East Ramay

East Ramay, officially the Republic of East Ramay, was a sovereign state that existed between 1925 and 1981. East Ramay is the direct successor of the Eastern Ramay colony of the Samot-Sertofian empire which was granted independence on the 1st of May 1925 as designated by the treaty of Holmgard. East Ramay, while democratic in practice, some elements of leadership remained autocratic with the most notable example being the post of president being mostly unopposed throughout President Suwiryo's term in office. The country ceased to exist on the 17th of October when communist revolutionaries took control of most of the country and occupied the capital.

For most of its existence, East Ramay was ruled by President Suwiryo, who held a strong stance on brotherhood and unity over the ethnic groups in the country. With a history of ethnic tension, integrating and unity policies were enacted by the government throughout most of its early years. As a result of the stronger central government and the cooperation between the peoples, economic growth during the first few years showed a healthy balance. Many East Ramayans were lifted out of poverty during the first decades of the Republic. During the Kesh War, East Ramay officially remained neutral and continued to trade with both sides. This led to a massive economic and population boom in East Ramay with the GDP tripling in only fifteen years. East Ramay became one of the most prosperous states in Kesh at the point and was nicknamed the pearl of Kesh.

Following the end of the Kesh War, East Ramay invested heavily in reconstruction efforts in Kodeshia, helping the nation regain its footing and stability. The built up infrastructure left after the Kesh War economic boom enabled East Ramay to project its products not only to Kesh and trade with Artemia and Avalonia, however, export volumes after the first few years of more widespread trading began to decline, commonly known as the era of stagnation. The era of stagnation was marked by the death of President Suwiryo in 1973, leaving a massive power vaccuum. In 1975, elections were held and saw President Raditya be elected. President Raditya died in 1979 ahead of the 1980 elections, a massively contested election between three presidential candidates in which all three candidates claimed victory and begun organizing their own governments and cabinets. The split excarbated the worsening political and economic situation in East Ramay.

A civil war erupted in June of 1980 between supporters of different candidates, with each candidate having different foreign backings and support. A side effect of foreign powers meddling in the elections of East Ramay made the anti-foreign communist revolutionary group the red warriors gain massive traction between the populace. The massive support for the red warriors and the fractured central government made it very easy for the red warriors to seize control of large swaths of land and cities, eventually capturing the capital on the 17th of October 1981, thus formally declaring a new state called "Democratic Ramay", marking a formal end to the Republic of East Ramay.

During its 56 year existence, East Ramay grew from one of the poorer states of Kesh into one of the most prosperous ones during the span of only 40 years. Its economic and political systems were once praised by experts and analysts alike. The social integrity of East Ramay was once a prime example of coexsiting. East Ramay joined various international organizatons such as the commonwealth and the Kesh summits.

Formation (1924-1925)
On the eve of the treaty of Holmgard, the intellectual community in the colony of Eastern Ramay had been notified by their counterparts back in Samot-Seratof that the empire would be disintegrated per the treaty and all of its colony be granted independence immediately. News of such disintegration reached the governor-general of the colony, which gathered the intellectual few to discuss the terms of the departure beforehand to avoid a bloody conflict as witnessed before the arrival of the Samot-Seratofian empire on the coasts of Southern Kesh. The governor-general would then present the results of the meetings to the Samot-Seratofian colonial authority to be forwarded and be included in the treaty of Holmgard. Although so, the governor general, who was an ethnic Seratofian, still hoped that the colony would remain either under Seratofian or Samot rule, but this was sternly rejected by the gathering. Hopes of the colony remaining under Seratofian or Samot rule eventually died out when the notification of the partition of Seratof were to happen upon the signing of the treaty.

Suwiryo Sastrodiharjo, the leader of the native youth organization and one of the few with a university education at that time, was chosen to be the interim leader of the transitional government before the signing of the treaty. With support from all backgrounds and ethnic groups in order to create a new nation in former colonial lands, he convened several times publicly with the endorsement of the governor-general, discussing the future of the country by drafting a constitution and the terms of the state, such as its make, government, and judicial system. Most of the systems agreed upon in East Ramay were colonial vestiges remnant from Seratof and Samotkhe, and as a result, these institutions were already firmly in place when independence was formally given.

