THE PROVISIONAL CHARTER

of the FEDERATED STATES of GAPLA


PREAMBLE

We, the Provisional Government of the Federated States of Gapla,

ENTRUSTED with the responsibility of governing Gapla since January 2024,

DEVOTED to settling Greater Danubia, fostering peace among diverse groups, and building a society rooted in fairness, civil liberties, and accessible governance,

COMMITTED to establishing a foundation that will transition the Federated States of Gapla into a innovative, efficient, and prosperous sovereign state,

DESIRING to serve as a beacon of innovation and inclusivity, where the challenges of the 21st century and beyond are met with creativity, innovation, and ingenuity,

PLEDGING to build a society that honors liberty, opportunity, and human potential, where unity flourishes amidst diversity, and where all citizens enjoy the boundless fruits of liberty and opportunity,

RECOGNIZING the urgent need to establish and formalize policies and institutions, and

INSPIRED by the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and unity in diversity,

HEREBY DECLARE this Provisional Charter as the supreme law of the Federated States of Gapla and the guiding framework for our federation.

CHAPTER 1: BASIC PROVISIONS

§1. National Identity

The Federated States of Gapla is a sovereign state under international law and a federation composed of two constituent dominions, collectively encompassing five precincts. The symbols and territory of the Federated States of Gapla shall remain unchanged from those established prior to the enactment of this charter, except as modified through the procedures outlined herein.

§2. Authority of the Provisional Government

The Provisional Government shall exercise exclusive authority and power on behalf of the Federated States of Gapla until such time as this Charter is suspended pursuant to its provisions. This authority shall remain inviolate except as otherwise specified within this Charter.

§3. Suspension of the Charter

This Charter may be suspended through one of the following two methods:

A national referendum to suspend the Charter may only be convened if the following conditions are met, and such a referendum must be called within six (6) months of the receipt of sufficient evidence establishing the following:

The question in the referendum, whether presented to the citizens or as a proposal within the Provisional Government, shall be phrased as follows. The English version shall be authoritative.

Do you wish to suspend the Provisional Government of the Federated States of Gapla in favor of the proposed Constitution of Gapla?
Želite li suspendirati privremenu vladu Saveznih Država Gapla u korist predloženog Ustava Gaple?
Да ли желите да суспендујете Привремену владу Савезних Држава Гапла у корист предложеног устава Гапла?

In the event a referendum is held, all citizens of the Federated States of Gapla aged sixteen (16) years or older shall be eligible to vote. Access to voting, whether electronically or in person within Greater Danubia, must be reasonably provided, and no eligible voter shall be unreasonably restricted from participating. The referendum shall be conducted by secret ballot to ensure voter confidentiality.

§4. Consensus Requirements

All decisions of the Provisional Government shall require the consent of a simple majority (more than one-half) of its members, except in the following cases:

§5. Voting in Absentia

Members of the Provisional Government may cast votes in absentia on any decisions that have not reached the required threshold for approval during a meeting. Such votes must be submitted within seventy-two (72) hours following the conclusion of the meeting where the decision was initially deliberated.

Votes submitted in absentia shall be considered valid and included in the final tally, provided they comply with any procedural requirements established by the Provisional Government.

§6. Executive Offices

The role of the President of Gapla is to lead the Provisional Government. The role of the Deputy President of Gapla is to assist the President in the execution of their duties and responsibilities.

The terms of the President and Deputy President of Gapla shall commence at the start of the day, Central European Time (CET), on January 20 of the election year and shall conclude at the end of January 19 of the following year, provided that no event interrupts the terms of office, including removal from office, resignation, or the inability to fulfill the duties of office.

If the President of Gapla resigns, is removed, or is otherwise unable to fulfill the duties of office, the Deputy President of Gapla shall immediately assume the office of President, thereby vacating the position of Deputy President. If the office of Deputy President of Gapla becomes vacant, the President of Gapla shall appoint a new Deputy President to serve for the remainder of the term. If both the offices of President and Deputy President are vacant, snap elections shall be held at the next scheduled meeting of the Provisional Government to complete the term.

