Almadaria

Almadarian Republic (1846–1875) República Almadariense United Almadarian States (1875–1907) Estados Unidos Almadarienses Almadarian Confederation (1907–1938) Confederación Almadariense Osmian Republic of Almadaria (1938-1963) República Osmiana de Almadaria Federated States of Almadaria (1963-1995) Estados Federados de Almadaria Democratic Republic of Almadaria {1995-204X} República Democrática de Almadaría
1846-204X
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Un Pueblo Unificado ("A Unified People")
Anthem: La Guerra que Luchamos Fuertemente
Location of Almadaria (dark green) In Vallos (gray)
Capital and largest city	Piedratorres
Official languages	Pelaxian
Common languages	Reform Tainean Insuo Loa
Demonym(s)	Almadarian
Government	Unitary presidential republic (1846-1875; 1995-204X) under presidential rule by decree (2000-204X) Federal semi-presidential republic (1875-1907) Confederal parliamentary republic with an executive presidency (1907-1938) Semi-unitary presidential republic under a one-party authoritarian personalist dictatorship (1938-1963) Federal presidential republic (1963-1995)
• President	Hernan de Osma (first) Arturo Nuñez (last)
• Vice President	Guillermo de Pardo (first) Graciela Parra (last)
• President of the Chamber of Deputies	Vito Sanchez (first) Javier Becerra (last}
Legislature	National Congress
• Upper house	Chamber of Councillors
• Lower house	Chamber of Deputies
Establishment
• Almadarian Republic	3 March 1846
• United States	16 August 1875
• Confederation	1 January 1907
• Osmian Republic	13 April 1938
• Federated States	6 May 1963
• Democratic Republic	14 September 1995
• Central Vallosi War	2036
• Fall of Piedratorres	204X
Currency	Valverde (ALV)
Driving side	right
Internet TLD	.al
Preceded by Succeeded by Viceroyalty of Los Rumas Castadilla

Almadaria, officially the Democratic Republic of Almadaria (Pelaxian: República Democrática de Almadaría) from 1995 until its capitulation to Castadilla in 204X, was a sovereign country located in central Vallos, a subcontinent within Sarpedon. It was formed in 1846 at the beginning of the Almadarian War of Independence when it declared independence from the Viceroyalty of Loa Rumas, and lasted until 204X after its defeat and annexation by Castadilla after the Central Vallosi War. It was the second country to have declared independence from the Pelaxian Crown after Vallejar and before Delepasia, and had went through multiple government structures throughout its almost two hundred years of existence.

After the end of the War of Independence in 1846, the first republican government was a unitary presidential republic governed by aristocrat and war leader Hernan de Osma who was primarily opposed by a sizeable faction who wished to organise Almadaria as a more decentralised and federal state, and another faction that believed that the presidential powers were too strong and that it needed to be lessened for fears of a potential dictatorship. Disputes between these three factions would result in a brief state of civil war between the three factions after de Osma's assassination in 1870 which saw the anti-presidential and federalist factions winning in 1875.

The new republican government empowered the position of vice president to an authority similar to that of a head of government despite not necessarily being one as well as empowering the power of the states by delegating certain powers to them. It was much more stable than the preceding centralist republic, mostly due to its stricter adherence to the rule of law as well as the rise in political pluralism. It was soon further decentralised in 1907 after a referendum, with the offices and president and vice president being merged and the new position being dependent upon the confidence of the National Congress. During its time as a confederation, Almadaria was lauded as being one of the most democratic states in Vallos, with some of the subcontinent's most well-known intellectuals having being influenced by some Almadarian ideologies even if indirectly. However, with the onset of the Second Great War, the confederal republic was becoming less and less popular due to fears of a possible invasion by the Delepasians and soon the people called for a stronger central government to be put in place.

