Konyanger Government and Politics

Government

Konyang is organized as a unitary, semi-presidential parliamentary republic in which the President of the Republic holds few but powerful executive powers, vested in them by the country’s constitution of 2462. Formed by an assembly of Konyanger politicians, capitalists and intellectuals, the young republic has never experienced war or any other significant troubles and complications that plagued the Alliance and many post-Alliance worlds seeking their independence, allowing the nation to experiment and develop its politics naturally and on its own. Borrowing much from their previous colonial masters, many institutions, official positions and processes are styled after their Alliance counterparts, upon which base the new government was founded.

The President

When the colonial government ceased to exist, almost the entirety of political executives were Konyangers, including the Governor, Hyun Kyung-Ho. This, coupled with the competence of Hyun allowed him to maintain and empower his new position as head of state and not make it ceremonial. The President’s term of office is limited to six years, with a two consecutive term limit, though reelection for more than two terms is permitted. Presidential elections are a parliamentary affair, requiring special parliamentary sessions where candidates are selected and voted on in cycles, until only two remain, from which the President is elected with a simple majority. The President as head of state can call for national elections, dissolve parliament and appoint new governments bound by the election results. They can veto laws, sign bills into law, grant emergency powers to the cabinet and are the Supreme Commander of the Konyang Armed Forces. These increased powers for a person not directly elected by the nation, is not foreign to the planet's populace and political sphere, and is viewed as simply a continuation of the colonial office of the governor with enhanced checks and balances. While Konyang was under Alliance rule, the governor was always a Konyanger native to counterbalance the Navy's presence which had the final say over the civilian government. As such, the office was viewed as working and representing the people and keeping the "foreign" military power at bay, lending it a much more favorable light after independence. While the old colonial governors resided in Government House, the President has now been awarded the famous Crimson House as a residence and office instead, a vast estate outside Suwon reserved for the 58th Fleet’s admiral while on Konyang.

Government and Legislature

Most executive power is vested in the country’s government, headed by the Prime Minister who appoints their cabinet of ministers. The Prime Minister is an elected representative and head of the highest voted party after National Elections, who nevertheless must enjoy the confidence of the Parliament by holding a 151 seat majority. The cabinet dictates all manner of policy and appoints Prefects to the country’s 5 prefectures, working in tandem with the also elected prefectural councils made up of the local mayors. The Prime Minister uses Government House as their personal residence while in office, and all ministerial buildings are located in Suwon, planetary capital of Konyang.

The legislative branch is comprised of the Parliament of Konyang, seated in the capital city of Suwon. Elections are held every four years with parties contesting the 300 seats. Members of Parliament are elected on a prefectural level, each prefecture assigned a fixed number of seats based on population. This arrangement, while seen as satisfactory by the majority, is regularly criticised by the politically active IPC community in the country as “biased and unfair”. MPs enjoy various privileges, such as high salaries, personal staff, housing, offices and a number of bonuses for living expenses and transportation. Most importantly, they hold immunity from prosecution which can only be lifted by a majority vote in Parliament.

Prefectures

A map of Konyang showcasing the Prefectures and the New Hokkaido Territory. Click to enlarge.

Due to the geographical isolation of many of its islands, its cities developed as mostly independent regions. As such, it is now organized along the same lines, the planet being divided into five largely autonomous Prefectures, each headed by a Prefect appointed by the government. A prefecture is divided into its constituent Cities, Major Towns, Towns, Villages and Unincorporated Settlements, designated as such by the government based on their population numbers and output. Local elections take place every 4 years, where the inhabitants are called to vote for the mayors and council members of their settlement. Through those, each City, Town and Village is represented in the Prefectural Council, a prefecture-level parliamentary body the prefect has to work with to enact local laws and govern the region. For instance, each region often maintains its own public services, with the central authorities only stepping in when the local government has proven unable to meet certain standards.

Foreign Relations

Shortly after its independence in late 2462, Konyang successfully applied for membership in the Coalition of Colonies in order to gain steady trade partners and better protect itself after the sudden collapse of the Sol Alliance. Readily accepted owing to their strategic position and innovative robotics industry, the planet’s relationship with its new partners quickly flourished based off of a mutually beneficial exchange of resources and information - Konyanger engineers, scientists, and technical designs now finding themselves prized throughout the Coalition. Common goods traded between the planets include vast amounts of moss, seaweed, and algae to feed lesser-off colonies, particularly in the Frontier, in exchange for raw materials. Xanu Prime in particular enjoys a closer relation with Konyang than most, having provided aid and advisors to help the planet during the turbulent months post-independence while simultaneously smoothing its path to joining the Coalition.

Konyang's sentiment towards the Sol Alliance is a complicated matter, one that still divides public opinion. Many view Sol as negligent overlords who abandoned Konyang in their greatest time of need, while others maintain that they were the reason the planet became so prosperous in the first place. Nevertheless, official relations remain awkward and frosty as though the Alliance refuses to recognize Konyang's independence, borders remain open for trade and tourism viewed as a necessity to keep both the planet and its former trading partners in the Northern Reconstruction Mandate afloat.

