New Chalcedon
22-10-2008, 08:48
***OPEN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE DESK OF THE EMPEROR***
The quadrennial elections for the Imperial Assembly are coming up. Whilst outside nations do not get the privilege of voting, per se, the citizens of the Empire are always interested in the opinions of our friends and neighbours in the wider world. The messages received are likely to be played upon both by parties supported by them and by their opponents. A brief description of the various political parties and the Assembly is attached.
Regards
Michael VI Doukas-Palaiologos,
Emperor and Lord of New Chalcedon.
The list of parties with seats in the expiring Assembly is as follows:
New Chalcedon Imperial Party.
Nationalist Party of New Chalcedon.
New Chalcedon Conservative Party.
Constitutionalist Centrist Party of New Chalcedon.
Liberal Party of New Chalcedon.
Environmentalist Party of New Chalcedon.
Social-Democratic Party of New Chalcedon.
Republican Party of New Chalcedon.
1. The New Chalcedon Imperial Party.
Party Colour: Gold.
Party Emblem: A golden crown on a sable field.
Party Leader: Yevelina Baukhumia, Assemblator for South-Central Constantinopolis Secundus.
This Party is currently the largest in the Assembly, commanding 244 of the 1000 seats in the Assembly. It favours centralised government, and favours expanding the role of the Crown in the lawmaking and administrative processes of the Government. One consequence of this is the NCIP's lack of a fully-formulated foreign policy, as this policy area is one that the NCIP feels is best left to a constant executive, rather than a transitionary elected Assembly. Domestically, their policies attempt to balance a strong economy with a sure safety-net for the less well-off.
2. The New Chalcedon Conservative Party.
Party Colour: Purple.
Party Emblem: The Imperial flag, with the colours changed to gold-on-purple, rather than the usual black-on-gold of the Imperial double-headed eagle.
Leader: Senator Michael Janiveris, Baron of Ikonia.
Led from the Senate (see below), the NCCP is not an especially popular party, commanding just 41 out of 1000 seats in the Assembly. Their policies are both socially and economically conservative, as they favour open trade mated with social restrictions in the laws of the Empire. Their foreign policies are generally (with exceptions in economic areas) nationalist in nature, and they notably favour maintaining conscription and a large military.
3. The Nationalist Party of New Chalcedon.
Party Colour: Silver.
Party Emblem: A mailed fist, silver on red.
Leader: Iohannes Testaratis, Third Assemblator for Novoa Dacia.
The Nationalist Party of New Chalcedon is highly isolationist, recalling the less-than-friendly history of outsiders' interactions iwth the Empire. domestically, they are populist in nature, favouring the restoration of the long-abolished welfare state, as well as the increase of conscription terms and a wide variety of patriotism-encouraging measures amongst the populace at large. This combination of factors may account for their 140 seats in the Assembly.
4. The Constitutionalist Centrist Party of New Chalcedon.
Party Colour: Dark Green.
Party Emblem: A pair of scales, blue on green, with an open book in the left pan and a sword in the right.
Leader: Yonatio Haristiss, Assemblator for North-East Hadrionopolis.
This Party is currently the second-largest in the Assembly, at 226 members. Its policies are a mixture of left-wing and right-wing policies, and each year, the Party Congress redefines the policies in response to a range of outside events and factors. Their current platform is highly protectionistic, although favouring cutbacks to the military, and their social policies are generally left-wing. They favour steering more of the funds of the government towards social welfare, rather than military spending.
5. The Liberal Party of New Chalcedon.
Party Colour: White.
Party Emblem: A pink rose on a white background.
Leader: Marissa Lestartia, Assemblator for South-West Constantinopolis Secundus.
The Liberal Party of New Chalcedon is the third-largest Party in the Assembly, with 167 seats. Historically, the LPNC has often dominated the Assembly with their populist policies. However, a shift toward the centre in their economic policies (the Party line on the abolition of welfare was "yea"), combined with corruption scandals and the attempted overthrow of the Crown by the Liberal Senator Cyaxares Melepotas led to the LPNC losing almost 150 seats in the last election, most of them to the NCIP.
Whilst they favour reducing the role of the Crown (another factor likely to work against them this election), they support retaining the institution as a symbol of national unity. Socially, their policies lean towards the left, and their priority of Governmental action is social welfare.
6. The Environmentalist Party of New Chalcedon.
Party Colour: Light Green.
