The background: Andamonia and Trellin
In 1895, during the height of the Trellinese Civil War, the unpopular Andamonian Second Republic seized two cities, Rha'gutza and Khorvu, called the 'Trophy Ports', Trellinese harbours isolated from mainland Trellin at the eastern end of the Sea of Velar. As the civil war continued Trellin could do nothing to recapture them. In 1913, the Second Republic fell to a military coup which brought back the Tlacapila dynasty, which had lived in exile since the 1840s. The restored monarchy sought to stabilise a country which for decades had struggled to keep a peaceful democracy. Ambitious military leaders prevented that utopian dream.
In the 1920s, under the command of Field Marshal Hanrel Mata, Andamonia fought against Txekrikar, a protectorate of Trellin, and captured their eastern provinces during the Great Astyrian War. The Andamonian military was eventually fought to a standstill and left exhausted. (More...)
Ten years later, after two decades of isolationism, the Trellinese Empire suddenly brought violent war to Andamonia. Over the next seven years the two empires fought tooth and nail for the lands Andamonia had captured in the previous four decades. Countless thousands died but the war never reached a satisfactory end. Trellin returned to isolation for another seventy-five years and was silent. (More...)
In 2013, the situation in the Trophy Ports reached a critical point. Years of suppression and simmering tension were brought to a boil when the main shipping company refused to continue bringing food to the starving cities. Riots and open rebellion followed. In February 2014, the King of Trellin pledged to bring the Trophy Ports back under his rule. Andamonia disagreed. Diplomacy failed to prevail. In September, Trellin and Andamonia went to war. The conflict was brief but decisive: Andamonia surrendered, Emperor Amahuiz Tlacapilzi agreeing to return the Trophy Ports and the Txekri lands. (More...)
For Andamonia, an empire which had been in sharp decline for generations, the consequences were severe. Rebellions broke out across the country. Several territories attempted to secede. For a year, the imperial government struggled to restore order. Eventually they turned to Trellin, their old enemy, for help. The Trellinese government, now led by Queen Azara V, agreed, and over the next year the two empires worked together to bring back peace. (More...)
As they reached the light at the end of the tunnel, Emperor Amahuiz announced that he would abdicate and dissolve the monarchy. With just three months to erase three generations of monarchist mentality, the presidential campaign has been a mass of confusion. Dozens of major candidates have come and gone, only a few remaining to contest a nationwide election in a country which has forgotten democracy.
This presidential election will use the Alternative Vote, where voters rank the candidates in order of preference. If no candidate achieves a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and the top choices on all ballots (excluding that candidate) are recounted. The cycle repeats until there is a clear winner. (More...)
Reminder: Andamonia's ballots open at 6 a.m. (local time; UTC) on Christmas Day, 2016, closing at 9 p.m..
The field: meet the candidates
In a country which does not know party politics and which has not had a nationwide election in a century, there are quite simply too many candidates to list. The official ballot has eight pages and includes a space for write-in candidates, who do not need to be formally registered. Every Andamonian citizen above the age of thirty is eligible for election and any of them could receive a vote. Most citizens, however, will probably vote for one of the following:
As Andamonia moves to rebuild after years of decay and turmoil, it has opened its arms and phone lines to the international community. No candidate is a clear winner and indeed, even with fewer than twenty-four hours until polls open, it remains to be seen whether any of the current leaders will be elected president of the Andamonian Third Republic. The electorate's decision may ultimately hinge on the response of the international community.
The Election Commission is open to any and all queries on the Andamonian electoral process and is happy to forward questions to the relevant candidates and their campaign offices.
Reminder: Andamonia's ballots open at 6 a.m. (local time; UTC) on Christmas Day, 2016, closing at 9 p.m..
In 1895, during the height of the Trellinese Civil War, the unpopular Andamonian Second Republic seized two cities, Rha'gutza and Khorvu, called the 'Trophy Ports', Trellinese harbours isolated from mainland Trellin at the eastern end of the Sea of Velar. As the civil war continued Trellin could do nothing to recapture them. In 1913, the Second Republic fell to a military coup which brought back the Tlacapila dynasty, which had lived in exile since the 1840s. The restored monarchy sought to stabilise a country which for decades had struggled to keep a peaceful democracy. Ambitious military leaders prevented that utopian dream.
In the 1920s, under the command of Field Marshal Hanrel Mata, Andamonia fought against Txekrikar, a protectorate of Trellin, and captured their eastern provinces during the Great Astyrian War. The Andamonian military was eventually fought to a standstill and left exhausted. (More...)
