Into the Unknown - Fictional Election Series (Master Thread)

[Kamala]

[Author's Note: So I was inspired by Lumine's Iron Lady series, but I felt that it would be fun to do with a fictional nation. I didn't want to be constrained by reality all that much. I whipped up a basic map in like 10 minutes, so if anyone wants to collaborate and make a flag, city names, better map, whatever, I would be honored.

I'll be using photos of real-life politicians to represent fictional ones - there's no correlation in their political beliefs or histories.]

Into the Unknown: The Story of Lamarna
August 19th, 1977

Chairwoman of the Transitional Government Nellie Hedrock announces her retirement


(Basic) Map of Lamarna

[From Encyclop?dia Brittanica] Lamarna is a island nation in the North Pacific, consisting of a chain of  17 major islands and thousands of minor islands. Originally settled by Polynesians in tenth century CE, the islands were colonized by Germany and Great Britain in the nineteenth century. After WWI, Great Britain administered the entire chain. During WWII, the islands were under Japanese occupation, but were liberated by the Americans in 1943. After World War II, the islands were granted independence, and in a referendum, chose to become a republic and leave the Commonwealth. Elections were held in 1946, but British Navy admiral Harrison Blakelee installed himself as President in a coup. For the next nearly 30 years, Blakelee ruled the islands, modernizing the economy but severely clamping down on political and civil rights, especially aggressive towards the native Mālno population. Blakelee maintained a policy of nonalignment in the Cold War.

In 1974, mass protests around the country, led by Lamarna National University professor Nellie Hedrock, labor representative Edwin Cunningham, Mālno chieftain Tanno Lalle?, and farmer leader Joseph Illydwin, overthrew Blakelee in a (relatively) bloodless coup. By January 30th, 1975, all elements of the Blakelee government were purged and the Transitional Government was established, with Hedrock at the helm.

The Lamarna archipelago is approximately in size of the South Island of New Zealand, and can be split into two areas: the North Islands and the South Islands. The North Islands are more densely populated, more industrial, and contain the capital of Alberton [the yellow dot]. The South Islands are more agricultural and contain a larger population of native Mālno.  [end of excerpt.]

Blue dots represent towns with population greater than 75,000. Overall, the islands contain a population of three million, approximately five hundred thousand of whom are full or majority Mālno, and a further three hundred thousand of minority Mālno descent. The islands are approximately 1100 miles west-northwest of the Hawaiian islands.


In her address on August 19th, Chairwoman Hedrock announced that the Transitional Government has finished its work and free elections are to be held in December of the same year. These are the first free elections to be held in thirty years.

Hedrock, a well-respected government and political science professor, also announced she would not be seeking any political office after the end of her service on the Transitional Government. She stated she would be returning to teach at Lamarna National University.

The Transnational Government wrote the new constitution, in which a proportional, single-chambered parliamentary democracy would be established, with a figurehead President to grant party leaders mandates to form governments and perform other ceremonial tasks. Chieftain Tanno was elected as the first President in a nationwide referendum. He will serve a five year term, limitlessly renewable.

The government would be formed from the 129-member Legislative Council. Parliamentary elections will be held every four years, and a party needs to pass the threshold of 3% to win seats.

Chairmen of the Transnational Government
Nellie Hedrock (Independent) 1975-1977

Presidents of Lamarna
1. Tanno Lalle? 1976-1988*
2. Andrew Bellson 1988-1990 (acting)
3. Yanne Hepburn 1988-

Prime Ministers of Lamarna
1. Clement Burdiss (Labor-Progressive Coalition) 1977-1981
2. Penny Praxbee (Progressive-Justice-Liberal Coalition) 1981-1985
3. Andrew Bellson (Liberal-Progressive-Social Democrat Coalition) 1985-1987
    (Liberal-Progressive-People's Coalition with Social Democrat confidence) 1987-1991
    

* died in office

[Kamala]

Very interesting, I love world building~

Are most citizens ethnically German, British, Mālno? What languages are official/spoken?

Most citizens are descendants of British colonists, and most of the German-descended people were forced into changing their last names and restricted from speaking German during the Blakelee regime.

