Social Democratic Party Convention

[Хahar 🤔]

The Social Democratic Party is hereby convened in San Jose, California.



Members:

• Xahar
• Evilmexicandictator
• MaxQue
• Cookies and Milk
• Speed of Sound
• EarlAW
• Dc_united_15

The first order of business is bylaws. Here are the proposed bylaws:

1. The chief official in the Social Democratic Party is the Chairman. The Chairman is responsible for administering the party.
2. The second official in the Social Democratic Party is the Vice-Chairman. The Vice-Chairman is responsible for working with the Chairman and membership to enlarge the party, recruit candidates, and win votes.
3. All officials are elected by majority vote.
4. Elections to an office shall be held after a request by the officeholder or three members, or in the event of a vacancy.
5. The Chairman may dismiss the Vice-Chairman if the Vice-Chairman is found derelict in his duties, provided this action is approved by a majority of the membership.
6. The Vice-Chairman may depose the Chairman if the Chairman is found derelict in his duties, provided this action is approved by a majority of the membership.
7. The Chairman may expel any party member, provided this action is approved by a majority of the membership.
8. Where only one candidate from the Social Democratic Party is running for an office, the party must endorse that candidate for that office.
9. If multiple candidates from the Social Democratic Party are running for an office, a primary election shall be held among the membership.
10. The winner of a Social Democratic Party primary election shall recieve the endorsement of the party.
11. Failure to comply with the bylaws shall result in immediate expulsion.
12. The bylaws may be amended by a three-fifths supermajority.
Members, please vote aye or nay on each plank.

[Хahar 🤔]

Party logo plz.

We'll vote on those later (though I will say I like the logo of the German SPD).

[Хahar 🤔]

Hey that sounds easy but what is the logo. people join groups that have a catch logo and is every where.

If we have a number of designs, we'll take a vote.

[Хahar 🤔]

So Atlasia has a third major party.

How long until it overtakes the AUB?

It will be done within the week, I expect.

[Хahar 🤔]

...well for a start you shouldn't have unilaterally decided on the location of the convention (worse still have it in your hometown). Nor should you have made yourself the presiding officer of the convention and, worst of all, drawn up a Party Constitution and declared an immediate yes-or-no vote on it with no debate whatsoever. Not a good start, all told.

But, yes I will help draw up a platform, and perhaps other things.

I was copying a convention I saw in Who's Online. Maybe a DWTL-organized convention wasn't the best model, though.

[Хahar 🤔]

Sorry; just noticed an oversight of mine. Vote aye or nay on each plank.

[Хahar 🤔]

Also, the name is incredibly bland and boring. Could we do something about that?

Sure. Any counter-proposals?

[Хahar 🤔]

Ingsoc isn't dead, Al says.

You know what? I agree with Al. Let's table the vote and debate the bylaws first.

[Хahar 🤔]

A historical name that might have some appeal would be the Independent Labour Party (ILP).

Yes, Independent Labour would be nice. Unfortunately, we've already had an ILP.

oh I forgot to mention but I will be gone from augst 2 to august 15.

Okay. Thanks for letting us know.

[Хahar 🤔]

How's this? Feel free to debate it.

1. The symbol of the party shall be the Chairman.
2. The executive organization of the party shall be the Politburo.
3. The head of the party administration shall be the General Secretary.
4. The Politburo shall elect the General Secretary by a majority vote of its membership.
5. Elections for the post of Chairman shall take place every four months.
6. Elections to each seat in the Politburo shall take place every two months.
7. The number of seats in the Politburo shall be equal to one-fourths of the membership.
8. If the position of Chairman falls vacant, the General Secretary shall appoint a Chairman for the remainder of the term.
9. If a seat in the Politburo falls vacant, the Chairman shall appoint a member to fill the seat for the remainder of the term.
10. The General Secretary may expel any party member, provided this action is approved by a majority of the membership.
11. Where only one candidate from the Social Democratic Party is running for an office, the party must endorse that candidate for that office or expel the candidate.
12. If multiple candidates from the Social Democratic Party are running for an office, a primary election shall be held among the membership.
13. The winner of a Social Democratic Party primary election shall recieve the endorsement of the party.
14. Failure to comply with the bylaws shall result in an official warning. If the incompliance is not rectified within a 72-hour period, the offending member shall be expelled.
15. The bylaws may be amended by a majority.

