For all candidates in the current parliament elections: Several questions have been raised about what it means to participate in Parliament. It is important to me that feel comfortable in your understanding of how you can help, and in your awareness of the assistance that Asgardia needs. We must clarify these things before elections are complete.

The intent of Asgardia is to develop a community of supporters to form a nation focused on peace and protection in space. We are not going to live on space stations in the immediate future. We are not going to issue globally-recognized passports this year. We cannot offer diplomatic asylum to refugees from any country.

What we can do is to organize, to prepare. One step to presenting Asgardia to the United Nations and to other countries is to demonstrate the integrity of our Constitution and to form a government that represents our citizens. Parliament is a very important part of this process. When citizens elect representatives and those people then make laws to govern the nation - that is statehood, in a basic form.

As a Member of Parliament, you can share your ideas and work with others to actually bring those dreams and plans into reality. We may not need space suits this year, but we do need funding for education resources, such as an Online Learning Center. We may not need life support systems, but we can partner with research companies to help Asgardians with professional experience network with others. Budgeting, Planning, Partnerships, Legislation... all these are integral to working as a Member of Parliament.

We need MPs who can work either part time or full time in telework, chatting and conferencing with other members. MPs must share ideas, negotiate legislation, and approve budgets. MPs need to use forums, to use Discord chat, to use voice/video programs like Skype. The actual working conditions will evolve as we move forward, but this basic outline will hold true. It is planned that MPs will be paid, and it is expected that the position be treated as a serious job. You do not need professional or political experience to do this job, but you do need to represent people equally, fairly, and wisely.

You are certainly free to withdraw from Parliament elections if it does not feel to be a good fit with your life at this time. Please visit your Candidate Profile and choose the Delete option. This will release the votes of your supporters for active candidates to obtain. 

There will be other opportunities to help as the Ministries and other government agencies form. There will be many positions for both volunteers and paid workers in the next year.

Also, a question was raised about the ranking of seats in each district. The candidates with the most votes in a district win the available seats. For example, in a district with 3 seats, the top-three highest-voted candidates get those positions. The votes will be totaled for each person then sorted in descending order. The top three most popular candidates become elected to the positions. Once elected, though, all 3 seats are equal as they represent that language district. This remains true for all districts - once elected, there is no rank among representatives in that district. All members of parliament are equal, regardless of the quantity of votes by which they achieved a seat.

Sincerely,

Nikari Steve Miller, Elections Manager

Elections Office 

Administrative Affairs

Learn more - https://goo.gl/vCWFkp

Develop Your Campaign - https://goo.gl/HFh2NR