Ibagli

Ibagli (pronounced ee-BAG-lee or ih-BAG-lee) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It obtained sovereignty in 1955 from the United Kingdom. The capital of Ibagli is Haphonia. The current population of Ibagli is approximately 500,000.

Ibagli is a unitary constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. The Monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, is represented by a non-partisan Governor-General. Political power is vested in the Parliament, with the executive headed by the Prime Minister, Ibagli's head of government.

Ibagli obtained independence on 15 June 1955. It is located in central Polynesia, approximately halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. The population of Ibagli is primarily of European descent. The largest ethnic minority in Ibagli are the aboriginal Ibaglians. The name of Ibagli comes from an aboriginal word for Mount Victoria.

History

The first Polynesians to arrive in Ibagli are believed to have arrived from Southeast Asia or South America over 4000 years ago.

In the 1820s, English missionaries and traders began to arrive. Ibagli was colonized by the United Kingdom in 1858 (under the authority of the Governor of New South Wales) in order to avoid French colonization of the island. The first Ibaglian legislature was formed in 1910. It consisted of an appointed Legislative Council and an elected Legislative Assembly, although the beginnings of responsible government did not occur until 1922 when William Patterson was appointed Colonial Secretary on the advice of the Legislative Assembly.

In 1912, panic ensued in Ibagli when a minor eruption occurred on Mount Victoria. 18 people were killed in a stampede in Haphonia as the ash cloud descended on the city. 4 people died while attempting to swim away from the island. Approximately 300 aboriginal Ibaglians were killed, most having been relocated to the areas near the mountain in the 1890s. In 1917, 42% of the native population was killed by the Spanish flu pandemic.

In the First World War, Ibagli contributed approximately 1000 servicemen to the war effort. About 300 of them were members of the various regiments in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps which was decimated at the Battle of Gallipoli. The battle is commemorated on ANZAC Day every year on 25 April.

Approximately 1200 Ibaglians fought in the Second World War, mostly in the Pacific War.

Independence

Talks on Ibaglian independence began in 1950, as the population of Ibagli began to sharply increase due to an increasing number of settlers from Britain escaping the postwar austerity. Much of the older generation living in Ibagli today either settled in Ibagli as children or are the children of these settlers.

On 10 June 1955, the Ibagli Act, 1955 (UK) received Royal Assent. It was proclaimed in Haphonia on 15 June by Governor-General the Viscount Feldon. A schedule to this act was the Constitution Act, 1955. It granted Ibagli independence, and set provisions for the new Ibaglian government. The Constitution Act is still the primary source of Ibaglian constitutional law.

1955-1981

In 1966, Ibagli created the Ibaglian pound as a replacement for the Australian pound which was in the process of demonetisation.

In 1970, Ibagli went through a period of unrest as dissent mounted against the policies of Prime Minister Joseph Kenilworth towards aboriginal Ibaglians. In 1972, there was more unrest in Ibagli related to Kenilworth's policies, which culminated in a near constitutional crisis when Governor-General Sir Aaron Lastman refused to allow Prime Minister Kenilworth to use the protests against him as a reason to extend Parliament past its five year term. Upon the date of the expiry of Parliament's mandate, Governor-General Lastman dissolved Parliament and called an election without the advice of Prime Minister Kenilworth.

In January 1971, Prime Minister Kenilworth sent Ibaglian Armed Forces into Palterma in an attempt at regime change. At the time, Palterma was controlled by a communist government. The attempt proved unsuccessful, and Ibaglian forces withdrew in early July 1972.

In 1972, as a response to the actions of Prime Minister Kenilworth, a Charter of Rights was added to the Constitution Act, 1955. The amendment to the Constitution also removed all powers of the United Kingdom over Ibagli.

Capital punishment was outlawed in Ibagli in 1973, a moratorium having been enacted by Steven Spell, the Minister of Justice, upon his appointment in 1972.

During the LeVeque administrations, several social democratic programs were enacted in Ibagli, including universal health care.

1981-2009

In 1986, the fishing industry went on strike to protest the cutting of subsidies by the government of Charles Forrester. After a week and a half, Forrester ordered Royal Ibaglian Navy personnel to man fishing boats to prevent a food shortage and economic decline. In response to what was perceived as an anti-labour action, nearly every labour union in Ibagli declared a sympathy strike. The general strike lasted nearly a month, during which military personnel took over critical services.

The Ibaglian honours system was enhanced in 1986 with the addition of the Order of Ibaglian Merit and the Royal Ibaglian Order, the first orders of chivalry native to Ibagli.

