Ociote Sasiambarena
Ociote Sasiambaŕena | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait of Ociote Sasiambarrena, 1996 | |
| President of Lemovicia | |
| In office 1 December, 1979 – 1 December, 1996 Serving with Nikola Lezana, Kacper Muraski, Angela Kempinska, Molnár Arnold, Urtun Aldari, and Bodin Tošković | |
| Preceded by | Nikola Lezana (as First Secretary) |
| Succeeded by | Bodin Tošković, Aizkori Aismendi, Patryk Krawczak, Hegoi Astilerua |
| First Secretary of the Lemovician Section of the Workers' International | |
| In office 9 June, 1986 – 1 June, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Nikola Lezana |
| Succeeded by | Andremancija Osoteguj |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ocote Lul Ferko 16 October 1934 Sechia, Soravia (present-day Sechia, West Miersa) |
| Died | 8 August 2012 (aged 77) Topagunea, Lemovicia |
| Nationality | Soravian (1934-1936) West Miersan (1936-1979) Lemovician (1979-2012) |
| Political party | LNMA |
| Spouse | Gaśuś Sasiambaŕena |
| Children | 3 |
| Profession | Professor, politician |
| Nickname | Usoa |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Lemovicia |
| Years of service | 1980-1992 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Revolutionary Defence Forces |
Ociote Sasiambarena (Lemovician: Ociote Sasiambaŕena), also known as Ociote Ferko, or his nom-de-guerre, Usoa (b. 16 October, 1934, d. 8 August, 2012), was a Lemovician activist and nationalist, a guerrilla leader of what would become the Revolutionary Defence Forces, and a Lemovician politician.
Born in Sechia to a professor at the University of Sechia, Ociote Sasiambarena initially followed the career path of his father, but due to the racism present in West Miersan society against Lemovicians, he was unable to become a professor. This led him to become more involved in politics, initially by advocating for the recognition of Lemovician culture, but as the racism continued, Sasiambarena became convinced that the only way for Lemovicians to have "the same rights as anyone else" was for Lemovicia to become a separate state. Thus, in 1975, he became involved in the Lemovician Section of the Workers' International, and quickly rose through the ranks, due to his charismatic speaking skills.
Upon the start of the Miersan War, Ociote Sasiambarena and Nikola Lezana proclaimed the independence of Lemovicia, thereby starting the Lemovician War. While initially having control over the entirety of the former West Miersan voivodeship of Małomiersa due to support from East Miersa, following the end of the Miersan War, Sasiambarena began losing land, as he proved to not be an effective military commander. Despite these setbacks, he was an effective administrator, and became the First Secretary following Lezana's death in 1986.
After the end of the Lemovician War in 1992, Sasiambarena continued his Presidency for one more term, continuing until 1996. During this period, Sasiambarena's main priority was to rebuild the country, which proved to be difficult, as sanctions and the lack of widespread international recognition outside of socialist states hampered reconstruction.
Following the expiration of his second term in 1996, Ociote Sasiambarena remained the head of the Lemovician Section of the Workers' International. While he continued to be influential, following his hospitalization in 2009, he withdrew from public life, and announced his intention to resign the leadership of the party from 2010.
Early life
Ociote Sasiambarena was born in Sechia on 16 October, 1934 to University of Sechia professor Jedur Ferko and housewife Mercie Ferko, as their only son, and the eldest of three children. He was an excellent student in school, and sought to become a professor.
After graduating from school in 1952, he began attending the University of Sechia, with the intention of becoming a professor in the field of literature. After obtaining a specialist degree in 1958, he was recruited by the University of Sechia to be an Assistant Professor.
In 1962, Ociote Ferko successfully defended his thesis, but he was unable to become a docent due to his ethnic background, as the University of Sechia believed that "no student would want to learn from a Góral." When he tried finding a job as a docent at other universities in West Miersa, he was rejected by every university for the same reasons. This angered Ferko, and he became involved in the political scene, advocating for the recognition of Lemovician culture in Małomiersa.
During this period, he moved to Topagunea, where he worked as a librarian and archivist. While he still remained interested in politics, and was relatively active in the political scene, particularly among ethnic Lemovicians, he was not seen as a "major threat" to the national order of the day. He was believed to have joined the Malomiersan branch of the contiunation faction of the Miersan Section of the Workers' International in 1968, where he rose through the ranks.
Political career
Early political career
By 1975, Ociote Ferko officially joined the newly-established Lemovician Section of the Workers' International, seeing it as the only way that "the Lemovician nation may see true liberation," taking many of the Malomiersan branch of the continuing Miersan Section of the Workers' International with him and Lysiak. While at the time, Nikola Lysiak served as the head of party, Ociote Ferko quickly rose in prominence, with Ferko becoming a renowned orator. However, as the movement was banned due to its alleged connections with East Miersa, Ferko quickly found himself under trouble.
Thus, in 1976, he decided to start going by the name of Ociote Sasiambarena, in an effort to avoid official attention. However, due to his profile, in 1978, he was arrested and charged with incitement and conspiracy. Prior to his trial, Sasiambarena escaped the jail he was being held in, and became a fugitive, fleeing to Włocłamyśl (present day Zubizurija), where he remained in hiding until late 1979.
