Politics of the Oan Isles

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 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 center-left Progressive Party and the center-right Liberal Party, which have dominated elections for decades.

Emperor

Main article: Emperor of Polynesia

His Serene Majesty, Emperor Oahoanu succeeded his father Emperor Ehe in 2016.

The head of state, 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

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 sub structure of the Council of Elders which controls and directs the executive branch.

Incumbent head of government, Prime Minister Maui Uye-Ahua who was appointed by the Emperor in 2017.

The Emperor has the power to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister (Pirimia) and the Ministers of the Crown (Nga Minita o te Karauna) . If the Council of the People passes a motion of no-confidence in the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister and the Ministers of the Crown are required to tender their resignations to the Emperor. The Prime Minister and the Ministers of the Crown comprise the Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister is the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers. He has the power to control and supervise the work of the executive branch and to advise the Emperor on the exercise of some Imperial powers. Each Minister heads an executive department and oversees an area of government policy.

The Ministers of the executive branch are as follows:

• The Finance Minister oversees government finances and prepares the national budget. The Foreign Minister oversees diplomatic relations.

• The Education Minister oversees the education system.
• The Defence Minister administers the armed forces.
• The Justice Minister administers the judiciary and police.
• The Home Minister oversees public registration and state security services.
• The Health and Welfare Minister oversees the healthcare system and state welfare.
• The Public Works Minister oversees public housing, state infrastructure and urban development.
• The Interior Minister oversees agriculture, environmental and rural affairs.
• The Commerce and Workers Minister protects workers, promotes commercial activity and oversees international trade.
• The Natural Resources and Energy Minister oversees maritime affairs, mining and electrical power.
• The Cultural Heritage Minister protects cultural heritage, promotes the rights of cultural communities and oversees tourism.

Legislature

The legislature of the Oan Isles is called the National Assembly of the Oan Isles (Huihuinga Motu). It consists of two houses - the the Council of the People (Kaunihera o te Iwi) and the Council of the Chiefs (Tuhinga o nga Rangatira) – and the Emperor. The more powerful house is the Council of the People. The Council of the People has the power to pass laws, the Council of Chiefs has the power to review legislative proposals and the Emperor has the power to promulgate laws, dissolve the Council of the People and open annual sessions of the Parliament. Every year, the Emperor reads the Speech from the Throne, to the Council of Chiefs - which is prepared by the Prime Minister – during the opening of the Parliament.

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.

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 forces, multilateral foreign policy, stronger international trade and free market capitalism. The Kohatu Liberation Movement is an ally of this party.
• The Green Party has 48 seats. It believes in 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 thirds of the members to pass.

The Council of Chiefs consist of all the Chiefs in the country. Chiefs are traditional leaders. They are all appointed by the Emperor. Chiefdoms are hereditary, meaning that a parent passes their title to their children or closest relative. The Emperor may strip a Chief of their title, create new titles or dissolve titles altogether. Chiefs are usually the symbolic leaders of a tribal group. Members of this council serve for life.

The Council of Chiefs has the power to read and debate bills before they are passed. It’s approval is not required but all laws must be sent to the Council of Chiefs before the Council of the People passes the final version. The Council of Chiefs has the power to pass non-binding recommendations on the bills that appear before it, which are sent to the Council of the People. The Council of Chiefs may also pass non-binding resolutions. These are symbolic proclamations or declarations on an issue.

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 appeal and its judicial precedent is binding on all courts in the land. It has the power to review laws for their constitutionality and strike them down if they violate the Constitution. It consists of 12 judges including the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice is the head of the judiciary and highest ranking judge in the land. Judges are symbolically confirmed by the Emperor after being chosen by the Prime Minister from nominations from the Commission on Judicial Appointments and approved by the Judiciary Committee of the Council of the People.

The Commission on Judicial Appointments consists if eminent persons in law from numerous areas and it recommends judges for appointment and dismissal. Whereas the approval of the Council of the People is required for Supreme Court justices, the Chief Justice oversees the nomination of Magistrates. Magistrates administer justice in the rest of the judicial system. Magistrates must be experienced lawyers who have passed a magisterial exam.

Magistrate Courts are courts of first instance which hear cases. The magnitude of the case and the scale of the judgements it my impose vary based on rank with power diminishing from regional, district to local level. Although cases may be heard in any court, courts of greater will likely ask smaller and less powerful courts to hear smaller and less significant cases. These courts rely on extensive laws, judicial precedent, political conventions and cultural traditions to judge cases and administer judges.

Administrative divisions

The Oan Isles is a highly centralized state. The central government maintains absolute control over the political process. Administrative divisions are an extension of the central government’s authority and coordinate the work of substructure beneath them. Regions are the highest levels of administration. They consist of districts which are further divided into municipalities. Municipalities do the most work and have the greatest control over their internal affairs. The Local Council is elected by the people and has the power to pass ordinances. The Mayor is elected directly and governs the local government with the assistance and advice of a Mayoral Council which he appoints.

The Oan Isles has control over other states which are nominally independent. In practice, the Oan Isles is the mother country. The states of the Kohatu Isles and Asian Pacific Islands have provisions in their constitutions which require Oan approval for the amendment of their constitutions and which delegate foreign relations, Defence and trade to the Oan Isles. Through the Polynesian Union, they have a personal union with the Crown of Polynesia. This means that they recognized the Emperor of Polynesia as their head of state as well. In the Asian Pacific Islands, Markka IV is the hereditary Viceroy of the Emperor. In practice, he administers all the duties of the head of state. Kohatu Isles do not have a Viceroy.