The elections of 1938 saw the populist United Almadarians Party winning a supermajority and were thus allowed to pass sweeping reforms which saw the presidency gain independence from legislative confidence, the state being centralised albeit with a certain degree of devolution, and the legislature losing power overall. The new regime, centred heavily around its leader Diego Arnez, was noted for being very dictatorial which had made relations between it and the rest of Vallos, particularly the Delepasian Estadi Social which had seen the new Almadarian regime as a threat to the safety and security and of the subcontinent, and had designated itself as being the rightful heir to de Osma's ideology. The Osmian regime would only last for about twenty-five years before ultimately being overthrown in a popular revolt in 1963 shortly after Arnez's death. The new constitution had restored the old presidential republic, but retained a degree of federalism which contributed to its instability due to numerous disagreements between the states before being eventually modified to centralise the state.

The centralisation of Almadaria in 1995 allowed for the country to stabilise and begin to re-democratise in earnest before its turn towards democracy came to an end after the Social Unity Party, which had been the main party that was democratising Almadaria, collapsed due to a series of scandals and corruption charges pertaining to president Pedro Montillo who was subsequently removed from office. This incident largely turn most Almadarians away from liberal democracy and instead support the cultural nationalist and statist Valverdian Popular Front and its presidential candidate for the 2000 elections Arturo Nuñez, allowing for the FPV to win. Under the presidency of Nuñez, Almadaria has experienced a period of democratic backsliding, increasing authoritarianism, and even a rise in an extreme form of Almadarian nationalism which is seen by many international observers as being highly chauvinistic; the Taineans and the Loa minorities have complained about the rise in active discrimination and cultural erasure.

In 2036, Almadaria began an attempted invasion of Castadilla which turned into the Central Vallosi War, the first major conflict in the Vallosi subcontinent since the 19th Century, which saw not only Almadarian forces getting stranded after a series of successful drone strikes against both Almadarian bases and military infrastructure, it also saw the Almadarian government collapse and the National Congress effectively dissolving itself by 204X. Almadaria's final capitulation, however, would not happen until Castadillaan forces entered Piedratorres and declared Almadaria to be dissolved and until Castadillaan sovereignty with military occupation being put in place to ensure that any and all forms of armed resistance are eliminated before the military can relinquish control over the newly-acquired territories to civilian administrators appointed by the People's Democratic Party.

Etymology

The name Almadaria originates from a loan word from 9th Century Caphiric observers to describe the region of Vallos that was said to have had a "soul of its own", possibly referring to its incongruity with the rest of the Undecimvirate’s territories and increased combativeness of the vassal kings with one another. Another acceptable speculation suggests that the divided nature of the land, with both indigenous groups and Taineans having been split on either side of the Undecimvirate’s southern borders, created a interminable friction with the vassal kings of the Undecimvirate. Almadaria went on to describe primarily the northern half of the nation, particularly the region that comprised of the Kingdom of Septemontes, though the centuries of cultural diffusion and political interdependence, despite there being no particular demographic diffusion took place, had soon made the southern part of the nation also be referred to as a part of the region of Almadaria. The fall of Almadaria after its defeat in the Central Vallosi War in 204X and the subsequent occupation and integration into Castadilla has largely led to the name Almadaria fall into disuse as a symbol of the former nation's chauvinism.

Government and Politics

The Democratic Republic is a semi-presidential representative democracy, sourcing its constitutional principles and and general framework from the venerable legacy of participatory government of Cartadania. The nation's first constitution, fully ratified in 1847, outlined three branches of government in accordance with the principle of separation of powers, dividing it into executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Following the 1995 Constitutional Plebiscite, reform lessened the power of the executive in its authority to manage clandestine or secretive operations, as well as setting up measures for increased government accountability, including several extragovernmental oversight institutions such as the Office Inspectorate of Almadaria (Oficina Inspectorado de Almadaría).

The government of Almadaria, sometimes styled as 'GRDA' (Alm: Gobierno Republicana Democratica de Almadaría) in informal internal documents, is touted as the first successful indigenous Vallosian democracy, with a strong democratic traditions that persevered in face of international conflict and internal crises. Its multi-party legislature, well-established judicial, and kept-in-check executive branch are at the heart of Almadaria's democratic institutions. Its conversion in 1995 towards more legislative power brings in line with a parliamentary systems.

