House of Deputies (Disunited States)
| House of Deputies of Pacífica | |
|---|---|
| 45th | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 250 members and 2 observers |
1.1.svg) | |
Political groups |
HM's Government (157) Social Democratic: 118
Labor: 31
Green: 8
HM's Most Loyal Opposition (93) Conservative: 79
Libertarian: 11
|
| Elections | |
Last election | October 1st, 2016 |
Next election | October 1st, 2020 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Parliament Building, Sierravista. | |
The House of Deputies, mostly refered to as the House by Pacíficans, is the unicameral house of His Majesty's Parliament, which is the national legislature of the Kingdom of Pacífica. The House of Deputies meets in the west wing of the Parliament Building in Sierravista. All 250 members of the House of Deputies, known as "House Deputies", are directally elected by the people of a legislative district through a first-past-the-post system. House Deputies hold their seats until the next general election, which occurs every four years. House Deputies are not subjected to term limits and may be re-elected an indefinate amount of times. The size and powers of the House of Deputies are defined by the Constitution of Pacífica.
The Prime Minister and their cabinet are responsible to the House of Deputies. By law, the leader of the majority party or coalition in the House is selected as Prime Minister and is later appointed by the Monarch. The House possesses several reserve powers protected by the Constitution, including the ability to hold a vote of no confidence for the Prime Minister, to call for snap elections, pass bills related to the national budget, and the removal of officials in votes of no confidence. Along with those powers, the House is charged with the creation of federal legislation, known as bills, and the implementation of them.
Overview
The House of Deputies was established on September 7th, 1842, after the implementation of the Constitution of Pacífica. According to the Constitution, the House would act as the unicameral national legislature and would have sole legislative power over the nation. Despite this, provincial legislatures are still allowed to pass laws unique to their province, as long as it does not contradict anything passed in the House. The House of Deputies is comprised of 250 members, known as House Deputies. House Deputies are elected every four years in general elections and are elected by the electorate of a legislative district.
House Deputies have the power to create, debate, and vote on federal legislation, known as bills. Since Pacífica follows the Westminister System, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, who make up a majority of the executive government, are responsible to the house, with the Prime Minister being selected by the House. Along with House Deputies, three House Delegates also are apart of the House and represent territories. House Delegates may present and debate legislation but are not allowed to vote on them. House Delegates are also elected by the entire territory rather than a legislative district.
Functions
Legislation
As the national legislature, all federal legislation originate from the House. Federal legislation is known as bills and is created by Committees. Committees are sub-legislatures that revolve around multiple related issues. Once the committee approves of a bill, it is sent to the full chamber for consideration. The bill then is debated on by both the government and opposition and then is voted on. If passed, the bill is sent to the Monarch for the "signature of approval" and if signed becomes federal law. If it fails, then the bill is either sent back to the committee for revision or is forever defeated.
Vote of no confidence
Since the Prime Minister is responsible to the House of Deputies, the House has the power to remove the Prime Minister in a vote of no confidence. A vote of no confidence occurs when the opposition (or even the governing party) believes that the Prime Minister has failed their mandate and should be replaced. If a vote of no confidence passes, a snap election is called, which will allow the electorate to decide whether the Prime Minister should keep their position. If a vote of no confidence fails, then the Prime Minister may resume their duties as the head of His Majesty's Government. Despite numerous votes of no confidence, no snap election has ever been called in the history of Pacífica.
Qualifications
The House of Deputies has numerous requirements and qualifications for candidates seeking a seat. These qualifications are similar to the qualifications required to become Prime Minister but do have a few notable differences. The qualifications and requirements for candidates seeking a spot in the House of Deputies are as followed:
- A citizen of the Kingdom of Pacífica.
- An citizen is of the age of 20 or older;
- A citizen who has physically lived in any place in the Kingdom of Pacífica for at least 5 years;
- A citizen for at least 10 years, if naturalized;
- A citizen who has a clean criminal record in Pacífica and other nations, which means the citizen must never have been convicted of a crime;
Current Composition
LeadershipSee alsoFurther readings |
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