The Merchant Realm

Founded by the pro free-trade faction of 'The Independents' after their defeat in The First Mannish War, The Merchant Realm is the home of The Order of Merchants.

History and Establishment
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Constitution
The Merchant Realm is one of the few states with a set, written, uneditable constitution. It aims to restrict the power of the government, and give the people free choice to do what they want.

The Chief Merchant
The Chief Merchant is elected by every member of The Order of Merchants every 6 months. He/she is elected from the members of The Order. During his 6 month term he/she must stay within his spacious compound on the capital island of Lonme. From there he/she may be visited by other leaders and also conduct court hearings for Merchants who have gone against the constitution. Should he/she himself/herself break the rules of the constitution, the previous Chief Merchant takes his/her place for the remainder of the time. On the 3rd last day of his/her term, the Chief Merchant appoints a Board of The Vote, who organise the election and the candidates standing for it.

Candidates for Election
Any member of The Order of Merchants - male or female - may choose to stand to be a candidate for election. But to do so, they must pass an intense test organised by The Board of The Vote ((sort of like an I.Q. Test)), to see if they are worthy for the job. The top 10 highest scorers are allowed to stand, and their names are put forward.

Election
There is a polling station on each of the six islands. Every member of The Order is given a silver voting coin. He/she then drops his/her coin into one of 10 tall glass cylinders in each polling station. The votes from these cylinders are then transferred to large counterparts on Lonme, where the new Chief Merchant is chosen by whoever has the most coins in their glass cylinder.

The Board of The Vote
Chosen by the Chief Merchant 3 days before he/she leaves office, The Board consists of 7 trustworthy and notable members of The Order of Merchants. They write the test for the candidates, and organise polling and transportation of votes. After the new Chief Merchant is elected, they are disbanded.