Jaris (Nouvelle Alexandrie)
The New Alexandrian territory of Jaris, formerly known as Ijubicastagrad, is a port and colonial territory under the sovereignty of Nouvelle Alexandrie, situated on the southern coast of the island of Jaris. The territory is administered from Ijubicastagrad Harbor, the primary settlement with functioning amenities within the colony.
Governance
Article 13 of the Regional and Local Government Organization Act, 1699, provides as follows:
13. OVERSEAS TERRITORY OF JARIS.
- The present existing territory of Ijubicastagrad is constituted as an Overseas Territory. Ijubicastagrad Harbor shall serve as its capital.
- The Overseas Territory shall be administered by a Governor, a citizen of the Federation appointed by the King and serving at His Majesty's Pleasure. The Governor exercises His Majesty's plenipotentiary powers in accordance with His Majesty's will.
- The executive authority of the Overseas Territory is the Chief Executive, who is formally appointed by the Governor, and serves at the pleasure of the Governor but for no more than five years from the date of appointment. All reappointments may take place only on the approval of the Legislative Council. The Chief Executive must be at least 21 years of age on the date of appointment, able to read and write, and of sound mind.
- The legislative authority of the Overseas Territory is vested in the Governor-in-Council, comprising the Governor and the Legislative Council, which shall have 25 seats elected by the adult residents of the Overseas Territory for a three-year term. Councilors may be re-elected. 20 seats are elected at large, and one seat each are reserved for closed elections for the constituencies of women, youth residents of 18 to 30 years of age on election day, veterans, senior citizens of 60 years of age and above on election day, and persons with disabilities. Except as otherwise provided, Councilors must be at least 18 years of age on the date of the election, able to read and write, of sound mind, a resident of the Overseas Territory for at least one year prior to the date of election, and a citizen of the Federation.
- All debts and liabilities of the Overseas Territory and of its government as of the date of this Act are assumed by the Atacama Corporation, a corporation existing and registered under the laws of the Imperial State of Constancia.
- No other armed and uniformed force shall presume to exercise military or law-enforcement powers in the Overseas Territory except as otherwise provided by law of the Federation or a treaty in which the Federation is a party.
- The National Elections Commission shall conduct elections for the Overseas Territory within six months from the adoption of this Act.
- Until such time as a Governor is appointed and a Chief Executive is appointed, the Secretary of Defense shall appoint from His Majesty's Armed Forces, a Commandant who shall exercise the powers of the Governor contemplated in this Section until a new Governor is appointed.
- Individuals who have resided within the Overseas Territory for at least five years prior to the adoption of this Act may be granted citizenship in the Federation on signature of the Governor, provided that they renounce any other existing citizenship that they may be entitled to, and provided further that the Secretary of Defense concurs that the individual does not pose a threat to the security of the Federation.
Security
Security is provided by the Jaris Garrison, organised by the Grand Army of the Federation, comprised of the Ijubicastagrad Volunteer Rifles Regiment, recruited from amongst the settler population and the Honoured Sons of Ijubicastagrad Harbor, and the Jaris Native Constabulary whose members are drawn from the Black Travellers.
Ijubicastagrad Harbor was assigned a Piriya-class coastal patrol ship from the Apollonian Armada in 1750 AN to serve as a permanent guard ship. Concurrently, a Port Admiral was posted to oversee the development of the Jaris Naval Support Facility, a sustainment and replenishment site for visiting Federal Navy, Federal Coastguard, and allied vessels. Negotiations were entered into for the lease of ten acres, including quayside berths and warehouse space from the Atacama Corporation.
History
Claimed in 1687 AN after the breakup of Krasnocoria, Ijubicastagrad came under the protection of the Raspur Pact during Operation Dyre-Storm 87. Utilised as a beachhead for the evacuation of Raspur Pact nationals and the rescue of assets and personnel associated with ESB Jaris from the island, control of the territory was subsequently transferred to the Military of Alduria-Wechua, with the initial garrison consisting of a squadron from the 623rd Pioneer Regiment, supported by a multi-specialism task force from the Federal Support Corps, a detachment of marines, and the auxiliary cruiser Rocinante. The deployed force was further supported by two locally raised territorial regiments - the Ijubicastagrad Volunteer Rifles Regiment, recruited from the incoming settler community, and the Jaris Native Constabulary drawn from amongst the Black Traveller community and commanded by Antican officers.
In 1688 AN the Honourable Company opened a stock subscription in the International Mandate, through the Apollonian Directorate of the conglomerate, for investors to underwrite the dispatch of sixty ships and thirty thousand settlers to the Ijubicastagrad colony.
