Tropica

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Tropica

Postby jamescfm » Sun Oct 08, 2017 2:55 pm

The Tropican Daily Dispatch is daily, independent newspaper in the Republic of Tropica. It also operates online and mobile versions of its content.
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Re: Tropican Daily Dispatch

Postby jamescfm » Sun Oct 15, 2017 10:42 am

Parliament Approves New National Flag
3rd August 4287

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The new flag of the Republic of Tropica, approved last night

Parliament approved a change to the Tropican national flag by a single vote overnight, despite serious controversy over whether the vote should go ahead. Following one of the longest recorded debates in the history of the national legislature, the Speaker announced that the result was 272-271 in favour of a the new flag. Primarily, the votes in favour were those of the two governing parties, the Labour Party and the People's Coalition, however the opposition of several backbenchers meant that the support of the radical National Workers Liberation Front was required.

Leader of the New Democratic Party, Timoteo Pule, has called the result "a disgrace to our history and heritage, which has been enabled by the support of communist militants and insurgents" and encouraged Labour representatives to overthrow their leader, Prime Minister Ula Jones. For her part, Jones has defended the decision. According to her, and to indigenous rights activists, the current flag represents the oppression and genocide of colonial regimes. In particular, the symbol of the sun has been linked to Luthorian colonisation and continues to incite protest from groups representing native Tropican peoples.

Among the general public, polling suggests that the population is split. Natpol, a market research company, state that 37% of people prefer the current flag while 35% prefer the new one however there appears to be a split between left and right, with Labour voters far more likely to support the change. Sensing a political opportunity, the Freedom Party of Tropica has already pledged to immediately return the flag to the traditional sun-based one if they are able to form a government in the future. With elections due in less than twelve months, this could prove a difficult issue for the Prime Minister navigate.

Meanwhile, the individual who designed the new flag, Salema Vailili, has explained her inspiration and symbolism to the Daily Dispatch, "the blue represents the ocean which surrounds our country and is vital to our society and economy while the black and yellow represent strength and justice. I choose to include the kangaroo in the bottom corner because I feel its a national symbol which can transcend ethnic, political or religious identity and promote some kind of unity. It's white on the flag to show how it's pure and peaceful, like our nation can be".
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Re: Tropican Daily Dispatch

Postby Arapaima13 » Sat Nov 18, 2017 11:03 am

Tropican Daily Dispatch
Surge In Communist Support as NWLF and NWP Make Large Gains in Legislative Elections

- Labour Party Finish First
- Communist Support Used to Create Left-Wing Government
- People's Coalition and Freedom Party Collapse


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The Results:
Labour Party: 235 seats
New Democratic Party: 138 seats
National Worker's Liberation Front: 81 seats
National Worker's Party: 56 seats
People's Coalition: 29 seats
Tropican Green Party: 6 seats
Freedom Party of Tropica: 5 seats


On an historic night, the National Worker's Party and the National Worker's Liberation Front have made remarkable gains in the Tropican Parliament, as a sharp swing by voters towards the left sees the right and centre collapse. It was an especially bad night for the Freedom Party of Tropica who lost 23 of their 28 seats, whilst the moderate Greens also lost half of their seat share in the Parliament. The results meant that the the National Worker's Liberation Front will become the first communist party in Tropican history to be involved in a government.

Pending the ceremonial appointment of a Prime Minister by the Chief of State, it will be set in stone that the NWLF shall play a large role in the cabinet, with reports suggesting that Labour Leader, soon-to-be Prime Minister, Kamari Segeyaro is willing to allow the NWLF to hold the Foreign Affairs and Defence roles. This however, has left the National Worker's Party a little irritated by their exclusion from government. Their leader, Ahonui Keawe, has called for a "big tent left-wing coalition," and has called it a "shame" that a party with so much in common to the government parties has been excluded.

Meanwhile the official opposition is set to be unchanged with the New Democratic Party sitting with close companions the FPT. They return to the House with a significantly decreased seat share than when they left. After the collapse That leaves the Greens, the People's Coalition, and of course the NWP to take up the cross bench seats. With such a large majority, it does not seem likely that they will have much effect on the next parliament, however the PC could play a pivotal role in preventing far-left legislation passing should enough Labour MPs rebel.