Progress has been made with Tau Ceti, which has become a noteworthy trading partner after Konyang's seccession, the two countries sharing cordial diplomatic relations as well as a Konyanger opening towards the SCC and its constituent megacorporations.

Immigration and Visas

Despite the rosy relationship Konyang now shares with the Coalition, the planet has refused to compromise on the topic of citizenship, insisting that Coalition citizenship only grants temporary access to the planet, the local government being given the authority to bar or allow all entrants. This move has been cited by observers as driven by the sudden influx of refugees and IPCs from the Sol Alliance, while others cite Konyanger cultural closed-off attitudes as the government’s motives.

Consequently, outside of tourists and refugees, Konyang only accepts residents and citizens under the following criteria:

• Residents must have a work visa, only furnished by online, off-planet request when sponsored by a Konyang-based employer, or have family on the planet.
• In order to apply for citizenship, a resident needs to have lived on Konyang for 10 years, be financially self-sufficient, and have committed no felonies.
• Organics and IPCs are equally eligible to apply for residency or citizenship.

Refugees are another hot topic that emerged in Konyanger politics, following the Alliance's collapse into warlordism and the subsequent huge influx of both humans and IPCs seeking stability in Konyang. While receptive at first, attitudes quickly changed as the planet's already scarce resources were exacerbated. A solution had to be taken quickly, and a blanket ban on immigration was enforced and enshrined into legislation which exists to this day. Refugees escaping war are temporarily housed in the outskirts of towns and cities, in previously abandoned boomtowns that were converted into centers for this purpose as asylum requests are processed. The vast majority of applicants fail to meet the strict requirements and are rejected, before being sent to detention camps to be speedily deported. IPCs that escape their owners are subject to the same treatment, even if throughout their stay on the planet they are considered free individuals.

Politics

Konyanger politics are a complex topic influenced by centuries of colonial rule, East Asian origins and the Positronic Revolution. Three distinct periods can be identified, categorizing and tracking the development of political ideas on Konyang from its foundation to the present day.

Pre-Boom (Early 24th to Early 25th centuries)

During Konyang’s early days, the primary question was one of survival and development of the colony. The first settlers pooled both their efforts and minds into the construction of a new life with heavy reliance on supplies from the Alliance and the Home Countries. Political factions were soon established, and while Konyang was under direct colonial rule, they all bargained with and influenced the Governors. In general, public sentiment was always pro-Alliance, following whatever line the government and stationed naval forces dictated. A strong connection with the Home Countries continued on the political level as well, the Konyanger identity being sidelined in favor of the settlers’ original nationality. Instances of direct influence such as the Konyang KMT (K-KMT) on behalf of Federative China, fueled tensions and encouraged factionalism. To counter the New Hong Kong-based party, the Korean and Japanese residents of Suwon formed the Settler Committee, battling for funds and grants from the colonial government.

Meanwhile, being lightyears away from Earth afforded freedoms to many who would have otherwise not been able to express themselves back home. Socialist leaning thoughts were to say the least, a taboo subject back home. Konyang presented new ground for these ideas, under the tolerant laws of the Alliance. The first free labor unions form in New Hong Kong, alarming K-KMT officials and starting a familiar rivalry. Despite attempts at suppression, the United Dockworkers spearhead campaigns that pressure the Governor’s office into decreeing better safety legislation, protection from Einstein Engines, hazard pay and other measures, boosting the Union’s worldwide popularity and establishing it as a flagship political force for the left. Other movements did not share the same success, remaining in the fringes or turning to lawlessness, particularly in the more remote areas the government could not reliably aid. This marked the rise of Konyanger piracy, with factions such as the Communist Party of Konyang operating from the jungles and coves.

Colonial Era (Mid 25th century to 2462)

Starting shortly after the Robotics Boom, Konyang experienced a societal shift; the rapid industrialization and the enormous inflow of foreign funds dramatically altered the lives of the inhabitants, lifting the planet from a backwater colony into the modern era. New cities and towns were created within a matter of years, the standard of living was greatly improved, the population growth accelerated and people turned to the cities. The urbanization drew the factional and ethnically entrenched rural communities into city blocks, fusing together a truly Konyanger identity, while the introduction of IPCs into society created new questions about their status. The K-KMT barely survived the change, splintering and losing support to various other parties focused on Konyanger rather than New Hong Kong issues. The Settler Committee was reshaped into the moderate New Konyang Party, members of which were exclusively selected for the Governor’s office by Solarian authorities, due to the party’s broad appeal and popularity.

The Colonial Era of Konyanger politics also saw the rise of energetic student movements, distinct in their nature and with a view towards liberalization and activism. Students frequently marched the streets of Suwon, Aoyama and Boryeong to address issues on education, social inequality, the removal of the 58th Fleet and even Konyang’s accession into the Alliance as a Sovereign Solarian Nation. IPCs were not left out either, with the youth pioneering synthetic rights activism in Sol space. Copying the Settler Committee, the Positronic Rights Committee was established, gaining followers and supporters in urban centers, against the wishes of the still powerful Dockworkers union.

