Davostag

[Augustus]

 

Rikspresident Gustav Dahler has Passed Away

16 August 5634 | Kivonia, Davostag

 

Rikspresident Gustav Dahler, portrait by Frida af Nordling.

 
Struck with illness a month ago and getting severely worse the following weeks, we can now confirm that the Rikspresident of the Davostag Republic, Gustav Dahler, has passed away at the age of 62. The State Council, which now manages the affairs of the office of the rikspresident, have decided to not reveal the what kind of disease he was struck by as agreed with Dahler's family and the Security Council of Davostag. The state funeral of the rikspresident is to be held on the 26 August, but will not be an international spectacle by the agreement of the State Council, the Security Council and the Riksdag, due to the recent controversial events. Instead Kivonia will be completely curfewed on the 26th, with a solitary march of his coffin by the National Guard, followed by the Dahler family, and high ranking military officers, state figures and politicians. They will then be attending within the Temple of Glory to hold a eulogical ceremony. His coffin will at the end of the day be transferred to Renartsborg, Dahler's home city, where the State Council has ordered the construction of a smaller memorial mausoleum where his remains will be placed.

Gustav Robert Olof Dahler was born on 16 February 5572 in Renartsborg to Olof Dahler and Klara Hermannsdotter. As many of the more famous figures in Davostager history, he joined the Military Training Front for Future Cadets at the age of 12 and would go on to attend the Civil Cadet School from the age of 14, attending Military High School at the age of 16 and graduating at the age of 19. From there he began his formal adult military service, completing it in 5594 at the age of 22 as a specialized pre-officer with the rank of lieutenant. With his military youth background, he prepared entry into the Kivonia Military Science Institute immediately upon the completion of his service. There he would study military strategy, philosophy and history, and graduated in 5597 as a fully commissioned officer at the age of 25. A year later he completed a statecraft master at the Vermillion University. Due to his active status within the army, special privileges and elitist favoritism he would climb to the rank of major in only a couple of years. He continued his work in the army after his studies and usually managed relations with government departments, especially the Ministry of Defence. During his time there he was noticed by the incumbent rikspresident Markus Sverkersson, who saw the potential in Dahler for a future career and perhaps successor. At the height of corruption in Kivonia during this time, Dahler was given command of the 4. Pansardivision "Delvental" and later, as the incumbent premier Stefan Bjure were sacked, Sverkersson appointed Dahler as new premier. Proving himself very diligently as premier and simultaneously as commander of the pansardivision, he would be delegated command of 2. Armékåren, as Sverkersson saw these units more as prestigious gifts rather than anything else. Dahler would eventually be promoted to lieutenant general. Sverkersson had decided for Dahler as his successor and made arrangements for him to take over, beginning with Dahler's resignation as premier and appointment as chairman of the Central Military Commission 5615. Sverkersson would resign in 5617 and the Davostag Senate would elect Dahler as Davostag's 17th rikspresident.
 
His tenure as rikspresident was relatively calm for the first and most of his second term, but later caused some tensions regionally providing aid to the then-sanctioned Kundrati Legion. Compared to many of his predecessors, Dahler would show to be a very relaxed head of state, only making decisions when absolutely necessary and delegating authority and responsibility to others in the government, especially his premiers, whom he had three of: Per Folkesson, Axel Rodin and Karl Manner. There were also two major protests which occured during his time, one in April 5632, mostly directed against premier Rodin, and one between 5633 and 5634 against himself, which ended in a bloody mess.
 
Now, as people mourn, another question arises. Who will be Dahler's successor? As reported earlier, his illness prevented him from naming a preferred candidate, resulting in the Davostag Senate having convened six days ago. They chose former chairman of the Central Military Commission, Arnold Grenman, to serve as president of this Senate. And today is the day they have announced the candidates for the office of rikspresident. Namely, Brigadgeneral Stefan Forsbierg and incumbent premier Karl Manner. The latter of the two is a very unusual decision, being the first premier to have been nominated, as the common rule is that no incumbent minister or government official be elected into the office of rikspresident. At the current time it is unclear who actually might have the necessary votes to be elected in four days.
 
News report written by Peter Åkerman.