Constitutional Reappraisal and Amelioration Program

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Constitution of the Netherlands.png

The Constitutional Reappraisal and Amelioration Program, better known as CRAP, was an initiative to revise the entire Lawbook of the Icon-Netherlands.png Netherlands originally started by Broersje.

Onset

The first steps to come to a committee for the revision of the Dutch Lawbook were taken in early January 2011. After several debates about the institution of a highly powerful Senate, Member of Congress Broersje took the initiative to start a debate to end all debates. His plan to institute a workgroup to try and establish clear lines between the powers of the various state institutions, in the process rewriting the Lawbook, was thus conceived. Christened the Constitutional Reappraisal and Amelioration Program, the abbreviation being an obvious pun, a committee started to take shape.

First committee

This first incarnation of CRAP consisted of Broersje, Daniel Parker, Kixtart and antiko. The committee started debating the various issues, establishing an ambitious agenda. After some active debating, progress slowed down, and the CRAP committee lost momentum and the active participation of its members. In the end, nothing was proposed.

Second committee

In June 2011, then President ArtemIvanov asked Member of Congress Viglius to reanimate the CRAP committee. Viglius was given a free hand in selecting a group of citizens to finish the original task set for the original committee.

Membership

Viglius as a representative of Congress, Broersje as a representative of the government and Garmr as a representative of the Senate constituted the original team. Later on, Geuzen Partij Nederland member Mr. Sphere was asked to join, as well as a member of Centre-Left Netherlands, to make the committee as representative as possible, the other members being affiliated with either Democratisch Nederland or Iron & Wine. In the end, CLN did not depute a member.

Procedure

The committee immediately stressed its civilian nature, not being appointed or dependent on either Congress or the government. It started building on the foundations that were laid by the first committee. Within three months, a complete overhaul of the entire Lawbook was ready to be presented to Congress. Many texts were entirely new, especially the first chapter, which contained a highly slimmed-down Constitution. The entire project was meant to be bilingually English and Dutch, but this was not immediately realized due to a lack of time.

Results

Of the four Chapters that made up the new Lawbook, three were passed by Congress without problems. The Senate proved to be the dividing issue once again, when the new text was rejected in a vote. A slightly rewritten version of the old Senate chapter was subsequently accepted, so that the October Presidential elections, and the forming of a government thereafter, were regulated in line with the new Lawbook.

Both Viglius and Broersje were honoured with an appointment as Commander in the exclusive Order of Oranje-Nassau for their efforts, having done the bulk of the work.

The Senate issue eventually led to the complete abolition of this institution in November, its most important tasks being assigned to the newly created office of Keykeeper.