Difference between revisions of "Hamanian Empire"

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== Terminology ==
 
== Terminology ==
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The Hamanian Empire is a polity made up of the Kingdom of Hama and its territories or colonies. The Kingdom of Hama is a sovereign state located on Yasteria Major. Citizens of Hama are people who have been born of Hamanian parents or naturalized according to Hamanian naturalization laws who have certain rights and recognition within the Hamanian judicial, political and economic system. A national of Hama is someone who lives in a territory or colony of Hama that is under the authority of the Crown of Hama. They do not have the same rights as citizens of Hama. Within the colony in which they live, they have the same rights as citizens. Since colonies are not independent nations, their 'citizens' cannot be called such. Instead, they are called denizens. If a person is neither a denizen, citizen or nation, but lives in Hamanian territory then they are a migrant, tourist or resident depending on the length of their stay and other applicable laws.
  
The Kingdom of Hama is a sovereign nation and independent state. It was formed in terms of the Covenant Amalgamation by which the framework of unity established upon the principles of the modern nationstate that is manifest in the present.
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== Politics ==
  
This nation established a colonial empire that is colloquially known as the Hamanian Empire. These territorial acquisitions belong to Hama and form part of its realm. They are technically called overseas territories or, more veraciously, subjects of the King of Hama. As the authority to govern these territories legally rests in the hands of the King in terms of the relevant statutes, the empire is more accurately described as a collection of possessions of the Crown: His Majesty’s Empire.  
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The head of the empire is the King of Hama. He is elected by the Council of Chiefs for life. He has the power to appoint and dismiss the Cabinet, dissolve the House of the People, appoint judges, civil servants, and military officials, receive the accreditation of foreign diplomats, declare war and make peace, promulgate laws and issue royal decrees. He has supreme direction of the armed forces. The incumbent King is His Majesty, Maduallahu. The monarch lives in Komodu, but he appoints a Viceroy who represents him and exercises his duties in his colonies on his behalf.  
  
== Nationals ==
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A Viceroy is a representative of the King. He is appointed by the King to exercise powers that would normally be exercised by the King within the colony. The Viceroy serves at the King's pleasure, is accountable solely to the King and must obey the King's instruction. These powers include the power to appoint a cabinet and carry out the law, to appoint judges and civil servants, and other responsibilities that are delegated by the King. The Viceroy usually lives in the capital of the colony he rules.
  
Nationals are all the people who are subject to the authority of the Crown of Hama. This includes all the people in Hama and its various overseas territories. While citizens of Hama are nationals of Hama, nationals of Hama are not inherently citizens of Hama.
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The Parliament of Hama forms the supreme lawmaking body of the empire. All of its laws are binding on all the colonies and territories. It is made up of the Council of Chiefs and the House of the People. The Council of Chiefs is made up of 12 tribal rulers of Hama. It passes laws and has the power to override a veto by a two-thirds majority vote. Representatives of the colonies are allowed to speak at its meetings but they may not vote. The House of People is made up of representatives who are mostly elected by citizens of Hama. It makes non-binding recommendations to the King and Council of the Chiefs. The biggest party is the Hamanian People's Party.
  
A citizen of Hama is someone who, by way of the Citizenship Law is entitled to various rights such as voting and access to public services and elected eligibility to be appointed in certain areas of government. A national does not inherently possess these rights. Different nationals have varying rights by way of laws and decrees that have been issued on their status.  
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The Cabinet forms the executive branch of the government and its jurisdiction is largely restricted to issues related to Hama. It is made up of Ministers of the Crown who serve at the King's pleasure. They are assigned responsibilities called portfolios. They meet regularly in Komodu. The King presides over the meeting. The Cabinet develops policies and proposes almost all laws. The Ministers oversee different agencies and state-owned companies.
  
All nationals are subjects of the Crown and vice versa. All citizens are nationals, but not all nationals are citizens.
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Each colony has a government. All colonies have a democratically elected unitary legislature generally called a Legislative Assembly. It makes laws for that specific colony. It cannot make laws on issues that the Parliament did not allow it to. It cannot make laws that go against the laws that are passed by the Parliament. All colonies have an executive branch generally called the Executive Council. It is helmed and appointed by the Viceroy and administers laws passed by the Parliament and Legislative Assembly.
  
