Auroran Parliament
The Auroran Parliament (simply known as the Parliament or AP) is the lower chamber of the bicameral legislative branch of the United Nations of the Auroran Continent (UNAC). It was established in July 2018 during the Auroran Reunification Summit in Emberwood Coast where the Charter of the UNAC (colloquially known as the Treaty of Aura) was adopted. It was preceded and partially based on the legislative branches of the Auroran Union (AU) and the Auroran Continental Assembly (ACA). For most of the year, it is seated in Aura, Emberwood Coast, but some sessions are held in Sani Bursil, Great Morstaybishlia (a compromise arising from the reunification negotiations). The body is elected by the citizens of the member states of the UNAC every 3 to 4 years. The incumbent Speaker of Parliament is Eliza Hughes of Oscrelia.
Powers and duties
The Auroran Parliament comprises the lower half of the legislative branch of the UNAC. This means that it has the power to pass, amend or repeal certain types of Auroran law. It does not have any control over treaties. Treaties are agreements between member states and they overrule all other bodies of the UNAC including the Auroran Parliament. The Council of the UNAC also wields legislative powers that the AP does not have access to. For instance, the Council of the UNAC has the power to pass security, temporary and extraordinary acts STE Acts) which include dissolving the AP, declaring a state of emergency and enforcing a blockade.
Thus, the AP has legislative powers over a subset of Auroran law called ordinary acts. Ordinary acts are all the forms of legislation which are not STE Acts. The Charter of the UNAC has a detailed list of topics that the UNAC has exclusive or shared jurisdiction with member states. These topics are typically areas which require cooperation among member states or affect multiple member states. Ordinary acts tend to either be rules, procedures or regulations governing the internal functioning of the UNAC or they are shared standards, guidelines, or coordination and support mechanisms. Ordinary acts can also be used to establish joint initiatives that span the continent.
The AP does not have the power to propose legislation as only the Commission of the UNAC has that power. Instead, it has the power to pass legislation. A majority of both the Parliament and the Council is required to make ordinary acts binding. The Council can overturn the Parliament's decision by passing the legislation with a two thirds majority. The Parliament has important influence over the legislative process by being able to scrutinise, criticise and propose amendments to legislative proposals. Furthermore, it can pass non-binding resolutions to influence the political debate around various issues.
In addition, the AP has the power to conduct inquiries and to demand written and verbal reports from members of the Commission and other senior UNAC officials on various matters. This power exists to enable the AP to hold members of the executive branch accountable. This helps to strengthen good governance and transparency in the way that the UNAC functions. This function can have important persuasive effect in the manner that the Commission runs the UNAC.
Finally, the Parliament has power over the composition of the Commission. Together with the Council of the UNAC, it has the power to appoint members of the Commission of the UNAC as well as the President of the UNAC Commission. This procedure usually works as follows: the Council of the UNAC will propose a President and the AP will either support or decline the appointment. Then, once the President is selected, the President will propose Commissioners and portfolios to both the Parliament and Council. Both bodies must approve the candidates before they can take office.
Similarly, it has the power to pass a vote of no-confidence against the Commission and the President of the UNAC Commission, forcibly dismissing them from their posts. Secondly, if the vote of no-confidence originates in the AP, the Council must approve. Alternatively if it originates in the Council, the Parliament must approve for it to become binding.
Together with the Council, the Parliament has the power to control the composition of the UNAC. This means it can ratify or decline the ascension of a member or observer state. However, it must be noted that only the Council has the power to suspend or altogether terminate the membership of a member state or participation of an observer state.
Legislative procedure
The procedure that governs the passage of legislation arises in part from the Charter of the UNAC. The Council and Parliament can pass internal rules and procedures that control their internal operations.
Legislation is always proposed by the Commission of the UNAC. The President of the UNAC Commission or a Commissioner of the UNAC (or their legally appointed representative) will send a copy of the legislation to the Speaker of Parliament. The Speaker of Parliament or their legally appointed representative will notify the members that the Commission has proposed an act. The Speaker will set a date for the Commission to present an oral explanation of the act. The members may debate the law or ask the Commissioner questions relating to the Act. The Speaker will either send the legislation to the appropriate standing committee for further debate or propose the establishment of an ad-hoc committee to tackle the act depending on the nature and scope.
Standing Committees are proposed by the Speaker and approved by the Parliament at the beginning of each term. Usually, Standing Committees are carried over from the previous term. However, Standing Committees can be proposed, approved and dissolved at any time. The Parliament will vote for members to these standing committees. Standing committees have jurisdiction over predefined topics. The Speaker is responsible for resolving any disputes in jurisdiction. The Ad-hoc committees exists in a similar way, but they consider narrow issues and usually have a predefined expiration date that that is either some arbitrary time in the future or upon the passage of the legislation for which it was established.
