Conservative Party of Kirlawa

The Conservative Party of Kirlawa, sometimes referred to as Páirtí Coimeádach de Kirlawa in Kilani, is a centre-right, liberal conservative and radical centrist party represented in the General Assembly of Kirlawa. It was founded in April 3785 by Malagasy Thatcher and Alexander Magnum. The party's main aim is to "withdraw Kirlawa from all major international treaties".

Generally, the party believes in laissez-faire economics and are socially liberal, supporting both conservative and progressive freedoms. They could thus be classified as a "Red Tory" party. It is moderately secular and has strong libertarian influences. The party has conflicting views on defence and national security, although it now establishes itself as "militarist with a moral conscience". The party is moderately secular and has anthropogenic environmental policies.

The Conservatives served in government twice. Between 3898 and 3902, the Conservatives were a junior partner in a coalition, and from 3911, where the Conservatives were the major partner in a two-party coalition, with Malagasy Thatcher as the Prime Minister. The Conservatives also had three Presidents of state - Alexander Magnum from 3790 to 3794 and 3818 to 3819; Malagasy Thatcher from 3901 to 3906 and 3916 onwards; and Malthus Mabella from 3907 to 3909.

Beginnings (3785 - 3821)


The party initially began in April 3785 as a liberal conservative party, with liberal economic and social policies. Started by a consortium of intelligentsia, including Alexander Magnum and Malagasy Thatcher, the party had its roots in populism and libertarianism. It contested the 3787 Kiralwan elections and won 90 seats and 12.85% of the popular vote, unprecedented for a new party at the time. This continued for a while, and Alexander Magnum, the Chairman of the Party, was elected as President from July 3790 to January 3784.

The initial hype surrounding the party gradually declined and settled around 6-7% of the popular vote for around twenty years. Following this, the party embarked on a heavy campaign and shifted its focus to increasing civil liberties and adopting progressive policies, resulting in sharp, consecutive rises in vote share from 3809 to 3818. Alexander Magnum once again became President after an astonishing victory of 148 seats and 20.64% of the vote share. His tenure only lasted for one year, after which a snap election was called and the CPK fell in the polls.

Alexander Magnum retired from his capacity as Chairman of the Party in 3821, triggering the Party's first leadership elections. His son, Alexander Magnum II, won the most votes and subsequently succeeded his fther.

Social conservatism and Isolationism (3821 - 3832)
Alexander Magnum II's reign was marked by drastic shifts in party policy, moving it closer to the right both socially and militarily. He also began "Kirlawan Isolationism", an ideology synonymous with the CPK to this day. He advocated for the withdrawal of Kirlawa from major international treaties that bound the legislature to international regulations. This drew widespread support within the Party, and the "Isolationist Group" was founded in 3825. It soon became the biggest subgroup within the party.

This was not well-received by voters, however; although the Conservatives regained several seats in subsequent elections, its performance was tamed compared to previous results. The inability to revitalise the Party from its previous errors, and the increasing stagnation of the leadership, led to a vote of no confidence for Magnum II. He lost that vote, triggering yet another leadership election. Malagasy Thatcher, who served as Leader since the Party's founding, contested and successfully won the elections unopposed (thereby creating a walkover, thus serving concurrently as Chairman and Leader.

Laissez-faire Economics and Deregulation (3832 - 3875)


Malagasy Thatcher moved the party from a populist to a convictionist platform. Her resounding speeches and unwavering beliefs drew support from both inside and out of the Party. She promoted "free-market economics", which included privatisation of large chunks of the state and deregulation of various industries. She also continued on with her predecessor's isolationist and militarist policies, although she moved the Conservatives back from the right to the centre in terms of social policy.

Her efforts began to show in the 3838 and 3842 elections, where the Conservative Party won 153 and 181 seats in the General Assembly. The 3842 elections were the best for the Conservatives ever, earning the second largest margin of the popular vote and becoming the largest opposition in the GA. From there, the Party's performance was mixed and varied greatly. This could be attributed to a flux in the political climate at the time as a swathe of new parties entered the scene.

The party failed to contest the July 3857 presidential and general elections. A failure to renew their registration with the electoral database led to their inability to run a candidate in either election. It is not recorded in the Electoral Results tabulation below. The Conservatives soon rebounded back to triple digits in 3861.

