Witch Movement (4)

When the Ninth Prince stood on the podium.

All the members turned their heads left and right to look at each other, and saw the confusion in each other's eyes.

Alex quietly put down a pile of documents and said, "I am Alex Chune. At the written request of Congressman Claro Monbinay, I am here to take over his position and present the bills to amend several bills in the House of Representatives."

As soon as he finished speaking, a man stood up on the Senate podium.

The current chief of the Senate, with a red face, curly beard and a kind expression, is Count Guliel Jesmat.

He said, "To see His Royal Highness the Ninth Prince, but this is not in accordance with procedure."

Originally, this position belonged to Duke Pendelijah Neckar, but Duke Neckar later retired. Lanmore was not experienced enough. Now, Count Jesmart is in the position. He is a representative of the conservative faction.

Many in the Senate nodded.

The royal family generally does not participate in the process of parliament amending bills, and even Ola, as the acting king, only watches.

Although there is no explicit rule prohibiting other members of the royal family from attending parliament, it has been an unspoken rule for royal family members to visit the Senate and the House of Representatives for many years.

Another person stood up and said, "Your Highness, why are you not wearing royal attire? This is against the rules."

Inger raised the corners of his mouth slightly when he heard this.

Although he was prepared, he couldn't help laughing.

In reality, not all political and meeting places are solemn and sacred places. They are only formal products that are born under extremely strict procedures. In such a multi-party political discussion occasion, there will inevitably be arguments and even quarrels and fights.

You say the parliament is a serious place, yes, but don't the well-dressed parliamentarians curse? They do, but they beat around the bush and like to use high-brow words to make sarcastic remarks.

If you want to get involved in politics, you must develop a silver tongue and a skin thicker than the bottom of a pot.

This is a battlefield that is quite verbal.

Amending the bill is something that the majority of the Senate is unwilling to do, so this time it is mostly the House of Representatives that proposes amendments. The Senate's goal is to reject these proposals that may harm their interests, and to this end, they will do whatever it takes to win the dominance of this debate.

Personal attacks are common practice, the purpose of which is to suppress the other party and maintain control.

Alex looked the man straight in the eye and smiled. "Which article in the Royal Etiquette Act states that members of the royal family who are not the emperor or the regent must wear royal formal attire when attending parliament? Also, if you want to speak, please go to the podium. Count Jesmart is still speaking. Please follow the order."

"......uh..." The senator sat down as if choking. He quickly asked someone to bring the etiquette book. How could he remember all the etiquette rules?

Alex continued to answer Count Giesmart's question: "Article 232 of the Parliamentary Procedure Act, revised in 1830, provides that under normal circumstances, the chief member of parliament may ask someone to speak on his behalf. I am a member of the royal family, but I am neither a king nor a regent. I am standing here as the temporary acting spokesperson for Member Claro Monbinet. Before becoming a member of the royal family, I am first a citizen of this country. I have the right to accept the commission of members, and this behavior is legal and in compliance with regulations. So, can I continue my speech next... By the way, Article 123: Members may not be prevented from speaking for more than three times without justifiable reasons. As his agent, I am standing here to exercise his powers and assume his obligations. The same article applies."

Claro Monbinet sat in the chief seat and smiled at the opposite side.

After a moment of silence.

Many senators began to take out the law and flip through it. The rustling sound was endless.

This voice sounded particularly sharp to the earl. Count Gule Desmart frowned and replied, "Excuse me, please continue."

He glanced back, and someone took his cue and stood up to the stage to speak: "The current Article 232 of the Parliamentary Procedure Act, Subsidiary Regulation 1, contains some ambiguity in its description."

Indeed, under this law, anyone can come to the stage as long as the legislators authorize them. Of course, when this law was formulated, no one expected such a situation to occur, but in essence, this law is irrelevant.

Alex said calmly, "Regarding the amendment of the procedural law, please submit a motion to supplement the interpretation of the law before the meeting for further discussion."

The man had to step back.

