Eric Fleming
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His Excellency The Right Honourable Eric Fleming | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Eric Fleming, 1962 | |
| 4th President of Imagua and the Assimas | |
| In office 23 April, 1960 – 23 April, 1968 | |
| Prime Minister | Efrem Lacovara |
| Preceded by | Venanzio Mazzone |
| Succeeded by | Efrem Lacovara |
| 10th Prime Minister of Imagua and the Assimas | |
| In office 23 April, 1968 – 23 April, 1976 | |
| President | Efrem Lacovara |
| Deputy | Marguerite Ernman |
| Preceded by | Efrem Lacovara |
| Succeeded by | Pietro Muro |
| Member of Parliament for Harston | |
| In office 23 April, 1968 – 23 April, 1976 | |
| Preceded by | Sam Ruffin |
| Succeeded by | Damian Robertson |
| Member of Parliament for Harston | |
| In office 23 April, 1948 – 23 April, 1960 | |
| Preceded by | Mervin Wheaton |
| Succeeded by | Sam Ruffin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Eric Fleming 25 September 1911 Cuanstad, Saint Ellen's, Imagua |
| Died | 24 December 1981 (aged 70) Cuanstad, Imagua and the Assimas |
| Resting place | King's Cemetery |
| Nationality | Estmerish (1911-1937) Imaguan (1937-1981) |
| Political party | Democratic Labour Party |
| Spouse | Phoebe Fleming |
| Children | 3 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Colony of Imagua |
| Branch/service | Imaguan Militia |
| Years of service | 1928-1936 |
| Rank | Colonel |
Eric Fleming (b. 25 September, 1911, d. 24 December, 1981) was an Imaguan politican who served as the third President of Imagua and the Assimas, serving from 1960 to 1968, and as the tenth Prime Minister of Imagua and the Assimas, serving from 1968 until 1976. He was the first Bahio-Imaguan to be the head of state of Imagua and the Assimas, and the first Bahio-Imaguan to be head of government.
Early life
Eric Fleming was born in Cuanstad to Thomas Fleming, who worked at a factory, and Lona Fleming, a housewife, as the eldest of four children on 25 September, 1911. In his early life, Eric Fleming grew up in "squalor," as his father spent most of his earnings on alcohol, leading to poverty.
In 1921, he went to the Fairmaiden School in Cuanstad, where did decently well in his studies. This allowed him to attend a grammar school in 1921, attending the Wayburn Grammar School, where he excelled in his studies, especially in politics. However, a football injury during his time at grammar school caused a hearing problem which would be corrected with a hearing aid. Despite this, he passed the school certificate exam in 1927, and then passed the higher school certificate exam in 1928.
Following his graduation, he enlisted in the colonial militia to "defend Imagua" in the Great War, rising through the ranks and by the time he was discharged in 1936, he had become a Colonel.
Afterwards, he took on a life as a bricklayer, until joining the Labour Party in 1940.
Early political career
Early years
In 1940, Eric Fleming joined the local Labour Party association for Harston, as he felt that the dominant Sotirian Democrats had harmed Bahio-Imaguans like himself, and were "maintaining" policies that benefitted the Euclean majority. He campaigned for Labour candidate Joe Huckle, who was defeated by incumbent Liberal MP Mervin Wheaton.
Despite the loss, Fleming "found his calling" within the party, and gained a job as a canvasser. Thus, he promoted the affairs of the Labour Party within his constituency of Harston, as he argued that the domination of the political system by the Sotirian Democrats and the "cowardice" of the Liberal Party made the Bahio-Imaguan population of the country "second-class citizens in their own country."
In the 1944 elections, he campaigned for Labour candidate Enoch Duprix. While Duprix was personally popular, Wheaton was able to use Duprix's alleged homosexuality as a weapon against him, allowing Wheaton to win with 48.4% of the vote, with Sotirian Democratic candidate Roderick Moore taking second place with 32.1%.
Following this loss, Eric Fleming became the head of the local constituency association after Duprix's resignation. During this period, Eric Fleming increased his profile within his constituency, as he sought to ensure that residents of Harston would vote for him over Mervin Wheaton.
In 1948, he ran again against incumbent MP Mervin Wheaton, and Sotirian Democratic candidate Willy Curnow. From the start, Eric Fleming was seen as the clear frontrunner for the race, as he was not only incredibly popular due to his tireless campaigning, but also because Mervin Wheaton was seen as both having "run out of ideas," and "unwilling to cooperate."
Thus, when the results came in, Fleming won with 53.7% of the vote, compared to Wheaton's 24.5% of the vote, and Curnow's 21.8% of the vote.
