The MAFC Senate is at the heart of government. Most major decisions pass through the Senate at some point and must be ratified by it. It acts as a central Legislature for all Association (as opposed to Quadrant) business, and is the only arm of government with power over the MSN. Senators are selected by the Supreme Councillor of the Martian Union to run major ministries. These Senators, with the Supreme Councillor, form the Interstellar Coordination Committee, which is the Executive arm of MAFC government. The Supreme Councillor of the Martian Union becomes the President of the Interstellar Coordination Committee, and the closest thing that the MAFC has to a Head of State.

The Senate has two representatives from each Region (18 in total), plus 12 who are supposed to represent various walks of Martian life, but who tend to be major figures on New Mars and the old colonies.

The 3210-3214 MAFC Senate:

Q0: Anton Dec (New Mars) [Martian Liberal Welfare Party]
Q0: Minos Cornelius (New Mars) [Central Democratic Party]
Q1: Simon de Montfort (Baron) [Mars Colonial Growth Faction]
Q1: Tony Montana (Baron) [Mars Colonial Growth Faction]
Q2: Mayumi Sasakawa (Tokugawa) [Central Democratic Party]
Q2: Akira Sumitomo (Tokugawa) [Central Democratic Party]
Q3: Ophelia Laertes (Hamlet) [Martian Liberal Welfare Party]
Q3: Mischa Wolfe (Markus) [Mars Colonial Growth Faction]
Q4: Richard Yorke (The Hump) [Martian Liberal Welfare Party]
Q4: Philip Dermond (The Hump) [Free Mars Party]
Q5: Yobled Rettort (Yendor) [Mars Colonial Growth Faction]
Q5: Antionette Banderas (Marti) [Mars Colonial Growth Faction]
Q6: Clay Brixx (Adobe) [Mars Colonial Growth Faction]
Q6: Abraxas Metaxas (Adobe) [Mars Colonial Growth Faction]
Q7: Bernerd Woolley (Xynam) [Martian Liberal Welfare Party]
Q7: Kyle Reese (Sheorb) [Mars Colonial Growth Faction]
Q8: Scott Free (In The Clear) [Mars Colonial Growth Faction]
Q8: Jareel Moondaughter (Nirmanakaya) [Free Mars Party]
Commercial: Richard Chutney, Hymen Shipping [Martian Liberal Welfare Party]
Commercial: Siralan Saccarin, Evonet Corp [Central Democratic Party]
Military: Yurika Misumaru (MSN, rtd) [Free Mars Party]
Military: Thai Sho Hex Grognard (MSN Ground Forces, retd) [New Helix Party]
Religion: Omar Ghorsht (Martian Progressive Hindu Council) [Humanity's Future Party]
Religion: Celestial Master Chi'un, Dao Temple of New Mars [Humanity's Future Party]
Academic: Professor John Frink, UMIST [Central Democratic Party]
Academic: Dr Peter Keyes, Insitute for Advanced Planetary Studies [Central Democratic Party]
Sport: Kelly Watson, retired athlete [Martian Liberal Welfare Party]
Arts: Nellie Peach, Martian Arts Council [Central Democratic Party]
Social: Art Deco, director, 'Reprieve Interstellar' [Humanity's Future Party]
Legal: Chief Judge Barbara Hershey, Association High Court [Martian Liberal Welfare Party]

Seats by Party affiliation: (previous number of seats held in brackets)

Central Democratic Party: 7 (8)

Mars Colonial Growth Faction: 8 (7)

Martian Liberal Welfare Party: 7 (8)

Humanity's Future Party: 3 (2)

Free Mars Party: 3 (3)

New Helix Party: 1 (1)

The 3210 Elections have placed the three main parties neck and neck again, but given the momentum and right to form a coalition to the MCGF. This will be the first MCGF-led government in Martian history, and it will be interesting to see how Senator Banderas behaves as leader of an administration.

Martian Senatorial Election Results, 3210

With the votes now in and counted, the results of the 3206 Martian Senatorial elections can now be declared. As you will be aware, only half of the Senate's 30 seats change hands during any single Senatorial election. Furthermore, only the eight outer quadrants directly elect their representatives in a Quadrant-wide plebiscite. The other seats are all appointed by various bodies within the MAFC. Results for the appointed seats are given later.

Quadrant 1:
A gain for the MCGF as Tony Montana defeated incumbent Andrea Leng.

Quadrant 2:
No change for this conservative Quadrant, dominated as it is by the traditionalist world of Tokugawa. Akira Sumitomo retained his seat in a low turnout vote.

Quadrant 3:
Another gain for the MCGF, this time from MLWP candidate Giovanni Schiaperelli.

Quadrant 4:
Popular patrician legislator Philip Dermond, head of the Free Mars Party, as expected retained his seat.

Quadrant 5:
Again no surprises as popular MCGF leader Antoinette Banderas was re-elected.

Quadrant 6:
A hold for the MCGF as Abraxas Metaxas was re-elected.

Quadrant 7:
Another hold, as retiring MCGF Senator Herbert Wells managed to pass his seat on to up and coming Kyle Reese of Sheorb.

Quadrant 8:
A hold for the Free Mars Party as Jareel Moondaughter was re-elected.

Appointed Positions:

Q0: A return to front-line politics for CDP stalwart Minos Cornelius, formerly a Military Senator but now replacing CDP's ageing Freja Witan, who has announced her retirement from poltics.

Commercial: The Commercial Senators traditionally support the CDP and it looks like electronics magnate Siralan Saccarin will be no different.

Military: The Martian Star Navy has replaced former Marine commander Chu-Sho Xena Lawless with Ground Force veteran Hex Grognard, who has made no secret of his New Helix Party afiliations.

Religion: The religious seats rotate according to the share of populace who share that observance. Simon Shakewell of the Martian Adepts of Clewg accordingly cedes his place to Celestial Master Chi'un of the Dao Temple of New Mars, who has announced that he will take the Humanity's Future Party whip.

Academic: Dr Peter Keyes of the presigious Institute of Advanced Planetary Studies takes this post after a vote in the Martian Universities Council. A CDP appointee, he is expected to vote with them in the senate.

Arts: The Martian Arts Council has elected opera diva Nellie Peach as their representative. She too is known to favour the CDP line.

Justice: Chief Justice Barbara Hershey replaces outgoing Judge John Deedes. She was appointed during the MLWP administration and is thought to be a political ally of Anton Dec.