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This article is more than 11 years old

Referendum for Constitutional Amendments to Coincide with Local Elections

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A copy of the Imperial Decree passed yesterday which ordered the referendum and election for August 31st.

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor yesterday promulgated an Imperial Decree which ordered a referendum to take place on 31 August in which all Austenasian subjects will be able to vote on proposed amendments to the Constitution.

Local elections will also take place on 31 August, in which each Town will choose who to serve as its Representative in Parliament.

Several of the proposed amendments are little more than corrections to mistakes in the spelling and grammar of the Constitution, which was adopted in September 2011. The main amendments which have been proposed are:

  • Local elections shall take place at least once every five years instead of at least once every two years.
  • Local elections will be able to take place in Towns individually. At present, all Towns have their local election at the same time.
  • The structure of the judicial system will be able to be reorganised by Parliament (it currently being entrenched by the Constitution).
  • Parliament will be able to make provision for whom the Throne should pass to should the Line of Succession come to an end.
  • The Monarch will be able to temporarily suspend the Constitution should there be an emergency so severe (an “existential threat to the state”) that normal government becomes completely impossible.

Subjects will have the option to vote Yes, No, or Abstain to the proposed changes.

Should over half of all Austenasian subjects vote Yes, then an Act of Parliament will be proposed to put the amendments into effect, which will require the support of over 80% of Representatives to pass.

About this article

Additional context relevant to this article.

What is the Monarchy? The Austenasian Monarchy is the constitutional institution headed by the Emperor of Austenasia, who serves as Head of State. The Crown represents the continuity and constitutional authority of Austenasia and has formed part of the Empire’s constitutional structure since its foundation in 2008. The office of Monarch is distinct from that of the Prime Minister, who serves as Head of Government and leads the day-to-day administration of Austenasia. The powers and constitutional arrangements of the Crown have changed during Austenasia’s history.
What was Parliament? Parliament was the legislative branch of Austenasia under the previous constitutional system. It was a unicameral legislature whose representative house was the House of Representatives. Under the Constitution of 2026, Parliament and the House of Representatives ceased to form the legislative structure, with legislative functions instead exercised by the present Senate.
Historical constitutional framework The Constitution of 2011 is no longer the Constitution of Austenasia. It was repealed and replaced by the Constitution of 2026, which entered into force on 25 July 2026. References in this article to provisions of the Constitution of 2011 describe the constitutional arrangements in force at the time of publication and may not reflect current Austenasian law.
Historical line of succession The Line of Succession described in this article is no longer current. Austenasia’s succession arrangements have changed substantially since this article was published. Under the Constitution of 2026, the reigning Monarch may nominate an heir subject to confirmation by the Senate; if no nomination is made, the Senate may elect an heir. Readers should therefore not treat historical lists or descriptions of succession in this article as representing the current order of succession.