1719–1720 Hurmu civil conflict

The 1719 Hurmu government crisis began almost immediately after the socialist–Umraist cabinet of Annika Raudsepp entered office on new year's day.

Timeline

• 1.I.1719: Annika Raudsepp assumes the position of Prime Minister of Hurmu and announces her cabinet. The cabinet is invited for a banquet hosted by the Senate as per tradition but declines a banquet.
• I.I.1719: Newly appointed Minister for Constitutional and Democratic Reform, Filip Krmpotić (CWP) says in the first cabinet meeting: "The Senate has set forth no constitutional document that justifies its jealous monopolisation of the right to interpret and amend the constitution. Instead, it is time to convoke a people's assembly in order to begin the work of drafting a new and fully codified foundational law with its roots in the sovereignty of the masses." (See Constitutional reform movement in Hurmu)
• 11.III.1719: Minister for Policing and Security, Ramzan Q̇adar Khan Abakhtari, declared that the Hurmu Constabulary, as it was then constituted, was an illegal corporate and Humanist militia operating under the guise of a police force. At the minister's direction, the trade union movement, as an emergency measure, received ministerial authorisation to deputise their members as auxiliary constables with orders to peacefully take possession of all buildings, infrastructure, and equipment under the nominal possession of the Hurmu Constabulary and to assume responsibility for the maintenance of civic peace and good order in the districts and states of Hurmu. The minister further directed that members of the Constabulary were to surrender their armaments and warrant badges and withdraw from all involvement in public life, pending interview by appointed investigators for links to extremist groups and corporate militias. Members of the constabulary exonerated from any such associations would subsequently be rehired following a period of retraining in critical legal theory and social awareness. For the duration of the evaluation process, members of the constabulary were to remain at their recorded places of primary residence, during which time they were to be considered suspended from duty and on half pay.
• 12–20.III.1719. The Senate begins debating how to respond to the events in the Hurmu Constabulary. The Ayreonist–Traditionalist stance was initially one of measured calm, which media summarized as "just enrol the officers in the HPC and pay them that way", whilst the CDH felt this approach would be impracticable if the funding of the now unionised Constabulary was not concurrently halted. In the end, the United and Humanist Factions agreed to support a motion of condemnation of the Minister's acting, which would have no binding effect.
• 1.IV.1719: Finance Minister Ürimbay Bayböri (SDP) announces the government budget bill to the Assembly of Representatives. In short the most controversial aspects of the bill, in the near-unanimous view of the Senate, included:
  • Nationalization of Fabrika Vozila Ravna, Hurmudanka Engineering Company, Köping Tea Company, Lontinska Papir, and Hurmu Tresamlag
  • An added corporate tax on company profits amounting to 50% of the profits, to be reinvested in the workers of the same company (pension funds, sickness funds, funds for further education, re-training, etc)
• 2.V.1719: A spokesman for the Secretary of State for the Bank, Mint and Press of Hurmu, Rosamund al-Osman Primo de Aguilar, stated that the government budget would be in whole unacceptable and that the Bank would not pay out any funds to support it, unless by authorization of the budget by the Senate, the prospect of which the spokesman said was "laughable at best". The position from the Bank was met with collective cabinet fury. The Senate sent Chancellor Li Naomiai to negotiate with the cabinet.
• 20.V.1719. During the cabinet–Senate negotiations, led by Annika Raudsepp for the cabinet and Li Naomiai for the Senate, discussions touched on matters of political reform. In the end, Li Naomiai had proposed the following compromise for a government of national unity:
  • Representation from all political parties in Hurmu
  • A government budget that allows for more funding of health and social care and work retraining, a portion of profits (circa 10%) to be reinvested in workers each year, and full funding for the Hurmu Constabulary.
  • Greater role and protection of trade unions across the country
  • No nationalization of any companies
  • A committee, consisting of 36 people, of which half would come from the Senate and half from the Assembly, would be tasked to draw up a written constitution for Hurmu, to be ratified by the people of Hurmu in two referenda, one by the Electors of the Holy Lakes and one by the citizen population of Hurmu.
• 24.V.1719. The compromise offered by the Senate was deemed unacceptable by the Cabinet, which rejected it in a cabinet decision on this date.
• 1.VI.1719. In a private meeting with the Prime Minister, Chancellor Li Naomiai, accompanied by Commander Ichirō, warned the prime minister that unless her cabinet is willing to compromise on the role of the Senate and the Order in the constitution of Hurmu, on nationalization and economic matters, and on policing and security issues, the would lose the confidence in the Senate.
• 5.VI.1719: Prime Minister Annika Raudsepp announces a draft resolution that rejects the supremacy of the Senate of the Lakes and affirms the supremacy of the democratic mandate afforded the Assembly of Representatives. Li Naomiai and Ichiro continue to pay the prime minister visits urging her to reconsider.