With the government able to exercise much legislative and executive power within Tropica, it is to be assumed that far-left legislation shall be passed through the Parliament. Whilst communism has never been a stranger to third world politics, it has for the first time, an opportunity to cement itself at the core one of the most left wing governments in the developing world. The NWLF has already announced its intention to push for nationalisation in several areas - crucially healthcare and education, with leader Jordan Alexander quoted as saying, "We expect a huge crackdown on the corrupted private sector, and would expect to nationalise any industries should companies not live up to the standards expected of them by the Tropican people."
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Re: Tropican Daily Dispatch

Postby Reddy » Mon Jan 15, 2018 12:12 pm

Mana Coalition Wins
Coalition Partners Demand "Radical Devolution"
September 4333

A non-socialist coalition of Tropican parties, the Mana (Power) Coalition has been swept to victory in the latest Tropican parliamentary elections. The victory ended 28 years of Labour Party led coalition government. The 23 party coalition, led by the centre-right New Democratic Party won 384 out of 550 seats most of them in rural areas. The NDP's Mr. Tufuga Lepa is to be appointed Prime minister by Chief of State Mr. Toke Metua in the coming days. The incoming PM will according to the Tropican New Times, "need to show superhuman skills in managing his large and disparate coalition" The coalition is comprised of parties opposed to the Labour led alliance's pro-modernisation and egalitarian agenda if not necessarily its centre-left economics.

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Incoming PM Toke Metua

As many as 16 of the 23 parties are clan-based alliances intent on implementing the old pre-colonical fa'a Tropica. The fa'a Tropica is the old system of socio-political organisation where societies are organised along clan lines with tribal chieftains (the Matai) acting as chief administrators. It has been estimated that there are as many as 2,000 Matai and clans in Tropica, each with as few as 200 members and as many as 20,000, and the exact structure and responsibilities differ along linguistic and cultural lines. The fa'a, according to its proponents would work as a form of radical devolution and promote local community development while avoiding the divisiveness of ethnic or regional devolution/federalism. They also argue that it would work well within the framework of Tropica's parliamentary democracy. The idea has a lot of sympathy within the NDP itself given its propensity for elitist leadership sourced from the clan aristocracy. Incoming PM Metua is himself a Matai from north western Tropica along with nearly half of the members of his incoming cabinet.
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Re: Tropican Daily Dispatch

Postby Reddy » Tue Jan 16, 2018 8:02 am

Clan Based Devolution
February 4334

The Tropican Parliament has passed the Empowerment of Traditional Institutions Act. The Act has been described as the most important piece of legislation passed by Parliament since the adoption of the new flag nearly five decades ago. It will devolve authority in several areas currently under rural municipal authorities to the traditional chieftains known as the Matai. A Matai will have to be first registered with a the Government Clan Registry, have it present a plan for self-governance. The Government will then recognise the clan and its Matai and allocate a certain portion of publicly held lands into communal ownership along with a portion of tax revenue.

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Matais at a traditional ceremony

The clan authorities will also be entitled to enter profit-sharing ventures with local enterprises particular those involved in the exploration of precious natural resources. Small clans are encouraged to create joint authorities as the funding formula deliberately favours larger clan authorities. As such of the country's 2,000 plus clans, it is expected that around 700 clan authorities will be registered and created, each with an average population of 5,000.

The most controversial part of the Act is that introducing a new legislative upper house the Council of Traditional Leaders. The Council will be composed of the Matais of each registered clan authority. The Council will wield significant authority and most controversially, possess the power to block any bill passed by the lower house except for money bills. The leftwing opposition led by Labour has decried this "backdoor restoration of monarchy" but the Government has rejected this line of criticism and instead argued that this would empower the traditionally marginalised rural communities. The political effects of this Act are yet to be fully realised but already many dire and optimist predictions have been made by one side or the other.
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Re: Tropican Daily Dispatch

Postby Reddy » Fri Jan 19, 2018 6:11 am

Government Allies Threaten To Leave Coalition
July 4335

Prime Minister Toke Metua faces the first serious crisis of his government following the threat by several of his traditional oriented coalition allies. Nearly a third of his bloc's members signed a letter calling for further and rapid devolution with the explicit threat of "installing new leadership if necessary" included. The clan authorities are currently responsible for just 7% of total government spending and have demanded that this figure rise to 30% over the next five years, demanding among other things more say on healthcare, education and local policing. The legislative upper house the Council of Traditional Leaders has threatened to hold up all legislation from the lower house until these demands are satisfied. The Prime Minister has so far refused to give in but has left the door open for a compromise.

