Independent Regional Alliance for Minorities (Gylias)

Independent Regional Alliance for Minorities
Founded	1961
Ideology	Minority interests Regionalism Civic nationalism
Colours	Teal
Website
http://www.iram.gls/
Politics of Gylias Political parties Elections

The Independent Regional Alliance for Minorities (French reformed: Alliance régionale indépendante pour les minorités), abbreviated IRAM (ARIM), is a Gylian political party, part of the Non-inscrits bloc.

Established in 1961, IRAM operates as a federation of parties advocating for non-Gylic ethnic groups. It is customary for it to be a member of federal governments. Accordingly, it is the party with the longest record of participation in government, having been part of federal cabinets continuously since 1962.

History

IRAM was founded in 1961, as part of a proliferation of new parties after electoral reform. It was designed as the main vehicle for advancing minority interests in politics, particularly focusing on non-Gylic ones.

The party performed very well in the 1962 federal election, becoming the largest non-inscrit party. It joined the Darnan Cyras government after the election; it was represented in cabinet by the formerly independent minister without portfolio Tina Jørgensen.

It remained part of the Aén Ďanez government, although this was a more difficult experience due to it being caught in the middle of the feuding between the Revolutionary Rally and Progressive Alliance. However, this helped cement the custom of it being part of a federal coalition.

It has since obtained consistent results in municipal, regional, and federal elections.

Ideology

The IRAM is a big tent minority interest party. It is primarily concerned with protecting and enhancing the rights of ethnic minorities.

Main policies include free use of native languages in education and public life, cultural autonomy, decentralisation, and promotion of civic nationalism over other kinds of nationalism.

In contrast to other parties which are structured regionally, it is formed as an alliance of multiple organisations representing different minorities, which cooperate and run for office under the IRAM umbrella.

Symbols

IRAM uses the colour teal as its official colour.

Popular support

IRAM has a solid core of 1–2% in first preference votes at the federal level. It usually wins 10–15 deputies in federal elections.

It has a stronger presence at the local level. Although it has never elected a governor, it has had some victories in mayoral elections, and has frequently been part of municipal governments.

Some analysts have seen IRAM's middling performance in federal elections as a metaphorical victim of the success of Gylian nationalism: with cosmopolitanism and multiculturalism being well-established by the Golden Revolution and minorities enjoying good representation in public life and popular culture, there is less of an impetus among certain groups, such as Miranian Gylians, to vote for IRAM in order to advance their interests.