Difference between revisions of "Political: Limaria"
(Created page with "Category:DATE Category:Caucasus Category:Limaria Category:Political Limaria is democratizing power, leaning toward the US, and attempting to maintain its p...") |
(Tag: Visual edit) |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
[[Category:Limaria]] | [[Category:Limaria]] | ||
[[Category:Political]] | [[Category:Political]] | ||
| − | + | Limaria is a small state within the Caucasus that is generally autocratic and neutral or aligned broadly with Donovia, depending on the issue. Alignment exists despite differences in religion, and Limaria understands the importance of the security guarantees implicit in its relationship with Donovia. Limaria sees Atropia as its most direct external threat. | |
__TOC__ | __TOC__ | ||
==Centers of Political Power== | ==Centers of Political Power== | ||
| − | + | Although Limaria seems to be a parliamentary democracy with the implied separation of powers, many international observers question the fairness of any Limarian election. While Limaria’s president, Sergei Zarsan, may be the titular head of state and thus in control of foreign affairs, outside agencies such as the UN and the World Bank express concern over political and economic corruption as well as serious doubts as to the rule of law. Limaria lacks many of the human rights found in Western countries. Police brutality commonly occurs, and Limaria does not protect US-style freedoms such as speech, press, or religion. True Limarian political power resides through an autocracy that is closely allied with its primary patron, Donovia. | |
===Military Authority=== | ===Military Authority=== | ||
| − | + | [[File:Gorgas.PNG|thumb|Map of Gorgas|alt=Map of Gorgas]]The president serves as the Limarian military’s commander-in-chief, but the minister of defense (MoD) exercises political control. Limaria also maintains a minister of state for defense who checks the MoD’s power. The chief of the main staff assumes operational control of the Limarian military. Limaria divides its armed forces into Army, Air, and Air Defense Forces; National Guard; and Security Forces (internal and border troops). | |
| − | |||
===Family Authority=== | ===Family Authority=== | ||
| − | In | + | In Limaria, kinship and the extended family provide connection and sometimes survival in a harsh bureaucratic environment. In the Limarian context, kinship shapes individual identities, influences domestic affairs, and affects how people feel about foreign affairs. Family authority, however, can also generate ambivalence in the culture. Some may invoke kinship as a symbol of national survival, or kinship could also serve as an obstacle to personal achievement, economic development, and independent statehood. As a result, family authority can simultaneously support and oppose the country’s government. |
| − | |||
| − | identities, influences domestic affairs, and affects how people feel about foreign affairs. Family authority, however, can also generate ambivalence in the culture. Some may invoke kinship as a symbol of national survival, or kinship could also serve as an obstacle to personal achievement, economic development, and independent statehood. As a result, family authority can simultaneously support and oppose the country’s government. | ||
===Religious/Clerical Authority=== | ===Religious/Clerical Authority=== | ||
| − | The | + | The Limarian Christian Church functions as Limaria’s official church. The Western paradigm of church separated from political power, however, does not apply here. The Limarian folk hero, Aregat Razdanian, formulated the Limarian nationalist ideology (roughly translated as "nation-religion"). This holds that the Limarian national identity and state should carry religious significance for all ethnic Limarians. In other words, '''''Limarian Christian Church''''' membership exists inseparably from ''being'' Limarian. |
==Attitudes Toward the US== | ==Attitudes Toward the US== | ||
| − | A | + | A pro-democratic state, Limaria supposedly desires to construct a Western-style parliamentary democracy. Autocratic monopolies usurp the rule of law, however, as a small group of wealthy businessmen and high-ranking government and security officials operate the system in a way that benefits them, not the Limarian people. Local anti-graft campaigners say the autocracy serves as the root cause of government corruption in Limaria. |
===Attitude Toward US Trade=== | ===Attitude Toward US Trade=== | ||
| − | + | Limaria currently welcomes and encourages US trade. A large Limarian diaspora encourages trade and investment and links Limaria with nations that would not have close links politically. Limaria is seeking closer trade ties with the US, especially in the service sector. | |
==Type of Government== | ==Type of Government== | ||
