Government of Optima

Unlike other subnational divisions of Dranoria, as a holdover from its period of independence, Optima is given some autonomy by the Optiman Annexation Treaty.

Optima's government consists of the Senate, which is responsible for the creation of ministries and other governmental organs and delegating duties to these brances. All citizens of Optima are free to register political parties with the Optiman Electoral Board or to join existing ones. Elections are scheduled to be held twice annually—though this is not being enforced due to inactivity—and citizens are required to be a member of a registered political party to stand for election.

Senate

Optima's Senate consists of 3 elected members, currently Jeremy Oakes, Brian Mounce, and Reuben Howe (all Happy Party). It votes to pass legislation on Optima's forums.

Political history

The first political parties to be founded in Optima were created in late 2008. Before this, legislature was passed by the Prince Jeremy Oakes with a level of consensus gauging. The Tupperware Party, formed by Michael Sander, and Jeremy Oakes' Independent Party (later Socialist Liberal Democratic Green Labour Party) were the first two major parties, and contested the first elections on October 20, 2009, easily defeating the more recently formed LAN Party (Brian Mounce and Jean-Francois Pierre) and winning all three Senate seats. The first elections used the party proportional system with closed candidate lists.

The LAN Party then stagnated, disbanded, and was resurrected again before the scheduled October 2010 elections. It once again disbanded, withdrawing from the elections. By this time, the Socialist Liberal Democratic Green Labour Party had merged with the Tupperware Party, the new party called the Laberal Party, then once again renamed Liberal Socialist Party. The Liberal Socialist candidates were re-elected by default as all new candidates had withdrawn.

All parties founded in Optima have had a social democratic ideology.

After the Citizens' Congress reforms, a new electoral policy was formed and new elections scheduled for February 2011. It was initially expected the Liberal Socialist Party would again have a landslide victory, but disagreements on internal structure led prominent member Jeremy Oakes to create his own Socialist Isocratic Party, and most Liberal Socialist members followed him. Michael Sander, however, withdrew completely from the elections, and soon after left Optima completely. Due to the forfeiture of the other candidates, Jeremy Oakes, Brian Mounce, and Reuben Howe were elected by default in 2011.

After Optima's union with Dranoria, the central Dranorian government became responsible for almost all of Optima's former governmental functions; additionally, most Optiman politicians are also members of the central government. Because of these developments, Optima's Senate and broader governmental functions have become inactive.

Citing a "shift in ideology", the Socialist Isocratic Party was renamed to the Happy Party on November 21, 2011.

Ministries

The responsibilities of the Optiman government are divided into a number of ministries.

Ministry of Culture and Recreation

The Ministry of Culture and Recreation (MoCaR) is responsible for the promotion of culture, the arts, and was responsible for running the Optiman Broadcasting Commission before its succession by the Dranorian Broadcasters' Guild. It was formerly known as the Ministry of Entertainment and the Arts, and later the Ministry of Entertainment, the Arts, and Recreation.

Ministry of Justice

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is responsible for courts and rehabilitative facilities.

Ministry of Agriculture

The Ministry of Agriculture (MoAg) is responsible for water, food, and the environment.

Ministry of the Interior

The Ministry of the Interior (MoI; sometimes known as the Home Office) is responsible for miscellaneous domestic affairs. Its projects include the continuous census and citizen ID card system.

Ministry of Finance and Commerce

The Ministry of Finance and Commerce (MoFaC) is responsible for the regulation of government enterprises, the treasury, and currency.

Ministry of Human Services

The Ministry of Human Services (MoHS) is responsible for health and education.

Ministry of Silly Walks

The Ministry of Silly Walks (MoSWa) is a joke ministry, a reference to the Monty Python sketch of the same name. It is the only remaining joke ministry; former ones included the Ministry of Muffins, derived from a marketing campaign for a muffin-like cake-surrogate bar, the Ministry of Piracy, and the Ministry of Housinge, derived from a different Monty Python sketch. The Ministry assumed its current role as the result of a ministerial reform plan heavily promoted by Michael Sander prior to the Optiman Citizens’ Congress. Sander had wanted to abolish all joke ministries, but reached an agreement with Jeremy Oakes in which all joke ministries bar the Ministry of Silly Walks were merged into the lower hiearchical levels of the ministry.

Former ministries

Ministry of Defence and Security

The Ministry of Defence and Security (MoDS) was responsible for external and civil defence, and internal security. Conventionally, the Minister for Defence and Security was also the General of the Optiman Defence Force, which was subordinate to the Ministry. It fell inactive and was disbanded due to Dranoria taking military control of the whole nation.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) was responsible for conducting diplomacy. Its functions were moved to the Dranorian national government.