Constitution of Gandhara

The Constitution of Gandhara is the supreme law of Gandhara. The constitution was adopted by referendum on 4 October 1957, and went into force on 13 November of that year, replacing the Constitution of 1919. It delineates the national frame of government, and it includes a bill of rights. Gandhara does not have a separate constitutional court, but instead the constitutional judicial authority is delegated to the supreme court that rules on whether laws that are challenged conflict with constitutionally established rights and freedoms.

History

After the Constitutional Revolution of Gandhara, in which revolutionaries strove for political modernization, the first Gandhari Constitution was adopted in 1919. This constitution set up a multiparty system and a limited constitutional monarchy, in which the then ruling Emir of Gandhara, Rahimullah al-Mansur, would share his autocratic power with a bicameral parliament.

During the Gandhari Revolution of 1956–1957 the Gandhari monarchy was abolished, and the Arab Socialist Union of Gandhara proclaimed the current constitution stipulating the formation of an Arab Republic. In 1990, a major revision of the constitution was undertaken in which the text of the constitution was modernized and new civil rights were added, along with a number of other changes (e.g. abolishing the death penalty under all circumstances and limiting the number of times that a person can be elected president).

Content

Preamble

The preamble to the constitution serves as an introductory statement that explains the document's fundamental purposes and guiding principles. It states in general terms the intention to create a republic, based on Arab socialism, republicanism, and nationalism. The preamble further states that the constitution will "secure the blessings of liberty" to the Gandhari people, and according to the last sentence, the document serves and will serve to protect the rights and freedoms of every individual human being within the legitimate borders of the Arab Republic of Gandhara.

Chapter 1: Basic Principles

Article 1 states that the form of Government is that of an Arab Republic (Arabic: الجمهورية العربية, Al-Jumhuriyyah al`Arabiyya). Article 2 lists a number of states goals. These goals cover general topics in governance, such as: support good moral values based on faith, fight all forms of corruption, and ensure social and political freedoms within the law.

See also

• Constitutionalism
• Government of Gandhara
• Politics of Gandhara