| − | [[File:Flag_Gorgas.png|thumb|Official Flag of Gorgas|alt=Flag of Gorgas]] | + | [[File:Flag_Gorgas.png|thumb|Official Flag of Gorgas|alt=Flag of Gorgas]] As a functional autocracy, Limarians have slowly changed their constitution via a nationwide referendum nearly 30 years ago and updates to the document in 1995, centralizing power in the presidency on both occasions. From this latest referendum, the Limarian president appoints the prime minister based on the distribution of the seats in the National Assembly and after consultations with the parliamentary factions. The president also appoints (or dismisses) the members of the government upon the recommendation of the prime minister. With these increased constitutional powers for the president, Limaria now functions as an autocratic presidential republic. The government consists of the executive branch with a president and prime minister, a legislative branch represented by the National Assembly, and a judicial branch. Limarians operate through a multi-party political system with three major and 10 minor parties represented in the legislative branch. While this preserves a veneer of democracy, the Limarian Socialist Democratic Party, the '''''Free Limaria Coalition''''', and the Legal Reform Party are connected by strong family and business bonds, creating a ruling ''troika,'' with President Sergei Zarsan and his family at its head. |
===Branches of Government=== | ===Branches of Government=== | ||
====Legislative Authority==== | ====Legislative Authority==== | ||
| − | The | + | The National Assembly serves as the Limarian legislative body with a unicameral parliament of 131 members elected for five-year terms. Limarians elect 56 members through single-seat constituencies, and 75 additional representatives receive their seats based on their party’s proportion of popular votes. For a party to receive a proportional representative seat, the party must receive at least 5% of the total number of votes. A coalition of three political parties—the Limarian Socialist Democratic Party, the '''''Free Limaria Coalition''''', and the Legal Reform Party—currently controls the Limarian legislature. The ruling coalition’s main opposition comes from the Limarians for Justice Block, composed of several smaller parties that banded together to oppose the current regime. |
====Executive Authority==== | ====Executive Authority==== | ||
| − | + | Limaria functions as a republic with a presidential system wherein the president serves as the head of state. The Limarian people directly elect the president for five-year terms, with no term limits. The president formulates policy, conducts foreign policy, and ensures that normal executive institutions function. Sergei Zarsan became the Limarian president in 2008. | |
====Judicial Authority==== | ====Judicial Authority==== | ||
| − | + | In the Republic of Limaria, the judicial branch contains three levels—the courts of first instance, review courts, and Court of Appeals. Limarian law also allows for economic, military, and other types of courts. The president serves as a guarantor of independence for all judicial bodies and as the Head of the Council of Justice. In 1996, Limaria established a Constitutional Court of nine members—five appointed by parliament and four by the president. The Constitutional Court judges the constitutionality of the laws, presidential decrees, and governmental resolutions. The Constitutional Court also judges the constitutionality of international agreements and resolves disputes over the results of elections and referenda. | |
==Government Effectiveness and Legitimacy== | ==Government Effectiveness and Legitimacy== | ||
| − | [[File:Political Subdivisions of Gorgas.PNG|thumb|Map of Political Subdivisions of Gorgas]] | + | [[File:Political Subdivisions of Gorgas.PNG|thumb|Map of Political Subdivisions of Gorgas]] Corruption damages the Limarian government’s credibility both externally and internally. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Limaria on the same level as Syria and Nicaragua in terms of a criminally-influenced government, which is in the bottom quarter of all countries. Recently, Limaria took much-publicized steps to tackle its prevalent corruption problem. To improve the probability of loans from international monetary organizations such as the World Bank and the World Trade Organization, Prime Minister '''''Levon Grigor''''' developed an anti- corruption strategy, while the government sought assistance from the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). |
===Domestic Political Issues=== | ===Domestic Political Issues=== | ||
====Elections==== | ====Elections==== | ||
| − | + | Elections in Limaria have been overshadowed by violence; assassinations of key opposition leaders at times convenient to the current government have created a chilling effect on opposition. Elections have been conducted that were considered relatively free, but the lack of an effective opposition makes elections somewhat moot. The ruling party has also been accused of using officials like police to conveniently block the passage of opposition leaders and arrest them on charges that are later dropped. All offices have elections every five years. There are no term limits. | |
====Rule of Law==== | ====Rule of Law==== | ||
| − | + | Rule of law is based on fear within Limaria, with most citizens spending a great deal on bribes and kickbacks to avoid running afoul, even inadvertently, of protected interests. The judiciary is considered honest on minor offenses and lower-grade civil matters, but the perception that corruption exists at the highest levels is still present in Limaria. Attempts at publically fighting corruption by the government are widely viewed as a self-serving farce by the population. | |
