Delegate Election Amendment

[HEM]

Inserting the following article after "Impeachment" as Article 13. Subsequent articles are to be duly renumbered:

<strong class='bbc'>Article 13 - Delegate Elections</strong>



1. The Delegate shall hold his office for terms lasting 8 months. No person may serve more than two consecutive terms as Delegate.

2. Three weeks before the term is to expire, candidates may declare their intention to run on the official South Pacific forum.

3. After a one week initial campaign period, citizens of the South Pacific on the forum, will vote for Delegate out of the standing candidates.

4. After an appropriate forum voting period, the top two candidates shall compete on site (Nationstates.net) to see who can garner the most endorsements. At the official end of the term, whomever holds the delegacy is the duly elected Regional Delegate. If at any time an incumbent is ousted with more than a 10 endorsement majority, the elections shall end and that citizen shall be declared the new Delegate.

5. At the four month point, a vote of confidence will be held on forum on the administration of the Delegate. If a majority express a dissatisfaction with the Delegate, snap elections will be held using the above process as if it were a General Election.

Thoughts? It contains elements of forum voting and onsite participation.

[LadyRebels]

I thought we were talking about six month and not eight month term.

[Todd McCloud]

I thought we were talking about six month and not eight month term.

LR is correct. We're in dispute for how long the term should be. So, I believe I will commence a vote on the determination of how long a term should be, to see where the region wants to go.

[Topid]

If that means start voting I think six. We already break cabinet elections by three, letting these fall at the same time is easier.

[Daxter]

I think the only change needed is to put the term length six months and not eight (thush having the vote of confidence on the third month, at the same time as a General Election).Other than that, I support this fully.

[LadyRebels]

Inserting the following article after "Impeachment" as Article 13. Subsequent articles are to be duly renumbered:



<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' ><strong class='bbc'>Article 13 - Delegate Elections</strong>



1. The Delegate shall hold his office for terms lasting 8 months. No person may serve more than two consecutive terms as Delegate.

2. Three weeks before the term is to expire, candidates may declare their intention to run on the official South Pacific forum.

3. After a one week initial campaign period, citizens of the South Pacific on the forum, will vote for Delegate out of the standing candidates.

4. After an appropriate forum voting period, the top two candidates shall compete on site (Nationstates.net) to see who can garner the most endorsements. At the official end of the term, whomever holds the delegacy is the duly elected Regional Delegate. If at any time an incumbent is ousted with more than a 10 endorsement majority, the elections shall end and that citizen shall be declared the new Delegate.

5. At the four month point, a vote of confidence will be held on forum on the administration of the Delegate. If a majority express a dissatisfaction with the Delegate, snap elections will be held using the above process as if it were a General Election.

Thoughts? It contains elements of forum voting and onsite participation.
</blockquote>

<strong class='bbc'>Article 13 - Delegate Elections</strong>



1. The Delegate shall hold his office for terms lasting 6 months. No person may serve more than two consecutive terms as Delegate.

2. Three weeks before the term is to expire, candidates may declare their intention to run on the official South Pacific forum.

3. After a one week initial campaign period, citizens of the South Pacific on the forum, will vote for Delegate out of the standing candidates.

4. After an appropriate forum voting period, the top two candidates shall compete on site (Nationstates.net) to see who can garner the most endorsements. At the official end of the term, whomever holds the delegacy is the duly elected Regional Delegate. If at any time an incumbent is ousted with more than a 10 endorsement majority, the elections shall end and that citizen shall be declared the new Delegate.

5. At the four month point, a vote of confidence will be held on forum on the administration of the Delegate. If a majority express a dissatisfaction with the Delegate, snap elections will be held using the above process as if it were a General Election.

I changed the 8 months to 6, I still think that limit of two consec terms is not good, but that is just me it seems

[HEM]

6 months is fine with me. ^_^

[Daxter]

Article 13 - Delegate Elections

1. The Delegate shall hold his office for terms lasting 6 months. No person may serve more than two consecutive terms as Delegate.
2. Three weeks before the term is to expire, candidates may declare their intention to run on the official South Pacific forum.
3. After a one week initial campaign period, citizens of the South Pacific on the forum, will vote for Delegate out of the standing candidates.
4. After an appropriate forum voting period, the top two candidates shall compete on site (Nationstates.net) to see who can garner the most endorsements. At the official end of the term, whomever holds the delegacy is the duly elected Regional Delegate. If at any time an incumbent is ousted with more than a 10 endorsement majority, the elections shall end and that citizen shall be declared the new Delegate.
5. At the three month point, a vote of confidence will be held on forum on the administration of the Delegate. If a majority express a dissatisfaction with the Delegate, snap elections will be held using the above process as if it were a General Election.

You forgot to change the vote of confidence from four months down to three months. Since it arrives on the time of general elections it will make things easier for the EC and three is the half of six.

Also forgive me if this kind of looks botched, but that's just because I am sending this from my smartphone for the first time. Lol

[Daytime to Night]

I don't understand the endorsement bit? Doesn't seem to make sense to me or fit with what others have suggested.I also oppose term limits.

