Vascania

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Sanashtra First Minister defects from RM
14 April 4918

Sanashtra's First Minister, Ankita Dehade, has announced her defection from the right-wing RM political party to the populist Community Party (abbreviated as 'SAM'). In addition, she will now be leading the newly enlarged Community Party after an agreement with the party's existing leadership. Basing her decision on disagreements with her former party on fiscal issues generally and austerity measures in particular, the popular state leader has brought with her 78 of the party's 112 members in the state legislature to join the Community Party's 16 - which gives her a majority of the chamber's 180 seats. Dehade states that she intends to continue as First Minister. The RM, which is the senior member of the governing coalition in the federal parliament, condemned her decision to defect so soon after and election and demanding a snap election 'for Sanashtra to decide if it still supports the First Minister after her reckless decision'.

The First Minister's decision has been received in Kamalata as sudden and dramatic, though it was no secret that she is a fierce critic of the Prime Minister. In fact, she had challenged him for leadership of the party only a few years earlier but won only 40% of the vote in the leadership election's final round. Her decision grants the Community Party (SAM) their only state government position, having been pushed aside in other states for their syncretic views which are considered awkward to negotiate by parties left and right. The SAM are currently in government federally but have forced the government to embarrassing compromises on welfare reform. Their embrace of Dehade's defection will undoubtedly deepen the divide between them and their more conservative coalition partners.

Dehade's ability to bring so many of her RM colleagues over to the SAM is a testament to her political appeal in her state. Her high popularity and strong name recognition likely led the party to a majority, making her government the first majority government for 148 years in Sanashtra. Now, Dehade controls the first ever state assembly majority for the Community Party in its history. She has the sworn loyalty of most of the assembly members that she has brought to office, with many owing their political careers to her charisma and energetic campaign style. Polls suggest that a significant portion of the Sanashtri population is supporting her decision, though not a majority.


The Kamalata Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Kamalata with national and international circulation.

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Tensions rise between government and Emperor on religious issues
7 March 4919

Friction has been reported between the federal government and the monarch himself due to the latter's extensive religious reform plans. According to numerous sources close to the parties involved, the Prime Minister, T. Thayakan, has made clear to the Emperor that the religious nature of Vascania cannot be changed drastically without opposition from the cabinet and the legislature. This poses a clear threat to the Emperor's ambitious plans to "Daenify" Vascania, causing significant friction between the two factions and threatening to cause a split in the right-wing government's relationship to the Imperial Court.

The Prime Minister is known to be of the opinion that the traditional faith of Vascania is closely linked to national identity and has to be kept separate from foreign influences. Many of the governing RM-VRK alliance's members are both ardent monarchists and religious traditionalists, causing a great deal of division and controversy within the party ranks. Some members feel that the Emperor is bringing the country's complicated and historic relationship between church and crown into disrepute, going as far as to suggest that he be replaced by a monarch who would take a more traditional view on these matters. Others like the recently defected leader of the party in Sanashtra, Ankita Dehade, are increasingly open to the idea that Emperor Kritagni is - in fact - correct in his convictions and helping to bring Vascania back to its moral roots.

Emperor Kritagni, a devout Daenist, has made repeated attempts to bring the state faith of Sundarat Dharma into line with orthodox Daenist principles. While much of the Dharma was already heavily influenced by Daenism, since assuming the role of Emperor, His Imperial Majesty has asked the clergy to respect his religious edicts including the adoption of various Daenist theological concepts and a rejection of Geraja ones that are potentially contradicting. The Emperor is the leader of Sundarat Dharma constitutionally and revered as a divine figure, but he has met much opposition from the priests who are technically at his command. They accuse Emperor Kritagni of straying from the true faith and encouraging heresy.

The dramatic divisions within the Sundarat Dharma faith are increasingly opening the door to Hosianism, which is finding an audience among many middle-class Vascanians who are seeking a more stable religious doctrine. The Auroran church has found some converts in the cities of Kalinda and Vora in the south, but its numbers have only grown from 2 to 3 million in the past few decades. The Bishopal churches have also found followings in wealthier, coastal areas like south-west Khond and the area around Vatapor. Growing more rapidly, however, is the Society of Brethren, a branch popular in Kalistan which professes universalism and personal spiritual connection bordering on mysticism. The religion's numbers have swelled from 50,000 in 4840 to 2.3 million in 4919 and has several notable followers including the leader of the AVL political party. Major congregations have sprung up in the cities of Vora, Vatapor, Inniya and Vakavana.

