2004 Notoshan general election

A **general election** was held in Notosha on 9 October 2004 to elect all members of the State Assembly. The date was selected by the State Assembly on 10 July 2004, after passing a bill to declare 9 October an election day. The election was mandated to fall between 5 September 2004 and 5 January 2005.

In the lead-up to the election, the New Notosha Party (PRRN) led heavily in polls, largely due to the popularity of Zgur Xhanari and his incumbent government. Additionally, the two other major parties in Notoshan politics, the Democratic People's Party (PPD) and Lorbian People's Party (PPL) were both expected to lose seats, the former due to Ngazëllor Qosja's controversial public image, and the latter due to growing amounts of Notosha Lorbians leaving Notosha for Lorbia proper.

The election was ultimately won by the PRRN, with the party increasing their seat count by 7 seats. Xhanari was later sworn in for a second term as prime minister of Notosha, and his second cabinet was inaugurated as a single-party majority government. The PPD and PPL were both losers in the election, losing 5 and 2 seats, respectively.

## Date

The date of the election was selected on 10 July 2004, after the State Assembly passed a bill to declare 9 October an election day. General elections must be held every four years in Notosha, with flexibility to land up to two months before exactly four years after the preceding election, or two months after exactly four years after the preceding election.

Snap elections were allowed in the event of a vote of no confidence against the incumbent government, or at the request of the SC-appointed administrators, which would push the regularly scheduled general election back another four years.

## Electoral system

The electoral system at the time of the election used proportional representation and closed party list voting. Political parties created a list of candidates in each electoral constituency, or the constituencies in which they chose to stand, and voters cast a ballot for the list of their choice. Seats were then distributed proportionally using the d'Hondt method with a 3% electoral threshold.

Due to the closed-list system, voters could not alter the order of names that appeared on the list, meaning candidates placed in a higher position had a greater likelihood of being elected, and candidates at the bottom of the list were likely to not receive a seat. Additionally, each party must nominate a prime ministerial candidate, who would serve as prime minister should the party lead the government. Each party ultimately chose their party leader as its prime ministerial candidate, and this candidate was barred from appearing on a party list in any constituency, in order to develop a clear distinction between the legislative and executive branches of government.

### Constituencies

The 105 members of the State Assembly were elected in six multi-member electoral constituencies, directly corresponding with the districts of Notosha. Each district was assigned a number of seats in proportion to its share of the Notoshan population in the August 2000 census.

The six constituencies are Astina District, Bulvajë District, Çelisekë District, Durnaj District, Makës District, and Mamurshtë District.

### Eligibility

At the time of the election, legal permanent residents within the territory of Notosha who were aged 21 or older at the time of the election were eligible to stand for election. No citizenship requirements were implemented due to the demographics of Notosha at the time, with Notoshan citizenship not yet existing, and most residents holding citizenship to Lorbia, Asbania, or another nearby nation. Candidates were not required to reside in the constituency they were running for election in, but did have to reside within the territory of Notosha. Additionally, individuals with a criminal record, or those who have held political office in Lorbia or Asbania, were banned from standing for election.

All Notoshan permanent residents who were aged 18 or older on the day of the election were eligible to vote in the election, regardless of citizenship status. In the aftermath of the Notosha War (1997–2000), refugees who had left Notosha and not yet returned were also eligible to vote by-mail, as long as they could provide a valid address of their last Notoshan residence, dated to no earlier than 1997.

## Contesting parties

The following parties held seats in the State Assembly at the time of the election, and were considered the three major parties during the election:

Much like in the 2000 election, the three parties lacked detailed political proposals, and instead were mainly differentiated in their visions for the future of Notosha. The New Notosha Party campaigned on behalf of Notoshan sovereignty and Notoshan independence from Lorbia, the Democratic People's Party campaigned on behalf of the unification of Notosha and Asbania, while the Lorbian People's Party campaigned on behalf of the dissolution of SC-administered Notosha and the full reabsorption of Notosha into Lorbia.

However, as the New Notosha Party led its government for the preceding four years, the party began to shift to the center-right on political issues, while the Democratic People's Party began to move to the right-wing. The Lorbian People's Party remained a catch-all party for all Notosha Lorbians. The New Notosha Party were seen as the frontrunners in the election, as the incumbent Xhanari cabinet had experienced widespread popularity throughout their time in office.

## Aftermath

After the certification of election results, it emerged that the New Notosha Party (PRRN) had won in a landslide, increasing their seat count by 7 seats, and Zgur Xhanari declared victory. As the New Notosha Party won a majority in the State Assembly, Xhanari was expected to become remain in office as prime minister of Notosha, and the PRRN would form a single-party majority government. The members of the State Assembly were later sworn in on 19 October 2004, and Xhanari was later nominated by parliament to serve as prime minister on 21 October. He was sworn in by Anne Frederiksen, the administrator of Notosha, later that day. After being sworn in, Xhanari nominated his second cabinet.