Political: Belesia

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Colonialism has shaped Belesia’s political culture and continues to influence its mindset. Over 300 years under colonial power decisively molded the nation. At first, colonial power rule brought political unity to a fragmented collection of states in the archipelago. Trade introduced food goods such as maize, tomatoes, potatoes, chili peppers, chocolate, and pineapples. Public reforms introduced free public schooling and established a university, hospitals, and churches. As a result of these policies the Belesian population increased exponentially.

Political History

Colonial governorship of Belesia was first given to the explorer Marco Celcano and his crew. The colonizers set up new towns and missionaries converted many of the inhabitants to Christianity. To defend their settlements, the colonizers constructed and manned a network of military fortresses across the archipelago. During its three-century rule, the colonial power also successfully quelled a number of indigenous revolts and external military challenges. Around 1900, Belesia began its second political shaping period, as Islam spread across the islands, and with it, a desire for independence from both colonial and Christian oversight. In 1918, a three-year civil war erupted, and although the colonial power defeated the insurgents it also weakened the colonial government and after WWII, Belesia received full sovereignty. With independence, the capital of Belesia moved from Cebu to Davao.

After independence, the Belesian government operated with a two party system; power being divided between the Islamic Coalition of the People (CP) and the military-backed and western-leaning United Alliance (UA) political parties. Political power, corrution, and influence fluctuated between the two, often violently, until 1986. Under the authoritarian rule of Armando Mendoza, the CP gained preeminence, as Mendoza effectively shut down opposition to his administration and removed term limitations. A popular military coup five years later overthrew Mendoza, paving the way for multiple political parties and restoring term limits. At the time, many negatively associated the CP with the Mendoza regime; however, it has had a resurgence in popularity in recent years and today, the CP is consistently one of the top five most popular political parties in Belesia.

Today, Belesia is an Islamic but western-leaning country that has also warm relations with North Torbia and other authoritarian governments. Its government is stable, but it faces many challenges. Corruption, dissatisfied island constituencies, debt, regional relationships, natural disasters, and other problems are ever-present threats to stability.

Centers of Political Power

Federated States of Belesia

The Federated States of Belesia is a nation of islands. Its geography shapes its politics in a significant way. The national government lives with a bit of suspicion about its more remote and independent island states. In some circumstances, the national military has overreached in some areas, increasing mistrust among the local Belesians. Over the past decade, a delicate balance between national and regional interests has created reasonable stability in Belesia. Since the president and vice president are elected on separate tickets, there is potential for power politics within the executive branch if the president and vice president differ on issues.

The president exercises power as the head of the executive branch. Local politics on disparate islands translate into multiple conflicting interests, which in turn are exploited by elites who enjoy patronage privileges if their candidate wins the presidency. The president has wide discretion in handing out government positions in the cabinet ministries and other areas of the bureaucracy. These positions tend to be given out as a reward for support during a campaign. This patronage capacity gives the executive branch an outsized incentive for support, positioning the president as a center for political power. Remote islands often feel left out of national politics and are potential points of rebellion.

Military Authority

The Belesian president is the commander in chief of the military and exercises control through powers authorized by the country’s constitution. The National Command Authority of Belesia exercises overall control to plan and carry out the national security strategy. The Belesian Chief of National Defense is the senior military position in the chain of command, subordinate to the Belesian president.

Family Authority

Families in Belesia are culturally and economically important. Family bonds are particularly strong in rural areas and on the smaller islands, where the agricultural economy makes immediate and extended family members important to survival and well-being. In the rural areas, extended families live together: elderly members of the family have a place of authority and respect within the home and the community. Elderly members of the family are also a means of transferring values and cultural order to future generations.

The close proximity of rural families to each other has eroded to some degree in urban areas. Urban families do not always have the advantage of physical proximity with extended family members. Fewer and smaller available housing units and families separated from one another reduce the influence of older family members in urban areas.

Families are members of clans and tribes, which adds extended means of support and organizational structure. Tribal membership is shaped through traditions, rites, and social standing within the larger tribal population. The standing of a particular family within a tribe is determined by wealth, size, historical events, and other cultural variables. Many intra-family disputes are handled within these familial structures.

