Caropsyne Constitutional Crisis of 2000
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| Date | July 3–7, 2000 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Pontiana Palace |
| Location | Terese Polminese, Fornænda |
| Also known as | Siege of the Pontiana |
| Type | Political |
| Outcome | End of Maldian Government |
| Deaths | 67 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 108 |
The Caropsyne Constitutional Crisis, better known as the Siege of the Pontiana or the Damosca Coup, occurred between 3-7 July 2000 in Fornænda which marks both a devastating and transformative moment in Caropsyne political history which continues to play an outsized influence on the Pontanore to this day between the forces of Seranodan Socialism and Dormondism.
Origins
Its origins go back to 1993 with the election of Phodric Dormond as the first Premier after sixty years of Fostana Rule. Under his government, the Pontanore undertook an aggressive foreign policy that were antgonistic against countries whose foreign policy disagreed with that of the Pontanore's. Many of them were focused upon the Republic of Curiastan and her allies whom he would label as 'the Curian Bloc.' Dormond's Foreign Minister Miria Seranoda was very critical of his government's approach to foreign policy and would, in time, become a major player in the political transformation of the Pontanore. Haldric Maldian, Dormond's second-in-command, became Premier in the aftermath of the Great Oil Crisis of 1996 which resulted in Dormond's resignation.
Maldian, alongside his new Foreign Minister Garel Thormond, not continued the foreign policy of his predecessor but pursued even more hardline, isolationist, and nationalistic positions. In mid-1999, following the conclusion of one military conflict the Pontanore was engaged in, Maldian ordered the immediate ceasation of discussions with international parties. Health Minister Alza Permentanna was stunned by this and began to contemplate the unthinkable: taking down the Government. Seranoda had been in self-imposed political exile in Ardalia for around a year before she reappeared as the appointed Administrator-General of Euvodora. Though Seranoda had agreed to cease her public criticism of the government, she still maintain such opinions privately. Permentanna had built up a close relationship with her and confided in her in secret. Her ally, Defense Minister Goriath Moscana shared her concerns and with Permentanna's facilitation, Moscana would form a secret political friendship with her.
Together, they secretly reached out to the Fostana's Chair, Rolmand Roth, to meet with them. The four would meet in an undisclosed location in early April 2000 where Seranoda presented the group with the damning evidence confirming all of their suspicions concerning the level of influence the Damosca had over government policy and their nefarious actions in Jajiland, Curiastan, and elsewhere. With the four aligned, they conspired to bring down Maldian's Government. The Fostana would initiate their attack upon the Government but not until they felt there was sufficient support in the Pontiana. Over the next few weeks, Seranoda, Permentanna, and Moscana would quietly build up their support and feed information to their allies to foster greater criticism of the government's actions. As July started, everything was ready.
Fornænda in Crisis
3 July 2000 was an ordinary summer day until that afternoon at 1pm PST when legal figures worldwide were shocked to learn that in an unprecedented move, the Fostana had abandoned their proceedings mid-session, ejected all public spectators and ordered the Fostana Building sealed. At 2pm PST, the entire sixty-member body stormed out of its chambers and were marching upon the Pontiana Palace on Terese Polminese surrounded by heavy police protection. Led by their Chair and other officers, they had taken with them the working scroll of the Articles of State of the Caropsyne Pontanore. Its removal meant that the Fostana could not function nor could the Pontiana be officially seated. In a brief statement as they approached their counterparts in the lower house, said they were holding the scroll hostage until its demands were met.
The Fostana arrived at the Pontiana at 2:30pm PST and were permitted to enter the Palace by Miria Seranoda and Alza Permentanna. Seranoda joined the Chair and other officers and ascended the main marble staircase to the Premier's Suite while the other members of the Fostana remained downstairs with angry members of the Pontiana who joined the anti-Government movement. Premier Maldian arrived at the Pontiana ten minutes later and engaged in a heated argument with Seranoda and the Fostana Chairman in his suite. Over the next hour and a half, numerous members of Maldian's cabinet resigned and called for immediate elections.
