Tierra del Fuego National Elections

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It was once again time for Tierra del Fuego’s annual national elections. The past year of PRSD rule has seen Tierra del Fuego take to the world stage as part of the United Nations, the Order of Islands Nations and as a member of the Commonwealth. While there were early concerns amongst the electorate about the state of the economy, it was soon alleviated with the advent of the gold rush and the economic pact of the OIN. The PRSD made a surprise move by spending big on the military, which the PRSD, PV and the Populares have promised to curtail next year. The parties running in this years elections are:

 

Partido Radical Socialdemócrata (PRSD) - Social Democratic Radical Party. Left-wing reformers in the tradition of Salvador Allende of Chile. Appeal to Tierra del Fuego's large working class population. Their ultimate goal is to create a socialist state using the congress. Their immediate aims are the nationalisation of land and industry, as well as curbing the power of the largest corporations. Within the PRSD exists a revolutionary minority, the “Revolutionary Marxist Current” who are often expected to split from the party.

Populares - Populists. A centrist party that focuses on keeping everyone happy. They will often flip-flop on key positions, although they are  fairly popular with Magallanes and Tierra del Fuego's middle class. Their main concerns are the repair of the economy and the maintenance of the current “social market system”.

Partido Nacional (PN) - National Party. Conservative and nationalist in the tradition of Augusto Pinochet of Chile or Juan Perón of Argentina, dedicated to the improvement of the economy whatever the cost. Main goals include the implementation of austerity measures, the smashing of the mine and dock workers unions, as well as beginning oil drilling in Antarctica.

Partido Demócrata Cristiano (PDC) - Christian Democratic Party. Standing for “Christian morality and its civilized doctrine against immorality and the corrupt doctrine of atheism and materialism” the PDC are staunch conservatives and anti-socialists. Their main goals are the deregulation of the market, harsh austerity and the reinstatement of traditional family values.

Partido Verde (PV) - Green Party. Progressive environmentalists. They share many policies with the PRSD except for the anti-capitalism, and while they are often at odds with the conservative parties, they are willing to abandon their progressive social and economic programmes to ensure their environmental policies are implemented.

Hrvatska Kamata/Interés Croata (HK/IC) - Croatian Interest. Magellan-Croat nationalists. Founded to represent the interests of the large Magellan-Croat population in Magallanes. Their goals are similar to those of the PDC, however, they share none of the religious moralism present in their congressional allies. Their pro-market approach is aimed at benefiting small businesses, which are largely owned by Magellan-Croats.

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Valentín de la Cuera of the Partido Nacional has shockingly secured the senior consular position. The unexpected victory for the conservatives left many analysts lost for words after their steadily average approval ratings. The junior consulship has gone to Everisto Asturias of the Partido Radical Socialdemócrata who had remained popular with a large section of the poorer Fuegians. Conservative commentators have described this ideological polarization in the consulship as representative of a genuine desire for bipartisan cooperation and to see both sides of the political spectrum equally represented in the nations executive.

Despite their ability to secure the senior consulship, the PN failed to pick up any seats in the congress. How they intend to govern with a potentially hostile congress remains to be seen. Ultimately, the Populares came out on top with 12 seats, PRSD and HK/IC each got 6 seats. PV and PDC each tailed with three. The new representatives are due to take office early next year.