Until January 19, 2026, the President of Gapla may designate a Speaker of the Provisional Government to carry out presidential duties temporarily. Such designation must be communicated formally to the Provisional Government, and the Speaker shall exercise only the authority explicitly delegated by the President. The President may replace the Speaker or alter their duties at their discretion.

The President of Gapla may not concurrently hold the position of Deputy President of Gapla. The monarch of Gapla may not concurrently hold the position of President or Deputy President of Gapla. The President and Deputy President must both be members of the Provisional Government.

§7. Election of Executive Offices

The President and Deputy President of Gapla shall be elected by the Provisional Government during a meeting held within the period between December 1, 2024 and January 13, 2025. The specific election date within this period shall be determined by the incumbent President of Gapla. Any member of the Provisional Government may declare candidacy for these offices, and no unreasonable barriers or obstacles shall be imposed on any member seeking to run or vote. The election shall be conducted by secret ballot to ensure voter confidentiality. Voting in absentia shall be permitted as usual.

In each round, the candidate receiving the fewest votes shall be eliminated, continuing this process until only two candidates remain. If a tie occurs in the final round between two candidates, or between two candidates both receiving the fewest number of votes, the incumbent President of Gapla shall cast a tiebreaking vote between the candidates. The candidate receiving the majority of final round votes shall be declared the President of Gapla, and the candidate receiving the second-highest number of votes in the final round shall be declared the Deputy President of Gapla.

§8. Ministers and Portfolios

Ministers may hold a maximum of two portfolios, but they are not required to hold a portfolio. Ministers who do not hold a portfolio are referred to as 'Minister without Portfolio.' Each portfolio is classified as either a senior or junior portfolio. The following is a list of available portfolios.

Ministers may be appointed or dismissed at the discretion of the President of Gapla. However, the Provisional Government retains the authority to reverse such a decision through a vote. The responsibilities associated with each portfolio shall be determined by the President of Gapla.

CHAPTER 2: MEMBERSHIP AND DISCIPLINE

§1. Citizenship of Gapla

Citizenship of Gapla shall be conferred through a vote conducted in the Provisional Government. All individuals who were citizens of Gapla prior to the enactment of this charter shall retain their citizenship unless otherwise revoked. The admission of citizens shall be determined solely based on the merits of their application. Under no circumstances may decisions regarding admission be influenced by discrimination on the basis of any protected characteristic.

§2. Application for Membership

All citizens of the Federated States of Gapla are eligible to apply for membership in the Provisional Government. Applications shall be made available through the Secure Citizen Portal, and no eligible citizen shall be unreasonably denied the opportunity to apply. An eGapla ID shall not be a requirement to apply.

The content and format of the membership application shall be determined by the President of Gapla. However, the application process and its questions shall adhere to principles of fairness and non-discrimination. Under no circumstances may the application include discriminatory requirements or inquiries based on race, sex, age, religion, gender, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic.

§3. Admission of Members

Applications for membership shall be reviewed during the next meeting of the Provisional Government following the submission of the application.

The admission of members shall be determined solely based on the merits of their application. Under no circumstances may decisions regarding admission be influenced by discrimination on the basis of any protected characteristic, political ideology, or declared political party affiliation.

Any member of the Provisional Government who has a conflict of interest regarding an applicant must formally disclose the nature of the conflict prior to any discussion or deliberation on the application. Such members shall abstain from participating in discussions regarding the applicant and shall not cast a vote on the matter of the applicant's admission.

Decisions regarding the admission of applicants shall be communicated to the applicants within seventy-two (72) hours of the conclusion of absentia voting on their application.

