Yoahtlan National Charter

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• Preamble
• Outline
• Article I - The Bill of Rights
• Article II - The Alcuahtl
• Article III - The Council
• Article IV - Court System
• Article V - Territory
• Article VI - Amendment

Preamble

As time goes on, it becomes necessary for a nation to establish for itself a body of laws to ensure domestic order and the preservation of the values that define it. So too is it for Yoahtl, which has for almost a decade now existed without a charter to define its government and protect its core - that all people, regardless of origin, beliefs, politics, or characteristics, are welcome and accepted here, so long as they work for the betterment of the community as a whole.

Outline

The government shall be maintained as a single body responsible for both foreign affairs and internal management. Conduct of international diplomacy and the position of appellate court justice shall be the responsibility of the Alcuahtl, aided and advised by a National Council. The members of the National Council shall function as judges to arbitrate disputes in accordance with relevant laws, as well as legislators to propose and vote on legislation of national importance, and will also vote on the acceptance of treaties with foreign powers. The position of Alcuahtl will be a lifetime post, until resignation or inactivity, and the Alcuahtl will be succeeded by their appointed deputy. Council members will be elected to a finite term by the citizens of the nation.

Article I - The Bill of Rights

1. All Yoahtlans have the right to freedom of expression.
2. All Yoahtlans have the right to self-defense against an unlawful aggressor.
3. All Yoahtlans have the right to freedom of belief.
4. All Yoahtlans have the right to a timely and just trial.
5. All Yoahtlans have the right to privacy.
6. All Yoahtlans have the right to peaceful assembly and protest.
7. All Yoahtlans have the right to be free from discrimination and harassment.

Article II - The Alcuahtl

1. The Alcuahtl of Yoahtl will be responsible for the conduct of international foreign relations and will act as the country’s representative abroad for the purposes of making deals with foreign powers and meeting with the leaders of foreign nations.

   1. The Alcuahtl may appoint ambassadors or their deputy to carry out this duty, as needed.
   2. The Alcuahtl may provisionally sign treaties, which will be considered in effect until such a time as the Council votes on whether to ratify or reject the treaty.
      • i. Treaty terms involving an exchange of material goods or territory may not be provisionally agreed to.

2. The Alcuahtl will be the head of the Yoahtlan army, and supreme commander of Yoahtlan armed forces.

   • a. Included in this duty is the responsibility of establishing, expanding, and maintaining the national snitch network.
   • b. The Alcuahtl may appoint a deputy to carry out these duties, as needed.

3. The position of Alcuahtl will be held indefinitely.

   • a. If the Alcuahtl is inactive for a period of 3 weeks without prior warning, the position will be considered vacant and the Deputy Alcuahtl will take it up.
   • b. The Alcuahtl may resign at any time, for any reason, upon which time the Deputy Alcuahtl will assume the position of Alcuahtl.

4. The Alcuahtl may appoint a Deputy Alcuahtl, to serve as Alcuahtl during times when the official Alcuahtl is unavailable or during times designated by the official Alcuahtl.

   • a. The Deputy Alcuahtl may resign their post at any point, for any reason, after which the Alcuahtl may appoint a new player to the post.
   • b. If the Deputy Alcuahtl is inactive for a period of 3 weeks without prior warning, the position will be considered vacant and the Alcuahtl may appoint a new player to the post.

5. The Alcuahtl has the power to exile a player from Yoahtl and ban them from entering Yoahtlan territory.

   • a. An Alcuahtl ban or sentence of exile may be overturned by a ⅔ majority vote on the Council.

6. The Alcuahtl must be given owner rank on all governmental groups, and their deputy (if one is appointed) shall be granted co-owner status on those groups as well.

Article III - The Council

1. The Council will be responsible for the construction and maintenance of public factories, roads, and other public property; for creating and enforcing laws, taxes, and tariffs; for organizing a monthly census of active citizens; for approving or rejecting binding treaties with foreign powers; and for carrying out other duties necessary for maintaining a strong and positive community within the nation.
2. Bills are proposed by councillors, and become laws when approved by a ⅔ majority “aye” council vote and given the OK by the Alcuahtl. A petition signed by ⅔ of the active citizenry of Yoahtl must be voted on by the council to determine if it will become law or put into effect.
   • a. In the event of a rejected petition, the council or Alcuahtl should provide a public rationale for why it was rejected.
   • b. A unanimous vote of the Council can override a veto by the Alcuahtl.
3. Councillors will be elected to a term of 2 months by a popular vote. Citizens may pick up to 3 candidates to cast their ballots for, and the candidates with the 3 highest vote totals will comprise the council for that term.
   • a. The council shall be composed of 3 members minimum, with additional seats added for every 6 citizens beyond 12.
   • b. Councillors may resign at any time, for any reason, so long as they appoint a deputy to fill in for them if needed before an official replacement is elected. An interim election should be held within one week of a resignation to choose an official replacement.
4. The Council shall meet regularly, in the presence of the Alcuahtl, to jointly determine the direction of the nation and plans for its future development and growth.
5. The Council, with the approval of the Alcuahtl, is responsible for voting on whether to declare war on a foreign power. A ⅔ majority vote and the approval of the Alcuahtl is required to declare war.
   • a. If an act of war is committed against Yoahtl, it is the responsibility of the government to take action to disperse the threat. Defensive actions do not require a declaration of war by the State of Yoahtl.

Article IV - Court System

1. A council member shall act as a judge in a criminal or civil trial, determining whether the guilt of the defendant can be proven beyond reasonable doubt by the evidence provided by the prosecution.
   • a. The judge may order their court as they see fit, provided both the prosecution and the defense are allowed to make their cases to the judge.
   • b. If no councillors capable of judging a trial without bias are available, the Alcuahtl shall serve as judge.
   • c. The loser of a trial may appeal the decision of the judge within 3 days of the verdict being passed.
2. The Alcuahtl will act as the appellate court justice of the nation; if either party in a court case decided by a council justice believes a mistrial has occurred, they may appeal the decision and attempt to prove to the Alcuahtl that a fair trial did not occur.
   • a. Should the Alcuahtl rule that a mistrial occurred, another councillor will be selected to judge a retrial. If no other councillors exist who have not mistrialed the case, the Alcuahtl will instead judge the retrial.
   • b. The purpose of an appeal is to prove that the lower judge and/or the conditions of their court were unduly biased against the appealing party, and that this bias resulted in a negative outcome.
3. Pearled Non-Citizens may receive an expedited trial, where evidence of wrongdoing will be collected and a sentence passed without a full formal trial.
   • a. Prisoners of war are different from pearled criminals, and will not receive a trial.

Article V - Territory

1. The territory of the State of Yoahtl consists of all lands claimed by Yoahtl and any autonomous regions that have chosen to subject themselves to the rule of this state.
2. Yoahtl’s laws are supreme in its territory. All pearls taken on Yoahtlan land must be tried by Yoahtlan courts, under Yoahtlan law.

Article VI - Amendment

1. Amendments to this constitution may be made by a unanimous vote of the Council, along with the consent of the Alcuahtl.
   • a. Amendments should be included in an additional section at the bottom of this document.
2. In the event the majority of the government is inactive and unreplaceable, the remaining active members of Yoahtl may suspend this charter and institute a provisional government to manage the nation in the interim.