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.

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 623^rd 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 is 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. Ecooomic 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.

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.