[Хahar 🤔]

Do we really need a Chairman, General Secretary and Politburo? That would be 4-5 people in the party leadership, which is currently half the party. Also, is the General Secretary supposed to be a member of the Politburo? The bylaws aren't really clear about that.

The more the merrier, IMO. Certainly, I see no need to curtail the number of positions. They keep people happy.

The General Secretary usually would be a member of the Politburo, but I don't think it should be mandated.

[Хahar 🤔]

Social Democratic avatars! I'm doing them in alphabetical order by member. Shove them in your signatures if you like.

 SD-WV (Al)
 SD-TN (Cookies and Milk)
 SD-CA (Dc_united_15, Xahar)
 SD-NY (EarlAW)
 SD-ID (Evilmexicandictator)
 SD-ND (Lewis Trondheim)
 SD-VT (Lief)
 SD-NV (MaxQue)
 SD-SD (Speed of Sound)

[Хahar 🤔]

I don't think that actually using the name "Politburo" would be an especially clever idea...

Fine, then. How does Central Committee sound?

[Хahar 🤔]

Social Democratic avatars! I'm doing them in alphabetical order by member. Shove them in your signatures if you like.

 SD-WV (Al)
 SD-TN (Cookies and Milk)
 SD-CA (Dc_united_15, Xahar)
 SD-NY (EarlAW)
 SD-ID (Evilmexicandictator)
 SD-ND (Lewis Trondheim)
 SD-VT (Lief)

Cool. If I have time tomorrow, I'll take out the background for ya.

That'd be great. I still have to do South Dakota and Nevada, though. Could you link to the D-SD and D-NV avatars?

[Хahar 🤔]

I obviously missed something.

In that case, read through the thread.
It's that time again! Who wants to throw their hat into the ring for Senate? We should try for a full slate.

[Хahar 🤔]

I think it might be better, in our first election only a bit after we were founded, to just focus on running 1-3 candidates and getting at least one elected. It's probably not wise to bite off more than we can chew and fail our first test of political significance.

Obviously, running five candidates would require the utmost discipline. I have confidence we can keep our members in line, but it may not be worth it electorally.

[Хahar 🤔]

Here's a nice little map of our membership:

[Хahar 🤔]

What does the green stand for?

States without SDP members. The percentages represent regions.

[Хahar 🤔]

1. The symbol of the party shall be the Chairman.

I think you meant to write leader...

No, I meant symbol.

2. The executive organization of the party shall be the Politburo.

Concerns about that name have been raised already.

And the membership seems to like it.

5. Elections for the post of Chairman shall take place every four months.

I think, in fantasyland, that four months is probably too long.

It's usually about right for intraparty stuff. And the Chairman isn't really a big deal.

7. The number of seats in the Politburo shall be equal to one-fourths of the membership.

Potentially far too big. A fixed number of seats, say three or four seems better.

If it gets out of hand, it can be fixed.

8. If the position of Chairman falls vacant, the General Secretary shall appoint a Chairman for the remainder of the term.

No, an election should be held.

Yes, I think you're right.

9. If a seat in the Politburo falls vacant, the Chairman shall appoint a member to fill the seat for the remainder of the term.

No, either an election should be held or the Executive or the General Secretary should appoint someone.

Appointment by the General Secretary, then.

10. The General Secretary may expel any party member, provided this action is approved by a majority of the membership.

A better setup would be; the General Secretary may suspend any party member but decisions on expulsion would be made by the executive. The expelled member would have a right to appeal to the membership in a straight yes-or-no vote.

That does sound better.

11. Where only one candidate from the Social Democratic Party is running for an office, the party must endorse that candidate for that office or expel the candidate.

While there sould be an assumption that the Party would back one of its own, its own laws shouldn't back it into that sort of hole. If the Party gets expulsion happy it won't last long.

