Parliament of Packilvania

Parliament of Packilvania LuMijhalisgur aluBakhilfaniya
Type
Type	Bicameral
Houses	Legislative Council Consultative Assembly
Term limits	None
History
Founded	First: 1710 CE Reestablished: 1985 CE
Disbanded	1914 CE
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	National People's Congress
Leadership
Monarch	Namdun III
Speaker of the Consultative Assembly	Prince Ajhar a-Kiran Bedon
Chairman of the Legislative Council	Prince Ulinod a-Alawadun Bedon
Structure
Seats of the Legislative Council	210 - 380
Seats of the Consultative Assembly	3,000 - 5,000
Elections
Last election	Great Selection of the Consultative Assembly 2021
Next election	Great Selection of the Consultative Assembly 2022

The Parliament of Packilvania (Packilvanian: LuMijhalisgur aluBakhilfaniya) comprises the legislative branch of the government of Packilvania. The Parliament was first established by the Demir dynasty over 300 years ago, however it was disestablished in 1918 following the First Packilvanian Civil War and reestablished in 1985 following the Second Packilvanian Civil War. It is established by the Constitution of Packilvania (Packilvanian: LuKhanongur aluBakhilfaniya). It consists of 2 chambers: the upper house is the Legislative Council (Packilvanian: LuMijhalis aluKhanon) and the lower house is the Consultative Assembly (Packilvania: LuMijhalis aluShrahan). All members of the two bodies are appointed by the Sultan of Packilvania.

Legislative Process

Main article: Legislative process of Packilvania

The legislative process of Packilvania is prescribed by the Constitution of Packilvania. The Constitution was passed by the Constituent Assembly of Packilvania in 1985 and consisted of representatives of the Carriers of Mercy, the Magisterium of Paxism, the nobility of Packilvania and defectors from the Packilvanian Communist Party. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land and laws must conform to the Constitution. The Constitution states that it can only be amended by a 3/4 majority of the both chambers of the Parliament of Packilvania, and the approval of the Sultan of Packilvania.

The Constitution allows the government to create laws to add to the provisions of the Constitution. There are three laws as follows:

• Case law is created by the judiciary of Packilvania. Case law consists of the precedents set by the High Courts, Religious Appeals Courts and Supreme Court of Packilvania. Precedents are set by the prescription that no court can adjudicate a case in a way that contradicts how other previous cases were applied and interpreted in the past unless new laws were passed.
• Statute is passed by the Sultan of Packilvania and the Parliament of Packilvania. Usually, a government agency will draft a law, propose it to the Council of Ministers of Packilvania, which will in turn propose it to the Parliament. The upper chamber of the Parliament known as the Legislative Council will vote on the law and submit accompanying comments. The Sultan will then choose to approve the law.
• Budgets are passed by the Parliament and the Sultan. They differ from statute in that both the approval of the Consultative Assembly and the Legislative Council are required for the annual budget to pass.
• Treaties are ratified by the Sultan without the approval of the Parliament.
• Decrees are passed by the Sultan and have the force of law. The Sultan is allowed to pass decrees on war, peace, treaties, foreign relations, appointment of bureaucratic, and judicial officials, composition of executive departments.
• Canon law is created by the Magisterium of Paxism through case law and through issuing bulls that are peer reviewed by other Magisters or through case law via Religious Appeals Courts.

Legislative Council

The Legislative Council is the upper chamber of the Parliament of Packilvania.

Powers and duties

According to the Constitution the powers of the Legislative Council include the power to question Members of the Council of Ministers of Packilvania as well as other state officials on state matters, to pass non-binding recommendations and to discuss and debate national issues. In reality, its primary duty is to ensure that the Council of Ministers does not eclipse the Sultan on importance and power. Thus, it has acquired the duty to advise the Sultan on the formation of legislation. This includes reviewing draft proposals from the Council of Ministers on statutes for the Sultan to promulgate. Furthermore, it organizes public consultations on legislative proposals through holding public forums, inviting and reviewing memoranda, letters and reports from the public. In addition, it can launch commissions of inquiry into public affairs and submit them to the Sultan. In theory, it can pass a non-binding recommendation calling for the Sultan to dismiss the Prime Minister and the rest of the Council of Ministers. Often, it expresses its discontent with the Prime Minister by submitting a report to the Sultan outlining areas of concern without specifically recommending his removal. In reality it is the threat of a scathing recommendation that keeps the Council of Ministers in check. Executive interference is also prevented by the Council of Ministers being forbidden from acting in a way that would prejudice or impede the work of the Legislative Council.

