Jonquiere-Tadoussac
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| Motto: "Avec la renaissance, les deux devenaient un" (French: "Through rebirth, the two have become one") | |||
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| Region | International Democratic Union | ||
| Capital | L'Unité | ||
| Official languages | French, Eeyo'Uch, Baranxeï | ||
| Government High Consul
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Confederation Katryne Roland | ||
| Founding Fusion Accords Confederation |
1608 1837 2006 | ||
| National Holiday | Fête Jontadain (June 24) | ||
| Population • April 28 Census |
801,000,026 | ||
| GDP • Total • Per capita |
April 28 est. 15,672,958,040,176.52JTS 19,566.76JTS | ||
| Exchange Rate • April 28 2006 |
.82583JTS = $1 (↓ 1.2399JTS) | ||
| CHDI (April 2006 Official) | 0.855 (↑ 0.339)- high | ||
| Currency | Sous jontadain (JTS) | ||
| Internet TLD •Île Québec •Arvida |
.jt .iq .ava | ||
| Calling code | +58
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Its constituient parts founded in 1608, the Consular Confederation of Jonquiere-Tadoussac (Adjective: Jontadain) is a proud nation of Francophones. The country is devoted to social values and equality above all else.
Contents
History
Founding
In 1608, an expedition of French settlers enroute to the colony of New France were swept off course, and landed on the shores of a strange new land, later to become the International Democratic Union. After much recuperation and laying of blame, the leader of the group, Roland Chantal, managed to rally most of the settlers and found a settlement at Jonquière. The settlers invested him with the title of Most Divine Imperial King Roland I, Monarch of Jonquiere. (This title was subsequently shortened to a simple 'King' after Roland I had to spend several weeks icing his arm having signed too many documents in the past month).
The dissenters travelled to the coast, where they founded the port settlement of Tadoussac, hoping to acquire enough supplies to set out for New France again. After the first decade, despairing of their chances, the residents of Tadoussac set up a democratic republic, gaining their own lands in opposition to Jonquiere.
The Great Clash
The two city-states were able to go alone for many years. Each reestablished contact with the outside world, and became local powers in their own rights. Other settlers were drawn to the lands of Jonquiere and Tadoussac, looking for new lands and possibilities. Eventually, there was no new land to take.
In 1759, High Consul Thédric of Tadoussac met with King Georges III of Jonquiere in an attempt to work out an agreement on land division. Unfortunately, tempers quickly mounted as each side's bombastic leader demanded more than the other was willing to offer. As a result, each went back to their respective capitals to prepare for war. The first shots were fired on September 13, 1759.
The Great Clash lasted for four years, until 1763. The loss of life on both sides mounted into the tens of thousands, and fortunes were spent to bring mercenaries in from abroad to fight for each power. Eventually, the new High Consul Roger and King Georges IV met in the Jonquierois border city of La Baie to negotiate a peace treaty. Both sides recognized their culpability in the conflict, and thus each gave ample considerations to the demands of the other. The resulting treaty led to very few changes in the border, but many changes in attitude.
The Fusion Accords
The two powers co-existed peacefully until 1837, when radicals on both sides attempted to reignite a war, this time with the goal of devestating the other power. The leaders of both city-states were opposed to this: High Consul François of Tadoussac was a dedicated pacifist and peacemaker, while King Roland XVI of Jonquiere had several sons, including his heir, married into Tadoussacain families.
With the goal of peace in mind, the two leaders met in La Baie, on the 74th anniversary of the original treaty, to come to a new cooperative peace agreement. What resulted was entirely unexpected: the two leaders agreed to fuse their states together, to create a unified Jonquiere-Tadoussac. The agreement came to be known as the Fusion Accords of 1837.
This new decision came from several fronts. The stated purpose was to remove all reasons for hostilities between the two governments. However, it was well known at the time that Jonquiere had more land to use, while Tadoussac had more resources on its current territory. Joining made best use of these strengths, creating a synergy. Finally, the state of Baranxtu was coming dangerously close to the borders of both powers, and threatening their sovereignty. The leaders obviously remembered the old adage: "United We Stand, Divided We Fall".
The agreement wasn't automatic, however. Several points were required by both sides before they would approve of the deal. Jonquiere wouldn't give up its long line of illustrious monarchs, but Tadoussac wanted an elected leader, as they had seen for the last 200 years. The solution: keep the King (or Queen), but make the position elected and not hereditary.
Royal elections were first held in October 1837, and King Roland XVI was reconfirmed as monarch, with François of Tadoussac as his chief advisor. The system proved successful, as each constituent was willing to accept the outcomes. A peaceful and stable government was created, one that would last until the summer of 2005. Only the actions of the Armée du Liberation du Tadoussac posed any threats to the newly formed country, and these were contained by the end of 1840.