Inger looked towards the Senate seats. After just a few words, the contempt in the eyes of the senators had disappeared.

Especially Count Jesmart, he looked at Alex as if he was facing a powerful enemy.

Alex's smile is always friendly, but it depends on the situation. For example, in this situation, it seems a bit creepy.

“First, the House of Representatives submitted the first item, “A motion on the implementation of the contents of the Civil Rights Law and additional proposals.”

Many senators had frowned.

Alex flipped through the documents and said, "The proposal materials should have been distributed to everyone. According to the first chapter of the 1830 amendment to the Civil Rights Act, except for those who have been deprived of political rights or exiled in accordance with legal procedures, all citizens over the age of 16, regardless of ethnicity, gender, education level, or wealth class, have equal rights to participate in politics... For the succession to the throne and the Senate, this political right is reflected in the right of inheritance. After the parliamentary reform in 1830, this right to participate in politics is specifically reflected in the voting rights of constituency voters to elect members of the House of Representatives."

"Article 1 of the Proclamation on the Abolition of Slavery passed in the early 19th century: From the date of this Proclamation, slavery will be completely abolished throughout the territory of Chunie, slave trade will be prohibited, and the three nationality systems of nobles, commoners, and slaves will be abolished. Regardless of ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, or physical condition, as long as one is a human being and has settled in Chunie for a long time, he or she will be a citizen of Chunie."

"Article 4 of the Imperial Succession Act and Article 5 of the Noble Succession Act, both revised in the 17th century, stipulate that female heirs are ranked after male heirs, while Article 34 of the Parliamentary Election Act stipulates that women must meet certain conditions to participate in elections, including but not limited to: being married, having a certain amount of wealth, and being of noble status."

“The Civil Rights Law belongs to the Basic Law and currently has a higher priority than the Succession to the Throne Law, the Noble Succession Law, and the Parliamentary Election Law. If there is a conflict between the two laws, the Basic Law shall prevail. Female citizens are also subordinate to citizens. Some laws restrict the political participation rights of most female citizens, which is unfair. We have adopted the suggestions of the majority of citizens and therefore proposed an amendment bill. The specific revision plan has been prepared and please read it.”

After Alex's clear and slow voice temporarily ended, the venue fell silent again.

How could anyone not know what he said? It's just that no one has brought this matter to light over the years.

Sure enough, a senator couldn't help but stand up and answer: "The inheritance law has been in use for much longer than the civil rights law. It is a law that has been applied since the founding of the country. How could it be changed so drastically?"

Inger was amused again.

Although he knew that due to the limitations of the times, people like them would always make some ridiculous remarks, it was impossible for everyone to have thoughts that transcended the times like the protagonist.

Alex replied calmly, "Since the founding of the country, 145 bills have been amended, 23 have been repealed, and the total number of amendments is more than 236 times. Among them, the Law of Succession to the Throne and the Law of Succession to the Nobles have been amended as many as 8 times. Laws are designated by people and should be amended by people. Laws are tools for maintaining order and cannot become the source of disorder. Since the current laws are not applicable to the current society, they must be amended, even if it is the Basic Law. It makes no difference."

There is not much ups and downs in the tone, but every word and sentence is full of power.

The senator retreated to his seat in dismay.

In the press box at the back, everyone was listening intently for fear of missing a single word.

Eric Blayea wrote quickly, and his eyes flashed with excitement as he raised them from time to time.

Another senator stood up and said, "Women... citizens already bear the family responsibilities of childbearing. Is this another burden and unfair to them?"

Many people, even members of the House of Representatives, nodded. Of course, there are also party divisions in the House of Representatives, and it is impossible for them to be of one mind.

Ola sneered when he heard this.

Inger found this topic somewhat novel, because in 2060, when he was living, the population had entered a period of negative growth and the economy and society were highly developed, so such topics were only discussed decades ago.

Alex smiled even more deeply. "Then do you mean that men have no reproductive responsibilities? Or do you think it is natural for women to bear all reproductive responsibilities?"

