Law:Constitution of the Libertine Party

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The Constitution of the Libertine Party

In order to preserve, defend, grow, and maintain the Pillow Fortress, First Princess Julia Platz-Halter hereby establishes the Libertine Party, as recognized by the Constitution of the Year I, and enshrines this document as the Party’s supreme governing authority, any act committed by any member or subordinate organization in violation of it being politically null and void.

I. Ideology

I. The Libertine Party is committed to following, expressing, and developing those ideologies which were of supreme importance to the founding of the Principality of the Pillow Fortress;

i. Monarchism, in the form of the hereditary monarchy established by First Princess Julia Platz-Halter, with its unique technocratic leadership function;

ii. Socialism, in the maintenance of civil functions and services under the control of the government, worker representation in government through the Council of Labor, and government enterprises participating in a heavily regulated market economy which serves all, not merely the bourgeoisie;

iii. Egalitarianism, in the pursuit of fairness, justice, and equity for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or any other class deserving of protection;

iv. Social Justice, in the development of the welfare state, and the constant striving for greater and greater wealth, happiness, and liberty for all;

v. Transhumanism, in the hope that one day human ingenuity may overcome human weakness, leaving for our eusocial posthuman descendants the stars as their inheritance.

II. Party Secretary

I. The reigning Princess of the Principality of the Pillow Fortress is the Party Secretary, and the Party Secretary is the highest position within the Libertine Party, being the head of the Party and of the Politburo.

II. The Party Secretary may delegate any of her powers to the Deputy Secretary, and for however long she wishes. Such delegate power or powers are retained by the Princess, and may be stripped from the Deputy Secretary at any time, for any reason.

III. Deputy Secretary

I. The Party Secretary shall, at her earliest convenience, appoint a Deputy Secretary to fulfill any and all of the Party Secretary’s duties as she may delegate. The Party Secretary may veto any action or decision of the Deputy Secretary for any reason.

II. In times of regency, the Deputy Secretary shall have the powers of the Party Secretary until such time as a new Princess assumes the throne in accordance with the legal order of succession.

IV. Politburo

I. The Politburo is the executive leadership committee of the Party.

II. The Politburo shall consist of the Party Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and the heads of each branch of the Party.

III. The Politburo shall have the power, via collective deliberation and decision, to pass provisional bylaws which shall serve as the binding rules and regulations which govern the Party, its organizations, members, functions, and conduct, subject to final codification by the Libertine Congress. Bylaws are also subject to veto by the Party Secretary. Additionally, the Politburo shall have the power, via collective deliberation and decision, to censure Party members, to bestow awards, to issue statements on behalf of the Party, to interface with the government of the Pillow Fortress, and to undertake such actions and delegate such powers as may be necessary for the operation of the Party.

IV. Provisional bylaws passed by the Politburo may not have the effect of expelling any member of the Party.

V. No individual, except the reigning Princess, may serve on the Politburo while concurrently holding an appointment within the government of the Pillow Fortress.

VI. The Party Secretary may make temporary appointments to the Politburo in order to fill vacant administrative positions.

V. Libertine Congress

I. Every six years, should extraordinary circumstances not necessitate its cancellation or postponement, the Party shall hold a gathering of delegations from the various Party chapters, as well as from various recognized factions within the Party. Such gatherings constitute the Libertine Congress.

II. The Libertine Congress shall have the power, by simple majority vote subject to veto by the Party Secretary, to amend, repeal, and pass bylaws, censure individual members, expel individual members, issue statements on behalf of the Party, set forth an agenda or goals to be completed before the next Libertine Congress, and appoint members to the Politburo and to the leadership of subordinate Party organizations. Additionally, the Libertine Congress shall have the power, by no less than three-fourths majority vote subject to veto by the Party Secretary, to amend this constitution.

III. Party chapter delegations to the Libertine Congress shall consist of a chairperson plus a number of additional delegates as determined in bylaw, and who shall be chosen by and from among members of their respective Party chapters.