The party's worst defeat came in 3864. Abstentions were rampant and discipline not tightly enforced. Vote share fell by 13.21%, and the Conservatives were left with only 19 seats. They rebounded quickly in the next elections, increasing the seat count to 106. However, many issues still remained. The seat count fluctuated between double-digits and the lower 100s. The party did not run a presidential candidate from 3861 to 3874, initially endorsing another party's candidate, and then not participating in the process at all either directly or indirectly after 3861.

By the 3874 elections, Malagasy Thatcher stated her desire to retire and abdicated from her post as Chairman in April of 3875, followed by her post as Leader in September. The first elections for the post of Leader, and the first dual leadership elections were held.

Thatcher was never either Prime Minister nor President of Kirlawa during her 90 years in the Party.

Internationalism and Progressivism (3875 - 3900)
Li Guanyao won the post of Chairman whereas Malthus Mabella won the post of Leader. However, Li Guanyao retired in 3882, without citing a reason. It is believed that he wants to "wait it out" and only take on the mantle at the party's peak. The General Election Committee handed the post back to Malagasy Thatcher, who now remains as Chairman of the Party.

With the election of the new leaders, the party embarked on a bold policy of renewing its purpose and direction. The party attempted to court the permissive and progressive vote, by introducing new laws to expand civil liberties, some of which greatly angered the Traditionalists faction. A vote of no confidence was attempted against the Leader and Chairman in 3881, but it never came to fruition and the perpetrators' whips were withdrawn.

The party's efforts were initially rewarded handsomely with 128 seats in the July 3884 elections. However, this number gradually dropped, to 103 and then to 101, during the 3886 and 3889 elections respectively. The Conservatives suffered its biggest loss during the January 3893 elections, where its vote share fell below 10% for the first time in 30 years. The failure to gain seats is attributed to a split in focus on party policy, as the Conservatives attempted to court the Progressive vote in Dirlana while maintaining its stronghold of Nuchtmark, eventually losing both.

As a result of the 3893 elections, two leadership elections were fronted against Malagasy Thatcher and Malthus Mabella respectively. Many stalking horse candidates contested, but both Thatcher and Mabella emerged with over 50% of the vote in the Chairman and Leadership elections respectively, thus second rounds of voting were not warranted.

Since the 3893 elections, the Conservatives' seat share has risen steadily. It achieved 19% of the popular vote for the 3879 Presidential Elections, the largest increase from a previous presidential election since over 100 years ago.

From 3895 to 3899, the Conservatives released its largest manifesto, the Conservative Party of Kirlawa: Manifesto for the 40th Century, to outline its plans for the year 3900 and forward. It was hoped that the manifesto would increase the Conservatives' visibility on various issues, and hence helping its popularity and electability.

Before the century ended, the Conservatives were included in a government coalition. This is the first time that the Conservatives would hold government ministries. The Ministries of Defence, Justice and Science and Technology were taken up by Li Guanyao, Benedict Cambridge and Winston Hague respectively.

Presidents and Government (3900 - 3920)
Worry began to arise over the feasibility of the electoral strategy to introduce such a large manifesto. It was observed that other parties began adopting similar positions to the Conservative Party. The lack of differentiation between the parties could split the vote heavily, and may leave the Conservatives with a worse result than previously.

However, the strategy paid off handsomely in the first election of the 40th century, held in January 3901. The Conservatives won 102 seats, an increase of roughly 35, and became the third largest party in Kirlawa's legislature once again. Moreover, Malagasy Thatcher was finally elected as President, winning roughly 53% of the vote in the second round, and thus became the first Conservative in the post since Alexander Magnum in 3821.

The results improved even further with the 3903 elections, where the Conservatives' share of the popular vote increased 6.5% to 20.51%, and the number of seats rose to 149, the second highest ever since July 3854 (158). Malagasy Thatcher was elected for a second term as President, and received an endorsement from another party for the first time since the late 3790s.

In April 3903, it was agreed that Malagasy Thatcher would be the official candidate for the role of Prime Minister, despite not being in the role of Leader. The Leader of the Party is entitled to become the Prime Minister in the formation of a government, but a special exception was made in this case due to the long-serving history of Thatcher as the Party's Leader.

Malagasy Thatcher stood for only two terms as President. She honourably made the next Conservative candidate for President to be Malthus Mabella, begetting his yield to Thatcher on the role of Prime Minister. Malthus Mabella became the President of Kirlawa in 3907, with 56.27% of the popular vote in the second round. The Conservatives also attained 159 seats, the second highest seat share ever recorded, just behind the 3842 elections.