English is the official language, and Mālno was recognized as a national language during the Transitional Government.

I'd say it's about

~17% Mālno
~7% Anglo-Mālno
~3% German-Mālno
~55% British
~18% German

[Kamala]

I am interested in designing a flag for you.

You can PM me. Or maybe.. there could be a national referendum like New Zealand!

Tim (and anyone else interested), you can either message me or just post your flags on this master thread.

[Kamala]

I am interested in designing a flag for you.

You can PM me. Or maybe.. there could be a national referendum like New Zealand!

Tim (and anyone else interested), you can either message me or just post your flags on this master thread.

I have two flag designs already.
How many do you need?

I think 2 is good.  If others want to submit they can as well, so don't feel pressured to do any more. You're already doing me a huge favor by doing this.

[Kamala]

This looks really good, well done!

Thank you!


So here's a little opportunity for people to make an impact on the game: naming cities! First come, first serve - just please make sure the name is at least semi-realistic and not sophomoric. Select a city and go wild.



1. 88,000. Old coal mining town, with a decent amount of metal and heavy industry. - Karlsburg
2. 78,000. Relatively new town, with a strong tourist industry.  - Keln's Harbor
3. 93,000. Oldest city in Lamarna, former capital, with minor industrial development. Iron mining town. Home of a university. -Brennanhaven
4. 83,000. Fishing town, minor port,  - Neukiel
5. 97,000. Home of the nationalized arms industry. - Blacksburg
6. 79,000. Fishing town. - Hamilton
7. 80,000. Largest Mālno-majority city. Fishing-industry based, home of a university. - Mana'eā
8. 104,000. City with a small port, entrepôt for vineyards on the island. Cultural capital, home of a university. - Artlenton
9. 75,000. Major meatpacking and cannery industry. Located centrally near most farms and ranches. - Marswick
10. 120,000. Large port town, major shipbuilding center. Home of a university. - Arcadia
11. 165,000. Working-class suburb, with a large amount of steel industry. Major transit center. - Morganville
12. 95,000. Bourgeois suburb, former home of Blakelee's presidential palace complex. Commuter suburbs.  - Sunderland

[Kamala]

Because I have to acknowledge my ego occasionally, I would like to propose the name Morganville in honor of my surname and all of my Scottish family and ancestors.

Also, as a political fiction groupie, I love this timeline already. Excellent work, Comrade.

Thank you!

Which of the cities would you like to be named Morganville? (a fine name, may I add)

[Kamala]

Maineaic and Tim, pick your favorite one. No need to exhaust yourselves with an entire list!

[Kamala]

1977 Parliamentary Elections:


Labor declares victory in first democratic elections in Lamarna

Labor - 31.2% (41 Seats)
Progressive - 26.0% (34 Seats)
Civic Platform - 18.1% (24 Seats)
Justice - 10.6% (14 Seats)
Union - 7.4% (9 Seats)
Ta' Lāmla - 5.3% (7 Seats)
Perspective - 1.6% (0 Seats)

Despite not having engaged in elections for three decades, both party leaders and the Lamarnan people proved to have strong democratic tendencies. The election was marked by genuine amity between all parties, despite ideological differences, and high turnout, with nearly 95% of registered voters showing up at the polls, approximately 88% of the voting-age population.

Some parties had strong success; others fell short of their goals. Ta' Lāmla was slightly above the threshold, despite party leader Jacob Onamlee hoping for a stronger performance among the Mālno - with an absolute ceiling of 25-27%. Their performance of 5.3% meant Ta' Lāmla received only a third of full Mālno citizens, and approximately a fifth of voters with Mālno heritage. Onamlee remains leader, but the party is prepared to make some changes to better appeal to their base.

Perspective's Camille Kennedy proved to be a poor campaigner, with the party having no obvious voter base. Perspective failed to make the threshold, and while Kennedy will remain on as leader, the party's future was on the precipice. Party activists secretly believed that Kennedy's gaffes during the debate, stating that she would not hesitate to go to war with the United States if the USSR did, hurt the party's chances and perhaps doomed it forever.

