Candelaria And Marquez National Council

The National Council is the second chamber of the Parliament of Candelaria And Marquez, being in subordination on most issues to the House of Representatives. The chamber was created in 1947, following the declaration of full independence from the United Kingdom, and was established as a 100-member Senate. Appointed on a proportional representation basis by the leaders of the major parties from a variety of sources political, judicial, religious and otherwise; it was frequently dismissed as undemocratic and ineffective in equal measure. The powers of the Senate to introduce legislation were gradually removed following the Civil War, and the degree to which Senators could delay the passing of bills was similarly curtailed.

In 1994, all major parties in the House of Representatives backed the move by President Hrehoresin to reduce the chamber to a largely advisory, 12-seat body called the National Council. The Council can delay legislation by no more than 30 days, though it retains certain significant judicial abilities. These too may soon be phased out in favour of the creation of a separate national Supreme Court

Appointment of Councillors

The twelve members of the council are appointed by the country's President, Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition following a General Election. Their nominees cannot be replaced at any other time apart from deaths or other unexpected resignations. However, council members can choose to vote off fellow councillors.

The Prime Minister chooses five councillors. These can be drawn from any source, but a generally long-standing members (and often current or former MotHs) of their party and those of their coalition partners. The Leader of the Opposition has three choices, which are usually spread in a similar fashion. The President's options are rather more esoteric - under current agreements, two must either have held "high judicial office" for two years, or has been a practising barrister for fifteen years. The remainder should be members of the public who are unaligned to any party. The ultimate process by which these final two members are chosen is publicly discussed in explicit terms, and the choices are often the subject of significant disquiet by opposition supporters.

Current Councillors

The council as at May 2007 consists of the following;

Kenneth Barnicoat

(born 10 July 1940, in Cleal Beck). A Conservative MotH from 1976-2004, he served in the ministries for Urban Affairs, Housing and Local Government in the Modern Liberal/Conservative coalitions 1988-96. In 1995 he narrowly became Conservative Party leader, contested the 1996 and 2000 elections as their Presidential candidate and was Parliamentary leader throughout this period. Despite his popularity with the party's core and commitment to its traditional values, his time as leader saw the Conservatives slip behind the SD&G to become only the fourth- largest party in the House. He was however a clear choice for a governmental nomination in 2004.

Duke Burton

(born 19 April 1948 in Lesperance). Burton became a Unionist MotH in 1984, being one of the few in his party to win a new seat in that election. In the party's long years in exile from government served as spokesman for Employment and later Tourism. Burton became the first black member of the NC after his nomination in 2004.

Colin Cemms

(born 16 June 1951, in Bass). Educated at New Hall, Albrecht. Cemms became a Unionist MotH in a 1985 by-election and remained in the House until 1996. As opposition spokesman for Social Services, he became well-known for championing public understanding of AIDS and was feted by the country's gay community, though was much later to be reprimanded by the party's leadership for allegedly homophobic speeches. Despite this, he remained a notable figure in the party and challenged for leadership in 1999, losing out to Tim Thompson. After unedifying comments regarding working-class Hispanic Marquezians dented his initial bid, he declined to stand again following Thompson's death in the spring of 2000. Upon nomination to the NC in 2004, he was widely expected to become leader but lost out to colleague Kmosko.

Bethania Espínola

(born 19 May 1965, in Melin). A house-wife and fish trader from Nader, Espínola volunteered as an NC in 2004, massively impressing President Anderson. Since taking up her seat on the NC she has become something of a media starlet, with many predicting a listing as a Unionist candidate for the House of Representatives in 2008. She generally votes with the government.

Vitor Fernandes

(born 11 June 1944, in Melin). A former Naval Volunteer Reserve commissioned officer, he later read Law at Onwere, becoming a barrister in 1972. A long-time specialist in maritime law matters; he is Vice-President of the Candelarias Maritime Law Association. He was nominated by President Clark for the NC in 2000, as was retained by Anderson in 2004. He has generally voted in favour of the sitting government, and is currently the only Councillor to speak Spanish as his first language.