== King ==
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The judiciary enforces the law. Different parts of the empire follow different types of legal systems pursuant to their needs. In general, they follow the Sadunic law. The procedure is governed and hierarchy is determined by laws passed in Parliament. Otherwise, the judiciary applies and interprets the law according to precedents. A judge's decision can be appealed in special courts. Different courts handle different types of cases such as administrative, civil and criminal law. Judges must be lawyers who have served for a specific and time and passed a specific exam. Lawyers must study at a recognized university and pass the law exam. There is no distinction between lawyers other than their specialization and experience. Supreme Court is the highest court in the empire. It can overturn decisions made by all other courts. It is made up of many judges who handle different issues and cases.
 
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The King of Hama is the head of state, head of government and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
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The King is elected by the Council of Chief from among its members for a fixed term by simple majority. In practice the chief of the Manonites tribe, the largest tribe of Hama, is reelected King until death, incapacitation or abdication. The incumbent King is His Majesty, Maduallahu.
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The King has the power to execute laws. He appoints Ministers of the Crown at his discretion and pleasure to helm departments and advice him on policy issues. They meet regularly and form a Cabinet, over which he presides, acting as a chairman. He has the power to promulgate laws, and by refusing to do so, vetoes the law. This veto can be overturned by a ⅔ majority of the Council of Chiefs.
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He has the power to dissolve the House of the People, but he is empowered to call new elections and announce the results thereof as expediently as possible. He opens annual sessions of the legislature as a whole with address discussing the outcomes and plans of his government's policies.
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He appoints ambassadors and receives the accreditation of foreign emissaries. He has the power to commute a sentence. He has the power to confer titles and honours. He has the power to appoint judges of the Supreme Court, but it has become precedent for him to appoint a candidate advised by the Judicial Commission of the Privy Council, which is made up of legal experts.
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The Privy Council is a body that advises the King on the exercise of his duties. In practice, executive control and direction over the daily affairs of government lies in the hands of the Executive Commission, known colloquially as the Cabinet, and the appointment of judges lies in the hands of the Judicial Commission.
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The King has the power to declare war and make peace. He has the power to negotiate and sign treaties, but only the Council of Chiefs has power to make them legally enforceable. The King has the supreme direction of the armed forces. He has the power to appoint Generals. He usually relies on the advice of the National Defence and Security Committee (a committee of experts led by the Minister of Defence) on the exercise of his duties in that regard.
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The King exercises a great deal of control over the civil service, the police and the armed forces of the land. Although the Kings are benevolent and have largely tolerated popular dissent and listened to the will of the people, especially through the House of the People, they have used this power to suppress opponents in the past. The King himself is inviolate before the law and unanswerable to any court. He is in essence a autocrat.
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His hold on power however is not absolute. He works with Chiefs and the Governors of Hamanian colonies when making decisions and exercising his powers. These officials wield a great degree of personal influence and legal authority within the realms they are charged to oversee, thereby diluting the extent to which the King can exercise absolute despotic power.
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== Executive ==
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The executive branch is responsible for implementing laws. The King and the Cabinet form the executive branch. The Cabinet is made up of Ministers of the Crown. The are responsible for specific policy areas and oversee specific agencies but they are all equal. The Ministers are as follows:
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* The Minister of Foreign Affairs is Dajida Taru. She oversees the foreign relations, foreign aid and migration policy of the empire.
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* The Ministry of Defence oversees the armed forces.
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* The Ministry of Finance oversees the accounts of the government.
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* The Ministry of the Economy promotes economic development.
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*The Ministry of Trade manages trade within the Hamanian Empire and between the empire and other nations.
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* The Ministry of the Environment promotes ecological conservation.
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* The Ministry of Food oversees and promotes farming, ranching, forestry, fisheries, food imports and exports, processed foods and beverages.
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* The Ministry of Security oversees the intelligence services.
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* The Ministry of Justice oversees the police and correctional services and promotes the judiciary.
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* The Ministry of Infrastructure oversees housing, construction, roads rails, telecommunications, sanitation and water management.
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* The Ministry of Energy oversees electricity supply, fuel and mineral resources.
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* The Ministry of Education oversees the education system.
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* The Ministry of Social Welfare oversees social process, healthcare, social development, pensions and grants.
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* The Ministry of Culture oversees arts, culture, sport, tourism, religious and cultural issues.
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The Cabinet has committees that help formulate policy and develop laws that are proposed to the Parliament on specific topics. The Minister of the Crown responsible for that area is the chair of the committee. In recent years the King has appointed members of the House of the People on these committees to encourage greater representative government within the Hamanian political system.