Backbencher
On 23 April, 1948, Eric Fleming was sworn in for his first term in the Lesser House of Parliament, as the Democratic Labour member of Parliament for Harston.
During Eric Fleming's first term, he was seen as a "reserved" legislator. However, in his maiden speech in 1950, he critcised the governing Sotirian Democrats for their "indifference to [Imagua's] black communities," and criticised the SDP for having had "no black MPs."
This speech galvanised his popularity in his own constituency, while within the Democratic Labour Party, Efrem Lacovara started developing a close "partnership" in order to help advance each other's legislative agendas.
In 1952, Eric Fleming ran against SDP candidate Bernard Roberts and Democratic candidate Mervin Wheaton. While Roberts ran on a platform of criticising the Democratic Labour Party, Fleming ran on a platform of his experience and vowed to continue improve the lot of those in Harston.
When the results came in, Fleming won with 56.2% of the vote, while Roberts only had 34.7% of the vote. This allowed Eric Fleming to serve a second term in the Lesser House.
In his second term, Eric Fleming built up his profile within the Democratic Labour Party, as although he continued to be a backbencher, he was given roles in committees to help establish what would become the Imaguan welfare state. This allowed him to help shape government policy, with Fleming taking a particular interest in improving the Bahio-Imaguan community on the island "so that they may be equal to the white population."
This meant that by 1956, Eric Fleming was able to use his experience against SDP candidate Beryl Parker, allowing him to win with 61.2% of the vote, to Parker's 30.5% of the vote, which helped him secure a third term in the Lesser House.
During his third term, Eric Fleming continued to represent the interests of his constituency to the Lesser House, while at the same time continuing to build up his profile within the Democratic Labour Party. While he never was appointed to the shadow cabinet under Efrem Lacovara's leadership of the Democratic Labour Party, he was nonetheless an influential figure in the party, helping shape many policies.
1960 presidential election
At the 1959 leadership conference, Eric Fleming declared his candidacy to run to be the presidential candidate for the Democratic Labour Party. This placed him against Edwin Covington, who was situated on the right-wing of the party.
Parliamentary leader Efrem Lacovara offered a deal to Eric Fleming: if he would only "reign but not rule" if elected to be President, he would encourage all of the parliamentary party to vote for Fleming.
While Eric Fleming was hesitant at that deal, as he felt that Imagua and the Assimas should be a semi-presidential republic, he knew that not accepting the deal would not only hurt his chances at becoming Imagua's leader, but also would bring "unwanted attention" on account of his Bahian heritage.
Thus, Eric Fleming accepted the deal, and with the help of Efrem Lacovara, Fleming defeated Covington with 55% of the vote. This allowed Eric Fleming to begin to prepare for his presidential campaign against incumbent President Venanzio Mazzone. At the convention, they nominated Sam Ruffin to succeed Fleming, with the intention that if Fleming lost, Ruffin could resign to make way for Fleming to return to the Lesser House of Parliament.
When the writ was dropped, Eric Fleming began his electoral campaign, pledging to serve as a "leader for all Imaguans, whether they be black or white," and to "oversee the adoption of common sense policies to improve our country." He also criticised the Sotirian Democratic Party for "generations of rule not much different from the Weranians in Bahia."
On 25 March, 1960, Fleming defeated Mazzone with 59.5% of the vote, allowing him to be sworn in as President on 23 April, 1960, while Ruffin won with 49.8% of the vote, allowing him to take Fleming's seat in the Lesser House.
Presidency
On 23 April, 1960, Eric Fleming was sworn in as the fourth President of Imagua and the Assimas, making him the first Bahio-Imaguan to ever lead the country, albeit only as head of state. That day, the cabinet was sworn in, with Efrem Lacovara named Prime Minister of Imagua and the Assimas.
As per his pledge to Efrem Lacovara, Eric Fleming left the cabinet to run itself, rarely interfering in the affairs of the parliamentary Democratic Labour Party apart from what the Prime Minister asked him to do. This meant that Eric Fleming would spend much of his time travelling across the world to attend international conferences to represent Imagua, most sensationally in 1962 when he gave a speech to the Congress of Bahian States after Imagua was granted observer status.
Thus, in 1963, he was nominated to run for a second term by the governing Democratic Labour Party as their presidential nominee. He ran an effective campaign against Sotirian Democrat nominee Pericle Cappetta in the 1964 election, and was able to win with 55% of the vote, compared to Mazzone's 45% of the vote.
During Fleming's second term, he continued to serve as a head of state, and performing the duties relating to his position as head of state. This effectively meant that Efrem Lacovara became the undisputed head of government of the country, and confirmed that Imagua was a parliamentary republic. Yet, Eric Fleming did begin exercising some influence in Imaguan politics, using his position as head of state to advocate for issues within the country, especially relating to Bahio-Imaguan rights.