In February 3909, the Party decided to hold two referendums on its membership. The questions asked were:


 * Should the position of Chairman be abolished and its duties and responsibilities absorbed into the position of Leader of the Party?
 * Should the Conservative Party of Kirlawa (Páirtí Coimeádach de Kirlawa) be renamed to the Liberal Party of Kirlawa (Páirtí Liobrálach na Kirlawa)?

The vote concluded in February 3910. A majority of Party members voted in favour of the first question, with 67% for to 33% against. The second question was overwhelmingly rejected, with 74% against and 26% for. As a result of the vote, Malthus Mabella and Malagasy Thatcher agreed to permanently swap positions. Malthus Mabella will oversee the transfer of responsibilities from Chairman to Leader, while Malagasy Thatcher will reprise her old position as Leader. The position of Chairman was formally eradicated in 3911.

The reduction in competition within Kirlawa's legislature paved the way for the Conservative Party's largest victory in the General Assembly 3909. The Party achieved its highest share of the vote nationwide, at 29.90%, and attained 207 seats, the first time it has exceeded the 200 mark. However, the Party did not contest the Presidential elections, and instead endorsed another party's candidate, thereby ending Malthus Mabella's presidential term of only two years. It has been confirmed that he will stand for the position again in the next election.

In February 3911, the Conservative Party of Kirlawa moved its national headquarters from Indrala, Merkan to Telon, Nuchtmark. The Party will allow local franchises in Merkan to become officially affiliated with the Party, while there is no change to the structure of affiliates in the Party HQ's new region of Nuchtmark.

The Party achieved a breakthrough in early 3911, when the Conservatives successfully formed a coalition, with them as the leading partner. Malagasy Thatcher became the Prime Minister of Kirlawa, and has become the first Conservative to be both a President and Prime Minister. Other appointments include Abdul bin Ahmad as Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The Party's best election results overall came in July 3916. The Conservative Party of Kirlawa became the largest party in the General Assembly for the first time in over 130 years since its founding, with 142 seats. Malagasy Thatcher was also elected as President of Kirlawa once again, with a resounding the 59.28% of the vote in the second round, the highest it has ever been. Combined with her role as Prime Minister, she is the first Conservative to concurrently serve as both President and Prime Minister of Kirlawa. All three of Malagasy Thatcher's aims were achieved simultaneously - she is now the head of state, head of government and head of the largest party.

Libertarianism and Militarism (3920 - )
After Malagasy Thatcher's tenures as President and Prime Minister were over, she took a back seat in the running of her party, instead opting for a more hands-free, membership-driven approach. More party policies were determined by members of the Party themselves rather than executives of lawmakers of the Party. Due to this, previously dormant or waning factions within the Party, such as the Libertarian and Militarist groupings, experienced a resurgence in influence over the Party, as its members campaigned heavily for a shift to a more libertarian and more militaristic platform respectively.

Such an approach has manifested itself in the 3923 elections. Although little has changed in terms of the overall popular vote and seat share, the party made a surprising win in Dirguzia, a province where the Conservatives have traditionally done poorly in. This will be the first time the Conservatives have taken Dirguzia since 3790. Such a win is attributed to a move towards a more militaristic policy, which would thus align all of Dirguzia's political views with those expressed by the Party. This gave credence to the Militarist grouping and bolstered its support, with the launch of a new Militarist Manifesto in the following months.

Ahead of the 3926 elections, the Conservative Party announced that it was shifting its electoral strategy to target three key provinces: Nuchtmark, Merkan and Dirguzia. Nuchtmark has been a long-time stronghold of the Conservatives. Although the electorates have Dirguzia and Merkan have different electoral priorities than the Conservatives, namely progressive rights and strong defence respectively as compared to a free market, their political positions are roughly aligned with the Party's. The strategy seemed to have mixed results - while the Conservatives did achieve a substantial proportion of the vote in Merkan, Nuchtmark and Dirlana, they were unsuccessful in Dirguzia. They also bled a considerable amount of support in Uwakah, with representation reduced to only eleven seats. Nonetheless, the party plans to push ahead with the strategy.

Following the July 3927 elections, the Party's support nationwide dipped, as support bled to similar right-wing parties. This trend has continued through to the 3939 elections. Nonetheless, the Party formed a governmental coalition once again, although this time as a junior partner. The coalition is the longest of its kind, having lasted for over twelve years as of 3939's elections.

Structure
The party operates on a three-tier structure: at the national level, the provincial level and the local level.

