[Regional Law] Party Procedures Act 2020

Party Procedures Act 2020

An act to legislate how parties operate within the Bloc.

Now, therefore, BE IT ENACTED by the order of the glorious Constitution of the Revolutionary Republic, by and with the advice and consent of the Citizens of The Communist Bloc, in this present Legislative Committee assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows-

ARTICLE I - Definitions

(1) "Party" or "Parties" shall refer to a group of citizens or residents, operating within The Communist Bloc, who freely associate in order to pursue aligning political goals in relation to The Communist Bloc’s government, and have complied with the registration process outlined in this act.

(2) "Founding Members" shall be defined as the members who form the party.

Article II - Category

(3) This Act shall be classified as a Type VI GENERAL law.

Article III - Provisions

(4) Political Parties may operate within the Communist Bloc.

1. Parties may define their own internal procedure, ideological standpoint, aims and goals.

2. Parties may request a channel be created for them on the official Bloc Discord. A role will be created which will allow them the ability to communicate on that channel.

3. Parties may request and be granted a sub-forum on the Bloc Website, should the technical ability exist.

(5) Political Parties operating within The Communist Bloc must be registered with The Minister of Information.

1. Registration details must include a minimum of the following information

   1. Name of Organisation

   2. Official Acronym

   3. Founding members (Minimum of 2)

   4. Description of Party

   5. Party Leadership type (Democratic/Dictatorial etc.)

2. Party Registration, and any official descriptions of a Party must accurately portray the Party. Names of Parties must not be misleading.

3. New parties may not be founded with the name of an existing party or a former party.

   1. Except where the Party is being refounded by the Founding Members of that Party, or with express permission of them.

(6) Party membership, including in process applications for Party membership, must be disclosed in all elections.

1. Failure to disclose Party membership will result in the citizen's candidacy being null and void.

   1. If they are subsequently elected. An immediate by-election will be triggered.

2. If a candidate joins or attempts to join a party after their candidacy is announced, they must edit their application to reflect this.

   1. Candidates may not seek to join or leave a party while voting is in progress.

(7) Founding members of an operating Party may not sit on trials related to that Party.

1. Except where a Party founder has been out of that party for a period of no less than 6 months.

(8) All members of a Party may be tried by the Peoples Judiciary, should the Judiciary believe there is ample reason to do so.

1. Leaders of Parties are charged with making sure their Party abides by all laws relating to Parties, and that any breaches are reported to the Peoples Judiciary.

   1. Should the Judiciary decide that a Party has appropriately dealt with an incident, they may choose not to press charges.

(9) Parties may not clone any other Parties resources.

1. This includes, but is not limited to Party documents, logos and branding.

   1. This is extended to Parties which have ceased to operate.

   2. The provisions of this subsection do not apply where the author(s) of the original documents, logos, and branding have given their express permission for use thereof, and are credited for it.

2. Except to present them as evidence in legal procedures.

(10) Parties may operate outside Official Bloc communication channels.

1. Members of The People's Judiciary, The Minister of Information, Member of the Administrative Council and/or a Citizen operating under their request may at any time request access to any and all external communications channels.

   1. Failure to do so may result in the Party being dissolved, and/or criminal charges equal to subterfuge.

   2. This access must be granted with ability to access and view all parts of the communications made.

2. A member of the Administrative Council, or someone operating on their behalf, must always have access to Global Moderator (or any equivalent of) status in Party Communication Channels.

(11) Any Parties operating within the Bloc must make a bi-annual report within their Party Sub-Forum on the Bloc Forum.

1. These reports must include at minimum:

   1. Membership, including members who have left and the cited reason (if available)

   2. External communication methods

   3. Leaders

   4. Any disciplinary action taken, with reasoning

   5. Any members who have donated stamps for a telegram to do with their party, including when and how many telegrams were sent.

2. Citizens may request additional information. A Party representative must answer these within a 7 day period.

   1. Parties may refuse to answer if a reasonable reason is given, except where the Judiciary or a citizen operating on their behalf has made the request.

3. Bi-annual reports must be submitted before the last day of the following months:

   1. April

   2. October

4. Failure to do so will result in the Party ceasing operations.

   1. Any Bloc channels of Communications will be locked.

   2. Any roles granted to Party Members will be revoked.

   3. An order will be issued by either the Ministry of Information or Administrative Council to close any private Communication relating to the Party.

      1. The Judiciary may only issue this order should there be reasonable belief that the Party failed to submit the report for reasons which breach law.

      2. The Administrative Council Member with Administrative Powers (referenced in 11b) Communication shall take the channel down, should Party Leadership refuse to do so.

   4. Party Members may have up to a week to submit an appeal.

   5. An appeal must be accompanied by the report.

   6. An appeal must include a reason for late submission.

      1. The Ministry of Information may reject the reason, if deemed inappropriate.

   7. This procedure may only be used once per year.

      1. Except where a valid reason is presented by Leadership as to why nobody was able to submit the necessary report.

(12) Political Parties may not operate a Party Military on NationStates.

1. Parties may mandate compulsory military service within their party.

   1. This must be within the Blocs official Military Service.

Article IV - The Pre-Revolutionary Republic Exemption

(13) Any Parties initially founded before 2020 are exempt from Section 5c.

1. Parties seeking to refound using the names of Pre-2020 Parties may be issued a cease and desist by any officially recorded founders of that Party.

   1. Parties which are issued a cease and desist will have a period of 14 days to change its name.

Article V - Party Advertisements

(14) Parties will be eligible to advertise their Parties via any method of Regional Communication.

1. Parties must not make multiple consecutive posts advertising their Party.

   1. Parties are encouraged to wait a reasonable length of time before re-posting in any given method of communication. Advertisements may not be done daily.

   2. Parties using the Regional Message Board (RMB) must use a Spoiler tag marked "Party Advertisement: [PARTY NAME]"

      1. The code to do that is:

         [spoiler=Party Advertisement: PARTY NAME] message here [/spoiler]

2. Parties accused of spamming, or non compliance may have their advertisement privileges revoked by any moderators of that communication method.

   1. That Moderator must inform the Administrative Council of their decision. The Admin Council may overturn the decision, or implement a timeframe that the revocation lasts.

3. The above does not prevent Party members discussing their Party Affairs on any official Regional Communication Method.

(15) Parties are forbidden from recruiting on other Regions RMBs, except with that Regional Governments express permission.

1. Any advertisement allowed on another Regional Message Board must first be sent to the Foreign Affairs Minister, who may forbid the Advertisement if they feel it puts the Bloc in disrepute.

2. Advertisements on another regions RMB must be followed by the following statement:

   1. "This message is not sponsored by The Communist Blocs Regional Government, any opinions herein may not accurately reflect the current government."

(15) Political Parties may sponsor telegrams advertisement. Should this happen, a donation of Telegram Stamps equal or greater than the current number of nations within the Bloc must be made to The Communist Bloc.

1. This advertisement must clearly be marked as a Party Advertisement.

2. Political Parties may not do this more than twice a year, each following their bi-annual report.

3. The Ministry of Information will be responsible for sending this telegram to the Bloc.

   1. The Ministry of Information must add a disclaimer stating the advertisement does not reflect the Bloc governments views.

      1. Except where all of the Executive Council and Legislative Committee are Party Members.

4. No other method of direct advertisement may be used without the receivers express permission.

Article VI - Schedule

(16) This act shall be considered legally binding following majority assent from the Legislative Committee, as well as majority assent from the People's Assembly.

(17) This act will not require retroactive actions from existing Parties, however all parties must be compliant with the act.

Written and proposed by Martyn Kiryu