IV. Faction delegations shall consist of a chairperson plus a number of additional delegates as determined in bylaw, and who shall be chosen by and from among members of their respective factions.

V. Only those factions recognized as such in this constitution are eligible to send voting delegations to the Libertine Congress, and while bylaws may be passed to further clarify or define the nature, scope, function, or activities of any faction, only an amendment to this constitution may establish or disestablish a Party faction. VI. The recognized Party factions are;

i. Disability Faction, membership in which shall be open to all Party members who have any physical or mental disability or handicap.

ii. Labor Faction, membership in which shall be open to all Party members who are currently employed in working class or ‘blue collar’ jobs.

iii. LGBT Faction, membership in which shall be open to all Party members who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or any other non-cis gender identity or non-heterosexual sexual orientation.

iv. Student Faction, membership in which shall be open to all Party members currently enrolled in university level education.

v. Women Faction, membership in which shall be open to all Party members who are women, either cis or trans.

VII. An individual may be a member of however many Party factions they are eligible to join, and membership in one Party faction shall not preclude membership in any other Party faction.

VIII. The chairperson of each delegation to the Libertine Congress shall have voting powers, along with any additional number of delegates so empowered in bylaw.

IX. In times of emergency, either within or without the Party, the Party Secretary may call a special session of the Libertine Congress. Such special sessions shall convene as soon as possible, be narrowly focused on resolving whatever emergency was its proximate cause, and shall have a limited number of voting participants, with all delegations consisting of no more than two representatives.

X. Should circumstances make the physical gathering of Party delegations prohibitively dangerous to the life and limb of their representatives and other Party officials, sessions of the Libertine Congress, special or otherwise, may be held via teleconferencing or other means which ensure the safety of its participating members.

XI. The convening of a special session of the Libertine Congress shall not in and of itself be grounds for not convening any other scheduled Libertine Congress.

VI. Membership

I. Membership in the Libertine Party shall be open to all citizens of the Pillow Fortress aged eighteen and older, except those who adhere to political philosophies and ideologies incompatible with Party doctrine, purpose, or actions. Disqualifying ideologies include, but are not necessarily limited to, anti-monarchism, fascism, anarchism, Leninism, right-wing libertarianism, religious/ethnic/racial supremacism or separatism, and luddism.

II. The Party may establish through appropriate bylaw additional criteria necessary for membership, so long as such criteria, either individually or in aggregate, does not have the effect of discriminating based on race, ethnicity, origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or any other protected class recognized by the Principality.

III. The Party may establish through appropriate bylaw, multiple classes of membership for the purposes of restricting participation within the Party, or honoring members who have contributed greatly to the Party, or any other purpose as may be necessary for the operation of the Party, so long as such classes of membership do not, either individually or in aggregate, discriminate based on race, ethnicity, origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or any other protected class recognized by the Principality.

IV. The Party may expel members who have engaged in acts which are grossly criminal or negligent, acts which either intentionally or unintentionally undermine or subvert the power, prestige, or authority of the Party, or acts which embarrass the Party, or acts which have been established in bylaw as being unbecoming of a Party member.

V. All prospective members of the Party, should they meet all requirements and pass all background checks, and formally invited to join, must swear or affirm the following oath:

I, (name), shall, from this moment onward, serve the Libertine Party in whatever capacity may be asked of me: developing the Party, defending the Party, maintaining the Party, acting on behalf of the Party, and in all things and in every way forever loyal to the Party and its mandate to lead, protect, and cultivate the Principality of the Pillow Fortress, its citizens, and its subjects.

VII. Party Chapters

I. It is the responsibility of the Party to establish local Party chapters, the exact size and scope of which are to be determined in bylaw.

II. Party chapters are subordinate to the Politburo, the Libertine Congress, and to all bylaws established by the same.

III. Membership in the Party automatically confers membership in that Party chapter which is recognized to most closely serve that member’s current residence.

