Imperial Chambers

The Imperial Chambers is the legislative branch of the government of Gemurtrak. The legislation is divided into three elements: The Council of Lords, Chamber of States, and Chamber of Ministers. Both the ministerial and state chambers are publicly elected bodies through direct (ministerial) and indirect (state) voting systems, while the Council of Lords exist as an unelected advisory body. Both chambers are regarded as holding equal authority in lawmaking while the Monarch holds sole authority of assent to create laws.

The Imperial Assembly is determined through two electoral periods of four and six years for the Chamber of Ministers and States respectively which are based on the time since a prior dissolution of an Assembly which may occur prior to the four and six-year term limit under the discretion of the Monarch as dictated by Section 5E3 of the Unity Edicts. Ministerial members are elected from multi-member constituencies using the electoral system, while state members are chosen via a dual process with half chosen by the Electoral College of States, whose members are determined by both the various state legislatures as well as a nationwide, which also elects the other half during national elections.

The Chamber of States holds 127 members who represent the first administrative division of governance within Gemurtrak under the duchies, these being the states and the federal state of Suzhya. Eighty-eight members represent the states, each represented by a minimum of 4 seats, with additional seats added based on population milestones, allowing a maximum of 12 seats for a state. Thirty-nine seats represent the state of Suzhya which is represented through 3 seats for each of the 12 cities of the Suzhyan region with an additional fourth seat given to every city in the Ornpyat economic region. At least one seat of each state is represented by the state premier. State ministers are given six-year staggered terms so that half of the members are under election every three years.

The Chamber of Ministers holds a total of 783 members who represent the population of Gemurtrak as a whole based on electoral divisions separating the country to accurately represent political inclinations of the population in approximately 100,000 blocks. All members are elected and possess no greater deterministic power over the other, with the exclusion of the Minister of the Republic and their cabinet, who are all seated members of the leading party. All ministers hold a four-year term with all elected during national elections.

Both chambers meet at the Kowruzhu at the National Imperial Garden in Ornpyat, Suzhya.

Composition
Both parts of the Gemurtrakian constitution detail the form and function of the Imperial chambers and the interconnected relationship between the legislative and executive government as well as their own positions under the monarch. Under constitutional definition, the imperial chambers are comprised of four components: the King of Gemurtrak, the Council of Lords, the Chamber of States, and the Chamber of Ministers.

Monarch
The King of Gemurtrak, formally regarded as the King-Emperor of the Assembly, is the supreme authority within the legislature who is limited by the constitution towards the actions and practices they may perform, all of which are restricted in some manner by separate entities of authority so as to ensure shared credibility for the actions of the monarch. While in theory the monarch must be present at all times for a meeting of any chamber, as he holds sole authority to initiate a meeting, any member of the assembly can be appointed the legislative and ceremonial powers of the monarch through personal appointment by the king. This semi-informal process was codified under the 1967 Imperial legislative act which created the executive office of the Lord of Ceremonies. The monarch however must still be present for the first opening of a new Assembly and the closing of one, and when an imperial decree is being voted upon. The monarch also holds the right to dissolve one or both chambers of the legislature should the see fit. They are required to dissolve government at the conclusion of that assembly's term, however they may also dissolve it before the end of the term. They may only do this once every full term, however more can be permitted by the Imperial Court of Justice if a constitutional risk is a possibility.

The most major of the powers of the monarch is the imperial decree, a formal declaration by the monarch to expedite the acceptance and refusal process of a bill by immediately barring or approving the bill to law. The decree must be approved by the Imperial Court of Justice as not an overreach or breach of the constitutional authority of the monarch and does not risk the degradation of the constitution. Both chambers are then given the opportunity to vote for or against the imperial decree, a two-thirds majority choice deciding the outcome. If the Imperial Chambers choice results in the failure of the decree, or the Imperial Chambers can not create a majority in either favor, the monarch can then appeal the decree to the legislatures of the various state governments of which a simple majority determines the outcome.

The Monarch is the sole authority in appointing the Minister of the Republic which can be any member of the Chamber of Ministers, however it is generally customary to appoint the leader of the largest party in the chamber. All new members to any chamber must take the Imperial Oath before they are able to be seated. Members of the chamber appointed into new positions, including the Minister of the Republic, the leader of the opposition, and all members of the cabinet, must retake the oath before they may perform any of their activities entitled to them through their offices.

Council of Lords
The Council of Lords is a semi-executive/legislative position within the Imperial Chambers. The powers they actively possess towards the Imperial chambers is highly limited, existing more as an advisory body. Bills that have passed both the Chamber of Ministers and States are additionally reviewed by the Council who can give assent for it to be passed to the monarch, or deny it and request it to be reconsidered. If a denied bill is returned to the Council again they must give it assent to the monarch, regardless of the state of the bill. The Council has special permission to vote on specific high concern issues that may be deemed at risk of popular political fervor, including declarations of war and calls for referendum, both powers reserved to the council.

The Council is made of five lords who oversee the highest level of administration in Gemurtrak, one member being the monarch of Gemurtrak. All members, excluding the monarch, are elected into their positions through the Electoral College of Lords, an electoral body for the constitutionally permitted imperial households.