2006.04.30
Republique De Estadalla
I am going to make up a country and give it a quick history just because I’ve got some ideas brewing in my head. Welcome to the Republique De Estadalla. Despite its cheap ripoff name combining French and pseudo-Spanish the people of Estadalla speak English because that’s what I know.
Colonists came from Europe in the late 1500s. The indigenous peoples they didn’t kill off eventually branched into two groups; those that learned and merged with the colonist’s European culture and benefitted called the Sturique, and those that tried keeping their native culture but were subjugated called the Qoxelles.
In the mid-19th century the colony rebelled and formed its own country, the Republique De Estadalla. The European country fought against the rebellion out of form but didn’t really care much because at this point the colony had been stripped of most resources.
Estadalla was still divided clearly among haves and have-nots. While initially in the heady days of liberation the Sturiques and Qoxelles tried to remediate the bad situation, the Sturiques were reluctant to give up power. The few resources remaining after colonial days were in their hands. It was during this time that corruption became the norm and over the years it became accepted as a part of life. The Estadallan economy never recovered after colonial liberation. Even those in power were poor by their own neighbor’s standards.
The situation could not last and the separation between the Sturiques and Qoxelles became blurrier as wealth leeched from the nation and lawlessness seemed to reign. Many people inside and outside the country questioned whether Estadalla could ever create a functional society and culture with rule of law, economic opportunity and cultural identity. In the 1970s a spectacular coup was made. It was led by a group of friends who could not stand the plight of their nation. Jean-Claude Guerrero, thier leader, was made absolute dictator of the troubled nation. Giving himself an announced annual income of exactly the median income of the country, he set out to reform the country.
The first thing Guerrero did was to crack down on the corruption that plagued his nation. He knew there could be no rule of law when his government was bribable. He appointed his coup friends to be judges and head the police forces. When cases of corruption were brought out they were tried and when individuals were found guilty punishment was severe. For small things on a short time scale, it might mean immediate dismissal. As the degree of corruption increased the punishment was ramped up to public flogging and cutting off of hands. Prison was mandatory.
In one spectacular case a judge, one of the coup-friends of Guerrero’s, was found guilty of corruption himself. On public television Guerrero took the judge and pronounced the sentence and the punishment: death. “Filip Hastengo, the crimes you commited and the office you defiled are not above the law.” The nation was stunned as Guerrero carried out the verdict and shot Hastengo. Though other countries vilified Guerrero and his actions, the rule of law was enforced and corruption diminished dramatically. People began to have faith that the law applied to everyone regardless of station.
Guerrero’s other concern was his economy. The Sturique administrations he replaced had made laws where foreign investment was almost impossible. He changed this. Foreign companies, attracted by the growing stability, cheap labor and other incentives started moving into the country. Guerrero also entered into various trade treaties with his immidiate neighbors, invested in ports, transportation and other critical infrastructure. Very slowly he started turning Estadalla’s economy around. He reinvested collected taxes into the country.
Education was a big focus for Guerrero. He felt that people who work do not commit crime, and to have a job one must have education and skills. He established certain standards for public school education. 9 years (K-9) were devoted to early education. At that point students could choose to go into vocational schools or higher public education for another three years, or enter the workforce as unskilled labor right away. There were also universities established.
It would be a very long list to mark all the improvements Guerrero made to Estadalla. Though he had his share of scandals (he was a notorious womanizer who never married) he was generally loved -or at least respected- by all. He always emphasized that he was trying to improve the lives of everyone in the country, from farm hands to business owners to school teachers to parents and their children. In particular he showed the Sturiques and Qoxelles that when it came to Estadalla they were the same people and helped them to find common ground and work together.
In the mid-1990s Guerrero started certain governmental reforms. He freed the press, which was relatively open already, from the control of the government. He established a Parlaiment and held national elections to fill the seats. Anyone could run using either their own money or limited use funds from the government. There were no party affiliations and candidates were not allowed to accept any money from anyone else. To common Estadallans, many of whom remembered the corruption of yesteryear or who only knew the rule of Guerrero it was freedom unknown.
In 2000 Guerrero announced to the nation and the world that Estadalla would be creating a new Republic with a new Constitution. Work would begin immediately on the Constitution. The shock announcement was Guerrero declaring when the process was completed and the new government ready he would be stepping down from power.
In 2006 the Constitution, created by a panel of judges, members of Parlaiment, representatives from various legal areas in Estadalla and Guerrero himself, was ratified by a 3/4ths majority of the population. Elections for Parlaiment and the seat of President are scheduled for the summer. Guerrero was asked by many to run for a position the new government but he has declined.
What the future holds for Estadalla no one knows. Jean-Claude Guerrero has already purchased his retirement home near the ocean in his hometown of Porto Liber. He has quipped that now he has fixed the nation he might think about marrying and having children.
Categorized: worldbuilding writing
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