Difference between revisions of "Political: Limaria"
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''This page is a section of [[Limaria]].'' | ''This page is a section of [[Limaria]].'' | ||
| − | 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. | + | The Democratic Republic of 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== | ||
| − | [[File: | + | [[File:Limariaa.png|alt=Map of Limaria|thumb|Limaria]] |
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. | 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=== | ||
| − | + | All countries share a similar National Command Authority (NCA) construct including Gorgas, who refers to it as a National Council (NC). Limaria’s NCA exercises overall control of the application of all instruments of national power to plan and carry out the country’s national security strategy. The NCA includes the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Public Information, Finance and Economic Affairs, Interior, and Defense, along with other members selected by Limaria’s president, who chairs the NCA. | |
| + | |||
| + | The president appoints the Minister of National Security, who exercises responsibility for the NCA’s Strategic Integration Department (SID). The SID serves as the overarching agency responsible to integrate all the instruments of national power under one cohesive national security strategy. The SID coordinates the plans and actions of all Limaria’s ministries, but particularly those associated with the instruments of national power. | ||
| + | |||
===Family 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. | 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=== | ===Religious/Clerical Authority=== | ||
| − | The Limarian | + | The Limarian Apostolic 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== | ||
| Line 28: | Line 31: | ||
==Type of Government== | ==Type of Government== | ||
| − | As a functional autocracy, Limarians have slowly changed their constitution via a nationwide referendum | + | [[File:Flagg.png|thumb|Flag of Limaria]] |
| + | As a functional autocracy, Limarians have slowly changed their constitution via a nationwide referendum in 1983 and revisions to the document 16 years ago, 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 multiparty 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. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Limaria consists of 12 provinces that are broken down further into districts. | ||
===Branches of Government=== | ===Branches of Government=== | ||
====Legislative Authority==== | ====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. | + | 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. Limaria held its last legislative elections four years ago, with the next elections scheduled for next year. |
====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. | + | 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 three years ago. Zarsan is expected to stand for election again in two years. |
====Judicial Authority==== | ====Judicial Authority==== | ||
| − | In | + | In 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. Fifteen years ago, 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== | ||
| − | Corruption damages the Limarian government’s credibility both externally and internally. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Limaria | + | Corruption damages the Limarian government’s credibility both externally and internally. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Limaria in the bottom quarter of all countries in terms of criminally influenced governments. 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==== | ||
| − | [[File: | + | [[File:Provinces.png|alt=Political subdivisions of Limaria|thumb|Political subdivisions of Limaria]] |
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. | 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. | ||
| Line 52: | Line 58: | ||
====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 is an endemic fact of life in Limaria, and bribes and kickbacks are accepted in | + | 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 Limarian society when attempting any significant interaction with the government. Limarian crime syndicates permeate the current government, allowing them easy access to and cover from government officials. |
==International Relationships== | ==International Relationships== | ||
| Line 58: | Line 64: | ||
===Regional Actors=== | ===Regional Actors=== | ||
[[File:View of Mt Ararat from Yerevan.png|alt=View of Mt Ararat from Yerevan|thumb|500x500px|View of Mt Ararat from Yerevan]] | [[File:View of Mt Ararat from Yerevan.png|alt=View of Mt Ararat from Yerevan|thumb|500x500px|View of Mt Ararat from Yerevan]] | ||
| − | Limaria suffers from massive internal corruption and finds itself | + | Limaria suffers from massive internal corruption and finds itself geographically isolated from its primary ally. Limarians are culturally, ethnically, and religiously homogenous, and are determined to remain so. Protection of their country and people from dilution in these areas is a very strong driver of national policy, 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 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 major flashpoint of Limarian relations continues to be control of Lower Janga, over which Limaria gained control via military action during a three-year war that started 20 years ago. The ethnic Atropian population almost entirely returned to Atropia, leaving Lower Janga relatively peaceful internally, though sniping and other exchanges of fire periodically occur 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 14:28, 20 March 2018
This page is a section of Limaria.
The Democratic Republic of 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
All countries share a similar National Command Authority (NCA) construct including Gorgas, who refers to it as a National Council (NC). Limaria’s NCA exercises overall control of the application of all instruments of national power to plan and carry out the country’s national security strategy. The NCA includes the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Public Information, Finance and Economic Affairs, Interior, and Defense, along with other members selected by Limaria’s president, who chairs the NCA.
