Constitution of the People's Republic of Lazarus
Preamble
The People's Republic of Lazarus (PRL) exists with three primary purposes:
To protect the sovereignty and residents of the Lazarene region,
To enhance the gaming experiences of our Lazarene comrades,
To work towards building a harmonious society in our region.
This charter shall serve as a guiding document for the PRL, and is the supreme document of the region. The PRL shall harmoniously cooperate with our society, which strives to build the best Lazarus possible for all who call it home, and to hold the government accountable for serving the people.
In this day and age many game-created regions are governed by entities that are increasingly remote from the in-game population. The People's Republic, through the words and actions of the people, strives to bridge that gap in Lazarus and develop a government that directly interacts and serves the will of the people, and that provides equality to all Lazarenes. This can and must be done through displaying participation, interest, loyalty, and attachment to our class, and by marching towards our ideal Lazarus while also fighting against ideas and entities that would hinder our progress towards achieving the three goals.
Furthermore, the People's Republic accepts the belief that, in a sinker such as our, a powerful executive leader is desirable, but only if the leader's power exists at the consent of the People. Thus, the Chairman is granted great power, but is expected to represent the will of the People and may be removed by the people if needed. In the past, Lazarus has operated with a semi-democratic system that had to push every little action through votes that slowed down regional affairs and promoted stagnation, and the PRL wishes to avoid that and produce the opposite effects through endorsing a powerful leader.

Section 1. Citizenship & Party Membership
• The People's Republic of Lazarus shall recognize citizenship and party membership as two valid forms of participation in the collective.
• One may become a citizen without becoming part of the Lazarene People's Party, that is, the refusal to participate in any of the provinces.
• The Chairman shall decide upon application forms that all prospective citizen members and party members must fill. Applications will be approved or denied by the Chairman and those who he or she grants that authority to. The specific applications processes for party membership is flexible and may be determined at the Chairman's discretion.
• Citizens, party members, and government officials must have a presence in the region to maintain their status. Failure to do so shall result in the removal of one's status.

Section 2. Rights and Lazarene Justice
• The People's Republic of Lazarus expects all in-game residents and forum members to adhere to its laws, which exist to serve the goals outlined above, and all Lazarenes maintain the following rights:
-- Lazarenes may be removed at the Chairman's discretion if the Chairman can reasonably justify it legally. However, all purged Lazarenes must be immediately informed of the reason for his or her removal and have the right to appeal a decision before the People's Court.
-- Lazarenes have the right to a fair trial.
-- Lazarenes may protest and say as they desire so as long as they are not violating the law. However, this is not to say that the People's Republic will tolerate foreign plants exploiting our freedoms for the sake of undermining the People.
-- Lazarenes may not have be told how to run their nations by the government; thusly, the People's Republic may not discriminate nations for how they answer issues and customize their fields. However, Fascism, Nazism, and hate speech will not be tolerated within Lazarus.
-- All Lazarenes shall be guaranteed the right to participate in the People's Republic of Lazarus insofar as they are not deemed threats to regional security, insofar as they are compliant with regional law, insofar as they are above the age of thirteen (RL), and insofar as they are not an enemy of the state.
• The protocols for trials and the code for civilian justice shall be outlined in a separate document, "The Codex of Lazarene Laws and Legal Protocols", which must state the region's laws and court procedures.

Section 3. The Chairman of the Party
• The Chairman of the Party is both the Head of State and of the Party, assisted by his or her chosen Vice-Chairman. The Chairman is always permitted to surpass his or her endorsement cap, whereas the Vice-Chairman may be granted that ability by the Chairman.
• The Chairman of the Party is appointed by his predecessor. If the Chairman does not appoint a successor before CTEing due to inactivity or becoming delete-on-sight, the most senior (in terms of citizenship) official endorsee who is willing will take over the delegacy if the Chairman does not return after a week. If the Chairman is deleted but permitted by NationStates moderators to return as a new nation, he or she shall be permitted to retake the delegacy.
• A party member should have a strong record of achievement working for the party in order to qualify.
• The Chairman of the Party holds sole power regarding regional affairs but is accountable to the People’s Congress. This is to say that the Congress, through the means outlined below, has the power to remove the Chairman from his office.
• The Chairman of the Party is the in-game sovereign of the region, and is the delegate. The Chairman is responsible for maintaining and enforcing justice in-game, and for keeping the region secure. The Chairman manages all in-game aspects of Lazarus.
• The Chairman may determine the region's "endorsement cap", which sets a limit on how many endorsements a nation can have in the region. This is done to ensure that the region is secured from invaders, who could purge the region if they gained the most endorsements in the region.
• The Chairman may permit nations to exceed the endorsement cap, and may also appoint trusted nations to serve as official endorsees. Endorsees are nations who may garner more endorsements than the typical nation for security purposes. Despite this, they are still only allowed to garner as many endorsements as the Chairman allows.
• The Chairman may create positions with powers that do not contradict or overrule those outlined in this document, and may create a strong bureaucracy.
• The Chairman may remove the Vice-Chairman, Governors, and any other government or military officials from their offices.
• The Chairman may not surrender the sovereignty of Lazarus to a foreign power.

Section 4. Provinces and Governors
• The various provinces of Lazarus shall be decided upon by the Chairman. He or she may dissolve or create provinces with the approval of the People’s Congress as he or she sees fit.
• The ultimate aim of the provinces shall be to work harmoniously with each other in order to achieve prosperity within the region.
• Each province will be assigned its designated responsibility by the People's Congress and shall by headed by a Governor.
• Each province’s Governor shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Party.
• No governor can simultaneously hold a position in the People’s Congress.