Ijubicastagrad was initially governed by a Military Governor, a senior officer of the Military of Alduria-Wechua.
Under the Proclamation of Punta Santiago, the King was authorized to issue Letters of Official Settlement to establish new Alduro-Wechua territory, with said territory established as "unincorporated territory" under the direct rule of the King or to another legally incorporated body "on behalf of the King". In the absence of an organic law (a lawful regional, state, or local constitution or charter) approved by the federal legislature, a territory is classified as unorganized. Selected constitutional provisions apply, depending on legislative acts and judicial rulings according to Alduro-Wechua constitutional practice, local tradition, and law.
In 1691, new Letters of Official Settlement were issued to Atacama Corporation, a corporation existing and registered under the laws of the Imperial State of Constancia, via its Chief Executive and Court of Directors, to govern Ijubicastagrad directly, and its Chief Executive, Matthäus Koeppen, essentially became its first direct civilian Governor. Economic activity soon swirled as 50 million Natopos were used to purchase land, with an additional 20 million Natopos utilized for construction of buildings and improvements. This new development was colloquially referred to as Atacama City, which beginning 1700 was owned and operated by Ijubicastagrad Holdings, a subsidiary of the Atacama Corporation. After a term of service from 1690-1693, Matthäus Koeppen stepped down as Chief Executive, and he was replaced at the 1694 Annual Shareholders Meeting by Toghemur Ghazan, former Minister for Molivadia, as Chief Executive.
The surprise election of Bjørn Koeppen, the son of its former Chief Executive, Matthäus Koeppen, to the Atacama Corporation's board as Chief Executive in 1696 AN established impetus to the Ijubicastagrad project. Open elections were immediately called for a 50-member Consulative Council from among the residents, to serve for 3-year terms and to advise on domestic matters, as well as to propose policy.
In 1699 reports reached Cárdenas that the elections to the consultative council for the next three year term had effectively been a long running skirmish between the Ijubicastagrad Volunteer Rifles Regiment and the Jaris Native Constabulary.
A demi-regiment of the Colonial Marines, supported by an ad-hoc formation drawn from the branches of the Federal Guards Service, was duly dispatched from Nuevo Corcovado to investigate. It transpired that the Native Constabulary had been recruited from amongst the Black Travellers community and thus took their lead from the Atacama Corporation whilst the Volunteer Rifles had been raised primarily amongst the settlers who had responded to the subscription appeal put out by the Honourable Company.
The ESB Group in Apollonia, having put together the initial consignment of colonists - drawn from the coffee houses and notorious taverns of the International Mandate - had been wrongfooted by the grant of the Letters of Official Settlement to the Atacama Corporation. Seeking to recover the standing which they had lost, the settlers had gathered amongst themselves and arranged for a slate of candidates under the banner of a "Trade and Reform Party", which enjoyed strong ties with the Honourable Company's Resident in Ijubicastagrad. In large part due to the conspicuousness of this effort, the hustings carried out as part of the 1699 election had become increasingly acrimonious affairs - drawing in the settlers, the natives, the garrison, and the expat community in turn.
Having been apprised of the matter, Augustus Strong, the Secretary for Defence, transmitted orders for the Colonial Marines to fetch the ringleaders of both parties, including Bjørn Koeppen, back to Cárdenas to better explain themselves. A few altercations ensued with dissenting elements in the local garrison before Bjørn Koeppen was at last led to the Coast Guard cutter that waited to convey him to the nearest friendly held port with an operational airport nearby. Even as he was led up the gangplank to join the others that would be accompanying him to the capital Bjørn continued to insist that he had been the victim of an impropriety and a transgression against his letters patent. In 1701, arrangements were made, and he was repatriated back to the Imperial State.
An interim Commandant was appointed in the absence of the island's civic leadership.
Interestingly enough, in the New Alexandrian general election, 1703, the Federal Humanist Party enjoyed sufficient support from the populace to be able to form a local chapter.
The Jaris Ferry Company, headquartered in Tiegang, was established in 1718 AN and had by 1720 AN commenced weekly sailings too and from Ijubicastagrad Harbor from the International Mandate.
As late as 1750, politics on the island were still reported as being essentially a function of the long running rivalry between the ESB Group (Apollonia) and the Atacama Corporation. A commission of inspection, organised by the Central Secretariat of the FHP was dispatched in that year to investigate allegations of corporate factionalism within the Jaris Chapter.
It was in response to these reported local irregularities that the Federal Government appointed Enrique Jimenez as governor in late 1750 AN
See also