Union performed rather weakly - of course, in the North Islands they expected only minimal support - but many of the South Islands' farmers, Union's intended base, ended up supporting Labor and Justice over Union. South Islands urbanites, from cities such as Marswick, even ended up supporting the Progressive Party - an embarrassment to Ned Lincoln.

After a spirited campaign by all parties, President Tanno granted Clement Burdiss the mandate to form a government. Labor needed 24 additional seats to form a government, and had several options to do so.

After consideration, Burdiss told Labor Party leaders that he would much prefer a two-party coalition over a three- or four-party alliance. This left him two choices: a strong majority with Progressive or a 1-seat majority with the Civic Platform.

Ultimately, on Christmas Eve, two weeks after the election, Burdiss announced his intention to work with the Progressive Party; Penny Praxbee would serve as Foreign Minister, and reaffirmed that she hopes the new government will help all citizens of Lamarna - from the steelworker approaching retirement to the young Mālno girl excited to go to school.

The Burdiss spent Christmas at their home in Morganville, before moving to 33 Ka'-ā-mala Lane in Alberton before the new year.

[Kamala]

1980 Elections


Progressive Party Leader Penny Praxbee celebrates the passage of the Abortion Law

Yes - 56.3%
No - 43.7%

Schooling Referendum

Yes - 78.1%
No - 21.9%

With the landslide reelection of President Tanno Lalleé, Lamarnan politics gained a significant element of stability. Without term limits, and with his popularity, the incumbent President seems poised to keep his seat for as long as he wants. Stamer announced he will run in the 1985 Election, while Briand has congratulated the President and did not announce any further plans.

While social liberals across the country were elated with the passage of the Abortion Law referendum, the Labor backbench were unhappy with Burdiss. They only agreed to a referendum as a concession to the Progressives, but did not want it to pass. Burdiss remained silent about the issue during the campaign, but Labor backbench wanted him to rally against it. Considering the rather close result, Labor voters and MPs were growing increasingly discontent with Burdiss's indifference.

The Mālno schooling referendum passed easily, and Ta' Lāmla leader Jacob Onamlee called it a great victory at a speech in Mana'eā.

[Kamala]

The 1st Burdiss Government
1977-1981

As the first democratically elected government in Lamarna's independent history, Burdiss's Labor party came into office with high hopes, but little experience. With a broad agenda and dozens of political offices to fill, Burdiss had to get to work right away.

Although the economy was growing strongly, at a rate of 6.4%, during the first two quarters of 1978, by Christmas Day, economic growth slowed down to a much more anemic rate, dropping down to 2.1% by the New Year. 1979 and 1980 did not prove to be much better, and economic growth didn't not break 3% for two years.

This had forced Labor's hand - part of the reason for the economic slowdown had been high labor costs caused by the unions' refusal to negotiate with companies - and led to a slight liberalization of labor laws, weakening the unions' strength. Burdiss tried to pass it off as a Progressive-led initiative, but still received significant flack from his own party and union bosses.

Efforts to pass welfare reform and increases were complicated by intraparty squabbles and intragovernment resistance. Progressive refused to support welfare measures that were only granted to a "head of household" as opposed to individuals, but many Labor members refused to go as far as instituting a universal basic income. No major reforms were passed - housing and food credits were increased, but only to meet inflation.

And then, of course, the referenda mishaps. While Mālno schooling was a central plank of Labor and was passed wholeheartedly, the abortion referendum, which many Labor MPs opposed, passed rather narrowly. The backbench was disgruntled with Burdiss's lack of opposition to both the passage of holding the referendum and the voting itself.

In foreign affairs, the government was not marked by any serious errors or mistakes, thanks to the capable Progressive leader Penny Praxbee commanding the administration's foreign policy. Despite Praxbee's personal support for the United States over the USSR, Burdiss ensured that Lamarna developed cordial relations with both powers. At the Havana Summit of 1979, Burdiss, Praxbee, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, President Soehatro and other Non-Aligned Movement leaders met and discussed several vital issues regarding nuclear weapons (and testing) and sustainable development practices. This was the first appearance of a democratic Lamarna at the Non-Aligned summit; the nation had not attended the conference at Colombo three years prior.