In 1988, Sir Henry LeVeque was the first and only Ibaglian to be invested as a Knight of the Order of the Garter by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Prime Minister Charles Forrester became the first Prime Minister to die in office in 1989. Governor-General Sir Henry LeVeque appointed Thomas Harlington to replace him, prompting criticism from some who alleged that LeVeque, a former Liberal Prime Minister, had appointed the person he felt most likely to lose the next election. The criticism ended when instructions by Forrester were uncovered in which he asked that Harlington be made Prime Minister during any interim after his death.

In 1990, Government House was bombed from a boat on the Haphonia River. One staff member was killed by the explosion. Both bombers were shot by police officers on Colltik Bridge.

In 1993, allegations began to surface that Prime Minister Bradley Hunter had sold honours to political patrons. An examination of Liberal Party records revealed that all persons who had given over £10,000 to the party had been granted an honour of some kind, at that all those who had given over £250,000 had been knighted. Hunter was also the only Prime Minister to issue a resignation honours list, in which he granted nearly all of his cabinet knighthoods.

In 2004, Ibagli was the second country to legalize same-sex marriage in all of its jurisdiction.

The British dependency of Hapalnia was transferred to Ibagli in May 2004.

In 2005, there were a number of protests in Haphonia by the Ibagli Liberation Front (ILF), a radical aboriginal group. They were eventually dispersed by police and military units after surrounding 1 East Coronation Street.

On 25 April 2006, 15 were killed and 40 were injured in a terrorist bombing in Haphonia. Governor-General Dame Annette Farquhar was severely injured and Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Steven Hardeman died several days later. The bombing was found to be the responsibility of the ILF. Ibagli mounted Operation Swordfish in Saint-Denis within the following weeks in order to capture members of the ILF leadership.

This military action caused infighting within the Green-Liberal coalition government. The pro-coalition Prime Minister Roger Pollack and Green Party leader Steven Lyall fell into disagreement with Minister of Finance Péricles Maranhão Neto, who opposed the operation in Saint-Denis and refused to provide funding for the action. Pressure was put on Pollack to dismiss Maranhão from within the coalition. The refusal to do so led to the later collapse of the coalition. The funding was restored several days later by an Act of Parliament. Ibaglian forces were withdrawn several days later, with the exception of a singe navy vessel which remained to assist in restoring Saint-Denis's government.

In 2009, a tsunami struck Ibagli.

Government

Executive
This article is a part of the Politics and Government of Ibagli series.
Monarch (King Charles III) Governor-General (Sir Steven Spell) Prime Minister (Roger Pollack) Executive Council • Cabinet
Legislative (Parliament)
House of Commons (Speaker) Government House Leader Loyal Opposition (Leader) Senate (Speaker)
Judicial
Supreme Court (Chief Justice) Crown Court Constitution (Constitution Act)

Ibagli is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy derived from the Westminster system of the United Kingdom.

The head of state of Ibagli is Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Ibagli. She is represented in Ibagli by Governor-General Sir Steven Spell.

The Constitution Act, 1955 establishes the legal framework of Ibagli. The rest of Ibagli's constitution is based on unwritten customs and precedents.

The Monarch

Ibagli is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth realm that recognizes Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. She has reigned over Ibagli in her own right since independence in 1955, and as Queen of the United Kingdom from 1952 to 1955.

On paper, the powers of the monarch appear to be very wide. In reality, most these powers are controlled by the Prime Minister and his cabinet and exercised by the Governor-General.

Succession to the throne of Ibagli is based on male-preference primogeniture and is governed by the Act of Settlement and the English Bill of Rights. These documents are a part of Ibagli's constitutional law and, according to the Statute of Westminster, may not be changed without the consent of the Ibaglian Parliament. The heir apparent to the throne of Ibagli is the Queen's eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales.

Governor-General

The Governor-General of Ibagli is the representative in Ibagli of the monarch, and exercises most of the monarch's duties in Ibagli. These duties include the granting of Royal Assent to bills passed by the Parliament of Ibagli, presenting honours, appointing the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, and dissolving Parliament and calling general elections. Most of these duties, however, are performed on the advice of the Prime Minister or are governed by long-standing constitutional conventions.

The Governor-General is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister. The current Governor-General is Sir Steven Spell. He was installed on 15 September 2006 after being appointed on the advice of Prime Minister Roger Pollack.

Executive

The Prime Minister of Ibagli is the head of the executive branch of Ibagli, and the head of government of Ibagli.

The Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor-General, who traditionally appoints the leader of the party or coalition in the House of Commons that commands a majority of votes in the House. It is usually clear which leader is best-situated to form a government, but it was not clear after the January 2006 General Election. The Governor-General first appointed Marcus Smallegan Prime Minister, but he lost the confidence of the House of Commons on the first vote held. The Governor-General then appointed Roger Pollack, who it was by then clear would have the confidence of the house, to be Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister and his cabinet are formally chosen by the Governor-General, but modern practice dictates that the Governor-General respect the Prime Minister's choices for his cabinet. The current Prime Minister is Sir John Goodwin, the leader of the Conservative Party. He was appointed on 18 November 2006.

The cabinet is a council of ministers that decides the policy and direction of the government. Most members of the cabinet head a ministry with a portfolio of different duties.

Legislature

The legislative branch of Ibagli consists of the Parliament of Ibagli. Parliament consists of three parts: The Sovereign, the Senate, and the House of Commons.

The Parliament of Ibagli is the direct successor to the original Ibaglian legislature, which consisted of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly.

House of Commons

The House of Commons consists of 60 representatives. Of them, 30 are elected by the first past the post method, and 30 are elected via proportional representation. The Commons is led in debate by their Speaker, who is elected by secret ballot. The current Speaker is Sir Brian Rodney.

Constitutionally, there must be at least one election for members of the House of Commons at least once in a five year period. In 2005, the Representation of the People Act was passed. It reformed Ibagli's electoral system by having half of the seats of the House of Commons be elected in the normal manner of first past the post, where the person who receives the largest number of votes in a district wins that district seats. The other half was filled by proportional representation, wherein voters vote for a party on the ballot. Parties win a number of seats proportional to their share of the vote. The new electoral system has been decried as confusing by some. There are also complaints that it leads to instability. In October 2008 the government of John Goodwin announced that it would hold a referendum (the first ever in Ibagli) on the electoral system in 2009. An act enabling the referendum was passed by Parliament in March 2009. Voters in the referendum, which was held in June 2009, narrowly voted to return to the first past the post electoral system.

Until 2005, Ibagli's electoral system could be unequivocally defined as a two-party system. However, with the recent creation of the New Conservative Party and the adoption of a partially proportional electoral system, it is not known what the future holds for Ibagli's parties. Several small parties have gained representation in the house since the advent of proportional representation.

There are currently 5 parties in the House of Commons. They are:

The Conservative Party (32 seats)
The Liberal Party (25 seats)
The Ibaglian National Action Party (2 seats)
The Social Democratic Party (1 seat)

Senate

The Senate is the upper house of Parliament. It consists of Senators who are appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister. There may be no more than 70 Senators at any time. There are currently 70 Senators.

The Senate is led in debate by their Speaker, who is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The current Speaker of the Senate is Kenneth Thompson.

There is perennial debate in Ibagli on the necessity of the Senate, and several governments have made unsuccessful attempts to abolish the upper house. The first attempt to abolish the Senate was made before it existed, when Premier Edward Brixton, while working out the details of Ibagli's independence, expressed his desire for a unicameral Ibaglian Parliament. His plan was blocked by the Legislative Council, many of whom desired to continue as Senators in the Ibaglian Parliament. In both 2005 and 2006, the House of Commons endorsed a piece of legislation that would have abolished the Senate. Both times, the legislation was blocked in the Senate. Another recent piece of legislation that would have amended the constitution to create a partially-elected Senate failed to garner the support of two-thirds of the House of Commons that would have been necessary for passage.

There are currently 2 political parties represented in the Senate. They are:

Liberal Party (37 seats)
Conservative Party (31 Seats)

In addition, there are two Senators with no party affiliation.

Law

Ibaglian law is based on British common law. The supreme laws of Ibagli are contained in the Constitution of Ibagli, the primary document of which is the Constitution Act, 1955. Enforcement of Ibaglian law is the responsibility of Ibagli's national police force, the Royal Ibaglian Constabulary, as well as local police forces.

Judiciary

The judiciary of Ibagli is loosely based off of the judiciary of the United Kingdom. Until 2005, the highest Ibaglian court was the High Court of Appeals, which was comprised of Senators, emulating the Judicial Committee of the British House of Lords. In 1992, the High Court began to cut the number of cases they heard, hearing only matters of high constitutional importance by 2005, with the court of final appeal for most cases becoming the Crown Court. With the advent of the Supreme Court in 2005, the Crown Court has become an intermediary court between the magistrates and the Supreme Court.

In addition, cases could be appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council until 2005.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Ibagli is the highest court of Ibagli, and makes final decisions on constitutional questions. It was created in 2005. It is comprised of a Chief Justice and six puisne justices. All are appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Since the enactment of the Judicial Appointments Act in 2007, appointments to the Supreme Court must be approved by the House of Commons. The House has not yet decided in what manner approval will be granted.

