Madland
Note: Dated information, not current copied from [url=http://www.shireroth.org/shirewiki/Main_Page]Shirewiki[/url]
The Many Names of Madland
- The Kingdom of the Union of Madland (2002) - The Kingdom of the Union of Madland and its corresponding Empire (2002-2004) - The Province of Madland (8/1/2004 - 10/15/2004) - The Empire of the Madlandians (2004) - The Empire of the Alexandrians (2004)
Madland's founding and background
Madland was officially founded by Edgard Portela in May 7th, 2003. Its original name of founding was the Kingdom of the Union of Madland. Soon after the part “and its corresponding Empire” was added to the name. Madland had been existing already for a year only in the imagination of Edgard and his brother Gustavo. Edgard had written may stories of a country called “Alejandria” or Alexandria, in Spanish. Madland was originally meant to be a constructed world much like Virtual Verduria.
Madland has been the descendant of many successful offline micronations. However, so far, Mr. Portela’s luck with offline micronations has not translated into the Internet. In one of the most radical reforms in Madlandian history, Madland’s name was changed to Alexandria in the elections of Nov. 11th, 2004.
History of Madland
The Provisional Administration
In May 12th, 2002, the national name was changed to the Kingdom of the Union of Madland and its corresponding Empire as a proposal of newly elected Prime Minister George Lloyd Garter, founder of the Monarchist Coalition Party. Prime Minister Garter stepped down from the Prime Ministership of Madland in May 21st to allow for Madland's first elections. George Lloyd Garter (Monarchist Coalition Party, MCP), Katherine Griffes (Democratic Party of Madland, DP) and [[Tara Certa]] (Riraippian Party, RP)ran against each other in this hotly contested election.
Despite charges that the election had been rigged, Katherine Griffes of the DP won the election by an overwhelming 80% of the vote over her opponents. Many within Madland deeply resented Griffes' victory, which was widely regarded as a fraud. In May 28th, a small coup d'etat attempted oust Katherine Griffes. The King/Emperor declared a national state of emergency and dispatched troops to ensure that the people responsible were brought to justice. Opposition leader Tara Certa was imprisoned and tried, but found not guilty. Madland's political landscape kept on turning more and more complicated and violent and in June 1st, the King/Emperor was forced to call for elections again.
Tara Certa of the Riraippian Party won the elections narrowly to George Lloyd Garter. She set out to build a "germ-free Madland", but soon she saw her administration embroiled in scandal when evidence was published that the Riraippian Party had rigged the election. Again, coup threats and civil war were present and the King/Emperor was forced to call for elections again. The King/Emperor, determined to avoid the scandals of electoral fraud, set up the State Electoral Commission to oversee the elections. George Lloyd Garter won the election in a landslide 70% of the vote.
The Garter Administration
George Lloyd Garter's Administration was one of the most controversial in Madlandian history. Despite strong opposition to granting more self-rule to Torruca and Brunswickton, he was able to negotiate an end to the war with the separatists in that region. It was under him that the Commonwealth of Torruca and Brunswickton were created. His course of action in the Torruca and Brunswickton issue caused the Madlandian Parliament to issue a vote of no confidence on his government and to the July 19th elections.
The July 19th Elections
Following the approval of the vote of no confidence in the Madlandian Parliament, elections were called again. George Lloyd Garter (Monarchist Coalition Party, MCP), Katherine Griffes (Democratic Party of Madland, DP) and Tara Certa (Riraippian Party, RP) ran against each other once more. This election was the most contested one in Madlandian history. The Democrats and the Riraippians demanded immediate military action against Torruca and Brunswicton and the repeal of the Commonwealth Act.
The Monarchists retorted with arguments that such actions would lead to a civil war. Debates and speeches were made for almost two weeks before the polls opened the morning of July 19th, 2002. The July 19th elections resulted in the closest election in Madlandian history and until July 20th, the winner was not known. In the end, the State Electoral Commission (SEC) declared Katherine Griffes as the winner.
The First Griffes Administration
Following the proclamation of the Griffes victory, opponents began accusing the Democratic party of widespread electoral fraud. Soon after a small SEC investigation, it was proved that she indeed had won the election fairly.
Katherine Griffes soon ordered 100,000 Madlandian troops to invade Torruca and Brunswickton and started a vote to repeal the Commonwealth Act in Parliament. Soon after the invasion, public opinion turned against her as images from the invasion came home. Her own party supporters and the Riraippian Party proceeded to call on a vote of no confidence to oust her government.
