POLITICS OF GWIJ

Official name:         Fudan Karadeyij Na Gwij (Confederated Metropolis of Gwij)

Prime Metropole:     Ker Frin Portinen of Bik

 Ker Frin Portinen of Bik is the head of government (Prime Metropole: Ker) of Gwij. He is also the head of the prefecture (or Gadej) of Bik, one of the 11 prefectures making up the Confederation.

Originally, each governor (Hud Ker) rotated as the Ker through the Confederation Council. Each Hud Ker is a member of this council and has an equal vote concerning legislation. The rotation of the ker-si (Kership) theoretically lasts 5 years, though this rule has been violated in the past and even more so during the current administration. Ker Frin Portinen has been in power for almost 7 years. Under Portinen’s regime, the Confederation Council has lost most of its power and generally exists in name only. The Council still has a vote and is left alone when the Ker sees that its actions do not interfere with his ruling. In issues he does care about, he has full veto power.

The prefecture of Bik is one of the most powerful in the Confederation. Most of Gwij’s wealthiest elites make Bik their home. It is also the home of Gwij’s huge port district, thus controlling the majority of the confederation’s economy. It is not a surprise that Ker Frin Portinen has remained Ker for as long as he has without being forced to step down, as would be the law according to the Unification Notes.

The Ker does not live in his or her home prefecture, but in one of the two Administrative Districts or Karkasums; Karkasum East (Karkasum-Bigaj) and Karkasum West (Karkasum-Nesula), which do not have any representation in the Confederation Council. The immense metropolis is divided into Eastern and Western halves. This was purely a practical matter considering the size of the city-state. As the city grew and consolidated, there became a need to have two capital districts serving the same purpose. Karkasum-Nesula was created out of this need (Karkasum-Bigaj being the original capital). The then government placed the prefectures into either East or West. The Western Prefectures (Gadejy Nesula) would conduct their administrative business in Karkasum-Nesula and the Eastern Prefectures (Gadejy Bigaj) would do the same in Karkasum-Bigaj. The Ker would take up residence in whichever Karkasum his or her prefecture is located. The current administration currently resides in Karkasum-Bigaj since Bik is in the Gadejy Bigaj.

The East/West division was drawn solely on practicalities of population and geography. However, with geography, there comes culture; thus, cultural divisions and tension. The Gadejiy Nesula for the most part, do not trust the wealthier Gadejiy Bigaj and vice-verse. The Eastern half of the city-state is older and more densely populated giving it an advantage over the general control of the Confederation. The Western half tends to be more independent and rebellious with almost entirely different languages spoken, particularly in the North-western prefectures of Synn and Paedraj. Paedraj is the newest prefecture to join the Confederation. The decision to join the Confederation was not an actual choice according to many Paedrajans. The prefecture of Synn was a separate kingdom and eventually annexed into the Confederation. The problem of geography comes into play here. How can a small section of a vast interconnected metropolis become (or remain) an independent entity? Needless to say, it is a very tenuous union at best.

 In both Paedraj and Synn, there are large separatist groups calling for an independent Paedraj and Synn or an independent unification of the two. The several groups are grappling with this problem of geography and thinking of ways to gain independence and remain independent (culturally and economically) while still geographically remaining part of the super-urban world of Gwij or whatever it will be called after independence. Some groups are saying that it is not possible and are working within the system to gain larger autonomy within the confederation. The current Hud Ker of Peadraj is an adherer to this movement and believes in staying in the Confederation but with wider autonomy. Her name is Hud Ker Chand Komornd and is an outspoken critic of the Portinen administration on the Council. She has been in power for almost 9 years (unlike the Ker, each prefecture sets its own term limitations for their Hud Ker and their regulations concerning when and how their Hud Ker is elected). For Paedraj, there is an election every 4 years with the Council of Districts electing the Hud Ker. Hud Ker Chand Komornd is currently serving her third term as Hud Ker of Paedraj.

 In Synn, the Hud Ker is publicly of the same mindset as Hud Ker Chand Komornd but secretly allies himself with the radical groups that believe the “Problem of Geography” can be overcome and independence achieved. His name is Hud Ker Gempech Drensomin V. Unlike the Hud Ker-si in Peadraj, Hud Ker Gempech Drensomin has his position for life. The Hud Keri of Synn is also dynastical in that the title is passed down through bloodlines. In actuality, Synn is a monarchy within a superficial representational democratic confederation.   The people of Synn do not call him “Hud Ker” but rather “Gempech” meaning “royal”. This is possible because, as stipulated in the Unification Notes, each prefecture has the right to administer its own local affairs as it sees fit. Synn was an independent monarchy before unification and still is within its now porous borders. The central government cannot interfere and change the monarchy in Synn no matter how much it wants to. Ker Portinen’s administration is attempting to change this by amending the Unification Notes.  He wants the current succession system of Synn abolished and term limits introduced. This would get rid of Gempech Drensomin V from his lifelong seat on the Confederation Council. Ker Portinen understandably does not feel comfortable having pro-autonomy Hud Kery on his Council and he suspects Drensomin as even being involved with more radical challenges to his directorship.