Military

The Ibaglian Armed Forces consist of the Royal Ibaglian Navy, the Ibaglian Army, and the Royal Ibaglian Air Force. Ibagli currently employs approximately 2900 full-time and 2000 reserve military personnel.

Currently, there are 50 Ibaglian Armed Forces personnel involved in the NATO mission in Afghanistan, 100 involved in Operation Astute, the Australian-led operation to bring stability to East Timor, and 100 attached to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands.

Historically, Ibagli has been involved in a regime-change operation in Palterma, the Vietnam War, a short peacekeeping mission in Palterma, and Operation Swordfish, the Ibaglian mission to remove ILF leadership from Saint-Denis.

The professional head of the Ibaglian Armed Forces is the Chief of the Defence Staff. The current Chief of the Defence Staff is Field Marshal Sir Peter Chaucer.

Foreign Relations

Ibagli has maintained relations with foreign states since independence in 1955. Ibagli maintains close links with the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and other Pacific island nations. Ibagli is a member of the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations. Ibagli is also a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, an organisation which aims to enhance cooperation of Pacific states.

Relatively close links are maintained with the United States, which maintained several bases on Ibagli during the Second World War, though they have distanced since the government of Henry LeVeque ended Ibaglian support for the war in Vietnam, and more recently since Ibagli's refusal to support the US-led military action in Iraq. Close ties were maintained with South Africa by the government of Joseph Kenilworth, even as South Africa became increasingly isolated from the rest of the world. Henry LeVeque ended diplomatic relations with South Africa in 1972 after pressure from the Commonwealth mounted.

Relations with other states vary depending on the state. Relations with the People's Republic of China have been historically weak. Ibagli does not recognize the "one China" policy of the PRC and continues to maintain diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, more commonly known as Taiwan. The current government has expressed willingness to open up relations with the PRC in order to broaden Ibagli's economic horizons.

Local Governments

There are 80 villages, towns, and cities in Ibagli. Ibagli has no uniform system of local governments, although most consist of five to fifteen representatives, usually known as aldermen or councillors. Most councils elect one of their own to be mayor, but some, such as the Haphonia council, elect an outsider to the position of mayor, an office that holds mostly ceremonial duties. Elections for local councils are held every five years, the last being held in 2006.

Most local governments provide some level of service to their citizens, but this is not required. Approximately half of Ibagli is not under the jurisdiction of any particular police force, and policing is provided by the Royal Ibaglian Constabulary.

Until 2007 when an Act of Parliament was passed resolving local boundaries, there were land disputes between several council zones as a result of unclear definitions of boundaries in previous orders of council. The act also placed all of Ibagli under some form of local government. The Goodwin government announced in its throne speech in October 2008 that it intends to consolidate municipal corporations into larger entities.

Geography and Climate

Ibagli is located West of the International Dateline and South of the Equator at a central location within Polynesia about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. The foreign jurisdictions nearest to Ibagli are Samoa, Tokelau (New Zealand), Tuvalu, and Wallis and Futuna (France). Ibagli is located entirely on one island. The area of Ibagli is approximately 2540 km² (980 mi²). The length of Ibagli's coastline is approximately 300 km (200 mi).

North-central Ibagli is relatively flat, as are areas within one to two miles of the shore. Central Ibagli is mountainous, with the highest point at Mount Victoria, an active volcano. The last major eruption was in 1802. There have been five minor eruptions since then, the last being in 1932.

Major rivers in Ibagli include the Haphonia River and Orange River. The Haphonia River is navigable only by small craft in the Haphonia area. Beyond Haphonia, the river narrows and is not navigable. The Orange River is not navigable on any stretch. Recently, there have been plans made to build hydroelectric power plants on the Orange River.

The climate of Ibagli is tropical, with an average annual temperature of 25°C. There is a rainy season from November to April. Average rainfall in coastal areas measures approximately 2.5 metres (100 inches), while inland rainfall is significantly higher at approximately 7.5 metres (300 inches) annually. Tropical cyclones may hit Ibagli during the summer.

**Monthly average maximum temperatures**
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
°C	26.6	26.8	26.8	26.7	26.4	26.2	25.8	25.8	26.0	26.3	26.4	26.6
°F	79.9	80.2	80.2	80.1	79.5	79.2	78.4	78.4	78.8	79.3	79.5	79.9

Demographics

The European influences in Ibagli are among the strongest in Polynesia, given Ibagli's low native population in the 1800s and the 1917 flu outbreak which killed 42% of natives, a mortality rate seven times higher than that observed in other nations. It is not known why Ibaglian islanders were so susceptible to the disease while only 3% of Ibaglians of European descent were killed. Ibagli did not enact quarantines for the disease for any of the population until after it had spread considerably, unlike in nearby American Samoa where not a single person was killed by the flu. Areas with high populations of natives were also locked down with no chance for medical assistance or advice on how to prevent the spread of disease.