Tara Certa of the Riraippian Party retired from Madlandian politics to protest the vote of no confidence. Both the Democratic and Riraippian parties were at war within themselves and with each other.
The July Coup
In July 22, 2002, Riraippian Party militants with support of the Monarchists and some Democrats in Parliament, seized the Prime Minister's mansion and forced Griffes to resign. The King/Emperor ordered the militants to leave, but met strong opposition.
Refusing to abdicate, Griffes was locked in her office until she did so. Running out of options, a crowd led by Riraippian militants stormed the Palace of Geneva where the Queen/Empress Annie was residing at the time and kidnapped her.
Soon after, Kingdom troops arrived in Geneva and liberated the Queen/Empress and Prime Minister Griffes (July 24). The King/Emperor had no choice but to call for national elections for July 29th.
The Great Betrayal
In July 29th, Madlandians headed off to the polls hoping to bring their nation into an era of stability. They elected George Lloyd Garter to the Prime Minister's office.
Soon after his election, Prime Minister Garter handed over his power to the King/Emperor and declared a state of emergency in response to the huge massacres and battles in Torruca and Brunswickton. This was seen as a great betrayal in front of the eyes of Madlandians and George Lloyd Garter soon retired from politics and left Madland altogether.
The Emperor's First Administration
From July 29 to September 20, the National State of Emergency haunted Madland, ruled by the King/Emperor. The Emperor dissolved Parliament and issued a declaration of intent, saying that he intended to rule alone. In September 20, Steve Budnick, the new President of the MCP, was appointed Prime Minister of Madland by the King/Emperor.
The Budnick Administration
The Monarchist government under PM Budnick was under serious pressure. It had to deal with the immense task of moving Madland online from its offline roots. It was PM Budnick’s and the Emperor’s failure to do so that has thrown Madland into a serious participation issue that plagues it to this day.
PM Budnick was both one of the most active and inactive Prime Ministers in Madlandian history. He kept Madland offline rather than move some of its activity online. Under his tenure, much of the government activity was transferred to the new ezBoard forums where the Torruca and Brunswickton Act was passed and formalized the Commonwealth. Madlandian withdrawal from the Commonwealth was painful and bloody. Also, under his tenure, the King/Emperor opened Madland up to micronationalism by establishing very close diplomatic ties with Puritania, Northworthy and Delvenus.
Under his tenure, the first Madlandian constitution began to be written mostly by the Emperor and offline collaborators. He developed Madland’s military machine, but soon after his departure from office the force he had built for Madland was dissolved with a constitutional amendment that renounced to war.
PM Budnick’s term was the longest term that any Prime Minister ever served. A vote of no confidence by his own party in the reopened Parliament, the MCP, brought forth elections in March 10, 2003.
The March 10th elections
The elections of March 10th, 2003 were the first in Madlandian history that did not end in controversy or fraud. Katherine Griffes ran against Tara Certa of the Riraippians and Lord Pontmercy of the Monarchists and won an overwhelming victory over them. The defeated candidates soon conceded the election and the SEC declared its winner.
The Second Griffes Administration
The second Griffes administration came into office with many creative and innovative ideas that would have brought Madland to new heights. Soon after Griffes was sworn into office, she became inactive and her supporters online began to look for different leadership. This is where Christina Hasselhoff, a representative of Nubinar, was elected to the Presidency of the Democratic Party in March 20th. Under her tenure, the constitutional amendment to ban war was proposed to the Constitutional Convention.
In March 23rd, PM Griffes announced her resignation to allow for elections. Elections never came however, and much of the country was thrown into turmoil because of the resignation.
The Lyons Administration
After the resignation of Prime Minister Griffes, Parliament proceeded to appoint Scott Lyons, a Monarchist, as its Prime Minister. Willing to work with the MCP and recognizing that her party was very much dead as a political force; Tara Certa abandoned the Riraippian Party and joined the MCP as Lyons’ Deputy Prime Minister. Despite being short, the Lyons administration was one of the most active.
Under Lyons, the military grew and became more powerful. Barriers of trade between the Madlandian states were eliminated and a massive tax overhaul made the economy grow more. He was active in the writing of the first Madlandian Constitution and very active in establishing the powers of the King/Emperor.
In March 30th, PM Lyons announced that he was stepping down as Prime Minister of Madland and soon after retired from Madland altogether. The MCP then proceeded to elect Tara Certa as its President and Prime Ministerial nominee to the election that was to come.
