Liberal Party (Imagua)
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Liberal Party of Imagua and the Assimas Partito Liberale di Imagua | |
|---|---|
| File:ImaguaDemocratic48.png | |
| Founded | 18 January, 1924 |
| Dissolved | 1 July, 1945 |
| Succeeded by | Democratic Party |
| Ideology | Liberalism |
| Political position | Centre |
| Colors | Yellow |
| Legislative Council | 0 / 19
|
| Chamber of Commons | 0 / 71
|
The Liberal Party of Imagua (Vespasian: Partito Liberale di Imagua) was a political party of Imagua and the Assimas that existed from 1924 until it was renamed to the Democratic Party in 1945.
Originating from the Cornelius Suthmeer's faction in 1892, with a base among small landowners and the emerging Eucleo-Imaguan middle class, the faction became deeply associated with liberalism, especially under Suthmeer's successor, Edmund Bollen between 1904 and 1909, and Bollen's successor as leader of the faction from 1909, Peter Hansson, who would be the first non-Lambournite to become Chief Minister in 1917, serving until his death in 1920.
After succeeding Hansson as Chief Minister, Nelson Egnell sought to centralise the party to defend itself from both the Labour Party, who had a significant organisational structure, and from the Lambournites who, while lacking organisation, had significant funds and influence. Thus, in 1924, the Liberal Party was officially founded as a political party.
The Liberals' heyday as an organized political party was from 1924 until 1936, although much of their time in power was dominated by the Great War from 1926 until 1934, during which time Imagua was under Gaullican occupation. After the end of the Great War, the Liberals went to the opposition benches in 1936, and would decline as the Labour Party continued their rise.
In 1945, as the United Provinces was established, the Liberals renamed themselves to the Democrats in an attempt to become closer to Pierre Voloix's Democratic Party.
Political positions
The Liberal Party's ideology was liberalism. For much of its history, it was a classical liberal party, which advocated for freedom of speech, trade, conscience, and choice. It advocated for reduced regulations, as they believed that a freer economy would benefit Imagua and the Assimas. Thus, during its time in government from 1917 until 1936, the Suthmeerites and the Liberals would relax many economic restrictions, in the hope that the Imaguan economy could recover in the aftermath of the Great Collapse, although the economy did not completely recover before the start of the Great War.
Socially, the Liberal Party sought to reduce voting requirements, and during its time in government, the Suthmeerites and the Liberals would consistently reduce the minimum amount of land that one must own prior to voting: from 480 acres to 1 acre in 1918, and then again to half-an-acre in 1935. It also expanded voter eligiblity, permitting all adult sons of landowners to vote in 1918, and permitting all adult dependents of landowners (i.e. wives and daughters) to vote in 1935, and reduced the mininum annual income needed to vote from 250 shillings to 10 shillings in 1918, to 5 shillings in 1923, and to one shilling in 1935. In its later years, the Liberal Party also sought to implement some socially liberal policies.
Election results
| Election | Leader | Candidates | Seats | +/- | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1892 | Cornelius Suthmeer | 36/36 | 10 / 36
|
new | 15,968 | 25.25% | Official Opposition |
| 1896 | 36/36 | 11 / 36
|
 1
|
17,911 | 31.18% | Official Opposition | |
| 1900 | 36/36 | 13 / 36
|
2
|
21,916 | 33.30% | Official Opposition | |
| 1904 | 37/37 | 11 / 37
|
 2
|
15,330 | 27.80% | Official Opposition | |
| 1908 | Edmund Bollen | 37/37 | 11 / 37
|
|
19,117 | 27.21% | Official Opposition |
| 1909 | 37/37 | 12 / 37
|
1
|
27,665 | 31.15% | Official Opposition | |
| 1913 | Peter Hansson | 38/38 | 16 / 38
|
4
|
32,944 | 33.88% | Official Opposition |
| 1917 | 38/38 | 20 / 38
|
4
|
54,134 | 44.20% | Democratic-Labour coalition | |
| 1920 | Nelson Egnell | 38/38 | 11 / 38
|
9
|
60,332 | 24.79% | Official Opposition |
| 1924 | 39/39 | 5 / 39
|
6
|
62,915 | 21.51% | Third party | |
| 1936 | 39/39 | 9 / 39
|
4
|
74,051 | 23.30% | Official Opposition | |
| 1940 | Nelson Pakenas | 39/39 | 5 / 39
|
4
|
76,993 | 23.10% | Official Opposition |
| 1944 | Abraham Halfacre | 40/40 | 3 / 40
|
2
|
59,814 | 19.54% | Third party |