Cobura

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FOMAT results revealed
December 4898

The full results of the Festival of Musical Arts in Terra have been released for the thirteenth edition of the competition. Held in Sharba, Cobura, sixteen acts competed for the trophy and the honour of hosting the next iteration of the contest. Songs were judged by a combination of a professional jury, the audience in Cobura, and an international televote. The judges were Akwana Neguse (the winner of the last edition), Tessema Beyne from Radio Sharba and Kelile Godefai Meherka, a chief executive at OMAX records centred in northern Cobura. Below are the results of the competition in ascending order of their finishing position.

In the end, Kalistan was the victory with a massive 102 points, beating Deltaria into the runner-up position with 99 points. Kalistan was the clear victor with the international televote and performed well with the jury and audience. The jury and audience helped propel Gaduridos and Lourenne into high-position finishes, while other countries like Lodamun recieved a balanced set of points from each part of the voting base. Kalistan's victory is their fourth, and entitles them to host the next edition of the song contest in their own territory.


16th: Ntoto - Momodou Janneh - "Borudou City"

Points: 22
Judges' comments:

AN: Can we please just hear the Lourennais song again?
TB: I disavow.
KGM: I gotta admit, I don't really get it.

15th: Likatonia - JT - "Met You Bro"

Points: 29
Judges' comments:

AN: Nice dancing, handsome guy. The song is forgettable.
TB: My therapist told me Likatonia wasn't real and couldn't hurt me!!!
KGM: Again, something different. Not for all the right reasons though.

14th: Utembo - Tieyung Kiri - "Gsar Thog Ma"

Points: 44
Judges' comments:

AN: I'm moved, i'm touched and quite possibly emotional.
TB: I guess this is why we tend not to go to South Dovani for FOMAT...
KGM: A song that beautifully represents her native culture. She has done Utembo proud.

13th: Dolgava - Katariina Aavik - "Even If I Fail"

Points: 51
Judges' comments:

AN: Yass kween, slayyy
TB: Speaking of nonsense languages, this sounds like a toddler trying to sing!
KGM: A beautiful lady... very beautiful. Shame about the song.

12th: Yingdala - Wen Shun Xinyi - "Pretty Please"

Points: 53
Judges' comments:

AN: So many attractive men, so little time to give them phone numbers.
TB: He's trying to coast off his looks, and I'm not buying any of it!
KGM: A solid song by a competent singer. I would've liked more "Yingdala" in the song though.

11th: Endralon - NEMTIPIKCSAJ & Sis G - "Jildrát-bú"

Points: 55
Judges' comments:

AN: These two are giving us the sass we need to close out the night. Thank goodness,
TB: Women shouldn't be allowed to rap.
KGM: They're really giving us the triple-threat package. And not the type of tri... yada yada you know the rest.

10th: Liore - Hashaan - "Nataka"

Points: 60
Judges' comments:

AN: Someone give him my number
TB: Hashann more like Hashutup
KGM: A charming young man with a lot of charisma. I can't help but like it... slightly.

9th: Hobrazia - Brandi - "Kavkasiuri Balada"

Points: 62
Judges' comments:

AN: What a charming group of young, bearded men.
TB: pretends to vomit
KGM: It really screams "Hobrazia". Loudly. Directly into your eardrums.

8th: New Englia - Huuge Muule - "No One To Rely On"

Points: 68
Judges' comments:

AN: Perhaps a little more subdued than was necessary, but her style is bringing something new to the contest.
TB: She's no Madisyn Shakespeare, god rest her soul
KGM: Another solid act. I'm very fortunate to have landed this gig.

7th: Narikaton & Darnussia - SAMEN - "Alleen Jij"

Points: 72
Judges' comments:

AN: Chill vibes, I like it. A nice opener for tonight.
TB: Would be a really good entry if the Narik language didn't sound like a Dundorfian with a throat infection.
KGM: The woman could go it alone in my opinion. Her voice is golden.

6th: Hutori - Melanie Bostick - "Maneater"

Points: 73
Judges' comments:

AN: Yaaassss maaamaaa, slaaayyyy gaagaaa.
TB: Is this allowed?
KGM: She's really giving us the triple-threat package. And not the type of triple-threat package that stops TB from going within 200 feet of a school.

5th: Lodamun - Los Frikis - "Qué te importa que te ame"

Points: 77
Judges' comments:

AN: Now this is gorgeous art. Such an emotive song, I love it.
TB: pretends to snore
KGM: This is the kind of thing we need more of in international music. I think this is Lodamun's best entry in many years.