Section 5. People’s Congress
• The People’s Congress is the highest legislative body of the State and is elected by all citizens once every six (6) months with no term-limits.
• If a Congressman loses citizenship, tenders his or her resignation from Congress, loses party membership, or is deemed inactive, the Chairman may remove them from the Congress. The citizens will then elect a new congressman amongst themselves.
• The number of seats in the People’s Congress shall be decided upon by the Chairman, with a minimum of five (5). The number must always be odd, not including the Vice-Chairman's seat on the Congress.
• The People's Congress' legislation is permitted to state and/or expand upon procedures, laws, and proposals for regional prosperity so as long as they do not contradict the ideas or rules of this document and the The Codex of Lazarene Laws and Legal Protocols.
• The People’s Congress reserves the power to recall or remove from office the Chairman of the Party. This action requires at least 80% of the Council's vote. If that amount is achieved, the People's Congress shall elect a new Chairman, and the previous Chairman shall respectfully step down.
• The People’s Congress is responsible for drafting, passing, and amending regional laws. All "traditional laws" and "traditional repeals", or legislation that does not deal with the Constitution or the Legal Code, shall require 50% approval from the assembly and the Chairman's approval after the vote. All "high legislation" changes pertinent to this document or The Codex of Lazarene Laws and Legal Protocols require at least 65% approval and the Chairman's approval after the vote.
• The Deputy of the Chairman, also known as the "Vice-Chairman", shall serve as the Speaker of the People’s Congress and will count as an equal member of the Congress.
• The following describes the voting procedure of the People's Congress:
1. Any congressional representative and/or the Vice-Chairman may propose legislation. Each proposal must be appropriately classified as being one of the categories described in the constitution if its category is called into question.
2. Congressmen may debate proposals until two congressional representatives propose to bring them to vote, at which point the Vice-Chairman will approve or deny the motion. The Vice-Chairman for any of the following reasons may deny a proposal:
Presentation: The proposal is formatted or presented in an unusual way and needs revision.
Conventions: Its grammar and/or words are not appropriate for a legal document.
Legality: The proposal contradicts the law, the constitution, or the intended ideas of the constitution. It is the belief that the People's Government should function practically, rather than by a literal interpretation of the law, and therefore proposals that don't.
If the Congress disagrees about the necessity or appropriateness of a denial to vote, its members may overrule the denial if 70% of the Congress states their desire to see the Vice-Chairman's decision disregarded.
3. Votes for legislation last for 96 hours. Votes may be declared in a thread or through a private message to the Vice-Chairman: "aye," nay", and "abstain" are the voting options. Only the parties present at a vote shall be counted in the percentage tallies described in the constitution, and abstentions shall not be counted as votes.
4. The Vice-Chairman responds to motions, opens and closes votes, tallies votes, and announces their success or failure based on constitutional standards.
The following describes the election procedure for replacing a recalled Chairman:
1. The most senior member (in terms of continuous citizenship) of the State Councilshall serve as the Election Commissioner(s) (EC), unless he or she delegates the duty to another nation, in which case the appointed nation(s) shall serve as the Election Commissioner(s). The EC is tasked with beginning the nominations period, closing the nominations period, organizing the ballot, opening the vote, closing the vote, and tallying the vote.
2. The election schedule is as follows:
Nomination Period: The nomination period lasts for 3 Days.
Voting Period: The voting period lasts for 4 Days.
2. Any citizen or party member may vote in an election provided that they have posted on the official forum within 28 days of the date when the nominations period begins. Any citizen or party member may be nominated for an election provided that they have posted on the official forum within 28 days of the date when the nominations period begins.
3. During the nominations period, nations that fit the above stated criteria may nominate nations for the Chairman election. If the nominated nation is eligible and approves of their nomination before the end of the nominations period, they shall be listed as a voting option in the voting thread. Once the nominations period ends, no new nations may be nominated and the voting period will immediately begin.
4. During the voting period, votes may be declared in a voting thread that will be opened by the EC: an eligible voter may vote in favor of his or her preferred candidate by posting the candidate's name. Only the parties present at a vote shall be counted in the percentage tallies described in the constitution, and abstentions shall not be counted as votes.
5. Once the voting period ends, the EC will tally the votes and declare who acquired the most votes. The nation that acquired the most votes shall be the new Chairman.
6. If a single candidate is on the ballot during an election, the vote shall be an approval vote: "aye," nay", and "abstain" shall be the voting options. Only the parties present at a vote shall be counted in the percentage tallies described in the constitution, and abstentions shall not be counted as votes. If the candidate fails to acquire >50% approval, then the Vice-Chairman shall appoint the new Chairman.
The following describes the election procedure for Congressmen:
1. The Chairman and/or Vice-Chairman shall serve as the Election Commissioner(s) (EC), unless the Chairman delegates the duty to another nation, in which case the appointed nation(s) shall serve as the Election Commissioner(s). The EC is tasked with beginning the nominations period, closing the nominations period, organizing the ballot, opening the vote, closing the vote, and tallying the vote.
2. The election schedule is as follows:
Nomination Period: The nomination period lasts for 3 Days.
Voting Period: The voting period lasts for 4 Days.
2. Any citizen or party member may vote in an election provided that they have posted on the official forum within 28 days of the date when the nominations period begins. Any citizen or party member may be nominated for an election provided that they have posted on the official forum within 28 days of the date when the nominations period begins.
3. During the nominations period, nations that fit the above stated criteria may nominate nations for the Congressional election. If the nominated nation is eligible and approves of their nomination before the end of the nominations period, they shall be listed as a voting option in the voting thread. Once the nominations period ends, no new nations may be nominated and the voting period will immediately begin.
4. During the voting period, votes may be declared in a voting thread that will be opened by the EC: an eligible voter may vote in favor of his or her preferred candidate by posting the candidate's name. Only the parties present at a vote shall be counted in the percentage tallies described in the constitution, and abstentions shall not be counted as votes.
5. Once the voting period ends, the EC will tally the votes and declare who acquired the most votes. The new Congressmen shall be the nations who acquired the most votes; if there is one vacancy on the congress, the candidate nation with the most votes shall be become the Congressman. If there are multiple vacancies, the vacancies will be filled by the nations with the most votes, in order of greatest to least, in a number that is equal to the number of vacancies (the top # candidates become congressmen when there are # vacancies).
6. If, at the conclusion of an election, there are not enough candidates to complete the Congress' roster, the Chairman may appoint Congressmen to fulfill the vacancies at his or her discretion.
7. If a single candidate is on the ballot during an election, the vote shall be an approval vote: "aye," nay", and "abstain" shall be the voting options. Only the parties present at a vote shall be counted in the percentage tallies described in the constitution, and abstentions shall not be counted as votes. If the candidate fails to acquire >50% approval, then the Chairman may appoint Congressmen to fulfill the vacancies at his or her discretion.

Section 6. State Council
• The State Council is composed of the Governors of the provinces of the State.
• The State Council works to achieve the goals of the People’s Congress and makes sure that Party policy gets implemented.
• The State Council is responsible for drafting and managing regional plans of action.
• The State Council oversees law and order, and as such, maintains the right to expel members by a 75% vote.
• The State Council shall be responsible for the approval of treaties proposed by the Chairman. It may also vote to ratify the PRL's entrance into an alliance. Both 50% approval and the Chairman's approval for a treaty to be signed and for an alliance to be ratified. The Chairman may dissolve treaties and withdraw Lazarus from alliances.

Section 7. Regarding Constitutional Amendments and Repeals
• Section 2 of this document may only be added to. The rights of the people are inalienable and therefore they cannot be taken away or altered legally in the People's Republic. Section 7 of this document may not be edited or revised.
• This document may not be repealed.

Section 8. Forum
• The Lazarene off-site forum is http://w11.zetaboards.com/ns_lazarus/index/.
• Forum administration is separate from government matters. Violations of the ToS will be handled by the forum administration, and such affairs will not be handled by the government's justice arm.
https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=649635

CONSTITUTION OF LAZARUS (MANDATE 10)

PREAMBLE
The nations, resident in the region formerly called the Humane Republic of Lazarus, hereby solemnly and mutually agree with each other, to form themselves into a free, sovereign, and independent body politic, or state by the name of "The Celestial Union of Lazarus".