Committees can establish sub-committees. The purpose of the committees is to debate and examine the legislation more closely. They can propose amendments to legislation, invite experts and request further explanations from the Commission. They also organise public consultations such as public hearings or they can invite letters and emails from the public which they read and consider. Also, any petitions relating to a topic are sent to the committee for deliberation. Petitions must have a specific format and have at least 20,000 valid and verifiable signatures. The Parliament has completely digitised this process to make it more streamlined. When the committee is satisfied with the legislation, they may ask the Speaker to present the legislation to a Plenary of the Parliament to vote on it.
The Speaker will set the date for the reading of the act. This is when the Speaker reads the long form of the title that was finally approved. Members would have had a chance to read the full act on their own. Usually in the same sitting, the plenary debate and plenary vote are held. A Plenary vote is preceded by a Plenary debate where members of Parliament present a short speech stating their opinions if they wish. Members may use any of the official languages of the UNAC when addressing the house. Relevant translation services are made available through live audio and/or written translations to make the legislative process easy. Following the debate, members vote yes, no or abstain. A minimum of half plus one of the members must be present for the vote to be binding. Members cannot be compelled to attend. Upon the passage of the act, the Speaker presents the outcome to the President of the UNAC Commission and the Council of the UNAC.
Electoral oversight
The Auroran Electoral Commission (AEC) is an independent agency of the UNAC that is responsible for overseeing and administering elections of the Auroran Parliament. Its powers and duties are enshrined in the Charter of the UNAC. It is responsible for registering candidates, enforcing electoral rules, counting ballots, verifying and announcing results, monitoring campaign funding and other activities and ensuring the effective administration of elections.
Representatives of parties and proxies of independent candidates have the right to monitor the vote counting process, but they may not be present in voting venues. This rule is designed to prevent voter intimidation. Candidates and parties with complaints about voting or counting procedures may report those issues to the AEC. If they are not satisfied with the AEC, they can file a complaint at the Auroran Court of Justice (ACJ). The ACJ is the only and final court that can hear and adjudicate complaints about AP elections.
Electoral procedure
The AP is elected every 3 years by the citizens of the member states of the UNAC. The member states are allocated a minimum of 3 seats regardless of their size. Seats are allocated in proportion to the population of each nation. Thus, the most populous nation, Great Morstaybishlia, has by far the largest number of seats.
Electoral districts are roughly equal in population. Each district gets one seat. The candidate for that seat is elected by run-off voting. This means if no candidate receives over 50% of the vote after the first round, the top 2 candidates continue to a second round of voting. In the unlikely went of a tie, another vote is held until a winner is decided. Voters vote for only one candidate or party on their ballot. Voting can either be on paper or electronic.
Following the end of a term, the UNAC Commission and the Speaker of Parliament will agree on a date for the elections in line with the Charter of the UNAC. Failing which they must report to the ACJ why they failed to set a date. Following which, they inform the AEC of the date so that it can begins preparing for elections. The AEC will in turn organise the election.
Only citizens of the UNAC above the age of majority may vote. Only mentally infirm people (as declared by a court of law) may not vote but otherwise voting is open to all including prisoners and citizens residing outside the UNAC. Voting is regarded as fundamental right of all UNAC citizens.
Electoral criteria
Candidates to the AP must meet criteria set out in the Charter of the UNAC to be eligible to compete. The candidates are expected to be legally registered citizens of a UNAC member state. They may only run in the member state of which they are a citizen and a registered resident of the electoral district that they want to represent. They must be above the age of 25 and must be of sound mind. Fugitives and prisoners are not allowed to stand for election.
These criteria mimic similar restrictions placed on legislative candidates in Auroran states. The purpose of these criteria is to ensure that the candidates have the minimum legal capacity to exercise their duties. Criteria exist not only for the candidates but for political parties as well.
Political parties are defined by the Auroran Elections Act of 2018 as "political organisations established with the purpose of running elections for the AP". They are recognised as juristic persons and are registered as non-governmental organisations in any of the member states of the UNAC. They must be registered with the AEC to be eligible to run. They require a minimum 500 registered members and must submit a constitution to the AEC outlining their operations and structure. Most national political parties affiliate with a continental political party, meaning that they send candidates and vote in matters concerning the continental party.
Campaign funding
The Auroran Elections Act of 2018 stipulates the rules surrounding donations and financial activities of political parties. Because political parties are non-profit non-governmental organisations, they are required to follow similar rules. For instance, they do not have shareholders or pay dividends. There are limitations placed on their expenditures and sources of funding and they are expected to make financial disclosures to the AEC if they want to run.
They are required to disclose sourcing of funding for campaigns to the AEC. The AEC in turn discloses an abridged version to the public. Certain sources such as individual donations below 500,000 KRB are not allowed to be disclosed to the public. Sources from non-profit and non-governmental organizations (e.g., trade unions and charitable organizations) and private companies are allowed to donate but those can be disclosed. Furthermore, private companies can donate a maximum of 1 million KRB to a political party. Governments are not allowed to donate money to the campaigns of political parties or independent candidates running for AP elections.
