North Dovani

[ChitinKal]

Liore, Vascania Launch Investment Campaign into North Dovani, Temania

[neoliberalbad]

January 4th, 5048

Following his Faith and Justice Party's (FJP) supermajority victory in the National Diet of the North Dovanian Federal Republic last year, readers and nationals will recall that President Azubuike Onyekachukwu in December organized a nation-wide poll of all 100 Million North Dovanians over the creation of a socialist republic to replace the old NDFR. The Federal Republic; formed in the 4700s, presided over the nation during tumultuous periods, and it's constitutional structure has been criticized as pandering to certain groups and weak in regards to national unity. Mr. Onyekachukwu's sweeping victory and platform appear to have energized the vast majority of North Dovanians; as he has promised an end to ethnic and social inequality, as well as national rebirth for the North Dovanian Nation. The biggest of these proposals is the end to ethnic tensions, which have historically and continue to plague the region. Before, most North Dovanians recognized the de facto pro-Huhoa bias of the National Rally and pro-Keobi bias of the Liberals; who perpetually kept society in a supposed state of stagnation and division. Old clan and family ties disrupted the flow of government; as did arguments over the remaining Kyo in the nation and other non-Huhoa/Keobi Degalogesans. Mr. Onyekachukwu alleges that his socialist rule can end and mend the centuries of division that have, as he said on the campaign trail, "bloodletted and destroyed our great nation".

The socialist FJP now is virtually unopposed in the Diet; with the ostensibly corrupt right-wing National Rally and the center Liberal Party only receiving a meager 13% and 5% of seats respectively. Having made its' political supremacy clear, the FJP appears blatantly ready to make the transition from liberal democracy to a socialist state; the referendum being what appears to be gage of public confidence in the Metzist body. Earlier yesterday the FJP government declared the long-anticipated results of the referendum, here reprinted:

I. SHOULD THE NORTH DOVANIAN FEDERAL REPUBLIC BE RECONSTITUTED AS A SOCIALIST STATE WITH GREATER EXECUTIVE AND CENTRAL POWERS?
YES - 78%
NO - 19%
NOT SURE - 3%


II. SHOULD THERE BE INSTALLED IN NORTH DOVANI A ONE-PARTY SOCIALIST POLITICAL SYSTEM?
YES - 48%
NO - 41%
NOT SURE - 11%


III. DO YOU SUPPORT THE MEASURES OF THE FJP GOVERNMENT AIMED AT COMBATTING DIVISION AND INEQUALITY IN NORTH DOVANI?
YES - 89%
NO - 6%
NOT SURE - 5%

The vote secured clearly in favor of the government, the FJP announced the reconstitution of the nation. Today in Enomoto-si, Mr. Onyekachukwu gave a fiery and rousing speech during which he outlined both his plans for the new government and orated about the history and future of the North Dovanian Nation. Perhaps in one of his boldest moves; Onyekachukwu declared the name "North Dovani" to be abolished, and rechristened the nation Mpakoala; officially the Socialist Federal Republic of Mpakoala. Commenting on the name change, Mr. Onyekachukwu stated:

The name "North Dovani" is an insulting and humiliating one for our nationals to carry. It is a burden of former colonial institutions, who labeled our peoples not by their native language, not by their culture, or their beauty, but as some remote spot on the map - a cardinal direction, and a western "explorer" who pillaged the largest continent in the world and in return became its' namesake. "North Dovani" is an ill-intentioned, under-representative colonial term used to dilute the inherent qualities of our peoples. Keobi, Huhoa, and Degalogesan alike oppose the very term, and as such we as the government of all the tribes, peoples, and ethnicities who hold our land dear have resolved to end the use of this term. This land shall be known as Mpakoala - Land of the Proud in Keobi. It is a powerful name reminding the world of a union of resilient, tireless peoples who have risen in the world and are bound no more by the treacherous shackles of misery and colonialism. The name of a nation that forges boldy onwards into the unknown, letting tyranny, famine, and poverty tremble before it as it brushes them into the dustpan of history. This is the fate to which the name "North Dovani" belongs, whereas our descendants shall set forth and carry the blessed name Mpakoala to the stars.