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

View Contents
ARTICLE I - DEFINITIONS
-:- GENERAL TERMS
-:- LEGISLATURE
-:- EXECUTIVE
-:- JUDICIAL
ARTICLE II - FOREWORD
-:- ENACTMENT
-:- AMENDMENT
ARTICLE III - UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF RIGHTS
-:- SECTION 1 - MEMBERSHIP IN THE COSMIC COUNCIL
-:- SECTION 2 - LIMITATIONS
-:- SECTION 3 - RIGHTS IN THE CELESTIAL UNION OF LAZARUS
ARTICLE IV - MANDATE ACT, 2017
-:- PREAMBLE
-:- SECTION 1 - PRELIMINARY
-:- SECTION 2 - UNION
-:- SECTION 3 - DIVINE POWER
-:- SECTION 4 - GUARDIANS
-:- SECTION 5 - EXECUTIVE POWER
-:- SECTION 6 - LEGISLATIVE POWER
-:- SECTION 7 - JUDICIAL POWER
-:- SECTION 8 - THE CELESTIAL ARMADA
ARTICLE V - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
-:- OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
-:- CONTINUANCE OF EXISTING LAWS, COURTS, AND OFFICERS
-:- APPOINTMENT OF NEW OFFICERS
-:- TREATY OBLIGATIONS
-:- AMENDMENTS
-:- HOLDING OF OFFICES
-:- SEAT OF GOVERNMENT OF LAZARUS
-:- SPACE-COM FORUM ADDRESS
-:- REVISION OF TITLES AND POSITIONS

ARTICLE I - DEFINITIONS

GENERAL TERMS:

View Terms
-:- Core World - Holds Citizenship in the Celestial Union of Lazarus.
-:- World - Non-Citizen or Resident Nation.
-:- Cosmic Government - The regional government; comprised of the Celestial Being, the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary.
-:- Lazarene Celestial Armada - The military of the Celestial Union of Lazarus.
-:- Paladin - A member of the Lazarene Celestial Armada.
-:- Order of Stars - The official religion of the Celestial Union. The Celestial Being is the head of the Order.
-:- Cosmarchy - Cosmic-monarchy; the Celestial Being functions as the monarch.
-:- Divine Mandate - The right of the Celestial Being to rule. It is (re)affirmed at an election.
-:- Uniterra - The name of the forum. It takes the appearance of the home world of the Celestial Union.
-:- Universal Cycle - A term of office, either of three months or four months.
-:- Universal Declaration of Rights - A list of fundamental rights.
-:- Removal of Celestial Being's Blessing - Ceases to be in effect, or in case of persons they cease to hold office.
-:- Humane Republic of Lazarus - A Chinese-Confucius theme, preceding the Celestial Union of Lazarus theme.
-:- People's Republic of Lazarus - A communist themed people's republic, preceding the Humane Republic of Lazarus.

LEGISLATURE:

View Terms
-:- Cosmic Council - The General Assembly of Lazarus.
-:- Convenor - The elected head of the legislature.
-:- Deputy Convenor - The deputy of the Convenor.
-:- Committee - Government department established by the Cosmic Council.
-:- Archbishop - Head of a Cosmic Council Committee.
-:- Bishop - Deputy of a Cosmic Council Committee.
-:- Cleric - Member of a Cosmic Council Committee.
-:- Majority - two-thirds of the vote.
-:- Simple Majority - 51 percent or more of the vote.
-:- Super Majority - three-quarters of the vote.
-:- Electoral vote - a vote of the Cosmic Council.

EXECUTIVE:

View Terms
-:- Celestial Being - Elected Monarch or Head of State, Head of Official Religion (Order of Stars)
-:- Sovereign - Head of the government/World Assembly Delegate.
-:- Defender of the Realm - Deputy Head of the Government/Vice-World Assembly Delegate.
-:- Grand Commandant - The commander-in-chief of the military.
-:- Guardian - A nation who is confirmed by the legislature and who has a high number of endorsements, to maintain regional security.

JUDICIAL:

View Terms
-:- Celestial Inquisitional Court - The Judiciary of the Celestial Union of Lazarus.
-:- Holy Prelate - Head of the Judiciary.
-:- Prelate - Judge of the Judiciary.

ARTICLE II - FOREWORD

View Article
ENACTMENT

The Celestial Mandate Act, 2017 shall contain the text of the Celestial Mandate, as so provided by the Order of Stars, together with amendments which may be made by the governments of the Core Worlds, and done so in accordance with the divine teachings of the Order, thereafter. The Act contains the Universal Declaration of Rights and other provisions, including the procedure for amending the Celestial Mandate. The Act shall also contain a schedule of repeals of certain constitutional enactments. The new enactments shall be used in place of the former, but their former may be found in the schedule.

AMENDMENT

This Act may be amended by textual amendment; repeals, amendments, additions, or substitutions, which shall be the exclusive right of the Cosmic Council. The various classes of enactments modifying the Act may be dealt with as follows:

(1) Repeals: Repealed provisions (e.g. section 2) have been deleted from the text and quoted in a footnote.
(2) Amendments: Amended provisions (e.g. section 4) are reproduced in the text in their amended form, and the original provisions are quoted in a footnote.
(3) Additions: Added provisions (e.g. section 8) are included in the text.
(4) Substitutions: Substituted provisions (e.g. section 16) are included in the text, and the former provision is quoted in a footnote.

ARTICLE III - UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

View Article
SECTION 1 - MEMBERSHIP IN THE COSMIC COUNCIL

(1) Any World or Nation may apply for citizenship on the regional forum, by providing their:
A. Current Nation in Lazarus.
B. Current World Assembly.
C. Sworn oath of citizenship established by law.

(2) Worlds or Nations may be considered a Core World and may exercise their voting rights, as long as they have:
A. Held a World Assembly nation in Lazarus for more than a year consecutively.
B. Endorsed the Sovereign.
C. Not been convicted of a crime.

(3) Any World or nation that held citizenship in the People's Republic of Lazarus upon its dissolution shall be considered a Core World.

SECTION 2 - LIMITATIONS

(1) The Sovereign may approve or reject applications for Core World status or citizenship on the forum unless:
A. The applicant has been declared a persona non grata by the Cosmic Council.

(2) The Sovereign must post an explanation for rejection immediately in the Cosmic Council:
A. The Cosmic Council may overturn such rejections with a two-thirds majority vote.

(3) If the applicant is a persona non grata at the time of their application, the decision goes to the Cosmic Council:
A. A two-thirds majority vote is necessary to approve such applications.

(4) Should the Sovereign be unable to process citizenship applications:
A. They may publicly designate a Core World with forum administrator privileges to do so.
B. Approvals by an appointed individual may also be overturned by the Cosmic Council with a two-thirds majority vote.

(5) Should neither the Sovereign nor a designated individual approve a citizenship application within four days, the Grand Assembly may approve it with a simple majority.

(6) Core Worlds or citizens shall forfeit their membership if:
A. They voluntarily renounce it.
B. Their nation in Lazarus voluntarily leaves the region or ceases to exist,
C. The Celestial Inquisitional Court finds them guilty of a criminal offense and revokes their citizenship as punishment.
D. They applied for citizenship on the Lazarus forum and do not log into their account for twenty-eight days.

(7) Core Worlds or citizens may not lose their citizenship for any reason not enumerated in this article.

SECTION 3 - RIGHTS IN THE CELESTIAL UNION OF LAZARUS

(1) All worlds or nations are provided:
A. Equal protection under the law.
B. Freedom of speech, petition, peaceful association and assembly so long as their exercise does not violate the rules of NationStates or the Regional Forum's terms of use.
C. Access to the Regional Forum to the extent necessary to exercise their other rights.
D. Access to the Regional Forum that may not infringed except for violations of its terms of service or the law.
E. Right to fair representation in a criminal trial and may not be forced to incriminate themselves.
F. Freedom in their nations' domestic affairs, including World Assembly votes and endorsements.
G. Immunity from being tired for a crime by law or put on trial, retroactively.

(2) Worlds or nations will not be banned or ejected from the region unless they have:
A. Been publicly charged with a crime.
B. Violated the rules of NationStates Terms of Use.
C. Violated the policies of the Regional Message Board.

