Asian Pacific Islands
The Grand Constitutional Monarchy of the Asian Pacific Islands is a tropical island nation in The East Pacific region, on the planet Urth in the Pacific Ocean. It is surrounded by The Oan Isles on the north and west and East Polynesia to the east.
Politics
The politics of the Asian Pacific Islands take place in the framework of a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. It shares a monarch with the 3 other members of the Polynesian Union, the Emperor of Polynesia, currently Oaloanu. He is represented by the hereditary Viceroy of the Asian Pacific Islands, as he resides in the Oan capital, La Rochelle for most of the year. Although the authority to govern emanates from the Crown of Polynesia, the democratically elected government has the sole power to govern.
The law making branch is made up of the bicameral Parliament. The Parliament is a reflection of the social hierachy and ethnic diversity of the country. Prior to the Islander Civil War, political power lay firmly in the hands of tribal chiefs and nobles. The Parliament established by the new Constitution divided that power between two houses, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, to include the common people in a process from which they were excluded for a long time.
The two chambers are equal. Bill may originate from either house and require the approval of both houses to become law. The lower chamber, the House of Commons, can override the House of Lords if it repasses the law through a ⅔ majority. The House of Commons is made up of 200 seats that are contested every four years through party list proportional representation. The Islander First Party (IFP) has 120 seats and is the majority party; the Islander Democratic Front (IDF) forms the opposition with 80 seats. Through the 80 tribal chiefs who have lifetime seats in the House of Lords, the nobility is represented in the political process.
The head of government is the Prime Minister. He is elected by the Parliament for four years and serves concurrently with that body. He nominates judges to the Supreme Court, who require the approval of the Parliament. He is the leader of the government and influences the legislative agenda as the leader of the majority party. He appoints the Cabinet. The Cabinet forms the executive branch. It runs the country.
Tribes are given limited autonomy over their own affairs particularly those concerning the environment and custom. Otherwise, the country is divided into regions, which are further divided into counties. These are units through which the will of the Cabinet is imposed, as a result of which they are helmed by officers appointed by the Cabinet.
Economy
The Asian Pacific Islands has a nominal GDP of 300 billion SHD and a nominal GDP per capita of 15,000 SHD. It has a PPP GDP of 400 billion SHD and a PPP GDP per capita of 20,000 SHD. The economy receded during the second half of 2017 by 5%. This occurred due to the Islander Civil War. The economy contracted due to decrease in production, damage to property and infrastructure, divestment and political instability. The Oan Isles will provide low interest credit of 100 billion dollars over 10 years to revive Islander industries.
The economy is driven and propelled by foreign investment, exports and a resilient private sector. The main sector of the economy is the services sector. This includes financial services and tourism. The second largest sector is the strong manufacturing sector. It includes electronics, textiles and consumer goods. It has a sizeable extraction industry. This includes petroleum and natural gas extraction. The primary sector is considerable. This includes exports of fruit, rice and coffee, and fish.
The Oan Isles is often attributed as an economic oppressor. The Oan Isles has always had a prominent presence in the Islander economy. This influence increased after the war. Businesses moved to the Oan Isles. Oil refining was moved to the Oan Isles. The government accepted low interest credit in return for economic concessions. Industries were monopolised or dominated by Oan companies, and assets and companies were sold to entities in the Oan Isles. This has been a cause of political and social opposition.
The Oan dollar is mutually interchangeable with the Islander ang. The currency lost a lot of its value. The Oan dollar was allowed to circulate along with the Ang. The country is a major source of water and energy for the Oan Isles. Both countries depend on the stable and consistent supply of energy. This includes coal and hydroelectric power.
There is a highly stratified distribution of income. Although the economic model conforms to free market capitalism, the legacy of feudalism remains unchanged as tribal chiefs and nobles remain significantly wealthier than the rest of the population. Attempts to promote income equality through tax increases for the rich and select breaks for the poor and the establishment of a widespread welfare system are lacklustre and slow. Through financial interventions, the Oan National Aid Agency (colloquially known as Oanaid) donated millions of dollars in food, medical care, educational resources, amenities and other things.
Because the Asian Pacific Islands supplies a sizeable portion of the water food, energy and fuel of the Oan Isles, it has an influential voice in that country and within the Polynesian Union at large. Although largely isolated in the past, the Islander government has planned to open up trade links with other countries especially The Gordic Council, the Auroran Continental Assembly, the Atlantian Alliance and the Kuthernburg Commonwealth System. The Polynesian Union remains, by far, the largest trade partner that the Asian Pacific Islands has.