"………Uh…"

"Article 7 of the Civil Rights Law stipulates that our citizens have the right to freedom of marriage and freedom of childbearing, which means that all citizens have the freedom to have children or not to have children. This is a right, not an obligation. Based on this, female citizens are also citizens."

Of course, the congressman could not tell the truth that he thought was natural in front of Princess Aura, who was a woman and could no longer have children.

Alex continued, "In this chamber, there are 561 senators and 488 members of the House of Representatives. Among them, there are only 10 female representatives in the Senate and zero in the House of Representatives. Doesn't this number tell you something?"

The reporters, especially the female ones, all raised their heads. The situation was just as he said.

"Female citizens also participate in social production activities. They are knights, wizards, soldiers, workers, farmers, researchers, journalists, inventors, shop owners, entrepreneurs... They are present in all walks of life. Half of our population is female citizens. Why do you say that giving them the right to participate in politics is unfair to them? Haven't you heard the voices that have been shouted in the streets for so many days?"

Alex's voice is gentle but harsh, and his smile makes some people feel uncomfortable.

Ola glanced at the congressmen and then returned to Alex.

He is now speaking in her place.

If she herself said these words, they would definitely not be as shocking as if Alex, a male prince, said these words. This also proves a lot.

More than a dozen rounds of debate followed, and each time Alex silenced the other party with calm and polite words.

Even if Inger had a special ability like super memory, it would take him some time to memorize all those laws and regulations, not to mention matching them one by one. It was obvious that Alex had done his homework.

Facing the slick rhetoric of a group of old-timers among the senators, one must maneuver step by step, not fall into the trap but even be able to fight back. This requires someone who is familiar enough with the political situation and sensitive enough to language to be able to do it.

Inger couldn't take his eyes off Alex, who was standing on the stage with such a calm and composed demeanor.

Many pages of comics flashed through his mind, however, during this time, these images were gradually replaced by real scenes.

What appeared on paper was nothing compared to the reality he experienced.

He also noticed that the 16-year-old Alex was really different from the 36-year-old Alex. The 16-year-old Alex was also shining, but he still needed a growth process.

This is also what makes reading comics more interesting.

But it's another feeling to see Alex, who has been depressed for twenty years, return to the age of 16 and deal with the same thing in a more stable way.

The leading actor is worthy of being the leading actor.

He looked at those congressmen. They were older but lacked the aristocratic bearing. Was this the difference between people who had experienced war and those who had not?

He watched those people helplessly raising their voices, and he felt that the less confident one was, the more he would want to suppress the other party with superficial power. And those who were truly fearless would not get angry easily.

Alex spoke in a low-frequency voice throughout the entire conversation, but his words were perfectly chosen, able to hit the other person's pain points without losing courtesy.

After talking for a long time, Alex took a sip of water from the cup, sorted out the information, and stepped down and said, "Next, it will be up to Councillor Westminster to elaborate on the specific implementation details of the bill."

Seeing this, many senators breathed a sigh of relief.

Count Jesmat's brows never relaxed. It was the first time he saw the parliament being led by the nose by a young boy like this.

The Westminster councillor rose from beside Inger, who quickly lowered his head.

When he looked up again, he saw Alex sitting in his seat, talking in a low voice to the MP next to him for a while, then looked up at MP Westminster, very seriously.

While listening, Inger kept taking notes and his mind was working rapidly.

The discussion on the first motion alone took up the entire morning, probably because it was more important.

At noon they went to a restaurant for lunch and came back to continue their verbal battle.

The princess made it clear that she wanted the legal right of succession.

And this demand has been expanded to the right to participate in politics.

The House of Representatives originally has fewer seats than the Senate. Moreover, some of the seats in the House of Representatives are directly nominated by the Senate, which means that the power of the parliament is basically in the hands of the Senate.

The members of the House of Commons and the classes they represented had long been dissatisfied. They were in urgent need of gaining real power, and the witch movement just met their needs.