          VascaniaNews is a Vascanian public news service produced by the Vascanian Broadcast Union

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New capital planned on Lake Panorisa

          
          Above: location and artist's concept of the new capital

The government has today announced plans to build a new capital for the Vascanian Empire on the northern shores of Lake Panorisa, in the less densely populated 'panhandle' of Rajavant. Provisionally named 'Vikasapur', the planned city will serve as the headquarters for most of the country's ministries and special services. The city will have a parliamentary building constructed as well as a business district and a royal palace, though the Emperor will likely continue to split his time between various estates throughout the country.

Canals connecting the city to the ocean are planned, creating waterways between Lake Panorisa and the Rajuttistan city of Amoda to allow for maritime commerce and a ferry service. Motorways and rail lines will connect Vikasapur to the nearby Rajavanshi city of Kalakari and then on to the state capital of Vora. Connections to Bhapor via the smaller city of Jindihu are also planned, with Vascania's flagship high-speed rail being expanded towards the new city. An airport north of the new capital, near the border with Bhaporistan, will provide transport internationally and a lake-side port will be constructed to allow for trade across the lake and into the outside world via the canal. Various schools, hospitals, temples and public art galleries are also set to be constructed to support the new inhabitants.

The peninsula on which the city will be located, called 'Chelunang peninsula', will thus become its own self-governing territory. The area's current population is estimated at 1.3 million, with most of that population living in a series of coastal fishing and tourism towns that will soon be subsumed as suburbs of Vikasapur. The government plans to have a population of around 3 million by the end of 4950, but will be trying to keep population growth at a low rate to keep the project economically viable.

The high cost of building this massive new city could stretch into the tens of billions. This is on top of other major spending drives initiated by the government and its predecessors including: a recently constructed second aircraft carrier for the Imperial Fleet, the construction of an operational naval base in Malivia with expensive high-tech equipment, anti-flooding defences along the coast of Paristan and a build-up of the Imperial Air Force. The government has been criticised for prioritising funds to the construction of Vikasapur while cutting social services. Some have accused the right-wing government of trying to move the centre of political gravity away from the left-wing city of Kamalata and towards a more rural, conservative area.

The project, if completed, would be the centrepiece of a post-Rapa Pile Vascanian renewal and could signal a sense of self-confidence in the nation. On the other hand, the new city could quickly become a financial burden and its distance from other major cities could make it unappealing to business. The Emperor himself has reportedly expressed concern about the project, though the Chelunang peninsula is more closely aligned to Emperor Kritagni's Daenist religious beliefs than the more religiously diverse city of Kamalata with its large Hosian population.

          VascaniaNews is a Vascanian public news service produced by the Vascanian Broadcast Union

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Government's popularity fades after another delay to Paristan flood defences
5 September 4921

The government has continued to fall in favourability polling after announcing further delays to the multi-billion rupee Paristan flood defence project. Several years after major flooding in the state claimed over 90 lives, the project to build anti-flood infrastructure such as artificial levees and drainage valleys has halted at less than 40% completion. The government has argued that the delays are necessary as the project is running over-budget and new measures are having to be designed to combat logistical problems not evident from the original geological survey of the terrain. The governing right-wing majority has seen their polling fade from 48% to 34% over the course of the year, putting them in danger of losing to a united opposition.

Coastal communities in Paristan and other states have expressed anger that the defences are not yet operations, saying that the government is undervaluing the security of their area in favour of 'financial nit-picking'. The anti-monsoon infrastructure debate is almost certain to dominate next year's already contentious election, with the left-wing alliance pledging to increase taxes on large corporations to fund a massive infrastructure spending package. Other issues include religion, high business rates, overfishing, wetland protection and the defection of Sanashtra's First Minister Ankita Dehade to the Community Party - now rebranded as 'Union & Community'.


The Kamalata Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Kamalata with national and international circulation.

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Right-wing defeated, left and centre likely to seek unity government
15 June 4922

          
          Results of the Vascanian election in maps and charts

Vascania has voted out its right-wing government, with the governing coalition losing over a hundred seats and falling far short of the 376 needed to form another cabinet. Damaged by repeated infrastructure woes and a spat with the Emperor, the right lost voters across the country to the other two major national parties and a variety of regional and minor parties including the Kalam Nadu Liberals. The two major right-wing parties and some of their local affiliates had ran under the 'VRG' banner, standing for 'Vascanian National Alliance' in Rajutti. The group came just one seat above the left-wing SVM, the United Left Front. The moderate All-Vascanian League (AVL) came third with a small increase on their prior tally, though they were far behind the left and right groups in terms of total seats.