Leader of the separatists
With the collapse of Soravia into a second civil war, East Miersa took the opportunity to invade West Miersa, thereby starting the Miersan War. In light of the situation, Ociote Sasiambarena officially proclaimed the establishment of a provisional government in the city of Topagunea on 21 November, 1979, with the task of establishing a "sovereign Lemovician state" based upon socialist principles.
From the beginning, Ociote Sasiambarena was perceived to be an East Miersan puppet, as while Sasiambarena focused extensively on the development of Lemovician culture, including a new orthography for writing the Lemovician language, his government was heavily aligned to that of East Miersa, and was dependent on East Miersa for support. Initially, he mostly focused on the defense of the region: by 1980, with the aid of East Miersan forces, Sasiambarena secured control of the entirety of Małomiersa, and was able to promulgate a constitution.
Following the end of the Miersan War in 1982, Sasiambarena's position became untenable, as without the overt support of the East Miersans, Miersan-majority regions quickly revolted against his rule. This, combined with the urgings of the East Miersan government to establish a connection between Lemovicia and East Miersa meant that by 1983, Sasiambarena lost much of western Lemovicia to the separatists. As a military commander, Sasiambarena was indecisive, and was "reliant" on the orders of East Miersa. In 1986, he succeeded Nikolas Lezana, after Lezana's death in the third Battle of Topagunea, as the First Secretary of the Lemovician Section of the Workers' International.
By 1988, Ibaiak and Sechia fell to Miersan forces, and virtually all the Lemovician population fled from these two areas to Lemovician-controlled territory. Although Sasiambarena was not a competent military commander, he proved to be an effective administrator, managing to rehouse "virtually all the refugees" in areas under Lemovician control that were abandoned by ethnic Miersans, in addition to creating an effective logistics network to feed and clothe the Lemovician soldiers.
After a stalemate, the Arciluco Agreement was signed in 1992, ending the Lemovician War.
Presidency
With the conclusion of the Lemovician War in 1992, Ociote Sasiambarena was confirmed for a second term for the Lemovician Presidency in December, and became the Chairman of the Presidency.
Despite the roles and conventions, during his second term as President, Ociote Sasiambarena wielded extensive influence over the Lemovician government. Thus, throughout his second term as President, Ociote Sasiambarena focused on the reconstruction of the "free territories" under Lemovician control. However, this proved to be difficult, as outside of the Association for International Socialism, there was very little diplomatic recognition for Lemovicia, while sanctions imposed on Lemovicia reduced the amount of aid it could have potentially received, thus resulting in Lemovicia continue to have one of the smallest economies in Euclea.
Ociote Sasiambarena did see modest improvements during this term in the standard of living, particularly for ethnic Lemovicians, and officially saw the completion of Goikoecija Beŕija, where many refugees from Hoikoćija (known in Lemovician as Goikoecija) were resettled, in 1994. This was part of a broader Hedapenak scheme, where internally displaced persons who fled from areas under West Miersan control were resettled within Lemovician territory.
However, he cracked down on the Miersan Episemialist Church, by seizing their property and giving it to the Lemovician Episemialist Church, as he viewed the Miersan Episemialist Church as a vehicle for "West Miersan subterfuge against the Lemovician nation," and many ethnic Miersans were deported on the grounds that they were secretly part of the Miersan Episemialist Church.
In addition, Ociote Sasiambarena continued to be reliant on East Miersa, although with peace now present, Checkpoint Gamma on the Miersan Demilitarized Zone was opened for all traffic in 1993. That year, Sasiambarena signed an agreement which stated that in the event of Miersan reunification under Eastern auspices, Lemovicia would join the reunified Miersa, but would be given autonomy. However, as Sasiambarena doubted that Miersan reunification would "be possible at all," he viewed it as a recognition of Lemovician sovereignty.
Later political career
In 1996, as his term limit expired under the Lemovician constitution, Ociote Sasiambarena ceased being part of the Lemovician presidency. However, as the First Secretary of the Lemovician Section of the Workers' International, Sasiambarena continued playing a substantial role in the day-to-day affairs of the party, and the state.
From this point on, Sasiambarena assumed the role of an elder statesman, with Ociote Sasiambarena using his experience to train Lemovician officials in oratory and in administration. As well, Ociote Sasiambarena continued to shape government policy, particularly in cultural development, with Sasiambarena supporting investing in programs to help "revitalize the national culture," and by promoting the development of "literature and media in the Lemovician language, so it may survive well into the future." He also continued to travel abroad to other socialist countries, to "learn more about socialism in other countries," and to see how Lemovicia may be improved by these practices. One example of his prominent role was in the aftermath of the shootdown of Lemavia Flight 1, where Sasiambarena played a pivotal role in opposing a potential war between the two sides, and in negotiating an agreement with the West Miersan government to resolve the issue peacefully.