4th: Lourenne - Amalie Benait - "C'est Ma Vie"

Points: 85
Judges' comments:

AN: She's singing from the heart and it really shows.
TB: A nicer language than the Nariks...
KGM: A gorgeous voice and a catchy song. What more can we ask for?

3rd: Gaduridos - Sandra - "Cosa de Ayer"

Points: 92
Judges' comments:

AN: Shake it, lady! You're doing us girls proud tonight!
TB: Okay, okay... I guess it's a good song.
KGM: The dancing, the rhythm, the singing. My goodness, it's simply too good!

2nd: Deltaria - Katarína - "Ushalande"

Points: 99
Judges' comments:

AN: We stan! Now she lowkey has some moves... I wanna book a holiday in Deltaria now.
TB: Can the guys get out of the way so I can focus on the main article?
KGM: Again we are getting someone who truly represents the beauty of their native land and language.

1st: Kalistan - Red Tone - "New World"

Points: 102
Judges' comments:

AN: This is the kind of song that showcases why Kalistan does so well at FOMAT. They're not afraid to take risks.
TB: The cultural appropriation is strong with this one...
KGM: One of the most interesting songs of the night. Kalistan always sends something different.

The Sharba Examiner is a newspaper from the capital of Cobura.

[Reddy]

The Union Dispatch
The Union Dispatch is a moderately conservative national broadsheet

"Temporary" Sovereign Council To Run Country
March 11, 4909

SHARBA, IRKAWA Declaring that the Pharaoh Fersiosi "has abandoned the throne", Cobura's newly elected legislative majority has elected a "Sovereign Council"to assume the absconding monarch's duties "until permanent institutions can be decided upon." The body composed of thirteen members of the House of Assembly will act collegially as head of state and government. The move came after the new ruling party the Coburan National Congress (CNC) failed to agree upon the question of monarchy vs republic with many of its Irkawan members favouring the monarchy while most minorities expressed distaste for it threatening at various points to break off and found their own separatist parties.


The Sovereign Council

While the CNC's leader and chair of the Sovereign Council, Yekuno Gemeda has repeatedly assured the country that the new governing body is only to be a temporary band-aid, more astute observers questioned this view pointing out that the country remained as divided as ever. It is according to Lij Iyasu Yohannes of the Sharba Examiner, Coburan elites and its small but growing middle class which are intent on maintaining what Yohannes terms to be "illusory centralised unity" whereas the masses at this point are more inclined to favour full federalism if not outright separation for the five nations which comprise the rich ethnic mosaic that Cobura is.

[Auditorii]

Zardic World Report: State visit to Cobura (October, 4904)

[Reddy]

The Southern Bell

The Southern Bell is a liberal regional daily based in the Nome of Dilginato

Temporary Like Eternity
Interim Governing Body Rolls On and On
September 1910

The country's main governing body the Sovereign Council which was established 18 months ago as a transitional ruling body seems unlikely to be dissolved anytime soon. Sources in the Coburan National Congress have revealed that the party's leadership have repeatedly failed to agree on a constitutional model to replace the Council. At a party national executive meeting, party leader and head of the Sovereign Council Yekuno Gemeda proposed the adoption of a presidential constitution, no doubt hoping to occupy the apex position himself. A majority of the 15 member executive rejected this in a humiliating setback for Gemeda. There however appears to be no clear majority for any alternative and the "temporary" Sovereign Council seems set to remain in place.

This is however not necessarily proving to be a political disaster for the nation. The 13 member Council has proven itself to be a rather effective body; at least the most effective Cobura has seen in decades. A number of its more talented members have shown considerable acumen perhaps the most notable is Nefertari Siames the Sovereign Councillor for External Affairs. The former Kobra Corp executive is widely derided for her elitist background but has established and executed a strong voiced foreign policy of internationalism, trade expansion and condemnation of various human rights abuses. She has also handled with considerable deftness, the historically thorny matter of relations with Zardugal by engaging directly with the Zardic government hosting them in a notably elaborate state visit.

Another notable Councillor is Eirene Akouimes, head of the Finance Minisry. She has applied herself to reforming Cobura's moribund tax system with a decidedly pro-investment agenda of flattening and lowering overall taxation.

