OOC: fine, I'll do it.
The Ceoranans had the right idea, but I concur that Ceoranan English would not be a good working language, especially since Ceorana no longer exists. I hereby present:
Quote: The International Democratic Union Council
Preamble: For the purpose of heightening regional cooperation, improving life in our respective nations, presenting a united but diversified front to the world, and for other generally good purposes, we, representing the various nations and their citizens throughout the International Democratic Union, do ratify this Convention as a Constitution of the International Democratic Union Council.
Section One: Leadership
There shall be two officers within the council: the Secretary-General and the General Secretary.
1.1: The Secretary-General
The Secretary-General (SecGen) shall be elected once a month, approximately, by a three-day public vote. The SecGen's home nation has the authority to replace the SecGen should the SecGen resign or be killed or incapacitated. The SecGen shall be the leader of the council, and shall have the exclusive authority to place bills up for debate and vote, assuming the bills in question have a second and a third.
1.2: The General Secretary
The General Secretary (GenSec) shall be in charge of secretarial tasks, such as numbering resolutions and managing membership. He or she shall be appointed by the SecGen, subject to approval of the assembly in a two-day public vote. The GenSec serves at the SecGen's pleasure, and may be replaced by the GenSec's home nation.
The GS shall be the head of the Secretariat, which shall be based in the IDU capital, unless the assembly sees fit to move it elsewhere.
Section Two: Legislation
Legislation may be proposed by any member nation at which time they are opened for seconds. If legislation receives a number of seconds equal to one-third of the membership, it must come up for debate on the next cycle. Otherwise, the SecGen may use their discretion.
Debate shall utilize general parliamentary procedure, to be specifically enforced by the SecGen or GenSec, at the SecGen's discretion. Specifically, amendments are to be entertained during debate if they are within the spirit of the resolution and are not dilatory (time-wasting).
Debates and votes shall be long enough to get enough opinions and votes, preferably around 48-72 hours.
Modifications to the rules of debate, voting, or parliamentary process will require a 55% majority vote, with abstentions counting as .55 votes.
Nonbinding bills, forming of sub-organizations or -treaties, or decisions not forcing actual mandates upon nations will require a 50% majority vote. Bills with penalties for noncompliance will require a 55% majority, with abstentions counting as .55 votes. Bills with the penalty for noncompliance being expulsion from the assembly will require a 2/3 majority vote, with abstentions counting as 2/3 of a vote.
Section Three: Miscellaneous
Amendments to the charter shall require a 60% majority vote, with abstentions counting as .6 votes.[/quote]
The abstentions thing is so abstentions are really abstentions. Otherwise, with a 2/3 vote, you need 2/3 of all votes in the affirmative, rather than just 2/3 of the ayes and nays, which is how it should be.
