December 2019 Brillian legislative election

December 2019 Brillian legislative election

14 December 2019
All 200 seats in the National Assembly of Brilliania 101 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader Sabin-Heren Incsaurpe Kemen Ercila Amaia Ziganda Party Marist Union Nation Without Arrogance Communist Leader since 21 August 1999 7 September 2019 January 2019 Last election 44 seats, 21 seats, at dissolution 47 seats, 22.8% Seats won 58 53 33 Seat change 14 32 14 Popular vote 3,495,032 3,242,943 2,008,549 Percentage 27.7% 25.7% 15.9% Swing 8.0% New 6.9%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Aleszander Urasun Ancsorics Orosz Hiru Szamendi Party Pirate OROSz Movement United Hicak Marism Leader since none (Head of parliamentary faction) June 2018 2014 Last election 3 seats, elected on Marist Union list 10 seats, 4.7% 19 seats, 9.3% Seats won 21 13 8 Seat change 18 3 11 Popular vote 1,284,881 807,743 509,104 Percentage 10.1% 6.4% 4.0% Swing New 1.7% 5.3%   Seventh party Eighth party   Leader Haran Eleszalde Inyigo Oliberi Party Our Homeland Men's March Leader since 4 August 2019 25 August 2018 Last election 36 seats, 17.8% Did not exist Seats won 7 7 Seat change 29 New Popular vote 453,039 432,106 Percentage 3.6% 3.4% Swing 14.2% New
Prime Minister before election Dorina Szilágyi AKB Elected Prime Minister Sabin-Heren Incsaurpe BM

A snap legislative election was held in Brilliania on 14 December 2019 to elect all 200 members to the National Assembly.

The election was called by First Citizen Endrike Karagori after the collapse of Garaipenerancs on 4 November 2019, caused by Karagori switching allegiance from the Communist Party to the Marist Union.

The incumbent government, led by Dorina Szilágyi, consisted of the member parties of Garaipenerancs. The coalition was defeated in a motion of no confidence after coalition members AKB and OROSz voted in favour of withdrawing confidence in the government.

Overview

Electoral method

The 200 seats of the unicameral National Assembly are apportioned using semi-open list party-list proportional representation in a single 200-seat constituency with a threshold of 3%. As the sole chamber, the National Assembly co-operates with the First Citizen and the governing cabinet to draft and agree on law proposals. Voting is on the basis of universal suffrage, with any Brillian citizen above the age of 16 being able to vote. Brillian citizens in foreign countries, as well as incarcerated citizens and those unable to reach a voting booth are allowed to apply for a postal ballot. Since the intduction of an amended Electoral Law, electoral law provides that a party may apply for ballot access if it gathers at least 5.000 valid signatures and a deposit of 40.000 Fl. Due to the amendments, the amount of participating parties decreased from 41 to 28.

Terms

The term of the National Assembly generally lasts for four years, unles it is dissolved or extended by presidential decree. The election decree must be issued in the Brillian State Informant at least a month prior to the elections. Elections are generally held on Saturdays.

The First Citizen may dissolve the National Assembly prior to the end of its term, thereby calling a snap election. A snap election may not be called if a motion of no confidence or a state of emergency is in progress. They are also allowed to lengthen the term of the National Assembly during periods of national distress or mourning periods.

Voting

Legislative ballots in Brilliania provide voters with two ways to vote. A voter may either select the party, or vote for a candidate representing a party. In an amendment to the electoral law, the design of the ballot was changed and the possibility to vote directly for the party was introduced. It is a common practice to put the party leader at the top of the list as the list leader.

Amended electoral law

In May, the National Assembly voted in favour of four amendments to the Electoral Law. This is the first election in which the amended Electoral Law is in effect. Parties now have to recieve at least 5.000 valid signatures and pay 40.000 Florrin as a deposit. The age of voting has been lowered to 16 years, giving 500.000 16- and 17-year olds the right to vote for the first time in Brillian history. Another change regarded the ballot design: a voter is now allowed to vote for the party without selecting a preferred candidate, instead of having to vote for the list leader.

Campaign

Subjects

Vikuna-Orosz Proposal

The Vikuna-Orosz Proposal is a proposed amendment to the Fourth Constitution of the Republic, which provides for the addition of 60 seats to the National Assembly intended for the increased representation of provincially recognised minorities. The proposal was made by Second Citizen Alcsai Vikuna and Minister for Iparinan Affairs Ancsorics Orosz on 2 August 2019, recieving assent by the National Assembly with 165 members in favour on 23 August 2019. A referendum on the proposal will be held in 2020.

Secure Education Bill

The Secure Education Bill is a series of domestic security bills drafted after the Szaran school stabbing in December 2018. The proposals, involving the introduction of the Ecselecu Unit-developed monitoring system Eskoregi, have been met with widespread critisism by teachers, students and privacy organisations and parties including the Pirate Party.

Healthcare

The Brillian healthcare system has been recently marked for being insufficiently prepared for mental health problems. Most mental healthcare facilities are privately ran and underfunded, causing high rates of untreated mental disorders. Parties to the left of the political spectrum therefore support the addition of mental healthcare into the National Fund, which was founded in June 2019 by a vast majority in the Bacar. Most notably, Our Homeland is the only major party opposing the proposal of the Mental Care in the National Fund Bill.

Campaign controversies

Our Homeland

After the death of party leader Ane Mentarrine, a snap leadership election was held during an emergency congress of Our Homeland. The election was hotly contested by hardliner Haran Eleszalde and moderate Kemen Ercila. Eleszalde won with a majority of 2 votes, although the transparency of the election was questioned. After the party refused to give Ercila transparency, he left Our Homeland to form Nation Without Arrogance.

United Hicak Marism

United Hicak Marism was sued by LGBT rights organisation United Rainbow in October for releasing a campaign advertisements criticising the LGBT community for "intoctrinating the Brillian youth". The Szaranegertu Court of Appeal sentenced United Hicak Marism to a fine of 22.000 Florrin for inciting hate and a decreasal of its alloted time on TV political advertising blocks.

Men's March for Traditions

The election was also marked by the participation of mens rights activist Inyigo Oliberi, which is a highly controversial figure which has called for the imprisonment of what he calls "immoderately dressed women" and the execution of people who cheat. Several of Oliberi's remarks resulted in fines by the Federal Election Agency, including a remark about his wife. In total, the party was refused to use twelve of its fourteen political advertising slots and total fine payments equalling 200.000 Fl.

Debates

Due to the short campaigning period, just three major debates were held. The Irrapub organised two debates, on 11 and 18 November 2019, and Hegoak invited their opponents for a husthing-style debate on 21 November.

Advertising

According to electoral law in Brilliania, all parties are entitled to several two-minute slots on IrraPub 1's political advertising sections. These are allowed to be refused or may be withdrawn by court order in cases of inciting hate or advocating crimes.

Party	Allocated slots
Communist Party	40
Marist Union	40
Nation Without Arrogance & Hegoak	35
Our Homeland	30
United Hicak Marism	13
Pirate Party	10
Mens March for Traditions	2