Zardugal

[GreekIdiot]

Beiteynu
Majatran manufacturers discuss development of MAEW under MSCO - May 5415

[jamescfm]

President of Cobura Paŭlo Jozefido makes first foreign visit to Zardugal

[Augustus Germanus]

ZARD TIMES
THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF ZARDUGAL
12 January 5453

Belegejo, Dirakio – The republic standing leaderless, a new political grouping has emerged. The Landa Reforma Partio, dubbed in Luthorian as "National Reform Party", is looking favorable to the population of Zardugal. Espousing a combination of reformist policies with agrarianism, pro-military expansion and populist rhetoric, as well as a promotion of Zardic nationalism, ignoring a minority faction within the party hoping to revive Augustan nationalism. The party leader Kosmaso Simonido, is joined together with Nikolao Savenido, Georgo Karrino and Viktoria Eliasido, in leading the new party for the coming elections. The party, going by the abbreviation LAREPA, hopes to build on the Republic of Zardugal to preserve the Zardic national identity and to continue efforts of de-Augustanization. LAREPA have promised a more distributist-leaning economic model, with a greater focus on agrarian policies.

While analyzing the current political landscape in Zardugal, there has been a noticable trend of more an increasing religiousness in the people, with a growing popular voice of wanting to base public policies on Hosian values. Yet at the same time democracy is seemingly valued stronger than ever in the population. Some within LAREPA have called for a hosian democratic program, while others go farther in the desire to even establish a "Hosian Republic". Despite a number of different ideas and notions taking gaining attraction, the leadership of the new party hopes to remain ambiguously big-tent. So the question remains: Will a new era of stability come to Zardugal?

[Augustus Germanus]

ZARD TIMES
THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF ZARDUGAL
17 March 5453

A PROMISING FUTURE TURNS SOUR WITH CREATION OF "NOBILITY OF THE REPUBLIC"

Belegejo, Dirakio – No. A new era of stability will not come to Zardugal. Quite the opposite. As soon as winning the elections, the new president Kosmaso Simonido began his tenure by increasing the salaries of the members of parliament and the government to the highest in the country, far above the average citizen. As well as forming a new "nobility" in Zardugal, which has been dubbed a 'Nobility of the Republic', composed of the most noble, loyal and competent of the Zardic government elite. The nobility to be formed are seven houses, all belonging to government ministers. The ruling president forms and heads House Simonid, which is viewed as liege lords. The other houses are formed by the Registarestro ("Head of Government") Georgo Karrino of House Karrino; Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolao Savenido of House Savenid; Minister of Internal Affairs Viktoria Eliasido and Minister of Environment and Tourism Roberto Eliasido of House Eliasid; Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Eliaso Fortulo of House Fortulo; Minister of Education and Culture Otelo Bonulo of House Bonulo; and finally Minister of Food and Agriculture Rubena Ruĝo of House Ruĝo. As a gesture of their nobility, the members of the houses are referred to as Nobla ("a noble one"), so Otelo Bonulo is referred in the daily life as Nobla Otelo or Nobla Bonulo.

This move have caused a great stir among the people, resulting in protests errupting across the country. The government have been quick to quell any dissent, and what looked like a promising future for the Zardic people have turned ever bleaker. After weeks of unrest, the police have been able to quiet down the dissidents. Though reports are still coming in of various incidents around the country. According to some sources, this act has been made to encourage state officials as well as civilians to work hard and gain the approval of the ever more powerful president. But it is not just the average citizen that have made their criticism open, Registarestro Karrino, the right-hand man of President Simonid, is reported to have fiercely refused the nobility but is said to have been forced by the president due to their close friendship. Minister Fortulo have also voiced his concern over this, but has for reasons unknown accepted his nobility anyways. It has been confirmed by the government that they will be hereditary and reserved with major rights.

[Augustus Germanus]

ZARD TIMES
THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF ZARDUGAL
22 September 5453

PRESIDENT PURGES RIVALS, ASSUMES ABSOLUTE CONTROL OVER THE COUNTRY

Belegejo, Dirakio – Eight months in to the presidency of Kosmaso Simonido and the country is rocked by political instability. The president has used his authority to first and foremost create republican nobility, and then in September purged several political figures. Most notably the Registarestro ("Head of Government", Georgo Karrino, who was accused of attempting to oust the president. Karrino is well known to have been an outspoken critic of Simonido in the recent months, especially after the establishment of the nobility – despite the fact that he and the president had been long time close friends. What has happened to Karrino and the other figures is yet known, though sources claim that they have been held by military forces in a security facility. The remaining family of House Karrino is reported to have either been arrested, killed, exiled or gone into hiding.
On top of purging his rivals, the president have abolished the presidency and declared himself Ŝtatestro ("Head of State"). He has put the military of Zardugal under his personal command and began persecutions of political opposition as well as religious groupings not conforming to the Zardic establishment. What looked like a promising democratic future have turned into severe authoritarianism.

