Together with the Council of the Realm (Reichsrat), the Assembly of the Republic (Republiksammlung) forms the legislative branch of the Schwerdtan political system. Although most legislation is suggested by the executive branch, only the Assembly can author a bill. The Assembly's committees play a prominent role in this process. Plenary sessions provide a forum for members to engage in public debate on legislative issues before them.
Deputies
The Assembly members are the only federal officials directly elected by the public. Members serve five-year terms and represent geo-populational districts of approximately 500,000 citizens each. Candidates must be at least twenty years of age and reside in the district they seek to represent.
To win election, the candidate's party must achieve a minimum threshold of 5% of the national party vote or the party must achieve a minimum of three directly elected constituency representatives. This system, known as the additional member system, results in a varying number of seats in the Assembly. As of the 1515 election, the Assembly has 120 members, known as Deputies.
Organisation
The most important organisational structure within the Assembly are the parliamentary groups (Fraktionen), which are formed by each political party. The size of a party's Fraktion determines the extent of its representation on legislative committees, the time slots allotted for speaking, the number of committee chairs it can hold, and its representation in the executive bodies of the Assembly.
Most of the legislative work in the Assembly is the product of standing committees. The number of committees approximates the number of federal ministries, and the titles of each are roughly similar. The distribution of committee chairs and the membership of each committee reflect the relative strength of the various parties in the Assembly.
The Assembly's executive bodies include the Forum of Elders and the Presidium. The Forum consists of the President of the Assembly, who is the head of the largest Fraktion and the most senior representatives from each Fraktion. The Forum is the coordination hub, determining the daily legislative agenda and assigning committee chairpersons based on party representation. The Presidium is responsible for the routine administration of the Assembly, including its clerical and research activities.
Plenary session of the Assembly of the Republic.
