Sanpantul union referendum, 1760
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Establish a Commonwealth
OPTION A Sanpantul's newly annexed territories were to be divided into different de facto states: Northern Paryan, Azad Pashana, Aghir, and the Beneluccas, after which the Great Tonugawa commonwealth would be established under the leadership of the Tonugawas. OPTION B The current status quo should be maintained, and citizens in the newly annexed territories should be granted full citizenship. | ||
| File:New Sanpantul 1760 referendum map.png Map of Sanpantul | ||
| Independence for Sanpantul | ||
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Sanpantul union referendum, 1760 is a referendum in the draft stage. The referendum includes a number of proposals, such as the division of the Paryan and Yarumo territories, annexed by the Sanpantul State in 1759, into Northern Paryan, Azad Pashana, and Beneluccas (with South Beneluccas to be granted autonomy). The partitioned territories and all states, including the Sanpantul State, will be transformed into a loose confederation called the Great Tonugawa. Later, the bill was expanded to include Aghir, which was formerly Bassarid territory.
Background
Treaty of Maulikpur
The complete withdrawal of Çakaristan from the Skerries and Wilhelm Isles led to Phineonesia and Sanpantul gaining more territory. Months after the Lija's surrender of Phinonesia, Çakaristan ceded almost all of its territory in Sri Pashana to Sanpantul with the Treaty of Maulikpur, while an agreement was reached between Sanpantul and Çakaristan for a 100-year lease of Bell Rock. The Çakar Empire would lease Bell Rock Island from the Sanpantul State for 100 Norton years, with the option to extend this lease for longer periods of 100 Norton years each; in return, it would pay an annual fee of 100 Muhar. There would be no military presence on Bell Rock Island except for those necessary for security and coastal protection services. The Sanpanese territorial gains in Sri Pashana also brought about some problems. The primary problem was the changing demographics. The Pashana people, of Çakari origin, had become the majority population in the Sanpantul territories, severely limiting the influence of the people on the Sanpantul mainland on national sovereignty. Given the Cratist holy see, politics became easily controlled from the outside. The distance of Sri Pashana from the Sanpantul mainland and its large population could lead to new independence movements and unrest in the region.
The second major problem was the need for new infrastructure. Building new infrastructure and fully establishing public services would take more than a decade and cost billions of dollars. The distance of Kipei from the new territories presented challenges in provincial administration. Before Sri Pashana took over the Sanpantul administration, the region was divided into nine major provinces, each with its own autonomous structure. The abolition of this autonomous status would have provoked a reaction from local chieftains.
The third major problem was economic. The region's lack of value-added production, coupled with its large population, left it quite poor in terms of GDP. The region was in need of economic investment, which had caused investment on the Sanpantul mainland to stagnate for many years. However, new opportunities and cheap labor in the region represented a major advantage for large Sanpanese companies.
Problems in Sandwich Islands
The Sandwich Islands, or mainland Sanpantul, also faced a number of problems. Due to a prolonged economic recession, nationalist parties saw their vote share rise in the last two general elections, with the Innovation Party remaining in power for two consecutive terms. Despite the nationalist parties' constant warmongering and promises to honor the old empire, the economic stagnation persisted, and in the last local election, people slowly began to gravitate towards left-leaning parties. New territories could have ended the economic stagnation and saturated Sanpantul, opening up new opportunities, but the people in these new territories would have gained citizenship and the right to travel freely to Sanpantul, which offered improved opportunities. Those living on the mainland Sanpantul preferred the status quo, as most recent polls indicated.
Developing a new formula
All the parties in Sanpantul formed a research commission to develop a new formula. After months of research, they concluded that they could adapt the Mondosphere and the model of past confederate states to their own system. A Commonwealth-style structure and several new states would be created. To respect the historical Katarian heritage and preserve the importance of Nabyudo, a North Paryan state was envisioned. It was intended to serve as a cultural bridge between the Sanpo (Spanish People's Republic) and the indigenous population, a concept approved by the chiefs of the three provinces north of Sri Pashana, which were already in a separatist position.
A small state project was developed for the Aghir region, formerly Bassarid territory and a significant port for Sri Pashana. This project, which aimed to create a state where mixed ethnic groups could coexist and which relied on port activities, was met with great interest from the local population.
However, reactions from the local population and administrative officials regarding the plans for Azad Pashana were mixed. While some welcomed the ease of governance and systematic integration as a success, others were uncomfortable with the loss of northern territories and the occasional reference to Azad Pashana as "Luthoria" in the research report. It was clear that the largest "no" vote in a potential referendum would come from Sri Pashana.
Situations in Beneluccas
The transfer of the Beneluccas to Sanpantul sovereignty led to a significant shift in the country's salt exports to Sanpantul, naturally reducing export revenues. This also created uncertainty regarding the fate of funds for Beneluccan factories. Despite these challenges, the situation in the Beneluccas was less chaotic than in Sri Pashana.
The main concern of the Beneluccan people was the possibility of Sanpantul returning to the islands. The policies implemented by Sanpantul during their time in the Beneluccas, and the war crimes committed during the Sanpo-Çakar War, fueled opposition to the islands coming under Sanpanese sovereignty. The new formula would both guarantee the cultural existence of the Beneluccas and prevent direct Sanpo rule. The idea of a Commonwealth seemed more logical to the public than direct annexation by Sanpantul.
However, independence campaigns in the historical South Beneluccas brought about new debates. The efforts to re-establish the spiritual successor of Southern Beneluccas, an ancient colony of Gerenia, the ancient state of Northern Apollonia, temporarily hampered the development of the formula, but the solution proposed was for Southern Beneluccas to become an autonomous part of the Beneluccas. The independence movement endorsed this.