On the 1st of May 1925, coinciding with the signing of the treaty of Holmgard, the flag of the new Republic of East Ramay was hoisted on the old governor-general's palace which had been converted into the people's palace. The first inauguration of President Suwiryo Sastrodiharjo was seen by hundreds of thousands of spectators.

Early years (1926-1943)
The republic, upon independence, was one of the poorest states in Kesh, owing to centuries of colonialization and mismanagement on behalf of the colonial authorities. On the 13th of January 1926, the first elections in East Ramay took place, in which voters elected the 200 member assembly along with the 150 member body responsible for drafting a constitution. The constitutonal convention would eventually convene beginning on the 17th of March 1926. The East Ramay general assembly ratified the new permanent constitution on the 13th of November 1926, which solidifies East Ramay's state as a , however, the same assembly also granted the title of "president for life" to President Suwiryo, which was initially opposed by various factions, but eventually passed with a slim margin.

A five-year development masterplan was approved by the general assembly in 1927 outlining the goals and ambitions of East Ramay. Contained within the first five year plan was an ambition to secure the international awareness on the existence of East Ramay as a sovereign nation and to restructure the economy away from a colonial-inherited one to one fit for international trade. On the 12th of April 1927, Sulistyono Margono was sworn in as the country's first prime minister. The first cabinet assembled in front of the people's palace on the 15th of April. Between 1927 and 1932, East Ramay opened up diplomatic and economic ties to various nations in Avalonia and Artemia and strengthened its already burgeoning economic links and market with West Ramay and Prabhat.

As an act of national solidarity and pride, PM Sulistyono, with the backing of the general assembly and President Suwiryo, nationalized several privately-owned holdings and corporations such as the CV Listrik Ramay, which was the main electric supplier to the nation, and PT Air Sumberejo, a large water-needs company. The East Ramayan Monetary Authority which had been issuing and regulating the East Ramayan Austral since independence was also upgraded to a formal central bank named the Central Bank of East Ramay in 1929. As a result of the massive acquisitions and purchases done by the government between 1927 and 1930, in 1931, a massive holding for all the s were lumped as one and publicly traded in the Sragen Stock Exchange beginning on the 2nd of October 1931. New capital entering the state coffers enabled the government to invest in numerous infrastructure projects throughout the young nation, most notably the trans-Ramayan road which spanned the entire country's length. An ambitious project to connect Banyuasin Island to the mainland was also approved in the 2nd five-year masterplan of 1932-1937.

Ethnic tensions reached all-time highs in 1934 when two unknown men broke into the home of a wealthy Yafan business owner, in which the suspect was a Rajungan man, fuelling anti-Rajungan head lead by the Yafans in virtually all aspects of life. As a result, many ethnic Rajungan were fired from their positions at work, and were discriminated elsewhere, creating a stereotype that the Rajungan were dirty and corrupt. In response, President Suwiryo dismissed the chief of police for his inadequate performance and replaced him with a Rajungan man to instill trust and a sense of brotherhood between the peoples of East Ramay. PM Sulistyono resigned on the 27th of August 1934 after growing pressure on him to address the ethnic imbalance was touted by the masses as a failure.

Early elections were called on the 12th of January 1935, where Sulistyono’s centrist  flunked the elections, losing more than half their seats in parliament and replaced with a  coalition known as Ramay Bangkit. The RB coalition nominated Yudhartono Andhikaperkasa as prime minister after forming their coalition, and Yudhartono was inaugurated on the 18th of January 1935. He decided to stick to the previous five year planned already approved and in progress at the moment while severely paying higher attention towards the well-being of all ethnic groups in order to foster back confidence of the East Ramayan people on the central government. In an effort to improve the economic standings of rural East Ramayans, the then Minister of Finance Juliananta Satyanagara devised the “fortress program”, which prioritized East Ramayans’ produce over other nations. Any farmer who wished to advance their business was able to receive a 30 year loan from the government to buy equipment and hire more employees.