Going into 1981, the economy had begun to enter a recession. Labor had few domestic achievements to tout, and was more proud of its foreign policy. Despite lacking major achievements, Burdiss was still personally popular with the people of Lamarna, thanks to his folksy charm and charisma, and the fact that his administration was squeaky-clean of any scandal or even hint of corruption.

[Kamala]

Compliments again. Very good series.

What I'm sort of missing is a pre-election positioning of parties towards each other. I would like to see an indication of which parties would prefer cooperation with which other parties. Would make it easier to make a choice. Are Labour going to cooperate with the Progressives or do they prefer to govern with the more populist or centrist parties? And how about the Liberals?

Most parties are still rather amicable with one another, so there aren't a lot of "we won't work with party x" going on, other than obvious policy differences (foreign policy being rather irreconcilable, so pro-US parties will likely not work with pro-USSR parties.)

Labor seems to be rather hesitant working with Progressive again, and most other parties don't want to work with Labor either (Liberals being an obvious example.)

[Kamala]

1981 Parliamentary Elections


Despite losing seats, Progressive emerges as the largest party

Progressive - 19.9% (-6.1%), 26 MPs (-8)
Labor - 18.4% (-12.8%), 24 MPs (-17)
Justice - 18.1% (+7.5%), 23 MPs (+9)
Ta' Lāmla - 16.8% (+11.3%), 22 MPs (+15)
Liberal - 15.5% (-2.6%), 20 MPs (-4)
People's - 6.1% (+6.1%), 8 MPs (+8)
Union - 5.1% (-2.3%), 6 MPs (-3)


Remember I use the results of the poll and a random number generator between -3% and 3% to give it some variety. So results don't exactly mirror the votes.

As the campaign went on, the economy failed to improve, effectively sealing Labor's fate in losing a large amount of seats. Clement Burdiss announced his resignation as Labor leader that evening, citing that losing 40% of the caucus was unacceptable.

Penny Praxbee, despite her party losing a not-insignificant number of seats, celebrated - her party was the largest, and thus she would the first shot to form a government. Pundits cited Praxbee's popularity as Foreign Minister and successes on the Abortion Law referendum as motivating a large amount of Progressive voters to the polls.

Justice, Ta' Lāmla, and the People's Party were the big winners; Kim Miller's feisty quips against the government propelled Justice to nearly double their vote share; in fact, on Election Day evening, Miller claimed he had a stronger cause to the mandate than Praxbee. Although Ta' Lāmla's attempt to appeal to non-Mālno was an important reason for their success, tripling their vote share, Jacob Onamlee's direct appeals to Mālno leaders led the party to win nearly 3/4 of the Mālno vote. Finally, the People's Party managed to break out, taking a decent chunk of votes from many parties.

Andrew Bellson claimed that the Liberals' performance was "respectable," and offered no other comment.

It was mathematically impossible to have a two-party coalition, so the negotiation period became more difficult than 4 years prior. Interim Labor leadership categorically refused to enter into a coalition as a junior partner, claiming it needed "to recover" in opposition.

Newspapers, such as the Morganville City Post, predicted that there were only a few possibilities for coalitions:

Labor + Justice + Ta' Lāmla = 69 seats
Progressive + Justice + Ta' Lāmla=71 seats
Progressive + Justice + Liberal=69 seats

Ultimately, Praxbee, Miller, and Bellson formed a government, with Miller being appointed Interior Minister and Bellson the Chancellor.

As a tearful Burdiss left 33 Ka'-ā-mala Lane, a joyful Praxbee moved in, ready to lead as Lamarna's first female and second Prime Minister.

[Kamala]

Labor Leadership election, 1982

First Ballot
Nelson Crane - 45.5%
Shelley Mendelssohn - 42.4%
Simon Desmondee - 12.1%

Second Ballot
Nelson Crane - 53.7%
Shelley Mendelssohn - 46.3%

In what turned out to be a tight race between Nelson Crane and Shelley Mendelssohn, the two major wings of Labor came down to the wire. By the end of the first balloting, no candidate had reached a majority, leaving third-place loser Simon Desmondee to be the kingmaker.

Reluctantly, Desmondee gave his support to Crane, claiming that Mendelssohn's socially liberal agenda was too much of a threat to the party's prospects and the nation to be tolerable.