Ten years later, after two decades of isolationism, the Trellinese Empire suddenly brought violent war to Andamonia. Over the next seven years the two empires fought tooth and nail for the lands Andamonia had captured in the previous four decades. Countless thousands died but the war never reached a satisfactory end. Trellin returned to isolation for another seventy-five years and was silent. (More...)
In 2013, the situation in the Trophy Ports reached a critical point. Years of suppression and simmering tension were brought to a boil when the main shipping company refused to continue bringing food to the starving cities. Riots and open rebellion followed. In February 2014, the King of Trellin pledged to bring the Trophy Ports back under his rule. Andamonia disagreed. Diplomacy failed to prevail. In September, Trellin and Andamonia went to war. The conflict was brief but decisive: Andamonia surrendered, Emperor Amahuiz Tlacapilzi agreeing to return the Trophy Ports and the Txekri lands. (More...)
For Andamonia, an empire which had been in sharp decline for generations, the consequences were severe. Rebellions broke out across the country. Several territories attempted to secede. For a year, the imperial government struggled to restore order. Eventually they turned to Trellin, their old enemy, for help. The Trellinese government, now led by Queen Azara V, agreed, and over the next year the two empires worked together to bring back peace. (More...)
As they reached the light at the end of the tunnel, Emperor Amahuiz announced that he would abdicate and dissolve the monarchy. With just three months to erase three generations of monarchist mentality, the presidential campaign has been a mass of confusion. Dozens of major candidates have come and gone, only a few remaining to contest a nationwide election in a country which has forgotten democracy.
This presidential election will use the Alternative Vote, where voters rank the candidates in order of preference. If no candidate achieves a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and the top choices on all ballots (excluding that candidate) are recounted. The cycle repeats until there is a clear winner. (More...)
Reminder: Andamonia's ballots open at 6 a.m. (local time; UTC) on Christmas Day, 2016, closing at 9 p.m..
The field: meet the candidates
In a country which does not know party politics and which has not had a nationwide election in a century, there are quite simply too many candidates to list. The official ballot has eight pages and includes a space for write-in candidates, who do not need to be formally registered. Every Andamonian citizen above the age of thirty is eligible for election and any of them could receive a vote. Most citizens, however, will probably vote for one of the following:
- Azanj Timaloc — 16%. Former governor of Khorvu, some have attacked Timaloc for surrendering the city without resistance; others have praised him for avoiding bloodshed; most just choose to forget the last two years and look to a brighter future. His position in the imperial government was the most prestigious of any candidate's and he has a long career in the civil service. Timaloc has criticised his rivals for intolerance and close-mindedness. His rivals have criticised him for not taking a hardline position on any one issue. Some consider his lead unassailable, but with such a large field nothing is certain.
- Mirhitoc Hyaalna — 11%. A senior official in the Department for Maritime Industry, Hyaalna has adopted a firm position in promoting Andamonia's marine industries. Under his leadership, aquaculture and shipping were two of Andamonia's only growth areas in the years since 2010, despite Trellinese and Dangish competition and pressure. He has vowed to advance Andamonian interests on the Sea of Velar and called for fisheries to continue using the waters off the Trophy Ports, to the frustration of the Trellinese government. Hyaalna's 'Put Andamonia First' platform has been called "undiplomatic" and "provocative".
- Juhraisi Telmaa — 10%. One-term mayor of the capital, Zadé Axochizin, Telmaa boasts impressive political and commercial connections with the country's elite. Her father owned one of Andamonia's main construction companies and she has pledged to rebuild the country's war-torn regions and develop a comprehensive new infrastructure even if not elected. Although popular with the dwindling middle and upper classes, the phrase "big money" has been associated with Telmaa's name too often to win her more sweeping popularity. She nevertheless remains seen as a progressive candidate.
- Caharen ha'Alhlatli — 8%. Until the end of November, ha'Alhlatli was the most popular candidate on the field. He briefly polled at a record high of 21% until leaked documents suggested he had not only supported the rebel Olahu Commune but been an active member of its ruling committee. This claim was denied and then thoroughly debunked three days later but the damage was done. ha'Alhlatli has campaigned for nationwide healthcare, education and social welfare programmes. His opponents have asked him how he intends to pay for these, but his response has never been more substantial than a knowing wink.
- Letroc Saluis — 6%. The former mayor of Naratunza, Saluis has seen his popularity slowly wane over the past two weeks despite — or perhaps because of — his attempts to appeal to very specific minorities. The centrepiece of his campaign has been religion, which he intends to give pride of place in the new constitution. Many of his rivals call this a step backwards on the road to secularisation, and the mantra "a vote for Saluis is a vote for salvation" has alienated most of Saluis' Christian voters. He is popular in the south and east, where religious persecution was widespread, but some fear that he is cultivating a culture of insulation.