Union & Community, the populist party ran by Sanashtran First Minister Ankita Dehade, dominated the election in their leader's home state. Owing to her personal popularity there, the party managed to win a majority of votes and seats there and took an unexpected gain in the northern state of Tannaraga. Their message of nationalism, loyalty to the Emperor and economic populism served them well in many working class areas that have been moving away from their industrial roots in the last few decades. The Greens and regional parties also made crucial gains, including the Hamal Pradesh regionalists who took a seat for the first time. None of the elected parties support secession from the Empire, but they have various interconnected goals and ideologies that can be difficult to navigate for national parties wanting to ally with them.

The most likely outcome of the election cabinet-wise is an awkward coalition between the left-wing SVM and the centrist AVL. The resulting alliance could probably agree on a broadly internationalist, somewhat environmentalist and socially left-of-centre policy agenda - though the nature of the coalition's economic policy will likely be determined by very tense negotiations. Some in the more radical elements of the SVM are seeking a national referendum on a new Vascanian constitution in the wake of the Emperor's public interferences with state policy and religious matters. Given that the coalition would be precarious already, a divisive plebiscite could cause even more chaos and instability. On the other hand, many Hosians and middle-class professionals in the AVL feel that Vascania's theocratic monarchy and 'Empire' title are backwards and exclusionary. Polling consistently shows public support for retaining the current constitutional arrangements, but the issue is far from dead.

          VascaniaNews is a Vascanian public news service produced by the Vascanian Broadcast Union

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Government announces committee to explore "Constitutional Reform"
10 August 4923

The coalition government has announced its intention to form a committee with the objective of considering changes to the Vascanian constitution, with the possibility of framing an entirely new constitution also set to be considered. The new body, titled the "Cross-Vascania Committee on Constitutional Reform & the National Vision", will be made up of representatives from across Vascanian society including the federal parliament, state assembly, legal societies, the financial industry and the scientific community, as well as past and present diplomatic officials. Notably excluded are religious officials or members of the military, signalling a potential hostility to organisations considered closely aligned to the Emperor himself.

Issues of particular importance to the government include: the position of the monarchy and its powers, the influence of Sundarat Dharma officials on government affairs, the structure of Vascanian state and local governments, Vascania's economic model and the country's relationship to minorities such as Hosians and ethnic minorities. This exhaustive list of key policy areas has been debated in many ways over two centuries of Vascanian history, leading to the country's current political climate. To the government at a moment of sharp political division, the ambitious vision of this new constitutional project is considered to be a solution that can allow for greater national unity and development.

The exact results of the committee's findings are hard to predict, though the current progressive government will likely seek protection for minorities, a distinct separation of Church and state, environmental commitments and a reduction in the monarch's influence. Some have gone as far as to support a republican vision of Vascania, with a dramatically restructured political system from top to bottom. Most analysts also expect that the reforms could be solidified by a series of nationwide referenda, either as a package deal or issue-by-issue.

Any reduction in religious or imperial influence will undoubtedly come up against fierce resistance from the political right and the clergy itself, both of which want constitutional reform in an entirely different direction. Many conservatives would like to see a more centralised and explicitly religious country with ultimate power invested in the Emperor. Regardless, many have been disenchanted with the status quo for a long time and the rivalry between equally matched forces in Vascanian politics will only continue until the foreseeable future.

               Kalam Courier is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Kalam Nadu with a conservative editorial stance

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     Hosianism in Vascania: An Ascendant Minority
     13 August 4924

The politics of religion continues to influence Vascania, its government and its identity. Daenism continues to dominate the country's demographics, generally expressed through the state-sanctioned theology of Sundarat Dharma. Many Vascanians hold syncretic religious beliefs, mixing Daenist teachings with local gods and spirits. Ahmadism has been through a centuries-long cycle of growth and decline but is currently firmly ostracised after persecution in the 4700s. The religion that can be most firmly said to be on the incline in the Empire is now Hosianism, but it enters this period of growth with significant internal divisions and thousands of years of divisive history at its back.

Hosianism was introduced to Vascania not long after it first formed, with the key centres of the faith only a few days' travel from the continent. At a time when the region was bitterly contested between local powers, the teachings of Eliyahu found a small but loyal following on the country's relatively stable eastern coast. The minority was largely ignored by the indigenous kingdoms, including after the arrival of Ahmadism to the continent and the establishment of Ahmadi-ruled states in eastern Vascania. It was only after the arrival of Hosian colonists from the western hemisphere that the religion developed a new weight, becoming associated for hundreds of years with the oppression of native people. After the independence of Kalkalistan and Vanakalam - and especially after their unification into the modern Vascanian state - Hosianism and Ahmadi were viewed with suspicion as 'foreign' religions imposed through conquest. Though the mother of the nation - T. Sagana herself - was a Hosian, Sundarat Dharma became the expression of spirituality that felt in tune with the rising power's identity and newfound sense of self.