These successes have proved to enhance the Sovereign Council's very limited legitimacy while the current lack of alternatives doubled up with public desire for stability and progress, maintain the collegial leadership body. Public polling which remains poor has steadily improved with the number in favour of the Council rising from 16% to 23% in the past year and a half.

[Reddy]

The Union Dispatch
The Union Dispatch is a moderately conservative national broadsheet

Trade Unions “Declare War” On Government
March 1, 4911

SHARBA, IRKAWA The Coburan Trades Union Federation (CTUF) has voted in favour of industrial action in response to the government’s Big Picture economic legislation. The legislation aims to liberaliseo the Coburan economy by reducing strikers’ rights, unilateral free trade and several other measures which the CTUF general secretary Saif al-Akbar describes as “an unprecedented attack on workers by the least legitimate government in Coburan history.”

The Sovereign Councillor for Economics, Aster Deribew insists that these measures are “extremely necessary and require urgent action.” An attempt at mediation between the government was rebuffed by al-Akbar who declared it as “smokescreen to destroy working people’s morale in the fight ahead.”

The government's quest for fiscal rectitude and credibility has led to the dismissal of tens of thousand young public sector workers, particularly in the armed forces. Public sector employment forms one of the few great sources of formal employment in the economically underdeveloped nation. This distress is greatest perhaps in the poorest areas in the country such as the eastern and rapidly desertifying nome of Diliginato which relies heavily on subsidies and employment from the public purse.

[Reddy]

The Southern Bell

The Southern Bell is a liberal regional daily based in the Nome of Dilganato

Riots and Protests Grip Cobura
March 15, 4911

Hundreds of protesters have been arrested mainly in the nome of Dilganato as anti-government protests intensified in the eastern nome. Unlike the mostly peaceful trade union-led protests elsewhere in the country, 143 policemen and more than twice as many protesters are reported to have been seriously injured in the past twelve hours. The streets of the regional capital Damanish remain clogged with thousands of violent protesters who have looted several stores in the city centre and in neighborhood shopping centres.

The eastern nome which borders Jakania is known for its rolling semi-desert terrain is the poorest region in the country with many citizens heavily reliant on public spending. It has a majority Coburan Majatran population with large minorities of Mallans, Augustans and Irkawans. The vast majority of its people are Ahmadis with much of its cultural inspiration rising out of neighbouring Jakania. Dilganatans are historically looked down upon by most Coburans who look down upon them. An editorial in the Coin Counter called on the government to "let Dilginato go as it has only ever mooched" reflecting public opinion.

Government To Deploy Extra Troops To Dilganato
March 17, 4911

The head of the Sovereign Council Yekuno Gemeda has announced that the Council had voted to send 3,000 soldiers to restore order in the east where numerous violent protests and riots have broken out. Gemeda placed the blame on the Coburan Trades Union Federation which had called for nationwide protests against the government's economic reforms. The nationwide protests ended on their second night with trade union leaders calling them, apparently terrified of stoking more violence nationwide.

Damanish "Commune" Declared
March 24, 4911

A large group of protesters in the eastern city of Damanish,Dilganato have declared the city centre an "anarchist commune." The move comes after Coburan security forces withdrew from the city centre in what a Defence Ministry spokesperson described as a "regrouping measure." The commune's spokesperson issued a list of demands including national job guarantees, abolition of prisons and decentralisation of power.

The Sovereign Council has rejected these demands and refused outright to address them possibly to avoid any implied recognition. Reports from al-Hobb, the nome's second largest city suggest that a similar commune might be in the making. Rioters by and large have retreated to their homes and it appears that a small cadre of well drilled operatives are now taking lead of the protests, concerned less with simple goods and more with political ideals.

[Reddy]

The Southern Bell

The Southern Bell is a liberal regional daily based in the Nome of Dilganato

Government Regains Control in Dilganato
April 1, 4911

Coburan security forces have dispersed protesters in most major population centres in the restive Nome of Dilganato. The Department of Home Affairs said that two members of the Damanish anarchist collective had been shot dead in the final offensive into the Damanish city centre. Ex-members of the dismantled collective declared on social media that the blood of their dead comrades was only a further call to action and would inspire them in the long struggle to dismantle the "violent fascistic Coburan state apparatus."

