Government of Stenza

The Stenzan Government is the main legislative body of the Australis nation of Stenza. Stenza is a , with president Iakopo Hsin currently holding the office. The Stenzan president is aided by the Democratic Congress, a legislative body that consists of both an upper and lower house. The houses are referred to as the First and Second Council of the Stenzan Democratic Congress respectively, with new laws having to pass through the second house before going through the first. The president still has to sign off on anything passing the houses, and reserves the constitutional right to veto bills and sign into effect emergency bills that are not approved by the congress. The Upper Council consists of 100 seats, while the lower has 200.

Stenza's government is highly centralized, with most of the previous totalitarian systems still in place. Regional governments have little autonomy beyond purely regional matters, and the federal government is strongly present throughout the country thanks to regional offices. A system of ministries that in itself oversee secretariats handle the day to day affairs of Stenza's government, with the various ministers being part of the President's Cabinet, represented in the Second Council.

Presidency and Elections
The Office of the Stenzan President is Stenza's highest executive office. Stenza's president generally works with the Stenzan Democratic Congress, being allowed to sit in on sessions of both councils and discuss proposed bills while having final say in signing off bills already passed by both councils. The president has the constitutional power to veto proposed laws, acts and bills whenever they please to do so, and are able to sign executive orders and emergency bills into effect without consulting the parliament first. Stenzan presidents serve four year terms, with no set term limit.

The Stenzan Vice-President serves as a senior advisor to the president under normal circumstances, usually sitting in on council sessions so the president does not have to. The Vice-President is also formally the First Secretary of the Stenzan Democratic Congress, senior to the first secretaries of either council. The Stenzan Vice-President automatically assumes the Presidential office should the Stenzan president become incapacitated, and the Stenzan President is allowed to delegate powers to the Vice-President as they see fit using executive orders for any length of time.

Both president and Democratic Congress members are elected every 4 years, with every party presenting its own Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates. Elections happen in September while the new government assumes power on January 1st. The latest elections were in 2027, with sitting president Iakopo Hsin winning a landslide victory at 71.2% of the total votes. He started his second term on January 1st, 2028.

First and Second Council of the Stenzan Democratic Congress
The First and Second Council of the Stenzan Democratic Congress serve as the Upper and Lower houses of Stenza's parliament respectively. The main difference between the two is the way its members are selected and their sizes, with the First Concils members being elected internally within their parties while the Second Councils members are elected publicly.

The Second Council of the Stenzan Democratic Congress is the main day-to-day arm of the parliament, with daily sessions taking place to discuss government affairs within the republic. The Second Council is the first stop any bill has to go through, with the bill or decree being discussed in length until it is passes with over half of the 200 total votes. Stenza's varius ministers are members of the Second Council as well. Members of the Second Council are elected every election cycle through popular vote, with the parties presenting lists of candidates that can be chosen.

The Second Council is made up as follows:
 * Stenzan Liberal Front (SLF) - 142 seats (71.2% of votes)
 * Stenzan Labor Party (SLP) - 36 seats (17.9% of votes)
 * Polynesian Unity Front (PUF) - 12 seats (6.3% of votes)
 * Stenzan People's Party (SPP) - 9 seats (4.3% of votes)
 * Green Party (GP) - 1 seat (0.4% of votes)

The First Council of the Stenzan Democratic Congress is a the upper house of Stenza's parliament. Its members are elected from within the parties making up the parliament according to the amount of seats a party won, with internal guidelines existing to ensure reputation from across the country. Most members of the First Council also hold other offices either within or outside the government, such as secretaries of minesterial secretariats. This is possible due to the fact the First Council does not convene daily, with weekly sessions being augmented by impromptu sessions whenever special matters such as laws or bills need to be discussed.

The First Council is made up as follows:
 * Stenzan Liberal Front (SLF) - 71 seats (71.2% of votes)
 * Stenzan Labor Party (SLP) - 18 seats (17.9% of votes)
 * Polynesian Unity Front (PUF) - 6 seats (6.3% of votes)
 * Stenzan People's Party (SPP) - 5 seats (4.3% of votes)
 * Green Party (GP) - 0 seat (0.4% of votes)

Ministries
Stenza's government is divided into various ministries that manage day to day affairs within the government, with each ministry having secretariats (sub-ministries) to handle more specific affairs. All Stenzan ministers combined make up the President's Cabinet, which meets with the President on a regular basis. Ministers are also part of the Second Council, while their secretaries may serve in the First Council.

Stenza's ministries are:

Locations
Stenza's president resides in the Presidential House, an old mansion in the outskirts of Rakahanga. The house, and its surrounding compound, is heavily defended and outfitted to act as a living quarters and operating office for both Stenza's President and Vice President. The Vice-President lives in a modern villa adjacent to the Presidential House, called the Vice-Presidential Home.

The Stenzan Democratic Congress is housed in the seat of Corumm's old Colonial government in Rakahanga, called the Hall of the Stenzan Democratic Congress This central building, surrounded by a modern park, houses the Second Council on its ground floor and the First Council on its upper floor, with various offices for councilmembers filling the rest of the building and the basement beneath it.

Stenza's ministries are housed in various building across the capital city, with its secretariats being housed in either the capital or other significant cities. Various minesterial sub-offices sprawl the country.

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