Central Tōkai Union

The **Central Tōkai Union** (CTU), originally called the **Tōkai Faction**, is a political, military, and, to a lesser extent, economic union of 3 member states (Shingō, Tsukimoto, and Yokoze), all of which are located within the general region of the Tōkai Continent and its surrounding areas. While the union still exists, it has largely been superseded by the United Commonwealth, which is characterized by even stronger levels of interstate cooperation and integration.

The CTU Charter states that all members of the union must come to the defense of any member state that has been attacked. All members have additionally vowed to maintain democracy and the values of liberty.

A currency union was established in 371 G.E. amongst the member states of the union which all currently use the Shingōan Yen (¥) as their primary currency. The Central Tōkai Union is currently headquartered in the Yokozean capital of Atsuki, but other administrative bodies of the CTU are located in several other cities across the Union's member states.

CTU Charter

In 360 G.E., the CTU further strengthened its political ties through the creation of an international parliamentary system, in which elected representatives of each of the Union's member states proposed and voted on treaties and policies to be adopted throughout the entirety of the Union. The CTU Parliament, however, was abolished on 29 January 392 G.E. in the aftermath of the 391 Tōkai Recession.

## History

The modern military and semi-political alliance between Shingō, Tsukimoto, and Yokoze was first established in 351 G.E. following the Treaty of Atsuki, which ended the Great Reclamation War, and was further strengthened in 358 G.E. with the official formation of the Central Tōkai Union. However, these ideas of political, economic, and military cooperation among states were established many periods prior with the creation of the First Tōkai Faction. While the primary aim of this alliance was to facilitate military cooperation and protection amongst its member states (Shingō, Tsukimoto, and Nangoku), the alliance also facilitated international trade and the creation of economic blocs. Following the collapse of the Kingdom of Nangoku and the rise of nationalist governments in Ankika and Kreiland, the faction became known primarily for coordinating military efforts against expansionist powers in both the Great Tōkai War, the Second Tōkai War, and the Great Reclamation War. In the Great Tōkai War, the now Second Tōkai Faction, consisting only of Shingō and Tsukimoto, faced off against the *Stahlpakt* (Pact of Steel), a military alliance that consisted of The Kreiland State and the Queendom of Ankika. The Tōkai Faction would engage in many subsequent conflicts with countries across the world throughout the following years, strengthening ties between its member states in the process.

The modern CTU has been involved in several wars and conflicts, including the Tsukimoto-Windsor Border War.

## Political Groups

(Regional Cooperation Group) (13)

(Tōkai Assembly) (11)

(Deregulation Association) (3)

(No Affiliation) (3)

### Abolition

The International Parliament of the Central Tōkai Union was abolished on 29 January 392 after several meetings between the governments of Shingō, Tsukimoto, and Yokoze. The recently-elected Reform Party in Shingō and the New Party in Yokoze had adopted critical views of the CTU currency union and the CTU parliament during the 391 Tōkai Recession, and they had been elected on explicit platforms of reforming and renegotiating the structure of the Union. Efforts to abolish the Parliament were led by Hiro Tachibana, the new prime minister of Yokoze, who was heavily aided by the Shingōan government, led by Shōgo Kobayashi. While both Tachibana and Kobayashi both wished for the parliament to be removed, Tsukimotoan President Jeon Do-hyun was reluctant to do so, publicly stating that he "hoped an agreement could be made in which the parliament would be preserved." On January 22nd, a consensus was reached among the three leaders and the parliament was officially abolished 7 days later.

### Functions of the Parliament

The CTU Parliament was tasked with drafting policies and treaties that applied to some or all of the Union's member states. These policies primarily pertained to military actions, economic sanctions, trade agreements, and worker protections. The governments of each member state, however, had the right to reject policies made by the CTU or request that they be altered before receiving approval. The CTU Parliament was purely an advisory assembly of elected individuals intended to represent the populations of the Union's member countries and was not a true legislative body.

Approximately half of the CTU Parliament's members were appointed by the Cabinet of each member state respectively and the other half were elected by the citizens of each member state. Shingō was allocated 12 seats; Tsukimoto was allocated 10 seats; and Yokoze was allocated 8 seats. Elected members served 5 year terms with no term limits. In total, the Parliament contained 30 members. The leader of the Parliament was the President, who was tasked with chairing meetings in the Parliament and representing its members. The President, however, was not the chief executive of the CTU and his powers were largely ceremonial.

CTU Parliament Seat Distribution
 Publicly Elected
 Total