Well into the late 2000s, Ociote Sasiambarena was able to exert influence over the party, partially as Sasiambarena felt that only he could "manage eastern [Miersan] demands without destroying our nationhood," with most people, both within the country and without, continuing to see Sasiambarena as the de-facto leader of Lemovicia. However, following a heart attack in October 2009, and his subsequent hospitalization, Sasiambarena withdrew from public life, and delegated his duties to his subordinates, leading to speculation of his impending retirement at the Sixth Party Congress. While Ociote Sasiambarena delivered the annual new year's speech in 2010, and made a few public appearances in April and May, his involvement was not as extensive as it once was.
In 2010, he officially retired from politics, and endorsed Andremancija Osoteguj to succeed him as First Secretary. However, he remained a member of the party until his death in 2012.
Personal life
Family
Ociote Sasiambarena first met the 20-year old Gaśuś Mimnermova in 1960. After a three-year period, they married in 1963, and they remained married until Ociote Sasiambarena's death in 2012. They had two sons, Telmo Sasiambaŕena, born in 1965, and Isaak Sasiambaŕena, born in 1967, and a daughter, Ostaciu Cioŕaga, born in 1969.
At the time of Ociote Sasiambarena's death in 2012, he was survived by all three of his children, and five grandchildren.
Sasiambarena spoke Lemovician as a first language, but was fluent in Miersan, could comfortably carry a conversation in Soravian and Gaullican, and knew "a little bit" of Kirenian.
Political views
Ociote Sasiambarena was a national communist, believing that "although council communism is the ideal form of government, and the principles outlined ought to guide our development," supported Lemovicia's independence from West Miersa, and felt that "the Lemovicians have a right to full nationhood, given our history and our oppression by the Miersans."
Sasiambarena was a supporter of workers' councils and workers' self-management, believing that it would make the economy of Lemovicia "more fairer than the economy as it stood on the eve of independence, where it only benefitted a small minority of Miersan bourgeoisie." Politically, he was in favor of direct elections to the National Assembly and the Presidency, seeing it as being "the most democratic way we may achieve socialism."
Sasiambarena was a social liberal, supporting the legalization of homosexuality, and later, same-sex marriage, supporting the legalization of abortion "on demand" up to 22 weeks, and took the approach that "he who is not against us is for us."
Religion
Ociote Sasiambarena was born on the feast day of Saint Lullus, and was thus given the baptismal name of Lul.
Although he was baptised in the Episemialist faith, he stopped practicing the faith in the 1970s, believing the faith was "irrational," and that its continued influence in Lemovicia in particular was "a way for the Miersans to destroy our culture." Thus, he became an atheist, saying in 1995 that "there is no God, full stop."
Health and death
While for most of his life, Ociote Sasiambarena's health was robust, beginning in the 1990s, his eyesight began to deteriorate: by 1999, he started wearing glasses full time.
In his final years, Ociote Sasiambarena suffered from heart disease: in 2004, Ociote Sasiambarena began taking heart medication, leading to rumors that he was suffering from heart disease. These rumors were confirmed in October 2009, as he was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack. Following his hospitalization, Ociote Sasiambarena withdrew from public life, and was succeeded as First Secretary of the Lemovician Section of the Workers' International by Andremancija Osoteguj in 2010. That year, he made his final public appearance at the Sixth Party Congress that year to hand over his position to his successor.
On 8 August, 2012, Sasiambarena suffered a heart attack at his apartment in Topagunea at 6:11 pm, and by the time an ambulance arrived at 6:18 pm, Sasiambarena was declared dead by paramedics at the age of 77. After an autopsy was taken, he was transported to the Presidential Palace, where he laid in state.
On 12 August, a funeral was held at the Presidential Palace, before he was cremated. While Sasiambarena wished for his body to be buried at his ancestor's baseŕi in Sorgina (Babicz, West Miersa), as Sorgina is still under West Miersan control, Sasiambarena's urn was placed at the Presidential Palace, where it was placed behind "three layers of bulletproof glass" to prevent people from breaking in and stealing the urn, "until such time that Sorgina is liberated from western occupation."
Legacy
As one of the main leaders of Lemovicia during the Lemovician War against West Miersa, Ociote's legacy can be assessed from two sources.
To ethnic Lemovicians, Ociote Sasiambarena is seen as a hero and as the father of the nation, as he was the first independent Lemovician leader in nearly five hundred years, when the Lordship of Lemovicia under Bikendi was partitioned by the Miersan Commonwealth and the Unio Trium Nationum. In addition, his social policies greatly benefited Lemovicians, and his efforts to revitalize Lemovician culture "when it was on the cusp of going extinct" helped improve his perception among Lemovicians. This has led many Lemovicians to call him Aitona, or grandfather, especially in his later years.
However, Miersans view Sasiambarena as a tyrant and a traitor, who evicted virtually all ethnic Miersans from the areas under his control, who "betrayed" West Miersa in favour of the East during the Miersan War, and as someone who "never respects majority rule, but only minority rule." His policies have been seen by Miersans who fled Lemovicia into West Miersa as hurting Miersan culture and strengthening "foreign occupation" on Miersan lands.