Poja

Confederacy of Poja
Flag
Motto: Ex Constantia Victoria "In Steadiness Victory "
Capital and largest metropolis	Rugi
Official languages	Adjinuan, Dosniman, Heraqi, Liari, Russian, others
Recognised national languages	Pojački
Demonym(s)	Pojački
Government	Confederation of autonomous regions
• President	Andrej Petrović
• Chancellor	Jelena Jurić
Legislature	House of Magnates
Formation
• Treaty of Riamonia	1682
• Treaty of Rugi	13 September 1900
Population
• 2023 estimate	25,813,303
• 2020 census	25,362,578
GDP (PPP)	2020 estimate
• Total	$491.07 billion
• Per capita	$19,362
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	$370.7 billion
• Per capita	$14,616
Currency	dinar (Ð)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+57
Internet TLD	.poj

Poja, officially known as the Confederacy of Poja, is a confederation of seven, autonomous regions organized around a strong federal government in the far southeastern portion of the continent of xxx in Eurth. The country's establishment is such that each region maintains a very large degree of sovereign autonomy within its borders to create laws, collect taxes, establish infrastructure, and operate as a political entity. The purpose of the federal government is to maintain a cohesive union within the confederacy as well as to deal with matters of state such as foreign affairs, defense procurement, and confederacy-wide laws. As of 2023, the estimated population of Poja is 25.8 million people across an area covering some xxx km² (xxx mi²).

The formation of the Confederacy of Poja came about in late 1900 when the six, independent states of Adjinua, Chernarus, Dosnima, Liaria, xxx, and xxx signed the Treaty of Rugi. Prior to the signing of this treaty, these six states existed largely and independent nation-states harkening back to the early 1000s though they were not formalized into polities until the 1700s. Habitation by humans dates back to the 1st century AD when two, tribal societies dominated the landscape of modern-day Poja. Beginning in the early 1000s, these tribes began to diverge into various, sub-societies based on differences in dialect, religion, outside influence, and political thoughts. In the 1700s, these independent states formed cohesive nation-states with independent and functioning local and federal governments. With the Industrial Revolution in the 1700s and the 1800s, the growth of these states was significantly more than anticipated. In the 1800s, it became evident that while each independent state could exist on its own, they could never realize their full potential as singular entities.

This presented a major hurdle to the states as they had existed in varying state of peace and conflict since the early 1000s. By the 1880s, rising thought was given to the formation of a cohesive, political union, which was realized in September 1900 with the signing of the Treaty of Rugi, forming the Confederacy of Poja.

Poja existed in relative peace and prosperity until the late 1960s, when oil reserves were discovered near the autonomous region of Chernarus. This led to a secession crisis, which ended with Chernarus being forcibly brought back into the fold after a bloody and destructive, 6-year conflict (1968 - 1974) knowing as the Chernarussian Conflict. Following the end of the conflict however, changes were made to the Treaty of Rugi, providing greater autonomy and power to the autonomous regions of the Confederacy. It was, in many ways, a win for the non-involved regions, a net-zero for Liaria, and a loss for Chernarus.

Following the end of this period, significant reconstruction of Chernarus championed by Rugi helped to suppress some of the fires of discontent. Yet it was not enough to return the country to its period of "Pax Poja" thanks largely in part to another crisis from 1979 - 1981 concerning the autonomy of Heraq, then a part of the Adjinuan Autonomous Region. The crisis was resolved when Heraq was granted sovereignty within the Confederacy of Poja and a reshaping of the country as a whole, which led to significant socioeconomic and political changes in the mid-to-late 1980s and the early-to-mid 1990s.

Since this period, Poja has been a largely stable and peaceful nation, prosperous but not an economic or military powerhouse on the global stage. Yet, despite this, Poja remains seven, independent nations corralled under one, central government and despite over a century of unification, ethnic lines have yet to be erased and the adoption of a "Pojački identity" largely remains a pipe dream.

Etymology

The word Poja derives from the archaic Liari word pojanak meaning "to gather" or to have a "gathering." It was a word commonly associated with weddings and festivals, when large numbers of people gathered in a central village in celebration. The word had largely fallen out of use by the late 1700s but it was revived during the discussions for the Treaty of Rugi. The framers of the treaty were largely stuck on what to call the new confederation and dozens of names had been suggested by the time Vlastimir Dragaš, long considered the biggest Liari proponent of the treaty offered pojanak. Due to the harsh sound of the name however, it was shortened simply to poja and given as the name of the new country, chiefly based on its meaning. Despite the efforts however, few people within Poja call or consider themselves Pojački. Instead, they largely refer to themselves by their ethnic backgrounds. The Treaty of Rugi had desired that all citizens of Poja set aside their ethnic differences and come together to be a new nationality but this has not materialized even in the 21st century.