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== Parliament ==
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The Parliament of Hama forms the legislative branch of the government. It passes laws, ratifies treaties and approves the annual budget.
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It has the power of the purse (to lend and borrow, to dispense funds, to coin currency and to make use of reserves). It has the power to fix the the borders and powers of colonies, tribes and provinces and other subnational divisions. It has the power to ratify treaties. The Parliament is technically the highest institution in the realm, even higher than the King; the King is appointed by the Parliament and he is not the Sovereign - God is the Sovereign.
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The Parliament is made of two chambers. The power of effect is given to the Council of Chiefs. In reality the Council of Chiefs wields all the power. The House of the People has the power of counsel. In practice it is merely an advisory body that issues non binding recommendations and resolutions. It has the power to summon civil servants to question, but requires the permission of the King to do so. In reality these question times and reports are opportunities to orchestrate support for the state rather than critically censure the government.
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The Council of Chiefs is comprised of the chiefs of the twelve tribes of Hama. Each chief comes to office according to the traditions and customs of their people. Some tribes elect their chiefs. Others inherit the office (one allowing women to accede and others not). Others must compete for the office according to their rites.
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The House of the People is elected by the adult citizens of the Kingdom of Hama (in practice Hamanites). They are elected by proportional representation. Without a minimum threshold, many parties are elected and rarely does any party win over half the seats. The Hamanian People Party is the biggest party. It is a centrist party supporting the status quo, reinforcing the government's policies. While people have agitated for more radicality, the charitable activities of the HPP have led to its widespread social support.
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== Governance ==
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Hama is a benevolent dictatorship. This means that the state apparatus is designed and able to oppress the people but in practice gives them more rights than the law actually affords them.
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=== Gender ===
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Women and men are generally equal. Discrimination against women for public services is illegal, in fact there are services specifically catered to women. Women are equal to men in pay, workload and worker rights, and receive equal consideration in government and business employment and promotion opportunities. Women have the right to own property, give testimony in court and adopt children (even without a husband). Women, however may not serve in the army or inherit chieftaincy of a tribe, and by extension rulership of the Kingdom.
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In terms of the law of personal status there are some discrepancies. Women are guaranteed maternal leave and protection of their jobs in the time that they are gone. Women have equal rights of inheritance. They have equal right to property accrued before and during marriage, or to financial support depending on the situation. A women may adopt a child and generally is favoured in child custody contestation. Women, however, do not have the right to abort a pregnancy unless their lives are in danger or they were raped. Social and cultural expectations of women and men are different and are largely conservative but do not typically arise from the law or policies.
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=== Press ===
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The press is generally free to discuss any issue and journalists are protected from coercion or repression. But lesé majeste laws exist to protect the Monarchy from criticism. As Kings have generally been more liberal, they do not act on lesé majeste except in extreme and overly disturbing cases (which generally fall under slander and anti defamation laws). Explicitly calling for the usurpation of the monarchy is sedition.
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=== Transparency and Accountability ===
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Extrajudicial killings are not allowed. Bribery, fraud, money laundering, racketeering and nepotism are taken seriously and there is significant punitive action against those who break the law. The laws governing this in other parts of the empire (outside of Hama-proper)  are more vague leaving more gaps in the law.
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In general the government is fairly transparent and accountable. State officials are investigated and punished for illegal acts. The state communicates its flaws and takes questions from the press and consults with the public. Unfortunately it has not attained the level of transparency and accountability that exists in mature democracies.
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=== Sexuality ===
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Homosexual marriage is not recognised by the law. Technically homosexuality is a criminal offence, but the law has limited the definition of homosexuality to explicit sexual acts rather than stereotypical behavioural characteristics or displays of affection between people of the same gender. The law of criminal procedure also makes it difficult to prove and successfully prosecute homosexual sexual acts as the law defines them. In practice homosexuality is added as an additional charge in cases of pedophilia, sexual harassment and possession, dissemination and production of pornographic material.
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=== Environment ===
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Environmental protection within Hama-proper is good while in the rest of the empire it is average or below average. Illegal dumping is taken seriously. Broad powers have been given to the Office for the Environment, Water and Wildlife to prosecute and investigate such acts. Hama has also benefited from breeding projects, so animal products such as ivory can be acquired legally and sustainably. Hunting is not really a popular sport even among the rich. Carbon tax laws are in place and enforcement has improved. But there are still flaws in the system that must be addressed.
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Revision as of 06:29, 2 April 2018

