Parliament of Sanctaria
Parliament of Sanctaria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | Bicameral |
| Houses | |
| History | |
| Founded | November 19, 1974 |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 500 voting members
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Senate political groups |
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House of Deputies political groups |
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| Elections | |
Senate last election | 17 January, 2020 |
House of Deputies last election | 10 December, 2022 |
| Meeting place | |
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| Parliament House Sanctus, Sanctaria | |
The Federal Parliament of the Divine Federation, also known as the Federal Parliament of Sanctaria, Parliament of Sanctaria, or the Sanctarian Houses of Parliament, is the bicameral federal legislature of the Divine Federation of Sanctaria. In Sanctaria itself it is commonly known as simply Parliament. The legislature consists of two houses or chambers: the House of Deputies, which is the lower house, and the Senate, which is the upper house. Officially the President of Sanctaria also forms a part of the constitutional parliamentary structure.
Parliament was created by the Constitution of Sanctaria and first met in 1974, and has met in Parliament House, which is located in Sanctus, since 2012. Both deputies and senators are chosen through direct election, with any vacanices mid-term filled via by-election. Parliament has 500 voting members: 460 deputies and 40 senators.
The members of the House of Deputies serve five-year terms representing the people of a single constituency, generally known as a "canton". Parliamentary districts are apportioned by population using census results. Each Sanctarian state, plus the expatriate population of Sanctarian citizens, regardless of population or size, elects four senators. Currently, there are 40 senators representing the nine states and single expatriate constituency. Each senator is elected at-large for a seven-year term.
To be eligible for election, a candidate must be aged at least 21, have been a citizen of Sanctaria for five years, and be an inhabitant of the borough or district which they seek to represent; in the case of the senators elected to represent the Sanctarian expatriate population, they may be resident anywhere in Sanctaria.
History[edit | edit source]
The first democratic and directly elected Parliament was established upon the creation of the Divine Republic of Sanctaria in November 1974. Prior to this, Sanctaria was a member of a theocratic empire with an absolute monarchy, the Papal States of Sanctaria. The Patriarch of the Church of Sanctaria, who was also Sovereign of the Papal States, ruled by decree, though was generally advised on matters by a close council of confidants. The last Patriarch to also be Sovereign of the Papal States, Aequitas IV, decreed that on his death the Papal States would be disbanded and, several months before he died, advised constituent countries within the Papal States to begin preparations for imminent independence, including elections to new parliaments. Sanctaria was one of those jurisdictions to comply.
The first elections took place in September 1974, and those elected took office on 19 November 1974 upon the death of the Patriarch.
Until August 2012, Parliament met in St. George's Palace, in central Sanctus. However, the growing numbers of combined deputies and senators necessitated new accomodation and a new parliamentary campus was purpose-built in Temple Park, a large walled urban park about a kilometer way, also conveniently located in the city centre of Sanctus. Named Parliament House, the complex cost approximately S£7.5 million. It is large enough to host the two houses' plenary chambers, and offices for all deputies and senators.
When Sanctaria was federalised on 01 January 2019, the parliament was renamed as the Federal Parliament of Sanctaria.
Composition[edit | edit source]
The House of Deputies, the lower house, is directly elected under universal suffrage of all Sanctarian citizens who are residents and at least eighteen years old. An election is held at least once every five years as required by law, however, the house can be dissolved at any time at the request of the Chancellor. House elections use a system of direct election, via the First-Past-the-Post method. The House has had 460 members since 2022.
The Senate is likewise directly elected, but under proportional representation by way of the single transferable vote. Elections to the Senate are held at least once every seven years by law, however, the chamber can be dissolved at any time should a majority of its members vote to do so. If upon the dissolution of the House, there is less than 30 months remaining of the Senate's term, the Chancellor has the option to also dissolve the Senate. The Senate has 40 members; until 2020, it had 100 members since its foundation. It has only been open to direct election under universal suffrage since 2013.
The President of Sanctaria is directly elected once every ten years, and may serve a maximum of two terms.
Role[edit | edit source]
Parliament has primary legislative responsibility for all federal matters within Sanctaria. To become law, a bill must first be approved by both the House and the Senate, and then signed into law by the President. Bills to amend the Constitution must also be approved by the People in a referendum prior to being presented to the President. In most circumstances, the President is in effect obliged to sign all laws approved by Parliament, although he or she has the power to refer most bills to the Supreme Court for a ruling on constitutionality.
The Government of Sanctaria is solely responsible to the House of Deputies, and the Chancellor stays in office only as long as he or she retains the support of a majority of the House. However, it is the role of the Senate to approve or reject the Chancellor's nominees for Secretaries of State, or cabinet ministers. It is also the responsibility of the Senate to approve or reject any nominees to non-parliamentary state posts such as members of the judiciary, the heads of the police and military, and ambassadors.
Privilege[edit | edit source]
Each house possesses various privileges rooted in the constitution.
The foremost privilege claimed by both houses is that of freedom of speech in debate; nothing said in either house may be questioned in any court or other institution outside of Parliament itself. Another privilege claimed is that of freedom from arrest, excluding arrest on serious criminal charges; it applies during a session of Parliament, and 40 days before or after such a session.
Both the House and the Senate possess the power to punish breaches of their privilege. Contempt of Parliament—for example, disobedience of a subpoena issued by a committee—may also be punished.
Parliament Commission[edit | edit source]
While each house is empowered to organise its own business, they co-operate in practical matters arising from the fact that they share Parliament House as a common building complex. The Parliament Commission was established by statute in 2003, when Parliament was located in St. George's Palace to provide a formal structure for this, which was previously done by a joint committee. Non-political support staff, such as ushers, are employed by this Commission and treated as part of the Sanctarian civil service. The Commission's chairperson rotates each year between the Speaker of the House and the Moderator of the Senate; other members are the clerks of both houses, and six appointed members; of which three are appointed by the Speaker, and three by the Moderator.