The Jontadain Civil War
See indepth article: Jontadain Civil War
Royal elections were to be held in July 2005, but because fewer than 50 percent of voters actually cast their vote, the election failed. Two subsequent elections, both held in late July, did not result in a legal vote, either.
Now leaderless, the government was practically inactive. Meanwhile, the rebel group L'Armée Communiste du Jonquière-Tadoussac (ACJT) threatened to take over the capital and become the new ruling force of the country. The resulting strife led to the rise of numerous factions, which each sought to install their own puppet king on the throne. Faced with this threat, the crippled National Assembly tried to bring peace by using the military to suppress the rebellious factions. This was met by such vehemence from the population that the government was actually toppled by a popular coup in August 2005, and the entire country dissolved into full-scale civil war.
Originally, more than 200 small armed groups appeared, each fighting the other in a bid for supremacy. By early September, most of these had consolidated into one of four factions: the ACJT, the Démocratiques, the Jontadains pour un pays puissant (JUPP), and the Royalistes. Though each was roughly equal in the beginning, the Démocratiques gained the upper hand by taking the city of Jonquière. Holding the capital, the Démocratiques gained a legitimacy that no other power could approach. As a result, they became the favoured faction for international dealings, as well as increasing their recruitment three-fold.
The Protectorate of East Baranxtu
The civil war and the discord in the general population of Jonquiere-Tadoussac led their western neighbour, Baranxtu, to consider how to ward off this threat. Baranxtuan politicians, especially those of the leading parties, feared if the situation deteriorated further, there would be growing unrest among the voters, who would let the major, more moderate parties suffer in favour of extremist parties.
On August 30th, the parliament of Baranxtu decided to establish a Protectorate of Baranxtu. This protectorate was to begin with an installed government, which would later be replaced by a cabinet elected in turn by a democratic parliament. To achieve this goal, elements of the Baranxtuan military were dispatched into the western parts of the Jontadain province of Chicoutimi, from there to extend their reach over the entire country. This Protectorate of East Baranxtu was ruled in name by the Governor for the region, who would have control over the whole country. In reality, the Governor's sway only held in the westernmost areas, which were the only ones the military could control. In addition, the population of the westernmost part of the province were among the most eager for outside intervention. Respect for outside assistance grew, however, and in November 2005, the Governor was able to choose a small group of leaders from the winning Démocratique faction to form a legitimate provisional government. This group, working out of Jonquière, was to aid in the transition of Jonquiere-Tadoussac to stability and peace.
Early in February 2005, the new constitution was drafted for the Confederacy of Jonquiere-Tadoussac, returning the independent status of the nation, and putting the government back in the hands of the people. The installed government effectively ended, although the Protectorate of East Baranxtu continued as the western ceded province of Cikoutimi.
The New Era
The new government of Jonquiere-Tadoussac was installed on February 10, 2005. The past provisional government under the Baranxtu Governor had decided to completely eschew the former royal structure, in favour of a loose confederation of provinces. The legislative branch was restructured into a democratically elected Consular Council, which would represent all peoples of Jonquiere-Tadoussac. The executive would be a High Consul that would be selected by secret ballot from among the Consular Council, and who would in turn choose their cabinet from among the elected consuls. The first elected High Consul was Katryne Roland, a Democratic Socialist from Tadoussac.
The first action undertaken by the Consular Council was to sign the Secession and Annexation Act (2006). This act accomplished three things:
- The part of Chicoutimi that had been most successfully protected by Baranxtu was ceded to that country so that it could become independent.
- Lands east of Jonquiere-Tadoussac that had been nominally controlled by the federal government since the late 1990s were officially annexed.
- The provinces of Translaurent and Roberçal were created out of annexed lands.
Immediately following this, the Council also approved the Autonomous Regions Act (2006) and the L'Unité Act (2006). The first created the current political structure of Arvida and Île Québec, while the second moved the capital to the city of L'Unité and established its autonomous status.
Current legislation before the federal government is dominated by the debate of the Constitution Act (2006), which will enshrine the current political and federal system into a largely immutable document. It is also expected to include provisions to make the Eeyo'Uch language and people officially recognized for the first time.
Regional Structure
Today, Jonquiere-Tadoussac is divided into eight provinces. The provinces have great autonomy, with only areas such as health, national defence, and currency being retained by the federal government.
Provinces
- Jonquière (Capital: Jonquière): Named for one of the two founding city-states of the country, Jonquière is one of the oldest provinces.
- Tadoussac (Capital: Tadoussac): One of two oldest provinces, Tadoussac comprises the territory of the original city-state of that name.
- Alma (Capital: Iberville): The largest province, Alma was created from an amalgamation of part of the city-state of Jonquière and newly obtained land in 1845.
