Parliament of Yalta
Parliament of Yalta | |
|---|---|
| 1st Parliament of Yalta | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | House of Lords House of Commons |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 May 2023 |
| Leadership | |
Oswald I since 1 May 2023 | |
Lords Speaker | Vacant |
Commons Speaker | Vacant |
Vacant | |
Opposition Leader | Vacant |
| Structure | |
Length of term | Five Years |
Lords Seats | 11 |
| Elections | |
House of Lords voting system | Appointment |
House of Commons voting system | FPTP |
| Meeting place | |
| Regia | |
The Parliament of Yalta is the supreme legislative body of the Kingdom of Yalta, who may also legislate for any crown dependencies. It meets in the capital city of Regia. Parliament is bicameral but has three parts, consisting of the Monarch (King-in-Parliament), the House of Lords, and the House of Commons (the primary chamber).
The House of Commons is the lower house and elected chamber consisting of members elected to single-member constituencies elected every five years by the first-past-the-post system. By convention, the prime minister and other senior ministers are members of the house.
The House of Lords is the upper house and appointed chamber consisting of peers appointed by the monarch and clergymen in the Church of Yalta.
History
The Parliament of Yalta was established on 1 May 2023.
Composition and Powers
The legislative authority of parliament, the King-in-Parliament, consists of three parts - the Monarch, House of Lords and House of Commons. No individual may be a member of both Houses simultaneously.
Royal Assent of the Monarch is required for all bills passed in parliament to become law, and certain legislation must be made by the Monarch by Order in Council or by Royal Decree. The monarch also has executive powers which do not depend on Parliament.
The Prime Minister and government are directly accountable to Parliament, through its control of public finances, and to the public, through the election of members of parliament.
The Monarch also appoints the Prime Minister, who then forms a government from members of both Houses of Parliament.
Members of the House of Commons are elected by first past the post whereas members of the House of Lords are appointed to the house directly by the monarch. Theoretically the monarch can appoint Commons members but typically allows the house to be elected so it has democratic legitimacy.
Members of the Commons are known as Members of Parliament (MPs) and members of the House of Lords are either known as Lords Spiritual or Lords Temporal depending on the title they hold. Lords Spiritual are Bishops from the Church of Yalta and Lords Temporal are Yaltans who hold peerages.
State Opening of Parliament
The State Opening of Parliament is an annual event that marks the beginning of a session of parliament. It is normally held in the House of Lords Chamber.
The monarch reads a speech, known as the Speech from the Throne, which is prepared by the monarch normally with advice from the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, outlining the Government's agenda for the coming year. The speech reflects the legislative agenda for which the Government intends to seek the agreement of both Houses of Parliament.
Legislative Procedure
Laws can be made by Acts of Parliament. Laws, in draft form known as bills, may be introduced by any member of either House. A bill introduced by a Minister is known as a "Government Bill"; one introduced by another member is called a "Private Member's Bill".
Each Bill goes through several stages in each House. The first stage, called the first reading, is a formality. At the second reading, the general principles of the bill are debated, and the House may vote to reject the bill, by not passing the motion "That the Bill be now read a second time." Defeats of Government Bills in the Commons are rare.
Once the House has considered the bill, the third reading follows. In the House of Commons, no further amendments may be made, and the passage of the motion "That the Bill be now read a third time" is passage of the whole bill. In the House of Lords further amendments to the bill may be moved. After the passage of the third reading motion, the House of Lords must vote on the motion "That the Bill do now pass." Following its passage in one House, the bill is sent to the other House. If passed in identical form by both Houses, it may be presented for Royal Assent. If one House passes amendments that the other will not agree to, and the two Houses cannot resolve their disagreements, the bill will normally fail.
Duration
Parliament sits for terms of five years. Parliamentary sessions last for one year so in each term there will be five sessions.
Relations with Government
By convention, the Government of Yalta is appointed from the House of Commons and is accountable to such. However, neither the Prime Minister nor members of the Government are elected by the House of Commons. Instead, the King requests the person most likely to command the support of a majority in the House, normally the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons, to form a government. So that they may be accountable to the Lower House, the Prime Minister and senior members of the Cabinet are, by convention, members of the House of Commons.
Parliament controls the executive by passing or rejecting its bills and by forcing Ministers of the Crown to answer for their actions.
Privileges
Each House of Parliament possesses a range of privileges. The House of Lords relies on inherent right, whereas in the case of the House of Commons the Speaker goes to the Lords' chamber t the beginning of each new Parliament and requests representatives of the Sovereign to confirm the Lower House's privileges and rights. Each House is the guardian of its privileges, and may punish breaches thereof.
The primary privilege of both houses is absolute freedom of speech - nothing said in either House may be questioned in any court or other institution outside Parliament.
Both Houses possess the power to punish breaches of their privilege. Contempt of Parliament may also be punished.