By November of 1982, Crane's intraparty reforms had begun to take shape. He appointed Desmondee his deputy for his support during the leadership election. However, Crane's own somewhat egotist personality led him to be extremely antagonistic against Mendelssohn and her supporters. The resignation of Clement Burdiss from Parliament led the party to another breaking point; party leaders had the ability to appoint replacements for any of their members who had left Parliament, but the motion must be approved by a majority of the party's sitting MPs. Mendelssohn's attempt to use the motion to gain leverage over Crane resulted in her expulsion from the party; soon, six other loyal supporters left the party voluntarily. While Crane did fill the empty seat with his chosen nominee, Labor was cut down from the second largest party to the third smallest, and lost its position of official opposition to Ta' Lāmla.

By December of 1982, the independent caucus led by Mendelssohn had to make a choice regarding its future, which will be covered in the next segment.

[Kamala]

1982 Flag Referendum



Q1: Ought the flag be changed?

No - 52.6%
Yes - 47.4%

Despite a spirited effort by the pro-change camp, the referendum on the flag failed to bring about change. Because the first question failed, the second was not considered at all, and the old colonial flag of Lamarna would remain the official flag of the country.

[Kamala]

The 1st Praxbee Government
1981-1985

Penny Praxbee's coalition government of the Progressive, Justice, and Liberal parties was off to roaring start as the government began to liberalize the economy. Taxes were cut for the poor and middle class, while being raised slightly on the wealthy. Within a year of the government's formation, the economy began to recover, with growth returning to approximately 4% per year by Easter of 1983.

Trade relations were strengthened with the United States, and a trade deal with Australia was established. However, at the behest of Kim Miller, the country raised the tariff on steel, corn, and wine. Overall, relations with President Reagan grew much warmer, and Prime Minister Praxbee met with him at a summit in Hawaii in 1982. In July of 1983, a tetrapartite summit regarding the Pacific was held in Sunderland, where Praxbee invited Reagan, recently-elected Prime Minister Bob Hawke, and Soviet premier Yuri Andropov [who, upon his return to Moscow, would be admitted to the Central Clinical Hospital.] The talks were mostly ceremonial, but demonstrated a general amelioration of relations between the two superpowers. Praxbee became an international celebrity overnight for her work to bring the two most powerful men in the world together.

However, that popularity did not translate well into popularity throughout Lamarna. The welfare reform acts that Praxbee desired to pass, such as UBI, were well-thought-out, but stumbled in convincing coalition partners to vote for it. Praxbee then sought to receive support from constructive opposition, such as the Social Democrats and Ta' Lāmla, but failed to whip enough votes to pass any significant change in welfare policy. The government did succeed in passing an important fuel subsidy for the poor, allowing those living on outer islands to heat their homes adequately during the winter. The government also implemented a prenatal care package, effectively making obstetric checkups and  giving birth at hospitals paid for by the government.

The cholera epidemic of the outer islands continued to spread, and reached the South Islands. A strike by the sanitation workers' union hamstrung the government's efforts to contain the disease. An emergency sitting of Parliament passed a law making strikes illegal during a state of emergency if the industry was deemed necessary to solve the emergency.

Such backroom maneuvering disgusted the left wing parties, and Ta' Lāmla and Labor agreed to stand together as one list for the next election. The Social Democrats officially changed their position and refused to be constructive in opposition.

By the end of the crisis, approximately two dozen people died from cholera, and the government was left ashamed. Praxbee, however, managed to whip the votes within the government, often berating, shaming, and yelling at uncooperative MPs in back rooms, to pass a universal basic income of £150 a month per adult and £75 per child  – not enough to live off of, but definitely made life easier for the poor.

As the monthly checks began to be distributed, the people of Lamarna headed to the polls once more...