- Côte-Saint-Jean (Capital: Baie-Jaïm): Created in 1864 from federal land when the population was deemed sufficient. Home to Jonquière-Tadoussac's largest minority group, the Eeyo'Uch.
- Translaurent (Capital: Montdiesse): Named because it is across the Laurent River from Jonquière, this province was split from Côte-Saint-Jean in 2006. The majority of its territory was obtained in the 2006 annexation of unclaimed territory.
- Roberçal (Capital: Quegué: A coastal province, Roberçal was created in 2006 out of territory newly obtained by Jonquiere-Tadoussac. Its name comes from the Eeyo'Uch word meaning "Long Sandy Coast".
- La Montagne (Capital: Chivaque): Once a part of the province of Chicoutimi, La Montagne was inaugurated in 2005 by members of the JUPP faction (see above) who opposed the Protectorate of East Baranxtu. The provisional government officially split the two provinces in December 2005 to gain support from the JUPP.
- Îles jontadains (Capital: Acadière: Under the pre-2005 government, these islands were federal territory, and were generally an oversized military base. Once the Confederacy was established, the military facilites were relocated across the country, and the islands were given provincial status.
Other Regions
- L'Unité: The new capital of Jonquiere-Tadoussac, chosen in 2006 on the borders of three provinces. Though technically a separate autonomous region, the city takes its policies from the bordering provinces on a case-by-case basis. The city houses the legislative, executive, judicial, and administrative branches of the federal government.
- The Protectorate of Arvida (Capital: Mont Vidé): Previously a federally administered mining territory, Arvida achieved protectorate status in February 2006, as part of the restructuring of the federal system. As a protectorate, Arvida enjoys monetary and military union with Jonquiere-Tadoussac, while having absolute autonomy in all other areas.
- Île Québec (Not Pictured) (Capital: Nouveau-Port): Established in 1899 as a royal colony, this island lies far west of the Jontadain mainland. It was granted de facto autonomous status in 2006, although the federal government still maintains a power of reservation over the legislation passed by local government, as well as a monetary and military union.
- Cikoutimi: Though no longer a part of Jonquiere-Tadoussac, this area was once part of the province of Chicoutimi. It was ceded to Baranxtu in 2006 in exchange for the assistance granted during the Civil War, and has become an independent state under the Baranxtuan crown.
Political Structure
Party System
See related article: Political Parties in Jonquiere-Tadoussac
Federal Government
Executive
The executive of Jonquiere-Tadoussac is made up of a High Consul, who acts as both the head of state and head of government, and their cabinet of Consular Ministers. The High Consul is chosen from among the elected consuls by secret ballot, and serves a four-year, non-renewable term. (Note: the current High Consularship will only last until the adoption of the new constitution, at which time both the Consular Council and the High Council will be up for election). The High Consul in turn chooses his or her Consular Ministers from among the elected consuls. There is no set number of Ministers to be selected, but the number may not be greater than 15 or less than 5. However, once the High Consul has determined the posts he or she will select, they cannot be changed during his or her term, nor can they change the occupants of those posts unless the Council rejects the appointee. The current government has 11 Ministers.
Once selected, the High Consul and the Consular Ministers no longer have a vote in the house from which they came. Instead, their votes are exercised on their behalfs by an officer of the party, who casts the ministerial votes with his or her own. While it is not unheard of for the officer to confer with the ministers before voting, the final say still rests with the officer, who cannot be recalled except by a 80% vote of his or her party.
Though they do not have a vote as such, the High Consul and the Consular Ministers remain accountable to the Council. Any minister can be stripped of his or her post upon a 2/3 vote from both houses, and the High Consul can be recalled upon a 3/4 vote from both houses. The rejection of a minister requires a new one to be selected by the High Consul (the post must be filled, it cannot be scrapped), while the rejection of a High Consul requires a new vote within the Consular Consul.
The executive has the ability to propose legislation to the Council, and acts as a voting body on all bills that pass the legislative branch. A vote must receive 2/3 support in the cabinet to be approved. The High Consul does not have a vote in the cabinet.
The current High Consul is Katryne Roland, from the SDJT.
Legislative
The legislative branch of Jonquiere-Tadoussac is known as the Consular Council, and is made up of Consuls who are democratically elected from across the country. The Council is bicameral, and is composed of the the Popular Assembly and the National Assembly.
The Popular Assembly is elected according to representation by population. It is comprised of 500 members, that are chosen through a hybrid single transferrable vote/list system. 250 of the Consuls are selected from constituencies across the country, where one member is chosen to join the assembly through a single transferrable vote system. The other 250 seats are proportionally distributed, based on the vote percentages for each party across the country.
The current seat totals are: ADJ 62, SDJT 218, PJ 166, VRR 20, Other 34.