Foreign Ministry Expresses "Grave Sadness" At Tokundi Departures

The Department of External Affairs has issued a statement pleading with Tokundi emigrants to stay in the Union of Cobura. Several Tokundi families have taken up offers of assisted migration from the new Kundrati government to settle there. The current socio-political status in Cobura no doubt encourages the surge in departures. The ministry refused to confirm or deny social media reports that it was receiving an average of 4,000 applications for emigration to Kundrati each month, only emphasising that the Tokundi community "remain a vital part of the great rainbow society of Cobura. The Executive Councillor for Infrastructure and Transport, Marko Kusturika an ethnic Tokundian also made various appeals in his native nome encouraging his people to " persevere as we always have done/"

[Reddy]

The Union Dispatch
The Union Dispatch is a moderately conservative national broadsheet

Military Convoy Attacked In Eastern Dilganato
May 26, 4911

SHARBA, IRKAWA The South Western Front for Dignity (Sowefro) has claimed responsibility for last night's armed attack on a military convoy. The attack took place some twelve kilometres outside the eastern city of Al-Hobb which is located in the restive Nome of Dilganato. Twelve soldiers were wounded while one Sowefro member was killed. The Sovereign Council condemned the attack and the Councillor for Home Affairs has declared Sowefro a terrorist organisation. Sowefro is made up of remnants of various anarchist groups which were involved in the setting up of the short lived communes, most notably the Damanish Commune during the violent riots in March.


Gemeda: "Hostile"_Foreign Power Supporting Anarchist Group
May 29, 4911

The chairperson of the Sovereign Council Yekuno Gemeda lashed out at an unidentified foreign power blaming it for the state of unrest in eastern Cobura.

The recent troubles in Dilganato are not spontaneous events or some kind of chain reaction to the government" s reforms. The Council has seen evidence that there is a certain hostile nation in our own region which wishes to use Cobura as a testing ground for its fanatical need to dominate its neighbours. There is plenty of credible intelligence proving this. This is intolerable and we warn this country that Cobura will not lie down and die! We will tame appropriate measures if you do not stop sending arms and funds to the anarchists.

[Reddy]

The Union Dispatch
The Union Dispatch is a moderately conservative national broadsheet

Cobura Recalls Ambassador "For Consultations" As Deltarian Role In Eastern Rebellion Is Revealed
August 16, 4913

SHARBA, IRKAWA In a dramatic escalation of events in troubled eastern Cobura, the Sovereign Council has announced that it will recall the country's Ambassador to Deltaria for consultation. The development comes after a large cache of Deltarian made weapons were found in an anarchist rebel located in the far south east of the nome of Dilganato. Rebels who survived the Coburan army's attack on the camp have after "thorough questioning" revealed that they received training and material assistance from Deltarian external intellgence agencies. The Sovereign Council stated that it would engage Deltaria diplomatically with "hopes for a straightforward and mutually beneficial solution,"

Rebel attacks in the east have increased sharply with the anarchists carrying out armed attacks on various public building and organisations, most notorious the Al-Hobb Central Prison assault which saw dozens of rebels attempting to forcibly occupy the prison and led to the deaths of 4 prison guards, 7 prisoners and 16 rebels. Several other smaller attacks have been successfully carried out although the Coburan army has also fired back with equal determination. While not the greatest of armies, it has a firm ethos of Coburan unionism and is determined against threats to it.

[Reddy]

The Union Dispatch
The Union Dispatch is a moderately conservative national broadsheet

Leftist Majority Elected To Second Sovereign Council
December 17, 4913

SHARBA, IRKAWA Outgoing head of the Sovereign Council Yekuno Gemeda has blasted "entryists" following the defeat of nine of the Sovereign Council elections held two days ago. The new House of Assembly returned several significantly more leftwing members than its predecessor which was disastrous for Hemeda and his largely centrist and centre-right allies in the party.


Chairperson Psote Tepio

The newly elected head of the Sovereign Council Psote Tepio is a former backbench legislator who has repeatedly called for a "super-Kodonist" (OOC: Keynesian) economic strategy, peace with Deltaria and alliances with progressive nations. The trade union chief Saif a-lAkbar whose call for strikes sparked the conflict in Dilganato was elected Sovereign Councillor for Trade and Industry.

According to political scientist Ibrahim al-Radi, of the thirteen new Councillors, at least eight are resolute leftists, three centrists and two rightwingers. As of the 400 CNC members of the House of Assembly, a record 108 are freshmen and the vast majority of them leftists elected in the poorest constituencies of the nation which have taken the brunt of the austerity measures applied by the outgoing Sovereign Council.