Terminology

The Hamanian Empire is a polity made up of the Kingdom of Hama and its territories or colonies. The Kingdom of Hama is a sovereign state located on Yasteria Major. Citizens of Hama are people who have been born of Hamanian parents or naturalized according to Hamanian naturalization laws who have certain rights and recognition within the Hamanian judicial, political and economic system. A national of Hama is someone who lives in a territory or colony of Hama that is under the authority of the Crown of Hama. They do not have the same rights as citizens of Hama. Within the colony in which they live, they have the same rights as citizens. Since colonies are not independent nations, their 'citizens' cannot be called such. Instead, they are called denizens. If a person is neither a denizen, citizen or nation, but lives in Hamanian territory then they are a migrant, tourist or resident depending on the length of their stay and other applicable laws.

Politics

The head of the empire is the King of Hama. He is elected by the Council of Chiefs for life. He has the power to appoint and dismiss the Cabinet, dissolve the House of the People, appoint judges, civil servants, and military officials, receive the accreditation of foreign diplomats, declare war and make peace, promulgate laws and issue royal decrees. He has supreme direction of the armed forces. The incumbent King is His Majesty, Maduallahu. The monarch lives in Komodu, but he appoints a Viceroy who represents him and exercises his duties in his colonies on his behalf.

A Viceroy is a representative of the King. He is appointed by the King to exercise powers that would normally be exercised by the King within the colony. The Viceroy serves at the King's pleasure, is accountable solely to the King and must obey the King's instruction. These powers include the power to appoint a cabinet and carry out the law, to appoint judges and civil servants, and other responsibilities that are delegated by the King. The Viceroy usually lives in the capital of the colony he rules.

The Parliament of Hama forms the supreme lawmaking body of the empire. All of its laws are binding on all the colonies and territories. It is made up of the Council of Chiefs and the House of the People. The Council of Chiefs is made up of 12 tribal rulers of Hama. It passes laws and has the power to override a veto by a two-thirds majority vote. Representatives of the colonies are allowed to speak at its meetings but they may not vote. The House of People is made up of representatives who are mostly elected by citizens of Hama. It makes non-binding recommendations to the King and Council of the Chiefs. The biggest party is the Hamanian People's Party.

The Cabinet forms the executive branch of the government and its jurisdiction is largely restricted to issues related to Hama. It is made up of Ministers of the Crown who serve at the King's pleasure. They are assigned responsibilities called portfolios. They meet regularly in Komodu. The King presides over the meeting. The Cabinet develops policies and proposes almost all laws. The Ministers oversee different agencies and state-owned companies.

Each colony has a government. All colonies have a democratically elected unitary legislature generally called a Legislative Assembly. It makes laws for that specific colony. It cannot make laws on issues that the Parliament did not allow it to. It cannot make laws that go against the laws that are passed by the Parliament. All colonies have an executive branch generally called the Executive Council. It is helmed and appointed by the Viceroy and administers laws passed by the Parliament and Legislative Assembly.

The judiciary enforces the law. Different parts of the empire follow different types of legal systems pursuant to their needs. In general, they follow the Sadunic law. The procedure is governed and hierarchy is determined by laws passed in Parliament. Otherwise, the judiciary applies and interprets the law according to precedents. A judge's decision can be appealed in special courts. Different courts handle different types of cases such as administrative, civil and criminal law. Judges must be lawyers who have served for a specific and time and passed a specific exam. Lawyers must study at a recognized university and pass the law exam. There is no distinction between lawyers other than their specialization and experience. Supreme Court is the highest court in the empire. It can overturn decisions made by all other courts. It is made up of many judges who handle different issues and cases.