Political: Belesia
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The colonial power gave the governorship of Belesia to the explorer Marco Celcano and his crew. The colonizers setup new towns and Christian 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.
In a treaty signed 120 years ago, Belesia began its second colonial period, having its oversight ceded to another western colonial power. Soon after the transfer of authority, a three year civil war erupted. The colonial power defeated the insurgents and set up a colonial government that lasted until 72 years ago when Belesia received full sovereignty.
After World War II, the Belesian government operated with a two party system; power being divided between the Coalition of the People (CP) and the United Alliance (UA) political parties. Consolidation of power under the authoritarian rule of Armando Mendoza 32 years ago gave preeminence to the CP as he effectively shut down opposition to his administration and removed term limitations. A popular revolution 28 years ago 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. Today, the CP is consistently one of the top five most popular political parties in Belesia.
Today, Belesia is a western-leaning country that has 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.
Contents
Centers of Political Power
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 decades, 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 is 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 (NCA) 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 reduces 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 minority leaders regularly complain about national military units singling them out for harassment.
Attitudes Toward the US
Belesia has had a long and 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 Young Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). There are over 6,000 alumni of Department of State-sponsored exchange programs in Belesia. Since 2001, the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) 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.
Attitude Toward US Trade
The United States and Belesia meet frequently to discuss bilateral trade and investment issues and to 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.
Type of Government
The 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
Between 98 and 118 years ago, the Belesian legislature functioned under a colonial power. Tightly controlled by the occupying power it, nevertheless, conducted the legislative affairs of the country. Between 102 and 111 years ago, 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 Interim Government.
The Burns Law, passed 98 years ago, 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 72 years ago, 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 national elections. The last legislative elections occurred in July two years ago. After World War II, the Belesian government operated with a two party system; power being divided between the Coalition of the People (CP) and the United Alliance (UA) political parties. Consolidation of power under the authoritarian rule of Armando Mendoza in 1986 gave preeminence to the CP as he effectively shut down opposition to his administration and removed term limitations. A popular revolution 28 years ago 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. Today, the CP is consistently one of the top five most popular political parties in Belesia.
The PA has a total of 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 currently composed of 297 geographically elected members. There are two types of representatives—district and the 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 haven't 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 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.
Executive Authority
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 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 (UA) party and Vice President Purnama is a member of the People’s Popular Front (PPF) party. The two parties form a coalition government and, together, hold a majority of the seats in the PA.
Judicial Authority
To be published
Government Effectiveness and Legitimacy
To be published
Domestic Political Issues
Elections
To be published
Rule of Law
To be published
Corruption
To be published
International Relationships
Regional Actors
To be published
International Organizations
To be published
International Economic Associations
To be published
Military Alliances
To be published
Influential Political Groups
Official Political Parties
To be published
Other Domestic Influential Groups
To be published
Summary
To be published
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