[Kamala]

1985 Elections

Alliance pushes toward victory

Alliance - 30.6% - 43 MPs (+4) (Ta' Lāmla - 25 MPs, Labor - 18 MPs )
Liberal - 19.7% - 27 MPs (+7)
Progressive - 18.0% - 24 MPs (-2)
Social Democrats - 13.4% - 18 MPs (+11)
Justice - 13.1% - 17 MPs (-6)
People's - 2.7% - 0 MPs (-8)
Union - 2.3% - 0 MPs (-4)

President
Tanno Lalleé (incumbent) - 55.9%
Edward Stamer - 44.1%

As the campaign dragged on, political discourse in the nation began to rear its ugly head. The campaign of 1985 could be called the first real political election, as parties began to criticize each other, took on an aggressive tone, and formed animosity between the party leaders.

As soon as it arrived, the People's Party faded into obscurity, alongside Union. Neither party leader was able to cite any experience or work in the government, and failed to motivate their base, leading to a significant exodus out of the parties.

Justice was forced to answer for many questions, such as its votes for the Praxbee Government's programs, that contradicted its own policies. Miller, showing signs of age and illness, was lackluster I answering those questions.

The Liberal Party managed to capitalize on the success of economic reform, and co-opted the Prime Minister's attempts to display those successes as her own. The Liberals managed to excite many of their supporters. The Progressives lost a small amount of support, but remained at a respectable support level.

The left-wing Alliance worked together soundly, and deflected many attacks by the new Social Democrats. However, Mendelssohn's impassioned appeals to minorities and women struck a chord.

The Social Democrats list was 50% women, and they elected 9 female MPs, more women than served in the entire previous Parliament.

As the Ta' Lāmla-Labor Alliance succeeded in its goal of pushing the Prime Minister out of first place, it was immediately dissolved after the certification of the results. Disagreements over who would receive the mandate resulted in the reelected President Tanno Lalleé moving the mandate to the Liberals, citing "the importance of forming a functional government."

Upon receiving the mandate, Bellson, keen on making good use of the opportunity, reformed the previous governing coalition, albeit with him leading. Penny Praxbee, whose backbench continued to support, agreed to work with the Liberals, citing that either Alliance member receiving the mandate would be disastrous. Miller, however, refused, obviously shaken by his party's recent loss.

In a desperate attempt, Bellson approached Mendelssohn, promising to work with her social liberal agenda as well as implementing a government healthcare scheme. Mendelssohn was still leery of Crane for expelling her from the Labor Party, and was suspicious regarding Onamlee's willingness to work with Crane. Mendelssohn decided that it would be better to work in government and push forth her goals than allow Crane to become PM.

Both Crane and Onamlee immediately regarded the deal as "the Liberals stealing the election." The Alliance was about to be reformed, but it was too late to change anything; coalition negotiations were going smoothly, and seemed ready to succeed. Praxbee would once again serve as Foreign Minister, while Mendelssohn's demand of Chancellor was met – she wanted to make sure the Liberals would not go too far in their right-wing agenda.

Prime Minister Bellson after being sworn in

[Kamala]

So here's a little opportunity for people to make an impact on the game: naming cities! First come, first serve - just please make sure the name is at least semi-realistic and not sophomoric. Select a city and go wild.



1. 88,000. Old coal mining town, with a decent amount of metal and heavy industry.
2. 78,000. Relatively new town, with a strong tourist industry.
3. 93,000. Oldest city in Lamarna, former capital, with minor industrial development. Iron mining town. Home of a university.
4. 83,000. Fishing town, minor port,
5. 97,000. Home of the nationalized arms industry.
6. 79,000. Fishing town.
7. 80,000. Largest Mālno-majority city. Fishing-industry based, home of a university. - Mana'eā
8. 104,000. City with a small port, entrepôt for vineyards on the island. Cultural capital, home of a university.
9. 75,000. Major meatpacking and cannery industry. Located centrally near most farms and ranches. - Marswick
10. 120,000. Large port town, major shipbuilding center. Home of a university. - Arcadia
11. 165,000. Working-class suburb, with a large amount of steel industry. Major transit center. - Morganville
12. 95,000. Bourgeois suburb, former home of Blakelee's presidential palace complex. Commuter suburbs.  - Sunderland

I'm going to repeat this, just in case anyone else wants to name some towns. Otherwise, I'll just alternate between Tim's and Mainiac's lists.

