Dakoin
| The Republic of Dakoin | |
|---|---|
| Motto - English |
Libertas Freedom |
| Anthem | Rally of the Republic |
| Official Language(s) | English |
| Capital | Ys |
| Government - President - Prime Minister - Deputy Prime Minister |
Unitary Republic President Anthony McKibben Prime Minister Timothy Aktin Deputy Prime Minister Edward Dodds |
| Population - Total |
- 200,451,000 |
| Establishment - Formation of Kingdom of Dakoin - Formation of Republic of Dakoin |
- 600 A.D - 1821 A.D |
| GDP - Total (USD) - Per Capita (USD) |
n/a4 n/a |
| Currency | 1 RD Dollar = 100 hundreths |
| Calling Code | +1821 |
Dakoin, officially the Republic of Dakoin, is a large unitary republic situated on the island of Dakoin. Preceded by the Kingdom of Dakoin, the Republic was based on founding principles of liberty and democracy following the Democratic Council led Summer Revolution of 1821.
Contents
Politics & Government
See Political Parties of Dakoin and Politics & Government of Dakoin for further information.
Dakoin's government is defined in the Articles I, II, III and IV of the Constitution. Undefined sections of government were, post 1821, either amended into the Constitution or explained in law.
Executive
Dakoin is a republic, with a parliamentary system of Government. The President of Dakoin, who serves a head of state, is elected every eight years in the general election. Whilst mainly serving as a figurehead, the President still has considerable constitutional powers and is highly influential in Dakoin politics. President Anthony McKibben (National Coalition) is the current President of 12 years, midway through his second term. The President is elected via the instant run off voting system. The Prime Minister, who wields significantly more power as Head of Government, is Timothy Atkin AM (Democratic Council) who is appointed by the President following the nomination by Congress. Every Prime Minister has been the leader of the largest coalition in Congress. The Deputy Prime Minister is appointed by the Prime Minister and is his Deputy. He is also, by convention, the 'Whip' of the majority party in the Assembly.
Core Executive
The 'Core Executive' consists of Secretaries of State (who head each Government Department), the President, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister. The current Cabinet is thus:
- President of the Republic - Anthony McKibben
- Prime Minister of the Republic - Timothy Atkin
- Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic - Edward Dodds
- Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs - Doreen Ryan
- Secretary of State for Finance - Laura Benton
- Secretary of State for the Home Department - Charles Summerfield
- Secretary of State for Defence - Phil Collins
- Secretary of State for the Environment - Neil Kennedy
- Secretary of State for Health - Abraham Southgate
- Secretary of State for Arts, Sports and Tourism -
- Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries & Food - Elliot Smith
- Secretary of State for the Regions & Local Government - Ralph Horrison
- Secretary of State for Social & Family Affairs - Angela Brown
- Secretary of State for Energy - Nevil Fletcher
- Secretary of State for Business, Trade & Employment - Matthew Walker
Legislature
The bicameral legislature, the Congress of Dakoin, consists of a Senate and a lower house, the National Assembly (known informally as the Assembly). In unison with most democracies, the lower house is the dominant chamber. The National Assembly consists of 318 Assembly Members, each elected from a single constituency using the plurality voting system. The Assembly is elected every four years, with each election signaling the start of a new government. The Senate consists of two Senators (elected for an eight year term, with one elected every four years) per region, thus creating a 48 members Senate. The election process is similar in electing Senate as it is for the Assembly.
Composition of Congress
Following the 2007 Assembly elections and 2003 General Election (which formed the current Senate) the composition of Congress is thus:
| Party | Leader(s) | Description | Seats in the National Assembly of 318 and Senate of 48 | Percentage of the popular vote in the 2007 Assembly election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Council of Dakoin | PM Timothy Atkin AM | The Democratic Council is the current majority party in Congress. Leaders of the Summer Revolution, the Council (as it is informally known) is equally important in history as it is in politics. The party is in the liberal tradition, adopting social liberalism in the early 1900s - an ideology which the majority of members maintain. A minority in the party (the Progressive Wing) have become more influential since the mid 20th Century, with PM Timothy Atkin being a self-declared Progressive. The party is typically seen as the 'centre-left' grouping in Dakoin politics. | 176, 26 | 51.3% |
| National Coalition of Dakoin | David Reid AM | The National Coalition is the current minority in Congress. The party was created in 1839 as a reaction to the liberalism of the Democratic Council. Espousing conservatism for much of its history, the Coalition (as it is informally known) now adopts a mixture of economic liberalism and social conservatism. It is constantly seen as the 'political mouthpiece for Dakoin Protestants'. The party held Congress from 1979 to 1991 where drastically reformed government and the economy and is well known for this. Today, it supplies the President through McKibben. | 138, 22 | 48.0% |
| Non-Aligned Independents (NAI) | n/a | Non-Aligned Independents (NAI), as officially known once in Congress, are members who refuse to ally with either the National Coalition or the Democratic Council. Independents are usually elected either on a single-issue basis, with 8 Greens being elected as NAIs in 1987 (who later joined the Democratic Council), or on a 'local representative' ticket. Only four have been elected to the current Congress, with all sitting in the Assembly. One is a Baile born 'Gaelic representative', two are seen as 'local representatives' and one, Patrick Hume, is an 'independent Socialist'. | 4, 0 | 0.7% |
The next election shall be a general election in 2011 unless the Congress, on the demand of the President, votes to hold such sooner.
Judiciary
See Dakoin Supreme Court for full information and history of the Supreme Court.
The Republic of Dakoin is a common law jurisdiction. The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, the High Court and many lower courts established by law. Judges are appointed by the President and approved by majority in both houses of Congress and can be removed from office only for misbehaviour or incapacity, and then only by resolution of both houses of the Congress. The final court of appeal is the Supreme Court, which consists of the Chief Justice and other justices (currently nine). The Supreme Court has the power of judicial review and may declare to be invalid both laws and acts of the state which are repugnant to the constitution.
Region & Local Government
Under the Kingdom of Dakoin each of the 25 regions of Dakoin were granted significant freedom from national interferance, with all but one (Baile) granted seemingly full autonomy on many matters. In 1821 this historic understanding was incorporated into the constitution and all regions were, in Article IV, granted 'equal and fair representation in the Senate' together with 'numerous devolved powers'. The powerful Senate features one Senator from each region granting the regions huge influence in national government. Together with this, each region has a devolved government which, by constitution, must be able to enforce 'basic powers'. Further powers, such as raising or lowering tax, were added via amendments post 1821. Following the succession of Baile in 1987, twenty-four regions remain.
Today, Regional Government is technically devolved out (under the constitution) from Congress. Each region elects its own Regional Council who, in turn, elect a Governor who appoints a Cabinet. Each region can then devolve power out to municipal and county government, for urban and rural areas respectively.
