Government of Nanpan

The executive and legislative branches operate primarily at the national level, although various ministries in the executive branch also carry out local functions. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and contain executive and legislative bodies of their own. The judicial branch operates at both the national and local levels. The Nanpanese government's structure is determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Nanpan. This document has been revised several times since its first promulgation in 2016. The country has always had a presidential system with a relatively independent chief executive.

As with most stable three-branch systems, a careful system of checks and balances is in place. For instance, the judges of the Constitutional Court are partially appointed by the executive, and partially by the legislature. Likewise, when a resolution of impeachment is passed by the legislature, it is sent to the judiciary for a final decision.

Legislative branch
At the national level, the legislative branch consists of the National Assembly of Nanpan. This is a unicameral legislature; it consists of a single large assembly. The members of the National Assembly serve for four years; in the event that a member is unable to complete his or her term, a by-election is held. The National Assembly is charged with deliberating and passing legislation, auditing the budget and administrative procedures, ratifying treaties, and approving state appointments. In addition, it has the power to impeach or recommend the removal of high officials.

Bills pass through these committees before they reach the floor. However, before they reach committee, they must already have gained the support of at least 10 members, unless they have been introduced by the president. To secure final passage, a bill must be approved by a majority of those present; a tie vote is not sufficient. After passage, bills are sent to the president for approval; they must be approved within 15 days.

Each year, the budget bill is submitted to the National Assembly by the executive. By law, it must be submitted at least 90 days before the start of the fiscal year, and the final version must be approved at least 30 days before the start of the fiscal year. The Assembly is also responsible for auditing accounts of past expenditures, which must be submitted at least 120 days before the start of the fiscal year.

Executive branch
The executive branch is headed by the president. The president is elected directly by the people, and is the only elected member of the national executive. The president serves for one five-year term; additional terms are not permitted. The president is head of government, head of state, and commander in chief of the Nanpanese armed forces. The president is vested with the power to declare war, and can also propose legislation to the National Assembly. He or she can also declare a state of emergency or martial law, subject to the Assembly's subsequent approval. The President can veto bills, subject to a two-thirds majority veto override by the National Assembly.

In the event that they are suspected of serious wrongdoing, the president and cabinet-level officials are subject to impeachment by the National Assembly. Once the National Assembly votes in favor of the impeachment the Constitutional Court should either confirm or reject the impeachment resolution, once again reflecting the system of checks and balances between the three branches of the government.

The Cabinet is the highest body for policy deliberation and resolution in the executive branch of the Republic of Nanpan. By Constitution the President is the chairperson of the Cabinet, and the Prime Minister the vice chairperson. Nevertheless, the Prime Minister frequently holds the meetings without the presence of the President as the meeting can be lawfully held as long as the majority of the Cabinet members are present at the meeting.

It has to be noted that the Cabinet of the Republic of Nanpan performs somewhat different roles than those of many other countries with similar forms. As the Nanpanese political system is basically a presidential system yet with certain aspects of parliamentary cabinet system combined, the Cabinet of the Republic of Nanpan also is a combination of both systems. More specifically, the Nanpanese Cabinet performs policy resolutions as well as policy consultations to the President. Reflecting that the Republic of Nanpan is basically a presidential republic the Cabinet resolutions cannot bind the president's decision, and in this regard the Nanpanese Cabinet is similar to those advisory counsels in strict presidential republics. At the same time, however, the Constitution of the Republic of Nanpan specifies in details 17 categories including budgetary and military matters, which necessitates the resolution of the Cabinet in addition to the President's approval, and in this regard the Nanpanese Cabinet is similar to those cabinets in strict parliamentary cabinet systems.

Judicial branch
The judicial branch includes the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, regional appellate courts, and local district, branch, municipal, and specialized courts. All courts are under the jurisdiction of the national judiciary; independent local courts are not permitted. Judges throughout the system are required to have passed a rigorous training system including a two-year program and two-year apprenticeship. All judicial training is provided through the Judicial Research and Training Institute, and is limited to those who have already passed the National Judicial Examination.

The Supreme Court is the head of the judicial branch of government and the final court of appeal for all cases in Nanpanese law. The Supreme Court, seated in Nan'an, consists of fourteen Justices, including one Chief Justice. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has the power over all court administration, and can recommend court-related legislation to the National Assembly. They serve for six-year terms; the Chief Justice cannot be reappointed, but the other justices can.

Below the Supreme Court come appellate courts, stationed in five of the country's major cities. Appellate courts typically consist of a panel of three judges. Below these are district courts, which exist in most of the cities of Nanpan. Below these are branch and municipal courts, positioned all over the country and limited to small claims and petty offenses. Specialized courts also exist for family, administrative, and patent cases.

The Constitutional Court, independent from the Supreme Court, is charged purely with constitutional review and with deciding cases of impeachment. Other judicial matters are overseen by the Supreme Court. The President of the Constitutional Court is appointed by the national president, subject to the approval of the National Assembly. The members of the court serve for six-year renewable terms.

Elections
Elections in Nanpan are held on national level to select the President and the National Assembly. Nanpan has a multi-party system, with two dominant parties and numerous third parties. To ensure its independent status it is legally separated from all three branches (legislative, executive, judicial) of the government of Nanpan.