Senäts

The Senäts ([sɛˈnæt͡s] ( )), or Senate, is the upper house of the Talossan legislature, the Ziu. Each province is represented by one Senator, and thus comprises eight seats.

History

The Senate was created by the 1997 Organic Law. Before the promulgation of that document, the Ziu consisted only of a single house (now termed the "lower house"), the Cosa. Therefore, the first Senate was the Senate for the 23rd Cosa.

Ever since changes ratified after the 35th Cosa, the King has been Organically barred from holding a place in the Senate, and indeed from entering the Senate chamber unless summoned there to provide testimony to a Senate commission. The consort of the King, and any regent during his or her regency also is forbidden from holding a seat in the Senate. Furthermore, no Senator may hold seats in the Cosa.

Powers

The powers of the Senate are equal to those of the Cosa, except that no bill appropriating revenue may have a Senator as its primary sponsor, and the Senate does not participate in the Vote of Confidence in the government.

The approval of a majority of the Senate to all legislation is required before royal assent can be sought. In the case of bills recommending referenda for the ratification of Organic amendments affecting those articles concerning the Senate itself, the process of amending Organic Law, or the territorial subdivisions of the Kingdom, a super-majority of two-thirds vote in the Senate is required.

The Senate also may pass resolutions without involvement of the Cosa, to commemorate events, create Senatorial commissions or honours, or grant those honours to specific persons. Two typical "Resolutions of the Senate" (RS) are the recommendation of a Chancellor of the Royal Talossan Bar to the King, and the awarding of the Senatorial Medal of Honour.

The Senate is led by a ceremonial "Lord President" or Mençei, elected by the Chamber from among its own members, who may resign or be removed by vote of the Chamber

Current Senate

The Senate for the 49th Cosa consists of eight members.

Elections

Partisan changes in the 49th Senate by province.
Gray: IND gain; Light blue: MRPT hold; Light red: FreeDem hold; Dark gray not up

Three regularly scheduled races took place in Fiovă, Maricopa and Maritiimi-Maxhestic, while a special election was held in Cézembre. Only one Senator was returned not unopposed, and only one seat changed hands.

Cézembre

In Cézembre, Ián Anglatzarâ returned to the Senate two years after the end of his single term as Senator for Fiovă, succeeding unopposed the previous Senator Txosuè Éiric Rôibeardescù. He will serve the remainder of Roibeardescù's term.

Cézembre Senate Election
	Ián Anglatzarâ	16
	write-in	3
IND gain from FreeDem

Fiovă

The outgoing Seneschàl and former Free Democratic leader Carlüs Xheraltescu took over from Miestrâ Schivâ in an unopposed election in Fiovă.

Fiovă Senate Election
	Carlüs Xheraltescu	unopposed
FreeDem hold

Maricopa

Maricopan Munditenens Tresplet was also returned to his seat unopposed for a second term as Senator, having first been elected as a Liberal.

Maricopa Senate Election
	Munditenens Tresplet	12
	write-in	5
FreeDem hold

Maritiimi-Maxhestic

Magniloqueu Épiqeu da Lhiun retained his Maritiimi-Maxhestic seat by defeating the RUMP leader Alexandreu Davinescu. He will serve a second term in the Senate.

Maritiimi-Maxhestic Senate Election
	Magniloqueu Épiqeu da Lhiun	4
	Alexandreu Davinescu	2
MRPT hold

Membership

Partisan control of the 49th Senate by province.

The members of the Senate for the 49th Cosa, listed in the order of the scheduled expiration of their terms, are:

Province	Senator							Senate Seat Contested
	1	2	3	4	5	6
Benito	Lüc da Schir							for 50th Cosa
Vuode	Éovart Grischun							for 50th Cosa
Atatürk	Sevastáin Pinátsch							for 50th Cosa
Cézembre	Ián Anglatzarâ							for 51st Cosa
Florencia	Ma la Mha							for 51st Cosa
Maricopa	Munditenens Tresplet							for 51st Cosa
Fiovă	Carlüs Xheraltescu					vacant		for 52nd Cosa
Maritiimi-Maxhestic	Magniloqueu Épiqeu da Lhiun							for 52nd Cosa

Election cycle

As reflected by the table below, at each general election, three Senators (out of the eight) are elected. This means that the term of office for each Senate seat is three Cosa-elections two times and two-Cosa-elections the third, repeating. That’s more-or-less 16 or 24 months to each Senatorial term. However, a Senator’s term may be shortened by early dissolutions of the Cosa or lengthened by no-business months inserted between Clarks [For full details, see the Organic Law Article IV: Election to the Senäts and Article V: Composition of the Senäts].

Cosa	Senate Seat Contested
48	Atatürk, Cézembre, Florencia
49	Maricopa, Fiova, Maritiimi-Maxhestic
50	Benito, Vuode, Atatürk
51	Cézembre, Florencia, Maricopa
52	Fiova, Maritiimi-Maxhestic, Benito
53	Vuode, Atatürk, Cézembre
54	Florencia, Maricopa, Fiova
55	Maritiimi-Maxhestic, Benito, Vuode

(The Election Cycle Then Repeats)