Conservative National Party (Dranland)

The Conservative National Party (CNP) is a conservative, market-oriented political party in Dranland founded in 3389 by Grand National Party defector Elaine Duvalle, Mayor of Santa Sharika.

Founding
The Grand National Party (GNP) went into the elections of June 3389 as the largest party in terms of Parliamentary representation, with 93 seats, under the leadership of Prime Minister Delia Breckinridge. The GNP also, prior to the election, controlled the Presidency. However, the elections saw the GNP lose five seats (all to the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC)), its legislative plurality and the Presidency (which was won by the PAC).

Breckinridge's already weakened position was further compromised by the startling disclosure by the socially conservative former Magadonia Governor Vivian Trelawney (who had been removed from office in the 3389 election) that Breckinridge had agreed to devolve authority over abortion so that State Governors could ban it if they so wished. Breckinbridge, despite strong condemnation by her Parliamentary colleagues, refused to resign. The uproar resulted in a successful motion to remove Breckinridge.

Subsequently, in October, Janice LeCoultre, former Finance Minister and sister of former Prime Minister Marina LeCoultre, challenged Breckinridge for the chairpersonship of the GNP, and, in the absence of other candidates, prevailed in the first ballot by a majority of 11%. However, Breckinridge was not removed from the office of Prime Minister due to support for her from Ministers.

The removal of the traditionalist Breckinbridge and her replacement by the much more liberal LeCoultre resulted in dissent from the traditionalist wing of the GNP. Among the disgruntled traditionalists was Elaine Duvalle, the prominent and popular Mayor of Santa Sharika. In mid-November, 3389, she stunned the Dranish political establishment by defecting from the GNP and founding the Conservative National Party (CNP). She stated at a Conservative Citizens' Union (a conservative pressure group) meeting that:

"I have been a loyal and committed member of the GNP for twenty-five years, but with recently developments at the highest levels of the national party organisation, I have come to a sobering and unfortunate conclusion. The beliefs of the GNP are no longer mine, and therefore, with sadness and regret, but also with hope for the restoration of the values of the Dranish nation, I will, with immediate effect, relinquish my membership of the GNP... I establish the Conservative National Party, devoted to the values of the family, to morality and tradition, to patriotism, and to the free market. United, we can from the spearhead of the thrust for national restoration, we can take the fight to Iglesia Mayor.

Early years
Despite strong criticism from all of the three established parties, the GNP, PAC and Popular Party (PP), and notable politicians including former Prime Minister Marina LeCoultre, GNP Chairperson Janice LeCoultre and PP Leader Tom Marshall, two GNP parliamentarians, the veteran politician James McClellan and minority Kyo MP Orito Mori, daughter of former President Sosuke Mori, defected to the CNP. There was praise for the CNP from conservative elements of the PAC, but no defections, giving the CNP a Parliamentary caucus of two members. Vivian Trelwaney (the aforementioned Governor of Magadonia) also defected shortly after along with several less notable local officials.

In April 3391, Elaine Duvalle unveiled the CNP's twin manifestos, Restoring Our Values which described the CNP's social agenda, and Building Our Nation. The first came under fire from all fronts, while the second was criticised by the left-leaning parties by (largely) supported by the GNP. In July, to rally support for the CNP, Duvalle embarked on a two-week long speaking tour that would traverse the country, speaking at every major city. In November, two years after the party's establishment, Duvalle announced the CNP's frontbench team, which would take over as soon as the next elections.

In late 3392, the proposal of the controversial and divisive Sanctity of Life and Marriage Act would precipitate, several months later, a major political drama in Dranland. The GNP ordered its MPs to vote against the bill in accordance with the party line, despite the pleas of traditionalist members such as Jack O'Keeffe in an open letter, with severe penalties for those that dared to rebel against the three-line whip. The result was a massive backbench revolt in April, where twenty GNP MPs voted for the bill, and Delia Breckinbridge (who had just resigned as Prime Minister after losing a motion of confidence) abstained. Eventually, all twenty-one dissenting members left the GNP and joined the CNP.

Breckinridge
After her defection, Delia Breckinridge became the Parliamentary Chairperson of the CNP, which, although technically junior to the Party President, is in fact the most powerful party position (an exception was during the early years, during which Duvalle had more control).

In the elections of 3393, the CNP firmly established itself as a major Dranish political party despite having the lowest Parliamentary representation, winning 50 seats. Haruo Tanabe was elected Governor of Valdor. However, its Presidential candidate Mikiyasu Chouda failed to make it to the run-off. Despite this, the CNP's electoral result was sufficiently satisfying to be called a "victory" by many senior figures within the party, such as Elaine Duvalle and Delia Breckinridge.

The newly elected Elaine Duvalle became the Vice Parliamentary Chairperson. To replace her as CNP President, Chouda became the GNP President; his Vice President is former Magadonia Governor Vivian Trelawney.

Electoral performance
!Year !Seats !Change in Seats !Seats (%) !Votes (%) !Votes !Swing (%)
 * Jun 3393
 * 50|| ▲ 27||20.00||20.40||12,393,448|| ▲ 20.40
 * }
 * }

Leadership
''Note: Positions in normal text denote positions within the party. Positions in italic text denote positions within the government.''

Note 2: A portfolio name refers to the relevant CNP spokespersonship if in normal text, or the relevant ministry if in italic text.

Note 3: "Chairperson" refers to Legislative Chairperson below.

Parliamentary Party
''Note: Positions in normal text denote positions within the party. Positions in italic text denote positions within the government.''

Note 2: A portfolio name refers to the relevant CNP spokespersonship if in normal text, or the relevant ministry if in italic text.