Politics of the Oan Isles: Difference between revisions
Added info box
(Added info box) |
|||
Line 1:
{{Infobox political system
The political system of the Oan Isles take place in the framework of a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. The Constitution of the Oan Isles forms the highest law in the land. It sets out the three branches of government and places checks between them to maintain a balance of power. ▼
| name = Politics of the Oan Isles
| native_name = Te punaha torangapu o nga Motuere Oa
| image = Emblem of the Oan Isles.png
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Emblem of the Oan Isles
| type = Unitary parliamentary multi-party democracy under a constitutional monarchy
| constitution = Constitution of the Oan Isles (''Ture nui o nga Motuere Oa'')
| legislature = National Assembly (''Huihuinga Motu'')
| legislature_type = Bicameral
| legislature_place = Palace of the People (''Whare o te Iwi''), [[Tokapa]], Tokamotu
| legislature_speaker =
| legislature_speaker_title =
| upperhouse = Council of Chiefs (''Kaunihera o nga Rangatira'')
| upperhouse_speaker = His Excellency, Chief Timoteo Putea
| upperhouse_speaker_title = President of the Council of Chiefs (''Perehitini o te Kaunihera o nga Rangatira'')
| upperhouse_appointer = Council of Chiefs
| lowerhouse = Council of the People (''Kaunihera o te Iwi'')
| lowerhouse_speaker = The Honourable, Apikaira Tokamangu
| lowerhouse_speaker_title = Speaker of the Council of the People (Kaikōrero or te Kaunihera o te Iwi)
| lowerhouse_appointer = Council of the People
| title_hos = [[Emperor of Polynesia]] (''Rangitanga-o-te-Moana'')
| current_hos = His Serene Majesty, [[Oahoanu]]
| appointer_hos = Absolute primogeniture
| title_hog = Prime Minister (''Pirimia'')
| current_hog = [[Maui Uye-Ahua]]
| appointer_hog = Emperor of Polynesia
| title_hosag =
| current_hosag =
| appointer_hosag =
| cabinet = Council of Chiefs (''Kaunihera o nga Minita'')
| current_cabinet = Uye-Ahua ministry
| cabinet_leader =
| cabinet_deputyleader =
| cabinet_appointer = Emperor of Polynesia
| cabinet_hq = Blue Macaw House (''Whare Makao Rakau''), Tokapa, Tokamotu
| cabinet_ministries = 12
| judiciary = Judiciary
| judiciary_head = Chief Justice (''Tino Kaiwhakawa'')
| courts =
| court = Supreme Court of the Oan Isles (''Kooti Hupurimi o nga Motuere Oa'')
| chief_judge = The Honourable, Kita Kakariki
| court_seat = Palace of Justice (''Whare o te Tira''), Tokapa, Tokamotu
| court1 =
| chief_judge1 =
| court_seat1 =
▲}}The political system of the Oan Isles take place in the framework of a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. The Constitution of the Oan Isles forms the highest law in the land. It sets out the three branches of government and places checks between them to maintain a balance of power.
The [[Emperor of Polynesia]] is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the [[Military of the Oan Isles|Oan Defence Forces]]. The Prime Minister, currently [[Maui Uye-Ahua]], is the head of government and comprises the executive branch together with the Cabinet. The Supreme Court and other courts make up the judiciary. The political system is strongly influenced by the
== Emperor ==
'''''Main article:''''' ''[[Emperor of Polynesia]]''
[[File:Oahoanu.jpeg|200px|thumb|left|His Serene Majesty, Emperor [[Oahoanu]] succeeded his father Emperor Ehe in 2016.]]
The head of state, the nominal head of government and commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the '''Emperor of Polynesia'''. In the Oan language, his title is ''Rangitanga-a-te-Moana'' which directly translates to Ruler of the Sea. He is referred to by the style of His Serene Majesty. The position originates in Mauist legend which holds that Ahua the Great, the first Emperor and founder of the Royal House of Ahua, was divinely empowered by the deity Maui to rule the Oan Isles and unite the Pacific Island people’s. This has been used throughout history to justify the expansionism of the Oan people. While the Emperor is not required to be religious, Mauist religious traditions and spiritual leaders play a large role in the Imperial Court.
Succession has changed throughout history, but according to the current law, the Crown passes down through absolute primogeniture, meaning direct descendants of the reigning Emperor inherit the throne in order of age regardless of sex. The reigning Emperor is Oahoanu, who inherited the throne from his father, Emperor Ehe. The heir to the throne is called the Crown Prince, currently His Royal Highness, Moana. The reign of the Emperor ends when he dies, is declared permanently incapacitated or abdicates. The Emperor can be required to abdicate if the Supreme Court finds him guilty of treason and other high crimes. Nevertheless, the Emperor cannot be compelled to appear in court or be arrested.