By 1967, as Fleming reached the end of his second term, he announced his intention to run for the premiership, as the Imaguan constitution limited the maximum number of terms that the president could serve to two. At that year's leadership convention, Efrem Lacovara was nominated to be the presidential nominee, while Eric Fleming would run for the premiership.
Thus, when the writ was dropped in 1968, Eric Fleming ran against Roland Arnold of the Sotirian Democratic Party. Fleming campaigned on continuing Lacovara's policies and to ensure that "the rights of all Imaguans will be respected," and to engage in equity to "help equalize the blacks and the whites."
Thus, when the results came in, although the DLP lost six seats, they still maintained control of the Lesser House of Parliament.
He also won back his seat, defeating SDP challenger Trevor Ross with 55.5% of the vote, allowing him to retake his old constituency.
Premiership
First term
On 23 April, 1968, Eric Fleming was sworn in as the tenth Prime Minister of Imagua and the Assimas, succeeding newly-elected President Efrem Lacovara, and was also sworn in for his fourth term in the Lesser House of Parliament. That day, he named his cabinet, designating Marguerite Ernman to serve as his deputy.
During his tenure as Prime Minister, Eric Fleming instituted affirmative action policies to ensure that Bahio-Imaguans would have a greater involvement in Imaguan politics, and to institute an exit tax on corporations outsourcing operations outside of Imagua and the Assimas. These policies were met with fierce criticism by the SDP, with new SDP leader Priamo Angelino claiming that the policies undermined "the social harmony and cohesion of the Imaguan nation."
While Eric Fleming had been reasonably popular at the start of his term, an anti-incumbency factor was emerging, as the Democratic Labour Party had been governing Imagua for over a decade, and were perceived to have run out of ideas. However, due to Eric Fleming successfully associating the Sotirian Democrats with the "racist policies" of the early 20th century, and due to the DLP's popularity among the Bahian majority, Eric Fleming's government held on.
In 1971, he was nominated to run for a second term as Prime Minister, while Efrem Lacovara was nominated to run for a second term for the presidency at that year's leadership convention.
Thus, when the writ was dropped for the 1972 general election to begin, Eric Fleming focused heavily on campaigning against Priamo Angelino, saying that a Democratic Labour government would continue economic growth, without sacrificing "the dignity of Imagua's working class," and that if the Sotirian Democrats were elected, they would undo "twelve years of progress" and bring back "Eucleo-Imaguan domination."
While Angelino tried to respond with a positive campaign showing that the SDP had "changed," gaffes made by several candidates showed the Bahio-Imaguan majority that the Sotirian Democrats had not truly changed, enabling the DLP to return to power, with Fleming keeping his own seat.
Second term
On 23 April, 1972, Eric Fleming was sworn in for a second and final term as Prime Minister. In his final term as Prime Minister, Eric Fleming continued building upon his affirmative action policies to improve the standing of the Bahio-Imaguan majority, but also focused on strengthening the welfare state, with Fleming believing that "improving the social safety net" would be crucial in improving the standing of the Bahio-Imaguan majority. However, most of his policy acts were maintaining the policies that he and Lacovara had built up since 1960.
With Roland Arnold being elected to lead the Sotirian Democrats, Fleming's only real way of maintaining his stature within politics was to "consistently attack" him, as he was previously the Justice Minister in Martin Ellingham's government, and because he was perceived by the Bahio-Imaguan majority to be "out of touch" with the issues that they were facing. These attacks worked in undermining Roland Arnold's popularity among the Bahio-Imaguan population.
However, by 1975, as Lacovara was term-limited, and Fleming had already served his two terms as President, the question of a successor loomed large: Fleming declared that year that he would not run for a third term as Prime Minister, nor for another term as MP, stating that he "ran out of ideas" and that someone new "can offer new ideas for the new Imagua that Lacovara and I created."
Thus, at that year's leadership convention between Pietro Muro and Travis Marshall, Eric Fleming would back Travis Marshall, wishing to be succeeded by another Bahio-Imaguan, although he was delighted when he heard that Pietro Muro won the nomination to be Prime Minister, due to his "exemplary conduct" as Labour Minister.
After the writ was called for the 1976 general election, Eric Fleming would campaign for Anthony Brockett and Pietro Muro, and endorsed Damian Robertson of the DLP to succeed him in his constituency. On election night, Fleming was "relieved" to hear that the DLP maintained control of government.