Party Emblem: An olive branch, green on blue.
Leader: Ylenia Sonetastia, Second Assemblator for Atticala.
The EPNC is a relatively new Party, and focusses almost entirely upon environmental issues. Socially, they lean left-wing, and they prefer mutual treaties to a large military for defending the realm's integrity. The recent spate of involvements in which the Empire has been involved may have been the reason that they failed to make gains (for the first time since the Party was founded seven years ago), leaving them stable on 42 seats in the Assembly - or it may be that their message has persuaded everyone it is going to persuade.
7. The Social-Democratic Party of New Chalcedon.
Party Colour: Red.
Party Emblem: A stylised flame, red/gold/orange on a white background.
Leader: Harrison Dastarnes, Assemblator for Northeast New Chalcedon.
The SDPNC is the smallest of the great Parties, at only 102 seats. This is concentrated in the old industrial heartlands of the Empire, and may be partially due to the Party's policies of strict industrial protection and support of failing sectors. They favour international Socialism, and pledge to introduce a binding plebiscite on the topic of making the Empire a Republic. Foreign-policy-wise, the SDPNC is underdeveloped, believing that its first task is to win sufficient power to influence events, then to develop a policy for that area of endeavour.
8. The Republican Party of New Chalcedon.
Party Colour: Black.
Party Emblem: The scales of justice, white on black, with a heart in the right pan, and a feather quill in the left.
Leader: None at present.
The New Chalcedon Republican Party is a party in chaos. Two elections ago, they held almost 300 seats in the Assembly, and a large right to interfere in hte workings of the Government, although they had gone about as far as they were going to, by all reports.
After one attempted revolution, a large dose of civil strife, the banning of their Party (and its subsequent revocation by the Circle of Justices), and the flight into exile of tis founder and leader, many are reckoning the RPNC to be a force of the past.
Their policies are single-issue: remove the monarchy. Given how popular the young Emperor is, this is unlikely to win the RPNC an improvement from their 31 current seats in the Assembly.
The Imperial Assembly.
This body forms the lower House of the Imperial Estates, the legislative branch of the Empire, and has less power than the Senate. Its powers consist of the following:
I. Consent to treaties entered into by the Crown. (The sole exclusive power of the Assembly.)
II. Approve the national Budget. (The budget startes with the Crown, and the Senate may amend it. The Assembly may not.)
III. Initiate general Bills of Legislation, and review those proposed by the Senate. (Each House may begin the legislative process. The other reviews it, and then it must be signed into law by the Crown. The Senate (and only the Senate) can over-ride an Imperial veto.)
IV. Approve (or not approve) of Imperial appointements to domestic offices. Specifically, this does NOT cover appointments to the Imperial Council, although traditionally the leader of the Assembly is appointed to the Council, and the leaders of each party are breifed on a weekly basis as to the Council's proceedings. (The Senate approves (or not) all Imperial appointments of Ambassadors and other officials serving outside Imperial territory.)
Current status of the Assembly:
New Chalcedon Imperial Party: 244.
Nationalist Party of New Chalcedon: 140.
New Chalcedon Conservative Party: 41.
Constitutionalist Centrist Party of New Chalcedon: 226.
Liberal Party of New Chalcedon: 167.
Environmentalist Party of New Chalcedon: 42.
Social-Democratic Party of New Chalcedon: 102.
Republican Party of New Chalcedon: 31.
Independant Assemblators: 7.
The Election of the Assembly:
The Assembly is elected in two parts: 600 single-member electorates, concentrated in the cities, and 400 multi-member regional electorates. All seats are open for election every election. Elections happen precisely once every four years, barring war or a State of Emergency, which must be confirmed every year by a two-thirds majority of each House.
Current Polling:
NCIP: 20%.
NCCP: 7%.
NCNP: 16%.
CCPNC: 21%.
LPNC: 17%.
EPNC: 5%.
SDPNC: 10%.
RPNC: 1%.
Other: 2%.
OOC1: External interference is permitted, and I won't godmod it out of existance, but be warned: if it is discovered ICly, it will be a casus belli. You have been warned.
OOC2: The poll results will not be in the least binding upon me, although (as noted) they will influence the peoples' decisions (at least somewhat, possibly more), as well as the Emperor's attitude towards those who overtly state preferences.
