delkora. Candidates likewise must be at least 18 years old, citizens, and reside in the constituency they seek to represent.
In order to sit in the Chamber of Nobles, a person must be at least 30 years old upon taking office, a Delkoran citizen, reside in the state they will represent, and possess a title of nobility. Historically, the nobility requirement tended to restrict membership in the chamber to wealthy hereditary peers. However, as the issuance of noble titles has declined over the years, there has been an increasing tendency for state governments to select candidates without consideration of nobility, and to simply ennoble the candidate prior to their appointment.
State opening
The State Opening of Parliament traditionally occurs the first Monday after an election, by which time a government has almost always been formed due to the practice of coalition agreements being negotiated prior to elections. The newly-constituted Chamber of Representatives assembles at 9:00 AM, with the first order of business being the election of the speaker. Once a speaker is elected and administered the oath of office by the president of the Federal Constitutional Court, the chamber proceeds to a vote on a chancellor candidate.
After the vote, the monarch formally appoints the nominee, after which they are administered the oath of office as follows: "I {Name} do solemnly swear/affirm that I will at all times act in the best interests of the Delkoran people and in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the Kingdom, and that I will renounce the powers of my office upon the expiration of my mandate."
The monarch then gives the Royal Address, a nonpartisan speech intended to signify national unity. To maintain his or her status as a constitutional monarch, the King or Queen does not advocate for specific policies, although some monarchs have used the Royal Address as a way to put issues on the national agenda, such as when Haldor VII called attention to the issue of climate change at the 1987 State Opening of Parliament. After the Royal Address, the monarch exits the chamber, at which point the chancellor gives an inaugural address outlining the government's objectives.
Composition and function
Chamber of Representatives
Each Delkoran Parliament lasts for a period of no more than four years, with each year designated as a session. Members of both chambers meet year-round, with a two month recess from June 1st to August 1st as well as a shorter recess from 1 December to 2 January. Business is normally conducted on weekdays from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Government questions are held on Wednesdays.
The Delkoran Constitution specifies that the government is responsible to the Chamber of Representatives, which can oust it through a motion of no confidence. In the event of such a motion, the government is forced to resign unless it has the support of a majority of MPs. In the event of a successful motion of no confidence, the Chamber has 10 days to nominate a new chancellor. If a candidate cannot be agreed to within this time frame, the Chamber of Representatives is automatically dissolved and a new election must be held within 30 days.
Chamber of Nobles
Unlike the Chamber of Representatives, the Chamber of Nobles cannot be dissolved under any circumstances. Of the chamber's 200 members, 175 are appointed by the jarls of the Delkoran states, while the remaining 25 are appointed by the national monarch on the advice of the federal Cabinet. Nobles cannot be removed from office prior to the end of their term except for certain serious offenses. While the Chamber of Representatives is highly partisan and adversarial, the Chamber of Nobles functions as a more collegial and sober-minded body.
In contrast to the lower house, nobles are grouped by state delegation rather than party caucus. Appointment to the chamber is seen as a great honor typically reserved for highly-respected senior statesmen and experienced bureaucrats who command great public confidence. Moreover, these individuals have usually reached the end of their political careers and are not likely to seek another public office after leaving the chamber, and are thus highly insulated from partisan political pressure.
Legislative process
The Delkoran Constitution requires that all legislation originate in the Chamber of Representatives. Most bills are introduced by the cabinet minister responsible for the relevant policy area, although any member can write and introduce legislation. After a bill is submitted to the clerk of the Chamber of Representatives, it is reviewed by the speaker, who then assigns it to a committee. The committees thoroughly examine the legislation and often call on outside experts to give testimony. Bills are often amended extensively at this stage, although these amendments can be struck by the full chamber. By law, all committee meetings and hearings must be open to the public unless they deal with classified information. After analyzing and amending the bill, the committee prepares a report and then votes on whether to advance the bill to the full chamber or table it.
The rules of the Chamber of Representatives require that all bills advanced out of committee undergo three readings before being voted on unless a majority of members vote to waive one or more of the readings. Each reading is followed by a pre-determined amount of floor debate in which members discuss the merits of the legislation and propose amendments. The government and official opposition are each granted an equal amount of speaking time. Often, the chair of the committee which considered the legislation is the first to speak on the government side, although they typically speak only briefly and yield most of their time to rank and file members. Similarly, party leaders on the official opposition side generally avoid monopolizing speaking time. Out of courtesy, members of parties not affiliated with either the official opposition or the government are often yielded to by which ever side they intend to vote with on a particular bill. After the third reading, any member can introduce a motion to end debate and call to previous question, bringing the bill up for a vote before the full chamber. Alternatively, a motion to table can be adopted if the chamber determines that the final vote should be postponed. Most legislation requires a simple majority of members present and voting to pass the final floor vote.
Legislation then proceeds to the Chamber of Nobles, where the Lord Speaker assigns it to a committee, which conducts a process similar to the Chamber Representatives. If advanced by the committee, there is an intermediate stage preceding floor debate in which each state's delegation consults with its state's government and provides its assessment of the bill either in person or in writing. State governments may choose to issue statements in support of or in opposition to a bill, and these statements are typically read on the floor by the state's most senior noble. After the consulting phase, the bill is scheduled for floor debate. Unlike in the Chamber of Representatives, there are no strict rules concerning the number of readings a bill must undergo or how long debate should last, and these guidelines are instead established through informal agreements. Time is equally divided between each state's delegation. Debate continues until a motion to end debate and call to previous question is adopted by a majority vote.