The new Mpakoalan government has pushed for immediate superficial reforms; such as a new flag and emblem. The flag of the nation is now a long, crimson banner whose canton contains a machete and gear, symbolizing the unity of the Huhoa and Keobi as well as the workers and soldiers. The emblem features the symbols of Mpakoala's main ethnic groups in addition to common and socialist symbols. However, the government has far more plans in store than mere icons - among the sweeping reforms announced; Mr. Onyekachukwu has listed a "Seven-Point Program for Progress", or the "VII PPP". We here summarize them based on his speech announcing the birth of Mpakoala today:

I. SOCIALIZATION OF THE ECONOMY

The Mpakoalan economy will become a socialist economy where the state of the workers directs the flow of goods to those who require them. Five year plans will be drawn up, workers organized into councils, and general directives for the management of society be passed down top-to-bottom through the ruling party. The North Dovanian Federal Republic operated under a market economy with significant black and illegal sectors involving drugs, human trafficking, and illegal sex work. Reports of corruption at all levels were also reported, in addition to severe mismanagement based upon ethnic and not legal grounds. The Onyekachukwu administration has announced intent to purge those responsible for corruption, and to install equal treatment and protection for all people regardless of ethnicity or culture. It has also promised lowered prices, increased public amenities, and government-spearheaded national development projects for key infrastructure.

II. KEOBI AND HUHOA LINGUISTIC REFORMS

Keobi and Huhoa currently use modified versions of the Kyo alphabet to be written, a holdover from colonial days. This is incredibly detrimental to literacy rates in both; given that the Kyo alphabet, even in modified form, is practically unsuitable for Keobi or Huhoa. The Mpakoalan Government declared it's intent to authorize a committee of linguists to direct both education efforts and the formalization of Keobi and Huhoa writing using both the Selcian Alphabet and the Majatran Alphabet, as well as creating entirely new scripts for each respective language. The government plans to formalize the use of Keobi as a common language amongst the people, with Huhoa as a close second - a plan of considerable controversy given that the Keobi and Huhoa peoples both roughly count around 40 million people each. Nonetheless, the government has defended this plan as realistic and a continuation of national unity. It also claims that Keobi is easier to learn and teach, although this is debated among linguistic circles.

III. DESTROYING THE COLONIAL LEGACY

One principle at the core of Mpakoala's governance is the concept of Anti-Imperialism. As such, the government has declared it's intent to "indigenize" the names, cultural traditions, and social elements of Mpakoala. Chief among these is the tearing down of colonial monuments and the renaming of key cities. Most notably, the capital's former name of Enomoto-Si - named after the infamous colonial dictator and oppressor Enomoto - is to be overhauled and rechristened Komunismobodo - Communism City in Keobi. Likewise, Sanwa will become Bakinteku, Keongju will be renamed Zakibishiya, and other cities like Owụwa Anyanwụobodo have been finally named as well. Only Jinppo, the sole major city in Mpakoala with a Kyo majority of residents, has escaped the renaming craze.

IV. IMPROVING LIVING STANDARDS

Mpakoala has inherited a land rich in natural wealth but impoverished economically, largely due to the globalization of the economy and failed efforts of the past to adequately develop the nation. The government intends to slowly but surely socialize labor and to eradicate extreme poverty in Mpakoala; starting with the purging of corrupt bureaucracy, installation of a meritocratic governing system, and competent management of the economy that balances the interests of citizens with the need to attract foreign development. Infrastructure and heavy industry are set to be initial hotspots of the projects.

V. URBANIZATION

Going hand in hand with lifting rural residents our of poverty - in addition to irrigation, mechanization, and infrastructure efforts - is urbanization. As major developments cause jobs to open up in the cities, it is hoped that they will become bustling centers of productive population as Mpakoala increasingly becomes an urban-based society. Currently one of Dovani's most rural and underdeveloped nations due to centuries of neglect, Mpakoala's urbanization - if done right - is projected to have to potential to lead to great horizons in the social and economic spheres.

VI. ETHNIC AND NATIONAL UNITY

Finally, and perhaps the greatest selling point of the new government of all; is the concept of ethnic unity. The new administration has proclaimed the intent to dismantle old clan systems and allegiances and to replace them with a socialist meritocracy; where ethnicity becomes removed from qualification and power. This is a radical shift from the old federal system of devolved governance and special privileges, in which corrupt public officials often delegated responsibility very regionally based upon allegiance, culture, and group. Instead; national tests and councils will be put in place to indiscriminately represent the population and to tie the nationalities of Mpakoala firmly together into one collective body. The administration has further announced programs to spread cultural uniformity and to offer language classes and translations to solidify the role of Keobi as the national language.