UPDATE: The poll will close on 05 November 2008, at which time the Election will also end, and the votes thereby will be counted.
The quadrennial elections for the Imperial Assembly are coming up. Whilst outside nations do not get the privilege of voting, per se, the citizens of the Empire are always interested in the opinions of our friends and neighbours in the wider world. The messages received are likely to be played upon both by parties supported by them and by their opponents. A brief description of the various political parties and the Assembly is attached.
Regards
Michael VI Doukas-Palaiologos,
Emperor and Lord of New Chalcedon.
The list of parties with seats in the expiring Assembly is as follows:
New Chalcedon Imperial Party.
Nationalist Party of New Chalcedon.
New Chalcedon Conservative Party.
Constitutionalist Centrist Party of New Chalcedon.
Liberal Party of New Chalcedon.
Environmentalist Party of New Chalcedon.
Social-Democratic Party of New Chalcedon.
Republican Party of New Chalcedon.
1. The New Chalcedon Imperial Party.
Party Colour: Gold.
Party Emblem: A golden crown on a sable field.
Party Leader: Yevelina Baukhumia, Assemblator for South-Central Constantinopolis Secundus.
This Party is currently the largest in the Assembly, commanding 244 of the 1000 seats in the Assembly. It favours centralised government, and favours expanding the role of the Crown in the lawmaking and administrative processes of the Government. One consequence of this is the NCIP's lack of a fully-formulated foreign policy, as this policy area is one that the NCIP feels is best left to a constant executive, rather than a transitionary elected Assembly. Domestically, their policies attempt to balance a strong economy with a sure safety-net for the less well-off.
2. The New Chalcedon Conservative Party.
Party Colour: Purple.
Party Emblem: The Imperial flag, with the colours changed to gold-on-purple, rather than the usual black-on-gold of the Imperial double-headed eagle.
Leader: Senator Michael Janiveris, Baron of Ikonia.
Led from the Senate (see below), the NCCP is not an especially popular party, commanding just 41 out of 1000 seats in the Assembly. Their policies are both socially and economically conservative, as they favour open trade mated with social restrictions in the laws of the Empire. Their foreign policies are generally (with exceptions in economic areas) nationalist in nature, and they notably favour maintaining conscription and a large military.
3. The Nationalist Party of New Chalcedon.
Party Colour: Silver.
Party Emblem: A mailed fist, silver on red.
Leader: Iohannes Testaratis, Third Assemblator for Novoa Dacia.
The Nationalist Party of New Chalcedon is highly isolationist, recalling the less-than-friendly history of outsiders' interactions iwth the Empire. domestically, they are populist in nature, favouring the restoration of the long-abolished welfare state, as well as the increase of conscription terms and a wide variety of patriotism-encouraging measures amongst the populace at large. This combination of factors may account for their 140 seats in the Assembly.
4. The Constitutionalist Centrist Party of New Chalcedon.
Party Colour: Dark Green.
Party Emblem: A pair of scales, blue on green, with an open book in the left pan and a sword in the right.
Leader: Yonatio Haristiss, Assemblator for North-East Hadrionopolis.
This Party is currently the second-largest in the Assembly, at 226 members. Its policies are a mixture of left-wing and right-wing policies, and each year, the Party Congress redefines the policies in response to a range of outside events and factors. Their current platform is highly protectionistic, although favouring cutbacks to the military, and their social policies are generally left-wing. They favour steering more of the funds of the government towards social welfare, rather than military spending.
5. The Liberal Party of New Chalcedon.
Party Colour: White.
Party Emblem: A pink rose on a white background.
Leader: Marissa Lestartia, Assemblator for South-West Constantinopolis Secundus.
The Liberal Party of New Chalcedon is the third-largest Party in the Assembly, with 167 seats. Historically, the LPNC has often dominated the Assembly with their populist policies. However, a shift toward the centre in their economic policies (the Party line on the abolition of welfare was "yea"), combined with corruption scandals and the attempted overthrow of the Crown by the Liberal Senator Cyaxares Melepotas led to the LPNC losing almost 150 seats in the last election, most of them to the NCIP.
Whilst they favour reducing the role of the Crown (another factor likely to work against them this election), they support retaining the institution as a symbol of national unity. Socially, their policies lean towards the left, and their priority of Governmental action is social welfare.
6. The Environmentalist Party of New Chalcedon.
Party Colour: Light Green.
Party Emblem: An olive branch, green on blue.
