If the rule's only intent (which it is becoming increasingly clear to me must be the case) is to force people to have some sort of RP reason for a secession that confers a strategic advantage, then it is working perfectly. If its intent was ever anything else, than it's not.
If it is the intent, then it's not an unreasonable one. On Dwilight that falls under the SMA rules, but on non-SMA continents it can ensure to at least force proper behaviour for actions that can single-handedly alter the history of the continent such as secessions, mergers and capital moves, while not forcing SMA for other actions with less wide-ranging consequences.
