1681 Sanaman government crisis

The 1681 Sanaman government crisis was triggered on 21.XIV.1681 when the leader of the Northern League Gregory L. Justice publicly demanded the abandonment of the occupation of western Shimmerspring, in direct contravention of official government policy.

The condemnation from Justice was broadcast widely by news outlets and was considered by Sanaman government officials to be unwarranted. In his speech, Justice affirmed the belief that the people of Shimmerspring should have the right to self-determination, framing the argument from a moral perspective. "The people of Shimmerspring possess the legal and moral right to their homeland and have the right to determine their destiny after achieving the liberation of their country wholly upon their terms, entirely of their own accord and will. Occupation means that every day you die and the world watches in silence. How much longer are we willing to endure this spectacle of wanton cruelty and occupation?"

Later the same day, Chancellor Tanilo Lhayi gave an address in response. "The government platform includes safeguarding the security and safety of the Sanaman people. The security zone is an integral part of that goal. The long-term objective with the security zone is to secure the area, secure the border, dismantle the terrorist presence there, and transfer governance to civilian authorities. The Northern League agreed to this platform and I expect them to honour it."

The Chancellor's statement rallied the Northern League around their leader and further attracted media attention as the government and Gregory Justice continued their war of words. In a statement before the press, Justice said: "Shimmerspring is the greatest moral and political failure of Sanama. It is here that even the most civilized amongst us begin to make excuses for repression, brutality, and violence. It is here that we subsume all that we otherwise celebrate under the demands of freedom, progress, and liberty. We cannot continue to respond to the political aspirations and the social and the legal demands in Shimmerspring through militarization, repression, and indiscriminate violence. The Northern League did not sign up for that. The people of Sanama did not sign up for that.”

On 22.XIV.1681, the President Keysa Nur Pinito Caprici called an emergency meeting of the Council of State at the Pahay Xonutili, including the two ministers from the Northern League Gregory L. Justice and Christopher Hitchen. The members started to drop in in the early afternoon, with the entrance to the residence compound heavily crowded with media. The Northern League ministers were among the last to enter. Photographers with telescopic lenses managed to take some pictures of the start of the meeting before the curtains were drawn. Over three hours later, the Chancellor Tanilo Lhayi appeared before the press outside the entrance for an impromptu address. "Today the President took action to address the split within the government regarding the Shimmerspring issue. After long discussions held in a cooperative manner, we, unfortunately, had to conclude that the agreement that formed this coalition government was no longer in effect. Even though the Northern League agreed to our Shimmerspring policy in the coalition agreement, they have now rescinded that support and have unfortunately tendered their resignations from the Council of State to the President. I am therefore forced to conclude that I cannot guarantee the support of a majority in the Llusan for the current government. I have communicated that to the President and also tendered my and the Council's resignation to her, which she has accepted. She has also requested that we stay on in a caretaker capacity until the formation of a new Council of State. Further communication on this issue will be issued from the Pahay Xonutili. Thank you."

With the government making moves to secure itself with the support of the NHP, Gregory L. Justice visited west Shimmerspring civic leaders and met with them along with other Northern League officials. "The Northern League will give this government a vigorous opposition based on a very basic premise - you can't have an occupation and human rights. We must make our choice; we cannot have both. After having visited West Shimmerspring, it is clear that we need a new approach, one that relies on accountability, responsibility, phasing down the scope of our military commitment, and honoring the aspirations of the people of West Shimmerspring."

On 22.XIV.1681, the Pahay Xonutili issued the following statement: "Due to the unexpected departure of the Northern League from government, after having reneged on the cooperation agreement from 1679, the President will invite the leader of the Nationalist and Humanist Party in Sanama, Fenna Bakker, and the acting Chancellor to coalition talks. As for the departure, the President is disappointed in Gregory Justice for withdrawing his support for the coalition in aligning himself with potential terrorists in Shimmerspring." Later during the day, the military authorities in west Shimmerspring restricted access to the area to people with a newly issued entry permit.

On 8.XV.1681, the Pahay Xonutili announced that the Nationalist and Humanist Party had signed on to the coalition agreement with the United Nationalist Alliance, Sanaman National Party and Partito Popolare Cisamarrese, with only slight adjustments. On the same day, party leader Fenna Bakker and Jasmina Hosseini, formerly a Federal Councillor for the Green Alliance, were appointed to the government as Secretary for Justice and Infrastructure respectively.