- Yarsu Varzahan — 5%. "Yarsu Varzahan's life should be a movie," said his biographer in 2014. Orphaned at a young age, Varzahan entered the seminary at 16 and the military at 19. He fought in skirmishes on Andamonia's east and west borders and, when discharged for medical reasons at 22, he founded a security agency which fended off some of the largest attempted bank robberies in the nation's history. He has since established six further companies and is campaigning mainly to advertise for his firms, wearing branded clothing and not speaking at debates, "just nodding." A biographical docudrama is currently in production.
- Raxemtli Pakrimoi — 5%. Pakrimoi is the founder of Andamonia's leading charity for the homeless, Ahandomus, which shelters up to sixty thousand annually. His platform focusses on human dignity and on the ongoing refugee crisis in Andamonia, as large numbers were forced to flee the war-torn Olahu Peninsula and the Ubeylatl provinces. Many of Andamonia's charities have endorsed his candidacy, although his weak economic and foreign policies have faced criticism from industry leaders. His refusal to unveil a substantive financial strategy has cost him much of his initial popularity, though he remains a charismatic speaker.
- Maliyaia Rihasanai — 4%. Founder of Andamonians for a Traditional Tomorrow, Rihasanai's popularity surged after her platform shifted from promoting household crafts to cultivating nationalist fervour. Her initial popularity was among rural communities; the demographic changed from women to men before rapidly losing both as her anti-immigrant stance became more inclusive, attacking established religious communities such as Heidish Christians. Rihasanai has been broadly condemned by almost all religious groups, including her own, and has seen her popularity crumble from last month's 9%.
- Shala Lamarilo — 4%. Lamarilo is a former provincial governor, having led the Ubeylatl Ata between 1998 and 2003. Her platform focusses on federalisation, and she has argued that the secession movements during the civil war demonstrate a desire for local autonomy. She boasted the most federalist track record of any governor, her policies regularly being brought to the emperor for arbitration. Lamarilo has been praised for spearheading provincial rights, though her opponents argue that a strong central government is needed to maintain the new peace. Despite low ratings, her share of second-preference votes is thought to be high.
- Necauhoi Quemet — 3%. A senior member of the Imperial Conservation Board, Quemet has run two unsuccessful campaigns for governor of the Olahu province. His platform in both instances centred on ending poaching and illegal logging in Andamonia's richest rainforest. While these remain important tenets, in this election he draws attention to environmental issues caused by the civil war, including the abandonment of oil wells in the Rohocar desert and illegal pollution at sea. Many of his points have been appropriated by his rivals, making Quemet seem an overly specific one-trick pony and his ratings have struggled to recover.
- Oceimet Taleznaan — 3%. A millionaire industrialist and exporter, Taleznaan has repeatedly asserted that he is running as a protest candidate. His platform is nevertheless considered among the most sensible, calling for a stronger judicial system to punish rebels and for a revamped, simplified tax system to make taxes easier to pay. He has attacked the "overblown" civil service and the idea of career politicians, insisting that the public sector is a drain on an impoverished Andamonian populace. Despite being a protest candidate he consistently polls highly, especially in his native Saruluyaha, the empire's wealthiest province.
- Rahaca Omaktli — 2%. Once a senior lecturer in Zacatla Imperial University, Omaktli was discredited in 2010 after insisting that the emperor should renounce the state religion. He is the author of a series of books on secularisation which chronicles his increasingly fervent opposition to organised religion. His appeal is mostly to the literati of Andamonian society, a relatively small demographic, and he has generally been left out of major debates. His popularity has risen somewhat in response to the sectarian politics of some other candidates, gaining from their losses, but he is not expected to win in a deeply religious country.
- Livoheta Monyaan — 2%. Monyaan is the youngest candidate to poll above 1%, having only reached eligible age during the election. Her platform centres on technological advancement for the long-term benefit of the Andamonian economy. Her stance is divisive; some believe automation will improve the national product, while others are concerned for the threat to jobs. Her opposition to a national welfare programme has also alienated much of the electorate. Monyaan is most popular in the coastal, industrialised provinces and major cities, but these areas are also the most vocal in opposition to the loss of jobs.
As Andamonia moves to rebuild after years of decay and turmoil, it has opened its arms and phone lines to the international community. No candidate is a clear winner and indeed, even with fewer than twenty-four hours until polls open, it remains to be seen whether any of the current leaders will be elected president of the Andamonian Third Republic. The electorate's decision may ultimately hinge on the response of the international community.
The Election Commission is open to any and all queries on the Andamonian electoral process and is happy to forward questions to the relevant candidates and their campaign offices.
Reminder: Andamonia's ballots open at 6 a.m. (local time; UTC) on Christmas Day, 2016, closing at 9 p.m..