In Galoreya, the Hud Ker is Quarin Yedorn. She was elected directly by the citizens of Galoreya, the most directly democratic system of Hud Ker appointment in the metropolis. The Galoreyan people are one of the most conservative citizens in Gwij. Because of this, the Hud Ker is extremely pro-Confederation and pro-Ker Portinen. Hud Ker Yedorn is Ker Portinen’s closest ally in the Gadejy Nesula – an area with few trustworthy allies of Ker Portinen. Galoreya is the keystone in both the Confederation and revolutionaries’ goals in the West. Galoreya has the second largest port in Gwij and the largest in Gadejy Nesula. It also has the largest economy in the region with direct control over trade from the colony of Hokular and the popular vacation destinations of the Krashi Island chain, rocky coast of Nesula-Bin district, and long pink beaches of Pekku district.

The Hud Ker of Mijor-Car is another major player in Gwijian politics. His name is Aren Drenjarse. Mijor-Car is geographically very central to the power base of the metropolis. It is extremely densely populated and an original signatory of the Confederation, thus historically a supporter of the status quo. Drenjarse shares the same ideals as Ker Portinen. They are friends but in an unequal situation. Ker Portinen is the penultimate leader of Gwij, and Drenjarse is the leader of one prefecture, albeit a powerful one. There is some jealously and resentment coming from Drenjarse because he would have been the next Ker if Portinen had not staged a coup to keep himself in power. Because they both share the same philosophy concerning Gwij’s future, Drenjarse swallowed his pride and aided Portinen in his coup. Drenjarse is not as well rounded as Portinen and is easily manipulated by those more versed in politics. His is a powerful pawn. However, there are those in his administration who are not swallowing the pride as easily and may secretly be conspiring to overthrow Portinen and put their governor (their pawn) in the Prime Metropole office in the Confederation East Tower. Drenjarse has a gentler personality contrary to his severe outer appearance. He is very popular among the other Hud Kery on the now powerless Confederation Council. Portinen knows this and courts Drenjarse constantly always bringing him in to consult on important decisions (though Portinen almost always makes up his mind before these consultations). This is to keep the unwittingly powerful Hud Ker at bay and under his wing. Drenjarse’s greatest fear is that things will change even more and will no longer have a sense of worth. Already he has lost a lot of what he worked all his life for, but he has not lost everything yet.

These are the five most politically powerful or rebellious prefectures and leaders in the metropolis. The rest of the prefectural leaders adhere to one of the more powerful leaders’ camps. These camps are more just a gauge and are not highly organized or official. The following list is where the other prefectures fall in the political scheme:

Yohannus (most populous) – Confederation camp

Defom (largest in area)– Confederation camp

Istar (2nd wealthiest population after Bik) – Confederation camp

Qairyu (keystone prefecture between East and West) – Northwest camp (though quite moderate)

Fidasia (has largest urban centre outside the Karkasum districts) - Confederation camp (though moderate)

Sidou (most educated population with Nyumem University and Research Area and Breadbasket of Gwij) – split between Confederation and Northwest camps

Another complication in the political web of Gwij is the Cultural Mapping Law of 107 C.Y. which resulted in the further fragmentation of the vast megalopolis’ political structure while paradoxically solidifying it. The true philosophy behind the creation of the Cultural Mapping Law is still unclear. Some say it was a way for the then government to placate the growing diversity of the city-state by officially recognizing the established and emerging minor metro-cultures. The government of that time, under the leadership of Ker Coriath Mendren, was the first government to successfully attempt major consolidation and centralization of politics. To consolidate power, it had to convince the citizens that this centralization (through the guise of a stronger confederacy) would be a positive change. This was done through the Cultural Mapping Law of 107 C.Y.

Others argue that the Cultural Mapping Law was designed to divide and conquer. By allowing many smaller cultures to be recognized with their own “Cultural Heritage” boundaries, the government hoped this would greatly weaken the power the prefectures had on the political machine of the megalopolis. The new “Neo-Metro Cultures” were to have no political power whatsoever and the mapping was for cultural heritage reasons only. The Neo-Metro Cultures were to adhere to the prefectures’ laws where they were based even if their borders encompassed territory in two or more prefectures. The government knew this was only a formality and that eventually these cultures would create a niche for themselves and gain more economic, thus political power within their respective prefectures to cause a significant deterioration of power among the prefectures. The government hoped that when this happened that the Neo-Cultures would ally themselves with it if there ever were to be a large resistance to the government’s secret plans of complete centralization. The argument is gaining more respect since the deterioration of power of the prefectures has come about and alliances have become ever more complicated and convoluted (see Culture Mapping Law document for further details).

The current Portinen government is a direct descendent of the powerful Mendren government of the past. At that time, a highly secretive manipulation was going on behind the Ordrastor doors of the Confederation East Tower (Ker Coriath Mendren was of Yohannus – a Gadej-Bigaj prefecture). Plans were being drawn up to do away with the Keri rotation system and foster leadership in accordance with the grand scheme of centralization. This had to be done to ensure that whoever took over as Ker in the future had the same philosophy as the shadowy architects of the Mendren government – empire. Future Kery had to have total loyalties to this goal and not to their home prefectures or the continuation of the status quo of the Confederacy.