Mencei for the 62nd Cosa

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

My understanding is that @GV , as the dean of the Senate, will be running the election for Mençei.  Is that correct?

By the way, GV, you have served since February 2017 -- I wonder if your tenure of nearly nine years in office might be some kind of Talossan record?

[Sir Lüc]

My understanding is that @GV , as the dean of the Senate, will be running the election for Mençei.  Is that correct?

I admit the rule isn't super clear, but the chair is not vacant, as the Senator for Cézembre is continuing in office - so there's no need for the Dean to perform the duties of the Chair in the absence of a Mençei, and Þerxh can run the election himself.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Yeah, that really is not at all how the rules read:

1. At the beginning of each new term, and whenever the position is vacant, the Senate shall choose a Lord President (Mençei) from among its members to perform the duties of the Chair.
2. Pending the election of a Mençei, the Dean of the Senate shall perform the duties of the Chair as Acting Mençei. Should the Dean of the Senate be absent or unwilling, seniority will be followed to select a replacement.
3. The Acting Mençei shall allow for nominations to be lodged for a period of at least a week from the beginning of a term. Should a Senator receive nominations from a majority of Senators, the nomination period shall end and the Senator be considered duly elected; otherwise, a ballot shall be held using Instant Runoff Voting. Seniority shall resolve any ties that may occur during any stage of elimination.

I'm absolutely fine with the senator from Cézembre doing the honours, but it really does read like the Dean is the one who performs the duties of the Chair to run the election.

We should clarify that a bit.  Maybe:

1. A Lord President (Mençei) will perform the duties of the Chair.
2.  At the beginning of each new term, and whenever the position is vacant, the Senate shall choose a Mençei from among its members.
3. When the position is vacant, pending the election of a Mençei, the Dean of the Senate shall perform the duties of the Chair as Acting Mençei. Should the Dean of the Senate be absent or unwilling, seniority will be followed to select a replacement.
4. The Chair shall allow for nominations to be lodged for a period of at least a week from the beginning of a term. Should a Senator receive nominations from a majority of Senators, the nomination period shall end and the Senator be considered duly elected; otherwise, a ballot shall be held using Instant Runoff Voting. Seniority shall resolve any ties that may occur during any stage of elimination.

[Sir Lüc]

Yeah, I agree they should be rewritten to better reflect the intent and the actual precedent, which is as follows:

• For the 61st Cosă, there was no sitting Mençei, and the Dean (GV) conducted the election: https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=4025.0
• For the 60th Cosă, there was a sitting Mençei (Sir Ian), who conducted the election: https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=3411.0
• For the 57th, 58th and 59th Cosă, there was a sitting Mençei (ESB), who conducted the election: https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=1364.0 and https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2134.0 and https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2780.0 respectively

I realise this is often extremely philosophical, but I believe we should recognise the Senate is a continuing body, unlike the Cosă, and therefore, that the Mençei's term doesn't end with the dissolution of the Cosă or with a new Senate assembling.

-- Lüc - hopefully not invading for much longer still

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

No, that does make sense!  I'm not arguing against the precedent or practice, since I think it's basically fine and it's neat that the Senate is always around.  I just got confused.

[þerxh Sant-Enogat]

According to OrgLaw Article III Section 10 :

The Senäts shall, after every general election of a senator, choose one of its members to be the President of the Senäts to be called the Mençéi, or in English the Lord President (...)

According to Standing Rules of the Senate, Rule 2

The Acting Mençei shall allow for nominations to be lodged for a period of at least a week from the beginning of a term.
Should a Senator receive nominations from a majority of Senators, the nomination period shall end and the Senator be considered duly elected; otherwise, a ballot shall be held using Instant Runoff Voting. Seniority shall resolve any ties that may occur during any stage of elimination.

Therefore I have the pleasure to welcome all nominations in this thread.
You have until Friday December 26th 11:59pm TST to declare your choice.

@Baron Alexandreu Davinescu , @Iason Taiwos , @Eðo Grischun , @Antaglha Xhenerös Somelieir , @þerxh Sant-Enogat , @mximo , @Béneditsch Ardpresteir , @GV

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I would like to nominate the incumbent, þerxh Sant-Enogat.

[Antaglha Xhenerös Somelieir]

I would like to nominate @GV for Mençéi

[mximo]

Azul,

I would like to nominate the incumbent, þerxh Sant-Enogat.

I second this motion

Mximo Carbonèl

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I would like to nominate @GV for Mençéi

Currently, Tafi is the only nominee in the Cosa.  It seems to me we probably want to keep to the usual choice of having different parties in different chambers.

[GV]

I would like to nominate @GV for Mençéi

I nominate myself as well.  Thanks for your confidence, Antaglha (and others!).

- GV, Fiova

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

It seems to me we probably want to keep to the usual choice of having different parties in different chambers.

Sorry Senators, but I need to chime in to ask since when is that the usual choice?

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

There was a Member of Cosa who mentioned this last time:

Hmmm. I am distressed to see that the Progressive Alliance are attempting to take the leadership of both houses of the Ziu. I was leaning towards the Baron on the grounds that he's proved his competence to work in the CRL, but the best response to this kind of political aggression is to vote for Dien.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

The "usual tradition" is for both Chambers to be led by non-government members.

[Iason Taiwos]

I nominate GV also.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

The "usual tradition" is for both Chambers to be led by non-government members.

I made this suggestion in Discord: that a URL member lead the Cosa, and a Progressive who's not in Government leads the Senate.  D:na Miestra seems to have rejected that offer out of hand, in what she once called "political aggression," but the offer stands.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

OKAY whew.  After like an hour of negotiating, there's a deal.  @Béneditsch Ardpresteir for Mencei and Tafial for Tuischach.

[mximo]

**Point of Order and Proposal to Restart the Procedure**

The normal procedure provides that one member nominates another member, that the nominee is then asked whether they accept or decline the nomination, and that a vote is subsequently held on the accepted candidacies, within a clearly established timeframe.

At this stage, however, the discussion is confused and disorderly. Furthermore, a person who is not a member of the Senate has intervened in our debates, which runs counter to established practice and undermines the clarity of our proceedings.

This situation calls for a return to order and respect for proper procedure.

Accordingly, I propose that the nomination and election process be restarted entirely from scratch, in accordance with the established rules.

I therefore ask the officer responsible for the vote to kindly call this Honourable Chamber to order and to formally relaunch the process in compliance with the rules.


Mximo Carbonèl