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The Azanian Political SystemIntroductionThe current Azanian governmental system, created by the Azanian Constitution of 2161, is similar to that of the other democracies on Earth and in known space, but it has some unusual characteristics.There are four branches to the Azanian government:
The Executive BranchThe Executive Branch of the Azanian government is responsible for the direction and execution of Azanian national policy and law. The branch is comprised of the President -- currently President Lansing Intembe -- the Cabinet, the Military, and Criminal Law Enforcement.The President is the leader of the country, and is responsible for the initiation of foreign policy, for propogation of national referenda, and for setting the agenda for the progress of the nation. The President is served by a large staff who research, recommend, and monitor these goals. The Cabinet meets daily and is responsible for overseeing the conduct of the President and frequently directs national policy via recommendations to and limited controls over the President and the Prime Minister. The Azanian Military is responisble for ensuring the security of Azania and the members of the Azanian Protectorate, for protecting and overseeing the conduct of Azanian commerce, and for control of Azania's borders. The Azanian Police are responsible for the enforcement of Azanian criminal law. Overseen by the Judicial Branch of the Azanian government, they enforce the laws as as enacted by the Azanian Parliament and interpreted by the courts. One special branch of the Azanian Military, the Third Brigade of the Zulu Guards, is responsible for law enforcement and investigation involving foreign nationals and crimes against the state, although the Azanian Police have authority to detain foreign nationals and suspects of treason for a limited time. The Fourth Brigade of the Zulu Guards is responsible for peacekeeping and law enforcement in the Azanian colonies. The Legislative BranchThe Azanian Legislative branch is occasionally referred to as unicameral, having only one "room" or decision-making body, but this is not quite accurate. While the entire Azanian Parliament meets in one room, there are two bodies of legislators - Legislative Parliament and the Polity Parliament.Legislative Parliament consists of 170 members elected by open polls every six years, ten members appointed by the Cabinet every four years, ten members appointed by the Supreme Court every four years, and ten members elected by the Grand Polity Council every even-numbered year. This is the body whose votes pass laws, ratify amendments, and legitimate the Executive Agenda. Legislative Parliament occupies the lower floor of the Parliament Hall. Meeting for nine months out of every year, Legislative Representatives may serve any number of terms. Representatives to the Polity Parliament number 100, are elected by the Polity Councils, and serve as a balance to the Legislative Parliament. This body sits in an upper balcony overlooking the Legislative Parliament. Any piece of legislation must have the support of 33 members of the Polity Parliament to be introduced as a bill for consideration by the Legislative Parliament. A two-thirds majority is needed to approve the submission of any amendment to the constitution to Legislative Parliament. Polity Representatives may introduce a piece of legislation as long as the bill has a sponsor in the Legislative Parliament (and as long as 33 members of Polity Parliament support the bill). Polity Representatives may also debate any issue before Legislative Parliament, and, unlike members of Legislative Parliament, there is no time limit to their presentations. Polity Representatives may be appointed or recalled at any time, even during session, and serve at the pleasure of their Polity and the Grand Council. Parliament is directed by the Prime Minister -- currently Prime Minister Tanik Verwoerd -- who sets the daily agenda, enforces rules of conduct and Parliamentary Procedure, and who sits on the Cabinet as representative of the Legislative Branch. The Prime Minister is elected by a majority vote in the national polls, and must have served two terms in Parliament to be eligible, although those terms may have been as a member of Legislative Parliament or Polity Parliament. The Judicial BranchThe Judicial Branch of the Azanian Government resembles that of most other modern nations in that a Supreme Court of eleven members presides over a system of courts descending to district and local courts across the nation. The difference is that the Azanian Judicial Branch only tries criminal cases. All civil cases are handled by a system of Polity courts.Azania's Judicial system has been called efficient and fair by most observers, largely due to the fact that it oversees criminal cases only. The Polity BranchThe Polity Branch of Azanian government is the branch which most other nations find confusing. At its implementation in the Azanian Constitution of 2161, most political scientists and the French observers at the Constitutional Congress declared that it would result in anarchy or worse in Azania, possibly even a return to the ethnic violence of a century before, but in all actuality, it has worked well for the Azanian people for nearly 150 years.There are 274 politically-recognized Polities (Polities with voting powers) in Azania, and dozens of others who can submit motions to the Grand Polity Council but have no vote. The Grand Council meets for two weeks every two months and debates issues which have not been solved by the lower Polity Councils. The "Chief Councilor" of every Polity sits on the Grand Council and submits the opinions of his or her Polity, often while linked to his or her Polity Council electronically -- the Polity may (or may not) be sitting elsewhere taking votes on motions before the Grand Council. Polity Council members are elected or otherwise chosen by the members of their Polities, and non-Polity members can participate in the Polity Council selection process if living within the sphere of influence of the Polity in question, although non-members may not serve on the Polity Council (they may, however, apply for membership in a Polity at any time). The individual Polity Councils contribute judges to a system of Polity Courts distributed throughout the country. These Polity Courts judge Civil cases and work with local and national authorities to enforce the judgements of the courts. Polities are not necessarily associated with traditional ethnic groups, nor are they bound by predetermined geographic borders. According to the Constitution of 2161, a Polity is "any group of people who dwell in a contiguous geographic area and share a system of values, a common ethnicity, or an identifiable cultural or social bond." (section 97sub3) The various Polities often do have ethnic associations, but there are far more pan-ethnic and pan-linguistic Polities politically recognized by the courts and the Grand Polity Council. Only 100 Representatives are appointed to the Polity Parliament. A Polity can challenge any other Polity's right to send a representative at any time, and a debate ensues in the Grand Council. After four hours of debate, a vote is taken, and a simple majority determines the outcome. Grand Council procedural rules technically allow for alternatives to this process, and a Rugby match was once used to determine the outcome a challenge, but in the vast majority of cases involve a vote after weeks of prior coalition-building. The Polity Branch of the Azanian government is the "wild and woolly" part of Azanian politics, and many of our nation's greatest leaders have been shaped by this unique and treasured part of the political process of our nation. ConclusionAzanian politics are often puzzling to outsiders. We recommend reading Holst Veerhof's excellent analysis The Spear and the Shield published beginning in the 2288 edition of La Libraire Coloniale.As a further note, Azania largely does not interfere in the governing of her colonies beyond the appointment of the initial governor and his or her staff and the provision that the Fourth Brigade of the Zulu Guards is responsible for the majority of law enforcement in the colonies, especially when dealing with crimes involving foreign nationals or crimes against the Azanian state. Some legislation from Parliament affects the colonies, and on these occasions, input is sought from the various Colonial Councils. "It's crazy, but I'll be damned if it doesn't work for them." Holst Veerhof, Foreword to The Spear and the Shield La Libraire Coloniale 2288 |
Learn MorePresident Lansing IntembeAzanian Military Zulu Guards Prime Minister Tanik Verwoerd |
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