Administration

The Legislative Council typically uses the Legislative Council Building because the Palace of Parliament is usually rented out by the government as a venue for conferences, sports competitions and concerts. Furthermore, most of the Palace of Parliament consists of gathering spaces while the Legislative Council Building has offices for Councillors and their staff members. The Office of the Chairman of the Legislative Council is responsible for the day to day management of the Legislative Council including security, administration, facilities and upkeep.

Composition

It consists of 210 to 380 members. Its members appointed by the Sultan. Unlike, the Consultative Assembly, all of its members are appointed directly by the Sultan. Most of the members have served since the ascension of the Bedonite dynasty. Some members date their legislative careers to the National People’s Assembly of the Packilvanian Communist Party. They were appointed to their posts because they defected and supported the Bedonite dynasty's take over of the country. The Legislative Council has two sessions: from mid-March to mid June and from mid-June to mid-November.

Among its members are the Permanent Representatives of Minority Religions nominated by Recognised Religious Authorities, the Permanent Councillors of the Magisterium of Paxism in Packilvania nominated by the College of Great Magisters who are Packilvanian citizens, Permanent Representatives of the Packilvanian Armed Forces nominated by the Chief of Defence Staff, a Permanent Representative of the Packilvanian State Security Agency nominated by the Director of the PSSA, Permanent Representatives of the Judiciary of Packilvania appointed by the Chief Justice, Special Representatives of the Academic Community nominated by the Association of Packilvanian Universities, Permanent Representatives of the Packilvanian Police Services nominated by the National Commissioner of Police, the Permanent Representative of the Packilvanian Central Bank appointed by its Governor as well as Special Representatives of the Provincial Governments nominated by the Governors of each province. These are not the only members as the Sultan can appoint anyone he pleases.

Consultative Assembly

The Consultative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Packilvania.

Powers and duties

The Consultative Assembly is an annual conference of Delegates appointed by the Sultan indirectly via the terms and stipulations of the Decree on the Composition of the Consultative Assembly. Its purpose is to act as a forum for representatives of various entities and social groups to discuss important national issues. Arising from this, the Consultative Assembly has the power to issue non-binding recommendations to the Sultan. Most of its work is done in smaller groups called Committees which are often divided into smaller Sub-Committees focusing on different topics. The only time that the Consultative Assembly meets as a Plenary is on one day to hear the annual Speech from the Throne. Due to the difficulty of organizing and running such a large gathering, the members are known well in advance and the resolutions are discussed and prepared in working groups by state-run and non-state organizations months in advance.

Administration

The Consultative Assembly does not have its own secretariat. Instead, the Minister in the Office of the Premier for Parliamentary Affairs is responsible for organizing the logistics of the annual bi-weekly session of the Consultative Assembly. They are also responsible for sending invitations to and keeping an up to date record of eligible members. They also settle disputes regarding the proper representation for the event. Delegates of the Consultative Assembly do not get a salary. Instead flight, accommodation and food expenses for the duration of the session are paid for by the government. Furthermore, the upkeep of the Palace of Parliament as well as resources such as ceremonial uniforms and the Parliamentary Mace in maintained by the Minister in the Office of the Premier for Parliamentary Affairs.

Composition

It typically consists of between 3,000 and 5,000 members. They are all appointed by the Sultan. In practice, the process of selecting members to this body is too complex and time consuming for the Sultan to appoint each member individually. Thus, in practice the Decree on the Composition of the Consultative Assembly sets out parameters for the appointment of delegates to the Assembly. This process is called the Great Selection of the Consultative Assembly and it is coordinate by the Division of Parliamentary Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister.

According to the aforementioned Decree, the Consultative Assembly shall consist of the following:

1. All the Justices of the Supreme Court of Packilvania and the judges of the High Courts of Packilvania
2. All the of the Great Magisters and High Magisters of the Magisterium as well as 200 delegates elected by the annual Conference of Senior Magisters
4. All the Governors of the Provinces of Packilvania
5. All the Ministers in the Council of Ministers of Packilvania
6. 10 delegates from each of the minority religions as appointed by their Recognised Religious Authority.
7. All of the senior military officials of the Packilvanian Armed Forces as stipulated by Annexure C of the Decree.
8. All of the senior members of the Packilvanian State Security Agency as determined by Annexure D of the Decree
9. All of the Vice Chancellors of the Provincial and National Universities
10. All the Mayors of the top 100 largest cities in Packilvania by population
11. All the National and Provincial Commissioners of Police
12. The Directors of Special Government Agencies as stipulated by Rules and Regulations issued by the Prime Minister in terms of the Decree on the Composition of the Consultative Assembly
13. The Chief Executive Officers of the State Owned Entities.