Post-Colonial Era (2462-Present)

Shortly after Konyang’s independence and the recession it had followed, Konyanger politics experienced a shift once more. The 300-seat parliament and prefectural governments were now open to contest between political parties, many of which were organized along the lines of movements rather than actual political establishments. All in all, Konyangers tend to stray away from particularly radical rhetoric, preferring social peace and stability rather than change.

Political Parties

New Konyang Party

151 Seats

The NKP gained additional support during the transition to independence, based largely upon the actions of its former leader, Hyun Kyung-Ho, who oversaw the creation of the modern republic. The party is considered to be a moderate conservative one, advocating for a strong and sovereign nation backed up by strict migration laws and a robust foreign policy. It is the current governing party following the June 2463 elections, holding as well the Prefectures of Suwon, Aoyama, Boryeong and Ganzaodeng. Economically, it follows a policy of limited government middling in the market, allowing corporations to secure luxurious public work contracts and even sharing control of public services, such as the Konyang Robotics Corporation with Einstein Engines. Internally, it initiated the full emancipation of the IPC population, following a policy of rapid integration of positronics into society, matching the public sentiment. The single most voiced criticism against New Konyang however, is its generations of dominance in Konyanger political affairs, its massive network of cronyism and repeated practices of nepotism, bribery and corruption in virtually every level of the colonial and present government; the personification of a deeply rooted status quo, tolerated due to its moderate stance and lack of particularly bad blunders throughout its existence.

National Party

96 Seats

Born out of the ideas of the Positronic Rights Committee, the National Party comes second in parliament, with the prefecture of New Hong Kong under its belt. Taking the country in a storm, the National Party created just before the elections presented the public with a second option that would stand against the centuries-old rule of the NKP, while appealing to Konyanger conservative beliefs.It has variously been described as populist and left-wing nationalist, placing two core issues at the forefront of its agenda: IPC representation and Konyanger nationality. It maintains that Positronic persons are and have been an inseparable piece of the planet’s identity, all people of which are united under Konyanger nationhood. While agreeing to tight border controls and a powerful external presence, the NP often criticizes the government’s IPC population control and regularly denounces the involvement of big corporations in public life. The NP’s origin in New Hong Kong is also particularly interesting, managing to dislodge the Union of Dockworkers’ Socialist Party through the mass influx of industrial IPCs into the blue collar workforce and limiting it to the countryside.

Socialist Party of Konyang

30 Seats

One of the oldest trade confederations on the planet, the Union of Dockworkers have managed to rally around them virtually all of the labor unions of Konyang. Nominally representing the working man, the Union created the Socialist Party of Konyang as its political arm for the 2463 elections, landing third in parliament. Concerning itself with labor rights, it has long since dropped the issue of IPCs replacing Human workers, focusing instead on criticizing the presence of chaebols and megacorporations as part of its anti-corporatist agenda.

Peace and Unity Party

12 Seats

The PUP is the fourth and final party present in the Konyanger parliament, holding only a handful of seats. It is considered the successor to the liberal student movements of the Colonial Era and the spiritual successor to the Positronic Rights Committee, having since expanded their rhetoric to touch on every major aspect of society and the economy. It advocates for open borders, galaxy-wide peace, the limitation of megacorporations and monopolies, as well as a looser citizenship process. While finding fertile ground amongst the newer generations, it would seem that Konyang is not ready to resonate with many of their points.

K-KMT

11 Seats

Having its roots in Earth, the K-KMT was organized very early in Konyang’s history as a branch of Federative China’s own ruling KMT party, primarily as a measure of control and influence over the local population of New Hong Kong. As the Konyanger national identity developed however, many of its followers stopped identifying with the factionalism instigated by the K-KMT, resulting in a mass desertion during Konyang’s financial boom. Once the prime distributor of Patriotic Aid from Earth to the Chinese Konyanger ethnicity, the party slipped into further irrelevance as a renewed call for aid during the phoron crisis fell on deaf ears, defeating the last of its practical purposes and leading to its near-dissolution. It nevertheless persists inside parliament even today, focusing on Konyang’s cultural heritage and advocating for the reunification of Konyang with the Alliance and the Earther home countries, a rhetoric that makes it the party of choice for all Alliance sympathizers and nostalgists.

Communist Party of Konyang

Little is known of the Communist Party, aside from the fact that it never attempted to register or compete in the elections. Described by many as a criminal organization in association with the outlawed sea bandits, the Communist Party nevertheless has its own dissident identity rooted in the feats of old Earth communists. Whenever the National Police raids pirate hideouts, it is not uncommon for posters, portraits and propaganda leaflets to be found amongst stashes of weapons and stolen goods, indicating the bandits' political affiliations. The aptly named "Bandit's Coast" region of Boryeong sees the heaviest infiltration of outlaws and Communist Party activity, with many villagers and Chondo practitioners in the area actively supporting and harboring these elements.