Politics

Government

Poja is a confederacy consisting of 7 sovereign regions bound together by the Treaty of Rugi, which was signed in 1900. The country is established as a representative democracy with significant power and rights afforded to the sovereign regions, while also establishing a separate and equally powerful federalized government. In a separation of power, each region maintains full legislative and executive authority within its borders while the federal government is responsible for maintaining the confederacy and conducting foreign relations. The government is regulated by a system of checks and balances, as defined by the Treaty of Rugi to discourage and hinder the country become a dictatorial state.

The government of Poja is separate into the three traditional branches: executive, judicial, and legislative. These three branches exist on both the federal and the regional level. Local government, which is defined as subregional, abides by the same standards and practices as federal and regional levels, forming a cohesive political unit from top down.

Federal Level

The federal level of Poja is the supranational element of the government of Poja. It is primarily charged with maintaining the integrity of the confederacy, conducting foreign relations, and regulating interregional commerce and relations.

Sitting in the executive position is the President of Poja, the highest position of power and authority within the Confederacy of Poja. The President is elected by a majority vote of the nation's Electoral College. The Electoral College is made up of the 301 districts throughout Poja, with each district afforded 1 vote. A simple majority of votes is required to elect the President. A candidate may win a district with a plurality of votes cast in that district. In this sense, a candidate may win a distract within carrying a majority of the votes. The President is elected for a 5-year term and there are no term limits. As of 2023, Poja has had 13 elected Presidents. The President serves as head of state.

The legislative branch is the House of Magnates, which consists of 35 magnates elected from each of the regions. Each region is afforded 5 magnates, who are elected by ranked-choice voting, meaning that the top 5 candidates in each region's elections serve in the House of magnates. magnates serve for a 5-year term with no term limits. The House of magnates is charged to ratifying trade agreements and treaties, confirming federal-level appointments, approving the federal budget, regulating interregional commerce, and proposing amendments to the Treaty of Rugi. From within the House of magnates, a Chancellor is elected to serve as head of government. The Chancellor is elected by simple majority of the 35 magnates and serves throughout his or her 5-year term in the House of magnates. The Chancellor must be an elected member of the House of magnates and typically does not vote except in tie-breaker situations.

The judicial branch is separated into two courts. The Court of Supreme Justice is the highest criminal court in the nation. There are 7 Supreme Justices who serve 10-year terms without term limits. Each region is allowed 1 justice on the Court of Supreme Justice, who is appointed by a simply majority vote of each of that region's 5 magnates. The Court of Supreme Justice holds the distinction of being the only court capable of affirming a death warrant in the case of a capital crimes case. While a lower court may recommend a death warrant, it is not considered approved until it is reviewed and voted upon by the Court of Supreme Justice. In addition, the Court of Supreme Justice also reviews final appeals for criminal cases and is tasked with hearing crimes related to federal government accountability.

The other court is the Constitutional Court of Poja, which specifically deals with matters of constitutionality. Like the Court of Supreme Justice, justices serve up to 10-year terms with no limit on the number of terms. The court consists of 15 justices, 14 of whom come from the regions - two per region - and 1 who is nominated by the President. The 14 justices from the regions are appointed by ranked choice voting amongst the region's magnates, allowing 2 justices per region. The President's choice does not require confirmation from the magnates. The Constitutional Court of Poja has the final authority on the constitutionality of all federal laws and it can also strike down the laws of regions that are found to violate the Treaty of Rugi and other constitutionally accepted doctrine of Poja. One limitation of the Constitutional Court of Poja is that, though it can strike down a region's law, it cannot force the region to retract the law; however, it can provide justification for another region not to recognize said law. Typically, when the Constitutional Court of Poja rejects a region's law, the law is withdrawn and/or revised, rather than kept in place.

Region Level

Each of Poja's 7 regions is considered sovereign within the confines of the Confederacy of Poja. Within the boundaries of each region, the region's government is considered the supreme authority. However, their authority cannot extend further, nor can the individual regions act in contravention to the federal government. One famous example of this is the declaration of unilateral independence by Chernarus in 1968. As the declaration was considered unconstitutional, the federal government was legally within its rights to force reintegration of Chernarus into the Confederacy of Poja through military force.

