Antelope Gelai
Antelope Gelai Антелопе Гелаи 令狐魏赖 | |
|---|---|
 Antelope Gelai in 1957 | |
| 4th President-General of Namor | |
| In office 20 April 1950 – 20 April 1965 | |
| Vice President | Kong Jo |
| Preceded by | Kiang Su |
| Succeeded by | Kong Jo |
| Secretary-General of the Liberationist Party of Namor | |
| In office 3 December 1950 – 1 March 1965 | |
| Preceded by | Kiang Su |
| Succeeded by | Kong Jo |
| President of the Namorese Central Council | |
| In office 5 October 1945 – 20 December 1950 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 July 1901 Tanken, East Nozama, Great Hao Empire |
| Died | 3 January 1985 (aged 84) Namo, Capital District, People's Republic of Namor |
| Nationality | Namorese |
| Political party |  Liberationist Party |
| Spouse | Chen Mei |
| Children | Txo Tzang |
| Alma mater | University of Talon |
Antelope Gelai (9 July 1901 - 3 January 1985) was a Namorese statesman who served as the 4th President-General of the People's Republic of Namor and leader of the Liberationist Party of Namor from 1950 to 1965. He was the son of Antelope Yunglang, the founding leader of the PRN. He is the longest-serving President-General, having served one five-year term under the 1925 Constitution and another two terms under the 1955 Constitution drafted under his watch.
Born shortly after the Liberationists waged armed rebellion against the Hao dynasty, Antelope Gelai studied and worked in Ainin before returning to Namor in 1925 when the Liberationists seized power. During the Green Fever, he was critical of President-General Kiang Su and tried to protect party members and other figures from persecution; despite this, he was able to avoid persecution himself due to his relationship with his father. In 1945, he was elected President of the Central Council.
In 1950, he succeeded Kiang Su as President-General, since Kiang was unable to seek a third term in office. That same year, Antelope Yunglang died, leaving a power vacuum between reformists and radicals within the Liberationists. An unsuccessful attempt by Kiang to seize power resulted in reformists securing control of the government, allowing Antelope to launch the Rectification Movement which expelled thousands of pro-Kiang Liberationists from the party and rehabilitated those who were persecuted during the Fever. In 1955, the reformist-controlled Central Council adopted a new constitution that continues to serve as the basis of Namor's political system.
As leader of Namor, Antelope adopted a more liberal attitude towards trade, the economy and political reforms than his predecessors. He ended collectivization, causing agricultural output and the standard of living to rise in the rural areas. He also loosened restrictions on private enterprises, relaxed government control over the media and set up special economic zones across Namor to attract foreign investment. These policies are credited with kickstarting the Miracle on the Nozama River, a decades-long period of rapid economic growth that transformed Namor from a developing country to a newly industrialized economy. Antelope stepped down from the presidency in 1965 and was succeeded by Vice President-General Kong Jo. He served as a special advisor to successive governments until 1978, citing deteriorating health. He died in January 3, 1985 at the age of 84.