Most of the party's national policies and provincial-level policies are decided at Conservative Party headquarters in Indrala, Merkan. Appointments for the Party's candidates in all seats during General Assembly elections, as well as Presidential elections, are done by the national party.

The national party is divided into several "franchises" at the provincial level. More information on franchises are found in the Regions section below.

Although the party officially does not exist at the local level, candidates still run in local seats or council elections under the Conservative banner. They do not require the permission of the national party or provincial franchises to do so, but a rule of thumb is that they have to be registered as a member of either of the two. At times, there might be two or more candidates who have put themselves forward under the Conservative banner, so they will either be differentiated by the franchise they are in, or agree upon themselves to run as Independents or under a Conservative-affiliated ticket.

Leaders
The Leader of the Party acts as the de facto head, and bears most responsibilities and powers in managing, organising and coordinating party decisions, appointments and statements. Previously, the Leader was accorded equal status and powers to the Chairman, but beginning with the Twin Reign of Thatcher, various powers and responsibilities were shifted over. Since then, the Leader was complemented and checked by the Chairman until 3910, when a party referendum decided that the role of Chairman be merged into the position of Leader.

Chairman
The Chairman was a leadership post that existed within the party from its creation until 3910. The Chairman acted as the Party's candidate for Presidential elections, and played an advisory role to the Leader in making decisions within the Party. Previously, the Chairman was accorded equal status and powers to that of the Chairman, but beginning with Malagasy Thatcher, various powers of the Chairman were transferred to the Leader. In 3909, the Party decided to merge the post of Chairman into that of the Leader. The post of Chairman was formally eradicated in February 3911.

General Executive Committee
The General Executive Committee, or GEC for short, is the executive body of the Party's membership, responsible for various administrative decisions and the appointment or reallocation of the Party's top brass. The GEC is generally not involved in party policy and decision-making, but has an indirect hand in it through any reassignment of leadership posts that it makes. The GEC has reallocated leaders thrice in its history: first in 3882, when Harold Lee was replaced by Malagasy Thatcher without the standard Chairman election process, and then again in 3910, when the Chairman and Leader (Malthus Mabella and Malagasy Thatcher respectively) were swapped.

Notable members
Notable members of the Party include:


 * Malagasy Thatcher (current Leader, former Chairman) : Founded the party, along with Alexander Magnum II. She embraced the free market and adopted a centrist social policy, but maintained the isolationist foreign policy of her predecessor. Halfway through her tenure, she moved violently from a populist approach to a convictionist one. She won the leadership election for Chairman and served concurrently as Leader and Chairman until 3875, where she died of old age, triggering the party's first dual leadership elections.


 * Alexander Magnum (Chairman: 3785 - 3821): Founded the party, along with Malagasy Thatcher. Adopted a progressive social policy and embraced permissive rights while pursuing an internationalist foreign policy. Abdicated, citing old age, calling the party's first leadership elections.


 * Alexander Magnum II (Chairman: 3821 - 3832): Son of the previous leader, and first to be elected by popular vote. Moved the party closer to the right in terms of social policy, and restricted freedoms for stability. Pursued an isolationist foreign policy. Lost a vote of confidence, triggering a snap leadership election.


 * Malthus Mabella (former Leader and Chairman): Became Leader of the Party alongside Harold Lee. Has expressed a desire for an internationalist foreign policy and progressive social policy.


 * Harold Lee (Chairman: 3875 - 3882 ): Became Chairman of the Party alongside Malthus Mabella. Has expressed a desire for increased civil liberties.

Divisions
Although the party is considered to be very unified in their approach to various policies, there maintains to be a number of divisions within the party itself with differing beliefs. The divisions are not mutually exclusive; members may identify or register with more than one grouping.

Magnumites
The Magnumites, also known as the Isolationists or Withdrawals, are the followers of Alexander Magnum II's isolationist foreign policy, in which he stated his desire for Kirlawa to withdraw from legislatively binding treaties. Currently, they hold the most power in the party, with the most prolific member being Malthus Mabella, the present Leader of the Party.

The Magnumites' official bloc within the party is known as the Independence Wing of the Conservatives (IWC). It grew out of the 3794 elections, when the Party realised that most legislation was inhibited by international treaties. Beginning with only 100 members, it grew steadily, until Alexander Magnum II, son of the then-Chairman Alexander Magnum, joined in 3810. This propelled it to the Party spotlight, and by 3820, it became the most popular bloc in the Party, with 84,000 members. The large group is believed to be the main factor in Magnum II's election during the first Chairman elections.