Sitting in the executive position is the region's Premier who acts as both head of state and head of government and has supreme, executive authority within the region. The Premier is elected by a simple majority vote of the region's voters and serves 5-year terms with no limit. The Premier is responsible for overseeing the executive branch of the region's government, which includes signing bills passed to his by the legislature. While a Premier does have the authority to veto a bill, no Premier's have yet to veto a bill as it would involve considerable political scandal and bring into question the constitutionality of said bill. In addition, the Premier may dismiss a censured legislator and call for a special election to replace him/her.

The legislature of each region is a bicameral body know as the Congress. The legislature is made up of a lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, and the upper house, the Chamber of Senators. All regional legislatures are identical except in the number of seats. The Chamber of Deputies consists of 1 deputy per municipality or city, of which there are varying numbers per region. Deputies are elected by a plurality within their district and serve 5-year terms that are renewable up to 3 times for a total of 20 years. The Chamber of Deputies is responsible for proposing bills, managing the budgets of each region, setting taxes, and checking the power on the Premier. With a simple majority, the Chamber of Deputies can bring forth articles of impeachment against a Premier, should the Premier violate the law or act outside the bounds of his or her authority. The Chamber of Deputies may also censure a fellow deputy with a 2/3 supermajority. The most common cause for censure is dereliction of duty, such as unexcused absences during voting sessions.

The Chamber of Senators consists of 1 senator per district, of which there are varying numbers per region. Senators are elected by a plurality within their district and serve 10-year terms, which are renewable only once for a total of 20 years. The Chamber of Senators is responsible for approving or rejected bills as proposed by the Chamber of Deputies, approving or rejecting amendments to the Treaty of Rugi as proposed by the House of magnates with a 3/5 supermajority, and confirming region-level appointments. In instances where the Chamber of Deputies brings forth articles of impeachment, the Chamber of Senators, with a simple majority, can affirm the articles, which will automatically remove the Premier from office. Like the Chamber of Deputies, the Chamber of Senators can also censure a fellow senator with a 2/3 supermajority.

The judicial branch is separated into three court levels. From the lowest to the highest there is the: Court of Justice, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court of the Region. The Court of Justice hears both civil and criminal cases with 1 or 3 judges, respectively. Judges are nominated by the Premier and confirmed by the Chamber of Senators. They serve 5-year terms, renewable up to 3 times for a total of 20 years. The Court of Justice is the initial hearing of all civil and criminal cases, with the exception of capital crimes cases.

The Court of Appeals hears both civil and criminal appeals with 3 or 5 judges, respectively. Judges are nominated by the Premier and confirmed by the Chamber of Senators. They serve 5-year terms, renewable up to 3 times for a total of 20 years. The Court of Appeals is the highest court of civil cases and its judgements, when rendered, are final. For criminal cases, the decision of the Court of Appeals can be further appealed to the Supreme Court of the Region.

The Supreme Court of the Region hears only criminal cases and only appeals from the lower Court of Appeals. There are 7 judges, who are nominated by the Premier and confirmed by the Chamber of Senators. Judges serve 10-year terms, which are renewable only once for a total of 20 years. The Supreme Court of the Region is the only court that can recommend a death warrant and, as such, it is the first hearing for all capital crimes cases. In addition, the Supreme Court of the Region hears all cases involving regional government accountability cases.

Political Parties

Poja is a multi-party state. As of 2023, there are over 50 political parties registered in Poja but only 8 have over 1,000,000 registered members, classifying them as "major political parities."

Major Political Parties of Poja

Name	Abbreviation	Leader	Ideology	Political Position
Modern Poja Moderna Poja	MOP	Krsto Mirkovich	Liberalism Pro-Globalism Regionalism	Center-right
People's Front for Poja Narodna fronta za Poja	NFP	Anna Stupka	Left-wing nationalism Left-wing populism Socialism	Far-left
Pojački Democratic Party Pojački demokratska stranka	PDS	Jovo Kolačarić	Federalism Liberalism Pro-Globalism	Center
Pojački Green Party Pojački Zelena stranka	PZS	Bogdan Terzić	Eco-socialism Green Politics Progressivism	Center-left
Pojački People's Party Pojački narodna stranka	PNS	Marina Stanić	Anti-Globalism Communism	Far-left
Radical Poja Radikalni Poja	RAP	Bojana Čukić	Fascism Militarism Ultranationalism	Far-right
Socialist Party Socijalistička partija	SOP	Radoslav Marulić	Left-wing populism Regionalism Socialism	Center-left
United Poja Ujedinjen Poja	UPP	Andrej Petrović (President of Poja)	Federalism National conservatism Right-wing populism	Right-wing

External Links

• Poja