Ostaran Times

[Hadash]

Ostaran Times

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Tieguo: Government reshuffle announced
By: Lucy Yeung
Published: Treinze 4, 1587


Qiu Yu Zhao, the new Tieguonese leader, is a relatively unknown politician in the foreign media.

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Tieguonese media has announced the major government reshuffle in a decade, with almost two-thirds of the government either leaving or changing their posts, including Premier Jie Jong-Jian. The move comes only one month and half after Qiu Yu Zhao was sworn as the seventh president of the United Republic of Tieguo.

Qiu Yu Zhao, 53, was surprisingly elected General Secretary of the Tieguonese Nationalist Party last Summer, during the Congress of the Tieguonese Nationalist Party, replacing Guo Min Cheng, who had been in power in Tieguo as both General Secretary of the Tieguonese Nationalist Party and President of the United Republic of Tieguo since 1551. Guo Min Cheng, the longest-serving head of state since the abolition of the monarchy died early this year, affected by an undisclosed cancer, aged 83.

The election of Qiu Yu Zhao surprised many Tieguonese scholars and foreign correspondents alike, although it is not exactly unprecedented. Xun Huan Zhao was elected President of the United Republic of Tieguo aged 55, in 1546, while Guo Min Cheng was elected General Secretary of the Nationalist Tieguonese Party in 1544, aged only 41, before being elected President of the Republic of Tieguo a decade later.

Qiu Yu Zhao had been previously First Secretary of the Tieguonese Nationalist Party, a position created in 1574, only 1582, and he lacked any remarkable experience in the national government. The election of Qiu as General Secretary of the Tieguonese Nationalist Party was understood as an attempt of "national rejuvenation" of the Tieguonese leadership but, at the same time, fed different and contradictory rumours. It was said that Tieguo was likely to experience a situation similar to the restoration of civilian rule in the 1540s, when the position of President of the republic, Premier of the National State Council, and General Secretary of the Tieguonese Nationalist Party were held by different persons.

Deputy Premier Dong Mu Yuen, Secretary of National Defense, or Ming Guanyu Zhu, Chairman of the National Military Council, were rumoured to replace Jie Jong-Jian, aged 71, Premier of Tieguo since 1572 and acting head of state since the death of Guo Min Cheng. Notwithstanding, Qiu Yu Zhao was elected President of the United Republic of Tieguo by the People's Chamber (Tieguo's unicameral parliament) on Elva 11, by a 466-0 vote.

Yu Zhihao Chang has been announced as the new Premier (head of government) replacing Jie Jong-Jian. Yu Zhihao Chang, 58, was previously Secretary of National Defense, an office which will be held now by Dong Mu Yuen - a move which may be difficult to interpret. Ming Guanyu Zhu, 61, former Chairman of the National Military Council has been appointed as Deputy Premier, a move that hints to a promotion and increasing influence of Tieguonese officials of military background, already witnessed in the last congress of the Tieguonese Nationalist Party. However, a large number of new ministers are former governors, while the number of women ministers had been reduced from 5 to 2. One of the four women ministers who lost their position was Hwuei Shi Lai, former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, a decision which has not surprised many, as Hwuei -once considered a Guo Min Cheng's protégée- was not reelected to the National Executive Council of the Tieguonese Nationalist Party in the last congress.

The announcement was received with relative calm and apathy in Tieguo, where many wait anxiously the policies of the new leadership, although not many hope for deep political changes in the short term. It is still to soon to predict if they will prove wrong or not.