Erusian general election, May 2009
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| All 9 seats to the National People's Assembly May 14th - 15th 2009 | ||
| Political Party | Erusian National Communist Party | Erusian Democratic Workers' Alliance |
| Premier Candidate | Kai Roosevelt | Itakur Kiwal |
| Popular Vote (%) | 83.30% | 16.70% |
| Previous AMs | 7 | 2 |
| Incumbent AMs | 8 | 1 |
The May 2009 Erusian General Election took place on May 14th and 15th in the Democratic People's Republic of Erusia, one month earlier than the original date of June 14th and 15th. It was be the second ever legislative election for the National People's Assembly of Erusia, and the first in which all nine seats were elected simulteneously. Although Erusia is a theoretically two-party State with full democracy, the Erusian National Communist Party was garaunteed a minimum majority of 50.01% of the vote in the Assembly by law, meaning that the Communists were garaunteed 5 seats in the Assembly no matter what happened. Despite the fact that elections to the Assembly are not truly democratic, the ruling Communist Party maintains the official stance that they are truly democratic elections in which "the People can exercise their constitutional power as a collective political entity to guide the course of the Revolution through the democratic process". The Erusian National Communist Party secured 83.30% of the vote and gained eight of the nine seats in the Assembly.
On June 5th 2009, at the end of the brief Erusian Civil War, the May 2009 election was declared invalid and a new election has been scheduled for July 2009.
Date of the Election
The first 2009 General Election was originally set to take place on June 14th and 15th, exactly six months after the earlier December 2008 Erusian Executive Election that elected six Assembly Members (an additional three would later be elected independently). When the Union of Socialist Micronational Republics dissolved itself and the People's Popular Socialist Republic of Bzan became a division of the Erusian government, Premier Kai Roosevelt exercised her power to call an early election to ensure the Bzanites gained immediate representation in government. As is customary with all Erusian elections, voting was open across multiple days and every citizen held the power of in absentia voting - that is, registering their vote before the election dates.
Electoral System
The May 2009 election will be the first election of any kind to take place in Erusia under the revised constitution, which garauntees the Communist Party the exclusive right to appoint members of the Executive and to maintain a majority of 50.01% of seats in the Assembly. As such, even if the opposing Erusian Democratic Workers' Alliance - which is the only other party permitted under the constitution - were to win a landslide victory, they would still win only four of the nine seats available in the Assembly. This system has attracted criticism from both the Alliance and abroad, although the ruling Communist Party insists that it is a valid electoral system that "prevents counter-revolutionaries and 'capitalist roadsters' from seizing power in Erusia".
The National People's Assembly revised it's electoral system, within constitutional limits, in April 2009 to make the process more representative. For the first time regions will hold independent elections to select their own representatives in government, turning each Administrative District of the Republic into a constituency with multiple Assembly Members representing it. Although this system has always been used officially, this is the first time it will be practically used for the Assembly, having only been used previously to elect governors of each District. In light of the admission of the new Bzanite Special Administrative District, seats have been reallocated across the board. Erus City has been given three seats and every other District has been given two - this means that both Erus City and Sanctia have lost one seat each, with those seats being reassigned to Bzan. In addition to seats in the Assembly itself, the politically critical office of Premier of the Assembly - the Head of Government and Speaker of the Assembly - is up for election. Similarly, local Administrators will also be elected based off the results of the legislative vote.
According to State Media, all ballots will be counted by an "independent" third party from another Communist State, the People's Republic of Yongheng. Yongheng, a closed political simulation and model country, counted the ballots for the December 2008 election and was implicated in electoral fraud in favour of the Communist Party during that election.
Projections and Campaigns
Erusian National Communist Party
The Erusian National Communist Party is garaunteed power and, as such, it's objectives are limited to expanding that power base rather than seeking re-election to government. Despite this, the Communist Party is pursuing an active propaganda and election campaign during the short period leading up to the election, hoping to bolster it's support wherever possible. The Party's campaign is focused mainly on highlighting what it perceives as being it's crowning achievements in socio-economic development, asserting that only the Communists can continue to build up Erusia into a great land. In particular, the ENCP has directed it's attention towards the Sacrian Administrative District, which has traditionally been ruled and represented exclusively by Democratic candidates. The Party's General Secretary, Robert Lethler, has confirmed that they will be fielding candidates for both Sacrian seats and that "We [the Party] are extremely optimistic about the possibility of winning a seat in the Sacrian region".
Projections for the Communist Party are extremely positive, with polls indicating they will secure 82.40% of the national vote and in doing so win 8 of the 9 seats in the Assembly based off current population distribution. The only real challenge the Party faces during this election is attempting to oust the incumbent Democratic Administrator of Sacria and install a new Communist, or at least pro-Communist, candidate in that office. If the Party succeeds in doing so, this will see all administrative power effectively transferred to the Party Secretaries of each Local Party Congress, allowing the Communists to pursue their plans to transform these institutions into effective local governments.
Notably, Robert Lethler is the only incumbent Assembly Member retiring during this election, resigning from the obsolete fourth seat for Erus City so that his three colleagues can maintain their own posts without a competition ensuing. All other Communist Assembly Members will be standing for re-election, whilst the Party is fielding an additional three candidates.
Erusian Democratic Workers' Alliance
The Erusian Democratic Workers' Alliance has a tough campaign ahead of them. With it's former leader Maria Carlisle having been tried and found guilty of counter-revolutionary incitement, prompting her expulsion from the nation, acting leader Itakur Kiwal is faced with being virtually ousted from national government by the Communists. The Alliance campaign will likely be desperate and frantic in an effort to maintain their two seats in the Assembly and control over the Sacria Administrative District. The goal of the Alliance will be to try and sway the former Social Liberty Party leader, who defected to the Communist Party after the Second Red Reformation, and any of his supporters into voting Democratic. If they succeed in this, they may be able to retain their current power, but the chances of the EDWA making any gains are phenomnally low. The Erusian Democratic Workers' Alliance is slated to win just 17.60% of the national vote, well below the estimated 25% of the vote they will require to maintain their current position.
Results
The results of the election were announced at 00:30 on May 16th, once ballot counting and independent verification had been completed. The Communist Party fulfilled all of it's electoral objectives and succeeded in winning control of the Sacria Administrative Authority, bringing the last indepedent organ of State authority in Erusia under the complete control of the ruling Communists.
Assembly Members Elected
Erus City
- Kai Roosevelt - Erusian National Communist Party (re-elected)
- Carwyn Jenkins - Erusian National Communist Party (re-elected)
- James Marshall - Erusian National Communist Party (replaced incumbent Robert Lethler)
Sanctia
- Kenneth Maisano - Erusian National Communist Party (re-elected)
- Laura Williams - Erusian National Communist Party (re-elected)
Bzan
- P. J. Gaffney - Erusian National Communist Party (re-elected)
- Michelle Yui - Erusian National Communist Party (re-elected)
Sacria
- Eugene Taylor - Erusian National Communist Party (defeated incumbent Hannah Thacher)
- Itakur Kiwal - Erusian Democratic Workers' Alliance (re-elected)