Religious/Clerical Authority

Belesia is fundamentally secular; however, the majority Muslim population insures Islam’s influence is felt in national, regional, and local politics. Regional and local politics tend to be shaped by the religious tensions of a particular area, particularly when religious domination of one religion overshadows minority religions. While national issues are less about religiously divisive matters, local and religious concerns have caused tensions and limited amounts of violence. Because of this dynamic, religious and clerical authority is felt most acutely and effectively at a sub-national level. In some areas, religious leaders regularly complain about national military units singling them out for harassment.

Description of Government

Official Flag of Belesia

Te Federated States of Belesia, more commonly known as Belesia, has a similar government structure as the United States with checks and balances shared between three branches of government. While the United States has a two party system, minority political parties in Belesia play a larger role and regularly shift policies through coalition and patronage partnerships with the two major parties.

Branches of Government

Legislative Authority

Throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries, the Belesian legislature functioned under a colonial power. Tightly controlled by the occupying power it nevertheless conducted the legislative affairs of the country. Under the Belesian Government Act, the legislature's lower house was the elected Belesian Assembly and its upper house was the colonial power-appointed Belesian Commission. The colonial Governor General served as the executive of the Government.

The Burns Law, passed in 1920, abolished the Belesian Commission and reorganized the legislature as a fully elected bicameral legislature composed of a Senate and House of Representatives and known as the Belesia Legislature. In a formal ceremony in 1946, the colonial power granted Belesia sovereignty and renamed the national legislature as the Public Assembly (PA) of Belesia.

Members of both houses of the PA are elected for five years, but offset from presidential elections. The last legislative elections occurred in July two years ago. The PA has 321 representatives in two legislative houses. The Senate is composed of 24 senators who are elected by the whole electorate and do not represent any geographic district. The House of Representatives is composed of 297 geographically elected members. There are two types of representatives—district and sectoral representatives. The district representatives represent a particular geographically defined district. All provinces are composed of at least one legislative district. Several of the cities are large enough to have their own legislative districts, giving leaders within those cities additional influence in the national government.

The sectoral representatives represent the minority sectors of the population. This enables these minority groups to be represented in the PA. The sectoral representatives represent labor unions, rights groups, and other organizations. Sectoral or party-list representatives are indirectly elected via a party-list election wherein the citizens vote for the party and not for the party's nominees. The votes are then arranged in descending order, with the parties that won at least 2% of the national vote given one seat, with additional seats determined by a formula dependent on the number of votes garnered by the party. No party wins more than three seats. If the number of sectoral representatives does not reach 20% of the total number of representatives in the House, parties that have not won seats but garnered enough votes to place them among the top sectoral parties are each given a seat until the quota is met. A voter therefore has two parallel votes in House of Representatives elections—for district representatives and for the under-represented sectoral-party list representatives. Elections are relatively violence free. However, periodic regional, ethnic, and religious tensions flair up in some areas. This is particularly true in places where the distance from the center of national power is greatest and where people feel they are neglected by the national government.

Each bill needs the consent of both houses in order to be submitted to the president for a signature. If the president vetoes the bill, the PA can override the veto with a two-thirds supermajority. If either house voted down a bill or fails to act on it, the bill must be proposed in the next legislative session, with the process starting all over again. Decisions are mostly via simple majority vote, except for voting on constitutional amendments and other matters of greater importance. Each house has its own inherent power, with the Senate given the power to vote on treaties, while the House of Representatives introduces money bills. The constitution provides the PA with impeachment powers, with the House of Representatives having the power to impeach, and the Senate having the power to try the impeached official.

Current Political Parties

Political Party	Senate	House
United Alliance (UA)	10	107
People’s Popular Front (PPF)	7	77
Coalition of the People (CP)	3	27
Socialist Union (SU)	2	49
Democracy Party (DP)	1	27
League for Justice (LJ)	1	10
Total	24	297

Executive Authority

Executive Branch Ministries

The executive branch of the Belesian government consists of a president and a vice president, each elected separately for a maximum of two five-year terms. Three years ago, Belesia held its last presidential election. The president, Aayiz Hermanto, is serving his second term, while the vice president, Nazra Purnama, is serving his first term. The president heads the cabinet, which he chooses with the approval of the Senate. Under constitutionally given authority, the president is head of state, commands the Belesian armed forces, and conducts foreign relations and policy. The president runs the government through a cabinet that he appoints. The president may choose to appoint the vice president to a cabinet position or give other assignments within the government. President Hermanto is a member of the United Alliance party and Vice President Purnama is a member of the People’s Popular Front party. The two parties form a coalition government and, together, hold a majority of the seats in the PA.

