King Approves First Orders in Council, Establishing Central Institutions

Dominion of Afula – At 6:04 this evening, His Majesty The King officially approved four Orders in Council laying the groundwork for some of the central institutions of Florenia’s new system of government. Constituting parts of the ‘Basis phase’ of the Resolution Plan announced last week, the Crown established the direct democratic Parliament and the Council of State to administer the government, as well as defining the Crown Court’s new role and loosely defining the status of ‘Minister of the Crown.’

Following the adoption of the Resolution on Florenian Government in last week’s referendum, the government had initially hoped to initiate the Basis phase by Florenia’s tenth anniversary of independence on 22 April. The Plan now progresses a few days behind the original time frame, and next calls for Parliament to assemble and promulgate certain pieces of fundamental legislation, elaborating on and granting legitimacy to the Orders in Council issued today. The government anticipates Parliament will be able to do so within the week.

With new positions unfilled as of yet, The Prince Nathan will continue to lead the government. Though the official position of prime minister will no longer exist, the Prince is expected to continue to maintain control of many important apparatuses as well as serve as a chief advisor to the Crown, though he can be removed at any time by Parliament.

Resolution Soundly Adopted: Reform Plan Will Proceed

The government announced early this afternoon that citizens have voted to adopt the Resolution on Florenian Government in a referendum by 7 votes to 0. With 77% of voters turning out for the affirmative position, the Resolution Plan now has the popular mandate desired by the prime minister’s office to move forward, progressing today from the ‘Referendum phase’ into the ‘Basis phase’ which will establish the basic structure and central bodies of the new governing system.

Official results included a breakdown of vote share by citizen residency. While turnout among non-residential citizens was 100%, only 3 of Afula’s 5 eligible voters cast a ballot. In addition to the ballot question, citizens were also given the opportunity to preregister for membership in Parliament, also shown on the table below.

The Basis phase will now progress according to the Resolution Plan released by the government last week. Orders in Council and Acts of Parliament establishing the Council of State, the new Parliament and the Crown Court will be promulgated. Legislation will also be issued concerning the admission and dismissal of citizens, the Ministers of the Crown, and Florenian names.

Reform Plan Released, ‘Resolution Referendum’ Slated to Begin Saturday

Dominion of Afula – The prime minister’s office circulated an official release today outlining the government’s forthcoming plan to hold a referendum on the adoption of the Resolution on Florenian Government and subsequently implement its long-awaited reform program. The Resolution, released last Constitution Day, outlines the basic framework around which Florenia’s government would be organized and affirms “community, equality, and democratic involvement” as fundamental national principles. It also describes a strong monarchy delegating powers to and appointing the Council of State as the nation’s executive, a direct democratic Parliament, a minuscule legal system which minimizes criminality and forgoes traditional liberal judicial functions, and the centrality of cooperation and consensus in decision making at all levels of government.

Though the Resolution also called for a referendum to be held on its adoption between 10 and 13 September 2020, the government postponed the vote until announcing that it will be held between 17 and 19 April 2021. All Florenian citizens will be entitled to vote in the plebiscite. Results will be announced the following day, and the government is optimistic that the Resolution will be adopted.

If the vote results in an affirmative majority, the central bodies and framework of the Resolution Plan’s system will be officially implemented on 22 April to coincide with the tenth anniversary of Florenia’s independence.

The government has reported that it has contacted nearly all Florenian citizens to inform them of the upcoming vote and that all citizens will be delivered a link to an official webpage containing their ballot. This will be the first popular vote to take place in the Kingdom since the 2013 general election which saw The Prince Nathan reelected to the premiership. A general election slated for December 2014 never took place, and subsequent elections have never been called due to a lack of public outcry.

The ‘Resolution Plan,’ as the government has termed its initiative, consists in three phases. The first, termed the Referendum phase, will consist in the referendum and the preregistration of all eligible and willing citizens to membership in Parliament. If the referendum results in the adoption of the Resolution, the plan will progress to the Basis phase, during which Parliament and the Council of State will each meet to promulgate legislation pertaining to the basic structure of Florenia’s government including the major state bodies and positions and their functioning. The final phase, or Arrangement phase, will see the Crown make appointments to important posts and issue a suite of Orders in Council (decrees made on advice of the Council of State) establishing many government agencies, reforming others, and creating new peers. The Arrangement phase will also see the nationalization of The Florenian Journal.

The release of the Resolution Plan and the scheduling of the referendum are the culmination of Florenia’s perennially delayed efforts to replace its current system of government with one that more accurately reflects political realities. First announced 5 September 2019, the prime minister promised the new system would be “uniquely Florenian” and that it would “include the participation of the entire Florenian populace through a direct democracy in conjunction with a constitutional monarchy.” Though details have evolved significantly, these basic commitments are reflected in the Resolution Plan, which does not mirror the governing structure of any extant state.

The release can be read in full here.