Population

In 2001, the population of Ibagli was 482,321. The largest cities in Ibagli were, in order of metropolitan area population: Haphonia (101,231), Exeter (72,231), and Loygre (67,212).

Until approximately 1985, the population of Ibagli rapidly increased. As the settlers of the 1950s grow older, however, the population growth rate has decreased. Over 40% of Ibagli's population is over age 65.

Religion

Approximately 55% of Ibaglians are Christians, divided among several churches. 48% are Anglicans and 11% are Roman Catholic, with the remainder being divided among other churches. 3% of Ibaglians adhere to Hinduism, 3% to Islam, 3% to native faiths, 2% to other religions, and 25% report that they are 'non-religious'.

Ethnic Groups

About 70% of Ibaglians are of British or Irish descent, 9% are of European descent, 7% are of native descent, 4% are of Middle Eastern descent, 4% are of South Asian descent, 4% are of Southeast Asian descent, and 2% are descended from other ethnic groups.

Language

Ibagli has no official language, but English is the most widely used language in Ibagli, spoken fluently or very good by 96% of the population. Most government services are available only in English. The largest language minorities are Hindi, Arabic, Chinese, and native languages. Any person in Ibagli has the constitutional right to have court proceedings conducted in or translated to a language of their choice. Election laws also allow a person to have a translator present when voting.

National Symbols

Flag

The flag of Ibagli is a British blue ensign, defaced with the shield of the coat of arms of Ibagli. The flag was not made official by any Ibaglian law until 2006, when the Flag Act was passed.

Coat of Arms

The Royal Arms of Ibagli are blazoned as follows:

per bend azure and barry wavy azure and argent a bendlet or on a bend gules in chief five compass stars argent (in the shape of the constellation of the southern cross) and upon a royal helmet mantled or doubled gules the crest, that is to say, on a wreath of the colours or and gules a lion passant or armed and langued azure imperially crowned proper and holding in the dexter paw a sword erect or for supporters dexter a sea horse rampant argent sinister a sea lion rampant or; the whole ensigned with the imperial crown proper and below the shield upon a wreath composed of palm fronds proper a scroll or inscribed with the motto 'jvstitia thronvm firmat'

National Anthems

Ibagli has two official national anthems. The first is the Ibaglian Hymn. The second is God Save the Queen. Both have equal status in Ibagli, though the popularity of God Save the Queen has declined in recent years.

Economy

Ibagli has a prosperous, Western-style mixed economy, with a per capita GDP of approximately $24,000 United States dollars. In recent years, the Ibaglian economy has been resilient in the face of global economic downturn. Rising output in the domestic economy has been offsetting the global slump, and business and consumer confidence remains robust. Ibagli is a country heavily dependent on trade, as approximately 35% of Ibagli's output is exported. Common exports are fish and sugarcane.

The currency of Ibagli is the Ibaglian pound. It was created in 1966. Prior to the creation of the pound, the Australian pound was the currency of Ibagli.

Culture

The Ibaglian Symphony Orchestra, located in Haphonia, was founded in 2005 by Marcus Smallegan. The Royal Ibaglian Opera, also located in Haphonia, was founded in 1965. The primary venue for performing arts in Ibagli is the Victoria Centre in Haphonia. The Royal Ibaglian Museum is Ibagli's primary museum of history, nature and art.

The music and cuisine of Ibagli are similar to that of the United Kingdom and the United States, with some unique Pacific qualities.

The primary television and radio broadcasting company in Ibagli is the Ibaglian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known by its initials of IBC. It is a crown corporation. It is currently the only terrestrial television broadcasting company in Ibagli. Satellite television is also commonly watched in Ibagli. Channels from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United States are the most popular satellite offerings.

Ibagli's most popular sports are rugby union, cricket, lawn bowling, football, and rugby league. Also popular are golf, tennis, cycling and a variety of water sports, particularly sailing and rowing. Ibagli sends athletes to the Summer Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, and the Pacific Games. A major stadium named New Windsor Stadium is planed for the town of New Windsor, a suburb of Haphonia, and will seat more than 41,000 people, the first of its kind in Ibagli.

Statutory and major holidays in Ibagli include New Year's Day, the Queen's Birthday, ANZAC Day, Labour Day, Constitution Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas, and Boxing Day.

Ibagli

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