President Ihejirika issues sharp rebuke of murder of Veleazan refugeesBy Basim Atuf, Senior Staff WriterAL-KHATIN ISLAND, ONZA - In an unusual diplomatic move, the Ivory Tower issued a barbed statement strongly criticizing the
Veleazan government for the shooting of two refugees attempting to cross into
Midrasia, as well as the government's response to the incident. According to Midrasian media and evidence reviewed by the Chronicle, a family of three made an attempt to cross the border into Midrasia. Of the three -- a mother and two children, one female and one male -- the son and the mother were both killed by Veleazan militants, while the daughter escaped into Midrasia.
The incident prompted a strong response from Midrasian Prime Minister
Melcion Portas, who said in a speech to the Midrasian Parliament that he would amplify pressure on the international community to sanction the state. The government clarified to the press that while war is still unlikely, the conflict will certainly result in an escalation of tensions.
Portas also hinted that he may appeal to the
Commonwealth of Democratic Nations -- an alliance and international body which the UDE is a member of -- to address the incident.
The UDE's responsePresident
Mustapha Ihejirika admonished the Communist nation in a statement that breaks heavily from Onza's traditional, isolationist approach to foreign affairs. Although Ihejirika does not technically assume the office of the Presidency until 1 January, the period following the inauguration is considered fair game for the inaugurate to exercise the powers of the office, assuming they have obtained the consent of the sitting President.
The entire statement was roughly 350 words. Ihejirika began by recognizing Midrasia for embracing the Veleazan refugees. "We must first recognize the heroes of this situation -- were it not for the Midrasians, not a single life would have been preserved, and countless others who have successfully escaped to a better life would still be living under the barbarous regime that claims to rule Veleaz."
The statement then chastised the Veleazan government for its policy of shooting refugees attempting to flee. "To ask one to fathom that in this day and age, a regime so vile and cruel as the government under Enrique Vincente and Ferdinand Conti still existing, would be to ask the impossible. The Veleazan policy of shooting unarmed refugees simply because they are attempting to flee is at best emblematic of the pitiful state of denial that Veleaz is in concerning its failures to its people and at worst the most wicked and egregious assault on human rights in Asura."
Ihejirika also lambasted the nation for its response, delivered via Veleazan state media, to the incident, calling the regime "spineless." In particular, this portion of the statement focused on what Ihejirika sees as weakness -- that is, for a government to ordain the extrajudicial execution of unarmed citizens attempting to flee.
What may happen next?It's hard to say. Many are expecting Portas to approach the CDN about sanctioning the nation. Should such a thing occur, the actions that Onza can -- and in some cases is mandated to -- legally take are somewhat debatable, given the unusual nature of this statement. In fact, statements from sitting Onzaian Presidents concerning international affairs are incredibly rare, with the vast majority having been issued under
Xolani Kojo's administration.
Ihejirika cited a Constitutional provision in his statement that appears to require Onza to act in the interest of human rights on the international stage. The controversial section, located in Article II of the document, was written in during the drafting process as part of a compromise between the Dem Socs and the Liberals concerning how the Emirates should approach other nations of the world. In spite of this, all Presidents leading up to Kojo have adhered to the Mudima Doctrine -- named for President Adewale Mudima, who began a de facto policy of isolationism during his Presidency. The so-called Kojo Doctrine refers to the break from isolationism that began earlier this year when President Xolani Kojo began greatly expanding Onza's involvement in international affairs.
Critics have noted that the aforesaid provision does not specify the criteria for what constitutes a violation of human rights. Proponents have asserted that the rights guaranteed by the Onzaian Constitution should be adopted as the Emirates' definition of "human rights," and that protection of these should be extended to the international stage whenever possible. Thus, Ihejirika is taking a major stand on an issue that has been questioned since Kojo began his foreign policy shakeup -- a stance that may shape Onzaian politics for quite some time.
Should the CDN be asked to consider sanctions, and if they do, then Ihejirika will almost certainly direct Onza's delegation to vote in favor of the provisions -- a move that will win Ihejirika more gravitas with several Dem Socs and even some Liberals, but will greatly strain his position with others who have called for a hard return to the Mudima Doctrine.
How does this affect Onzaian politics?The most obvious way the UDE's response to this incident will influence its politics is that this is an unusually-prominent opportunity to either cement the status of the Kojo Doctrine under Ihejirika's administration or bring it screeching to a halt. Ihejirika is currently enjoying a record-high approval rating, but this will likely see some decline among the parties opposed to the Kojo Doctrine should Ihejirika vote to sanction Veleaz. In fact, regardless of what happens beyond this point, the issuing of this unusual reproach will certainly garner some negative attention from the pro-isolationism camp.
In other words, it's going to become increasingly harder for those in Congress to straddle the median between isolationism and globalism, and the move may make or break Senators and Assemblymen alike who take a position that their electorate finds unfavorable. Some analysts expect this to give a big boost to the Dem Socs, who managed to regain a majority in the Senate, and allow them to hold their gains from this past election. Others, however, are warning that the continued polarization of the issue may implode the Dem Socs' renewed support following President Shakil Hussain's unpopular Presidency last decade.