IV. Only members of a Party chapter may hold positions of authority and power within that particular Party chapter, excepting appointments authorized by the Politburo in times of emergency.

VIII. Party Elections

I. For the selection of delegations to the Libertine Congress, as well as the filling of any appointment, office, or position of trust within the Party not made by the Party Secretary, the Politburo, the Libertine Congress, or by any other officer of the Party empowered to do so in bylaw, the Party shall hold elections.

II. All members of the Party in good standing, and who have been members for no less than two years, may run as candidates in any Party election for which position they are eligible to hold.

III. In order to protect the democratic process from corruption and abuse, the Party shall accept the presence of neutral observers provided by the Principality of the Pillow Fortress, if so offered.

IV. The exact nature of Party elections, their schedule, method, and any other features not specifically defined within this constitution, shall be determined in bylaw.

IX. Fortressian Appointments and Elections

I. Any member of the Party may be appointed to any position or office within the government of the Pillow Fortress in accordance with the State Charter, Constitution of the Year I, Pillow Fortress Code, or any other laws, rules, and regulations which may be established by the Principality. However, Party members may only run in Fortressian elections if and only if they receive approval to do so from the Party. Any Party member attempting to run in any Fortressian election without such approval is automatically and immediately expelled from the Party.

II. The Party Secretary may grant approval to run in Fortressian elections to Party members at her discretion. The Politburo may grant approval to run in Fortressian elections to Party members via a simple majority, subject to veto by the Party Secretary. The Politburo’s power to grant approval to run in Fortressian elections may be delegated to a subordinate Party organization if so desired.

III. Additional means of granting approval to run in Fortressian elections shall be determined in bylaw, with the provision that no method, process or criteria may, either individually or in aggregate, discriminate based on race, ethnicity, origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or any other protected class recognized by the Principality.

X. Party Institutions, Organizations, and Conduct

I. The Party may establish subordinate organizations, including but not limited to academies, colleges, associations, businesses, publishing houses, studios, fraternities and sororities, clubs, sports teams, museums, youth groups, corporations, and volunteer societies as necessary for the operation of the Party and the morale of its members.

II. The Party shall not, with the exception of commissars to be embedded within the Pillow Fortress Armed Forces and civilian law enforcement units, establish any paramilitary organization, nor shall it adopt for itself, its Party chapters, or its organizations, military or paramilitary ranks or uniforms, nor shall the Party, its chapters, or any of its organizations maintain and deploy weapons for anything but the personal defense of its members and the physical security of its buildings and property.

III. The above prohibition on Party uniforms shall not extend to uniforms which may be worn by students in Party academies or schools, or by members of Party sanctioned musical organizations, or as required for participation in sporting games and events, nor shall it prevent the Party from establishing dress codes which members are to adhere to during official Party activities, nor shall it prevent individual members from wearing accessories which mark them as being Party members, such as pins, buttons, patches, rosettes, hats, sashes, jewelry, belt buckles, ties, but excluding armbands, except where and when any established dress code prohibits the wearing of such accessories.

XI. Foreign Libertine Parties

I. The Party reserves the right, subject to approval by the Principality of the Pillow Fortress, to establish Party chapters in foreign states, and to provide financial, material, and moral support to the same, and to foreign political parties which, while not established by the Party, are ideologically and politically aligned with it.

II. The Party reserves the right, subject to approval by the Principality of the Pillow Fortress, to join a political international representing the ideologies and interests of the Party.

III. No obligations to any foreign party or organization shall in anyway take precedence over the Party’s obligations to the Principality, its citizens, and its subjects.

XII. Notice of Amendment

I. The date of the last most recent amendment to this constitution, the Libertine Congress under whose authority the amendment was made, plus the total number of all amendments ever made, shall be noted in Article II of Chapter XII.

II. This constitution has been amended once, under the authority of Her Majesty, First Princess Julia Platz-Halter acting uniquely and outside any Libertine Congress, 1 Bastal, 4.