Magnumites have helped form an inter-party bloc, known as the Anti-Treaty Organisation. To date, the Conservative Party is the sole member of the ATO.

Free-Marketers
The Free-Marketers believe in free-market policies and maintain the ideals of deregulation and less red tape. Malagasy Thatcher is a Free-Marketer.

Most free-marketers are followers of Malagasy Thatcher's neoliberal teachings. They were born out of her dual reign from 3834 - 3875, where heavy deregulation of the market took place. They are more committed to curbing the power of trade unions and are more socially conservative than Libertarians. A good number of Free-Marketers are also Magnumites, and Malagasy Thatcher herself declared herself to be an "Isolationist", although she was not part of the IWC.

Permissives
The Permissives refer to the socially liberal members of the party, who advocate for increased civil liberties and more permissive rights. This may range from pushing progressive causes (LGBT rights and abortion laws) to calling for liberties which conservatives champion (greater gun rights and hunting laws).

More extreme Permissives are usually found in the Libertarian grouping. The strongest Permissive support base is in Uwakah, followed by Dirlana.

Militarists
The main aim of the  Militarists is to enhance the international standing of Kirlawa as an international power, by having a strong military and isolationist foreign policy (although not necessarily overlapping with the Magnumites). They were previously powerful from 3834 to 3875, coinciding with the twin reign of Malagasy Thatcher, but have since dwindled in numbers and influence due to a shift in military policy. However, they are poised to make a comeback as the Party once again moves to a militarist (albeit only partly) platform beginning in 3920. Most Militarists are based in Merkan.

Libertarians
The Libertarian grouping is an overlap between the more extreme Permissives and more extreme Free-Marketers. They believe in small government and anarcho-capitalism. They intend to ensure that the market has as little regulation as possible, including the areas of Health and Safety, which Free-Marketers oppose altering. Libertarians were born out of a fringe group of Thatcherites at about 3850, when some radicals were dissatisfied with the progress of economic reforms.

Libertarians are colloquially and jokingly referred to as Anarchists or Lunatics, after its leader, Lunus Luna. Malthus Mabella is believed to follow Libertarian teachings. He and ohter Libertarians form the Liberty Wing of the Party, an intra-party libertarian organisation.

Traditionalists
The Traditionalists are social and national conservative members of the Party. Despite being called "Traditionalists", the Conservative Party was not founded on social and national conservative ideals. Traditionalists are few in number and are found in more rural areas of the country. They are religious, and oppose gay marriage, abortion and in-vitro fertilisation. They also oppose certain deregulation of the market, such as in drugs or alcohol, which they believe will propagate wrong values. However, Traditionalists are permissive in some matters, such as on the issues of gun rights and hunting. Traditionalists are mostly based in the right-wing province of Nuchtmark.

Regions
At a local level, the Conservative Party of Kirlawa is represented under several "franchises", or branches. All provinces except for Merkan have at least one Conservative branch. There may be more than one franchise operating in a province, as under the Party Constitution, a franchise can be formed with only 25% of members in that area voting for its creation.

Franchises in a single province select their own candidates and unite to compete in local elections under a single Conservative Party of Kirlawa banner, unless only one franchise operates in that area. Franchises do not compete in national elections, but rather the Party as a whole.

Merkan
The national Party's headquarters was formerly located in Indrala, Merkan, before shifting to Nuchtmark. The party has performed fairly well in Merkan during national elections, often achieving its highest share of the popular vote during the reign of Alexander Magnum II and the beginning of the Twin Reign of Thatcher, where the Militarist branch attracted widespread support from the masses. Such elections included 3812 - 3819 and the 3838 and 3842 elections. Merkan is the third most favourable province to the Conservatives by average vote share in the elections, with 14.3%. Interestingly, an average trend line has indicated support for the Conservatives in Merkan is waning, although the Conservatives seek to change that by once again courting Militarist voters.

The Conservative Party of Kirlawa formerly did not have a local franchise in Merkan. However, upon the relocation of the Party headquarters, unofficial local franchises registered with the Party. The two major franchises are the Provincial Conservative Party of Merkan, abbreviated to PCP(M), and the Merkan Conservatives, or MCP. 28% of all Merkan members are registered with the former franchise, while 25% were registered with the latter. Both franchises have contested state elections under their own banners, during the 3814 and 3847 Merkan Provincial elections respectively.