(3) Worlds or nations cannot be banned from the Regional Forum without being publicly charged with a crime unless:
A. They have violated the Regional Forum's terms of use.

(4) All worlds or nations shall be permitted to maintain the following endorsements counts:
A. 80 WA endorsement count for residents.
B. 100 WA endorsement count for nations endorsing the Sovereign.
C. 20 WA endorsements or more below Defender of the Realm for citizens by forum application or extended residency.

(5) The Cosmic Council may establish a higher cap or revert a cap to the following by simple majority vote:
A. In periods of transfer of the office of Defender of the Realm, this cap shall be calculated from the Guardian with the highest endorsement count.

(6) No World or Nation shall be considered necessarily deprived of any rights not enumerated here in this article.

ARTICLE IV - MANDATE ACT, 2017

View Article
An Act for the universe of Lazarus; the Core Worlds, territories, sentinel beings, and the thereof; and for Purposes connected therewith

WHEREAS the Core Worlds and territories, within the Lazarene boundaries immortal, have expressed their Desire to be federally united into One Celestial unit under the Divine guidance of the Celestial Being:

And whereas such a Union would conduce to the Welfare of Core Worlds and promote the Interests of all sentinel beings:

PREAMBLE
We, the members of the Celestial Union of Lazarus, hereby institute this Mandate to affirm the divine powers of the Cosmarchy and to protect the rights and freedoms of all people within the Celestial Union under the divine guidance of the Order of Stars. The Celestial Union embraces and promotes universal peace, freedom, and prosperity for all, and do form this Holy Connection.

SECTION 1 - PRELIMINARY
Short title

This Act, the Celestial Mandate Act, 2017, may be cited as the Mandate Act, 2017.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE SUBSEQUENT PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT

(1) Unless it is otherwise expressed or implied:
A. Lazarus shall be taken to mean Lazarus as constituted under this Act.
B. Core World shall be taken to mean a nation in-game as constituted under this Act.
C. Sovereign and Defender of the Realm shall be taken to mean the Sovereign and/or the Defender of the Realm.
D. Renewal of the Universal Cycle shall be taken to mean; in reference to the Celestial Being, the eighth day of January, May, and September; and in reference to the Sovereign, Defender of the Realm, and Convenor, the eighth day of February, May, August, and November; and in reference to the Prelates and Guardians, the eighth day of March, July, and November.
E. Where it is used, the term Him may be substituted with Her where relevant.

SECTION 2 - UNION
DECLARATION OF UNION

(1) It shall be lawful for the Celestial Being, by and with the advice of her Divine Eminence’s most honorable Celestial Council, to declare by proclamation that, on and after a day therein appointed, not being more than one month after the passing of this Act, the universe of Lazarus, the Core Worlds, and territories, shall form and be one united holy body under the name of Lazarus and with the guidance of the Order and its teachings; and on and after that day those worlds shall form and be one Dominion under that name accordingly.

SECTION 3 - DIVINE POWER
DECLARATION OF SUPREME EXECUTIVE POWER IN THE CELESTIAL BEING

(1) The executive government and supreme authority of and over Lazarus are hereby declared to be vested in the Celestial Being.

(2) The Celestial Being is the Divine Representative of the Order of Stars, from whose teachings, life and the foundation of all societies, is derived from; and of whom must uphold, defend, and respect the Mandate as the supreme law of the Union.

POWERS OF THE CELESTIAL BEING

(3) The Celestial Being with his or her celestial assent may.
A. Refer a bill back to the Council for reconsideration of the Bill’s constitutionality.
B. Refer a bill to the Court for a decision on the Bill’s constitutionality.
C. Appoint the Sovereign, in accordance with the electoral vote.
D. Appoint Archbishops to committees on the advice of the Sovereign, in accordance with the electoral vote.
E. Appoint Prelates, in accordance with the electoral vote.
F. Appoint Guardians, in accordance with the electoral vote.
G. Appoint the Grand Commandant on the advice of the Sovereign, in accordance with the electoral vote.
H. Call for regional elections or a universal referendum.
I. Receive and recognize emissaries.
J. Appoint emissaries.

COMMAND OF THE CELESTIAL ARMADA TO BE VESTED IN THE SUPREME BEING

(4) The political, moral, and spiritual guide of the Lazarene Celestial Armada, and all offensive and defensive forces is hereby declared to be vested in the Celestial Being.

ELECTION OF THE SUPREME BEING

(5) Qualifications to stand for Celestial Being:
A. Must hold the status of Core World and have done so for the continuous period of no less than six months.
B. Must not have been convicted of a crime.
C. Have held an elected cosmic government position for the continuous period of no less than three months.

(6) The Cosmic Council shall, at the Renewal of the Universal Cycle, elect from among its membership, a member, on whom the Order shall confer the Divine Mandate to guide the universe.

TENURE

(7) The Celestial Being shall retain his Divine position so long as he is pious in the eyes of the Order, as affirmed by his Divine Mandate at the Renewal of the Universal Cycle, to occur every four months.

(8) The Celestial Being shall serve no more than three consecutive Universal Cycles.

REMOVAL OF DIVINE MANDATE TO RULE

(9) The Celestial Being shall be considered to have been stripped of his Divine Mandate, as granted by the Order, if he or she:
A. Fails for three weeks to provide continued holy presence in Uniterra; or fails to, when advised, fulfill his celestial duties.
B. Has taken or takes an oath or makes a declaration or an acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to parties which Lazarus is in a state of war with.
C. Has been convicted (or is under charges of) treason against the Celestial Union of Lazarus.
E. If the world or nation he represents, ceases to hold the status of Core World in Lazarus.

(10) Should the Cosmic Council, decide a question of confidence in the Celestial Being as being worthy to represent the Order through the passage of a motion of no confidence, the Divine Mandate shall be withdrawn from the Celestial Being by the Order of Stars by a majority vote of two-thirds.

ABSENCE OF THE SUPREME BEING

(11) In the case of an absence of the Celestial Being, by the loss of his Divine Mandate, resignation, or otherwise:
A. The Cosmic Council shall elect from among its membership, a new Celestial Being.

SECTION 4 - GUARDIANS

(1) The security and sanctity of the universe, as embodied through the World Assembly Delegacy, shall be safeguarded by Guardians, as so blessed by the Celestial Being.

QUALIFICATIONS OF GUARDIANS

(2) Guardians must:
A. Hold the status of Core World and have done so for the continuous period of no less than three months.
B. Not have been convicted of a crime.
C. Hold the status of World Assembly member.

APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIANS

(3) The Celestial Being shall at the Renewal of the Universal Cycle, select on the advice of the Sovereign, from among the membership of the Cosmic Council, Guardian-nominees.

(4) The Cosmic Council shall, at their discretion, confirm these nominees; and at the Renewal of the Universal Cycle, to occur every four months, shall vote to reaffirm Guardians.

REMOVAL OF THE CELESTIAL BEING'S BLESSING

(5) A Guardian shall be considered to have been stripped of his blessing, as granted by the Celestial Being if the Guardian:
A. Fails for three weeks to forewarn of, or indicate continued presence in Uniterra.
B. Has taken or takes an oath or makes a declaration or an acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to parties which Lazarus is in a state of war with.
C. Has been convicted (or is under charges of) treason against the Celestial Union of Lazarus.
E. Or the world or nation he represents, ceases to hold the status of Core World in the universe of Lazarus.
F. No longer holds World Assembly membership.

MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE

(6) Should the Cosmic Council, decide a question of confidence in a Guardian as being worthy of safeguarding the World Assembly Delegacy in the name of the Celestial Being through the passage of a motion of no confidence, the blessing shall be withdrawn from the Guardian by the Celestial Being.

SECTION 5 - EXECUTIVE POWER
DECLARATION OF EXECUTIVE POWER IN THE SOVEREIGN

(1) The executive power of the Union is vested in the Celestial Being and is exercisable by the Sovereign as the Celestial Being’s representative, and extends to the execution and maintenance of this Mandate, and of the laws of the Union.

POWER OF THE SOVEREIGN AND THE DEFENDER OF THE REALM

(2) The Sovereign shall, subject to this Mandate:
A. Have the power to administer the business of, and to make policy for the peace, order, and good government of the Union.
B. Hold the World Assembly Delegacy of Lazarus. The Defender of the Realm shall hold the Vice-World Assembly Delegacy of Lazarus.
C. The Sovereign may approve or reject applications for Core World status or citizenship on the forum.

QUALIFICATIONS OF SOVEREIGN AND DEFENDER OF THE REALM

(3) The Sovereign or Defender of the Realm is required to:
A. Hold the status of Core World and have done so for the continuous period of no less than three months.
B. Not have been convicted of a crime.
C. Hold the status of World Assembly member.

ELECTION OF THE SOVEREIGN AND DEFENDER OF THE REALM

(3) The Cosmic Council shall, at the Renewal of the Universal Cycle, elect from amongst its membership, a nominee for Sovereign and a nominee for the Defender of the Realm.

(4) The Celestial Being shall, at his discretion, grant these nominees through blessing, power to form a government in his name and with his celestial authority.

(5) If a special election has occurred less than a month prior to the Renewal of the Universal Cycle, the elections for that Renewal shall not be held.

TENURE

(5) The Sovereign and the Defender of the Realm shall retain the authority to govern in the Celestial Being’s name, so long as they have the confidence of the Cosmic Council and the blessing of the Celestial Being, as shall be affirmed at the Renewal of the Universal Cycle, to occur every three months.

(6) The Sovereign and the Defender of the Realm shall serve no more than two consecutive Universal Cycles.

REMOVAL OF THE CELESTIAL BEING'S BLESSING

(7) The Sovereign or the Defender of the Realm shall be considered to have been stripped of blessing if he or she:
A. Fails for three weeks to forewarn of, or indicate continued presence in Uniterra.
B. Has taken or takes an oath or makes a declaration or an acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to parties which Lazarus is in a state of war with.
C. Has been convicted (or is under charges of) treason against the Celestial Union of Lazarus.
E. Or the world or nation he represents, ceases to hold the status of Core World in the universe of Lazarus.
F. No longer holds World Assembly membership.

MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE

(8) Should the Cosmic Council, decide a question of confidence in the Sovereign and the Defender of the Realm as being worthy to govern in the name of the Celestial Being through the passage of a motion of no confidence with a majority, the blessing shall be withdrawn from the Sovereign and the Defender of the Realm by the Celestial Being.

ABSENCE OF THE SOVEREIGN

(9) In the case of an absence of the Sovereign, by the loss of his blessing, resignation, or otherwise, the Defender of the Realm may receive the Celestial Being’s blessing, at his discretion, to ascend to the Sovereign and govern in his name.

(10) In the case of an absence of the Defender of the Realm, by the loss of his blessing, ascension to the Sovereign, resignation or otherwise, the Cosmic Council shall elect from among its membership, a new Defender of the Realm.

ARCHBISHOPS

(11) The Celestial Being may, on the advice of the Sovereign, appoint and elevate a cleric to Archbishop; to administer the respective Archdiocese:
A.The Archbishop shall hold office during the pleasure of the Celestial Being, on the advice of the Sovereign.

COMMAND OF THE CELESTIAL ARMADA

(12) The commander-in-chief of the Lazarene Celestial Armada is vested in the Grand Commandant as the Celestial Being’s representative:
A.The Grand Commandant shall hold office during the pleasure of the Celestial Being, on the advice of the Sovereign.

SECTION 6 - LEGISLATIVE POWER
CONSTITUTION OF THE COSMIC COUNCIL OF LAZARUS

(1) There shall be a Cosmic Council for Lazarus, consisting of the Celestial Being, and a body of representatives.

POWERS OF THE COSMIC COUNCIL

(2) The Council shall, subject to this Mandate, have the exclusive power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Union with respect to:
A. Naturalization and aliens.
B. Space districting.
C. Taxation.
D. Banking, currency, coinage, and legal tender.
E. Relations with alternate universes.
F. Establishment of Archdioceses.
G. the Celestial Armada.

NUMBER OF COUNCILLORS

(3) The Council shall, subject to the provisions of this Act and any thereafter, consist of a representative from each of the Core Worlds, who shall be styled Councillors, and hereafter, shall be taken to refer to the world they represent.

QUALIFICATIONS OF COUNCILLORS

(4) Councillors shall be a subjects of the Celestial Being, naturalized by obtaining citizenship as a Core World.

TENURE OF PLACE IN THE COUNCIL

(5) A Councillor shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, hold his place in the Council for life.

DISQUALIFICATION OF COUNCILLORS

(6) The place of a Councillor shall become vacant in any of the following instances, if he or she:
A. For a period of 28 days fails to vote or participate in any business in the Council;
B. Has taken or takes an oath or makes a declaration or an acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to parties which Lazarus is in a state of war with.
C. Has been convicted (or is under charges of) treason against the Celestial Union of Lazarus.
E. Or the world or nation he represents, ceases to hold the status of Core World in the universe of Lazarus.

ELECTION OF THE CONVENOR

(7) The Council shall, at the Renewal of the Universal Cycle, elect from among its membership by a simple majority, a Convenor; and shall do so every three months.

VACANCY IN THE OFFICE OF THE CONVENOR

(8) In the case of a vacancy happening in the office of the Convenor, by the loss of Core World status, resignation, or otherwise, the Council shall elect from among its membership, a new Convenor.

THE AUTHORITY OF THE CONVENOR

(9) The Convenor shall preside over all business of the Council.

DEPUTY TO THE CONVENOR

(10) Until the Council otherwise provides, the Convenor may appoint a Councillor(s) to deputise for him, wherein he may be granted the powers, privileges, and duties of Convenor, to the discretion of the Convenor.

VOTING IN THE COSMIC COUNCIL

(11) Voting arising in the Council shall be decided by a simple majority, unless a higher threshold is required for passage.

CELESTIAL ASSENT TO BILLS

(12) Where a Bill has passed the Council, it shall be presented to the Celestial Being for celestial assent, and he shall declare if he assents thereto.

(13) A Bill shall not have any force as an Act of the Council until it receives assent, by celestial proclamation.

(14) The Celestial Being can be required to provide assent after a majority vote of two-thirds in the Council.

ARCHDIOCESES

(15) The Council shall, so often as it deems it necessary, organise itself into committees, henceforth referred to as Archdiocese, and assign these Archdioceses power, privileges and duties of a cosmic government department.

(16) An Archdiocese can be established or removed by a simple majority vote by the Council.

