Yatnesh Toleti named Vascanian prime minister following sham election 7 September 5421
Former navy officer Yatnesh Toleti has been named as the next Vascanian prime minister. Toleti’s appointment follows a general election that was subject to massive interference by the Imperial Armed Forces. Under the leadership of Toleti, the Vascanian National Alliance won a majority over the newly-formed Party of Order and Justice. All candidates standing for election to Parliament required the approval of the armed forces.
Since the military seized control of the Vascanian government, Toleti has been a fervent supporter of the actions of Vinay Talavalakar. In exchange for his loyalty, he has been rewarded with the office of prime minister, though it is unclear whether he will wield any power. In his role as senapati, Talavalakar continues to govern the country as a military dictator.
International response to the coup has been mixed. Talavalakar’s rhetoric in the aftermath of his seizure of power was aggressively nationalist and sparked concerns that Vascania might renege on its international agreements. Nothing of the kind has happened though. At present, the only country to take action in response to the regime change is Nsanlosa. After initially
implementing a travel ban, the government of Nsanlosa later
abandoned the policy.
Talavalakar’s priority in his early months in power has instead been domestic. Less than two weeks after the coup, he had ordered the arrest of dozens of politicians on corruption charges. Though most of the charges were false, it is revealing that they generally linked the corruption to large corporations. According to academic Maya Kashyap, the arrests were an attempt to “send a message” to the business establishment in Vascania.
In spite of the repressive political environment, there were pro-democracy protests in a handful of major Vascanian cities on the day of the election. Under the direction of the government, the police arrested hundreds of people in Sabuda, Thikkonagama and Vora. Human rights organisations have condemned the actions of the government but have been denied the opportunity to speak with those arrested.
The Kamalata Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper, originally based in Kamalata but now printed in exile from Luthori, with international circulation