The Emperor wields numerous powers vested in the Crown of Polynesia such as appointing government ministers, promulgating laws, dissolving the Council of the People, declaring war, bestowing chieftaincies, receiving the accreditations of foreign ambassadors, conferring chivalric orders, granting pardons and signing treaties. Additionally, the Emperor appears on stamps, coins and notes, Oaths of Office are sworn to the Emperor, the Emperor's birthday is a national holiday and the National Anthem is "Heaven bless the Emperor". The powers of the Emperor, while nominally vast, are constrained by democratic traditions. In weekly meetings, the Emperor consults with the Prime Minister on state affairs and seeks his counsel on the exercise of imperial powers. The exercise of these powers has proven controversial for instance during the Second Auroran Imperial War when Oahoanu and Ehe played a large role in the crisis.
== Executive==
[[File:Official Portrait of Maui Uye-Ahua.png|alt=|160px|thumb|left|Incumbent head of government, Prime Minister Maui Uye-Ahua who was appointed by the Emperor in 2017.]]▼
The Emperor is the nominal head of the executive branch. He appoints and heads the Council of Elders. The '''Council of Elders''' (''Tuhinga o Mua'') consists of eminent persons in society such as spiritual leaders, business people, activists and intellectuals. The Council of Elders counsels the Emperor on the exercise of Imperial powers and on matters within the remit of the Crown. The '''Council of Ministers''' (''Kaunihera o nga Minita'') is an autonomous substructure of the Council of Elders which controls and directs the executive branch.
The Emperor
▲[[File:Official Portrait of Maui Uye-Ahua.png|alt=|thumb|Incumbent head of government, Prime Minister Maui Uye-Ahua who was appointed by the Emperor in 2017.]]
The Ministers of the executive branch are as follows:
Line 36 ⟶ 82:
==Legislature==
[[File:Seat of the Oan National Assembly.jpg|thumb|The Whare o te Iwi or Palace of the People located in the capital Tokapa on Tokamotu Island is the seat of the legislative branch]]
The legislature of the Oan Isles is called the '''National Assembly of the Oan Isles''' (''Huihuinga Motu''). It consists of two houses -
The Council of the People consists of 120 members elected by the people every four years via proportional representation. The people vote for a political party which is allocated seats according to the proportion of votes it receives. Only parties which receive a voting share above 5% are allowed to deploy representatives to the Council of the People. Elections in the country typically attract large voter turnout and people are able to freely participate in politics.
Line 43 ⟶ 89:
The most recent election is the 2018 election, where 5 parties were elected as follows:
*The '''Pacifist Party''' has 54 seats. It promotes a smaller armed
*The '''Green Party''' has 48 seats. It believes in the protection of the environment and promotion of green industry, better worker rights, universal basic income and health care.
*The '''Konoa and Allied People’s Party''' has 18 seats. It promotes decentralization of power and more rights for minority communities.
Members of the party must be adults who meet the criteria to vote and have the physical and mental capacity to carry out public duties. Although members are free to vote as they choose, their political fortunes are linked to party loyalty. Thus, party whips maintain party discipline and members tend to vote on partisan lines. Moreover, the party leadership, whether they are members or not exert considerable influence over members, and subsequently the legislative process. As parties rarely get an absolute majority of 61 seats, parties tend to cooperate on legislation.
Most of the work of drafting legislation happens in the committees. Each committee focuses on a particular issue and consists of a few members. Every party is guaranteed at least one seat in each committee. The Chairperson of the Council of the People presides over the plenary sessions of the Council of the People and supervises the administration of its affairs. The Council of the People may require members of the executive branch to appear before it to answer questions. All laws require at least half of members to pass. Some laws such as constitutional amendments require over two
The Council of Chiefs
The Council of Chiefs has the power to read and debate bills before they are passed.
==Judiciary==
The '''Supreme Court''' (''Kooti Hupirimi'') is the highest court of law. It is the final court to which cases from other courts can be
The Commission on Judicial Appointments consists
'''Magistrate Courts''' are courts of the first instance which hear cases. The magnitude of the case and the scale of the judgements it
==Administrative divisions==
Line 70 ⟶ 116:
== Political culture ==
The Oan Isles is a highly democratic country with characteristics such as free and fair elections, the consistently peaceful transfer of power, free press and freedom of speech, the rule of law and an independent and impartial judicial system. The Constitution is a written document that promotes and protects these fundamental
=== Civic society ===
The Oan Isles has a highly active civil society and political participation is very high. For instance, non-governmental organizations such as [[Freedom International]], [[Oan News]] and the Water Project have been instrumental in policy reform and public life. For instance, in 2017 Freedom International sued the government for allowing the Emperor to exert excessive influence over decision-making during the Auroran-Pacific War and the Supreme Court ruled in their favour - passing judicial precedent that restricts the exercise of the monarch's emergency powers. Another example
=== Political parties ===
Line 80 ⟶ 126:
The three parties that dominate politics are loosely administered and welcome a broad spectrum of people. This enables people of traditionally opposing political ideologies to rise and share space in the same political party. Although party discipline does exist to an extent in the legislature, members of the legislature are free to vote in any way they please compared to most parliamentary democracies. Coupled with the mercuriality of Oan voters and the relatively smaller role of financial resources in politics, there has been a disinclination to establish more political parties with the Konoa and Allied People's Party being the first major political party to be established in decades. The parties are as follows:
* The '''Pacifist Party''' is the largest party by a number of seats in the Council of the People and by annual income (100 million KRB average annual income). It believes in the Oan principle of peaceful development which loosely translates to Pacifist in Staynish. This encompasses participation in multilateral organizations, openness to trade and alignment with democratic counties. This party is led by the incumbent Minister of Finance, [[Kia Uye]]. Prominent politicians aligned with this party include former Foreign and Prime Minister, Locklyn Le Roy.