Merkan is the birthplace of some of the Party's most influential figures, including Malagasy Thatcher. Alexander Magnum II, the second Chairman of the Party, was based in Merkan and was registered with the PCP(M). Although the PCP(M) was an unofficial franchise at the time, it was still counted as an endorsement for Alexander Magnum II during the 3821 Chairman elections.

Dirlana
Dirlana is the third most favourable province to the Conservatives. They have achieved an average vote share of 14.1% across all federal elections it has competed in for the region. However, the Conservatives have never become the largest party representing the province.

The Provincial Conservative Party of Dirlana, abbreviated to PCP(D), is the main Conservative franchise in Dirlana. 31% of all members of the Conservative Party in Dirlana are registered with the PCP(D). As with its national counterpart, there are mediocre results for the franchise in local elections. Other franchises in Dirlana include the Conservatives of Nisira and Kiria (28%), and the Progressive Conservative Party (25%).

Dirguzia
The Provincial Conservative Party of Dirguzia, abbreviated to PCP(G), is the main Conservative franchise in Dirguzia. It is also home to most of the Party's Progressive grouping members. Despite that, it has also done very poorly in local elections, and province often ranks among the lowest in the national Party's popular vote among all regions in national elections. The party has only won in the 3790 and 3923 elections.

Former franchises in Dirguzia include the Progressive Conservatives of Dirguzia, the Democratic People's Party, the Dirguzia Conservative Alliance, the New Conservative Faction of Dirguzia, and the Dirguzia Conservative Party. These were all merged into the PCP(G) by the year 3903. 81% of all Conservative members in Dirguzia are currently registered with the PCP(G).

Uwakah
Uwakah is the second worst performing province of the five for the Conservatives. They have only achieved an average of 11% of the popular vote across all elections they have competed in. This, however, could be explained by the poor performance of the Party in its formative years, where it placed only fourth. In more recent years, Uwakah has risen to become the second most favourable Province to the Conservatives. They have become the largest party in the region by number of seats in the 3878, 3884, 3916 and 3920 elections.

The Provincial Conservative Party of Uwakah, abbreviated to PCP(U), is the main and only Conservative franchise in Uwakah. Former franchises include the Uwakah Conservative Party (UCP), the Progressive Conservatives of Uwakah (PCU), the Party Uwakah Conservative (PUC) and the Conservative and Independents of Uwakah. These were all merged into the PCP(U) by the year 3821. The PCP(U) now accounts for over 80% of all Conservative members in the province.

Nuchtmark


Nuchtmark is currently home to the national Party's HQ. The province has traditionally been a Conservative stronghold due to strong support expressed for the Party's liberal economic policies. As much as 50% of all seats and nearly 60% of the popular vote in the province go to the party in both local and federal elections, amassing a difference of over 40% over the next largest party. The Nuchtmark Conservative Party, or NCP, is the main Conservative franchise in Nuchtmark. It is the best performer out of all franchises of the Conservatives.

Other official franchises include the Provincial Conservative Party of Nuchtmark, or PCP(N) and the Nuchtmark Conservative and Independent Party (CIP). They have not contested regional elections under their respective banners, instead their candidates run on NCP tickets. Unofficial franchises include the Business Party (BP), the New Conservative Party, and the Nuchtmark Party (NP). No more than 10% of party members from Nuchtmark are registered with any unofficial franchises since their inceptions.

Economic policy
The Conservative Party staunchly believes in laissez-faire economics, with some radicals going so far as to support an anarcho-capitalist agenda. Heavy deregulation of the market is at the forefront of economic policy, although important components such as Health and Safety remain untouched. Some such laws include allowing the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), ameliorating forest clearance laws and lowering pollution standards.

The party is also committed to curbing the burgeoning influence of trade unions. This includes an end to collective bargaining, outlawing secondary strike action, allowing employers to fire at their own accord, and only allowing open shops to be legal.

In terms of taxation, the party wishes to establish a new tax band of 5% for those earning >5000SEN, remove tax bands above 70%, followed by tax bands above 60%. They also seek to introduce a new 5% sales tax on essential goods and services, while lowering the tax on luxury goods to 35% and corporate tax to 25%.

Despite the sometimes isolationist policy of the Party, free foreign trade and investment are championed by Conservatives.

Jobs and welfare
The Conservatives are staunchly anti-welfare. The party campaigns against the establishment of a minimum wage, the provision of child benefits, and any form of public retirement pension fund. Regardless, the party does attempt to make provisions for the "most vulnerable" in society, but this is often either limited or tied with some other goal.