[neoliberalbad]

HAROUNA-ONYEKACHUKWU GOVERNMENT REFORMS FJP INTO COMMUNIST LEAGUE
May 1, 5048

After designating Comrade Ibeamaka Harouna the first Premier of the Administrative Council of Commissars of Mpakoala, President Azubuike Onyekachukwu has continued to carry out the promised VII PPP plans of the new government with haste. After careful executive and legislative consultation with the Administrative and Supreme Councils; Premier Harouna and President Onyekachukwu jointly declared the restructuring of the Faith and Justice Party (FJP) into the Mpakoalan Communist League (MCL); as the nation's new constitutional vanguard party. The MCL will be a standard Metzist-Leonidist party with commitment to a pragmatic, Mpakoalan form of socialism aimed at the joint development of the nation and connection with the rest of the world. All members of society can become members after extensive vetting; and certain top jobs will require league membership.

As for the designation of Harouna himself; many were surprised initially by the pick. Harouna was initially seated as a National Rally and then independent politician in the past, taking a Social Democratic stance in regards to the issues of the day. Although viewed as a "fellow traveler" of the FJP who voted and sympathized with the party, Comrade Harouna was by no means considered even a candidate for it's upper ranks, and did not join even after Mpakoala's proclamation. Nevertheless, he retained extreme popularity with Huhoa voting blocs over his anti-corruption campaigns, expansion of public welfare, and development plans in Bakinteku. Political analysts view his nomination as a pragmatic move by Onyekachukwu to consolidate broad, big-tent power in the new government, especially ensuring critical Huhoa appeal if not total support. This comes at a time where the Onyekachukwu administration is counting on both Keobi and Huhoa bi-partisan support to move forward with the VII PPP.

The following is an excerpt from the statement; which Comrade Premier Harouna read on live television earlier today:

Having consolidated and formed a united government of the peasants and workers in Mpakoala, we the people have resolved to endeavor to create a socialist society. Such a society must be obtained through staunch unity of the masses and strict discipline among upper echelons of the proletarian cause's guard. To this end, the Supreme and Administrative Councils have agreed that the Faith and Justice Party shall be re-organized into the new Mpakoalan Communist League. Such a league will serve as a disciplined apparatus of the foremost vanguard of the Mpakoalan working classes, through which socialist morals and principles are extracted and disseminated amongst the people. In achieving a socialist government and a truly meritocratic system irrespective to the reactionary allegiances of clan and ethnicity, a leading party tempered in the fires of administration and criticism is the only foundation on which our plans for great development and modernization may be rapidly built, and the government is confident in the successful implementation of the VII PPP to these ends.

[neoliberalbad]

GOVERNMENT DECLARES NEW "GREENHOUSE OFFENSIVE", AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
March 15, 5049

As the seeding season begins to loom among Mpakoalan farming communities, most people of the fields recognize that their job is still treacherous even with the increasing fluctuation of northern temperatures due to climate change. The climate of Mpakoala's wide, vast expanse makes it so that extraction of biomass and crops is often hard in most areas - for centuries many peoples even including the Eastern Kyo had followed a nomadic lifestyle revolving around hunting and gathering and animal husbandry instead. Nonetheless, Degalogesan peoples such as the Keobi and Huhoa have managed to innovate new ingenious ways to derive a sustenance from the cold, hard soil. The Northeastern cape is particularly infamous for being practically impenetrable, being incredibly sparsely populated with only small fishing communities. The western mountains at the edge of the Kazulian border are also more suited to nomadic lifestyles. Rather, it is the Southeastern and South-Central regions of the nation, bordering the Utari, that are famed for their relatively high yields and ability to sustain large crops of vegetation as warm-reliant as the beloved yam; whose variants form a key staple of Keobi cuisine. In particularly, the Ndagwurugwu River and her basin are considered the lifeblood of Keobi agriculture; likewise the Fadama Delta serves an equivalent purpose for the Huhoa. Even in these areas, colonial and later warlord-controlled plantations have dominated production so that poor peasants have had little chance to access modern infrastructure and equipment.