====Corruption==== | ====Corruption==== | ||
| − | What Western eyes perceive as corruption is in reality a carefully cultivated survival mechanism born of decades under autocratic rule. In an environment where the government encouraged family members to betray their relatives for small benefits, the people consider relationships as a resource while they avoid interaction with the state at all costs. Corruption | + | What Western eyes perceive as corruption is in reality a carefully cultivated survival mechanism born of decades under autocratic rule. In an environment where the government encouraged family members to betray their relatives for small benefits, the people consider relationships as a resource while they avoid interaction with the state at all costs. Corruption is an endemic fact of life in Limaria, and bribes and kickbacks are accepted in Limaria society when attempting any significant interface with the government. |
==International Relationships== | ==International Relationships== | ||
===Regional Actors=== | ===Regional Actors=== | ||
| − | + | Limaria suffers from massive internal corruption and finds itself between two enemies, Atropia and Kalaria. '''''Limarians hold enormous ingrained ethnic resentment due to the forfeit of territory, which included Mount Ararat, to the Kalarians in 1944. Prior to this, the dormant volcano was part of Limaria, and to this day it dominates the skyline of the Limarian capital of Yerevan and draws the curiosity of explorers and religious scholars. In the summer of 1943 a dispute occurred between the two countries following the massacre of a Kalarian scientific expedition to the mountain. The subsequent actions of the Limarian military prevented Kalarian access to the massacre site and initiated a month- long conflict. The Kalarians defeated the Limarian Army, pushing them back to defend Yerevan. The conflict was resolved by the League of Nations, which decided that the ceding of territory would be suitable reparation to the Kalarians. Limaria was forced to surrender its southern province of Noah, which contained Mount Ararat, as a condition to the withdrawal of the Kalarian troops that threatened Yerevan. Limarian focus on the loss of Ararat strongly colors its interaction with other countries, sometimes becoming the sole decision point for relations.''''' | |
| + | |||
| + | The Limarians continue to actively cultivate a strong relationship with Donovia, and have considerable economic ties to Ariana. Relations are cordial with Gorgas despite a limited trade embargo against Limaria, with both countries turning a blind eye to unofficial cross-border trade. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The major flashpoint of Limarian relations continues to be control of Lower Janga, over which Limaria gained control via military action during the 1991-1994 war. The ethnic Atropian population almost entirely returned to Atropia, leaving Lower Janga relatively peaceful internally, though sniping and other exchange of fire periodically occurs along the Limarian-Atropian line of control. Negotiations on the final status of Lower Janga continue, and the conflict has consistently poisoned relations between Limaria and Atropia. | ||
===International Organizations=== | ===International Organizations=== | ||
Revision as of 18:40, 13 April 2017
Limaria is a small state within the Caucasus that is generally autocratic and neutral or aligned broadly with Donovia, depending on the issue. Alignment exists despite differences in religion, and Limaria understands the importance of the security guarantees implicit in its relationship with Donovia. Limaria sees Atropia as its most direct external threat.
Contents
Centers of Political Power
Although Limaria seems to be a parliamentary democracy with the implied separation of powers, many international observers question the fairness of any Limarian election. While Limaria’s president, Sergei Zarsan, may be the titular head of state and thus in control of foreign affairs, outside agencies such as the UN and the World Bank express concern over political and economic corruption as well as serious doubts as to the rule of law. Limaria lacks many of the human rights found in Western countries. Police brutality commonly occurs, and Limaria does not protect US-style freedoms such as speech, press, or religion. True Limarian political power resides through an autocracy that is closely allied with its primary patron, Donovia.
Military Authority
Family Authority
In Limaria, kinship and the extended family provide connection and sometimes survival in a harsh bureaucratic environment. In the Limarian context, kinship shapes individual identities, influences domestic affairs, and affects how people feel about foreign affairs. Family authority, however, can also generate ambivalence in the culture. Some may invoke kinship as a symbol of national survival, or kinship could also serve as an obstacle to personal achievement, economic development, and independent statehood. As a result, family authority can simultaneously support and oppose the country’s government.