In addition to the fortress program, irrigation was also ramped up to support farmers and the desert region of Gurunjaya. In 1937, the Ramay Bangkit coalition strengthened their position in parliament by gaining an additional 14 seats across 3 center-left parties, and passed the controversial 1937-1942 five year plan, which stipulated the increase of taxes and the reorganization of the very popular fortress program. PM Yudhartono attempted to implement several ideals into East Ramay before it was too late as in some countries. The East Ramayan Public Health Body under the helm of the ministry of health was created in 1938 with the funding of the tax increases and the cuts in spending. The system proved to be very popular and controversial at the same time, with estimates projecting the collapse of the health system by 1957 due to its underfunding and the growing number of East Ramayans who now seek medication in formal health institutions rather than the use of natural medication and local shamans to cure various forms of diseases and sicknesses.

Education was attempted to be stripped of any of its costs in early 1940, but the program was only applied to several major cities such as the capital Sragen and Klitren due to their capability of funding such system using the 1937 scheme of increased taxes. PM Yudhartono and his coalition still deemed the programs a success, attributing to the state of the nation which is not as wealthy as other nations but has already been able to create a system of. In 1941, a merger of 12 bauxite mining companies under the collective name of Ramayan Bauxites occurred, with the government having a 51% share. In late 1941, four months before the general election, the RB coalition was disbanded due to disputes in the running of both universal healthcare and education, and was replaced by a coalition of center-right parties known as RamayBisa (coincidentally also nicknamed RB). The RamayBisa coalition would nominate PM Sargiyananta as Prime Minister, inaugurated on the 18th of January 1942.

Prelude to the Kesh Wars (1943-1950)
The new coalition government took office immediately and immediately passed the fourth five-year plan, focusing on industry and the economic situation in the agrarian provinces of the west. A massive 3 million Austral project to irrigate 25,000 hectares of fields was initiated in early 1943, with private contractors winning their first bid in constructing government works. In other areas of the country especially in the north, an increase in production became a priority for both the local and the central government, and churned in some of the funds used to support the extensive education program for the development of several new bauxite mines along with their equipment as well as two new smelters and aluminum foundries in the south east of the country. PM Sargiyananta, aware of how popular the universal healthcare and educational systems are as a remnant of the old coalition, promised the eventual return of these policies with new capital coming in from the mines and developed agriculture.

The tone was set for industrialization and a move from an agrarian lifestyle, and many people flocked to the cities, especially in the southeast and in Banyuasin island where the capital Sragen was located. The then famous fortress program was reinstated in its full capacity and upgraded where business owners would get loans in order for a set number of goods and capital harvested. In 1944, the government sold half of its shares in its massive holding, and disbanded the holding in late 1944 into smaller branches, meaning SOEs are free to do whatever they deem necessary free from direct government control. Although many SOEs were semi-privatized, businesses which touch on important aspects of life such as healthcare, education, water, and electricity were not privatized at all, remaining at the hands of the government. With an increased budget from the sale of several major assets, more development could be undertaken as early as 1945 in the form of the initial construction of the Banyuasin bridge connecting Banyuasin island and the mainland. The bridge would eventually be finished in 1954 after eight and a half years of construction.

As people flocked into the cities, many were also lifted out of poverty and for the first time in the nation’s history the share of the population living under the poverty line dropped beneath fifty percent, meaning that there were more people that could afford basic needs than ever before. With an increased economic output and warming relations with other nations of the world, especially with both its immediate and regional neighbors, a trade surplus could finally be seen in 1946. Parliament convened on the 17th of June 1946 to discuss the state of the economy, and after a lengthy debate decided to completely sell off all the non-essential SOEs to private companies, but with stronger regulations alongside it to try and prevent massive inequality. PM Sargiyananta’s approval rating increased upon him releasing plans and promises to return universal education to the East Ramayan populace. In addition to that, universal healthcare would be expanded and colleges would be subsidized by the government if his coalition gets reelected into parliament in 1947. In the 1947 general elections, the RamayBisa coalition swept the general assembly clean, possessing a supermajority of seats in the parliament, and immediately passed PM Sargiyananta’s vision of East Ramay in 1960 through a set of five-year plans.