With these problems established; it's clear that the Mpakoalan government faces several key challenges in it's aims of improving severe poverty in the countryside and advancing living conditions. After public consultation and the recruitment and employment of experts into the fields of Mpakoala, the government has declared a new campaign in order to advance the goals of agricultural development as outlined under the VII PPP. An ambitious virgin soil project; the "Greenhouse Offensive" aims to increase yields both in the solid yield areas of the fertile Ndagwurugwu Basin and Fadama Delta; as well as more northern and desolate regions. The Offensive aims to, over a decade and a half, first collectivize the often-sporadic collection of farms in the countryside, and then build large greenhouse facilities under which agricultural production will become more sustainable, reliable, and yielding in the long term. Greenhouses can trap the sun's warmth and light - both key resources in the desolate north of the nation where sunlight is limited and the cold inhospitable to all but the most hardy of plants. They provide safe facilities through which irrigation, genetic modification, and grafting projects can be easily tested, organized, and maintained. Although the cost of building such facilities in a poor nation remains daunting; the cost of greenhouse production is estimated to be actually decently inexpensive given the Mpakoalan government's easy access to national metal and glass reserves.

[neoliberalbad]

ONYEKACHUKWU CRITICIZED IN WESTERN MPAKOALA, JINPPO, FOR APPARENT MISTREATMENT OF KYO
September 9, 5049

In what some radicals are labeling an "Ethnic Cleansing"; Mpakoala's Kyo population have recently began to speak out against alleged bigotry as perpetrated by the government in the years since the formation of the Socialist Federal Republic. Although the Communist League continues to campaign on a policy of ethnic harmony and unity, there's been a notable minority who now get the short end of the stick - the Kyo. The ethnicity have demographically and statistically been shown to be re-assigned houses by the government into more and more enclaves. Whilst other groups have been allowed to mix, with Keobi and Huhoa in relatively even proportion in much of the nation; maps and tracking show that Kyo are continuing to be relocated to the underdeveloped west of the nation. In particular, most live in the crumbling city of Jinppo, the only Kyo-majority city in Mpakoala that has recently been suspiciously robbed of federal funds and often inadequately administrated for thin reasons. Kyo are notably absent from basically all of the upper echelons of the ruling Communist League; which Comrade President Onyekachukwu defended by saying that the Kyo "do not constitute an adequate enough number of the population to expect presence in all levels of government; recent censuses have put their population at around 7,465,890 out of the 100,000,000 Mpakoalans that live in the nation. That's not even a tenth." Of those 7,465,890, an roughly estimated 6,000,000 appear to near-exclusively populate the impoverished western provinces. The situation was never addressed during the old Federal Republic of North Dovani, and under SFR Mpakoala it appears to have gotten even worse.

In short, the Kyo people appear now to be I. concentrated and relocated to a specific area of Mpakoala, the far west; II. disproportionally discriminated against and forced to live in ethnic enclaves and impoverished regions; and III. unrepresented in Mpakoalan federal government and thus largely unable to voice their own opinions at the most key and critical areas of governance. The 5 provinces in the far west which the Kyo populate nearly-exclusively removed from other ethnicities have been labeled a "nation inside a nation" due to their sharp dissonance to the rest of Mpakoala.

Historically, Kyo people in Mpakoala (in the past referred to as North Dovani) were mainly comprised of 2 main groups: Eastern Kyo, also referred to as Nomadic Kyo; and Western Kyo, most commonly referred to as Colonial Kyo. The former trace their ancestry to the ancient Kyo nomads who once populated what are now the nations of Dankuk, Kazulia, Ostland, and Mpakoala; living a nomadic life and co-existing with the Degalogesans prior to Indralan (Yingdalan) and later Dranian colonialization. The latter arrived with the handing over of colonial possessions in erstwhile North Dovani to Dankuk; who then created an oppressive caste system in their colonial realms and continued to subjugate the nation and it's people for profit and natural resources. The effects of this persisted long after Dankuk (later Drania) was forced to give up her colonies in the north-east; with a privileged colonist-descended upper class secluding itself in the west and Yeonpyeong from both lower-class nomadic Kyo and Degalogesans. Nonetheless, when the Degalogesan peoples began to fight bloody conflicts in the 48th Century; both types of Kyo were inevitably caught in the crosshairs of the conflict. Despite their differences, the colonist and nomadic Kyo were treated as the one and same by Keobi and Huhoan groups during the insurrections of the 4700s. Many Kyo were massacred and forced into subservient and poor positions in the nation's west; retaliation for the centuries of humiliation perpetrated by the Dranians over their colonies. Though the spilling of blood died out after the FND Kyo, SND Keobi, and SND Huhoa governments agreed to form the Federal Republic of North Dovani and ended the civil war; socioeconomic disadvantage continued to be perpetrated against the Kyo and retribution has been a key factor of their place in Mpakoalan society since.

