Parliament (Caropsyne Pontanore)

Parliament of the Caropsyne Pontanore
Bicameral
Type
Houses	Pontiana Fostana
Term limits	5 years (Pontiana) Lifetime (Fostana)
Leadership
Speaker	Marias Gatto
Premier	Ilmer Yutrias
Opposition Leader	Olimand Kossroth
Seats	X+60
Website
parliamenta.po

The Parliament consists of an upper, appointed house, the Fostana, and a lower elected house, the Pontiana. Both bodies sit in the capital of Fornænda.

The Pontiana

The Pontiana (except for a sixty-year period between 1933 and 1993) has always been the chamber of precedence. It is made up of a total of X members, each seated by winning the plurality of total votes cast in their rspective constituency. Elections occur every five years or sooner if so ordered. Several political parties are represented in the chamber. Day-to-day administrative matters of the chamber are handled by the Pontiana Executive Committee. This includes setting dates for elections, determining rules and procedure for legislation, whether to take disciplinary action upon members, and so forth. The Chair of the Executive Committee serves as Speaker. Bills passed by the Pontiana cannot be stopped by the upper chamber, but can be delayed. The Premier, Ilmer Yutrias, is currently the empowered head of state and government by virtue of his block's majority.

The Fostana

The Fostana is the unelected upper chamber of the Caropsyne Parliament. It holds a important place in Caropsyne history and has been a part of the political fabric of the nation for over seven-hundred and fifty years. During the monarchy, it was often relied upon for both legal guidance and the levying of new taxes. Since its creation, it has comprised of 60 members, originally made up of aristocratic landowners and religious officials elected and admitted solely by the chamber (under the monarchy, the King was the appointer), but following reforms implemented by the Yutrias Government, now consist of noted individuals from the political, bureaucratic, and academic spheres of Pontanore society appointed by the Premier and affirmed by the membership.

The Fostana scrutinises, and in some cases amends, bills that have been approved by the Pontiana. Although they cannot prevent bills from passing into law, except in certain limited circumstances, they can delay bills and force the lower house to reconsider their decisions. In this capacity, the Fostana acts as a check that is independent of the electoral process. Besides its legislative duties, the Fostana has limited executive functions, fulfills prescribed ceremonial roles as dictated by historical precedent, and by law, serves as the Pontanore's highest judicial court. Members of the Fostana are granted immunity from prosecution.

The Fostana is led by a Chair, currently Haldric Jarvalde. The other officers of the chamber are Dr. Baras Alpa (Secretary), Dr. Gethman Tormian (Treasurer), and Dr. Olimand Harriman (Master of Ceremonies).

For a sixty year period between 1933 and 1993, the Fostana ruled the Pontanore alone. This was enabled by the chamber declaring a state of national emergency and proceeded to shutter the elected lower house. The Fostana's rule during this time is regarded in different ways by different people. The majority of Caropsynes today see it as a generally negative period in history but one where Carops was prouder and more assertive than it is today. During this time, the Pontanore was in conflicts with many different powers: Loslakia and its bloc during the Great War and Ardalia in the early eighties. It did successfully keep the Pontanore intact. More recently, in 2000, the Fostana along with several notable members of the Pontiana, joined forces to bring down Haldric Maldian's Government after there were fears that it was actually being led by the Damosca. To force his resignation, the Fostana stormed the lower house and preciptated the Caropsyne Constitutional Crisis.