CLERICS

(17) Until the Council otherwise provides, a member of an Archdiocese shall be referenced henceforth as a cleric.

SECTION 7 - JUDICIAL POWER
DECLARATION OF JUDICIAL POWER IN THE CELESTIAL INQUISITORIAL COURT

(1) The judicial power of the Union is vested in the Celestial Inquisitorial Court.

POWER OF THE COURT

(2) The Court shall have sole jurisdiction to hear and determine matters arising under:
A. This Mandate, or involving its interpretation.
B. Any laws or treaties made by the Cosmic Council.

(3) The judgement of the Court in all such cases shall be final and conclusive.

QUALIFICATIONS OF A PRELATE

(4) Prelates are required to:
A. Hold the status of Core World and have done so for the continuous period of no less than three
months.
B. To have not been convicted of a crime.

NUMBER OF PRELATES
(5) The Court shall consist of a Holy Prelate, and Prelates, numbering no less than two, as the Cosmic Council prescribes.

APPOINTMENT

(6) The Cosmic Council shall, at the Renewal of the Universal Cycle, elect from among its membership, Prelate-nominees.
(7) The Celestial Being shall, at his discretion, grant these nominees through blessing, power to adjudicate with his celestial authority.

SELECTION OF THE HOLY PRELATE

(8) The Court shall, at no longer than a week into the Universal Cycle, select from among its membership, a Holy Prelate.

VACANCY IN THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY PRELATE

(9) In the case of a vacancy happening in the office of the Holy Prelate, by the loss of his blessing, resignation, or otherwise, the Court shall select from among its membership, a new Holy Prelate.

THE AUTHORITY OF THE HOLY PRELATE

(10) The Holy Prelate shall preside over all business of the Court.

TENURE

(11) A Prelate shall retain the authority to adjudicate in the Celestial Being’s name, so long as they have the confidence of the Cosmic Council and the blessing of the Celestial Being, as shall be affirmed at the Renewal of the Universal Cycle, to occur every four months.

(12) A Prelate shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, hold his place on the Court for life.
Removal of the Celestial Being’s blessing

(13) A Prelate shall be considered to have been stripped of his blessing, as granted by the Celestial Being if he or she:
A. For three weeks to forewarn of, or indicate continued presence in Uniterra.
B. Has taken or takes an oath or makes a declaration or an acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to parties which Lazarus is in a state of war with.
C. Has been convicted (or is under charges of) treason against the Celestial Union of Lazarus.
E. Or the world or nation he represents, ceases to hold the status of Core World in the universe of Lazarus.

MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE

(14) Should the Cosmic Council, decide a question of confidence in Prelate as being worthy to adjudicate in the name of the Celestial Being through the passage of a motion of no confidence, the blessing shall be withdrawn from the Prelate by the Celestial Being.

ABSENCE OF A PRELATE

(15) In the case of an absence of a Prelate, by the loss of his blessing, resignation, or otherwise, the Cosmic Council shall elect from amongst its membership, a Prelate-nominee.

SECTION 8 - THE CELESTIAL ARMADA

(1) The Lazarene Celestial Armada shall be the sole military organization based in Lazarus.

(2) Citizens of Lazarus are permitted to serve in foreign military organizations provided:
A. They are not currently in a state of war against the region.
B. The Celestial Armada may decide to exclude further foreign military organizations from its ranks.

(3) The Grand Commandant shall be the operational commander of the Lazarene Celestial Armada.

LIMITATIONS

(4) Loss of citizenship shall result in dismissal from the Celestial Armada and forfeiture of an officer commission.

(5) Lazarus shall enter a state of war with a foreign region or organization following a simply majority vote in the Cosmic Council or a declaration of war being received by the Sovereign.

POWERS OF THE GRAND COMMANDANT

(7) The Grand Commandant must be:
A. An active duty officer in the Celestial Armada
B. Unless no officers are willing to serve or have passed confirmation by the Cosmic Council.

(8) The Lazarene Celestial Armada shall have:
A. Two classes of ranks. These shall be Officers and enlisted personnel (Paladins).

(9) The Grand Commandant may :
A. Dismiss any member of the Lazarene Celestial Armada. This may be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote of existing officers at the time of dismissal.
B. Accept applications to join the Celestial Armada as an enlisted member.

POWERS OF OFFICERS

(10) Officers may:
A. Establish further ranks within either class by simple majority vote.
B. Determine the method of reaching each rank and of promotion to officer status.

(11) Votes among officers shall be tallied based on the number of officers voting.

REVISION OF TITLES AND POSITIONS

(12) The Lazarene Celestial Armada title and positions wherein can be renamed or re-organized by the Council through an Act passed with a simple majority vote.

ARTICLE V - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

View Article
OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

(1) Every member of the government and the military shall before taking residency in Uniterra and receiving his commission therein take and subscribe before the Celestial Being or some person authorized by him, the oath of allegiance:
A. From this time forward, [ me ], voluntarily without mental reservation or purpose of evasion, pledge my loyalty to Lazarus and her people, whose democratic beliefs I share, whose rights and liberties I respect, and whose laws I will uphold and obey.

CONTINUANCE OF EXISTING LAWS, COURTS, AND OFFICERS

(2) Except as otherwise provided by this Act, all laws in force in the Humane Republic of Lazarus, all authorities and responsibilities of all government and military officers, existing therein at the time of the Union, shall continue in the Celestial Union of Lazarus, as if the Union had not been made.

APPOINTMENT OF NEW OFFICERS

(3) On the day of, or at a maximum of several days after, the passage of this act, that the necessary arrangements are made to fulfill the vacancies in positions so warranted in this Act.

TREATY OBLIGATIONS

(4) The Celestial Union of Lazarus shall have all power necessary or proper for performing the Obligations of the Humane Republic of Lazarus, arising under treaties between the Humane Republic and other universes.

AMENDMENTS

(5) This Act may be amended by the Cosmic Council through a referendum:
A. A referendum to amend this Act must achieve a majority, defined as two-thirds of the vote.

HOLDING OF OFFICES

(6) No Core World in the office of the Celestial Being, the Sovereign, the Defender of the Realm, an Archbishop, a Bishop, the Convenor, a Deputy to the Convenor, the Holy Prelate, or a Prelate, may at any one time, occupy his own office and that of another.

SEAT OF GOVERNMENT OF LAZARUS

(7) The seat of government of Lazarus shall be the world, Uniterra.

SPACE-COM FORUM ADDRESS

(8) The forum shall be located at the address of ‘http://s15.zetaboards.com/NSLazarus/index/.’

REVISION OF TITLES AND POSITIONS

(9) The titles and positions in this mandate can be renamed by the Council through an Act passed with a simple majority vote.




The Celestial Mandate Act was passed on January 22nd, 2017.
The Celestial Mandate Act was amended on February 1st, 2017.
The Celestial Mandate Act was amended on February 17th, 2017.
The Celestial Mandate Act was amended on May 3rd, 2017.
The Celestial Mandate Act was amended on May 10th, 2017.
The Celestial Mandate Act was amended on June 26th, 2017.
The Celestial Mandate Act was amended on June 30th, 2017

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/lazarus_...0-t36.html

1. Any nation may apply for citizenship on the Regional Forum by providing their current nation in the region, their current World Assembly nation, a brief history of their time in NationStates, and by swearing an Oath of Citizenship.
   