     
     Above: a map of Hosianism's relative strength throughout southern Vascania. The darkest blue indicates a Hosian majority.

Since the Rapa Pile War, however, the situation has changed. The country no longer felt invincible and was no longer on an endless path upwards. A sense of openness and interest in the outside world developed, powered by the sudden surge in support for the moderate All-Vascanian League among the rising Vascanian middle class and those living on the affluent coasts of Khond, Rajavant and Rajuttistan. Since the rise of Emperor Kritagni and his fundamentalist Daenism, many outward-facing people have become reacquainted with the Hosian faith as a truly international religion with teachings that many felt able to accept.

Hosianism in Vascania is most common in the south and along its historic strongholds across the eastern coast. Key centres of the church include Kayal Island in Rajavant and the major southern cities of Vatapor and Vatavana. The Bishopal and Auroran churches have similar levels of support throughout the country, though the Bishopal church has particular strength in the east and the Aurorans in the south-west. Another interesting demographic is the Society of Brethren, the fastest growing religion in Vascania with nearly four million followers and a strong following in the city of Vora - making up more than 10% of the city's population. From the 14% of Vascanians who are Hosian: 6% are Bishopal, 6% Auroran, 1% Brethren and 1% other.

With the faith on the rise, its political gravity is also growing. Hosianism in Vascania is closely tied to moderate movements like the All-Vascanian League and the Vascanian Green Party, with the class dynamics of the religion likely connected to those politics. The faith also has strained relations to the Imperial family, especially as the current Emperor is such a stringent Daenist and holds views in opposition to other faiths. As the constitutional question continues to be debated, the opinions of the significant Hosian minority on the monarchy and its theological intransigence could carry massive weight, especially as they make up half of the AVL's voter base. How religious relations develop in the country as we speed towards a new millennium, that is hard to predict.

     Ikshana is a magazine in Vascania focusing on language, religion and other cultural issues.

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Constitutional committee publishes findings, referendum set for 4926
5 October 4925

The government's constitutional committee has published its findings after three years of research and debate. The select group of political, diplomatic and economic advisors has drafted a 35-page manifesto and recommended that the government put the proposed changes to a public plebiscite. In a response that had been pre-written before the findings were officially released, the coalition government made up of moderate and leftist parties agreed to hold a nationwide vote to decide whether or not the Vascanian public agrees ot disagrees with the manifesto - at least in spirit. If the majority of the public votes 'Yes' in the referendum, then the government will set about drafting an entirely new constitution in line with the committee's ideas.

The proposals are radical and far-ranging, and would lead to a near-total change to the country's structure. Perhaps most eye-catchingly, the committee has come to the particularly radical conclusion that the Vascanian monarchy and its nexus of spiritual aides is outdated and must be abolished in order for the country to advance politically and societally. Their recommendation is that a popularly elected Presidency be established, with elections for the office to be held under an instant-runoff system, and that the country be secularised. The Vascanian parliament would also be reformed, moving from a mixed-member proportional (MMP) system to an election held under a fully proportional system with each state guaranteed a certain number of seats according to its population. The parliament would be decreased from 751 representatives to 700 in a bid to combat 'wastefulness'.

Symbols for the nation would also be changed if the new constitution were to be approved. The country itself would be reorganised as the 'Democratic League of Vascania' and the flag would be changed to a straight-forward tricolour. Other national symbols like the national currency, coat of arms and national animals could also be adjusted to fit with the broad spectrum of reforms. The committee says that these changes would help to rehabilitate Vascania's image abroad and bring the country 'into the 50th century'.

The plan to change the location of the capital from Kamalata to a site in northern Rajavant would be abandoned, with Kamalata instead becoming a territory with special powers separating it from the rest of Rajuttistan. No concrete plans on changes to other states have been proposed, though there may be room for further investigations into the current system of states if the far-reaching reforms are agreed to by the public. The constitutional committee has also recommended simplifications to local government, abandoning the current two-tier system of divisions and districts in favour of a single tier government for most areas outside of cities too large to be governed as one single entity. This would reduce costs and increase simplicity, with division-level powers split between state assemblies and reformed districts.

The radical nature of the plans has led to predictable responses from across the Vascanian political spectrum. Socialists and liberals seem to largely support the plans in spirit, taking it as an opportunity to finally abolish the monarchy and remove the problematic 'Empire' title from the country's name. Hosians and other religious minorities are largely happy to have a chance at doing away with the current state religion which they feel creates an unwelcoming environment for many in the country's diverse population. The left-wing parties in parliament are endorsing the proposals, while the moderate AVL and the Greens are allowing members to pick for themselves.