What should be done, then? Should that plank be scrapped?

14. Failure to comply with the bylaws shall result in an official warning. If the incompliance is not rectified within a 72-hour period, the offending member shall be expelled.

It would be better just to say that, say, "failure to comply with the rules may result in action being taken" or something.

Too vague for my tastes.

[Хahar 🤔]

My comment on each proposed bylaw.
1. The symbol? I don't really understand the thing. The logo is a photo of the Chairman?

No. What I mean is that the Chairman symbolizes the party. He represents the party.

2. Politburo sound too non-english. Perhaps something like Politdesk? I don't think that the name of the thing is very important.

Well, Politburo has specific connotations that more literal translations can't capture.

4. Which frequency? After the election? Before? I would prefer after the election to the four mouths to represent the concerns of the members.

Elections take place every four months, so there is no problem there.

9. I agree with the nomination by the chairman or by election. I don't think than an appointment by the General Secretary is a good idea because than the Politburo elect the General Secretary.

The General Secretary solidifies his position, and thus increases stability, by nominating the replacement.

11. I don't think that this is a good idea. I have the same concerns than Al.

Yes, but there's no easy solution.

13. That is also oblivious. One question. What happens if a candidate who loses in the SDP primary decide to be an general election candidate?

That brings us to the same question that we found in Bylaw 11. Expulsion is the simplest way, but it has its problems.

14. I don't see which bylaw can be violated.

Bylaw 13 can, for one.

[Хahar 🤔]

4. Which frequency? After the election? Before? I would prefer after the election to the four mouths to represent the concerns of the members.

Elections take place every four months, so there is no problem there.

The length of of the General Secretary mandate is not written in the proposed bylaws. They only say than the Politburo is elected for 2 months and the Chairman for four months.

The General Secretary can stay in office as long as he has the confidence of the Politburo.

[Хahar 🤔]

Two other things.

What will the voting system for the election of the chairman and of the Politburo?

IRV for the chairman, STV for the Politburo. Same as in Atlasian general elections.

7. The number of seats in the Politburo shall be equal to one-fourths of the membership.

What happen if the number of members changes? A by-election? An appointment by the general Secretary? The new place is created only in the next election?
What happen if the Politburo should lose a seat? Removal by the General Secretary? Removal according to last election results? Election to choose who lose his seat? The seat is removed at the next election?

All changes take place at the next election.

[Хahar 🤔]

Since debate seems to have ceased, these are the bylaws. Please vote aye or nay on each plank.

1. The symbol of the party shall be the Chairman.
2. The executive organization of the party shall be the Politburo.
3. The head of the party administration shall be the General Secretary.
4. The Politburo shall elect the General Secretary by a majority vote of its membership.
5. Elections for the post of Chairman shall take place every four months.
6. Elections to each seat in the Politburo shall take place every two months.
7. The number of seats in the Politburo shall be equal to one-fourths of the membership.
8. If the position of Chairman falls vacant, the General Secretary shall hold an election for Chairman to fill the remainder of the term.
9. If a seat in the Politburo falls vacant, the General Secretary shall appoint a member to fill the seat for the remainder of the term.
10. If multiple candidates from the Social Democratic Party are running for an office, a primary election shall be held among the membership.
11. The General Secretary may suspend any party member for up to one month.
12. The Chairman may expel any suspended party member.
13. A suspended or expelled member may appeal his penalty through a partywide vote of approval on the punishment.
14. Failure to comply with the bylaws shall result in an official warning. If the incompliance is not rectified within a 72-hour period, action shall be taken by the leadership.
15. The bylaws may be amended by a majority vote.

[Хahar 🤔]

When the vote will close?

72 hours.

[Хahar 🤔]

Current status:

1. 1-2
2. 0-2-1
3. 2-1
4. 0-2-1
5. 3-0
6. 0-3
7. 1-2
8. 3-0
9. 1-2
10. 3-0
11. 0-2-1
12. 1-2
13. 1-2
14. 1-1-1
15. 3-0

Looks like there's more work to be done.