Almadaria is known for its distinct constitutionally-enshrined election process, known as 'rat cage elections' among the population, which pits all candidates against one another in a primary election, regardless of party affiliation, and generally the highest four candidates in votes go on to a secondary election. This nonpartisan election process has kept any one party from gaining superiority over one another, diversifying and increasing representation of otherwise marginalized groups. This practice extends from the national government to local governments, though with some variation.

Though the Democratic Republic currently notionally stands as a stable democracy, the reality is far from utopic. Since the Constitutional Plebiscite of 1995 in which inter-branch relations were altered and new checks on executive power were introduced, the government of Almadaria has suffered a personnel crisis involving persistent low-level corruption and unwillingness on most wings of government to accede to the new watchdog measures. Despite many of the checks and balances now levied against the President, the bureaucratic complexity of their branch of government hinders comprehensive oversight, particularly areas of off-the-book interactions or especially 'grey campaigns'. Grey Campaigns are particularly topical in Almadarian constitutional thought, mainly due to the analysis between their moral or ethical shortcomings (or violations) and their necessity for national security.

Executive

The 1995 Constitution of Almadaria re-establishes the Executive Branch as headed by a popularly elected President, who selects their Vice President and cabinet. As a balance to the judicial branch, the Ministry of Justice (clearly delineated under the executive branch), responsible for areas of national law enforcement and administration of law, is headed by the Attorney General, answers to and represents the First Court of Almadaria in Presidential affairs. The Executive Branch exists in a state of dual legitimacy with the Legislative branch, both having democratic features and the ability to shape policy. The constitutional amendments caused by the 1995 Constitutional Plebiscite shaped this relationship to have the President be more subservient to the National Legislative Council, largely removing the veto power of the President for bills, creating a need for the President to form close relationships with their opposite, the Council Governor, and thereby preventing large divisions in government. Despite this, the President is still solely responsible for forming government, though as previously mentioned, unapproved Cabinet choices or policy decisions would lead to the CLN severely limiting the power of the Executive, reducing the position's powers to stalling actions.

The President of Almadaria, serving as head of state and head of government, is elected by popular vote in a nonpartisan 'rat-cage' election to serve a single five-term term, a precedent established in the so-called 'stripping down' of the executive. At the regional level, executive power is vested in Provincial Governors (Almadarian: prefecto), then municipal alcaldes (mayors).

The Cabinet of Almadaria is made up of nine ministries, whose heads are selected, without Legislative veto, by the President. The Ministries and their senior official serve not only as administrators of their respective national focuses, but in an advisory role to the President and Vice President in implementing policy. Subject to frequent government restructuring, the members of the Cabinet as of 2032 are: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Environmental and Resource Concerns, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of the Interior.

Legislative

The National Legislative Council is the sole national legislative body of Almadaria. As a unicameral entity, the National Legislative Council (CLN) consists of a frequently-held, XXX-seat convocation. The seats on the CLN are elected democratically from provincial districts every two years. Ideally a proportional representative system, the party makeup of the CLN is directly related to the winnings of those parties in provincial elections (as there are no legislative bodies in Departments); even against one another. For better or for worse, this 'rat-cage' electoral process prevents urban population buildup from overwhelming the legislature due to forced party infighting to make the first four candidates 'past-the-post'-- this also makes it more practical for elected parties to form ever-shifting coalitions in order to form government. Departments, having no organic legislature, source legal authority from the National Legislative Council while having vested executive power from the President.

The National Legislative Council is presided over by the Council Governor, voted into power by the unicameral body, in order to oversee the institution and the management of its numerous parasite agencies. In order to be eligible for Council Governor, one must have already been elected into the CLN. There are no term lengths. The Council Governor is held responsible by the larger legislature, ensuring flexible and responsive representation of the will of the chamber. The Council Governor is able to control the agenda of legislation, which is voted upon in assembly and then referred to the Executive to pass the bill. Prior to 1995, a 60% bill approval rate in the CLN was needed in order to override a presidential veto; now, the .

