Movement for a New Imagua
Movement for a New Imagua | |
|---|---|
| File:MNIparty.png | |
| Chairman | Garon Ripley |
| Parliamentary leader | Marolo Aloisi |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Headquarters | San Pietro, Imagua and the Assimas |
| Ideology | Imaguan nationalism Increased autonomy for the Assimas Right-wing populism |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Colors | Black |
| Legislative Council | 0 / 19 |
| Chamber of Commons | 13 / 70 |
| County Council | 34 / 261 |
| Website | |
| nmn.ia | |
The Movement for a New Imagua (Vespasian: Movimento per una nuova Imagua, Western Imaguan Creole: Mowimen ho a Nu Imakua) is the newest political party of Imagua and the Assimas, established on 14 November, 2003, and formally registered on 22 November, 2003 by Elections Imagua.
A right-wing populist movement, the Movement for a New Imagua is believed to have originated as a result of the success of the Tribune Movement in Etruria, combined with increasing calls for greater autonomy for the Assimas County. Unlike many other right-wing populist movements, the Movement for a New Imagua advocates for a "colour-blind approach," due to the "demographical realities of Imagua."
History
Founding and early years
On 14 November, 2003, Dalmazio Pasquarello, councillor of the Assimas County formally announced his intention to run for a seat in the Lesser House of Parliament in the 2004 elections, and establish a new political party, as an "autonomist" alternative to the Assiman Independence Party. Elections Imagua would recognize it as an official political party on 25 November, 2004.
On 10 January, 2004, Legislative Councillor Malcolm O'Cahill, who served as a Legislative Councillor for the Sotirian Democratic Party from 1995 to 1997, and then for the Sotirian Defence Party, crossed the floor to join the Movement for a New Imagua, giving the party its first representation in either chamber of Parliament.
During the 2000s, Movement for a New Imagua primarily focused on regionalist issues, with the Movement for a New Imagua focusing on advocating for an "equal federation" of Imagua and the Assimas, and focusing on an elected legislative council. However, the party started to be influenced by National Action, particularly from 2008 onward, as Pasquarello began to expand the party from the Assimas into Imagua proper. This led to the Movement for a New Imagua advocating for a tough-on-crime policy and tightening immigration to Imagua.
Rise
The Movement for a New Imagua only entered the Chamber of Commons in the 2012 general elections, when Pasquarello gained a seat. During the 2010s, as the Tribune Movement rose in Etruria, the Movement for a New Imagua developed closer ties with it, while dissatisfaction with the Sotirian Labour Party helped the Movement for a New Imagua become more prominent in politics. By the 2016 general elections, the Movement for a New Imagua gained five seats.
In the late 2010s, as the Democratic Labour Party became unpopular on the Assimas, much of their former support on the Assimas moved to the Movement for a New Imagua, as despite Douglas Egnell promising to improve areas of the Assimas that had suffered from de-industrialisation, the Democratic Labour government made little progress. Furthermore, the Sotirian Labour Party's close association with the financial sector and its perceived abandonment of conservative values made former supporters, particularly in rural areas, more willing to support the Movement for a New Imagua.
This was exacerbated by high housing prices in Cuanstad, leading to young people becoming more supportive of the Movement for a New Imagua, as Pasquarello pledged that a MNI government would ban foreigners from buying homes or land on Imagua, and to buy-back all properties owned by foreigners at market rates.
Thus, by the 2020 elections, the Movement for a New Imagua gained sixteen seats in the Chamber of Commons, despite earning fewer votes than the Green Party. In the immediate aftermath, the Movement for a New Imagua attempted to form a coalition with the Sotirian Labour Party, but the Sotirian Labour Party's refusal to prohibit foreign ownership or federalize Imagua meant that a coalition never was formed, leaving the DLP in power.
In March 2021, the Movement for a New Imagua lost its representation in the Legislative Council when Malcolm O'Cahill died at the age of 81 from pancreatic cancer.
Ripley era
Following a scandal in October 2022 when Pasquarello made racist and xenophobic comments at an annual general meeting for a constituency association, Pasquarello announced his resignation, saying that he took the movement as far as he could. Following a lively leadership race between Marolo Aloisi, Ruperto Iarussi, Karlus Strawbridge, and Garon Ripley, Ripley was able to win the leadership race on 14 November, 2022, succeeding Dalmazio Pasquarello as leader of the Movement for a New Imagua.
Structure
The Movement for a New Imagua's organisational structure is largely based off the Tribune Movement's organisational structure.
At the bottom are the grassroots associations (Vespasian: associazioni di base). The grassroots association is based not on the constituencies of the Lesser House of the Imaguan Parliament, but rather, on the constituencies used in the county governments of the islands. The general public will join the grassroots association, and the intention of the grassroots association is to help support (officially non-partisan) candidates to the local county councils, and to hold them to account.
Above the grassroots associations are the county associations (associazioni di contea). Their members are to be elected by all members of the grassroots association within a given county, and are meant to help oversee the activity of the Movement for a New Imagua within a given county.
As well, the county associations are meant to help provide support to candidates running on a federal level, with constituency associations (associazioni elettorali) being in charge of organising campaigns for elections to the Lesser House of Parliament, with the intention that if they ever take power, that they will help organize elections to the Legislative Council. The constituency associations, while officially subordinate to the county associations, and thus on an equal level to the grassroots association, are not considered a way for members to join the Movement for a New Imagua as a full-time member.
Above the county associations are the regional associations (associazioni regionali), of which there are two regional associations.
The first regional association would be the Imaguan Association of the Movement for a New Imagua, which oversees the county associations of Cuanstad, Saint Christopher's, Saint Ellen's, Saint Fiacre's, Saint Florian's, Saint Hubert's, and Saint Isidore's, while the second regional association would be the Assiman Association of the Movement for a New Imagua, which only oversees the county association of the Assimas.
The role of the regional associations are to help oversee the activities of the county associations under their jurisdiction, and to serve as a board with which to help "take in public opinion" from residents of both the Assimas Islands and the island of Imagua in order to shape their policy. Members for the regional associations are elected by members of the county associations.
Finally, above the regional associations is the national association (associazione nazionale), elected by the members of the regional associations. The national association of the Movement for a New Imagua is meant to coordinate the activities of the regional association, and to help institute national policy.
Positions
According to Dalmazio Pasquarello's speech, and the party website, the platform for the Movement for a New Imagua would include:
- A tough-on-crime policy
- An elected Legislative Council
- Curbing illegal immigration
- Establishment of an "equal federation" between the island of Imagua and the Assimas Islands
- Prohibition of purchases of housing or land by non-Imaguan residents and a buy-back program for all current foreign owners
- Respect of traditional Imaguan values
Election results
| Election | Leader | Candidates | Seats | +/- | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Dalmazio Pasquarello | 5/68 | 0 / 68
|
new | 6,578 | 0.92% | Extra-parliamentary opposition |
| 2008 | 17/68 | 0 / 68
|
|
36,219 | 5.32% | Extra-parliamentary opposition | |
| 2012 | 28/70 | 1 / 70
|
 1
|
74,275 | 10.95% | Third party | |
| 2016 | 52/70 | 5 / 70
|
4
|
107,794 | 14.46% | Third party | |
| 2020 | 70/70 | 11 / 70
|
6
|
110,012 | 12.17% | Third party |