Federal government plans would breach peace treaty, says Mekonnen9 February 5447
President of the Free Hosian Republic Mekonnen Assefa Meseret says that proposals to centralise political authority by strengthening the power of the federal government would represent a breach of the terms of the 5411 peace agreement that brought an end to the Coburan Civil War. In a special address, Mekonnen warned federal politicians that the People’s Salvation Front (PSF) would take “all necessary action” to ensure the preservation of peace in Cobura.
In the past two decades, Cobura has experienced a period of relative stability following the end of the civil war and the defeat of a Majatran insurgency in Dilganato. Under the terms of the 5411 agreement, the country functions as a de facto confederation in which almost all political power is held by three regional governments. The three entities are formally equal under the country’s constitution but the Free Hosian Republic has come to dominate.
Recent federal elections have produced decisive majorities for pro-federal political parties, led by the Social Democrats - the Left, a pan-ethnic political alliance. Mekonnen’s party has continued to win elections in the Free Hosian Republic, as well as forming the largest opposition group to the government. Tensions have risen in the past. At the start of the decade, there were fears of a return to political violence when the Mekonnen’s regional government briefly withdrew support for the federal armed forces.
Since the civil war ended, there have been numerous attempts to unite the country. In the early years, there was widespread suspicion of such efforts. Coburan society has struggled to rebuild though. Economic development has been limited to a handful of large cities in the central regions. Coburan public services consistently rank among the worst in Majatra. Left-wing political parties have claimed ethnic federalism is the source of many of these problems.
In the present political context, it is the People’s Salvation Front and their military wing the Hosian Defence Forces that stand as the principal obstacle to political reform. In the past, there was a broad spectrum of opinion within the political coalition about the future constitutional settlement. For many supporters at the time, the terms of the peace agreement were a temporary solution to facilitate reconciliation in a divided country. Since he succeeded his father as leader though, Mekonnen has shaped the party in his own image. Given the extensive powers he holds under the current system, he has made clear he will not countenance reform. As a consequence, the federal government faces a dilemma. Either admit that fundamental constitutional change is impossible in Cobura, or force changes through and risk bringing about a new period of political uncertainty.
The New Informer is a broadsheet Zardic-language newspaper covering current affairs from a liberal perspective