[Kamala]

 

Justice Leadership Election, 1986



First Ballot:
Edward Stamer - 54.6%
Dan Fyfor - 45.4%

Stamer's popularity among the general public helped him win over concerned undecided voters between him and Fyfor. However, to maintain party unity, Stamer appointed Fyfor his deputy.

Kim Miller was forced by the party apparatus to resign from Parliament, and Stamer took over Miller's former seat.

[Kamala]

Constitutional Amendment of 1987


MMP System
Yes - 59.3%
No - 40.7%

Senate
Yes - 49.8%
No - 50.2%

With the passage of the mixed-member-proportional amendment, Prime Minister Bellson was happy to announce that the next election would include the new districts and the size of Parliament will be increased.

[Kamala]

The 1st Bellson Government
1985-1987

Andrew Bellson's government marked the first centre-right administration in Lamarna's democratic history, and it was off to a relatively solid start. The economic recovery that began under Praxbee continued, and by mid-1986 unemployment was at a low 4.8%.

Bellson succeeded in passing tax cuts, tax breaks for foreign investment, and a significant infrastructure rehabilitation package. The ratification of the 1987 MMP amendment was another tick in the list of Bellson's accomplishments. A drug price ceiling was established, teachers' unions were weakened, and the cholera epidemic entirely contained.

Bellson's foreign policy was also successful - not least thanks to Praxbee as his Foreign Minister. New trade deals with the United States were crafted, as were ones with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the U.K. Bellson was even invited by President Reagan to the White House. The American airbase on Lamarna was begun to be constructed, and there were rumors of a potential naval base as well.

However, in early July, 1987, Bellson decided to push for labor union reforms, proposing a significant cut to the power of the unions. Mendelssohn initially expressed her unhappiness with such a policy in private to the Prime Minister; however, the PM continued to push for aggressive reforms, to which the Social Democrat leader publicly announced in mid-August that her party will no longer support the government. A motion of confidence was called, and the government collapsed on August 20th, 1987.

Meanwhile, Labor leader Nelson Crane died of a heart attack on August 23rd. Labor officials scrambled and were unable to determine how to select a leader in time for September 30th election. However, in a party conference, 9 MPs (out of 17 in Parliament after Crane's death) proposed uniting with Ta' Lāmla. Jacob Onamlee would preside as the leader of the new party, called The Left / O' Matui, which would be a permanent alliance.

[Kamala]

Parliamentary Elections, 1987



LIST

The Left - 39.3% (+8.7%) 52 MPs (+9)
Liberal - 38.9% (+19.2%) 51 MPs (+24)
Social Democrats - 11.7% (-1.7%) 15 MPs (-3)
Progressive - 5.8% (-12.2%) 7 MPs (-17)
People's - 3.0% (+0.3%) 4 MPs (+4)
Justice - 1.2% (-11.9%) 0 MPs (-17)

CONSTITUENCY

WON BY THE LEFT

Karlburg	Weald	Brennanhaven East	Brennanhaven West
Alberton Carlotta	Morganville North	Morganville South	Victoriana
Lialar	Hamilton	A' Kapui	Mana'ea
A' Kalae	A' Makalae	Kelele and Pana	Arcadia Port
Arcadia University	A' Makapui	Ka' Lai	Artlenton
Kama-mana

WON BY LIBERAL PARTY

Winot	Cook	Debonair	Keln's Harbor
Alberton High Church	Alberton Port	Alberton Georgian Gardens	New West
Bellasare	Tasman	Schwartzland	Blacksburg
Campette and Hayana	Aribye

WON BY SOCIAL DEMOCRATS

Pryne, Althur, Charles, and Grantia

Sunderland

Neukiel

Marswick

WON BY PROGRESSIVE PARTY

Alberton Centre

Montaign

TOTAL
The Left - 73 MPs
Liberal - 65 MPs
Social Democrats - 19 MPs
Progressive - 9 MPs
People's - 4 MPs

The election of 1987 was marked by a unique trend towards a two-party system, perhaps spurned on by the creation of the first-past-the-post constituencies and the Left union. The campaign ended up focusing on the question of the alliance with the United States, with the Left taking a much harder anti-USA stand than usual.