After rapid industrialization and exploitation of natural resources, PM Sargiyananta focused on improving the country’s human resources, as exploitation of natural resources and manufacture would be unsustainable in the long run. The 1947-1952 five year plan contained many leftist proposals, to which the old center-left parties also admire. The three center left parties agreed to merge into the Partay Rakyat Ramay (PRR) and agreed to support the RamayBisa coalition on the basis that they uphold the people first and not profits. At this point, the RamayBisa coalition had shifted into a centrist big-tent coalition due to massive influx and influence of parties and politicians who later became affiliated with the RamayBisa pact.

Starting in 1947, many primary schools and healthcare facilities were built along with the expansion of several medical and institutional facilities and places of learning to cope with an increased demand for doctors, nurses, and educators in these new buildings. In 1948, the birth rate increased which is mainly attributed to the abundance of resources and child-bearing support facilities in almost every corner of the country. Ramayan families, especially in the cities, began to have more children and were eyeing out of the city to live in the suburbs, causing a real-estate boom as early as 1950.

Seeing the potential for this population boom, the Ramayan Housing Council was created in 1949 by the central government to regulate the quality of houses in fear of mass-produced suburban houses possessing little to no safety measures built into it, and laid down the first housing and council regulations regarding gated communities, suburbs, and the extent of a suburb before hitting a theoretical “greenbelt” in which all types of development are prohibited for the sole cause of protecting the environment.

Kesh War Economic Miracle (1950-1960)
Early fighting in the Kesh war began in June of 1949, and PM Sargiyananta’s coalition grew anxious on the toll it might have for East Ramay, as the newly broadened trade network the country had established with the rest of Kesh might be in jeopardy, with nations having to take sides and their economies in ruins as a result of the war. Many proposals ran afloat from public discussions throughout East Ramay sponsored by the coalition. On a regular plenary meeting session on the 12th of November 1949, several noted diplomats and generals were invited into the session to provide some insight to the government about the unfolding situation. A clear message could be seen by the parliament members, that is to remain neutral at all costs.

The Minister of Defense General (Ret.) Abhikusnadi Sartana, through the ministry of foreign affairs, condemned all acts of violence on both sides of the war and urged for a more peaceful approach towards the conflict. Meanwhile, the situation in both fronts of the war worsened, and trade was dwindling. However, Minister of Trade Hari Subagya proclaimed that the Kesh wars were a blessing in disguise towards East Ramay, as these nations, now incapable of producing their own raw materials, must buy them elsewhere, and therefore would require foreign goods, especially bauxite and other raw ores to be made into goods to help support the war effort. Subagya urged PM Sargiyananta to explore the options in massively increasing both bauxite extraction and aluminum production as well as the production of and  to “profit” off other nations. In a similar tone, the ministry of agriculture also supported the idea of selling food to whoever was willing to buy.

PM Sargiyananta saw the opportunity his ministers have seen and gathered parliament once again in disguise of discussing the war and East Ramay’s role in it. PM Sargiyananta along with four ministers voiced their ideas and concerns regarding the war, most importantly the five proposed a crucial amendment and revision of the five-year plan which focused on education and human resources to instead be a continuation of the former industrialization plans, but taken on a much larger scale now that the country will be entering into times of uncertainty at the face of the Kesh wars. In a gesture of unison, the RamayBisa-held parliament approved the proposed amendments and agreed to take in East Ramay’s official stance in the war, which was total neutrality. This declaration was broadcasted by President Suwiryo himself to the international world, although plans where East Ramay would continue to trade with whoever was willing to conduct business with them was officially still concealed as it may bring backlash against the East Ramayan government.