Judicial Authority

The court system in Belesia consists of the following:

• Supreme Court
• Court of Appeals
• Regional Trial Courts
• Municipal and Metropolitan Trial Courts

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has been set up along the American model. Justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Approval Committee (JAC). The JAC is a constitutionally created six member body that recommends Supreme Court justice nominees. Justices serve until age 70.

The Supreme Court, at the apex of the judicial system, consists of a chief justice and fourteen associate justices. It has original jurisdiction over cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and over petitions for injunctions and writs of habeas corpus. It has appellate jurisdiction over all cases in which the constitutionality of any treaty, law, presidential decree, proclamation, order, or regulation is questioned. The Supreme Court also may hear appeals in criminal cases involving a sentence of life in prison. 

Members of the Supreme Court and judges of lower courts are appointed by the president from a list of at least three nominees prepared by the JAC for every vacancy. The JAC consists of a representative of the Belesia Bar Association, a law professor, a retired member of the Supreme Court, and a representative of the private sector. Presidential appointments do not require confirmation. Supreme Court justices must be at least forty years of age when appointed and must retire at age seventy. According to the Belesia Constitution, members of the Supreme Court "may be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust." The House has exclusive power to initiate cases of impeachment. The Senate tries such cases, and two-thirds of the Senate must concur to convict. The judiciary is guaranteed fiscal autonomy.

Court of Appeals

The Court of Appeals reviews the decisions and final orders of all the Regional Trial Courts. In addition, the Court of Appeals reviews decisions and resolutions in administrative cases of the Department of Justice and other agencies exercising quasi-judicial functions, including the Office of the President. The decisions and resolutions of the National Commission for Labor Relations are initially reviewed by the Court of Appeals, instead of a direct recourse to the Supreme Court.

Regional Trial Courts (RTC)

Regional Trial Courts have jurisdiction over both criminal and civilian cases. It has exclusive original jurisdiction in cases not within the exclusive jurisdiction of any court, tribunal, or body. The RTC has jurisdiction over all cases where the penalty is higher than 6 years, including government-related cases. The RTC has jurisdiction over cases involving:

• laws on written defamation or libel
• decree on Intellectual Property
• dangerous drugs cases except where the offenders are below 16 years and there are Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts in the province
• areas where there are no family courts, the cases falling under the jurisdiction of family courts are adjudicated by the RTC
• all civil actions in which the subject of the litigation is incapable of pecuniary estimation
• civil actions which involve the title to, or possession of real property
• actions involving the contract of marriage and marital relations
• civil actions and special proceedings falling within the exclusive original jurisdiction of a Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and of the Court of Agrarian Relations as now provided by law.

The RTC exercises appellate jurisdiction over all cases decided by Metropolitan and Municipal Trial Courts.

Metropolitan and Municipal Trial Courts

These courts have jurisdiction limited to a city or municipality, with criminal jurisdiction usually corresponding to that of a police court and civil jurisdiction over small cases.

Sharia Courts

Within the Belesian court system is an accommodation for Islamic law. The parallel system of state Sharia Courts have limited jurisdiction over matters of Islamic law. The Sharia Courts only have jurisdiction over matters involving Muslims and only hear cases when agreed upon by all parties involved in a dispute. This court has limited jurisdiction and can only pass sentences of not more than three years imprisonment and limited fines. In all cases, findings by this court can be appealed to higher appellate courts.

Judicial Commission (JC)

The JC is a judicial advisory board established under the Belesian Constitution. It consists of eleven members who are recommended by the president and approved by the Senate. The functions of the JC include:

• recommend individuals to the president for appointment as judges, with the exception of the Supreme Court
• review and recommend the conditions of service of judges and judicial officers, other than their remuneration and the staff of the Judiciary
• receive complaints against, investigate improprieties, and make punitive recommendations for registrars, magistrates, other judicial officers, and other staff of the Judiciary in the manner prescribed by the Judiciary Reform Act
• prepare and implement programs for the continuing education and training of judges and judicial officers
• advise the national government on improving the efficiency and administration of justice.