[HEM]

I don't understand the endorsement bit? Doesn't seem to make sense to me or fit with what others have suggested.

I also oppose term limits.

That's how elections are currently held in the region. I added in the forum voting process.

[Southern Bellz]

I don't like term limits at all.

[Todd McCloud]

I don't like term limits at all.

I do. <strong class='bbc'>But</strong>, I think it should be 'consecutive' term limits, and not just 'term limits', for there may come a time when no one really wants to one and we would have to rely on a former delegate to step forward and work things out.



The consecutive qualifier prevents nations from voting for a nation because of their level of comfort with them. If we're really going to get this region going, we're going to have to be open to other nations. Plus after a year, a delegate can get stale, so it's best to get some new blood up there. We have enough good nations here where we can literally do this for years (barring any retirements / drama).

[Daytime to Night]

I say we remove the term limits clause so we can pass the reforms and then those who want term limits can propose it as a separate amendment so we can vote on it in isolation.Sound good?

[Daxter]

I strongly agree with the maximum of two consecutive term limit. I think that, like Todd said, it forces us to add new blood to the Delegate seat. The Delegate that is forced to step down after the two consecutive term limits (which is one year in all, let us not forget), can come back after one 'break term' and technically run for two more consecutive terms until he/she reaches the limit, and so on. Some may think that is useless if we are just going to go back to the same old Delegate after the forced temporary retirement, but I think it is a good thing because you never know and that new blood can be surprisingly good at his job (or he can suck, but we have the vote of confidence for that). And if you look at proposed amendment, it does say 'consecutive terms'. I think that the amendment should pass in this form.Also, if you disagree with the term limits, can you tell us why instead of just stating your opinion and just leaving it at that?

[LadyRebels]

I think that term limits gives the idea that we don't want a long running Delegate over TSP. Sometimes it takes about a year to "prove" yourself in NS, it took me that long for everyone to fully understand that I was not at the top of the page for "power" but for TSP.I stayed at the top of the page for two years running before I lost the "race" between TMD and myself. For which reminds me that "horse race to the top of the page" might cause some issues. Those being that sometimes people gain endos even after the call to stop has been made, will it be one of those that we will just remove all the endos of the Government people of TSP or the Forum members?Dang rambling again. Anyway the term limits just seem to scream out that we don't want to get "comfortable" with a person before they are "forced" to step down for one term and then can run again. In six months a person can do a lot of damage to hard work from a person that has actually done all the hard work for the Region. I say that it should be left open for the voters and not a "forced" idea within the Charter.EDIT on a couple of words that should have been different than what they were.

[HEM]

As long as we have the midterm votes of confidence, I'm fine with not including term limits. Perhaps we should put this issue to a quick vote?

[Daxter]

Yes, alright, lets put it to a quick vote.

[californiaaaaaa]

I'm not really for term limits. I feel that if the region is unhappy with their delegate, member nations can just simply take matters into their own hands and unendorse. Term limits are, in this case, too limiting.

[Caer Rialis]

I agree with californiaaaaa. There are no real need for term limits. They limit the voice of the people by limiting whom they can elect to any one position.

[HEM]

After Term Limit Vote:

<strong class='bbc'>Article 13 - Delegate Elections</strong>



1. The Delegate shall hold his office for terms lasting 6 months.

2. Three weeks before the term is to expire, candidates may declare their intention to run on the official South Pacific forum.

3. After a one week initial campaign period, citizens of the South Pacific on the forum, will vote for Delegate out of the standing candidates.

4. After an appropriate forum voting period, the top two candidates shall compete on site (Nationstates.net) to see who can garner the most endorsements. At the official end of the term, whomever holds the delegacy is the duly elected Regional Delegate. If at any time an incumbent is ousted with more than a 10 endorsement majority, the elections shall end and that citizen shall be declared the new Delegate.

5. At the four month point, a vote of confidence will be held on forum on the administration of the Delegate. If a majority express a dissatisfaction with the Delegate, snap elections will be held using the above process as if it were a General Election.

6. The first Delegate election shall be held on July 4th, 2011.

[HEM]

Should we set an original election date in this legislation? (ie the first Delegate election will be held on mm/dd/yyyy)

[LadyRebels]

I think honestly with Topid making his bid for Delegate that we should at the very least give him the chance to show us something. Maybe call for a vote of confidence in three months.Did we settle on the three or four month vote of confidence or was it brought up every two months?I is confuzzled ^_^

[Topid]

Also we can't just pass the above proposal, I think, as that would make half of the Martial Law/LoS defunct but the bits on endorsement caps and stuff still relevant, which is somewhat confusing.

[Belschaft]

Perhaps an amendment to the Martial law to require the delegate to initiate votes of no confidence and regional elections may be the easiest solution?I assume we're keeping the ability to challenge the delegate at any point?

[HEM]

Perhaps an amendment to the Martial law to require the delegate to initiate votes of no confidence and regional elections may be the easiest solution?

I assume we're keeping the ability to challenge the delegate at any point?

With a three month ability to unseat the Delegate, I don't think that's necessary.