With this in mind; what has the Mpakoalan government under Onyekachukwu been doing? As stated above, it continues to ignore and even perpetuates the permanent settlement of the Kyo in the far west. It doesn't give them socioeconomic opportunities to climb up the latter as much as the Degalogesans, has withheld critical development funds from the Kyo-dominated west for racially motivated reasons and flimsy justification, has disproportionately been shown to incarcerate people of Kyo ethnicity, keeps them in ethnic ghettos, and racial violence and hate crimes on Kyo people have statistically been less likely to be addressed adequately by authorities. Meritocracy has meant that more Kyo have found themselves able to control local issues; but without federal funding these administrative positions are practically useless in wake of the inequality faced by the west in comparison with the other regions of Mpakoala. Although the promise of a new government was alluring to many Kyo at the time of the SFR's founding; its' current direction seems to hide only further suffering and poverty for the 7 million who nearly alone compose the population of West Mpakoala; the long-suffering "Nation inside a Nation".

[neoliberalbad]

FOUNDATION DAY CELEBRATIONS HELD
August 10, 5050

Foundation Day celebrations were held this August 10, 5049 as Comrade Premier Ibeamaka Harouna (pictured) and Comrade President Azubuike Onyekachukwu presided over a Military Parade and then a Civilian Demonstration. The first Foundation Day celebrations since the establishment of the SFRM and the Communist League; they were noted for the rapid change in insigna. Because the social fabric of the last two years has rapidly turned in favor of national unity and conformity to the MCL federal standard (with some minor discrepancies in regards to the west of the nation); many institutions of Foundation Day have been rapidly altered. For instance, traditional insignia has been replaced by Communist militaria in line with new reforms, ethnic units have been replaced by integrated ones all in the same uniform, without traditional distinction. It also appeared as if professional units were more in use than paramilitary ones; perhaps indicative of an internal effort to further professionalize the armed forces.

Foundation Day itself marks the date that the Enomoto Accords were signed by the 3 federal governments of the Kyo, Huhoa, and Keobi people; formally ending the nightmarish 4731-4766 Civil War that had enveloped the nation and destroyed much of it's infrastructure. Although the Accords were not final and sporadic revision would result in several changes; most notably severe decreases in Kyo power relative to Huhoa and Keobi influence; the Enomoto Accords were ultimately the peace that finally ended the major battles of the 48th Century and would evolve eventually into the constitution of the Federal Republic of North Dovani. For this it is widely celebrated by nearly all Mpakoalans; and the holiday has gained even further relevance in the Communist era of unity and civic nationalism over ethnic ties.

In Other News

Ndagwurugwu River Flood Prompts Dam Consideration

The Ndagwurugwu has unexpectedly overflowed for the first time in nearly a decade, ruining many good crops including those of the coveted purple yam. Luckily; no serious damage to infrastructure or housing was apparent after waters subsided following the conclusion of the 8 day event; but the possibility of a worse flood has generated a flurry of petitions and public hysteria over possible solutions to the dangers of the river. Many are now suggesting to the government the idea of a Dam that would both stop floods whilst harnessing the energy of the river's movement. As the idea gains traction, local governments have responded favorably and a bill has been introduced to the Supreme Council. If approved a great construction project could begin on one of the Keobi people's most sacred rivers - which has resulted in religious pushback as well. Time will tell whether a dam is truly in the works.

[neoliberalbad]

RENNOVATION OF THE TRANS-DOVANIAN RAILROAD TO BEGIN
July 13, 5051

The Trans-Dovanian Railroad (TDR) is practically the artery of the Mpakoalan nation's economic lifeblood. Livestock, produce, humans, natural resources, machinery, electronics, consumer goods, and fine crafts all rely on the main Jinppo-Yeonpyeong line - which spans the entire width of Mpakoala, Terra's longest nation - to be transported throughout Mpakoala and to neighboring lands. The line also connects with vital Kazulian and Ostlandian importers; with a massive line formerly running even to the Dranian peninsula. (The project was immensely costly and has since been destroyed.) Yet, despite this key vitality to the national economy; the TDR has as of the last century fallen on tough times. Increasingly outdated train models, crumbling stations, and rusty rails have led to both a slower and more unpleasant experience for passengers and cargo alike. The line is in desperate need of repair and revival.