Political Parties and Organizations

Official Political Parties

• United Alliance (UA)
• People’s Popular Front (PPF)
• Coalition of the People (CP)
• Socialist Union (SU)
• Democracy Party (DP)
• League for Justice (LJ)

Other Domestic Influential Groups

Belesia has a healthy nongovernmental organization (NGO) and media environment. These groups actively hold government, business, and other leaders accountable. Religious leaders actively influence local and regional policies related to societal issues such as human rights, poverty, and the justice system.

Government Effectiveness and Legitimacy

The Belesian government currently enjoys relative stability. Its legitimacy, however, is stronger in some areas than others. The more remote and distanced islands feel less a part of the nation than other areas, due in part to perceived neglect by the national government. These areas tend to be less supportive of the national government and more inclined to protests and conflict with the national security forces. Mistrust on both sides is a concern.

Domestic Political Issues

Endemic corruption plagues all levels of Belesian politics. Over the past ten years, several high level politicians and business leaders have been arrested, however, it is generally believed that the arrests were less about justice and more about political revenge. Extensive bribery within the public administration and vague and complex laws make foreign companies vulnerable to extortion and manipulation by public officials. Favoritism and undue influence are widespread in the courts, leading to time-consuming and unfair dispute resolution, and some uncertainty in the business environment. 

Remote islands feel neglected and distanced from national attention. This has led to protests and strikes. National security forces have been known to exploit the distance from the capital to take advantage of citizens in these areas. There have also been concerns over some regional governments using these conflicts to their advantage by opening fishing and other talks with local leaders. Terrorist organizations have also exploited weaknesses in the government.

Elections

National and regional elections are usually violence free, with some exceptions in the more contentious areas of Belesia. Electoral winners generally come from the two leading parties, influenced by smaller party interests. This has created a degree of stability and assumed expectations. Elections are not free from disruptions and contentions over election results.  

The Commission on Fair and Transparent Elections (CFTE) is the designated oversight authority for elections in Belesia. The president appoints five CFTE commissioners with the approval of the Senate. The president designates one of the commissioners the chief of commission, who then manages the administrative affairs of the commission. The CFTE is tasked with insuring policies and regulations that govern the administration of national, regional, and local elections are fair and transparent. Decisions of the CFTE can be appealed directly to the Supreme Court.

Rule of Law

Belesia generally respects the rule of law. However, it still suffers from challenges related to corruption, disappearances, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, and an inefficient court system. While the nation’s media technically enjoys freedom of expression, it sometimes self-censors and is prone to corporate and political interests. Additionally, the government or military controls most of the television and radio outlets. Open and competitive sometimes are tainted by intimidation and political violence. Regular complaints are raised in some areas where the actions of the federal military are regarded as overreach. These conflicts, often religious in nature, happen mostly in areas where local citizens feel distanced from the benefits of the national government and where large federal troops are based.

Reasonable accommodations are made for areas where Muslim population densities support the need for Muslim courts, known as Sharia Courts. The use of these courts is contingent, however, on both parties in a dispute agreeing to use the courts. Areas where the parity between different ethnic, tribal, and religious groups exists, there is increased risk of conflict. Where the courts are less efficient, extrajudicial means may be sought to solve contentions.

Corruption

High corruption levels severely restrict the efficiency of businesses operating in Belesia. Extensive bribery within the public administration and vague and complex laws make foreign companies vulnerable to extortion and manipulation by public officials. Favoritism and undue influence are widespread in the courts, leading to time-consuming and unfair dispute resolution and to an uncertain business environment. Corruption plagues the customs administration and fraud routinely occurs in some companies when they file import and export documentation. The Corruption Act criminalizes active and passive bribery, extortion, abuse of office and conflicts of interest. Giving gifts, except for gifts of insignificant value given in line with local customs, is prohibited. Facilitation payments are not addressed by anti-corruption regulations and private sector bribery is not criminalized. The legislative framework for fighting corruption is scattered and is not effectively enforced by the weak and uncooperative law enforcement agencies.

Human Rights and Freedoms

Periods of Belesian history have been marked with extreme cases of social oppression. This has been the case under colonial rule, military rule, and popularly elected rule. Religious disagreements and socioeconomic disparities have fomented anything from political protests to outright insurgencies, especially in remote areas. These political uprisings are frequently met with extreme measures from the government, which in turn have resulted in that regime's removal. Belesia has made progress on creating a more stable and free environment over the past thirty years. However, provincial power struggles, tribal conflicts, religious disagreements, and questionable police brutality still cast a shadow on the nation.