The 1951 labor in times of war act guaranteed employment for anyone willing to work through a system of both privately owned industries and semi-state owned industries in the fields crucial to the war. Productivity was said to double in only three years’ time between 1950 and 1953 to support the ever growing need for war. East Ramay began selling its goods and resources to various nations such as XXX, YYY, and ZZZ at lower prices, attracting the increased sale of its products. Although open to both sides of the war, in reality the East Ramay government dealt more with one side of the war, and due to this fact many war historians and scholars do not fully accept East Ramay as a totally neutral state, but only as politically neutral.

With increased funds and capital from the sale of its resources, East Ramay was able to invest some of the money into research, which had been stalled in the past to focus on more immediate needs such as healthcare and housing. The East Ramayan government invested 10 million Australs into the development of a national car, as the East Ramayan government predicted that by the end of the war, East Ramay would be a regional powerhouse with a higher standard of income compared to the war-torn east and north Kesh countries, which would increase consumerism and the need for automobiles and other means of transport. In 1952, the first highway network program was unveiled in Kotarame, western East Ramay. Initially done as a program to support East Ramay in the transport of goods between cities, its original purpose has been extended shortly before its unveiling to be “the veins of the country” once the war is over. PM Sargiyananta’s coalition gained seats in the 1952 general elections, and PM Sargiyananta was sworn in again as the country’s prime minister.

In 1954, the war reached its peaks, and the East Ramayan economy recorded its biggest growth in history due to both external and internal factors. With the lowest unemployment rates ever seen and the most people in the workforce, including more women than ever, families in East Ramay saw their incomes double in a matter of decades, growing the consumer market for the country. With more women in the workforce, 1955 recorded the first time birth rates dropped since 1948. Such birth rates would not be seen again in the future of the country’s history. As a result of a growing middle class, numerous efforts were made to accommodate their growing needs, such as more tertiary items and services. The service industry in East Ramay in 1955 was still very lacking, with few banks and financial services offered to the general population.

The growing incomes and equities of East Ramayan households spurred the boom of banking and financial services. Many banks propped up across the country to accommodate capital lent by the citizens of East Ramay. In early 1956, the Central Bank of East Ramay formed four regional cooperative assemblies to oversee the running of these new banks as some banks before the foundation of this assembly were sham investments, founded only to steal its customers money. The widespread introduction and growth of credit-based payments beginning in 1956 and offered by the banks was seen as the start of East Ramayan consumerism of the 1960s, with families now being able to purchase expensive goods and services without having the money at hand, to which the only requirement was to have a steady job, something many already possessed.

Towards the end of the 1950s and as the Kesh wars subsided, growing concerns of loss income started to afloat. Minister of Trade Hari Subagya urged the government and companies to market their products to a wider range of consumers, such as that in Artemia and Avalonia. Hari Subagya viewed that the growing consumerism in East Ramay was not an isolated case, and that the whole world is ever changing into one where families could now buy a lot of the items once reserved for the wealthy and the elite. Subagya tried to market East Ramayan bauxite and aluminum as well as some other agricultural products as the “products which survived a great war” towards the Artemian and Avalonian market with little to no success at first. However, a Seratofian automobile maker signed a deal with the East Ramayan Bauxite Holdings in 1958 which ensured their supply of Bauxite. As a result, other companies in various other nations started to conduct business with East Ramay, initially with bauxite trading but eventually trading all sorts of items.

East Ramay at this point was a growing power in the southern tip of Kesh with free and fair elections as well as a high regard of human life and rights, as pointed out by numerous academics of the time. This fact combined with the healthy business atmosphere it created attracted more and more foreign companies to set their regional branches in East Ramay, and create factories and other service-related products in the country now that most of the factories built and repurposed to support the war effort had been changed back into their original purpose, abandoned, demolished, or repurposed into other spaces. Many agree that this is the driving factor behind East Ramay’s continued economic growth after the war.