Later life and death
After his retirement from politics, Eric Fleming remained involved in the Democratic Labour Party. In 1978, when Travis Marshall and several others on the party right split from the DLP to create the National Labour Party, Eric Fleming publicly criticised Marshall, stating that "it will only allow the Sotirian Democrats to return to power and undo everything that we worked hard for." In 1979, he attended as a delegate to the party leadership convention, where he endorsed Anthony Brockett and Pietro Muro's bids for a second term.
In 1980, Eric Fleming published his memoirs, The New Dawn, about how he became the first Bahio-Imaguan leader of Imagua and the Assimas, which sold well. Following the death of Anthony Brockett in 1981, Fleming would attend his funeral, describing Brockett as "a close friend." In the 1981 snap election, Fleming would endorse Muro to be President, and Marguerite Ernman to be Prime Minister.
Eric Fleming died on 24 December, 1981, at his home in Cuanstad. After an autopsy determined the cause of death was sudden heart failure, his body was laid in state to allow Imaguans to pay their final respects to him. On 5 January, 1982, a state funeral was held, with eulogies delivered by Pietro Muro and Marguerite Ernman. After the service, his body was taken to King's Cemetery, where he was interred.
Personal life
Eric Fleming married 22-year old Phoebe Fleming in 1935, after dating for two years. Their relationship was positive, and they stayed married until Eric Fleming's death in 1981. Together, they had three sons: Burley Fleming, born in 1936 and died in 2004, Hadleigh Fleming, born in 1939 and died in 2022, and Reilly Fleming, born in 1941 and died in 2010.
At the time of his death, Eric Fleming was survived by his wife, who died in 1987, their three children, eight grandchildren, and one great-grandson.
Eric Fleming's native language was Western Imaguan Creole, but he was fluent in Estmerish, Eastern Imaguan Creole, and Gaullican, and could carry a basic conversation in Vespasian, and Blostlandic.
Religion
Eric Fleming was baptized as a High Embrian. However, after he was discharged from the colonial militia in 1936, he joined the local Bahian Embrian congregation and found that it "spoke more to him" than the "white-run" structures of the High Estmerian Church.
Until his death in 1981, he was active in the Bahian Embrian Church, and would, for a time in the late 1970s as a lay delegate to the General Conference of the Bahian Embrian Church.
Political views
Eric Fleming was a social democrat, as he believed that although capitalism was in and of itself "beneficial to all," it had to always be "kept in check by the state to ensure that the wealth went to the people." He supported trade unions, believing that trade unions would serve as the "last line of defense" to keep capitalism in check.
He was a supporter of universal healthcare and affirmative action, and in his later years became supportive of environmentalism.
Legacy
As the first Bahio-Imaguan to be President, and later, Prime Minister, Eric Fleming has been lauded for being the first non-Euclean to lead Imagua since the beginning of colonisation, and has consistently been rated to be among the best Prime Ministers and Presidents Imagua ever had, with Dale Morse saying in 1997 that Fleming was the "father of modern Imagua."
Among Bahio-Imaguans, Eric Fleming has often been cited as an "inspiration," due to his rise from poverty to being the leader of Imagua. While there were Bahio-Imaguan politicians long before Eric Fleming, historian Dione Deiana noted that "until the 1950s, Bahio-Imaguans were backbenchers while Eucleo-Imaguans held all the power," which hindered the ability of Bahio-Imaguans to advance far in the political system, which meant that Fleming was "among the first generation of Bahio-Imaguan politicians" to exercise any real power. Thus, Deiana noted that when Anthony Brockett became President in 1976, and Gerald Larsson became Prime Minister in 1992, they "followed in Fleming's footsteps." Deiana also noted that his influence was not confined to just the Democratic Labour Party, as Agnes Ingram and Dale Morse of the Sotirian Labour Party were also influenced by Fleming.
Among Eucleo-Imaguans, Fleming was initially unpopular, due to a combination of his socialist policies and his race. Political historian Terell Seaton noted that "in the 1960s and 1970s, Fleming was despised and seen as too radical by the Eucleo-Imaguans, and he was often seen to be a mastermind behind Lacovara's policies." However, Eric Fleming's reputation among Eucleo-Imaguans would improve after his death, both because more Bahio-Imaguans were elected to the Presidency and to the premiership, which helped ease their fears, and because of a "narrowing of historical memory to words on a school textbook or a few speeches watched in classrooms" that reduced Fleming to "a few words of inspirational rhetoric."
Since Fleming's death in 1981, his name has become prevalent around the country, with 26 parks, 12 streets, and 7 schools being named in his honour, while 32 statues of Eric Fleming are known to exist on Imagua.
Honours
Domestic
- File:ImaguaFlag.png Companion of the Order of Imagua, 1977
Foreign
- File:Order of Estmere ribbon Grand Cross Special Class.svg Grand Cross with Special Class of the Order of Estmere (1981)
