The Kingdom of Plembobria is a constitutional monarchy located in the North Pacific, bordering [nation=short]Hesskin Empire[/nation] to the north. Plembobria is made up of ten provinces and a capital district.
Plembobria is a member of the World Assembly, the Democratic Union, the North Pacific Treaty Organization, and the Great North Pacific Trade Organization.
History
Main article: History of Plembobria
The land that is now Plembobria was first settled by a nomadic people known as the Rethenites, a group of religious dissidents expelled from the Kianese Empire for their faith.
As time went on, rivalling Kingdoms grappled for domination.
The war for unification was started by a group of two noblemen (now considered Plembobria's founders.) They formed a secret military organization known as the Liberty League, which systematically destabilized and deposed the dynasties. The House of Clethel allied itself with the League.
When the revolution was over, members of the Liberty League wanted to make Egbert the king, an honor which he reluctantly agreed to. Two provinces, Crilalia and Clethelbend were made autonomous provinces, which they remain to this day.
The structure of the Plembobrian political system stayed pretty much the same; as an oligarchy composed of the monarch's colleagues. In 1978, each province was allowed to elect an official delegate to the monarch's council. Each Province also was given an elected Parliament and a great deal of autonomy. Plembobria became a confederation, with the monarch and council serving as an institution to resolve disputes with the between provinces.
Following the
2nd Plembobrian Constitutional Crisis, a parliament was elected, which promulgated a constitution, entrenching itself, and establishing a parliamentary democracy.
Government & Politics
Politics in Plembobria are dominated by two major parties and three minor parties. The major parties are the National Party and the Revolutionary Democratic Party. The minor parties are the Libertarian Party, the New Left, and the Agriculture and Labor Party. The minor parties have each declined recently, due to changes to the electoral system aimed at preventing coalition governments.
The RDP, which is generally regarded as the country's main center-left party, initially founded as a socialist and republican party, they now support the monarchy as necessary for arbitrating political disputes and support a capitalist economic order but with large-scale social welfare programs. They also believe Plembobria should be involved in major international issues, and should develop power and influence on the world stage.
The Plembobrian National Party was formed out of the former Conservative Alliance. The Alliance was founded to counter the growing socialist labor movement and protect the landed elite from members of the government sympathetic to the labor movement. The National Party is still strongly pro-monarchy and claims to support meritocracy over populism, but has softened its anti-labor stance during the democratic era. It also supports modest welfare policy within the capitalist system but claims that private entities are more efficient at delivering essential services than the state. While originally being advocates for local and provincial governments, the party is now centralist and opposes calls for federation among the provinces.
Executive Government
See also: List of Plembobrian Monarchs
The Monarch
The Monarch, currently Queen Maria II, is the head of state, but not the head of government. Executive authority lies with the Queen, but is exercised under the advice of the Ministers. The Queen has the power to dissolve Parliament and legislate until a new Parliament is elected.
The Prime Minister is required to attend regular audiences with the Queen and keep her informed on matters of state.
The Government
The Prime Minister is the head of government. The government comprises all the Ministers. The leader of the political group holding a majority in the House of Commons is invited by the Queen to form a government. The other ministers are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
Governments are required to maintain the Confidence of the House of Commons, meaning they can be removed from office by a simple majority vote. Because of this, most governments have been made up of coalitions, since Plembobria has had a multiparty system since the transition to democracy. The current government, however, is supported only by the National Party since proportional elections were abolished.
The High Officers
The High Officers are appointed in the same manner as ministers. But unlike ministers, they are generally shielded from political interference and cannot be dismissed without the approval of Parliament. The Prime Minister is considered a High Officer, along with the Chancellor, (who oversees the management of the courts) the Treasurer, and the Attorney General.
Although legally distinct, the High Officers and government are often referred to together as "the Cabinet" and some Ministers serve concurrently as High Officers.
The Privy Council
The Privy Council the body formally charged with advising the Queen. It consists of all Ministers and High Officers. The council only meets in order to present the Cabinet's proposals to the Queen for her approval. The heir to the throne is also required to attend all meetings when they reach the age of majority.
The following is a list of members of the current Cabinet.
Parliament
Chapter I of the Constitution of Plembobria established Parliament as the legislative branch of the new government. Members of the Cabinet are also members of Parliament, and are accountable to it. Parliament is composed of a single house called the
House of Commons. An upper house, the Senate, was abolished due to consistent disagreements with the lower house. Although hung parliaments were common throughout the history of the institution, a two party system appears to have emerged thanks to changes in the electoral system.
All acts of legislation require the approval of the Queen to enter into force. Since the transition to democracy in 2014, no law has been denied the assent of the monarch. When parliament has approved a bill, the Speaker of the House of Commons attends formal meetings of the Privy Council, and requests the Queen's approval.
The Judicature
Chapter III, Section 1 of the Plembobrian constitution states that the judicial power "shall be vested in one High Court, and in inferior courts that Parliament may establish." The Courts try all cases regarding the laws and the constitution.
Under the Judiciary Act (1844), there are three levels of Royal Court, the High Court, the Provincial Courts, and the Shire Courts. The Shire Courts are the lowest level, followed by the Provincial Courts, and then the High Court.
The Autonomous Provinces have their own legal and judicial systems, but appeals can be made up to the High Court.
?
Plembobria has a
Common Law legal system, meaning that judicial decisions are binding on future decisions, unless they are explicitly overturned. But precedent cannot be overruled at a level below the Court which set it.
Criminal cases are decided by juries.
Geography
The Kingdom is divided into eight provinces, two autonomous provinces, and the capital district. The provinces are primarily tasked with managing infrastructure and education. Public health services are also managed on a provincial level, albeit by the national government. The autonomous provinces have considerably more leeway over domestic policy, including their own taxation, healthcare, and penal systems.
Demographics
Rethenism is the most followed religion, but there are several minority religions throughout the country, the largest of which is Flemingovianism. (Which is itself the largest religion in Crilalia.) Freedom of religion is protected by the
Declaration of Rights and Liberties.
