Constitution of the Honorable Commonwealth of Pekweng
Preamble
WE, the representatives of the Commonwealth, for the purposes of creating a more effective, democratic government, ensuring the safety of all , promoting freedom and prosperity, and securing for the highest degree of happiness, do hereby enact this constitution.
THEREFORE, the people of Pekweng are hereby united into the Honorable Commwealth of Pekweng, and let the following constitute the supreme and basic laws.
Article I - Establishment of the Provinces and Territories
Section 1 - Current Provinces and Territories
The Pekweng will, at the enacting of this constitution, consist of the twelve (12) states in existence and in attendance of the drafting of this constitution. They are:
-Katherinia
-Leninia
-Texico
-Peterborough
-Warwick
-Midhurst
-Neopia
-Scribia
-Radea
-Rodean
-Dimsione
-Lianes
The Commonwealth shall also consist of the territory of South Pekweng, which shall serve as the Autonomous State.
Section 2 - Adding New States or Territories
a) New States shall always be welcome to apply to join the Commonwealth.
Any area of land which shall attain a population of at least 125,000, and an established government may apply to join the Commonwealth and become a candidate.
The application shall consist of:
-The name of the candidate .
-The governmental structure of the candidate .
-A reflection of the desire to join the Commonwealth held by at least three-fifths (3/5) of the candidate’s population.
All applications for provincehood shall be deliberated by the Commission of Elections.
An application will be accepted and a candidate province invited into the Commonwealth if 3/5 of the state concur in acceptance.
b) New territories may always be added to the Commonwealth.
Any piece of land may be added as a territory to the Commonwealth.
A piece of land will be considered a territory if two-thirds (2/3) of the state concur in its addition and at least one half (1/2) of the population of the territory concur in its addition.
Section 3 - Rights of States
All provinces of the Commonwealth have the following rights:
a) Protection from all threats, both domestic and foreign.
b) The ability to form a provincial government in any republican style, with the exceptions that:
i) The government must have an elected legislative body.
ii) The government must have a head of government known as the Chancellor.
iii) The government must have a local court system, including a supreme court.
c) The ability to create laws, with the exception that:
i) No law may contradict with any law/s.
ii) No law may violate this constitution.
d) The ability to levy local-level taxes, with the exception that:
i) Not tariff may be levied on goods from another state/s.
e) At least one (1) deputy in the House of Representatives.
f) Two (2) deputies in the Senate.
g) All citizens of a state are considered citizens of the Commonwealth.
Section 4 - Rights of the Commonwealth
The territory of Pekweng has the following rights:
a) Protection from all threats, both foreign and domestic.
b) A government consisting of:
i) A City Council.
ii) A Mayor.
iii) A court system consisting of any and all federal courts within Pekweng, including the High Court.
c) 1 deputy in the House of Representatives.
d) All citizens of Pekweng are considered citizens of the Commonwealth.
Section 5 - Rights of Territories
All territories of the Commonwealth (except immigrants) have the following rights:
a) Protection from all threats, both foreign and domestic.
b) A Governor, appointed by the Parliament.
c) 1 deputy in the House of Representatives.
d) All citizens of a territory are considered citizens of the Commonwealth.
Section 6 - Responsibilities of States
All provinces have the following responsibilities:
a) The responsibilities outlined in Section 3, b, and Section 3, c, and Section 3, d.
b) All states must adhere to both laws and those laid out in this constitution.
c) No state may directly declare war on another province, territory, or state.
d) No state may directly regulate or make legislation on trade with another territory, or state.
All states that secede are considered in a state of rebellion and are subject to martial law.
f) No state may restrict the movements of any person from another territory, or state.
g) All states and their citizens are required to submit to all taxes imposed on them.
h) No state may raise its own non-police military or armed forces. All provinces in violation of this responsibility are considered in a state of rebellion and are subject to martial law.
i) All states have the responsibility to extradite criminals to the province in which his/her crime took place.