The president appoints the Minister of National Security, who exercises responsibility for the NCA’s Strategic Integration Department (SID). The SID serves as the overarching agency responsible to integrate all the instruments of national power under one cohesive national security strategy. The SID coordinates the plans and actions of all Limaria’s ministries, but particularly those associated with the instruments of national power.
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 Apostolic 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
As a functional autocracy, Limarians have slowly changed their constitution via a nationwide referendum in 1983 and revisions to the document 16 years ago, 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 multiparty 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.
Limaria consists of 12 provinces that are broken down further into districts.
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. Limaria held its last legislative elections four years ago, with the next elections scheduled for next year.
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 three years ago. Zarsan is expected to stand for election again in two years.
Judicial Authority
In 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. Fifteen years ago, 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
Corruption damages the Limarian government’s credibility both externally and internally. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Limaria in the bottom quarter of all countries in terms of criminally influenced governments. 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
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 Limarian society when attempting any significant interaction with the government. Limarian crime syndicates permeate the current government, allowing them easy access to and cover from government officials.
International Relationships
Regional Actors
Limaria suffers from massive internal corruption and finds itself geographically isolated from its primary ally. Limarians are culturally, ethnically, and religiously homogenous, and are determined to remain so. Protection of their country and people from dilution in these areas is a very strong driver of national policy, 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 a three-year war that started 20 years ago. The ethnic Atropian population almost entirely returned to Atropia, leaving Lower Janga relatively peaceful internally, though sniping and other exchanges of fire periodically occur 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
Limaria has membership in a significant number of international organizations, such as the UN, and will generally support Donovian interests in these venues. Limaria will often attempt to demonstrate an independent or neutral stance to avoid the perception of being a Donovian puppet. Limaria also hopes to stymie any attempt by either Atropia or Kalaria to increase its stature.
Open source reporting has indicated that Limaria possesses two to five functioning nuclear weapons. The Limarian government strenuously denies the claim. Limaria has denied inspection access by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or other watchdog organizations, based on the absence of a Limarian nuclear energy or weapons program.
International Organizations (IOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are active in Limaria, focused primarily on rural social and economic development. The major NGOs are the Limarian Import/Export Development Account, the United Limarian Development Alliance and the Georgia A. Smith Human Development Trust. The first two receive significant funding from expatriate Limarians. International Organizations like the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and United Nations Development Program are focused on a variety of reform projects to increase the competitiveness of the Limarian economy.
International Economic Associations
Limaria—lacking oil, gas, or other major extractive wealth—has applied for international development aid to cultivate its economy, specifically the service sector. Limaria has especially tried to develop links with European and North American banks and government development agencies. This is specifically due to the political sway of ethnic Limarian populations in these areas.
Military Alliances
Since 5,000-10,000 Donovian troops operate in Limaria at any given time. NATO’s Partnership for Peace and the EU’s European Neighborhood cannot compete with Limaria’s close military relationship with Donovia. Additionally, Donovian soldiers currently patrol both the Limaria/Ariana and the Limaria/Kalaria borders.
Influential Political Groups
Official Political Parties
The country’s first political party, the Limarian Socialist Democratic Party, controls most Limarian government bodies. A national conservative party and the largest in Limaria, this party claims over 140,000 members. The Limarian Socialist Democratic Party bases its national conservative ideology on an early 20th Century Limarian nationalist ideology (or “nation-religion”). The ideology holds that the Limarian national identity and state should carry religious significance for all ethnic Limarians. Allied with the party are the Free Limaria Coalition and the Legal Reform Party, both of whom are in government but subordinate to the Limarian Socialist Democratic Party. The opposition is built around the Limarians for Justice Block, which is a largely ineffectual collection of smaller parties.
Other Domestic Influential Groups
Limarian crime syndicates permeate the current government to such a level that the criminals provide an easy enemy for new political movements to unify against. Whether or not the myriad of small opposition parties actually offer any improvement for the average Limarian is yet to be seen. The anti-criminal parties’ platforms, however, provide an additional anti-corruption platform plank in their fight for political power.
Summary
It is likely that the autocracy in Limaria will remain stable for some time and that the country will continue to rely on its relationship with Donovia while attempting to cultivate less important links with others, especially the US and Europe. The isolation of Atropia will be Limaria’s biggest long- term goal. Corruption and crime will be the largest domestic political threat, but will likely not lead to a Limarian loss of control over its population.