Second Imperial Revolution Overthrows the Ishida
JUNE 21, 2932 Kasmenai Teito
After two years of constitutional crisis, the Ishida dynasty's brief rule quietly sputtered into oblivion. A faction of the Archonic Union of Politeia seized the government of Sekowo last Thursday in a peaceful coup d'etat. The former Emperor, Yukio Ishida, stripped of his titles and dignities, was led from the imperial palace by armed guards, his fate still uncertain. Several Ishida loyalists are now facing charges of corruption and crimes against humanity for their involvement in the old regime's repressive and widely unpopular policies. However, the majority of government officials quickly switched allegiance to the new Imperial government when it became obvious that the "Eternal Harmony's" days were numbered.
The coup began when the leader of Imperial Pluralist faction of the AUP convinced a core of disgruntled officers in the Sekowan army to support a regime change. The army and navy, unlike the ranks of the old bureaucracy, contain a large plurality of Orthodox Christian and Greek soldiers. The Orthodox officers had expressed discontent with their lack of representation in the higher posts, but the largely Japanese civilian government had ignored their complaints. The fiscal crisis compounded the instability in the army when the Emperor announced pay cuts across the ranks. When the AUP swept the 2933 elections, the old regime appeared on its last legs. Promising a more inclusive ethnic and religious policy, the Imperial Pluralist faction took control of the AUP in the party's recent convention, igniting a firestorm of unrest against the government. As the opposition parties collapsed, rioting broke out in the capital. When the imperial family and its staff barricaded the palace, the officer revolt began.
The old regime collapsed within hours. The "Imperial Pluralist Party" installed a temporary government while a national constitutional convention was convened. The dominant Greek Orthodox contingent in the convention successfully sold the idea of a "Dual Empire" in which sovereignty would be protected by two Emperors on behalf of the people. The primary aim, claim the new constitution's most ardent supporters, is to protect the rights of minorities against an overzealous and centralizing government. Most of the delegates agreed that the new government should make the recovery of Sekowo's far-flung empire its first priority.