Section 7 - Responsibilities of Other Territories
The all other territories have the following responsibilities:
a) Territories must adhere to both laws and those laid out in this constitution.
b) No territory may directly declare war on another territory, or state.
c) No territory may directly regulate or make legislation on trade with another territory, or state.
d) No territory may secede from the Commonwealth. All territories that secede are considered in a state of rebellion and are subject to martial law, with the following exceptions (non-territories):
i) A territory may secede from the Commonwealth with the concurrence of 2/3 of its population and 2/3 of the Commisssion.
e) No territory may restrict the movements of any person from another territory, or state.
f) All territories and their citizens are required to submit to all taxes imposed on them.
g) No territory may raise its own non-police military or armed forces. All territories in violation of this responsibility are considered in a state of rebellion and are subject to martial law.
Article II - Legislature
Section 1 - The Establishment of the Parliament
All legislative powers are invested in a federal parliament, which shall be called the Parliament of Pekweng.
The Parliament shall consist of a House of Representatives and a Senate.
The Parliament shall be elected every three (3) years.
Section 2 - House of Representatives
The House of Representatives shall be the upper house of the Parliament.
The House of Representatives shall consist of 1 Speaker, 340 MPs, for every parliamentary district of one hundred twenty-five thousand (125,000) citizens, 1 deputy MP, 1 MP, from every subsequent territory.
The whole of the House of Representatives shall at the time of this constitution be three hundred forty (340).
Any citizen of the Commonwealth may run for an MP, or Deputy MP election if they have attained the age of eighteen(18).
The salary of an MP, shall be at the time of this constitution 125,000 Crons.
The Hose of Representatives shall have the sole power of electing the Prime Minister of Pekweng .
The House of Representatives shall have the sole power of having confidence or no-confidence in the Prime Minister’s government.
The House of Representatives shall elect a Speaker.
The House of Representatives shall have the sole power of authorizing the Prime Minister to form a government or to dissolve the Parliament.
Section 3 - Senate
The Senate shall be the lower house of the Parliament.
The Senate shall consist of 6 senators for every state.
The whole of the Senate shall be at the time of this constitution one hundred five (105).
Any citizen of the Commonwealth may run for a senator election if they have attained the age of twenty-one (21).
The salary of a senate shall be at the time of this constitution two hundred thousand (200,000) Crons.
The Senate shall have the sole power of confirming Justices to the Supreme Court as appointed by the Prime Minister.
The Senate shall elect a Presiding Officer.
Section 4 - Powers of Parliament
The Parliament shall have the power to:
a) Levy taxes.
b) Establish and alter a budget.
c) Raise a military or armed forces.
d) Make laws.
e) Legislate in order to temporarily secure rights of artists, writers, scientists, inventors, etc. to their work.
f) Establish and oversee a National Postal Service.
g) Regulate practices relating to the environment.
h) Regulate practices relating to immigration.
i) Borrow monies on behalf of the Commonwealth.
j) Allocate funding to provinces.
k) Impose standards for education.
l) Regulate employment practices.
m) Establish infrastructure including:
i) Interstate roadways
ii) Interstate rail
n) Define crimes and establish sentences for them.
o) Buy or sell property.
Section 5 - Legislative Initiative
Both Houses of the Parliament shall have legislative initiative, with the following exceptions:
a) Only the Senate may initiate legislation regarding revenue.
b) Only the Senate/House of Representatives may initiate legislation establishing or altering a budget.
Section 6 - Convening, Sitting, and Dissolving Parliament
The Paliament shall always convene and sit at the Hall of the Parliament at Parliament Square,Katherinia.
After every election of a new parliament, the Chief Justice of Pekweng must call to convention and open each parliament within 2 weeks of the election.
The Parliament must be dissolved by the Premier if:
a) The Prime Minister receives authorization to dissolve parliament from the House of Freeholders.
b) The Prime Minister’s government loses the confidence of the House of Deputies.
c) The 3 year term period elapses.