The National Assembly is comprised of equal numbers for each province. Each province receives 20 Consuls, plus 5 each from Île Québec and Arvida. 15 Consuls from each province are elected according to proportional representation, with the remaining 5 being distributed according to the votes of various minority groups. For example, in Côte-Saint-Jean and Roberçal, at least 3 seats must be held by Eeyo'Uch Consuls.
Legislation is introduced in joint sessions of the Consular Council. Committees are then created with equal representation from each assembly to propose amendments to the bill. Once a bill has been approved by committees, it must receive a majority in both houses to pass. It will then go to the cabinet, which must pass it by a 2/3 vote.
Judiciary
The judiciary of Jonquiere-Tadoussac is one of the only parts of the government to survive the restructuring of the system relatively intact. The only real changes are that any powers that related to the monarch now relate to the High Consul instead.
The judiciary is made up of a Supreme Court (7 Justices), the seven Provincial Supreme Courts (each 5 Justices), and local courts. The lowest level judges are selected by standing committees within each provincial government. The Provincial Justices are elected from among the lower judges by their peers, to serve a six-year term on the bench. Supreme Court Justices are elected from among the 35 Provincial Justices by their peers, and also serve six-year terms.
None of the courts have the power to overturn laws, except where they clearly conflict with the constitution. They have no leeway to interpret the statutes; instead, they cav only refer them to the High Consul for review. The main role of the Judiciary is to apply the law, not restyle it.
Provincial Governments
Originally, the provinces of Jonquière and Tadoussac had distinct forms of government. As more provinces were added, however, the forms of government started becoming more uniform, until they were virtually indistinguishabel from one another, or from the federal government. Though the Restructuring of 2006 changed some of this, the provinces still retain a uniform structure.
The Executive is selected in the same way as in the federal government, except that the highest post is known as the Provincial Consul.
The Legislative branch is unicameral, creating a hybrid of the two assemblies of the federal government. Known as the Provincial Council, the members are known as councillors, and are chosen half by single transferable vote, and the other half by proportional representation with guaranteed representation for municipalities and minorities.
Local Governments
There are two types of local governments in Jonquiere-Tadoussac: City (urban) governments and County (rural) governments. Both types of governments can have their structures revised by the provinces that contain them, but most retain the following uniform structure.
City governments are made up of a City Mayor and the City Council. The city council is elected by districts in the city, half by single transferable vote, half by proportional representatio with guaranteed representation to minorities. The Mayor is then chosen from among the Council in the same way as the High Consul in the federal government. These governments have jurisdiction over such areas as internal development, internal transport, and electrical distribution.
County governments are selected the same way, except that they are composed of a Reeve and a County Council. They have power over land distribution, road upkeep, and the like.
Culture
Federal Holidays
The following are recognzied as public holidays throughout Jonquiere-Tadoussac, and are days where businesses are required to give their employees recompensory pay:
Jour de la paix (Peace Day): January 31
- Instituted 2006
- Marking the last day of fighting in the Jontadain Civil War, the jour de la paix has been instituted to recognize the return of order to the country. Though still a new holiday, it is expected to gain as large a following, if not larger, than the Fête Jontadain (its genesis being closer in recent memory to the current population).
Fête Jontadain (Jontadain Day): June 24
- Instituted 1840
- Celebrating the Fusion Accords that created the modern entity of Jonquiere-Tadoussac. The day is generally accompanied by much waving of the Federal Flag and singing of the national anthem. Many Jontadains visit the city of La Baie, where the accords were signed, on June 24. This is the height of tourist season for the city, and it hosts the largest festival in the country for the Fête Jontadain, attracting over 3 million people annually to the city of 500 000.
Jour des Élections (Election Day): July 10
- Instituted 1654 (Tadoussac), 1837 (Jonquiere-Tadoussac)
- Though not a holiday as such, the jour des élections is a celebrated day in Jonquiere-Tadoussac, and one where employers are required to give employees the day off to vote (excepting emergency and civil services).
Fête Démocratique (Democracy Day)): July 24
- Instituted 2005
- As in other IDU countries, the day of the founding of the IDU is a national holiday. As many as 3 million people leave the country to travel to the Free Land of the IDU every year.
- It is expected that this year's Fête Démocratique will be somewhat larger than in past years, as many supporters of the Démocratiques faction of the Jontadain Civil War have expressed a desire to change the meaning of the celebration into a recognition of their victory.
Noël (Christmas): December 25
- Instituted 1608
- Being a country largely populated by French settlers, the Christmas season has great sentimental value to many of the citizens of Jonquiere-Tadoussac. It has come under increasing fire, however, as the country becomes more secular in value and immigrants from abroad begin to have a greater say in the government.
Memberships/Observerships in International Organizations
United International Congress: Member
UN DEFCON: Member
National Sovereignty Association: Observer