The party is rooted in supply-side economics, and believes the best way to raise people's incomes is by providing them with education and training instead of benefits. Thus, the Conservatives often call for the establishment of new training programmes and schemes for workers, of which a large proportion of its funding is diverted from welfare benefits and pensions.

Social policy
Unlike traditional conservative-minded parties, the Conservative Party of Kirlawa has a very liberal approach to social issues. The party is strongly in support of civil liberties, but it varies heavily in its morality, ranging from conservative (expansion of gun rights and deregulating hunting laws) to progressive viewpoints (support for gay marriage and pro-choice).

From a religious standpoint, the Conservatives are moderately secular. In its Constitution, it states that it "adopts a secular social policy, by considering all religions (or lack thereof) as equal under the law." Freedom of religion is emphasised in its manifestos, with calls for the deregulation of religious institutions and communities.

Abortion
Abortion is a highly contentions topic within membership of the party. An internal poll conducted in 3871 showed that 49% of Conservatives were pro-choice, whereas 51% were pro-life. Official party doctrine states that while the party "does not mind" abortion to be legal during all stages of pregnancy, that if be kept to a minimum and should preferably be done in extenuated circumstances. The party opposes any form of direct funding for abortion, although some organisations the Conservatives plan to fund do provide abortion services on the side.

LGBT rights
The Conservatives have always been in favour of LGBT rights. The party is one of the most vocal supporters for the expansion of LGBT rights and marriage equality, even more than liberal parties are in the region. The party believes that the definition of marriage should accommodate "less popular but equally important" relationships, including gay and polyamorous ones. The party also believes that gay couples should be free to adopt children without regulation, in line with its more conventional libertarian ideals. The party elected its first gay member of the General Assembly in the early 3820s, its first lesbian member in the 3840s, and its first transexual member in 3910.

Gun rights
The ability to own and purchase guns freely is a long-standing platform policy. As a libertarian party, the Conservatives are in favour of the legality of gun ownership, the deregulation of gun sales, the removal of gun-free zones, and the abolishment of open carry/concealed carry statutes. However, advocacy for gun rights faded within the Party over the late 39th century, as Conservatives courted the Progressive vote in Uwakah and elsewhere. Nonetheless, the Libertarian and Traditionalist groupings of the Party are staunchly in favour of expanding gun rights, and despite a general party-wide abstinence over votes concerning gun issues, bills have been proposed by individual members to reform current gun policy.

Gender equality
The party has no policy on gender equality or gender politics. Nonetheless, the shadow cabinet of the Conservative Party has eight male members and six female members, with the longest-lerving leader and Chairman, Malagasy Thatcher, being female. The party's caucus composition caucus has generally varied from 25% - 45% women, and 55% - 75% men. The median proportion of female members the party fields in general elections is 36%.

Foreign policy
The Conservative Party's current main aim is to return Kirlawa's sovereignty by removing ourselves from major international treaties which inhibit the right of the legislature to make new laws. This means withdrawing Kirlawa from as many legislatively binding treaties as possible.

Political reforms
The party seeks to reduce the legislative size to an even number, preferably 700 or below., and is committed to proportional representation, with a D'Hondt system using Open Party Lists. There is also a desire to reduce legislative terms from 42 months to 21 months, to enable more responsive governments.

Defence
Defence has been a contentious issue within the Conservative Party and the general mood surrounding it varies from era to era. In the years since the Party's formation, the issue of the military was a "backseat matter", as Alexander Magnum put it in 3907. There were free votes on bills involving the military during Alexander Magnum's leadership.

When Alexander Magnum II became the new Chairman, the Party shifted heavily to the right, and become very nationalistic and militarist. The trend continued into the Twin Reign of Thatcher, from 3834 to 3875. Militarism in the party flourished during this period, as militarists became organised into an official grouping. The party was also largely popular in the province of Merkan, where support for militarism is extremely high.

However, after 3875, the Party lurched to the left and adopted a very Pacifist policy. Militarists were expunged from crucial cabinet posts and the three-line whip was imposed more than once on defence matters. The party lost a large part of its support in Merkan, although it gained in pacifist states like Uwakah and Dirguzia. The Militarist grouping became largely dormant, and its members receded into obscurity.