International Relationships

International Political Objectives

Beslsia's main international objective is expanding its consumer trade while maintaining a neutral stance regarding the global superpowers. As an island nation, it respects US maritime power, but must also respect the regional economic power of Olvana. Religious ties also keeps Belesia cordial with much of the Middle East.

Regional Political IssuesActors

Belesia has good relations with other countries in the region along a spectrum from warm to very good. Its foreign policy generally favors a West-leaning agenda; however, it has a cordial relations and interactions with North Torbia and other authoritarian countries. Belesia’s island geography makes it suspicious of regional government interactions with islands it suspects of potential rebellion against the Belesian government.

Relationship with the US

Belesia has a positive relationship with the United States. US assistance to Belesia focuses on education, exchanges, cultural heritage preservation, counterterrorism, non-proliferation, and security cooperation. The U.S. Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program in Belesia is among the largest in the world, helping improve the English language skills of thousands of Belesian secondary school students. Exchange programs promote engagement with secondary school and undergraduate students, Fulbright Scholars, agricultural fellows, and participants in sports and cultural programs. Six years ago, the United States announced additional exchange programs, grant opportunities, and fellowships for youth ages 18 – 35 under the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative. There are over 6,000 alumni of Department of State-sponsored exchange programs in Belesia. Since 2001, the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation has supported 10 projects to support the preservation of cultural heritage in Belesia.

The United States supports Belesia’s counterterrorism efforts through information sharing, capacity building programs for law enforcement and judicial authorities, and assistance to improve immigration security and border controls. The United States also works with the Belesian government and civil society actors on programs to counter violent extremism. Non-proliferation assistance aims at enhancing Belesia’s ability to enforce its laws on shipments and trans-shipments of controlled munitions, dual-use commodities, and weapons of mass destruction and related commodities. Security cooperation and training builds capabilities among Belesia’s armed forces, allowing it to take on an expanded international role, including peacekeeping operations.

The United States and Belesia have bilateral trade and investment agreeements and frequently coordinate approaches to international trade relations. Belesia and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, ASEAN Regional Forum, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Belesia and the United States participate in the East Asia Summit. Most of the disputes between the two countries are managed through diplomatic channels and international organizations.

Alliances and International Organziations

• Asian Development Bank (ADB)
• Asia-Pacific Asian Economic Cooperation (APEC)
• Association of Southeastern Asian Nations (ASEAN)
• Bank for International Settlement (BIS)
• Community of Democracies (CD)
• Certified Internal Controls Auditor (CICA)
• East Asian Seas (EAS)
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
• International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
• International Criminal Court (ICCt)
• International Development (IDA)
• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
• International Finance Corporation (IFC)
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS)
• International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
•  International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)
• International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO)
• Interpol
• International Olympic Committee (IOC)
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO)
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
• International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
• Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
• United Nations Stabilization Mission In Haiti (MINUSTAH)
• Non-aligned Movement (NAM)
• Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
• Permanent Court of Appeal (PCA)
• Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

International Economic Associations

• Asian Development Bank (ADB)
• Asia-Pacific Asian Economic Cooperation (APEC)
• Bank for International Settlement (BIS)
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
• International Development (IDA)
• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
• International Finance Corporation (IFC)
• International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Military Alliances

Belesia has leveraged participation in regional and international deployments to enhance the overall professionalism and effectiveness of its forces. While most of these multinational efforts over the last ten years have involved disaster relief, Belesian forces have participated in peacekeeping missions. Despite the overall improvement of the Belesian forces, the emphasis has been largely on conducting internal security and counter-insurgency operations. Interactions with more developed foreign militaries have increased Belesian desire to invest in technology, rather than more mundane acquisitions.

Advisors from a number of countries continue to support Belesian military development. US International Military Education and Training funding and advisors have been a major contributor essential to Belesia’s well-regarded officer and non-commissioned officer training programs, with more than 40 percent of Belesian army officers and more than 70 percent of its air force officers receiving military training in the US or by US teams in Belesia each year.

Summary

The Federated States of Belesia is a relatively new democracy in the region. The turbulence of its independence from colonial rule continues to create stability challenges throughout its many member-islands. Political turmoil, popular unrest, and widespread terrorism combine to create a volatile environment for this young federation. One of the few stabilizing factors is the development of economic opportunities and trade. Despite progress in this area, Belesia is hampered by infrastructure and business processes that have yet to develop to meet its needs.