The government's traditionalist allies have been slowly testing the PM's resolve. They began with relatively harmless requests of putting up statues of ancient Tropican monarchs, religious leaders and anti-colonial resistance fighters here and there which was generally accepted by the Government without much resistance. Then it moved to renaming various towns and districts, something also accepted although the Government insisted that the old names be kept as well. After these small victories, the traditionalists became emboldened and in February, successfully demanded the resignation of a junior Minister who described them as "thuggish" in an interview. Ever since then, the demands have escalated and they have generally gotten their way. It remains to be seen how the latest confrontation will go.

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Re: Tropican Daily Dispatch

Postby Reddy » Sun Jan 21, 2018 6:49 am

Government Crisis Resolved...For Now
February 4335

Prime Minister Toke Metua has managed to save his two year old government after agreeing to make humiliating concession to his traditionalist allies. The Prime Minister agreed to meet the traditionalists' demand for local control of 30% of total government spending and a timeline to increase this to 50% over the next ten years along of course with further devolution. This came after the upper house the Council of Traditional Elders blocked passage of the government's agenda for six months without any exceptions whatsoever. Thus the clan executives will get more control over public policing, environmental protection, economic development, health and education. The PM has been heavily criticised by the opposition for his submission and warned that the traditionalists were "wild beasts who would not cease once they had tasted blood."

Hasan Mariani Group Expresses Interest In Tropican Investment

The national government has agreed to allow the Hasan-Mariani Holding & Investment Group to invest in Tropica. The powerful Istalian corporate group has been invited to invest in the country's tourism, copper, natural gas, palm oil, sugar and coconut oil sectors and even take the lead on offshore exploration for oil. This happy development will however face one complexity - the requirement of negotiation with clan executives in each territory that they wish to operate in. The clan executives usually demand profit-sharing but can also place other regulations which a recent Jakanian would-be palm oil sector investor described as "maddening" Many economists have expressed concern over "radical devolution" and its likely effect on uniform and sustainable economic development and worry that some companies might begin divesting from the country.
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Re: Tropican Daily Dispatch

Postby Reddy » Thu Mar 29, 2018 12:45 pm

Government Collapses
Eighth Coalition To Fall In Five Years
March 4370

Tropica's chronic instability seems set to continue following the fall of yet another government. Prime Minister Toke Metua Jr's seventeen party coalition fell after two independents supporting the coalition demanded increases in local control from the current 75% of all public spending to 85%. Metua Jr rejected this and saw his narrow majority disappear. Chief of State Kahikina Inouye has asked the PM to stay on as caretaker leader while a new coalition is negotiated. Inouye has found his seven year tenure wracked by extreme political instability and growing regionalist sentiments; all forcing him to intervene in political affairs more than his position as ceremonial head of state would otherwise warrant.

The steady decentralised and fragmentation of political parties means that a record 31 parties are represented in Parliament. The largest of these is Metua Jr's New Democratic Party which holds just 53 out of 550 seats. Coalition-building is too often an exercise involving naked corruption and bribery in the "count to 276" All this is causing significant concern to Tropica's neighbours as the island of Kamehameha seems to be breaking out into anarchy. The tribal authorities there are resistant to rule from the centre and many often participate in outright criminality. No government has served log enough in the past 15 years to solve Kamehameha's issues and resources are quite scarce anyway.
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Re: Tropican Daily Dispatch

Postby Reddy » Sat Mar 31, 2018 3:53 pm

Missing Aldegarian Ship "Floats" To Kamehameha
May 4370

Caretaker Prime Minister Toke Metua Jr has informed the Aldegarian government that the missing oil tanker The Little Shahbanu has been found off the coast of south eastern Kamehameha (the southern island) The ship had been missing for 12 days causing great concern to Aldegar and several Seleyan nations. None of its 24 member crew have been found and they are presumed dead at this point. The PM's announcement came only after aldegar threatened to end its 15 million LOD aid program to Tropica.

Aldegar said it would send investigators and escort ships to bring it back home. It has been reported in the media that they were signs of boarding and possibly a struggle on the ship but this has not been confirmed by authorities from either Tropica or Aldegar. Few accept the "floating" explanation and some believe that the Tropican government is hiding details of what exactly happened. kamehameha has grown increasingly lawless and the national government's weakness and ongoing political instability have both served to empower criminal and tribal elements, neither which have a particular love for rule of law.
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Re: Tropican Daily Dispatch

Postby CCP » Mon Apr 02, 2018 5:24 am

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