* The '''Green Party''' is narrowly the second-largest party in the Council of the People and has the largest volunteer Corp (around 10,000 people annually). It promotes Oan principles of respecting nature. Thus, its policies strongly favour environmental conservation. It is led by the incumbent Minister of Foreign Affairs, [[Arana Marama]]. Prominent politicians aligned with this party include [[Tipene Rahua]], the Director of the [[Oan Intelligence Bureau]].
* The '''Konoa and Allied People’s Party''' was founded in 2017 and is led by the incumbent Prime Minister [[Maui Uye-Ahua]]. The party promotes the right of the Konoan/Noan people to autonomy and was instrumental in the 2017 referendum that granted the Konoa region semi-autonomous status. It broadly promotes cultural and religious rights.
=== Ideological factions ===
The side effect of this transience is that ideological factions play a larger role in political life. People loosely align themselves with these ideals and the contours of demographic reach are typically visible along sectarian lines. Major ideological factions are as follows:
* '''Conservatism''' i.e. a strong army, strictly aligning Oan Foreign policy with other democratic nations, and strategically intervening in the internal affairs of foreign nations. Oan political environment is more accurately assessed on the basis of factions. They strongly supported Oan entry in the Auroran-Pacific War, the formation of the Auroran Union and resented Oan membership in the United Nations of the Auroran Continent. Former Emperor Ehe, Tipene Rahua and Locklyn Le Roy are believed to be part of this camp.
* '''Moderates''' call for a multilateralism, broad-based partnerships with other nations and international institutions. They strongly believed the Oan Isles joining the UNAC. Arana Marama is believed to the part of this camp.
* '''Pan-Polynesianism''' holds the belief that all Polynesian people should be united under the Emperor of Polynesia in some form. For this reason, they strongly supported
=== Clan and tribal affiliation ===
The last and least significant, but nevertheless, an important factor which affects political culture is clan and tribal affiliation. Large and wealthy families or clans can have a disproportionate influence on policy. For instance, the Ahua Clan is probably the most powerful family in the country. Their power does not only come from the fact that the Emperor
Tribal affiliation also plays a large role. Most Oan people strongly identify with a particular ancestral group that is usually based on an island called a tribe. Each tribe has a hereditary or elected Chief who represents it in the Council of Chiefs, the upper house of the Oan legislature. For instance, the Toka tribe which is based in Tokamotu is regarded as the most powerful tribe in the country because it controls the wealthiest island. The Noa tribe was a big influence in the autonomy of the Konoa Semi-autonomous Region. This is also why the [https://tep.wiki/wiki/Great_Morstaybishlia#Late_Modern_(1803_-_21st_century) Morstaybishlian partition of the Oan Isles] in the late 19th century was so devastating as the Koroi tribe was divided in half, an act for which the nation has not fully forgiven the Morsts over a hundred years later. Moreover, this is why the slave trade by the Morst is a source of [https://forum.theeastpacific.com/oan-news-t3208-s90.html#p241684 historic friction] as many clans and tribes were broken. ▼
▲Tribal affiliation also plays a large role. Most Oan people strongly identify with a particular ancestral group that is usually based on an island called a tribe. Each tribe has a hereditary or elected Chief who represents it in the Council of Chiefs, the upper house of the Oan legislature. For instance, the Toka tribe which is based in Tokamotu is regarded as the most powerful tribe in the country because it controls the wealthiest island. The Noa tribe was a big influence in the autonomy of the Konoa Semi-autonomous Region. This is also why the [https://tep.wiki/wiki/Great_Morstaybishlia#Late_Modern_(1803_-_21st_century) Morstaybishlian partition of the Oan Isles] in the late 19th century was so devastating as the Koroi tribe was divided in half, an act for which the nation has not fully forgiven the Morsts over a hundred years later. Moreover, this is why the slave trade by the Morst is a source of [https://forum.theeastpacific.com/oan-news-t3208-s90.html#p241684 historic friction] as many clans and tribes were broken.
|