Royal Intervention, Death of a Party
Following the resignation of Prime Minister Lyons, the country was again thrown into political turmoil. The MCP still had a leader in Tara Certa, but the Democratic Party was in the midst of a political catfight between Griffes and Hasselhoff. Elections could not be held immediately. The King/Emperor then proceeded to name Tara Certa as Interim Prime Minister of Madland. When this happened, the Riraippian Party was officially dissolved and eliminated as a political force in Madland.
Treason Scandals
Following the appointment of Tara Certa as Interim Prime Minister, rumors began to circulate of a plot to “kill the King/Emperor”. The Imperial Supreme Court decided to take up the matter. In a private trial, it was found that Tara Certa was indeed plotting to oust the King/Emperor and place herself on the throne of Madland. She was soon stripped of her titles in Madland and kicked out. She never returned to Madland.
In April 7th, the MCP elected a new President: Christine Pardo. She was a liberal Monarchist and did not really fit into the conservative principles of the party, but she was its only leader.
The Election of April 16th
The King/Emperor proclaimed that elections would be held on April 16th, which was also his birthday. The Democratic Party failed to announce its candidate and the SEC had to intervene in its political war with itself and declare Hasselhoff its official candidate. When the polls opened in April 16th, much of the country had made up its mind and elected Pardo unanimously (100% of the vote).
The Pardo Administration
Under the tenure of Christine Pardo, Madland ratified its Constitution and dismantled its military. Many within the party opposed this and began to plot a vote of no confidence. But she soon fell to the disease of inactivity and resigned in April 24th. Following her resignation, Madland entered one of its darkest periods. Most online activity was practically reduced to zero.
The Dark Age
Madland’s first anniversary in May 7th, 2003 was an extremely bittersweet celebration. Due to the fact that many of the people that were involved online retired after Pardo’s resignation, Madland’s online presence was almost entirely dead.
The Madlandian government kept on working offline during this dark period in Madland’s history.
In May 15th, the King/Emperor unveiled the Golden Triangle Reforms, aimed at reforming Madland from the root up. Much of the reforms proposed by the King/Emperor never took hold but one: the suspension of the Constitution made by Royal Decree in June 29th.
The End of the Dark Age
Madland’s online presence began to show signs of a possible revival in early September. In this revival, Madland was determined to restore its diplomatic ties and became even more involved in Puritania.
The King/Emperor had established and ruled as Grand Duke over a province in Puritania called “New Puerto Rico”. New Puerto Rico had become one of the most affluent and powerful regions of Puritania. Madland was directly involved in supplying military, economic and political aid to the development of this province. Soon, New Puerto Rico had one of the strongest provincial militaries in Puritania and one of its most vibrant provincial economies.
The Communist Coup in Puritania
Puritania had begun to struggle with participation and the leader of the Communist province of Arkania, Savinkov, had become Deputy Lord Protector under the tenure of Lord Protector Austi Scot.
In October 30th, 2003, Savinkov lead a Communist coup and took over Puritania and renamed it the Soviet Republic of Arkania. Soon after the coup, the King/Emperor began discussing retaliatory actions towards the Communists in Puritania with representatives of the former Commonwealth government.
New Puerto Rico secedes
In October 31st, the King/Emperor traveled to New Puerto Rico and proclaimed its independence from the Communist regime of Arkania. The King/Emperor promised that New Puerto Rico would return to Puritania after the Communists had returned the government to its rightful leaders.
In November 2nd, the Communist regime of Savinkov came at an end and the Commonwealth government of Puritania was restored. Following the restoral, Arkania and another Communist province, Mediterranea, seceded from Puritania. Lord Protector Austi Scot soon resigned and participation lowered to an absolute zero in Puritania.
Negotiations to bring New Puerto Rico back into Puritania soon stalled and called off and New Puerto Rico stayed as an independent Grand Duchy under the rule of Grand Duke Edgard II. This would obviously change since nothing in micronationalism is ever the same.
Madland Joins Antica
On Sunday, July 11, 2004, Emperor of Madland, Edgard Portela, initiated diplomatic discussions with the Dinarchs of Antica, regarding a merger between the two nations. After several weeks of discussion and approval by both nations, they adopted a charter, making Madland a province of the Dinarchy of Antica.
After a short time, the Empereur of Madland, as he was so entitled under the Dinarchy, decided to declare Madland's independence. This move did not go over well with anyone in Antica, and the situation was quickly brought to a close, with Madland back in place. After some time, a resolution was passed in the Antican Senate which released Madland from Antica.
MORE HISTORY TO COME...
