Parliament of Disparu
The Parliament of Disparu (French: Parlement du Disparu) was the bicameral legislative branch of Disparu, charged with legislating federal laws and regulations. Parliament met at the New Parliament Building in the former capital of Jubilife.
Parliament was composed of three components - the Legislative Triumvir, the Commons (the lower house), and the Senate (the upper house). Despite the Commons being called the "lower" house, it was actually the most dominant part of Parliament; the two other components were mockingly considered as the Commons' sounding board.
Other than passing laws, Parliament had the power to appoint the Judicial Triumvir, and in certain cases, the Monarch. Furthermore, the appointment of the Chancellor and the Ministers were largely based on the seat distributions in the Commons.
Following the fall of Disparu and the Second Quiet Revolution, Parliament had been transformed into a unicameral legislature known as the National Assembly.
Commons of Disparu
The Commons of Disparu (French: Communes du Disparu) was the lower house of Parliament. The Commons was an extremely important component of the Government of Disparu, as the allocation of many government positions was largely based on the seat distribution of the Commons.
The Commons had 471 seats. Each seat represented a riding, which were Disparuean electoral districts. Seats in the Commons were distributed roughly in proportion to the population of each province (which corresponded with Disparu's current regions). A province's proportion of seats in the Commons was determined by the following mathematical formula:
P represents the province's total population, N represents Disparu's total population, and S represents the number of seats allocated to that province. Dividing P by N would result in the percentage of Disparuean citizens residing in the province, and multiplying that percentage by 450 (the lowest possible amount of seats in the Commons) would result in that province's seat allocation. A province's proportion of seats in the Commons was recalculated every three years, when the census was completed by the Ministry of Statistics and Registration.
The seat allocation for each party prior to the fall of Disparu was as follows:
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Empire Party (EPD) | 207 |
| Communist Party (CPD) | 98 |
| Parti Français (PFD) | 71 |
| Green Party (GPD) | 40 |
| Democratic Party (DPD) | 19 |
| Independent | 36 |
The party that had the most seats in the Commons had their leader appointed as Chancellor; furthermore, Ministers were appointed based on how many seats a party had in the Commons.
The Commons was responsible for the creation and abolition of laws, and all money bills. The Commons could also pass a vote of no confidence to dissolve the Government. The Commons also had the power to vote for the new Monarch if the previous monarch did not have an heir apparent upon his or her death, removal or abdication.
A member of the Commons was known as a "Member of Parliament" (MP). MPs held office until Parliament was dissolved and served for limited terms of up to five years. Any Member of Parliament could propose a bill. However, the bill needed the support of two MPs before it is considered legitimate. The bill passed and moved to the Senate if at least two-thirds of the Commons supported it.
Senate of Disparu
The Senate of Disparu (French: Sénat du Disparu) was the upper house of Parliament. Despite this term, this did not mean that the Senate was more powerful than the Commons, merely that its members and officers outranked the members and officers of the Commons in the order of precedence for the purposes of protocol. As a matter of practice and custom, the Commons was the dominant chamber of Parliament; the Senate rarely opposed bills from the lower house.
A member of the Senate was known as a "Senator". Senators were voted democratically every five years, or when the Commons passed a vote of no confidence to dissolve the Government and call for elections.
There were 112 seats, and as stated by the Constitution, each province (corresponding to Disparu's current regions) was assigned 28 seats. The number of seats assigned to each province changed depending on the number of provinces that existed in Disparu.
The seat allocation in the Senate before the fall of Disparu was as follows:
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Empire Party (EPD) | 41 |
| Communist Party (CPD) | 27 |
| Parti Français (PFD) | 25 |
| Green Party (GPD) | 19 |
The Senate was responsible for the revision and approval of laws from the Commons. When a bill passed in the Commons, it was moved to the Senate. The bill required a simple majority vote from the Senate before it became a law. Although the approval of both houses was necessary for legislation, the Senate rarely rejected bills passed by the Commons. This practice led to criticism that the Senate was an ineffective part of Parliament.