Lyra Jones

(born 16 August 1957, in Albrecht). Educated at Mathieu’s College, Albrecht, though she was brought up in Rothera. Jones was active in student politics, but before her political career she was an economic and later political commentator for several left-leaning newspapers at home and abroad. She became active in the original Libertarian Party in the early 1980s, rising to become its deputy leader before joining the Libertarian-Unionists. Listed ninth on their party list in 2004, she was shortly to be nominated as the L-U's first member of the NC, as part of the governing coalition.

Jenna Kmosko

(born 12 July 1950, in Albrecht). Educated at the Onwere University, she practised as a solicitor in Bass, and barrister in Albrecht from 1980. She was a member of the House from 1984-2000, speaking for the Unionist opposition in a variety of fields including Energy, Crime Reduction and the Arts. Nominated to the NC in 2004, she surprisingly became Chair ahead of the more divisive Cemms.

Stephen Langley

(born 11 November 1935, in Alvery). Educated at New College, Albrecht. Unusually for a member of the NC, Langley's professional career was as a diplomat. Following active duty during the Civil War, he was posted to difficult positions across Rushmore during the 1960s, held various positions at the Foreign Office in Albrecht during the 1970s and 1980s, was a minister at the C&M Embassy in New Oslo Wales, United Denmark 1987-92, and then spent the next five years as ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations. He was a surprise nomination for the NC by the Modern Liberals in 2004.

Morag Martin

(born 24 November 1940, in Albrecht). Educated at the Onwere University, she had a successful career as an economist before entering politics in the early 1980s. She spoke for the Modern Liberal opposition on science and technology, before becoming Minister for Education 1990-94, Minister for Health 1994-96 and Minister for Unions 1996-99. In 2000 she was nominated to the NC, becoming Chair in 2003 following the death of Lucia Baccimo.

Rollo Mortemore

(born 29 October 1957, in Zapata). A dealer in antique books, he still runs a shop on Green Island. Since becoming the second member-of-the-public NC members in the 2004-08 Council, he has often electrified proceedings with a passionate defence of C&M's non-interventionalist foreign policy, though his musings on social issues are generally considered risibly populist. His status has been damaged of late, after it was revealed he was a member of the Unionist Party in his youth, and has been a member of local campaign groups, in strict contrivance of NC laws.

Nigel Vyne

(born 11 November 1950, in Arrigo). Educated at the University of Arrigo, Vyne's schooling was in business but he quickly became active in the Social Democratic Party becoming renowned for an analytical mind and impressive ability for speech-making. After becoming a MotH in 1980, he was spokesman for Defence and Foreign Affairs before becoming leader aged just 37. In the following election in 1988, the party failed to make the expected gains and he was unceremoniously removed from the leadership. Instead, he led four MotHs to join the Green Party, all of whom failed to retain their seats after the electoral changes in 1992. A lack of affection for SDP leader Marcus Quirk allowed Vyne to organise a formal union between the SDP and Greens, and to his own surprise he returned as leader in 1995. His abilities as an orator as Social Affairs spokesman after stepping down as leader, undeniably played a major part in the SD&GP's success in becoming the third-largest party in the House and part of the governing coalition in 2000. He stepped down as a MotH to join the NC in 2004.

Philetus Watkins

(born 6 June 1943, in Arrigo). Educated in Switzaland, he became a Barrister in 1964, a QC in 1982 and joined the C&M Court of Appeal in 1998. He also served as Chairman of the Consultative Council of Rushmori Judges in 1999. Nominated to the NC in 2000 by Anderson, he usually votes with the government.

Council Chair

The position of Council Chair (and Senate Leader prior to that) remains one of the most high-profile public offices in C&M society, despite its' inherent lack of genuine power. The Chair is elected by the councils' members, though their decision can be vetoed by the President. As a result, they have generally been a member of a party in the ruling coalition of the time.

List of Senate Leaders

List of Council Chairs