As the party began to decentralise in 3920, the Militarists once again found themselves in the hotspot, as they began to influence party policy back towards a militarist, national conservative agenda. As of now, the Party generally supports the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons (albeit preferably in non-civilian areas), seeks for compulsory national service, and requests for freer arms trade. However, the Party is still against the legalisation of paramilitaries, and despite seeking for Kirlawa's withdrawal from the Land Mine Prohibition Treaty, it is opposed to the use of land mines in conflicts.

Health and drug policy
The Conservatives do not believe in healthcare free at the point of delivery - instead, it opts for a healthcare insurance model, where health services are mainly provided by private vendors rather than the government. It also does not believe in the subsidisation of drugs, research, and other medical services, with the exception of the poorest. The Conservatives also advocate for the use of cannabis as a sedative, wish to reduce food standard provision by the government, and welcome deregulation of alcohol and smoking, thanks in part to the Libertarians of the party.

Despite being mainly economically liberal when it comes to healthcare, the Party did state that one of its red lines was on "health and safety issues." No votes have been launched to alter the enforcement of health and safety provisions in Kirlawa. In fact, some members within the Party have called for greater regulation when it comes to these areas, arguing that it is "contrary to the progressive spirit of Kirlawa" for a laissez-faire attitude towards such matters.

Education
Education is said to be one of the three designated "ringfenced" areas of the Conservative Party, the other two being healthcare and safety. The party proposes that 15% of Kirlawa's budget be devoted to education, a startling percentage for a fiscal conservative party. Although the budget for education is heavily protected, the Conservatives prefer schools to be autonomous of the government and abide by their own regulations. A national curriculum set by the government is opposed, along with charter schools and free tuition fees. Subsidies are provided for the poorest students, a deviation from the party's core belief of "no subsidies".

Agriculture, Energy and Climate Change
While the party accepts the precedent of climate change and global warming, its environmental record has been largely anthropogenic. It calls for the lowering of environmental standards and the removal of subsidies to renewable energy research. This is largely to appease the Free-Marketers and traditional support base of the Conservatives, as environmental sustainability is yielded to economic progress.

Justice
Initially, the party had a very conservative approach to justice. Capital and corporal punishments were the preferred methods to incarcerating individuals. However, there has been a progressive shift in the Party's attitude towards rendering punishments. In recent votes, the Conservatives voted against repealing the ban on corporal and capital punishment. Moreover, the Conservatives are heavy supporters of allowing criminals to vote while still in jail, a heavy contradiction with its original policy of depriving criminals of many citizens' rights. Nonetheless, individual Conservative candidates, particularly Traditionalists and Magnumites, are keen on returning the Party to its original platform of a "no-tolerance" approach to criminal matters.

Religion
The party has maintained being a secular party that advocates religious freedoms. It strongly believes in the ideal of "separation of church and state", in that intervention in the state's affairs by religious organisations, and in religious affairs by public bodies, be kept to a minimum and mainly be used to protect the interests of either party. As such, the party opposes any form of state religion or state-approved list of religions, and is against the taxation of religious organisations, except for any profits garnered. Conservatives do not want religious officials to be appointed or remunerated by the government, nor does it maintain a policy on prayers in schools or religious clothing. In line with its policy on foreign affairs, the Conservative Party does not regulate foreign missionaries entering the nation.

As a result of its nonintervention in religious affairs, and the secular foundation of the party, a number of social policies are heavily opposed by religious organisations, such as the party's support for gay rights and in-vitro fertilisation. Traditionalists, often orthodox religious adherents, are against the party's stance on these issues, but they exert little influence on party policy.

General Assembly
Legend:
 * Government - Main party in a coalition, or is the sole party in Government.
 * Coalition - Junior partner in a coalition.
 * Main Opposition  - Largest opposition party in the General Assembly.
 * Opposition - In opposition.



Presidential

 * The party did not contest nor endorse another candidate in presidential elections on July 3857.
 * From January 3861 to July 3874, the party failed to list a candidate for the presidential elections to focus on gaining parliamentary strength. An endorsement was given to another party up until July 3867. The party did not contest nor endorse another candidate during the January 3871 and July 3874 elections.
 * The position ranking represents the party's position in the *latest* round they had competed in. If they had achieved 1st in the first round of voting but 2nd on the second round of voting, the position will be listed as "2nd", and vice versa.
 * The President elected, in both the July 3790 and January 3818 elections, was Alexander Magnum. The President elected in the January 3901 and January 3903 elections was Malagasy Thatcher. The President elected in the July 3907 election was Malthus Mabella. The President elected in the July 3916 election was Malagasy Thatcher.