Religious/Clerical Authority
The Limarian Christian Church functions as Limaria’s official church. The Western paradigm of church separated from political power, however, does not apply here. The Limarian folk hero, Aregat Razdanian, formulated the Limarian nationalist ideology (roughly translated as "nation-religion"). This holds that the Limarian national identity and state should carry religious significance for all ethnic Limarians. In other words, Limarian Christian Church membership exists inseparably from being Limarian.
Attitudes Toward the US
A pro-democratic state, Limaria supposedly desires to construct a Western-style parliamentary democracy. Autocratic monopolies usurp the rule of law, however, as a small group of wealthy businessmen and high-ranking government and security officials operate the system in a way that benefits them, not the Limarian people. Local anti-graft campaigners say the autocracy serves as the root cause of government corruption in Limaria.
Attitude Toward US Trade
Limaria currently welcomes and encourages US trade. A large Limarian diaspora encourages trade and investment and links Limaria with nations that would not have close links politically. Limaria is seeking closer trade ties with the US, especially in the service sector.
Type of Government
Branches of Government
Legislative Authority
The National Assembly serves as the Limarian legislative body with a unicameral parliament of 131 members elected for five-year terms. Limarians elect 56 members through single-seat constituencies, and 75 additional representatives receive their seats based on their party’s proportion of popular votes. For a party to receive a proportional representative seat, the party must receive at least 5% of the total number of votes. A coalition of three political parties—the Limarian Socialist Democratic Party, the Free Limaria Coalition, and the Legal Reform Party—currently controls the Limarian legislature. The ruling coalition’s main opposition comes from the Limarians for Justice Block, composed of several smaller parties that banded together to oppose the current regime.
Executive Authority
Limaria functions as a republic with a presidential system wherein the president serves as the head of state. The Limarian people directly elect the president for five-year terms, with no term limits. The president formulates policy, conducts foreign policy, and ensures that normal executive institutions function. Sergei Zarsan became the Limarian president in 2008.
Judicial Authority
In the Republic of Limaria, the judicial branch contains three levels—the courts of first instance, review courts, and Court of Appeals. Limarian law also allows for economic, military, and other types of courts. The president serves as a guarantor of independence for all judicial bodies and as the Head of the Council of Justice. In 1996, Limaria established a Constitutional Court of nine members—five appointed by parliament and four by the president. The Constitutional Court judges the constitutionality of the laws, presidential decrees, and governmental resolutions. The Constitutional Court also judges the constitutionality of international agreements and resolves disputes over the results of elections and referenda.
Government Effectiveness and Legitimacy
Domestic Political Issues
Elections
Elections in Limaria have been overshadowed by violence; assassinations of key opposition leaders at times convenient to the current government have created a chilling effect on opposition. Elections have been conducted that were considered relatively free, but the lack of an effective opposition makes elections somewhat moot. The ruling party has also been accused of using officials like police to conveniently block the passage of opposition leaders and arrest them on charges that are later dropped. All offices have elections every five years. There are no term limits.
Rule of Law
Rule of law is based on fear within Limaria, with most citizens spending a great deal on bribes and kickbacks to avoid running afoul, even inadvertently, of protected interests. The judiciary is considered honest on minor offenses and lower-grade civil matters, but the perception that corruption exists at the highest levels is still present in Limaria. Attempts at publically fighting corruption by the government are widely viewed as a self-serving farce by the population.
Corruption
What Western eyes perceive as corruption is in reality a carefully cultivated survival mechanism born of decades under autocratic rule. In an environment where the government encouraged family members to betray their relatives for small benefits, the people consider relationships as a resource while they avoid interaction with the state at all costs. Corruption is an endemic fact of life in Limaria, and bribes and kickbacks are accepted in Limaria society when attempting any significant interface with the government.