   
2. The King shall have the authority to accept or deny citizenship applications. The King may delegate and revoke this authority as he deems appropriate.
   
   
3. The King shall have the sole authority to change the format of citizenship applications, as long as the format retains the aforementioned requirements.
   
   
4. Citizens shall forfeit their citizenship if they renounce it, their nation in Lazarus ceases to exist or leaves the region, they do not post on the forum within 30 days, or if they are found guilty of a crime and punished with loss of citizenship.
   

1. The King is the Head of State of Lazarus. They are assisted by their chosen Regent. The King is always permitted to surpass their endorsement cap, whereas the Regent may be granted that privilege by the King.
   
   
2. The King shall hold the position of delegate in-game. The King is responsible for maintaining order, enforcing justice, and ensuring the security of the region.
   
   
3. The King may determine the region’s endorsement cap. Nations may not exceed this cap unless they have been given explicit permission to do so by the King.
   
   
4. The King is permitted to appoint Guardians, who are tasked with gaining endorsements for the purposes of maintaining in-game security. The King is permitted to set a limit on the endorsements of Guardians.
   
   
5. The King is permitted to create offices that are not explicitly outlined in this document, however these positions must not contradict or overrule those outlined in this document.
   
   
6. The King is permitted to remove their Regent, the Directorate, or any other government or military official from their office.
   
   
7. The King is appointed by their predecessor. If the King does not appoint a successor before ceasing to exist, being deleted, or otherwise going inactive, the Regent will ascend to the throne if the King does not return after a week.
   

1. The Assembly is the legislative body of Lazarus. A citizen who participates in a District for at least two consecutive weeks may hold membership in the Assembly. Membership in the Assembly is contingent on an application and approval by the Speaker.
   
   
2. Members of the Assembly will have vacated their position if they lose citizenship or do not post on the forum for 15 days.
   
   
3. The members of the Assembly shall elect, from their membership, a Speaker once every three months. The Speaker shall be the president of the Assembly and oversee its membership and procedures.
   
   
4. The Speaker is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, conducting Assembly votes, auditing the Assembly membership roll, and accepting applications to the Assembly.
   
   
5. The Speaker shall be permitted to appoint a Deputy Speaker to serve as their assistant, wherein they may be granted the powers to execute the duties of the Speaker at the Speaker’s discretion.
   
   
6. The Assembly is permitted to create laws so long as they do not contradict or conflict with this document or the Edict of Lazarene Law and Order.
   
   
7. The Assembly is permitted to recall the Speaker or the Viceroy by a simple majority vote. If the Viceroy is recalled, members of the Directorate are not permitted to vote on that matter.
   
   
8. Treaties between Lazarus and other regions and declarations of war shall only be proposed by the King or the Viceroy.
   
   
9. The Assembly may enact, amend, or repeal regional law with a simple majority vote. Amendments to this document or the Edict of Lazarene Law and Order may only be enacted by a 66% majority vote.
   
   
10. All bills passed by the Assembly must be signed by the King before they are enacted.
    

1. The Viceroy is the Head of Government of Lazarus and oversees and manages the responsibilities of the Directorate.
   
   
2. The Viceroy is elected by the Assembly of Lazarus every three months and can serve no more than two terms consecutively.
   
   
3. The Viceroy will appoint Governors to lead the various Districts of Lazarus and form the Directorate. Appointees must be approved by the King before taking office.
   
   
4. The Directorate is responsible for establishing and maintaining all internal regional directives and plans of action. The King shall reserve the right to participate directly in Directorate affairs.
   

1. The Districts of Lazarus exist to encourage cooperation and production within the region, and each of the several Districts shall manage one specific facet of Lazarene directives.
   
   
2. A District will be lead by a Governor who is responsible for maintaining their District’s activity in accordance with policy enacted by the Assembly.
   
   
3. The jurisdiction of these Districts shall be further defined by the Assembly. Any member of the Assembly may propose the creation or disestablishment of a District.
   

1. Citizens may be removed at the discretion of the King, if the King can legally justify such an action. All those whose citizenship has been revoked must immediately be informed of the reason for removal and has the right to appeal that decision to the High Court.
   
   
2. Citizens have the right to a fair trial.
   
   
3. Residents have freedom of speech so long as they do not violate standing Lazarus law. However, foreign entryists exploiting Lazarus’ freedoms for the sake of undermining the will of the people will not be tolerated.
   
   
4. Residents have the right to manage the internal affairs of their nations; the Dominion may not discriminate based on how a nation answers issues or customizes their fields. However, Nazism, Fascism, and hate speech will not be tolerated.
   
   
5. Residents shall be permitted to participate in the Dominion as long as they are not deemed a threat to regional security, compliant with regional law, not an enemy of the state, and above the age of thirteen.
   

1. Section 6 of this document may only be added to. Section 7 may not be edited or revised.
   
   
2. This document may only be repealed by unanimous vote of the citizens.
   

1. The off-site forum shall be located at: http://www.ns-laz.com
   
   
2. Forum administration is separate from the affairs of the government. Violations of site rules and the Invision Community terms of service will be handled only by forum administration.
   

1. This document shall be considered the supreme law of Lazarus. Any conflicts between this document and any other law shall be resolved by deferring to this document.
   
   
2. Upon the passing of this document, the sitting WA delegate shall be named as King.
   
   
3. Upon the passing of this document, the King may appoint the first High Sepulchre for the benefit of immediate action in the region.
   
   
4. Upon the passing of this document, all citizens of the Celestial Union shall become citizens of the Undead Dominion.
   

1. Upon the passing of this amendment, all current Cathedrals shall be redefined as Districts with the same responsibilities. The Cathedral of Heresy shall become the Diplomacy District. The Cathedral of Corruption shall become the Cultural District. The Cathedral of Arbitration shall become the High Court. The Cathedral of War shall become the Military District.
   
   
2. Upon the passing of this amendment, all current citizens shall be considered members of the Assembly upon committing themselves to a District.
   

Hey all :)

So I've decided to run for PM, because it's something new and something I want to do, as well as something I believe I can do. Here are a couple points I wish to address first and foremost:
[spoiler=World Assembly]I want to reestablish a World Assembly Department. This Department would serve to educate people on resolutions and proposals, as well as help new Lazarenes draft up their resolutions, should they be interested in this. We have previously had such a Department, but it never really got off the ground. It is my hope we can redo it and build it in as a part of the region.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=The Gazette]I believe the Gazette is currently run well. However, I would like to promote it more to the on-site community, and give them the opportunity to write and submit articles, as well encourage citizens to get more involved in the Gazette. To this end, I wish to establish an on-site way to submit articles in the form of dispatches. Those articles will go through the usual submission process, but it will be more accessible to the on-site community instead, which makes up the bulk of the region's population.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Roleplay]The roleplay works as it is. Keep going! :P[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Foreign Affairs]This one might be controversial, but I'm going to say it anyway: I wish to take a stance for Neutrality. Yes, this was an April's Fools joke. No, I do not want to take it to such ridiculous heights. Here is a brief overview of how I intend this to work:
-We'll still pursue closer ties with those were in talks with. We were interested then, we are still interested now.
-We will not, however, open up new negotiations with R/D affiliated regions.
-We'll be pursuing closer ties to the West Pacific, Osiris and the South Pacific. All of those have proven themselves to be beneficial relations, and I wish to pursue closer ties to the South Pacific, expanding on our existing non-agression pact.
-Outreach to those regions bearing the "neutral" tag, and who's militaries (if they have any) merely participate in the Warzones and defence of their allies.
-Obviously, we will still be inclusive to R/Ders in the region. Regardless of alignment, people are always welcome.

