The MAFC Senate
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.
Since the reform of the Senate was passed (the first Senate intake under the new rules was in 3218), the Senate has 50 members, 36 directly elected from within the nine Quadrants, divided roughly on the basis of population (around 500 million people per senate seat), and a further 14 who represent major areas of Martian life, including commerce, the military, religious, academic and other fields, each selected by a different body within that field (the Commercial senators are selected by the Martian Chamber of Commerce, for example). In practice this skews the Senate towards Q0, although the recent Banderas Reforms have dramatically increased the representation of the outer quadrants.
Senators are now elected for 6 year terms.
The 3224-3230 MAFC Senate:
Q0: Treesa April (Sturluson) [Central
Democratic Party]
Q0: Lir Alleyn (Lug) [Central Democratic Party]
Q0: Hilda Ogham (Lug) [Martian Liberal Welfare
Party]
Q0: Katsumi Mizuhita (New Mars) [Martian
Liberal Welfare Party]
Q0: Eric Swensson (New Mars) [Martian Liberal
Welfare Party]
Q0: Battard Gerren (Frederick) [New Helix Party]
Q0: Rosie May (New Mars) [Humanity's Future
Party]
Q0: Sura Gerensdottir (Teutonia) [Independent]
Q1: Selima Pasha (Turkoman) [Central Democratic
Party]
Q1: Des Richmond (Baron) [New Helix Party]
Q1: Jake Ocker (Baron) [Mars Colonial Growth
Faction]
Q1: Chrissie Yakka (Snivey) [Martian Liberal
Welfare Party]
Q1: Minnie Maxx (Mouse Kick) [Martian Liberal
Welfare Party]
Q2: Hengistan Horsa (Estreham) [Martian Liberal
Welfare Party]
Q2: Akira Sumitomo (Tokugawa) [Central Democratic
Party]
Q2: Tetsuo Sato (Tokugawa) [New Helix
Party]
Q3: Antonia Niemann (Markus) [Mars Colonial
Growth Faction]
Q3: Ed Miller (Markus) [Martian Liberal Welfare
Party]
Q3: Sam Tropez (Cirrus) [Martian Liberal
Welfare Party]
Q4: Richard Yorke (The Hump) [Martian Liberal
Welfare Party]
Q4: Philip Dermond (The Hump) [Free
Mars Party]
Q4: Living Kenstone (The Hump) [Martian
Liberal Welfare Party]
Q4: Romney Solo (One Mitt) [Central Democratic
Party]
Q5: Gyla Lobos (Dilgar) [Martian Liberal Welfare
Party]
Q5: Samira Yang (Zhalan) [Mars Colonial
Growth Faction]
Q5: Amy McFly (Marti) [Martian Liberal Welfare
Party]
Q6: Davy Monroe (Phill) [Free Mars Party]
Q6: Ramesh Nagaswaran (Adobe) [Martian
Liberal Welfare Party]
Q7: Mike Diablo (Sheorb)
[Mars Colonial Growth Faction]
Q7: Sayla Mars (Sheorb) [Central Democratic
Party]
Q7: Bernard Wooley (Xynam) [Central
Democratic Party]
Q8: Amita Parveen (Dink) [Mars Colonial Growth
Faction]
Q8: Lily White (In The Clear) [Martian LIberal
Welfare Party]
Q8: Rael Greenson (Nirmanakaya) [New
Helix Party]
Q8: Jareel Moondaughter (Nirmanakaya) [Free
Mars Party]
Q8: Etecadia Twiceborn (Nirmanakaya) [Humanity's
Future Party]
Commercial: Rish Johnstone, Olympus Engines Corp [Central
Democratic Party]
Commercial: James Hu, Director, GravShip Slipyards Inc [Free
Mars Party]
Military: Thai Sho Aiashi Hojo (MSN, rtd) [Free
Mars Party]
Military: Thai Sho Hex Grognard (MSN Ground Forces, retd) [New
Helix Party]
Military: Thai Sho Itsuki Tsuentono (MSN, rtd) [Central
Democratic Party]
Martian Veterans Association: Sho Sho Wanda Fonda (MSN Marines, rtd)
[Humanity's Future Party]
Religion: Pennan Tella, illusionist and prominent atheist (Martian Humanist
Council) [Martian Liberal Welfare Party]
Religion: Rabbi Moses Stern, New Jewish Faith [Martian
Liberal Welfare Party]
Academic: Professor emeritus John Frink, UMIST
[Central Democratic Party]
Academic: Harris Tweed, Director of the Museum of Mars [Central
Democratic Party]
Sport: Jackie Lee (former MMA star) [Martian
Liberal Welfare Party]
Arts: Murdoch Rothermere, owner, 'Free Mars TV' [Free
Mars Party]
Social: Antonia DeMonay,
director, 'Genes4Justice' [Humanity's Future Party]
Legal: Chief Judge Hadrian Volt, Association High Court [Free
Mars Party]
Seats by Party affiliation: (previous number of seats held in brackets)
Government:
Martian Liberal Welfare Party: 16 (10)
Humanity's Future Party: 4 (4)
Free Mars Party: 6 (5)
----------------------
Opposition:
Central Democratic Party: 12 (13)
Mars Colonial Growth Faction: 5 (11)
New Helix Party: 5 (4)
Independent 1 (1)