Recognizing this; the Mpakoalan government has announced the Rethink, Retread, Rerail Initiative (RRRI) to address problems with the line. The key line; which connects from west to east the cities of Jinppo, Ebe Etiti, Sinooisi, Komunismobodo, Lajiria City, Kemoshi, Zakibishiya, Bakinteku, Bahrar-Kaluni, Wali Rabiu, and finally Yeonpyeong; is to be rebuilt and refurnished. New train models will be designed over the next decade and built and deployed no later than January 1 5060; with emphasis on greater speed and holding capacity. Old models deemed obsolete will be scrapped and their resources repurposed by the state. The project is expected not only to provide valuable jobs to many citizens; but will heavily revitalize Mpakoalan trade and travel.

[neoliberalbad]

NATURAL RESOURCE EXTRACTION RESUMES IN JUNGPO, FADAMA, ABUKA PROVINCES
January 30, 5052

The Mpakoalan Communist League has announced the official re-opening of several key natural gas and oilfields around the Jungpo, Fadama, and Abuka provinces. Although the old Federal Republic attempted to achieve carbon neutrality in the 50th Century and largely closed the fossil fuel-generating areas of the nation; the Communist government has put complete utilization of natural wealth as one of it's top priorities in order to further develop Mpakoala's economy and infrastructure. Both remote and population regions of the northern nation have great amounts of the gases and liquids that are so coveted in modern industry and economy. In 5048; the first moves to revitalize these sectors were made. Since then, 3 years have been dedicated to reworking the shafts, mines, and wells, rendering them efficient and up to date. The MCL's announcement was a much anticipated end to the project, and it's expected that extraction will begin within 4 weeks at all renovated venues. It is hoped that Mpakoala's successful harvesting of these resources can be exchanged for first development of heavy industry and then more sophisticated sectors.

Comrade President Azubuike Onyekachukwu gave these following remarks at a press conference this Friday, following criticism from various foreign and domestic journals over environmental concern:

I know there is much controversy surrounding the return to the use of said natural resources. People opposed it in 5048, in '49, in '50, in '51, and now they oppose it after 3 years of hard work created from the toil and sweat of the great Mpakoalan Proletariat. By no means does the Communist League or the Socialist Federal Republic seek to further upset climate change or the greenhouse gases that increasingly constrict Terra. Be that as it may; Mpakoala cannot afford to sacrifice such valuable resources in it's journey towards independent development and modernity. Criticizing tongues surround and humiliate the great Mpakoalan nation all around us; yelling "what about the environment?", and so on. They had centuries to develop their nations and expunged mother Terra of her resources whilst plunging the Dovanian continent into years of darkness; and now they once more reserve their great colonial right to tell the nations of the world what they may and may not do with their own land, won with blood, sweat, and tears from the vipers who tear at us from a false and egotistical justice once more. To those who would forbid us the right to develop using our full potential; we direct you to your own history books to which you seem so arrogant, or rather unwilling to face the truth of. The Socialist Federal Republic of Mpakoala is a sovereign state with total dignity in the world; and it will defend the right to take care of it's people. May the labor of the Proletarians produce further fruit of prosperity for not only Mpakoala but all mankind as they happily journey to the shaft, the mine, and the rail.

[neoliberalbad]

COMMUNIST LEAGUE DECLARES "WIN-WIN TRADE INITIATIVE"
March 3, 5053

The Mpakoalan Communist League has launched the new "Win-Win Trade Initiative" (WWTI) as part of the latest series of reforms. The Initiative's stated goal is to attract foreign investment to Mpakoala for a "win-win" scenario; wherein the foreign party receives benefits from Mpakoalan trade and the domestic economy in turn develops. Such emphasis has caused controversy and division in the league over how far trade can be taken, the matters of Autarky, and relation to worker's rights. Nearly all members of the Communist League have removed themselves from idealist and dogmatic conceptions of socialist orthodoxy, seeking a need to pragmatically engage capitalist powers to further the development and happiness of Mpakaoala. However; to what degree of this engagement the league should be willing to bend, and how much can be sustained under the socialist system, has led to infighting.