The AEC allocates funding from the UNAC to parties running in the elections. It allocates between 5 million KRB to 20 million KRB based on the number of registered members of each party. Parties are required to have a verifiable register of active members when requesting access to campaign funding from the AEC. Outside of campaigning, the AE Act requires that political parties disclose donations and restricts the maximum donation amounts. Furthermore, funding from lobbying must be disclosed to the AEC.
Composition
Representation by country
| Country | Number of seats | Percentage of seats (%) |
|---|---|---|
 Andorinhões
|
6 | 0.80% |
 Asilica
|
14 | 1.87% |
 Axdel
|
80 | 10.67% |
 Blueacia
|
5 | 0.67% |
 Dragonia
|
17 | 2.27% |
 Durentrus
|
12 | 1.60% |
 Emberwood Coast
|
44 | 5.87% |
 Faethalria
|
34 | 4.53% |
 Great Morstaybishlia
|
278 | 37.07% |
 Kothalria (termination pending)
|
22 | 2.93% |
 K'undzeti
|
6 | 0.80% |
 Nolova
|
7 | 0.93% |
 North Ethalrian Confederacy
|
~40 (pending termination of Kothalria and Vothetria) | ~5.33% |
 The Oan Isles
|
16 | 2.13% |
 Oceansend
|
5 | 0.67% |
 Oscrelia
|
47 | 6.27% |
 Sarentria
|
21 | 2.80% |
 Tivot
|
19 | 2.53% |
 Tuvaltastan
|
43 | 5.73% |
 Valerica
|
15 | 2.00% |
 Vothetria (termination pending)
|
28 | 3.73% |
 Xiopothos
|
24 | 3.20% |
 Yor Isles
|
7 | 0.93% |
Representation by party
| Political party | Logo | Number of Seats | Percentage of seats (%) | Leader | Chief Whip | Ideology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auroran Socialist Democratic Party | 
|
235 | 31.33% | ? | ? | Center-left socialist democrats |
| Auroran Liberal Party | 
|
127 | 16.93% | ? | ? | Center-right neoliberal capitalists |
| Auroran Conservative Party | ? | 157 | 20.93% | ? | ? | Social conservatives |
| Auroran Green Party | 
|
72 | 9.60% | ? | ? | Environmentalists |
| Auroran Independence Party | ? | 25 | 3.33% | ? | ? | Populist nationalist anti-integrationists |
| MEASA Coalition | ? | 7 | 0.93% | Zurab Ivanidze | Talia Mikhalishvili | Salovian Pan-Nationalism |
Lobbying
Lobbying refers to organized action by private entities namely private companies, non-profit and non-governmental organisations to influence the work of the AP and its members. All lobbying by NGOs and private companies must be registered with the AEC. Furthermore, any expenditures that arise in the lobbying process must be disclosed to the AEC. Restrictions are placed on how much money can be spent or received throughout the lobbying process.
Lobbyists include a wide variety of organizations and interests. Most organizations especially private companies prefer not to lobby legislators directly. Instead, they appoint a consulting firm specializing in lobbying to carry out the lobbying process on their behalf. Lobbyists can be useful in suggesting legislative proposals, organizing engagements between institutions, the public and legislators, advising legislators on legislation (especially with a technical nature), conducting research about legislation and publishing reports.
Seat
The seat of the Auroran Parliament is the Aura International Convention Center in Aura, Emberwood Coast. The secondary seat of the Auroran Parliament is the Auroran Parliament Building in Sani Bursil, Staynes, Great Morstaybishlia. The use of two venues arose from the Auroran Reunification Summit where members of the Auroran Continental Assembly and Auroran Union agreed to compromise. Because Aura had always been the primary seat of Pan-Auroran government, it remained as the primary seat of the UNAC and, by consequence, the Auroran Parliament. This was favoured not only by the members of the ACA but of the AU such as Axdel. However, The Oan Isles and Great Morstaybishlia insisted on Sani Bursil. To appease their demands, Sani Bursil was made a secondary headquarters for the Auroran Parliament.
Most of the work of the Parliament is done in Aura. This includes plenary sessions, committees, administration and management. Furthermore, most of the residences of the members of the AP are located in the affluent North District of Aura (also known the International or Diplomatic District). However, some sessions of the Parliament are held in Sani Bursil. This requires the entire Parliament as well as the Commission to temporarily relocate to that city for part of the year. Although this is a logistically intense and expensive process, the political significance has forced the UNAC to continue with it. The Aura International Convention Center and the surrounding complex of buildings caters to most of the needs of the UNAC. Additional office space is provided by buildings located elsewhere in the city. Similarly, multiple buildings house administrative functions and offices of the AP when it sits in Sani Bursil.