At 5pm PST, the Fostana announced its demands: the resignation of Premier Maldian and elections be held with all due haste. They stated clearly that until their demands were met, the Fostana would remain in the Palace. The entire Pontanore Government was in total paralysis. Scuffles between politicians of opposing factions would break into the night - the police having to break into the Pontiana to break up the fights - each time in direct violation of the law.
By the morning of 4 July, the crisis remained unresolved. The Pontiana's Executive Committee, led by Meldreth Garmond, convened at 10am PST to discuss the upper chamber's demands. In her capacity as Administrator-General of Euvodora, Seranoda submitted a resolution calling for immediate elections to be held. The Pontanore would remain in suspense for four more days as the committee debated and reviewed the evidence she had compiled showing the enormous links between the Dormondist political grouping and military and Damosca figures and the later's high level of influence over government policy. The Executive Committee would pass the resolution at 9am PST on 7 July.
The Damosca Strikes
the crisis had remained at a stalemate for the next four days as the lower house's executive committee convened to discuss the Fostana's demands. Chaos unfolded by mid-morning on the fourth day when smoke was seen billowing from the Pontiana Palace. At the time, no one knew what it was happening, the only speculation was that there something very wrong going on. The true extent of the horror that had occurred that morning and into the afternoon was that renegade Damosca units stormed the building shortly after the Pontiana Executive Committee had decided to vote on the future of the Maldian Government. It is now known that the Damosca stormed the building, attacking delegates, with the intention of overturning the order for immediate elections to be held, and in order to preserve Haldric Maldian as Premier of the Pontanore.
Miria Seranoda was the one to implement the motion in the Pontiana calling for the removal of Haldric Maldian as Premier of Carops, following the exposure of enormous links between the Dormondist political grouping and military and Damosca figures. The ensuing debate and invasion of the Pontiana by the Fostana led to a vote by the Pontiana Executive Committee, which called for new elections to be held. The furious Damosca launched an attack upon the Pontiana Building following this, in what is known as the Siege of Pontiana, which resulted in the deaths of 67 people. Seranoda, who was one of the main targets of this attack, escaped with minor injuries, after being rescued by Fostana Chair Lord Roth.
In what was supposed to be a bloodless event in which Haldric Maldian would be forced to resign, the Damosca changed all of that, attempting to overthrow the Pontiana to keep Maldian in power. She was tied up in a chair by the Damosca and repeatedly beaten by officers to force her into denouncing her new ally. Alza made a full recovery afterward. For her involvement in saving the Pontanore government from effective military control, Seranoda made her Foreign Minister upon election where she helped rebuild the Pontanore's relations with many countries and engage in successful deliberations with many newly-independent countries including Agraristan, Andresia, and Noberia. She served as Foreign Minister for the duration of Seranoda's tenure, a total of 10 years.
Haldric Maldian, Premier of the Pontanore, was found dead in his office that afternoon. He committed suicide by hanging himself from a light fitting on the ceiling and was found draped in the flag of the Pontanore. A note left on his desk, corresponding to his handwriting, simply stated he regret at the violence and deep shame at the chaos being brought to the Pontanore by it. The death toll during the Constitutional Crisis was 67 with dozens more injured. The Damosca failed in its effort to keep Maldian in power and those who could flee the scene did so through the sewers while others were killed by the arriving Casmara agents or arrested. The Damosca's leader, General Pholomir Zarmal went into hiding.
Caropsyne democracy survived. Elections were held several weeks later and Miria Seranoda won an outright majority to become the next Premier. As her first act, Serenoda dissolved the Damosca and purged Dormondists throughout the government and military.
The Constitutional Crisis is also known as the Pontiana Siege or the Damosca Coup.
He was present during the events of the Caropsyne Constitutional Crisis of 2000 where he took responsibility for protecting the members of the Executive Commmittee during the Damosca's Siege of the Pontiana. He would defend them by taking up a position behind a flpped over desk in the foyer of their office suite with a pistol he had managed to sneak into the building the week before.