Under the WWTI, joint scientific research agreements, technical advisory, and sponsorship have been put on the table with foreign nations and corporations. In return for investment and loans in Mpakoalan banks and ventures; preferential treatment, grants, permits, and stock will be agreed upon between MCL authorities and bargaining parties.

Comrade Premier Ibeamaka Harouna gave a speech to the Supreme Council announcing the initiative; we here reprint an excerpt from it:

You no doubt are wondering why a socialist government puts such emphasis on trade if we are to establish Communism in Mpakoala. In your eyes, the eyes of the left opposition, surely this newfound initiative puts workers' lives at stake? I will concede that the rocky path towards prosperity will not be easy, but we must embrace all parties who can help develop the nation, regardless of creed, if we are to in the future provide the best results for the economy and people's livelihood. A socialist market economy, full of lively foreign trade but directed by a government of the workers; is the only tenable path forward to achieve maximum gains of the Mpakoalan people, strengthen the forces of anti-imperialism, and move torwards socialist society. Overbearing dogmatism will never serve the people; but rather drive them into the ground with debt and isolation. It is the Communist League's job first and foremost to advance Mpakoala; second is to ask unnecessary questions.

In Other News

Mpakoala Applies to the Dovani Pact

Comrade President Azubuike Onyekachukwu visited the headquarters of the Dovani Assembly last week to deliver a speech to the Pact beseeching them to accept Mpakoala as a full member state. A former victim of Indralan and later Dranian colonialization efforts; the Communist League has worked hard to revitalize the Mpakoalan nation and destroy encroaching and imperialist elements. In perceived concert with the MCL and Administrative Council's decision to open up the economy to the world; Comrade President was analyzed as attempting to align Mpakoala more firmly with the continent to improve not only the Third World's; but Mpakoala's standing and solidarity. Whether the SFRM is admitted to the Dovani Pact remains unclear, but Mpakoala is expected to warm state-to-state relations with other Dovanian nations regardless of the result.

[neoliberalbad]

NEW KEOBI/HUHOA ALPHABET, BAKIONU, DECLARED
July 28, 5053
The image above reads "Mpakoala Now" in Huhoa (top) and Keobi (bottom) using Bakionu; an example of the new script's simplicity.

The Keobi and Huhoa alphabets were traditionally not written at all; but with Dranian colonization the shape they took was, frankly, horrific. A modified Kyo alphabet was utilized; but due to the fact that the Degalogesan syllabaries weren't at all in sync with Kyomal; huge changes and modifications were piecemealed together to create a smorgasbord of poorly thought-out or executed rules. This convoluted system terrorized schoolchildren, workers, teachers, and tourists alike in the old days; with many even believing the old alphabet to push down literacy rates - in 5048, a poll conducted showed that a shocking 14% of Mpakoalans remain unable to read or write proficiently. However, as the image provided with the article above may attest; the long-loathed Mpakoalan writing system appears finally at it's long-awaited death.

The Mpakoalan Institute for the Degalogesan Languages (MIDL), created 5048 to assist the government's linguistic reform programs, has announced the invention of a new alphabet for both Keobi and Huhoa - Bakionu. The government is expected to implement the script promptly to the joy and excitement of the long-suffering Mpakoalan people. Alkali Haruna; head of the MIDL, summarized the efforts and new alphabet in a short, televised speech to the MCL this Friday detailing the merits and plans for it.

Bakionu - derived from the Keobi and Huhoa words for "mouth" - is a simple yet ingenious alphabet that can be used near-universally for all of the Degalogesan languages. There are both vowel and consonant characters, and one merely arranges these left-to-right to form words and then a sentence. Bakionu can be easily transcribed to the keyboard, is representative of every possible sound made in Keobi and Huhoa, and is very easy to write and type. For centuries we were forced to use Kyo characters; which may be ingenious in their own language, but are incredibly tedious, bulky, and hard and awkward to write in with Degalogesan. Bakionu will re-assert our abilities as a people to communicate boldly, easily, and fastly betweeen each other. We at the institute, in co-ordination with the greater government of the Socialist Federal Republic and the Commissariat of Culture, expect all Mpakoalans to pick up Bakionu quickly in the next couple of weeks. Schools will begin teaching it starting next semester, public announcements and monuments will be re-written, and Kyo characters will be slowly phased out over the coming months. We have asked international companies, and are directing national companies currently to build and program keyboards compatible with Bakionu. Hopefully this simple, easy script will lead to far-increased literacy rates in a nation that has historically suffered with such problems.