Second Party System

File:Election2340map.png

Map showing the results of the NMR 2335 presidential election

The Second Party System (Тедеми Даангдуджи) is a term of periodization used by historians and political scientists to describe the political system in Namor that emerged in the NMR 2330s and ended in the NMR 2360s.

The beginning of the Second Party System coincided with democratic reforms in Namor that caused the erosion of the Liberationist Party of Namor's single-party state. The country's democratic development accelerated following the Plum Blossom Revolution, with mainland Namor holding its first completely direct general election in NMR 2335. Whereas the Liberationists remained the governing party for decades, opposition parties, primarily the Democratic Socialist Party, gained traction among voters. A series of scandals damaged the Liberationists' popularity in the NMR 2340s, resulting in the Liberationists losing their majority in the Central Council for the first time in NMR 2348. The presidential election of NMR 2353 saw Alicia Wolf become Namor's first non-Liberationist President-General. The Democratic Socialists would continue to govern Namor for well over a decade beforethe election of NMR 2368, which signaled the transition to the Third Party System.

Characteristics

The Second Party System has been described as a two-party system, with two major parties - the Liberationists and the Democratic Socialists (DemSocs) - dominating Namorese politics. While smaller parties such as the Socialists, People's Firsts and New Democrats did exist, they were not as influential as the two major parties and sided with either of the two parties in general elections.

Both the Liberationists and DemSocs identified themselves with the left, but conspicuous differences remained, especially in regards to party leadership and support base. The Liberationists were heavily influenced by those who had participated in the Namorese Civil War and their descendants, particularly the Antelope family. The party was supported mostly by the rural population, settlers in the north, large enterprises and the military. The DemSocs, on the other hand, consisted of political activists and were supported by the urban population, intelligentsia and small businesses. The Liberationists were viewed as conservatives and the DemSocs were viewed as liberals.

Elections during the Second Party System period were marked by high voter turnouts. This is believed to have been a result of rampant populism. Accusations of electoral fraud were widespread, although few of them were ever proven to be true.