[Withdrawn] Non-Binding Resolution Regarding Recent Citizenship Rejections

[Cormac]

Non-Binding Resolution Regarding Recent Citizenship Rejections Whereas former citizens of the Osiris Fraternal Order, The Almighty Jesus Whale and Festavo, re-applied for citizenship in the Osiris Fraternal Order on 25 December 2016;

Whereas the aforementioned applications for citizenship were rejected by Pharaoh Neo Kervoskia without explanation or further comment on 26 December 2016; and

Whereas Pharaoh Neo Kervoskia's predecessor established a policy of unconditional amnesty and re-admission to citizenship for any former citizen involved in the April 2016 conflict, including The Almighty Jesus Whale and Festavo, on 19 October 2016;

Therefore, the Council of Scribes, invoking its moral authority as the independent legislature of the Osiris Fraternal Order and the collective voice of Osiran citizens speaking as representatives of the greater community of Osiris, hereby:

Resolves that Pharaoh Neo Kervoskia is urged to reverse rejection of the citizenship applications filed by The Almighty Jesus Whale and Festavo, thus admitting these former Osirans to citizenship in continuity with the policy enacted by his predecessor, which enjoyed broad community support at the time the policy was announced;

Resolves that Pharaoh Neo Kervoskia is urged to provide detailed explanations for future rejections of citizenship applications, so that applicants may better understand the reasons for their rejections and if possible remedy those reasons and become productive citizens of the Osiris Fraternal Order, which aspires to be an open and welcoming community; and

Resolves that Pharaoh Neo Kervoskia is urged to engage in greater consultation with the Council of Scribes regarding citizenship policy as well as broader matters of executive policy, in recognition that the community of Osiris should not revert to one in which decisions are made by a few officials at the top without transparency and citizen input.

So this is a non-binding resolution to urge the Pharaoh to admit the recently rejected citizenship applicants, The Almighty Jesus Whale and Festavo, to citizenship. This non-binding resolution is in line with policy established in October, which was established with both domestic and diplomatic considerations in mind, as the continued exclusion of former Osirans from citizenship was one obstacle cited by officials of other regions for establishment or restoration of relations with Osiris.

This non-binding resolution also encourages the Pharaoh to offer detailed explanations to future rejected applicants, so maybe they can remedy the underlying reasons for their rejection, and to more broadly consult citizens in regard to matters of executive policy. There have been a number of decisions made recently without much, if any, input beyond the Council of Viziers. This isn't how we've done things since April, and reverting to this way of doing things isn't a healthy development for Osiris.

I would like to determine how much support this has before motioning it to vote. Regardless, it will be healthy for us to have a discussion about some of these underlying issues, including citizenship policy and community consultation. We don't need to be a republic, but neither do we need to be a Francoist dictatorship in which citizens are told what's happening and expected to fall in line. There is a middle ground, we've been on that middle ground for months, and it's important that we remain on that middle ground rather than drifting toward autocracy.

[Syberis]

I would like to point out that this proposal, as written, is unable to be voted on by the Council of Scribes in any meaningful way, as it is neither a law, recall, treaty, war or amendment, which are the only things that the Council of Scribes currently has the right to legislate, as per Article II, Section 2 of the Scroll of Ma'at.

Therefore, this proposal really does not belong here, but in the Temple of Hathor, for wider citizenship discussion. I am aware that actually moving it will likely bring forth cries of silencing dissenting opinions, but at this point, I do strongly suggest that this discussion be moved to the relevant forum.

Dress it up in any way you wish, but utimately, this is a petition. It does not belong in the same forum in which we legislate our laws, and everything passed here is binding. I will strongly urge the rejection of this proposal by the Chief Scribe and his deputies if this is attempted to be moved to vote in its current form, simply from a legality standpoint. The idea that things passed here can ever be non-binding is an awful precedent to set.

[Cormac]

I would like to point out that this proposal, as written, is unable to be voted on by the Council of Scribes in any meaningful way, as it is neither a law, recall, treaty, war or amendment, which are the only things that the Council of Scribes currently has the right to legislate, as per Article II, Section 2 of the Scroll of Ma'at.

Therefore, this proposal really does not belong here, but in the Temple of Hathor, for wider citizenship discussion. I am aware that actually moving it will likely bring forth cries of silencing dissenting opinions, but at this point, I do strongly suggest that this discussion be moved to the relevant forum.

Dress it up in any way you wish, but utimately, this is a petition. It does not belong in the same forum in which we legislate our laws, and everything passed here is binding. I will strongly urge the rejection of this proposal by the Chief Scribe and his deputies if this is attempted to be moved to vote in its current form, simply from a legality standpoint. The idea that things passed here can ever be non-binding is an awful precedent to set.

Article II, Section 2(1) of the Scroll of Ma'at grants the Council of Scribes "broad legislative power." Given that the non-binding resolution is, in fact, a power exercised by real life legislatures the world over and exercised in the past by more than a few NationStates legislatures as well, I'm confident that it falls under the category of "broad legislative power." It is and has always been the prerogative of every legislature to express the sense of the legislature in regard to policy matters via non-binding resolution.

That said, since you've made such a huge issue of this via Discord, I will wait to move this to vote until after discussion of an amendment to explicitly allow passage of non-binding resolutions. There's no reason it can't continue to be discussed until then.

Edit: The Pharaoh has ruled that this is constitutional. Now can we discuss the actual resolution and the issues of concern within it, rather than legal procedure?

[Sygian]

The Pharaoh has rules that the Scroll of Ma'at permits the Council of Scribes to pass non-binding resolutions here.

This can now be put up for vote with a motion to do so, followed by a second.

[Cormac]

The Pharaoh has rules that the Scroll of Ma'at permits the Council of Scribes to pass non-binding resolutions here.

This can now be put up for vote with a motion to do so, followed by a second.

As the author, I would prefer to withdraw the resolution from consideration at this time. I believe the discussion of the Code of Rights Act I've introduced and changes to citizenship law would be more productive than this resolution.