Nevareies Government

The Grand Council

Theoretically the Grand Councillors are elected by popular vote. However as the franchise was only extended to all citizens in the last forty years and given the conservative nature of Nevareies culture, the oligarchs who have governed Nevareion for so long are still a majority. Their patronage, charity and ties of loyalty give them a great deal of support, as does the use of gerrymandering by some of the less scrupulous Houses. Elections are every four years.

Each term the Grand Council elects one of its number to be Lord Minister. For the last one hundred years this post has been continuously held by House Nevarn with three generations holding the post. The current Lord Minister, Lord Nevarn is relatively young and his grip on power is under threat from both the other Houses and the Democratic Opposition.

The Twenty Houses

These are the most powerful families in Nevareion. Between them their companies and assets account for over 70% of the economy. They developed from the old Aristocracy and represent those families who embraced the industrial revolution. Each House has is headed by a House Leader and these oligarchs have dominated the government for the last 340 years after assuming power when the old royal line died out (some say in mysterious circumstances). The most powerful are the eight Great Houses who's House Leaders still sit on the Grand Council and of them the most powerful are House Nevarn and House Bathan. The remaining Minor Houses have allied themselves to one or other of the Great Houses and are bound by oaths of loyalty and, more tellingly, business loans and contracts.

The Great House Grand Councillors

In order of power

• Matthos, Lord Nevarn of House Nevarn and Lord Minister
• Arrigo, Lord Bathan of House Bathan
• Camos, Lord Velarn of House Velarn
• Signa, Lady Haldan of House Haldan
• Meritos, Lord Mebredarn of House Mebredarn
• Larthia, Lady Erehten of House Erehten
• Verdo, Lord Karpor of House Karpor
• Jania, Lady Neban of House Neban

The Minor House Grand Councillors

There are three seats on the Grand Council held by Minor House Leaders. They are allied to the three most powerful Houses. This gives the oligarchs a slim majority in the council with eleven seats.

The Democratic Opposition

When political parties were legalised three decades ago a number of small groups emerged. As they continued to fail in their efforts to win power they coalesced into a single alliance; the Democratic Opposition. Made up of three main parties, The Alliance for Change, The Peoples Party, and The Democratic Movement, they have banded together to try and gain a majority in the Grand Council. However up to now they have not managed to achieve more than eight seats. Their electorate consists of the urban middle class and sections of the working class who are dissatisfied with the current system and the lack of real democracy. The leaders of each party have agreed that the largest party will provide the Democratic Opposition Leader and the other two serve as deputies

Democratic Opposition Grand Councillors

• Havelos Gethan, Leader of The Democratic Movement and Democratic Opposition Leader. His party have four seats.
• Heldia Annalar, Leader of The Peoples Party. Her party have three seats.
• Nedros Nerehton, Leader of The Alliance for Change. His party has one seat.