Conservatives and nationalists are outraged at the plans and have promised to campaign ferociously for a 'No' vote in the referendum planned for next year. They have derided the plan as an attempt to 'mutilate' the national identity of Vascania and 'obliterate' its heritage. The populist Union & Community party, which supports some level of constitutional reform, has said that the proposals to abolish the monarchy and secularise Vascania go 'too far' and that they want to see the plans revised before a public vote is called. The extremely nationalist Vascanian National Alliance - made up of the right-wing VRG and the far-right RM parties - have promised supporters that they will fight to kill the proposals.

The coming year is set to expose deep splits in Vascanian society, with a fierce campaign expected over the committee's findings and the subsequent vote. Objections and anger from the right will likely only continue to grow and the position of the Emperor himself will become increasingly unstable. Polling has pointed to a majority support for constitutional reform, but with the specific clause of republicanism now added the vote could come down to the wire.


The Kamalata Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Kamalata with national and international circulation.

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     Campaigning ramps up in tense referendum
     7 February 4926

     
     'Vote Yes' rally in the city of Lavati

The constitutional referendum campaign has ramped up as only a few months remain before the decisive vote. The 'Yes' and 'No' campaigns have recruited dozens of national and local politicians as well as fleets of celebrities to support the cause restlessly at rallies and on social media, with the Vascanian internet now dominated by the intense debate over whether or not to fundamentally change the nature of the country. Polling suggests that the 'Yes' side has an extremely narrow lead, at around 53% to 47%.

The 'Yes' campaign is spending massive amounts of resources on canvassing, using their enthusiastic supporters - especially students - to knock on doors and drive up turnout in key areas. The campaign has been trying to shore up its support with middle class voters in densely populated areas like the southern and eastern coasts with a direct appeal to Hosian and irreligious voters. The constitutional changes at stake in the referendum includes a proposal to turn the country into a fully secular state, an idea which is appealing to those who do not follow the state religion of Sundarat Dharma. Students have been recruited from major universities to run on-campus campaigns aimed at tackling issues for the country's growing college-educated population, with messaging focused on the empowerment of young people to bring about once-in-a-lifetime change to the structure of the continent.

The 'No' campaign has spent a majority of its budget on vicious online campaigning. Rural voters have been told by online advertisements that by transferring power to a directly-elected President election campaigns will focus on urban centres to the detriment of small villages and agricultural workers. Massive rallies have been held in right-wing strongholds like the city of Sangora with enormous monarchist banners festooned around stadiums, public parks and farms. The rallies are enormous and attended by a mixture of social conservatives and nationalists. One commentator has remarked that in certain towns and villages of northern Kalam Nadu, religious and pro-imperial signs have been put up in front of almost every single house.

An unexpected star in the campaign is Ankita Dehade, leader of the Union & Community party. A dominating figure in Sanashtra state politics, Dehade is a reformist who has turned against the particular proposals outlined in the referendum and is now passionately defending the institution of the monarchy in the media. Her weighty endorsement of the 'No' campaign was considered a pivotal moment early on, with the potential to swing the entire state away from the 'Yes' side. Her energetic style on the campaign trail, her frequent TV appearances and her willingness to engage directly with voters have led to her being considered a key asset for monarchists.

     VascaniaNews is a Vascanian public news service produced by the Vascanian Broadcast Union

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     Voting day arrives: future of Vascania hangs in the balance
     21 August 4926

     
     Above: voting under way at a polling place in north-west Bhaporistan

Voting day has arrived in the extremely fractious referendum over the future of Vascania. Issues including the monarchy, the state religion and the organisation of the country's government nationally and locally are all coming to a head after an extremely divisive campaign with the public clearly split between a secular republic and a religious monarchy. Turnout is expected to be high and regional differences are expected to be stark.

All of the country's news outlets are likely to have live coverage as the results roll in tonight. Voting will close in three phases, firstly in the North and East zones and then in the Central zone and then the South-West. Results will be counted at the polling places and reported back to one of 28 voting centres from which the results will be announced. Each voting centre will cover the results of either an entire state or part of a state - small states like Hamal Pradesh will be announced as one, larger states like Kalam Nadu will have results announced in the north, centre and south separately for logistical reasons. We will know who the winner is after most of the voting centres have been reported in, with the largest group of votes set to come from the Kamalata Metropolitan Area.

The question on the ballot paper reads:

Should Vascania move to adopting a new constitution, in line with the proposals of the government's Committee on Constitutional Reform?

     VascaniaNews is a Vascanian public news service produced by the Vascanian Broadcast Union