Constantinopolis
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| Flag of Constantinopolis | |
| Motto: Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. (-- Albert Einstein) | |
| [1] | |
| Region | The Christian Communist Union |
|---|---|
| Capital | Byzantium |
| Official Language(s) | Greek, Russian, English |
| Leader | Chairman Alexander Nikolaev |
| Population | 3.7 billion + |
| Currency | socialist credit |
| NS Sunset XML | |
The Holy Socialist Republic of Constantinopolis is a massive, economically powerful nation, proud of its prosperous socialist system and strong democratic tradition. Constantinopolis also has a rich history, and, in modern times, it was one of the founding members of the Coalition of Anti-Capitalist Economies.
History
More info coming soon.
Politics
The current Constitution of Constantinopolis (generally known as the Republican Constitution) was adopted in 1988, and it replaced the Imperial Constitution of 1925. Article 1 of the present Constitution declares Constantinopolis a Democratic Socialist Republic.
The government of Constantinopolis consists of three branches: the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judiciary.
The Legislative is a bi-cameral parliament. The upper chamber of this parliament is the People's Assembly, with 200 members elected every 4 years by universal suffrage. The lower chamber is known as the Agora, and it consists of the entire adult population. Upon reaching 18 years of age, every person is issued with a MVD (Mobile Voting Device), which is a device similar to a mobile phone, used exclusively for voting. The MVD network is kept extremely secure, and each MVD unit can be used only by the person it was built for (the MVD identifies its owner through a retina scan, and it can only be activated by its owner's voice command). Using their MVD's, the people of Constantinopolis participate directly in the law-making process. Not every law passes through the Agora, however - since that would be impractical. The Constitution contains a list of issues which can only be legislated by the Agora; in addition, the Agora can be consulted on any other issue, if at least 1/4 of the Assembly wishes it. To be more exact, the law-making process goes as follows: a proposal for a new law is submitted to the Assembly. The members of the Assembly discuss the issue, and vote on the law. If at least 25% of them are dissatisfied with the result of the vote, they can demand a vote in the Agora. In that case, the proposed law is presented to the people on their MVD's, and they are asked to vote on it (For or Against). The decision taken by the majority of the people becomes final and binding (the law is either passed or rejected).
The Executive is known as the Council of People's Commissars. It consists of 15 Commissars and a Chairman, each of whom are elected individually for 4-year terms. The elections for the Council of People's Commissars take place in the same years as the elections for the People's Assembly, but they are entirely separate events. The Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (usually referred to simply as the Chairman) is both the head of government and the head of state. Even though political parties play no role in the election process for the Council, the Chairman and most Commissars are usually the members of the most popular party at the time when they were elected. For example, the current Chairman, Alexander Nikolaev, is also the leader of the Communist Party (see below).
The Judiciary is based on civil and criminal law codes, very similar to the ones used in most of the modern nations of the world.
For over 60 years, the major political parties in Constantinopolis have been the Communist Party, the Socialist Party and the Christian Socialist Party. The Communist and Socialist parties are the two main contenders in national elections, with the Christian Socialist Party being a third force that often enters coalition governments with either one of the two main parties.
Constantinopolis also has a significant number of minor parties. The largest of these are the Green Movement, the Anarchist League and the Social Democrat Party. The Anarchist League is widely seen as representing the "extreme left", while the Social Democrats are the "extreme right".
The results of the most recent national elections (held in 2002) are as follows:
| Party | Leader(s) | Description | Percentage of the vote | Seats in the Assembly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communist Party | Alexander Nikolaev | The Communist Party of Constantinopolis is the oldest political party in the country. It was formed in 1918 (through the fusion of several communist, socialist and trade unionist revolutionary groups), and it was the main driving force behind the 1921 revolution. The stated aim of the Communist Party is to build a communist society. It supports the current socialist system, but also wishes to implement the slow "withering away" of the state. The communists represent the "left-wing" of politics in Constantinopolis, and they have won the elections of 2002. They formed a coalition government with the Green Movement. | 46% | 93 |
| Socialist Party | [[]] | The Socialist Party has been in power for most of the 20th century. While the communists have been responsible for the majority of changes and reforms, the socialists have maintained stability and prosperity in between the periods of change. The Socialist Party supports the current system and has no desire to move beyond socialism; it sees the goals of the communists as unnecessary at best and unrealistic at worst. The socialists represent the "right-wing" of politics in Constantinopolis, and they are currently the main opposition party to the Communist government. | 27% | 55 |
| Christian Socialist Party | [[]] | The Christian Socialists have basically the same economic platform as the Socialist Party. However, they distinguish themselves from both the socialists and the communists through their policy on social issues. The Christian Socialists propose the abolition of same-sex marriage, the re-criminalization of soft drugs, and more state support for established religion and family values. They are currently the second-largest opposition party, after the socialists. | 12% | 24 |
| Green Movement | [[]] | The Green Movement defines itself as an environmentalist socialist party. Its economic policy is roughly centrist (in between the socialists and the communists), but it distinguishes itself through its advocacy for much stronger environmental protection and the full implementation of clean energy sources. The greens are the coalition partners of the communists in the current government. | 8% | 16 |
| Anarchist League | [[]] | The Anarchist League is probably best defined by its slogan, "Communism Now!". The anarchists share the same goals as the communists, but want to see them achieved immediately, as opposed to some indefinite point in the future. Therefore, they advocate the complete abolition of the government - as well as personal property - as soon as possible. They represent the extreme left of politics in Constantinopolis. | 3.1% | 3 |
| Social Democrat Party | [[]] | The Social Democrat Party is the last remnant of the old pro-capitalist parties that existed in the years following the 1921 revolution. The Social Democrats advocate the re-introduction of (limited) private property over the means of production, which they hope to moderate with a strong welfare state. They obviously represent the extreme right of politics in Constantinopolis. | 2.5% | 2 |
(the remaining 1.4% of the vote went to many other smaller parties)
Economy
Gross Domestic Product: $116 trillion
GDP Per Capita: $31,000
More info coming soon.
Religion
The Constitution of Constantinopolis recognizes the separation of church and state, and stipulates that the free exercise of religion (or the lack thereof) is a basic human right guaranteed to all persons living within the borders of Constantinopolis.
As a result, a great number of different religions have adherents in Constantinopolis, and relations between them have been peaceful and friendly for many decades. According to the most recent census (held in 2003), the religious composition of the population is the following:
| Orthodox Christians: | 43% |
| Atheists/Agnostics: | 21% |
| Protestant Christians: | 18% |
| Catholic Christians: | 10% |
| Buddhists: | 5% |
| Other religions: | 3% |
Culture
More info coming soon.
Social issues
More info coming soon.
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