If approved without amendments, the bill proceeds to the monarch, who gives it the royal assent. The bill is then countersigned by the chancellor and published in the Federal Gazette, at which point it becomes law. If the Chamber of Nobles approves a bill with amendments, it returns to the Chamber of Representatives, which can either agree to them or strike them by a simple majority. If the Chamber of Nobles votes against a bill, it is returned to the lower chamber, typically with a message outlining objections. The Chamber of Representatives can nonetheless send the bill to the monarch for the royal assent by a simple majority vote, meaning the upper house is effectively unable to exercise absolute veto power over legislation. It can however, use various tactics to delay a particular bill for as long as 60 days, such as holding extensive committee hearings or drawing out debate. After 60 days, however, the Chamber of Representatives can pass a retrieval motion by a simple majority vote, which brings the bill back to the lower house where it can then be sent to the monarch. These delaying tactics cannot be exercised with revenue and appropriations bills, however, which the Chamber of Nobles is only allowed 10 days to consider. If no vote has taken place within this timeframe, the bill returns to the Chamber of Representatives, where it can then be sent for the royal assent.
Although most normal legislation requires a simple majority of members present and voting in both chambers, treaties must be approved by a 2/3 majority of all members in both chambers, and the Chamber of Representatives cannot override the opposition of the Chamber of Nobles. Constitutional amendments similarly require a 2/3 majority of all members in both chambers.
Powers
The Delkoran Constitution grants the Federal Parliament the exclusive authority to pass laws concerning foreign affairs, national defense, foreign and interstate commerce, currency regulation, immigration and nationality, elections, and protection of the environment. State parliaments, meanwhile, have the exclusive authority to make laws governing trade within their borders, culture, education, local government, and rules regarding the administration of their governments. All powers not specifically granted to the states under the Constitution are held by the state governments. As a result of the division of powers between the federal and state governments, as well as restrictions on government power outlined in Chapter 9 of the Delkoran Constitution, the Federal Parliament does not operate under the principle of parliamentary sovereignty. These provisions are consistently upheld by the Federal Constitutional Court, which has the power to strike down acts of Parliament as unconstitutional.
Committees
Both chambers utilize standing and study committees which are formed and governed by rules specific to each chamber. Standing committees are permanent and remain in place when a new Parliament convenes. They have jurisdiction over broad policy areas, and thus most legislation is referred to them. Study committees, meanwhile, are formed by chamber leadership on an ad hoc basis to address emerging or particularly specialized issues. With some exceptions, they generally disband at the close of the Parliament in which they were formed. Joint committees consisting of members from both chambers are occasionally formed to deal with highly important or visible issues.
Chamber of Representatives Standing Committees
- Agriculture
- Budget
- Commerce, Industry, and Trade
- Communications
- Culture
- Defense
- Diversity and Inclusiveness
- Education
- Elections
- Energy
- Ethics
- Environment
- Finance
- Foreign Affairs
- Health
- Immigration
- Infrastructure
- Intelligence and Domestic Security
- Judiciary
- Labor and Pensions
- Parliamentary Procedures
- Public Industries
- Public Safety
- Royal Affairs and the Nobility
- Science and Technology
- Social Welfare
- State and Municipal Government
Chamber of Nobles standing committees
- Constitutional Matters
- Domestic Affairs
- Economics and Trade
- Foreign Affairs and Defense
- Noble Titles and Orders
- Oversight
- Priesthood
- State Government Affairs
Joint committees
- Climate Change
- National Security
- Human Rights
- International Aid and Development
Members
The Chamber of Representatives has traditionally had a fairly even gender ratio. The 49th Parliament has been notable in that it is the most diverse in the Kingdom's history, with 15% of its members identifying as non-ethnic Delkorans. The average age of MPs is 37.
Compensation and privileges
Members of the Chamber of Representatives receive a yearly salary of 150,000 NSD, while cabinet ministers receive 200,000 NSD and the Chancellor receives 250,000 NSD. Members of the Chamber of Nobles receive a yearly salary of ⊻25,000. Members of both chambers also receive per diem compensation to cover housing and transportation costs while Parliament is in session. Especially in the Chamber of Representatives, party caucuses rely heavily on staff that includes lawyers, legislative aids, policy advisers, and interns.
Members of both chambers enjoy a number of privileges under Delkoran law, including immunity from prosecution while Parliament is in session, except when in the commission of a major offense. Additionally, MPs and nobles cannot be prosecuted for anything said on the floor of either chamber. Neither chamber has many restrictions on unparliamentary language, although the Chamber of Representatives maintains a strict requirement that remarks given during floor debate be germane to the legislation being considered.
List of constituencies by state
Norenstal
- Norenstal-North (21 seats)
- Norenstal-South (25 seats)
Cybria
- Cybria-North (34 seats)
- Cybria-East (30 seats)
- Cybria-Central (23 seats)
- Cybria-Southwest (21 seats)
- Cybria-Southeast (20 seats)
Førelskov
- Førelskov-East (35 seats)
- Førelskov-West (31 seats)
- Førelskov-Central (26 seats)
- Førelskov-South (26 seats)
Banderhus
- Banderhus-North (28 seats)
- Banderhus-East (21 seats)
- Banderhus-West (17 seats)
- Banderhus-South (15 seats)
Vassengård
- Vassengård-Northwest (23 seats)
- Vassengård-Northeast (21 seats)
- Vassengård-South (17 seats)
Norvia
- Northern Norvia (26 seats)
- Southern Norvia (24 seats)
Lebøvenland
- Lebøvenland At-large (16 seats)