New law in Xiomera further tightens government grip
A massive new law passed by the Imperial Parliament, and approved by the Empress and Prime Minister, are seen by outside observers as evidence of the government further tightening its grip on the Xiomeran population.
The new law, the National Movement Act, formally enshrines the Xiomeran Citizens' Party as the only legal political party in Xiomera. It specifically bans by name both the Imperial Glory Party and the Unification Party. Both parties have been accused of treason by the Xiomeran government.
The law also bans all other political parties or movements in general. The NMA also makes membership in the XCP a requirement for holding a government position, either as a government employee or as a contractor. The NMA declares that the XCP is the "national movement of Xiomera", and bans what it calls "other anti-Xiomeran political agitation".
The NMA also takes certain private organizations and absorbs them into the XCP. These groups are the Patriotic Youth Corps, the Good Citizens' League, the Xiomeran Servicepersons and Protectors Association, and the Xiomeran Students' Association. The NMA also defines new roles for these groups. The PYC, now known as the XCP Patriotic Youth Wing, will become the official arm of the XCP for Xiomerans under the age of majority, and will "educate and train Xiomeran youth for their future role and responsibilities as adult citizens of the Empire." The Xiomeran Students' Association, renamed the XCP Scholars Wing, will "ensure that pursuits of higher education support the Empire and its mission" and also "seek to eliminate anti-Xiomeran ideology within the higher education community." The XSPA, now known as the XCP Honored Service Wing, will "provide the defenders of the nation with a voice within the Party" and also "work to ensure that both active and non-active soldiers and law enforcement continue to support the Party and the Empire." The GCL will cease to exist, being absorbed completely into the XCP and its role assumed by party committees. Other domestic NGOs, private activist groups and political action groups are now banned as well, with the XCP becoming the only entity allowed to perform such functions in Xiomera. Foreign NGOs are now only allowed to operate in the country with government approval and under XCP supervision.
What is left of the Xiomeran opposition and outside observers have been scathingly critical of the NMA. The Unification Party issued a statement condemning passage of the NMA as "a complete takeover of the nation by the XCP." The ban on domestic NGOs and the absorption of existing ones into the XCP was criticized for "forcing a single viewpoint and agenda" on the Xiomeran people. The new Patriotic Youth Wing and Scholars Wing, in particular, were sharply criticized by the Unification Party for "seeking to brainwash Xiomeran youth into blindly supporting the XCP and the government."
Huenyan government announces new "We are Quetzalcóatl" campaign
In the Huenyan religion, Quetzalcóatl is a deity of death and resurrection, among other things. The new Huenyan government has adopted this as the symbol for their new campaign urging Huenyans to chip in and help rebuild the fledgling nation.
The "We Are Quetzalcóatl" campaign urges Huenyans to contribute whatever they can towards the rebuilding effort: money, goods, supplies, services and labor. The campaign also features examples of everyday Huenyan citizens finding ways to contribute to the rebuilding effort. One series of ads shows Huenyans working to clear away rubble and restore services, while another shows workers recycling materials from destroyed and damaged buildings to use as material for new construction.
The campaign was started by Vice-Speaker Tiacihitli, who said that the campaign would "encourage Huenyans to not let the immensity of this challenge overwhelm us, but instead inspire Huenyans to work together to rebuild our infrastructure, and allow the sense of camaraderie gained during this vital work to build our nation and society together."
"The people who wrought such destruction in Huenya thought that they would break us through suffering. They could not have been more wrong - the outrage against us instead inspires us to work even harder to make this nation a reality, to show that they cannot stop us," the Vice-Speaker said.
In an unexpected development, the Huenyan royal family announced that they would be contributing half of their fortune towards the rebuilding effort as part of the campaign. "It is our hope that this contribution will help greatly with our rebuilding efforts. All of us must sacrifice as part of this effort," Cihuātlahtoāni Yauhmi told the media when announcing the contribution. The personal wealth of the royal family prior to the coup in Xiomera which overthrew them was estimated to be anywhere between 30 to 43 billion Xiomeran quetzals; the exact number was never released. The Xiomeran government seized much of that wealth from the family after the coup, and it is now the personal fortune of Empress Calhualyana. Yauhmi and her family retained approximately 8 billion Xiomeran quetzals. They are reportedly contributing 4 billion quetzals towards Huenyan rebuilding. Most sources have praised the royal family for the large donation. Critics have pointed out that the royal family would still retain 4 billion quetzals in personal wealth, which would still place them among the wealthiest leaders in the IDU.
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