Section 7 - Ejection of Members of Parliament
Members may be ejected from the Parliament due to:
a) Conviction of a crime
b) Chronic misconduct in parliament
Article III - Executive
Section 1 - Establishment of the President
All executive powers shall be invested in a President of Pekweng, elected by the people every six (6) years, and his/her government authorized to be created by the House of Representatives by Prime Minister.
The President of Pekweng shall have a salary at the time of this constitution of three hundred thousand (300,000) Crons.
Section 2 - The Prime Minister and Prime Minister’s Government
The Prime Minister may only seek authorization from the House of Representatives to create a government if he/she has the confidence and supply of the Senate.
Once authorized, the Prime Minister may create a government.
The government shall consist of members of the Prime Minister’s cabinet, and various appointees underneath them.
The cabinet shall have access to the budget.
The Prime Minister shall also have the power to appoint diplomats and establish diplomatic missions, as well as conduct foreign affairs.
Members of the Prime Minister’s cabinet shall have a salary at the time of this constitution of two hundred fifty thousand (250,000) Crons.
Article IV - Judicial
Section 1 - Establishment of Court System
All judicial powers shall be invested in a court system.
The system shall consist of twelve (12) circuits, each consisting of 12 states.
The Supreme Court of Pekweng shall be the highest court of Pekweng.
Section 2 - Purpose of Courts
The courts shall be tasked with the hosting of hearings pertaining to:
a) Laws/crimes.
b) Interstate disputes/crimes.
Section 3 - Supreme Court
The Supreme Court shall consist of 1 Chief Justice and fourteen (14) Associate Justices.
The Justices shall be appointed by the Prime Minister of Pekweng.
Any citizen of the Commonwealth may be appointed as a Justice if they have attained the age of thirty (30) years.
A Justice may be ejected by a 2/3 majority of the Parliament.
A Justice’s tenure will end under any of these conditions:
a) Death.
b) Resignation.
c) Ejection by the Parliament.
d) Impeachment (Chief Justice)
Section 4 - Procedure for Supreme Court
All decisions shall be handed down by the Chief Justice.
Any decision may be overridden by the Associate Justices if 3 out of the 4 concur to override.
Section 5 - Purpose of Court
The High Court shall hear:
a) Cases regarding constitutionality of legislation.
b) All appeals which have passed through all other level courts.
c) Criminal cases regarding members of government.
Section 6 - Judicial Review
The Supreme Court is endowed with all powers of judicial review.
Section 7 - Treason
The crime of treason is hereby defined as either:
a) An overt act of war against the Commonwealth.
b) An aiding of enemies to the Commonwealth.
Section 8 - Trial by Jury
Excepting cases overseen by a Court, all criminal cases must be tried by jury, unless the defendant waives this right.
Article V - Citizenship
All citizens of the original 12 states are considered citizens of the Commonwealth.
All people born in the Commonwealth, or naturalized, shall be considered citizens of the Commonwealth.
All citizens shall have all rights and responsibilities associated therewith.
The Parliament shall establish rules regarding naturalization.
Article VI - Amendments
The Parliament may ratify amendments to this constitution by a 2/3 majority.
Article VII - Ratification
This constitution shall be ratified upon a 2/3 majority referendum of the whole of the population of Pekweng.
Done by the 18th Pekweng Parliament at the HALL OF THE PARLIAMENT at Parliament Square in the Parliamentary District of Katherinia,
And signed by:
Her Excellency, KATHERINE MAE P. CASTILLO,President of the Commonwealth,
The Honorable ROMIL DALIDA, Speaker of the House of Representatives,
The Honorable FERILLO MANIAGA,Supreme Court Chief Justice,
On the second day of June in the year of the Commonwealth Era,Two Thousand and Thirteen.
And passed by national referendum of the PEOPLE,
On the third day of June in the year of the Commonwealth Era, Two Thousand and Thirteen.