Constitution of the Rada

In the 507th Year of the Prophet, a long plot by the lords of Rovs had reached its culmination. The senate of Atrans had consistently voted down proposals to grant Rovs autonomy similar to the Sevestres and indeed Rovs was the last major subject province the Palatines had left. Meanwhile, the Palatine governor was increasingly disconnected from the affairs of the province, and was indeed unaware of the forces being mustered by the local magnates.

The Constitution was read out by Vuksan Krall in the town square of Ovilkrai, one of the oldest settlements in Rovs. The entire town, as well as many visiting magnates had gathered to listen to him, and at its completion, messengers were dispatched to each corner of the newly established Vanrovsan Rada to provide the constitution for them too.

Contents

The document laid out the basis for the Assembly of All Rovs to rule over the former Palatine province. It laid out a system for elections, imitating the Atrans system with the exception that the magistrates elected by the Rada would move, and so would the voting districts of the Rada itself. Each major settlement of the Rada would be consulted on a 2 year schedule, which could vote on laws which would be binding upon the whole of the Rada, or elected magistrates to the rotating capital. The constitution also named the assemblies sovereign, and provided for each freeholder within the bounds of the assembly to have a vote within that assembly at the town square of their settlement.

Historical Details

Background

The text of the constitution arose out of a compromise between the historic lords of the Rovs and the freeholders, who were both relatively powerless to affect Atransian politics. Though the design of the lords was that their respective lordships would be returned to them and there would be no need to consult the freeholders, the freeholders who would be called upon to fight for an independent Rovs were well aware of Palatine customs and had no interest in fighting for a Rovs that merely exchanged one unaccountable lord for another.

Thus, the assemblies. The freeholders would elect their lords, but the lords would be in prime position to remain as the only eligible candidates.

Public Reaction

The Rovsans had a long memory of fighting as Palatine auxilia without the benefits of service that the Palatines themselves enjoyed. Thus, the Vanrovsan Rada gained popularity quickly. The Palatine governor fled the region a few days before the reading, finally having seen what was to come. Meanwhile, the Rovsans prepared to repel their old masters.