Martian Political Parties
Martian politics are very much local politics. Furthermore Mars has a distrust of organised political parties, particularly ones that are not local to a planetary system. Still there are groupings or banners under which elected representatives tend to congregate at Regional Councils and the like. A few of these span quadrants and act as political parties. The dominance of Quadrant Zero in the MAFC (federal) government and recent events such as the failure of the Pickles Administration and the Exterminator War have meant that these groupings are becoming more important
The Issues
The main issues in MAFC politics are, in decreasing order of importance:
· Q0 versus the outer quadrants - the balance of power,
the transfer of resources
· Size of the armed forces - does the economy justify the level of spending?
· Level of government spending - small or big government - at federal
level more of a matter of principle than policy as taxes are mostly local.
· Accretion of neutrals - how actively should they be encouraged to join
the MAFC?
· Genetic Engineering for the masses
· Position of Old Mars, and to a lesser extent other ex-Martian worlds
The Pan-Quadrant Parties
Central Democratic Party
Centrists and pragmatists, the CDP believe that the balance between Q0 and the
colonies is about right. Their political platform in the long term is to maintain
the status quo. In the short term, since the party returned to power with the
election of Charles L. Harness in Q0 as the Supreme
Councillor of the Martian Union, they have concentrated on rebuilding the MAFC
institutions that had suffered under the previous administration.
Significant in: All quadrants, including Q0
Martian Liberal Welfare Party
The MLWP is a left-of-centre party of considerable age. At various times it
has supported just about all but the most extremist policies. It has also got
the reputation as the party of power for its own sake. It held the balance of
power in the federal government until the recent impeachment in the Grand Council
of the MAFC of its leader, Supreme Councillor of the Martian Union Aster
Thierry Pickles. What the future holds for party is unclear, though there
have been defections in most quadrants and public opinion polls continue to
show a very low level of support.
Significant in: All quadrants, including Q0
Martian Colonial Growth Party
The MCGP are federalists and are strong in the outer quadrants. Their lack of
political power in Q0 means they are forever the party in waiting. However at
times, their votes in Quadrant Zero do become important and they are able to
join in coalitions and thus get a taste of power. Their current leader within
the Senate is Senator
'Toinette Banderas of Q5.
Significant in: Q1-8
New Helix Party
Neo-Darwinists and very libertarian; they have an internal split between those
that propose active measures to liberate ex-Martian colonies and to incorporate
neutrals with sizeable pro-Martian communities, and those who take the opposite
view, that such groups are only worthy of joining the MAFC if they can do it
for themselves. What keeps the two groups together is the knowledge that apart
they have even less chance of political power. All factions within the party
are though quite aggressive. Their name indicates that they like to think they
descend from the Martian Helix Brotherhood.
Significant in: Q0, Q4, Q8
Humanity's Future Party
Pan-humanists, interested in uniting humanity. There are various different sub-strains,
including those that want to accrete colonies to the MAFC but also a few that
apparently want a single human polity. Generally considered most sympathetic
of the major parties to naturals and branded as soft on DAFT.
Significant in: Q0, Q1-Q4
Free Mars Party
Usually identified with wealthy landowners and the like.
Economically, a conventional right of centre party. Strong on Quadrant rights.
Rather conservative and sometimes subject to allegations of mutual favouritism
Significant in: Q6, Q7, Q8