The Skathian Post

[Hadash]

The Skathian Post

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Awadh Maathay becomes President of Khokharsa
By: Matthias Kahum
Published: Dein 1596


Awadh Maathay.

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The People's Assembly, Khokharsan unicameral parliament, elected Awadh Maathay as President of the Democratic Republic of Khokharsa. The election wasn't exactly a surprise, as he obtained the support of 598 of 600 MPs (two members of the People's Assembly were not able to attend the vote for personal reasons, it was reported).

Maathay, 58, was elected General Secretary of the Socialist Democratic Party in 1595, during the 12th Congress. He becomes the first person to become both President of Khokharsa and General Secretary of the Socialist Democratic Party since Morten Carlsen's death, the founder of the Democratic Republic of Khokharsa who ruled the country from 1529 and 1551, and the first person since the Communist Party was renamed as Socialist Democratic Party of Khokharsa in 1570. However, it is expected that Maathay will not enjoy as much as power as Carlsen enjoyed, as recent constitution amendment has introduced important checks and balances to the executive and increased the influence of the parliament. Maathay replaced Benedict Dacian -who was General Secretary for thirty years- and President Per Madsen, who had been President since 1590.

Unlike other former Khokharsan high-ranking officials, Maathay has not experience in the federal government beyond being a member of the parliament since 1574. After a brief career in the Armed Forces, he was appointed First Secretary of the Party in the state of Ligeria, before being elected to the Central Commitee of the Socialist Democratic Party at age 36. He was appointed Deputy General Secretary of the Party from 1583 to 1595, being the second highest-ranking official in the Party during those years.

While Maathay is not very well-known outside Khokharsa, he is expected to lead the nation into a new successful period. In the last Party Congress, the Charter of the Socialist Democratic Party was amended, including its Preamble, which now declares that the Party has stopped representing a specific class, but instead the "interests of the entire people", which includes independent professionals and entrepeneurs; and party members will be allowed to engage in private activities, something that was banned until last year. The Party Congress also agreed to remove all references to Perovism and communism in the constitution, as well as the official ideology was replaced from "Morten Carlsen Thought" to "Skathian socialism". More importantly, a clear majority of the Congress also voted to modify the territorial administration under several state governments for economic regions, which aims to improve economic productivity and administrative efficiency.

However, as Maathay himself said during his first speech in the parliament as President of the Democratic Republic of Khokharsa, "it is not time for experiments...but rather to continue our path toward the construction of socialism and improving the efficiency of our economy and the prosperity and happiness of the people", so it is expected a combination of continuation of past policies and rational reforms, rather than sudden changes, at least for now.