The Democratic Reformation of Furria

Support for a democratic federal government in Furria has a long and weak history, failing to gain much traction through the centuries. The first legal move towards democracy was in 1359, when 58 of the 79 Furrian counties drafted and signed a letter to King Milo, requesting he establish an elected head of government, abolishing the absolute monarchy. The letter was written primarily by Brendan Wilmers, the popular County Prefect of Dynasty County. Milo and the royal family were reportedly very offended by the Wilmers Letter (as it came to be known). However, Milo's Royal Council advised him to appease the citizens, whose unrest was noticeably growing.

On May 16, 1360, the Furrian Prime Minister Referendum was held, a ballot that asked one yes-or-no question: "Do you think that the Kingdom of Furria should establish an elected Prime Minister position to lead the government?" The referendum was rigged by federal agents all across the country. The final results were 86% "No," 9% "Yes," and 5% "I Don't Care" with an estimated 77% voter turnout. The government was immediately accused of rigging the votes. Third-party pollsters had previously predicted the results as 90% "Yes." The Furrington Palace did not initially comment on this accusations.

On July 13, 1360, Councilman Norman Builda of the Nineteenth Royal Council was unknowingly recorded, admitting to the plot to rig the Referendum. The recording was leaked by The Yonkers Post the next day. National outcry erupted.

In order to quell calls for him to abdicate, Milo released a statement on July 26, which read:

The royal family has heard the people's cries. We were unaware of the dishonest atrocities behind the recent referendum, and the Queen and I are devastated to learn of this corruption. Punitive measures are being implemented; The Royal Council has been dissolved, effective tonight at midnight. As King, I have entrusted the Furrian Counsel for Democratic Republicanism with the healing of our great nation. As always, the Crown stands high and mighty about the malice of worldly government: an warrior of freedom and champion of the people. Sincerely, your King Milo Fuzzums Furry I.

The Furrian Counsel for Democratic Republicanism is an independent activist group that formed in 1331, promoting the abolition of absolute monarchy. In 1358, Prefect Brendan Wilmers was elected the Chairman of the Counsel. In the Wilmers Letter, Wilmers had personally recommended the FCDR to King Milo for reconstruction of the government.

Acting under temporary authority, the FCDR announced the decodification of the Grand Constitution on August 7, 1360, to be effective on March 1, 1361. This gave the FCDR a window to create a new constitution, which the press preemptively named the New Codex.

Drafting of the New Codex began in August and ran through December. Throughout this period, the press theorized that the New Codex would overthrow King Milo and the monarchy. On December 17, the New Codex was released to the 79 counties for ratification. As declared by the FCDR, at least 60 counties had to ratify the New Codex for it to become the law of the land.

On December 31, Rupert County became the 60th county to ratify the New Codex. After several conventions of the counties to consolidate the Codex, the final drafted was completed on February 20, 1361. The Codex was given its official name (The Constitution of the First Furrian Democracy), although it is still widely referred to as "the Codex" by the press.

Contents of the New Codex (plainly worded paraphrase):