[Augustus Germanus]

ZARD TIMES
THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF ZARDUGAL
16 January 5454

AS SIMONIDO'S AUTHORITY EXPANDS, RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISTS ENGAGES IN GUERILLA WARFARE

Belegejo, Dirakio – Ŝtatestro Simonido have taken absolute control over the country, using the National Reform Party as a tool for bureaucracy. He has also used the military in the last seven months to surpress and root out political enemies and religious dissidents. A specific religious group is the Kielunists (from the words "kiel unu", meaning "as one"), which has been a growing branch within the Augustan Church in Zardugal believing in the re-unification of all Hosian denominations under the Augustan Church. The reason for Simonido's targeting of this specific group is due to their desire for political influence in order to achieve their goal. However, in the way the Kielunists have attempted at such influence have been rather mild and innocent. Using peaceful manifestations and public discussions. But it would seem that Simonido is simply not persecuting them out of a fear of losing his own political power, but that the Augustan Church in Zardugal have pleaded to him to take radical actions against the group, something he seems to have agreed to hoping to gain the church as a powerful ally. This persecution has led to the more fundamenalist parts of the group to gain prominence and led the members into the rural regions of Zardugal. From there they have begun a series of attacks using guerilla tactics on the persuing Zardic military forces. Though seemingly it is not going well for them and the Zardic government forces appear to be winning the fight.

[Luis1p]

[Augustus Germanus]

ZARD TIMES
THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF ZARDUGAL
8 February 5470

GROWING RELIGIOUS INSURRECTION THREATENS THE ZARDIC GOVERNMENT

Belegejo, Dirakio – Sixteen years of instense guerilla warfare in the rural regions of Zardugal has now unleashed into a growing insurrection. This conflict is fueled by the long-held tyranny of Ŝtatestro Simonido, mostly resisted by the Hosian fundamenalist Kielunists, who are now led by an individual dubbed l'Gvidi (from "La Gvidi", roughly translating as "The One to Lead"), with the most radical and dominant of the group having come to revere him to such a degree that they call him a prophet. According to them, l'Gvidi is to guide the [Augustan] Church and restore the Augustan Empire to unify, in one way or another, all the Hosian branches and denominations across Terra in order to pave the way for eternal salvation and rejoin with Eliyahu. Experts within Zardugal fear that this insurgent radical faith could come to threaten religious equality and human rights should they be allowed to grow more powerful. Though a few reports, that the Zardic government have attempted to repress, suggests that their is a rising sentiment in support for the Kielunists.

[Augustus Germanus]

ZARD TIMES
THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF ZARDUGAL
12 February 5470

THE STATE OF THE NATION OF ZARDUGAL

Belegejo, Dirakio – Seventeen years of absolute governance by Kosmaso Simonido have shaped the Republic of Zardugal into the direction the Ŝtatestro have envisioned, at least to some extent. From government surveys and reports, it can be shown that the citizens have grown accustomed to Nobelaro rule as well as that most people have accepted the fact that to hold leadership positions one must be part of said Nobelaro. This has caused a rising competitiveness in Zardic society, with many trying to climb the social ladder within either business or the state and to attempt to curry favor with Simonido. A question comes to mind as the late minister of environment and tourism, Roberto Eliasido, passed away five months ago, resulting in his son Jozefo Eliasid inheriting the ministry: thus this mean that the leadership of the state is now hereditary in the Nobelaro's favor? We all know that Simonido has made great deal of his three children Agata Simonid, Helena Simonid and Marko Simonid, giving favors and a clear indication that his son should be viewed as his most likely successor. At the moment Marko Simonid holds no ministerial positions, but he has been giving quite recently responsibility to lead the Zardic security forces against the fundamentalist insurgents of the south, and that should he prevail he will without doubt be given a greater position in the state apparatus.

In the meantime, the other Nobelaro houses have formed strong paramilitary units that swear obediance to them and not the nation, something condoned by Simonido, who himself have taken the Zardic security forces as his House's personal retinue. The forces of the other houses combined could possibly reach the strength of the Simonid military, though it would seem that the power and apparent "vision" of Simonido aspires loyalty for the Nobelaro houses to their overlord to such an extent that they could never pose any real threat to his increasinly tyrannical rule.