Chamber of Representatives establishes Constitutional Review Committee to oversee recent changes to constitution Baatrynsentii, New Verham
15th February, 5433
After discussions were started last year, the ruling PAP-led coalition in parliament has moved forward with the next step in potential changes to the New Verhamese constitution by forming a Constitutional Review Committee, with members from both government and opposition. Welcoming bipartisanship, coalition lawmakers have sought to implement a number of changes in their initial draft; most notably the repeal of several previously implemented changes to the constitution under prior governments, whilst retaining some others. The most notable change is the direct abolition of the Council of Provinces, currently the upper house of the New Verhamese Parliament. Other significant changes pertain mostly to electoral law, some of which were previously proposed as separate companion bills by lawmakers, but have now formed a wider net of reforms to national elections by integrating them into the constitution outright.
Aggravated for by electoral reform groups for decades is the removal of the first-past-the-post voting system in favor of a more direct, ranked-choice vote system. While New Verhamese elections were directed through popular vote and without an electoral college, some have criticized the currently implemented system as allowing for the dominant-party system that ran unopposed in the nation for decades. In some areas of the country, opposition parties routinely struggled to unseat "diehard" PAP constituencies, with some politicians of the party of Mönkhdevshil utilizing heavy-handed tactics to retain power, drawing sharp criticism among within the nation and abroad. Surprisingly, the proposal was put forth by PAP lawmakers themselves, who seemed eager to implement it. Among the litany of amendments within the draft bill was the shortening of a presidential term, down to five years from the previous six; the reestablishment of the office of prime minister, though still nominally weaker than the head of state, the extension of a single term to two, retaining the power of appointment among the presidency but implementing a check via a parliamentary confirmation vote, and notably removed the power of parliament to dismiss members of the cabinet, with lawmakers ruling that the power rests with the executive branch.
Elsewhere, primarily related to the legislative branch, the powers of parliament were notably strengthened, bringing it roughly equal to that of the executive. For sections where their power was lessened or removed, the articles granted more in others. The absolute power of the presidency to appoint members of the nation's court systems was also given a check by way of a parliamentary confirmation process, alongside a whole host of other potential appointments. Lawmakers also wrote into the draft's contents the previously mentioned abolition of the Council of Provinces, also called for by members of the chamber itself; supporters of increased democratic reform have argued that the current system of FPTP voting leads to cascading effects hampering legislative action in parliament, calls that have been echoed by both opposition parties and various factions within the PAP alike. Alongside returning the legislature to a unicameral system, the previous name of Parliament, the Supreme Congress, would be reinstated.
President Strauß took to both social media and the floor of the Chamber of Representatives himself to voice his support for the constitutional reforms, arguing that such changes were sorely needed. "Were our history of democratic institutions so longstanding and deeply-rooted in our society, someone could have used our current constitution to great harm," he stated to assembled lawmakers. "Once some years ago, we almost came close to passing that dangerous threshold. But our valiant armed forces, true to the cause of liberty and democracy, heralded the call and took action to restore order. Hopefully, with these proposed changes, we shall not need to watch our backs any longer."
But for all the unprecedented changes proposed to the constitution in the initial draft reform bill, some aspects fell short - at least for the time being. Most notably was the desire among president Strauß to possibly establish a federalist-style system for the ethnic minorities within New Verham's borders, with himself hailing from one such community: the New Verhamese Ostlanders, who comprise 4% of the nation's population, mostly centered in the north along the border with Ostland proper. The change was also championed by the Vanukeans, original descendants of the colonizers from Vanuku, who comprise 7% of the national population. A large margin of Mu-Tze lawmakers indicated their support, but argued that the changes would necessitate an overhaul of the system of government as a whole, something that moderates among the Chamber of Representatives argue might alienate some of the backers of the current bill, who still hold fond support for the PAP's founder. "While there is no bad sentiment among us and our nation's many ethnic groups, this may drive a wedge in support among the 'old guard' of the party," one PAP lawmaker on the floor stated in an interview. "The cause is good, but the timing is not quite right - Mr. Strauß needs to build up more support for this, and make the right connections; many within our party still hold support for Mönkhdevshil's pan-Mu-Tze beliefs."
For now, lawmakers have avoided the topic, shelving previously proposed articles regarding it for discussion at a later date. President Strauß in his remarks to Parliament today voiced mild disappointment, but held from further debate on the topic, seemingly recognizing the warnings given by such lawmakers above. In more candid discussions among news outlets, he vowed that the issue would be solved "one way or the other".
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