Banwa (government type)

Maalam Bao, the father of the Banwa as a political ideal.

A Banwa is a Savaian form of government that unites characteristics of the Asuran Republic with more indigenous Savaian concepts of statehood. In contrast to a monarchy, power is not passed down in a hereditary manner. It is marked by strong federalism to the point of confederalism, collective leadership, communalism and direct democracy on local issues. The idea of a Banwa emerged at the end of the 19th century in the writings of Maalam Bao, a pan-Torangese thinker who was the ideological inspiration for the Linavian All-People's Army which would eventually win independence for Linavia.

As a natively-developed political system, the Banwa has not seen adoption outside of Savai. It is sometimes compared to a form of libertarian socialism or even third positionism, incorporating concepts from across the political spectrum.

Name

The name "Banwa" comes from the Baybaya word Bansa, which means "community" in Newreyan. This term has traditionally been used to refer to a village and encapsulates the idea of a united village where every inhabitant works together for the common good of the community. It is often translated as republic in Newreyan and other Asuran language, which lacks the nuance of the term while being strictly accurate due to the lack of an unelected and hereditary monarch.

Presidency

A key part of the Banwa is a collective presidency, rooted in the idea of the village elders. Bao explained this concept in his seminal work Banwa: A Linavian State from the Past for the Future, stating that "In the village we do not rely upon one man to make the decisions. No man can shoulder the weight of his entire people's responsibility. One voice cannot be the only one heard. Only a council of elected officials can effectively regulate the nation's discourse and guide it. A garden is more beautiful with more flowers." In practical terms, this translates to an elected group of politicians who