International Relationships
Regional Actors
Limaria suffers from massive internal corruption and finds itself between two enemies, Atropia and Kalaria. Limarians hold enormous ingrained ethnic resentment due to the forfeit of territory, which included Mount Ararat, to the Kalarians in 1944. Prior to this, the dormant volcano was part of Limaria, and to this day it dominates the skyline of the Limarian capital of Yerevan and draws the curiosity of explorers and religious scholars. In the summer of 1943 a dispute occurred between the two countries following the massacre of a Kalarian scientific expedition to the mountain. The subsequent actions of the Limarian military prevented Kalarian access to the massacre site and initiated a month- long conflict. The Kalarians defeated the Limarian Army, pushing them back to defend Yerevan. The conflict was resolved by the League of Nations, which decided that the ceding of territory would be suitable reparation to the Kalarians. Limaria was forced to surrender its southern province of Noah, which contained Mount Ararat, as a condition to the withdrawal of the Kalarian troops that threatened Yerevan. Limarian focus on the loss of Ararat strongly colors its interaction with other countries, sometimes becoming the sole decision point for relations.
The Limarians continue to actively cultivate a strong relationship with Donovia, and have considerable economic ties to Ariana. Relations are cordial with Gorgas despite a limited trade embargo against Limaria, with both countries turning a blind eye to unofficial cross-border trade.
The major flashpoint of Limarian relations continues to be control of Lower Janga, over which Limaria gained control via military action during the 1991-1994 war. The ethnic Atropian population almost entirely returned to Atropia, leaving Lower Janga relatively peaceful internally, though sniping and other exchange of fire periodically occurs along the Limarian-Atropian line of control. Negotiations on the final status of Lower Janga continue, and the conflict has consistently poisoned relations between Limaria and Atropia.
International Organizations
The Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OCSE) operates as the region’s most active international organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press, and fair elections. Gorgas is very accepting of OCSE operations in the country, and is actively pursuing deeper ties with the EU and other multi-lateral diplomatic organizations. Because of these deep EU ties, various EU-sponsored and other European-based economic and social development organizations are present in Gorgas. International organizations, like the UN Development Program, International Finance Program, and World Bank are aggressively aiding the transformation of the Gorgan economy, especially targeting rural poverty and increasing economic competitiveness. Non-government organizations (NGOs) like the Georgia A. Smith Human Development Trust, International Gorgan Development Fund, and Transnational Legal/Political Progress Project are attempting to move Gorgan social and other development measures closer to European norms.
International Economic Associations
Gorgas’ comparative lack of extractive wealth like oil has made it dependent on European and other development aid to grow its economy. A variety of aid projects attempt to develop the Gorgan agriculture and manufacturing centers and grow an enabling service economy.
Military Alliances
Gorgas has attempted to integrate itself with NATO as a defense against Donovia. Active Donovian military support for the separatism movements in South Ostremek and Zabzimek has limited NATO support for membership. However, US and other Western nations continue to support the modernization and overall capability of the Gorgan military.
Influential Political Groups
Official Political Parties
The National Party of Gorgas (NPG), a center-right party and the largest political organization in the country, currently governs Gorgas. Sikhale Askash, the current Gorgan president, founded the NPG in October 2001. A reformist party, the NPG favors closer ties with NATO and the European Union, as well as the restoration of Gorgan control over the separatist self-proclaimed states of Zabzimek and South Ostremek. NPG leaders label themselves as liberal-conservative and in the last few years, the party became an observer member of the center-right European People's Party (EPP). In the past three years, the NPG moved its political ideology from center-left to center-right as it combined political, economic, and cultural liberalism with civic nationalism. The NPG’s main political priorities include improved social services to the poor (its main support base), anti- corruption, and reduced administrative barriers for business.
Other Domestic Influential Groups
As the concept of free political speech takes hold in the country, political activism is more prevalent in Gorgas. As a result of a more open political system, opposition party negotiations with ruling parties demonstrate more transparency for the public. Consequently, Gorgans welcome the involvement of international organizations in their political process. The eight major political parties include the Gorgan Unity Party, Conservative Party, Republican Party, Democrats for Freedom, Way of Gorgas, Right of Gorgas, Christian-Democrats, and Gorgan Workers’ Party.
Summary
Gorgas remains a generally liberalizing state living beside potentially hostile forces in Donovia. Gorgas’ economic links as the outlet for Atropian oil tie the fates of Atropia and Gorgas together as the two small nations attempt to protect their political systems from interference. Gorgas remains the most democratic of the states within the region, and will likely lead the region in terms of fighting corruption, political plurality, and overall freedom. However, its international political situation will ensure it continues to be torn between competing interests.