Both the Liberals and the Left received the highest proportion of votes in electoral history, and together won 35 of the 41 constituencies. The Left swept the Southern Islands, while the Liberals performed strongly in the capital metro.

After results were certified, no party reached a majority by itself. The Social Democrats announced they will not serve in government with either the Left or the Liberals due to irreconcilable differences on foreign policy and economics, respectively. This meant that Jacob Onamlee could not form a majority government. The Prime Minister couldn't form a majority either, even with the support of the Progressive and People's parties, who did not reject a coalition with the Liberals. However, because neither alliance could form a majority, a grand coalition seemed to be the only possible option. However, both leaders ridiculed the idea.

The Left first received the mandate to form a government, but failed. The Prime Minister received the mandate next, once again failing to form a majority government.

For several weeks the fate of the nation was uncertain. However, after several rounds of negotiations, the Social Democrats finally agreed to give confidence and supply to a Liberal-Progressive-People's coalition, while voting only for matters they agree with the government.

Jacob Onamlee called Shelley Mendelssohn "a traitor to the cause of the left."

The Prime Minister was sworn in for a second term by President Tanno Lalleé.

[Kamala]

The Lamarnan Civil War

The freed Jacob Onamlee returns to Alberton, 1991

As hostilities continued to increase, neither side seemed to be gaining a clear victory. 1989 was full of stalemate battles and long sieges of cities. Government forces, having resettled in Blacksburg, buckled down and asked the Americans for assistance. Unfortunately for them, President Dukakis was unwilling to risk a nuclear war with the Soviet Union, and instead sent only humanitarian, nonsectarian assistance to areas affected by violence.

However, due to the Government's control of the city of Blacksburg, they were also able to reap the benefits of the arms industry, still located and functioning in the city. Yet this was not enough to propel the government to victory.

The Southern Islands, under total control of the rebels, elected their own president, Yanne Hepburn, of mixed Anglo-Mālno heritage, to serve as their leader.

In March 1990, the city of Sunderland surrendered to the rebels, the first step to gaining complete control of the capital metro. Hepburn declared that victory was coming, and began to set up international consulates in Marswick.

In July 1990, government forces, increasingly desperate, launched a risky assault on the outer boroughs of Morganville, hoping to score a victory, something that had become increasingly rare in the past few months for the Government, and distract the forces laying siege to Alberton. The forces were successful in breaking the defenses and capturing a neighborhood. Increasingly weary and driven insane by war, the commander of the forces claimed that people living in the neighborhood were spies and were providing crucial, secret information to the rebels. In what came to be known as the July Massacre, he ordered the execution of 473 women, children, and elderly.

The international community was outraged, and the UN swiftly condemned the Bellson government. The United States and the Soviet Union, in a secret summit in northern Japan, agreed to work together to blockade Lamarna and overthrow Bellson.

The blockade fleet was assembled and set sail for Blacksburg in late August of 1990. A small contingent of ground troops from both superpowers also arrived in Sunderland to help the siege of Alberton.

The blockade lasted for several months, with Alberton falling to the rebels, yet Bellson refused to surrender. In mid-December, Dukakis and Gorbachev decided to allow a ground force to land in Blacksburg and turn the town.

On Christmas Day, 1990, Prime Minister and President Andrew Bellson was captured and taken upon the USS Kitty Hawk. Also aboard the ship was rebel leader Yanne Hepburn. Bellson was forced to surrender and call his government to stand down.

The UN, US, and USSR all aided in the transition and rebuilding of the island nation. The two-year-long war had resulted in the death of over a quarter of a million people, nearly 10% of the country's population. Hepburn was sworn in as President, and freed many political prisoners, including The Left's leader Jacob Onamlee. Shelley Mendelssohn returned to Lamarna, as did the Progressives.

In 1991, Hepburn, with the aid of the MPs who were loyal to the rebel forces, pardoned all those who fought for both sides for crimes committed during the war, save for the perpetrators of the July Massacre and the members of the government.

Elections were to be held immediately, in February of 1991. The Liberal Party was banned and disbanded, as was the People's Party, for their participation in the government during the war.

[Kamala]

Would anyone be interested in this becoming an interactive election game (as in, moved to the section down in the site)?

[Kamala]

Game master thread link here!