The current leader of Taragai, Chairman Argasun Qorchi, announced on state television today that elections will be held on December 1st. The elections will be held to elect a new President to replace the role of Chairman. Taragaians will also have a chance to elect representatives to the Great Khural, the nation’s legislature, for the first time.
This also marks the first time in Taragaian history that multiple parties will be allowed to participate in the elections. The Taragaian People’s Revolutionary Party (TPRP), which had run the nation as a one-party state since 1931, will be allowed to participate as one of what are expected to be several possible parties entering the elections. The Taragaian Democratic Front, the pro-democracy movement whose protests led to these sweeping political changes, has already announced that it will be participating as well. Khadagan Daldurkhan, the leader of the Democratic Front, is widely expected to win the presidential race.
While negotiating with the pro-democracy opposition on the nation’s future, the interim government under Qorchi is attempting to deal with issues plaguing Taragai in the present. The former Director of Internal Security, Chaghagan Khoga, has re-emerged in his home province of Sergelen. Khoga and supporters of the former communist regime have occupied the provincial capital Khogne. Khoga’s supporters in Khogne are estimated to number just under two thousand. Officials with the interim government are claiming that Khoga’s numbers are being bolstered by supplies and guerrillas from Milintica’s Communist Party. The MCP had been supporting the regime of the previous Chairman, Jirghogadai Tömörbataar. Despite several attempts, the interim government has been unable to regain control of Khogne.
Qorchi has given a direct appeal to President Matōchmizalo of Milintica to crack down on the MCP and do more to force the Milintican guerrillas present in Khogne to return home. A spokesperson for the President told the media that while the government can restrict travel from Milintica to Taragai, “it would be inappropriate for us to take any coercive measures against our nationals who are abroad.”
A much larger threat to the interim government and the transition to democracy has been the uprising launched in the far west of Taragai by supporters of Ebegei Qoriqacha. The descendant of the former ruling line of Khans and her supporters have taken control of Gerelma and Menggulig provinces, and have also launched attacks into the neighboring Gurvanzagal province. Qoriqacha reportedly has several thousand armed supporters, and has thus far successfully defeated every attempt by the interim government to resume control of the area.
The interim government has also claimed that Xiomeran mercenaries and weapons are present in western Taragai supporting Qoriqacha. The interim government has severed diplomatic relations with Xiomera and has ordered all Xiomeran diplomatic staff, including Ambassador Tlachinolli, to leave Taragai within 48 hours. “The Xiomeran presence in our country is undeniable. We have pictures, video, and captured supplies to prove it. Yet the Xiomerans insult our intelligence by denying everything, including what our own eyes see. We will not continue with the pretense that the Xiomeran regime deserves to be treated in the diplomatic fashion that an honorable and upright nation is treated,” Qorchi said.
The Xiomeran government has responded by expelling all Taragaian diplomatic staff, including Ambassador Khagatai Darmala, from their country within the same time period. Empress Calhualyana gave her own response to Qorchi when announcing the retaliatory expulsion. “Chairman Qorchi can count himself fortunate that he has not given us reason to respond to his slanders more directly and more forcefully. He would be wise to keep it that way,” the Empress said in a speech to the Imperial Parliament.
In a related story, the government of Huenya has offered to send supplies, weapons and trainers to Taragai to help the interim government suppress Qoriqacha’s uprising and ensure elections can take place safely. “The Huenyan Federation is not only committed to ensuring democracy and liberty thrive on our own shores. Huenyans believe that if freedom is threatened anywhere, that it is a threat to us all,” President Xiadani said during an interview with HNN. “We may not be able to help as much as other nations, due to the fascist and imperialistic attacks we have ourselves suffered from the Xiomeran Empire. But Huenya will do whatever we can, both at home and abroad, to keep the flame of freedom burning. We know how to defeat the Empire and its proxies. We’ve done it before, and in Taragai, we will do it again.” The interim government has not yet accepted the Huenyan offer, but Qorchi will be meeting with the new Huenyan ambassador to Taragai, Xochichel, on June 11th.