The large body of the National Legislative Council is only summoned in its entirety for major policy proposals; otherwise, it is not uncommon for handfuls of councilmen/women to meet in committees, smaller semi-permanent organizations to research and develop policy. Most of these committees are impermanent, although there are committees, named Popular Agencies, which are long-standing; many of these exist as oversight bodies and liaisons to their executive Ministry counterpart, though other concern standing issues, including ones such as anticorruption, intelligence oversight, and constitutional debate.

Judicial

The Judicial branch is made up of institutions present at every level of government-- at the national level, it is represented by the First Court of Almadaria. The First Court is headed by four high courts: consisting of the Civil High Court, for penal and civil matters; the Constitutional High Court, which weighs policy produced by the CLN against the principles of the Almadarian Constitution and established precedent thereof; the State High Court, which in turn manages the executive branch by establishing administrative law; and finally, the Auditor's Court, which is a self-regulating agency of the First Court.

Members of the the First Court of Almadaria are selected by the National Legislative Council and approved by the President. These judges serve terms no longer than twenty years.

Federal subdivisions

At the national level, Almadaria is divided into twelve Departments and one capital district, separate from the municipality it forms. The departments are divided into provinces, ran by prefects (Almadarian: prefectos). These are further divided into subnational entities of municipal districts, or municipalities. The Pardos Act of 1997 reformed the system in the cases of low-population municipalities to fit together in larger municipal systems in order to better distribute funds, leading to the derisive call, "Uno freno, doce caballos" (one bit, twelve horses).

Each of the levels has a local government with a governor (in provinces, prefects; municipalities, alcaldes), though deprived of legislative bodies. At sub-national levels, most positions are directly elected, unlike the President's Cabinet.

Politics

The voting age in Almadaria is set at 18, having traditionally been set at 25 until the mid-twentieth century. The existence of a unitary legislature simplifies and galvanizes voter participation around singular elections and candidates, where party politics largely come into play. The National Legislative Council is divided at any one time, necessitating the creation of coalitions to win a majority of the legislature, decisively choose a candidate for Council Governor with which to introduce and pass policy. The 1995 Constitutional Plebiscite revolutionized the political landscape of Almadaria, breaking the deadlock between the emplaced and traditionally conservative Valverdian Popular Front and the shackled and traditional opposition party of the Almadarian National Union. The changing of the electoral process signaled an end to the VPF domination of government and thrust the legislature into a multi-party democratic system. Forming into coalitions with similar-policy parties (such as the center-right Democratic Liberties Alliance) not only ensures smaller or similar parties a higher chance to win government office, but also serves to exclude extremes (such as the right-wing Liberal Party or the left-wing Civic National Party) from controlling significant portions of government.

The current state of affairs of the legislature shows the major poles of power; that being the big-tent left-wing Almadarian National Union facing off between the variable makeup of the Democratic Liberties Alliance coalition, optionally including the minority issues-focused Justice and Development party and swing Congress of Freedom party depending on policy focuses. With the founding of the Liberal Party in 1982 under the right-wing government and the increasingly extremist views enshrined by the party platform, it has created a debate in constitutional and legislative circles whether the government has the ability to ban political parties (even if members of that party have won local, and even Presidential office).

Military

Established by the Constitution of Almadaria, the basis of national defense is embodied by the Armed Forces of Almadaria (FAA). Tracing its lineage from the twentieth-century Republican Army and the Royal Army of Septemontes, the Armed Forces of Almadaria comprises of the Almadarian Land Forces, the Navy, and the Air Forces as its main components. Control of the FAA lies under the jurisdiction of the President and the Ministry of Defense, though as an institution it is obliged to defend and protect the Constitution.