Politics of Lathadu

The politics of the state of Lathadu take place in the framework of a  , whereby the Premier is the head of state and head of government. The country has a multi-party system, but has been dominated by the Democratic Laborers’ Party (DLP) for its entire history. Executive power is exercised by the Premier and government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Diet. The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislature.

Lathadu was originally led by the Clansmeet, an assembly of the nation’s greatest clans formed with the heads of each one. Later, this was broadened to include the Estates General, enfranchising much of the nation’s middle class, before the eventual founding of the Republic in 1871.

National Diet
The legislature of the republic is the National Diet. The National Diet is a unicameral legislature which has 199 members, with elections occurring every 5 years under a party-list proportional representation system. Citizens eighteen years or older are eligible to vote. Besides general legislation, the National Diet approves the budget and elects the Premier, as well as confirming those who they nominate in their cabinet. The National Diet also has the power to ratify treaties with other nations. It is divided into twelve different Advising Commissions consisting of 15 deputies each which examine, propose, and discuss the implementation of new laws that are on their way to being presented on the floor of the National Diet.

Premier
Every five years, the National Diet elects one of its own to serve as Premier. As they are elected by the legislature, they are subject to its confidence, and can be recalled either by a national referendum or by a motion of no confidence by a member of the National Diet. In the last three months of a Premier’s term, it is customary for citizens to file complaints about their decisions and actions while in office; although no law officially states this, it is customary for a Premier to not serve more than three terms. The Premier’s role as the face of the nation is a vital one; once treaties have been ratified, it is the Premier’s signature on its face.

Government
It is the government of Lathadu that wields much of the executive power. It is composed by a variable number of Ministers that are appointed by the Premier and confirmed by the National Diet at the beginning of the legislature. The areas of competence for the various Ministers are not fixed, and some can be merged depending on the number of Ministers. Lathadu’s constitution identifies 11 sectors of the public administration for which the Ministers are politically responsible. The Premier conducts policy making with and through their government. While all Ministries are equally important constitutionally, over the years, the Ministry of State and Defense has assumed many of the prerogatives of a prime minister or head of government.
 * Ministry of State and Defense
 * Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 * Ministry of Finance and Budget
 * Ministry of Justice
 * Ministry of Education and Culture
 * Ministry of the Interior, Agriculture, and Ecology
 * Ministry of Health
 * Ministry of Trade
 * Ministry of Communications and Transport
 * Ministry of Industry and Artisans
 * Ministry for Labor and Cooperation

Political parties and elections
Lathadu is a dominant-party democratic republic, with the Democratic Laborers’ Party having controlled the nation’s government for its entire history following its founding in 1871. The DLP is a left/center-left party that has guided Lathadu through its various stages of progress, regularly forming coalitions with the Lathadun Agrarian Party (LAP) and the Lathadun Ecological Party (LEP). The primary opposition party are the Lathadun National Party (LNP), a center right party championed conservative, Alutraskeptic policies. Also in the opposition but separate from the LNP are the Lathadun Liberal Democratic People’s Party (LLDP), a socially and economically liberal party that receives most of its votes from Lathadu’s two main urban centers in Calleebane and Ushteyghoo.

Judiciary
The Lathadun judicial system is based on civil law largely emanating from the Salian and Ordrish traditions. It includes the principle of judicial review of legislative acts and accepts compulsory jurisdiction of international courts, with reservations. The Supreme Court of Appeals is considered to be more important of the nation’s two high courts, and has jurisdiction over virtually all appeals. The other high court is the Constitutional Court, which has original jurisdiction to hear all cases relating to the constitutionality of laws or proposed laws. Members of the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Constitutional Court are appointed by the Premier and confirmed by the National Diet.

Trade unions
Lathadu is a highly unionized country, and organized labor is a powerful influence in politics. About 73% of all private sector and public service employees are labor union members. Lathadun labor unions take political positions on topics such as education, finance, defence spending, environmental protections, women’s rights, and other issues. They also provide a range of services, including the administration of unemployment benefits. Lathadu’s principal trade union organizations are the Confederation of Trade Guilds, the General Federation of Lathadun Labor, and the General Confederation of Lathadun Trade Unions.

Until the 1970s, the GFLL was the largest and most influential of these, however the GCLTU has become the leading trade union force. In most recent works council elections held in 2004, they garnered 54% of the vote.