Xiomeran government moves to cement its power

Deposed Emperor Xochiuhue, prior to his execution

The Xiomeran government has embarked on a series of moves over the past few days intended to cement the power of Empress Calhualyana and her political supporters.

The first of those moves was the public execution of her formal rival for power, the deposed Emperor Xochiuhue. The former Emperor, having been found guilty of numerous crimes in what international observers deemed a show trial, was executed by hanging in the middle of the Tiazō, the central public square in the capital Tlālacuetztla. Government officials and their guests, including the Empress, reportedly watched the execution from the nearby Cauhloc, the headquarters of Xiomera's Ministry of Security. The execution was also broadcast both on television and online by XIN, Xiomera's state news network.

Immediately after the former Emperor's execution, an announcement on XIN reported that the Imperial Glory Party, one of the political parties that had participated in recent Xiomeran elections, has been banned by the government for attempting a failed coup against Empress Calhualyana and Prime Minister Toquihu earlier this month. All IGP legislators have been detained by Xiomeran security forces, and their seats handed over to the second-place finishers in their races. This has resulted in most of their seats being handed over to the Xiomeran Citizens' Party (XCP), which is staunchly loyal to the Empress. Over 150 IGP party leaders have also been detained by the Xiomeran security forces.

XIN also reported that over 640 members of Xiomera's military have also been detained, on charges of "treason and conspiracy against the Empire." The soldiers are accused of being supporters of the deposed Emperor, and of plotting with the IGP. Xiomeran Military Intelligence (XMI) and the national security agency ASI are reportedly conducting joint operations to "ensure loyalty to the Empress, the government and the Empire" within the Xiomeran armed forces.

A separate announcement from the government declared that Xiomera would be re-enacting its extremely strict lèse-majesté laws with immediate effect. Known as Article 99 of the Xiomeran Penal Code, the Xiomeran lèse-majesté laws make it a crime to "insult the Empire, the Xiomeran people, Imperial government institutions, the Imperial security forces or armed forces, the heritage, history or national heroes of the Empire, or members of the royal family or government." Under Article 99, those found guilty of lèse-majesté can face corporal punishment and/or imprisonment for up to 30 years. Article 99 had previously been revoked by the former Empress Yauhmi, prior to the coup which removed her from power.

While opposition leaders publicly denounced the re-introduction of Article 99, the Xiomeran government took another step towards cementing its power. It announced that Xiomera's controversial "social credit score" program, which had also been banned by Yauhmi, would be re-introduced and revised. The new program will be known as the "Imperial Loyalty Program," or ILP. Government officials, using Xiomera's extensive recordkeeping and surveillance systems, will begin tracking everything from citizens' spending and debt repayment, to their social associations and social media content. It will also track legal infractions, from minor ones such as playing loud music, littering and jaywalking, to major offenses and "anti-Xiomeran activity." The program will also track "positive" activity such as volunteering and participating in government-sponsored community service programs. The ILP will then assign each Xiomeran, as well as foreign nationals in the country, a "social credit score". Those whose score falls below a certain level will lose certain benefits, such as the right to vote in Xiomeran elections, access to the national healthcare service and government benefits. Those whose score is too low also will not receive the monthly national stipend that the government has promised citizens.

If their score falls below a certain point, they may also find their travel within Xiomera restricted, as well as their access to social media. The ILP score will also be taken into account by employers, businesses, creditors and medical facilities to grant preferred access to "loyal Imperial citizens" - or restrict access for those whose score is too low. Foreign nationals whose score falls too low may be deported from Xiomera, officials also indicated. Those whose low score places them on the ILP "blacklist" will need to engage in "behavior modification and volunteer activities" to raise their score to a sufficient level to remove themselves from the blacklist, Xiomeran officials indicated.

The ILP is meant to "reward Xiomerans who support the Empire and support their fellow citizens," a spokesperson for the Xiomeran government said. However, the Xiomeran opposition has denounced the plan as a way to punish Xiomerans who are in any way opposed to the government. "Reinstating Article 99, and the implementation of a strengthened surveillance program and social credit score, are meant to force the Xiomeran people into obedience and are a first step to total tyranny," Cozamalotl, the leader of the Unification Party of Xiomera, told DTNS. "It shows that Calhualyana, and this government, were never serious about giving people a democratic voice," he added.

The new ILP measures, and the re-introduction of Article 99, have been approved by a vote of the Imperial Parliament. The Parliament voted as expected along party lines, with all 125 members of the XCP voting in favor and all 35 members of the Unification Party voting against. The Unification Party members walked out of the voting chamber in protest after the vote. Their opposition, however, appears to be merely a speed bump as the Xiomeran government rolls ahead with its efforts to cement the position of Empress Calhualyana, Prime Minister Toquihu and the XCP.