Why would the all-male MPs support this motion that favors women? There are many reasons why the MPs support this motion.

Currently, almost all women do not have the right to vote, and adult female citizens account for half of the adult citizens. Once they are given the right to vote, the number of votes will inevitably increase. If the constituencies remain unchanged, the corresponding seats in the House of Representatives will definitely increase. The seats in the Senate will remain unchanged, which is definitely a good thing for the current House of Representatives.

If the current legislators petition for the people, it means they have the support of the people, which will greatly facilitate their political and business activities. As for whether the number of female seats will be increased in the future, that is another matter. In fact, many male citizens will also support their female relatives to fight for the right to vote, because it means one more vote for a family. One of the reasons is that the voting rights of female citizens are not necessarily in their own hands, and they will not necessarily vote for women.

Not only members of the House of Representatives, but even senators will support this motion, because many noble members have only daughters. Not all nobles are confined to prejudice, and they do not want to let a gangster or cheap son-in-law who emerges from some corner inherit the family property. According to the survey, this proportion is not low, and some of their children are even participants in the witch movement. Female knights and witches are definitely a force that cannot be ignored.

In the afternoon, they argued back and forth over voting rights, expanding the number of seats in the House of Representatives, and women's inheritance rights.

At this point, Inger could see that Alex was doing this to quietly shift the center of power from the Senate to the House of Representatives.

I don't know if Ola has noticed that her support for transferring the power of the Senate to the House of Representatives is actually a precursor to the gradual transfer of the monarch's power to the parliament. And tacitly allowing journalists to enter is the first step in transferring the supervisory power to public opinion. In the next era, the power of democracy will surely increase in development, and the authority of the monarch will surely weaken with the development of society. Especially after the bourgeoisie that has entered the historical stage has grown stronger.

He dared to guess that these ideas must have come from Alex. He now believed that Alex did not want to be the emperor. How could he not want to be the emperor? He wanted to personally erase the emperor from the history of Qune.

Although this is in line with the development of the times, Alex's awareness is too high, which makes him feel a little amused.

However, even if he wanted to weaken the monarch's power step by step, it would take a long time, at least not before the war with the demons.

Wartime conditions are not suitable for progressive reforms, but are more suitable for unified control, and an emperor like him who is selfless and dedicated to his work is the most suitable.

As the first day of parliament drew to a close, reporters began to take photos and ask questions frantically.

Ola sternly warned them to write the manuscript truthfully and then let them go.

However, when I went out, something unexpected happened.

They were blocked at the entrance of Yuyan Palace.

A huge crowd stood in front of the Yuyan Palace gate. When they saw people coming out, they all stood up and some held up signs.

The crowd seemed to have made an agreement. They all wore black clothes. From a distance, they looked like a blooming black rose. They also looked like a pile of ashes that were about to reignite as they held up red eye-catching signs.

They used silence instead of voice.

Yuyan Palace has a back door, but every door is packed with people, both men and women, young and old.

As they walked out one after another, the crowd separated automatically, and pairs of eyes stared at the people passing through.

The knights did not move because Ola told them not to hurt anyone, and the crowd had no intention of rushing in to hurt anyone.

Some of the councillors greeted the crowd, as if they were friends who had known each other for a long time.

Most of the senators wiped their sweat and walked quickly towards their carriages.

In the silent looks and pointing of the crowd, this seemed more terrifying than the threat of violence. They recognized some of the people who smashed their windows.

Some senators were already furious and were on the verge of swearing, but were silenced by their assistants.

When Inger came out, he sensed the fluctuation of magic and looked up suddenly.

An orange-red fireball shot up into the sky, setting off a grand display of fireworks in the semi-dark sky.

Some lawmakers were startled and hurriedly got into their cars.

The crowd burst into enthusiastic and joyful noises, as if it were a celebration.

Then they dispersed.

On the second day of the meeting, more people gathered here.

(The history and information in this article are all fictional.)