"But Jo, isn't that taking an alignment?"
Yes, but not an R/D based one. Such an alignment will not cause harm to founderless regions, nor will it be inconveniencing raiders. It's win-win, in my books.

"You're insane. Why would you do this?"
Because I believe it to be a fun turn for the region, and one that will not expose the region to danger unnecessarily. Since we are neutral in military alignment anyway, we might as well take it to our foreign affairs as well. I believe we are strong enough as a region to start playing a bigger role in Gameplay. We will not alienate ourselves from our allies and friends - in fact, I intend to tighten our relations with those - but this offers up a way to take a bigger role on the stage. I don't think we need more friends necessarily - the ones we currently have are solid. Moving forward, I want to be picking friends based on how well their culture matches ours, not merely political convenience. I also intend to reach out more to user-created regions (those neutral in regards to R/D, of course :P) - our current FA has been GCR-oriented, and I think that there's some really solid allies to be made in the UCRs.

In short, we'll look more for relations with neutral aligned regions, and we won't be making enemies of R/D aligned regions. We'll still remain close with our current allies. And I also believe there's some fun to be had with the rhetoric of a neutral region.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=The Guard]The Guard has been doing a good job, lately. I wish for that to continue - I will also look into organising "wargames" with our friends in the West Pacific and Osiris (and perhaps, should TSP be up for it, them too?), where either of those raid a Warzone and we liberate it (maybe with the help of TSP). I want that to happen, as well as, of course, the protection of the signatories of the Warzone Inc. agreement. Those not in agreement with the Warzone Inc. agreements will be practice targets.[/spoiler]

In summary: I want to reestablish a WA department, organise an option for on-site residents to submit articles for the Gazette, keep the RP going, take a stance for neutrality (don't shoot! Read the spoiler! :P) and promote activity in the Guard.

I'll add more things once I realise I forgot stuff. For now, please ask all the questions you can have. I'll do my best to answer them. :)

Because it will inevitably be brought up, here's the other regions I'm involved in and to what level:
Lone Wolves United - Khan
The Black Hawks - Sergeant
Resident in Unknown, The Hole To Hide In and The Cretanja Queendom.

• I will aim to ensure that the Prime Minister represents the region -- and as such the will of the Assembly.
  
• I will reform our Ministries to ensure that they function well and no one is sitting around unnecessarily.
  
• I intend to stringently maintain the Independence of the Guard from the Cabinet, so long as it legally is, to the highest degree possible.
  
• I will work to ensure the Prime Ministership does not exceed or go beyond their legal authority to the best of my ability.
  

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Department of Public Relations) - Same as the current Department of Public Relations but without the World Assembly aspect.
  
• Ministry of Internal Affairs (Department of Internal Affairs) - They would be responsible for things such as Integration/Immigration and the World Assembly among other things.
  
• Ministry of Culture (Department of Company Culture) - They would be responsible for organizing events and other cultural activities within the Region -- along with aiding inter-regional activities.
  

• Citizenship - Wintreath
  
• Minor Advisor on Foreign Affairs - Wintreath
  
• Chancellor - Warzone Europe
  
• Citizen/Resident - Warzone Sandbox
  
• Matriarch of the Kaizer Family (Wintreath Based)
  

[spoiler=About me]So a little about me, my name is Domais, or simply Dom and I created my first nation in March of 2017. However, I didn't start playing seriously playing this game until September 2018. So it would be accurate to say that I have only been playing Nationstates for a year and a half. I became a Shareholder in November of 2018 and it was the first Sinker or Feeder I became a Citizen of. If I am elected Prime Minister it will be the first leadership position I have ever taken in a Feeder or Sinker, that's not to say that I haven't had any Leadership positions before. 
I was the Delegate of Warzone Australia for two months back in late 2018, also during that time I founded a UCR called Extalia and built it up to over 100 nations in a few months. However, today Extalia is dead as within a few months after I founded it, some of the essential people left and I was worn out doing everything by myself so I called it quits on that region. I didn't do anything on Nationstates for like 6 months, until June 2019 it was.
In June 2019 I refounded my nations and noticed that Warzone Airspace didn't have a delegate, this was back during the time of the Warzone Federation, never the less, I wanted to take over. This is when I first met Pino, then the Delegate of Lardyland and he agreed to help me. So within a few days, I was once again a Delegate of a Warzone, Warzone Airspace. It was also around this time that I became a General in the Lardy Army and then Minister of War for Lardyland.
I was the delegate of Warzone Airspace for like 3 months before an incident regarding the elections in the Warzone Federation, that caused me to contest the results of that election, and then be deposed as Delegate of Warzone Airspace, only to become Delegate of Warzone Airspace at the next update and then the start of a civil war. I don't really want to get into it, but the fact of the matter is, I won (Fun fact, I think I had 17 endorsements at one time, I think I only had like 4 before the civil war started. This was because I had connections with people and the such).
Anyways, moving on I was the Delegate of Warzone Airspace for like 2 more months before we held an election for Sky-Lord (Delegate) and I didn't run. At this time I was a Senator, but that is unimportant, what is important is Lardyland, now Meat and what I did there.
How to summarize my time in Meat, as Minister of War I saw a general stagnation and decline of the Regions Military, mostly due to the fact that we didn't do recruitment. Rather than being an actually Minister of War, I mostly advised Pino the Delegate (Head of Government) of Lardyland and then Founder of Meat (Still head of Government), I did this for like 10 months. The reason as to why I focusing on Lazarus instead of Meat is because of a disastrous merger that saw, the Union of Lardy Nations. At the end of that whole 2 weeks, we were back in Lardyland and it was General anarchy.[/spoiler]In Lazarus, I have held only the junior positions of Ambassador and member of Internal Management, so even though I have been a Shareholder for over a year, I am still am/feel like a new-comer, this is a good thing, however, as I think I can bring fresh ideas to the table. If elected this is what I will do:

• Try to increase the activity of our forum embassies. For instance, on TNP's forum, no-one has posted in the Lazarene Embassy since like December 2018, I find that a little bit concerning.
  
• Create a uniform style Dispatch system.
  
• Try to improve relations with Feeders, sister Sinkers, and UCRs too. Maybe some NAP and Treaties.
  
• Keep our regional Roleplay the way it is, it appears to be working.
  
• Continue the Developer program.
  

Shareholders of Lazarus,

As per Lazarene Elections Act 1.1, a General Election shall be called 15 days before the end of a term. With the current term ending on April 30, the General Election (April 2020) has begun as of April 15 to elect a new Prime Minister. The winner will assume the office of Prime Minister on May 1, 2020.

This thread shall serve as the standing thread as per Lazarene Elections Act 4.1. Eligible Shareholders may perform any of the following in this thread:

• Declare that they intend to stand for General Election (April 2020), by writing: "I hereby declare my candidacy in the General Election (April 2020)".
  
• Rescind a prior declaration by writing: "I hereby rescind my declaration for candidacy in the General Election (April 2020)
  
• Nominate other individuals to stand for the election. Note that these nominations are purely advisory, and only candidates that have formally declared as described above will be considered.