Rump Senate (Belhavia)

The so-called Rump Senate of Belhavia is a colloquialism to refer to the Imperial Senate of Belhavia under the Galarian Autocracy (September 5th, 1940 - May 21st, 1945), which is regarded as a rump legislature. The "Rump Senate" was dissolved after the fall of the Galarian dictatorship and replaced by the temporary Provisional Assembly during the Provisional Government of Belhavia (1945 - 1949).

Introduction

Main articles: Galarian Regime and Zachary Galarian

Belhavia has had a long tradition of political stability and a fairly strong national legislature that has acted as both a partner and check on the monarch and president. Months before the 1940 elections, the General of the Army in the Imperial Armed Forces of Belhavia, Zachary Galarian, frustrated with the leading presidential candidates who he viewed as too weak and opposed to the Empire's use of force to protect its territories overseas, plotted a self-coup. On September 5th, 1940, Galarian launched a bloodless military coup that deposed the sitting president, put much of the sitting members of the Imperial Senate under house arrest, and forced both presidential candidates to flee the nation.

Nearly all the Liberal Democratic Senators, as well as some Federalist Senators were put under permanent house arrest or outright imprisoned. Of the original 70 members, only 29 were allowed to remain seated while 41 were forcibly removed.

Under the Autocracy

Galarian abolished the Office of the President and created a new chief executive position: Supreme Autocrat. The remaining Imperial Senate had its constitutional duties significantly curtailed and pared back and became a functional rubberstamp for Galarian's autocratic rule. The Senate passed few laws, especially as the regime went along, and was stocked with Galarian loyalists.

Dissolution

It was dissolved, as well as the post of 'Supreme Aurocrat', in Executive Decree #1 by Matthew Rabin, the exiled Belhavian opposition leader who returned following Galarian's fall and was proclaimed President, heading the Provisional Government regime until the Empire was restored in 1949.

Following the Restoration, sometimes referred to as the Second Empire, the Imperial Senate was restored as the unicameral national legislature of Belhavia. To maintain continuity, the Senate biannual sessions are numbered including the Galarian years, though it is noted that the Senate was a rubber stamp and the sessions of the Senate under the Rump Senate are ignored for analysis of the political body.