Ostaran Times

[Hadash]

Ostaran Times

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Former Prime Minister Diêp Công Duông dies
By: Muong Quang Viên
Published: Vintyr 18, 1587


Late Prime Minister Diêp Công Duông.

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Hoinomese statesman Diêp Công Duông and longest-serving Prime Minister since the Ostaran nation recovered independence in 1510, died at the age of 87 yesterday, after being hospitalised with severe pneumonia on Treizen 4. Many regional leaders issued public condolences.

The son of a military commander who fought in the Hoinomese civil war (1515-1519) for the restoration of the monarchy, Diêp Công Duông enlisted in the Royal Armed Forces of Hôinôm, to serve as civil servant in the Ministry of Internal Affairs after early retirement. He started his political career during the so-called failed Hoinomese Liberal Revolution (1548-1550), when he was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs by Prime Minister Quang Quang Dùc. Duông became soon a prominent and powerful government official, crushing demonstrators and rebel forces with the use of harsh and draconian of police force.

When Quang Quang Dùc was forced to resign, Minister Diêp Công Duông was gave free hands to launch a nationwide crackdown of revolutionary and liberal forces, which demanded democratic elections and a constitution for Hôinôm. Human rights abuses were widespread, some claim up to 50,000 people resulted dead in clashes between security forces and revolutionary activists, but Duông was able to restore the order, and he was praised as the savior of the Hoinomese monarchy. In 1551, Emperor Nguyên appointed Diêp Công Duông as Prime Minister, an office he held for 19 years, until 1570.

Under his long tenure, the country did not experience political changes, but several modernization projects were started -specially on the fields of administrative reform and improvement of infraestructures- which was accompanied by a timid economic liberalization which attracted foreign investment, increased considerably the national GDP, although inequality was increased. During the last years of Queen Kiêu Thi Xuân's Regency, it was said that his influence decreased, and in 1570, only two years after Empress Hông was crowned monarch, Diêp Công Duông resigned.

Since then, Diêp Công Duông has lived a retired and calm existence, it is said, and he rarely attended the media. He was often visited by important Hoinomese officials in his country house nearby Nam Dinh, reportedly twice by Empress Hông herself. He only gave three interviews since his retirement seventeen years ago, mostly to Hoinomese conservative newspapers. It is unclear Diêp Công Duông's personal and political views about the events in recent years, when Hôinôm was forced to adopt several constitutional reforms and some form of political liberalization, including a limited national parliament, although Hoinomese government has not fulfilled its promises to pass a legal text which would may serve as the first written constitution since the monarchist restoration in 1519. In any case, Diêp Công Duông was widely respected by both conservatives and those considered his political rivals, or at least feared and accepted his past role as Hoinomese stateman.

Although Diêp Công Duông is expected to be buried nearby his country house in Western Hôinôm, Prime Minister Quang Công Quang has announced that a state funeral will be held in Hôi Luỳên in the coming days.

A week-long period of national mourning was declared by the Hoinomese government. All flags, including the national flag, will be flown at half-mast during that period.