Leander Kokkinakis

Revision as of 12:23, 15 July 2023 by Norcandy (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Leander Kokkinakis
Don Dunstan 1968 crop.jpg
Leander Kokkinakis in 1984
30th Prime Minister of Satavia
Elections: 1984
In office
4 June 1984 – 3 April 1987
PresidentTheron Swart
Willem Steyn
Preceded byEric Edwards
Succeeded byMaximilian Dumfries
Leader of the Liberal Party
In office
4 June 1984 – 3 April 1987
DeputyPaul Monaghan
Preceded byEric Edwards
Succeeded byMaximilian Dumfries
Secretary of State for Health & Social Affairs
In office
21 May 1979 – 18 October 1981
Prime MinisterEric Edwards
Preceded byLachlan Goodhue
Succeeded byPieter Murell
Secretary of State for Education
In office
18 October 1981 – 4 June 1984
Prime MinisterEric Edwards
Preceded byDamian Botha
Succeeded byMarthinus De Klerk
Member of the Satavian Parliament
for St George
In office
29 November 1976 – 3 April 1987
Succeeded byLucian de Groot
Personal details
Born (1951-12-25) December 25, 1951 (age 72)
Pietersburg, Nuvania
NationalitySatavian
Political partyLiberal
Other political
affiliations
Western Freestate Social Democratic Party (1970-1974)
EducationSpringbank College
Signature
Military service
Branch/serviceSatavian Army
Years of service1968-1970
RankTrooper
UnitGreen Jackets

Leander Kokkinakis MS CSM (/lˈændər ˌkɒkɪˈnɑːkɪs/ lee-AND-ər KOK-in-AH-kiss; Piraean: Λέανδρος Κοκκινάκης; born 25 December 1951) is a Satavian former politician who served as the 30th prime minister of Satavia from 1984 to 1987, holding office as the leader of the Liberal Party. He previously served as Secretary of State for Education from 1979 to 1981, and as Secretary of State for Health & Social Affairs from 1981 until 1984 as a member of the Edwards government. Despite his short term as Prime Minister, Kokkinakis is frequently ranked as one of Satavia's most effective prime ministers.[1]

Kokkinakis was born in Pietersburg, Nuvania as the youngest of a family of four. Kokkinakis' parents had been prominent socialists in Piraea, but following the proclamation of the Second Piraean Republic and the beginning of political repression the family fled to the Asterias - first to the Asterian Federative Republic and then onto Pietersburg in Nuvania, with the ultimate goal of moving to Victoriaburg in the Western Freestate, home to a large Piraean diaspora. Kokkinakis moved to Satavia aged four, and grew up in relative poverty; however, Kokkinakis was a talented artist and sportsman, and was awarded an art scholarship to Satavia's most prestigious full-boarding private school, Springbank College in Port Hope. Kokkinakis left school at 16 and completed his mandatory two year national service in the Satavian Army. Following the completion of his national service, Kokkinakis became politically active, and began attending underground meetings of the Satavian Section of the Worker's Internationale in Victoriaburg. Kokkinakis stopped attending meetings after only a few weeks, instead joining the less extreme Western Freestate Social Democratic Party in 1970. By 1974, Kokkinakis had joined the Liberal Party and had become their official cartoonist for The Free Man - a Liberal Party-sponsored underground paper. Kokkinakis was arrested a year later for participating in subversive activities and interned for four months before being released. The following year, the Hope Province Provincial Guard overthrew the Government removed the National Party from power. In the 1976 election, Kokkinakis ran as the Liberal candidate for the Division of St George in Victoriaburg, comfortably defeating the Conservative & Country candidate by over 22,000 votes, thereby becoming the youngest elected representative in Satavia at the age of 25. Kokkinakis soon achieved prominence within the Liberal Party, and in 1979 was appointed Secretary of State for Education by Eric Edwards. During his time as Education Secretary, Kokkinakis oversaw vast changes to the Satavian federally-mandated national curriculum which brought him into conflict with many of the Provincial Education Boards. Kokkinakis achieved re-election in 1980 and survived another cabinet reshuffle until he was appointed Secretary of State for Health & Social Affairs in 1981. Kokkinakis introduced several wide-reaching welfare bills during this time, including the Preservation of Life Act 1983 that severely limited the fees attached to hospitals (at that time there was no unified national health service in any province) and included a moratorium on ambulance callout fees that has not been lifted since. Kokkinakis played a vital role in helping negotiate an agreement with right-wing insurgents that lead to the end of the Satavian Crisis in late 1983. When Eric Edwards announced his intention to resign in early 1984, Kokkinakis chose to take part in a highly-contested leadership contest with little expectation of winning. However, Kokkinakis performed well in the opening rounds and soon found himself with major support from both Liberal elected representatives and from the general public. Kokkinakis went on to win the leadership contest and on June 4, 1984, Edwards resigned and Kokkinakis was appointed Prime Minister later that day. Kokkinakis would lead the Liberals to a landslide electoral victory in 1984 Satavian federal election securing a supermajority, a feat not repeated since.

Kokkinakis' term as prime minister saw huge social reforms aimed at improving the quality of life in Satavia. Kokkinakis also introduced the first piece of legislation aimed at attempting to deal with complicated indigenous rights and land claims coupled with a landmark acceptance of the genocide perpetrated against minority groups in a 1985 speech called the Great Shame speech. Despite his unparalleled popularity whilst prime minister, Kokkinakis would ultimately be forced to resign following revelations of a homosexual affair that ended his political career.

References

[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [1]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Study reveals Satavia's greatest Prime Ministers, as voted for by the general public". StrawPoll. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  2. "The New Holy Land: Diaspora in Satavia". Jonathon Cook.
  3. Carter, Daniel (23 November 1984). "Liberals, Kokkinakis secure supermajority". Hope Post.
  4. "Election results, 1976-present". Government of Satavia.
  5. Carter, Daniel (4 June 1984). "Edwards resigns; Kokkinakis appointed PM". Hope Post.
  6. Jane, Corey (26 May 1984). "Leadership spill: who's hot". The Western Satavian.
  7. Crawley, Matthew (2003). The Satavian Crisis: An Overview. Morwall: Epsom Press.
  8. Cable, Vince (2021). A Satavian Crisis: Satavia's Health Care problem. Morwall: Epsom Press.
  9. Kruger, Marthinus (1996). The National Curriculum of Satavia: A Brief Overview. Morwall: Epsom Press.
  10. Daniel, Richard (5 June 1984). "Kokkinakis: A profile". Hope Post.
  11. Marie, De Jong (21 May 1979). "Cabinet reshuffle in full, explained". The Satavian.
  12. De Jaager, Joost (2003). All the Little Socialists: Satavia's Short-lived Socialism.
  13. Lewis, Van Straubenzee (26 November 1976). "Biggest stories from election night 1976". Hope Post.
  14. Elliot, Jago (2020). SATAVIA, Volume IV: 1936 to 1976.