Understanding Parliament’s Role in Asgardia

28 June, 2023 | United Kingdom, Salisbury

Greetings, fellow Asgardians,

The atmosphere in the new Parliament has been absolutely electric with the energy of everyone wanting to get to work. However, there have been a lot of questions lately about the role of Parliament and how it interacts with Asgardia’s Government.

Luckily, in Asgardia – we have some really great documents that outline the rules. There are 3 core pieces of legislation for this. The Constitution, The Act on Acts and the Government Act.

These are quite big and technical documents and so this article aims to summarise everything and explain it in clear and concice language.

The Role of Parliament in Asgardia

Asgardia’s Parliament holds siginficant legislative powers and responsibilities. Members of this parliament are tasked with representing the interests of Asgardians – Both De-facto residents and future Citizens – and contributing to law-making, oversight and governance of the Nation.

Here is a summary of the Duties of Asgardian Parliament:

Law-Making

Hands-down the largest and most important task for Asgardia’s Parliament is law-making. Asgardia’s law-makers are responsible for drafting, proposing, discussing, amending and voting on laws that have been proposed by Parliament or Government.  There are 12 committees in Asgardia, each with their specialist area, but all members of Parliament may submit proposals and engage in the debates, discussions and voting for any piece of legislation.

Elections and Appointments

Asgardian Members of Parliament (AMPs) participate in electing and appointing (or removing) officials to various positions such as the Chair of Parliament, Chair of Government (Prime Minister), Justices, and others – such as the head of the counting commission.

Overseeing Executive Actions

AMPs have the power to conduct parliamentary hearings and investigations, summon representatives of governmental bodies and businesses, and hold the executive accountable. This might involve reviewing the actions, decisions, and budget expenditures of the executive branch and its relevant departments.

Responding to Emergencies

If a national emergency is declared by the Head of Nation, members of parliament are responsible for approving or rejecting the decision.

Public Representation

Members of Parliament are responsible for representing the interests and concerns of Asgardian residents (and citizens), particularly those from their language district (I’m district 1, for example). This would involve communicating with them and advocating for their needs and perspectives in parliamentary debates, decisions and legislation.

How Parliament Interacts with Government

In the context of a parliamentary committee role, it’s crucial to understand the relationship between these committees and their corresponding executive ministries. As mentioned earlier, there are 12 committees – each committee has a corresponding ministry and minister to oversee it. 

Parliamentary committees are primarily legislative, tasked with proposing, debating, and refining legislation. They work to set the legal and regulatory frameworks that govern their particular domains (committees), whether it’s information and communication, science, finance, or any other area.

On the other hand, executive ministries are primarily administrative, tasked with implementing and executing the legislation and policies that the parliament passes. They take the legal and regulatory frameworks developed by parliamentary committees and put them into action, managing the day-to-day administration of their domain (ministry), from implementing policy to overseeing public services.

In an ideal system, there is a constant dialogue and exchange of ideas between these two bodies. Parliamentary committees propose legislation based on the needs and aspirations of the nation, while ministries provide feedback and practical insight based on their on-the-ground experience in implementing these policies. Committees might also conduct oversight on the ministries, ensuring that they are effectively and ethically implementing the laws as intended.

Therefore, AMPs engage with their corresponding ministry counterparts, usually initiated by the Committee Chair and Minister. This engagement might involve collaboration, oversight, and occasionally, conflict resolution. The goal is always to ensure that the policies and legislation that are worked on lead to effective and meaningful action in the real world and comply with the Nation’s Supreme values and constitution.

Wrapping It Up

I hope that this has helped to explain in more detail how our amazing Asgardian digital democracy works and how Parliament and Government interact.

Until next time; Stay curious, stay hopeful and let’s get to work.

Sources: 

• The Asgardian Constitution
• The Act on Acts
• The Asgardia Government Act