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	LARIST PARTY

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The Larist Party was based around the religion (or, arguably, the philosophy) of Larism, one of Lendosa's three main faiths. The Larist Party believed that the worldview of Larism is of benefit to everyone, whether they are Larist or not, and so attempted to promote Larist beliefs in the political arena. The Larists never won any seats, and like other religious parties, was banned from contesting elections in 272. The party has now deregistered, but provision has been made for re-registration should a law change occur. The Larists are campaigning to be exempted from the law, saying that their beliefs are a secular philosophy, not a religion, but the state has so far rejected these claims.

Colour and Emblem

The official colour of the Larist Party was a shade of pale green. Its symbol was the same as that of the Larist religion, and the party made frequent use of the inversion of colour (a prominent feature in Larism).

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The party's official name in Lendian was "lo Partido Laristo".

Quote

"The teachings of Larism are conductive to a healthy, peaceful, and balanced life. Instead of putting our faith in politics and ideology, we should look within ourselves, and learn to seek harmony rather than doctrinal strife."

History of the Party

The Larist Party was founded in 268, and was the first explicitly religious party in the country. Its founder was Maria Algarta, a prominent figure in the city of Riva. Algarta was born into the Larist faith, and she had originally intended to become a novice at a Larist religious academy when she left university. She later decided, however, to enter politics instead, believing that "spreading the benefits" of the Larist faith was better than "focusing only on myself". She was eventually elected to a number of public offices in Riva's municipal government, and placed second in the mayoral race. After twenty years in Rivan politics, she decided to take her policies to the nation at large, and founded the Larist Party.

In the 270 elections, the Larist Party narrowly missed out on winning a seat. This was disappointing for Algarta, especially as the Cruisian Party (founded a year after the Larist Party) managed to win three. Algarta decided to return to Rivan politics, leaving her deputy, Ferano Eluriso, to lead the party. In 272, however, major tensions between the increasingly despotic Emperor Carigo and the Papaist Church led to a complete ban on all electoral participation by religious parties. The ban was aimed primarily at Cruisian parties, and the Larists attempted to gain exemption, but the ban was upheld.

Under the ban, the Larist Party faltered, with few people willing to participate in the party if there was no chance of success. Ferano Eluriso, however, remained, saying that the ban would eventually be revoked. When Emperor Carigo was eventually stripped of most of his authority by the Imperial Council, Eluriso was hopeful that there would be change. The Council, however, decided that allowing religious participation in politics would be destabilising, and that it was safest to make no changes. Both the Larist Party and the Cruisian Party remained unable to contest elections, although the occasional harassment carried out by pro-Carigo elements of the government came to an end.

The Larist Party persisted despite the ban, still under the leadership of Ferano Eluriso. On a number of occasions, the party appealed to the government to revoke the law against its electoral participation, but no change occurred. The Larist Party also claimed that Larism should properly be considered a philosophy, not a religion, as it does not believe in any gods or supernatural entities. The government rejected this view, however, saying that Larism's views about the nature of the world were based on faith rather than observation or logic, and that Larism therefore counted as a religion.

Finally, in 303, the Larist Party decided that there was little point in remaining a registered political party if they were not able to participate in elections. The organisation cancelled its official registration, transforming itself into the Larist Political Association. The Association has kept provision for a return to party status if there is a change of law, however.

List of Leaders

• Maria Algarta (268 - 271)
• Ferano Eluriso (271 - 303)