§4. Requirements for Membership

If the President, Deputy President of Gapla, Speaker of the Provisional Government, or any minister is removed from the Provisional Government, they shall automatically be stripped of their respective office. Additionally, any member of the Provisional Government who is stripped of their Gaplan citizenship shall be immediately removed from the Provisional Government.

§5. Disciplinary Procedures

A member of the Provisional Government who is absent for the entirety of a meeting or absent for more than fifteen (15) minutes during a meeting shall receive a strike, which will be recorded by the President of Gapla. However, if the member submits valid evidence of a reasonably unavoidable conflict with the scheduled meeting time, such as illness, emergency, or other extenuating circumstances, they shall be excused and will not receive a strike. This may be done either prior to or following the conclusion of the meeting.

A member of the Provisional Government who engages in minor misconduct, as determined by the Provisional Government, shall receive a strike, which will be recorded by the President of Gapla.

A member of the Provisional Government who is found guilty in a court of law—including the Provisional Government's own adjudicatory bodies—of serious misconduct involving violence, sexual misconduct, dishonesty, or any other grievous act, shall be expelled immediately. Such a member shall also be permanently barred from re-applying for membership.

If a member who was expelled for serious misconduct is later proven innocent of the charges, they shall be reinstated to the Provisional Government without the need to reapply.

A member of the Provisional Government accumulates three (3) strikes, regardless of the reason, they shall be expelled from the Provisional Government. However, such a member shall not be permanently barred and may re-apply for membership following their expulsion.

The President of Gapla, at their discretion, may remove strikes previously issued to a member if new information justifies such action or if the member makes significant contributions to the activities or operations of the Provisional Government. However, the Provisional Government retains the authority to reverse such a decision through a vote.

CHAPTER 3: SCHEDULING AND PROCEDURES

§1. Scheduling of Meetings

Meetings of the Provisional Government shall be held on a designated day and at a consistent time each week. The President of Gapla shall be responsible for coordinating with the members to determine a meeting time that accommodates the majority of their schedules.

While meetings are generally held on a regular weekly basis, the Provisional Government may observe up to 10 scheduled holidays per year, during which no meetings will take place. These holidays shall be determined by the President of Gapla, and must be communicated in advance. If a meeting is scheduled but half or more of the members are absent, the meeting shall not proceed due to the lack of quorum. However, such an absence shall not count against the total number of allowed scheduled holidays for the year.

§2. Discussion Procedures

The President of Gapla shall have the authority to set the agenda for each meeting and determine the topics to be discussed. These topics may include proposals, issues requiring decisions, or any other matters the President deems appropriate. However, members of the Provisional Government shall also be given an opportunity to introduce additional topics for discussion or propose new issues.

Before any vote is conducted on a particular topic, the President will invite members of the Provisional Government to engage in discussion. During this period, all members may express their views, ask questions, and debate the matter at hand. Once the discussion has reached a conclusion, or if the discussion appears to be becoming overly prolonged, the President may move to conclude the debate and proceed to the voting stage. However, any member of the Provisional Government may motion to continue the debate. This motion will be put to a vote, and if it passes by a simple majority (more than half of the members present), the discussion shall continue.

Each member may only motion to continue the debate once per topic. If the motion to continue is approved by a majority, the President must wait at least five minutes before concluding the discussion and moving to the vote. If the motion to continue is not approved by a majority, the President shall proceed to the vote on the topic.

§3. Adjudicatory Proceedings

When a case is presented to the Provisional Government, it shall first be introduced and explained by the Minister of Justice, who will provide all relevant details regarding the case. Following this introduction, the standard discussion procedures shall apply, during which members of the Provisional Government may debate and deliberate on the matter at hand.

Once the discussion has concluded, the case will be put to a vote to determine the outcome. After a decision is reached through the vote, the Provisional Government will proceed to determine an appropriate penalty, if applicable, through a ranked choice voting process. Each proposed penalty must be in accordance with Gaplan law and provide a lawful basis for its imposition.