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The National Assembly of Wiltshire is the legislative body of the Fourth Wiltshire Republic, being re-established in 3020 following Wiltshire's independence from the New Corporate Republic.
The Assembly is elected based on an open Party List, with seats being given in proportion to the party's popular vote totals. There are a total of 60 seats in the National Assembly.
The last election, and the first since it's re-establishment, was held on February 8, 3020.
Composition and powers
The National Assembly is a unicameral body, meaning there is only one operating chamber. This was a deliberate decision by President Gaius Selan following independence, in an attempt to restore political stability - over potential divisions that two houses may bring. The return to the Assembly, over the Wiltshire Parliament (which was established to govern the Third Wiltshire Republic), was made following independence to allow for the creation of a Semi-Presidential Republic. This new system allows for greater stability, while also allowing for greater democracy.
The Assembly meets in Assembly Hall, at the centre of the Enterprise Complex in Juneville. The sittings of the Assembly are to be as follows;
- February 10, 3020 - March 1, 3020 (first session)
- March 7, 3020 - May 25, 3020 (second session)
- June 1, 3020 - July 25, 3020 (third, and final session)
- August 8, 3020 - next election
Emergency sessions can be called by the President of Wiltshire during times of recess.
Powers and responsibilities
The Government of Wiltshire operates out of the National Assembly and so must command the confidence of the Assembly. Despite being appointed by the President, the Prime Minister of Wiltshire must pass a confidence vote in the Assembly before being able to take office. This is the Assembly's first responsibility.
The second, and most obvious, responsibility is that of legislative control. All laws must be passed by the National Assembly. The President does hold a veto, but any law must receive the approval of the Assembly before the President's signature. In addition, the Assembly must craft the national budget, with the President's signature, and retains the power to declare war.
Members of the Assembly are also empowered to scrutinise the government; Members can call government ministers to testify and ministers have a legal obligation to respond, in some way, to the questions posed by members. The Prime Minister, being a member of the Assembly, must attend to these questions in person, while ministers may respond in person or either via other communication.
Another power the Assembly holds is impeachment. The Assembly has the authority to impeach and remove the President of the Republic. To have this occur, 66.6% of the Assembly must vote on an impeachment resolution, following a trail being conducted by the courts, chaired by the most senior independent judge in the country.
State Opening
The President of Wiltshire is responsible for the State Opening of the Assembly, at which point he gives a speech to the members. In that speech he lays out the Government's legislative priorities for the coming term and his own ambitions for the Assembly. The State Opening takes place at the start of every Assembly term.
Current composition
Below is a summary of the current composition of the National Assembly (as of February 10, 3020);
- Liberal Conservative Group (21 seats)
- Socialist Group (17 seats)
- Conservative Group (8 seats)
- Labour Group (7 seats)
- Progress Group (4 seats)
- Corporate Group (3 seats)
Government and history
The current Government is led by Prime Minister Audrick Hill, who leads the Third Hill Ministry. This is the 25th Government of Wiltshire; here is the history of them.
| Government | Leader | Main Party | Tenure | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inyo Caretaker Ministry | Jaresh Inyo | Independent | July 19, 3009 until September 16, 3009 | Caretaker |
| Second Inyo Ministry | Jaresh Inyo | National | September 16, 3009 until January 28, 3010 | Majority |
| Shore Ministry | Thomas Shore | Socialist | January 28, 3010 until July 15, 3010 | Majority |
| Third Inyo Ministry | Jaresh Inyo | Conservative | July 15, 3010 until February 5, 3011 | Coalition |
| Fourth Inyo Ministry | Jaresh Inyo | Conservative | February 5, 3011 until June 1, 3011 | Majority |
| First Jellico Ministry | Edward Jellico | Conservative | June 1, 3011 until January 17, 3013 | Majority |
| Second Jellico Ministry | Edward Jellico | Conservative | January 17, 3013 until March 5, 3013 | Minority |
| Stork Ministry | Renly Stork | Socialist | March 5, 3013 until May 29, 3013 | Coalition |
| First Banks Ministry | Martin Banks | Conservative | May 29, 3013 until November 4, 3013 | Minority |
| Second Banks Ministry | Martin Banks | Conservative | November 4, 3013 until January 25, 3015 | Majority |
| First Loynd Ministry | David Loynd | Conservative | January 25, 3015 until May 5, 3015 | Majority |
| Second Loynd Ministry | David Loynd | Conservative | May 5, 3015 until September 6, 3015 | Minority |
| Third Loynd Ministry | David Loynd | Conservative | September 6, 3015 until January 10, 3016 | Coalition |
| First Eddington Ministry | Frank Eddington | Socialist | January 10, 3016 until July 20, 3018 | Majority |
| Second Eddington Ministry | Frank Eddington | Socialist | July 20, 3018 until January 1, 3019 | Minority |
| First Hill Ministry | Audrick Hill | Conservative | January 1, 3019 until January 25, 3019 | Coalition |
| Second Hill Ministry | Audrick Hill | Conservative | January 25, 3019 until February 11, 3019 | Majority |
| Schroder Ministry | Samantha Schrӧder | Conservative | February 11, 3019 until April 12, 3019 | Majority |
| Smith Ministry | Rita Smith | Labour | April 12, 3019 until June 15, 3019 | Coalition |
| Grey Ministry | Fillmore Grey | National | June 15, 3019 until September 9, 3019 | Majority |
| Balfour Ministry | Jim Balfour | National | September 9, 3019 until November 6, 3019 | Minority |
| Kohl Caretaker Ministry | Ludwig Kohl | Independent | November 6, 3019 until November 26, 3019 | Caretaker |
| Campbell-Trenneman Government | Henry Campbell-Trenneman | Labour | November 26, 3019 until December 7, 3019 | Minority |
| Thune Administration | Samuel Thune | Körperschaftlich Reich Verband | December 7, 3019 until January 26, 3020 | Authoritarian |
| Third Hill Ministry | Audrick Hill | Liberal Conservative | January 26, 3020 to present | Minority |