1. Article I
1. Section 1
1. Clause A: The head of state shall be the Monarch of Furria,
2. Clause B: The Monarch of Furria is a hereditary position with absolute primogeniture.
3. Clause C: When a Monarch dies or abdicates without any heir, the closest blood relative must be found and crowned. If absolutely no heir can be found, the Federal Assembly may elect one of their members to assume the position.
4. Clause D: The Monarch shall have a minimal role in the governing of Furria, but may have one equally-weighted vote in the Federal Assembly. In the Federal Assembly, the Monarch shall be represented by the Royal Delegate who must vote how the Monarch has decided. Royal Delegates are chosen by the Monarch, and cannot vote faithlessly. The Royal Delegate cannot propose bills.
5. Clause E: The official title of the Monarch shall be: His/Her Royal Majesty the King/Queen (Name) of the Kingdom Furria and Its Acquisitions. When addressed in writing, the Monarch shall be referred to as: His/Her Majesty. When addressed verbally, the Monarch shall be referred to as: Your Highness.
6. Clause F: The official title of the spouse of the Monarch of Furria shall be: His/Her Highness Prince/Queen Consort (Name) of the Kingdom of Furria and Its Acquisitions.
7. Clause G: The official title of the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of the Monarch of Furria shall be: His/Her Highness Prince/Princess (Name) of the Kingdom of Furria and Its Acquisitions. Great-great-grandchildren of Monarchs and every generation that follows do not receive titles. They will be granted titles when the Monarch moves down a generation, thus qualifying them as a great-grandchild.
2. Section 2
1. Clause A: The head of government shall be the Prime Minister of Furria,
2. Clause B: The position of Prime Minister shall be decided by a nationwide popular vote every five years.
3. Clause C: The Prime Minister heads the bureaucracy and executes laws.
4. Clause D: The Prime Minister has one equally-weighted vote in the Federal Assembly, where he is represented by the Prime Delegate. The officeholder of Prime Delegate may be chosen by the Prime Minister, and its subject to the same exact rules as the Royal Delegate. The Prime Delegate cannot propose bills.
5. Clause E: The Prime Minister serves a five-year term, renewable only one time.
6. Clause F: The Prime Minister must approve or veto every law from the Federal Assembly. A veto can be overturned by a two-thirds vote.
7. Clause G: The Prime Minister can appoint a Federal Council of 12 individuals to assist and advise, known as Councilors. Councilors must be approved by the Federal Assembly. 11 of the Councilors are on an equal level, but one of the Councilors (who is chosen by the PM) is known as Councilor Magistrate. The Councilor Magistrate is essentially the second in-command.
8. Clause H: If a Prime Minister dies in office or resigns, the Councilor Magistrate becomes Prime Minister. As with every PM, the new PM may reorganize his or her Federal Council.
3. Section 3
1. Clause A: The Supreme Court of Furria shall consist of 13 justices and hold the constitutional authority of the country.
2. Clause B: Justices are appointed by the Prime Minister with confirmation by the Federal Assembly.
3. Clause C: Justices serve exactly one 12-year term, and they cannot be re-appointed. When their term expires, the current Prime Minister must appoint another potential justice, who must be confirmation. The same must happen when a justice resigns or dies.
4. Clause B: The position of Supreme Justice is appointed by the Prime Minister. He or she has a equal vote with the other 12 justices, but is treated as the leader and representative of the national court system.
4. Section 4
1. Clause A: The Federal Assembly shall be the legislative authority of the country.
2. Clause B: The Federal Assembly shall consist of three Representatives from each of the 79 counties. a total of 237 Representatives. Along with the Royal Delegate and Prime Delegate, there is 239 seats in the Federal Assembly.
3. Clause C: Representatives shall serve four year terms, with an election every four years. Only current members of a County Assembly are eligible to be run for the Federal Assembly.
4. Clause D: In each county, instant runoff elections shall be held, ranking the candidates. The top three candidates with the highest rankings are sworn in as Representatives.
5. Clause E: All Representatives may propose a bill on the Assembly floor.
5. Section 5
1. Clause A: In county governments, the County Prefect shall remain the executive head, elected in a popular vote every six years.
2. Clause B: Every Prefect may appoint 12 individuals to the County Council, known as County Councilors. County Councilors must be confirmed by the County Assembly.
3. Clause C: The County Assembly consists of varying numbers of County Representatives from a county's numerous wards. Wards are divisions of a county into even smaller constituencies.
4. Clause D: The County Assembly as the power to designate private, individual judges to the County Judiciary, the court system of the county.

The New Codex became law on March 1, 1361, and the first election for Prime Minister was held on April 30. Pooh Pucenose, the former President of the now-defunct nation of Samua, was elected as the first Prime Minister of Furria. This alleviated fears of a Samu uprising. Prime Minister Pucenose was sworn in on May 18. On that day, the FCDR lost its authority to rule Furria.

As a precedent, the Prime Minister election is held on April 30 of the election year, and the new PM is sworn in on May 18.

The first Federal Assembly election was held on June 14, and the 237 members were sworn in on July 30.

Throughout the government, only County Prefects were allowed to retain their office, as the New Codex changed very little of their system.

The monarchy changed very little, despite many predictions. King Milo did not resist his decrease in power.