Leader: Ylenia Sonetastia, Second Assemblator for Atticala.
The EPNC is a relatively new Party, and focusses almost entirely upon environmental issues. Socially, they lean left-wing, and they prefer mutual treaties to a large military for defending the realm's integrity. The recent spate of involvements in which the Empire has been involved may have been the reason that they failed to make gains (for the first time since the Party was founded seven years ago), leaving them stable on 42 seats in the Assembly - or it may be that their message has persuaded everyone it is going to persuade.
7. The Social-Democratic Party of New Chalcedon.
Party Colour: Red.
Party Emblem: A stylised flame, red/gold/orange on a white background.
Leader: Harrison Dastarnes, Assemblator for Northeast New Chalcedon.
The SDPNC is the smallest of the great Parties, at only 102 seats. This is concentrated in the old industrial heartlands of the Empire, and may be partially due to the Party's policies of strict industrial protection and support of failing sectors. They favour international Socialism, and pledge to introduce a binding plebiscite on the topic of making the Empire a Republic. Foreign-policy-wise, the SDPNC is underdeveloped, believing that its first task is to win sufficient power to influence events, then to develop a policy for that area of endeavour.
8. The Republican Party of New Chalcedon.
Party Colour: Black.
Party Emblem: The scales of justice, white on black, with a heart in the right pan, and a feather quill in the left.
Leader: None at present.
The New Chalcedon Republican Party is a party in chaos. Two elections ago, they held almost 300 seats in the Assembly, and a large right to interfere in hte workings of the Government, although they had gone about as far as they were going to, by all reports.
After one attempted revolution, a large dose of civil strife, the banning of their Party (and its subsequent revocation by the Circle of Justices), and the flight into exile of tis founder and leader, many are reckoning the RPNC to be a force of the past.
Their policies are single-issue: remove the monarchy. Given how popular the young Emperor is, this is unlikely to win the RPNC an improvement from their 31 current seats in the Assembly.
The Imperial Assembly.
This body forms the lower House of the Imperial Estates, the legislative branch of the Empire, and has less power than the Senate. Its powers consist of the following:
I. Consent to treaties entered into by the Crown. (The sole exclusive power of the Assembly.)
II. Approve the national Budget. (The budget startes with the Crown, and the Senate may amend it. The Assembly may not.)
III. Initiate general Bills of Legislation, and review those proposed by the Senate. (Each House may begin the legislative process. The other reviews it, and then it must be signed into law by the Crown. The Senate (and only the Senate) can over-ride an Imperial veto.)
IV. Approve (or not approve) of Imperial appointements to domestic offices. Specifically, this does NOT cover appointments to the Imperial Council, although traditionally the leader of the Assembly is appointed to the Council, and the leaders of each party are breifed on a weekly basis as to the Council's proceedings. (The Senate approves (or not) all Imperial appointments of Ambassadors and other officials serving outside Imperial territory.)
Current status of the Assembly:
New Chalcedon Imperial Party: 244.
Nationalist Party of New Chalcedon: 140.
New Chalcedon Conservative Party: 41.
Constitutionalist Centrist Party of New Chalcedon: 226.
Liberal Party of New Chalcedon: 167.
Environmentalist Party of New Chalcedon: 42.
Social-Democratic Party of New Chalcedon: 102.
Republican Party of New Chalcedon: 31.
Independant Assemblators: 7.
The Election of the Assembly:
The Assembly is elected in two parts: 600 single-member electorates, concentrated in the cities, and 400 multi-member regional electorates. All seats are open for election every election. Elections happen precisely once every four years, barring war or a State of Emergency, which must be confirmed every year by a two-thirds majority of each House.
Current Polling:
NCIP: 20%.
NCCP: 7%.
NCNP: 16%.
CCPNC: 21%.
LPNC: 17%.
EPNC: 5%.
SDPNC: 10%.
RPNC: 1%.
Other: 2%.
OOC1: External interference is permitted, and I won't godmod it out of existance, but be warned: if it is discovered ICly, it will be a casus belli. You have been warned.
OOC2: The poll results will not be in the least binding upon me, although (as noted) they will influence the peoples' decisions (at least somewhat, possibly more), as well as the Emperor's attitude towards those who overtly state preferences.
UPDATE: The poll will close on 05 November 2008, at which time the Election will also end, and the votes thereby will be counted.