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THE COLLAPSING CIRCUS TENT: the ungovernable nation of North Dovani
November 8, 5705 5:18 pm
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Members of the Federal Council earlier today.
42 years ago, in 5663, the Keobi and Huhoa united to unseat the Kyo-led dictatorship of the nation. Under the autocratic rule of the 'geniocracy' the Kyo minority of the nation had locked away any form of democracy behind closed doors of a government clique of 'doctors'. Only those selected by a secret committee could reach the upper echelons of the nation. For many Keobi and Huhoa this simply meant they never had any say in the running of their nation. The Novanian dictatorship officially regarded the 'Novanian people' as a singular entity, enforcing the Kyo language and requiring it for state positions. On paper the nation was a meritocracy based on rigorous testing to find competency but as with any ideological system, corruption crept through the cracks. The tests required for head of state and its governing body were secret and set up by those already in it. Keobi and Huhoa candidates were rejected en masse, while Kyo candidates advanced. By the 5650's the tight grip of the 'doctors' started to wane, with protests appearing across the nation. After police put down several protests they calmed down, until the Bloody Wednesday March of 8 October 5659. What was supposed to be a silent protest turned into a massacre of protestors at hands of state-aligned militias, several police units intervened to stop the violence but the dominos had fallen. The government promised reforms and free elections, with a first attempt in 5660 being condemned by an independent international committee for electoral fraud. A second attempt in 5661 ended with terrorist attacks aimed at Kyo, Keobi and Huhoa inhabitants. After this the government post-poned elections again, resulting in the Storming of the Supreme College in January 5663. Shortly after, a committee comprised of Keobi, Huhoa and non-government aligned Kyo organised new elections and drafted a constitution for a new federal republic. The main parties behind the Keobi and Huhoa banded together in this political campaign, gathering over 70% of the seats in the temporary parliament. The constitution remained in draft for the next two years as factions bickered.
By 5667 the political fighting stopped just long enough for an actual federal constitution to be adopted. The three main cultural groups were each given a dominion, with states dividing these dominions again. Within all three dominions referendums were held to decide the outline and all three settled on republics with presidents. The three presidents would form the Governing Council of the Federated States, headed by a fourth independent Chairman - the head of state of the Federated States of North Dovani. Each republic has their own parliament, but also elects separate representatives to the Federal Council which is the overreaching body to which the Governing Council reports. States within the republics function as de facto sovereign states and all also have their own parliaments. All in all, the framework of North Dovani is both impossible to follow and nigh-impossible to make work. Nonetheless, all states accepted it and a nationwide referendum approved the constitution of 5667 with a 71% vote in favour. Over the next year elections were held and for a moment it looked like peace had finally reached the northern plains of the great continent of Dovani. Markets stabilised and looked to be growing, the governments for some time even cooperated and unemployment reached a national low of 10%. Then a scandal hit the national news: the first Chairman of the Governing Council had embezzled four million pounds from a special fund that was to be used for a federal program for drinking water wells in rural villages. The funds had been paid out by an international NGO, or so was initially thought as it was later revealed that the treasurer of this NGO was the nephew of Chairman Osita Lawali Fuwape. Both were arrested and sentenced by the federal courts in 5571. The Governing Council however was split three ways on how to continue, with the Kyo President Chi-Sook suggesting to continue without a Chairman, the Keobi President Adeniran pushing for new elections and the Huhoa President Dozie wanting to nominate an acting candidate until the next elections. The stalemate lasted twenty months.
The word stalemate would come to define the next three decades of North Dovanian politics. Presidents would be elected, Chairmen and Chairwomen would take position, the Federal Council would be gridlocked by indecision. At times a corruption scandal or physical fight would break out, or a candidate would be murdered or imprisoned. No real progress was made, the economy stagnated. Nonetheless, while politics was a circus the people seemed to do alright. During these decades the average North Dovani citizen moved further away from poverty, with the poverty line decreasing from 82% to 60%. This however did not stop the calls for action in politics, with many realising things had to be done to preserve the Federated States. In 5701 the current Chairman Yahaya Ogbonnaya was elected on a platform of reform. His aggressive approach to politics has led to several altercations in the Federal Council, most famously he punched Representative Idris Maduagwu in 5703 after the latter accused Ogbonnaya of being attracted to children when the Chairman forcibly passed a new budget for federal schools and free school lunches. Whenever the Federal Council stalls the Chairman finds an excuse to wake them up. He has racked up record numbers in suspending Representatives and suing the governments of the republics. Some have tried to impeach him and oust him from office, but this requires a national vote and the Chairman's approval rate is still quite favourable. The techniques of intimidation and suspension however seized to work after two years and the new tactic has been to call elections. Today, on the 8th of November 5705, the Federated States of North Dovani have called their eight national election in a year on behalf of the Chairman. The system sloppily built forty years ago is showing its cracks, and even the iron fist of Chairman Ogbannaya cannot seem to keep the circus tent raised upright. The ever-lasting rumours of Ogbonnaya's bad health are also circling the Governing Council, but for now he will keep working tirelessly to keep the nation going.
By 5667 the political fighting stopped just long enough for an actual federal constitution to be adopted. The three main cultural groups were each given a dominion, with states dividing these dominions again. Within all three dominions referendums were held to decide the outline and all three settled on republics with presidents. The three presidents would form the Governing Council of the Federated States, headed by a fourth independent Chairman - the head of state of the Federated States of North Dovani. Each republic has their own parliament, but also elects separate representatives to the Federal Council which is the overreaching body to which the Governing Council reports. States within the republics function as de facto sovereign states and all also have their own parliaments. All in all, the framework of North Dovani is both impossible to follow and nigh-impossible to make work. Nonetheless, all states accepted it and a nationwide referendum approved the constitution of 5667 with a 71% vote in favour. Over the next year elections were held and for a moment it looked like peace had finally reached the northern plains of the great continent of Dovani. Markets stabilised and looked to be growing, the governments for some time even cooperated and unemployment reached a national low of 10%. Then a scandal hit the national news: the first Chairman of the Governing Council had embezzled four million pounds from a special fund that was to be used for a federal program for drinking water wells in rural villages. The funds had been paid out by an international NGO, or so was initially thought as it was later revealed that the treasurer of this NGO was the nephew of Chairman Osita Lawali Fuwape. Both were arrested and sentenced by the federal courts in 5571. The Governing Council however was split three ways on how to continue, with the Kyo President Chi-Sook suggesting to continue without a Chairman, the Keobi President Adeniran pushing for new elections and the Huhoa President Dozie wanting to nominate an acting candidate until the next elections. The stalemate lasted twenty months.
The word stalemate would come to define the next three decades of North Dovanian politics. Presidents would be elected, Chairmen and Chairwomen would take position, the Federal Council would be gridlocked by indecision. At times a corruption scandal or physical fight would break out, or a candidate would be murdered or imprisoned. No real progress was made, the economy stagnated. Nonetheless, while politics was a circus the people seemed to do alright. During these decades the average North Dovani citizen moved further away from poverty, with the poverty line decreasing from 82% to 60%. This however did not stop the calls for action in politics, with many realising things had to be done to preserve the Federated States. In 5701 the current Chairman Yahaya Ogbonnaya was elected on a platform of reform. His aggressive approach to politics has led to several altercations in the Federal Council, most famously he punched Representative Idris Maduagwu in 5703 after the latter accused Ogbonnaya of being attracted to children when the Chairman forcibly passed a new budget for federal schools and free school lunches. Whenever the Federal Council stalls the Chairman finds an excuse to wake them up. He has racked up record numbers in suspending Representatives and suing the governments of the republics. Some have tried to impeach him and oust him from office, but this requires a national vote and the Chairman's approval rate is still quite favourable. The techniques of intimidation and suspension however seized to work after two years and the new tactic has been to call elections. Today, on the 8th of November 5705, the Federated States of North Dovani have called their eight national election in a year on behalf of the Chairman. The system sloppily built forty years ago is showing its cracks, and even the iron fist of Chairman Ogbannaya cannot seem to keep the circus tent raised upright. The ever-lasting rumours of Ogbonnaya's bad health are also circling the Governing Council, but for now he will keep working tirelessly to keep the nation going.
The National News Network (Keobi: Netwọk Akụkọ Mba, Huhoa: Cibiyar Labarai ta Ƙasa) is the largest national news outlet of North Dovani (Keobi: Ugwu Dovun, Huhoa: Arewacin Dovin) and receives federal grants to report the news of the nation to a broad audience.