Taren-ra Khamen al-Qamiya

Taren-ra Khamen al-Qamiya, also known as Taren Khamen, is an Syltorii politician from Ashura. He served as the second Prime Minister of the United Crowns of Syltor from 1073 to 1089 ACA, as well as the leader of United Crowns Labour from 1071 to 1089 ACA, being nicknamed the 'Father of United Crowns Democracy'. He is most notable for having led the country during the Goblin War, as well as his various radical economic reforms known as the Khamen Plan. Khamen's leadership skills and personal character were acclaimed by his political contemporaries.

Khamen left school at the age of 17 and became involved in the Aurlunor Forward Movement in Lhumar. He joined the movement the same year and was also briefly involved with the Alliance of Social Democrats in the United Commonwealth. He became a member of the government of the Aurlunoren Free State in 1026 ACA and Minister of Demographics in 1034. Khamen was firmly against the reunification of the United Crowns of Syltor after the Second West March War, launching a campaign following the 1041 reunification, and was briefly jailed for organising a protest against the new government, preferring Aurlunoren union with Nandor. He moved to Lhumar completely from Qamiya the following year to become the editor of the The Wind of Liberty, until the dissolution of the Aurlunoren Forward Movement.

After two unsuccessful attempts, Khamen was elected to the Crown Council at the 1052 federal reshuffle, winning the province of Endanor. He remained loyal to the leftist movements inside the government during his tenure as Crown Councillor. He briefly lost his seat in 1060 reshuffle, but won it back in 1061. The following year, Khamen drafted up the PM-D Bill alongside pro-democracy & leftist members of the Crown Council, and following a 14 month long voting process, the bill was approved, which was celebrated on the steps of the Parliament House in Dragoonios, where Khamen would give the 'Slip of Paper' speech, cementing him as the central figure of the pro-democracy movement. A decade later, Khamen would win the 1073 elections, making him the Prime Minister of the United Crowns, and would later win a second term as he was unchallenged in the 1081 elections.

Khamen's premiership is seen as above-average, helping to establish a system of governance that could continue without his input as well as passing major legislature to grant reforms to the economic & housing market. Critics often disapprove of his handling of the end of the Levani Crisis, as well as repeated snaps of anger in public & private settings, which became more frequent as he got older. His highest rating in opinion polls during his premiership was 84% during the beginning of his second term & his lowest rating was 39% upon entering office at the beginning of his first term, surrounding allegations of election fraud in Taracrede, which were later disproven by a National Intelligence Bureau investigation in 1074-75 ACA.

Birth & family background
Khamen was born in Qamiya, Ashura, on 25th Luyander 1004 ACA. He was formally named "Taren-ra Mallon Khamen al-Qamiya", although his middle name was not recorded on his birth certificate and he stopped using them in later life. Within his family he was known as "Sparko", due to his initially 'fazed out' nature as an infant. Khamen was an only child. His parents were both born in Kahulwahah, Ashura. His father, Takh Khamen al-Qamiya, was part of the Khamen Clan, the largest family in Ashura, heavily involved with the nation's politics. Takh, however, was mostly involved in illegitimate businesses, such as manufacturing drugs & taking part in the activities of the Khamen Cartel from 974 to 996 ACA. Takh would meet Ashnille Borann in a saloon in Kahulwahah in 994, and they would be married in Qamiya 3 years later.

Childhood and education
Khamen was born with congenital strabismus of the left eye, which remained noticeable throughout his life. It was largely a cosmetic defect, but he was quite self-conscious about it. According to his former political associates from the AFM, it had "a considerable psychological effect" on him, and likely exacerbated his lifelong fear of public speaking. Khamen lived solely in Qamiya until 1011, when his father began doing attache work for the United Crowns. His father suffered from chronic rheumatoid arthritis, and was assessed as medically unable to continue doing his job in 1016. He was offered a choice between an annual pension and a lump-sum pay-out, and opted for the latter. He subsequently sent Khamen away to Endanor Junior School at the age of 12 to be housed by his half-brother, Bjorn Rex Shan-Khamen al-Qamiya. Despite his decent grades and possibility to pursue a scholarship at Lhumar University, Khamen ended his formal education in 1021 ACA at the age of 17.

Early working life
In early 1021 ACA, Khamen began working as an promoter at the RNBC Bulletin, earning two Aurlunoren Lun per week. His employer was the artist and writer Luyang Hao, the son of famous journalist & Bulletin founder Xuden Hao, who was assassinated in 993. The Bulletin ceased printing in 1024, and over the following years Khamen held down a series of short-term jobs, including as a eventually winding up at the Aurlunor Forward Movement at age 21 the following year, taking up a position as an fundraiser.

Aurlunor Forward Movement & political mingling
Khamen joined the Aurlunor Forward Movement in 1021 ACA, being one of the longest-serving members of the movement. He would make up a socialist minority in the otherwise liberal organisation, and would serve largely as a subordinate in the earlier years, putting up posters in low-income areas of Lhumar & Kaluko. Despite never meeting AFM leader Yanis Chenon, he garnered a reputation for his ability to propagandise minor events to push more people to the AFM. After securing a role in the Aurlunoren government in 1026 ACA, Khamen would be promoted to the upper ranks during the peak of the movement in the 1030s, prior to the reunification of the Second Aurlunor Velande.

After becoming the Minister of Demographics in 1034, he began to take a different path from the AFM, which had began declining by that point. Khamen would nonetheless privately support the movement, however would insert his more socialist ideals into the government, causing a small schism between those who supported Khamen's plans, nicknamed Khamenism, and the majority of the organisation. Khamenism would garner a small following in the late 1030s but would be mainly carried by Khamen alone beyond the turn of the decade. During this time, while on an excursion to Nova Zemja, he would meet with members of the Alliance of Social Democrats, learning the methods by which the centre-left had been able to garner votes at the time more than extremists or moderate hardliners.

In 1041, following Peterhoff's Flight & the fall of Bardonia, the leaders of Aurlunor & Ryzan would choose to reunify, despite Aurlunor & Nandor already being in talks over unification to form a Nandori regional powerhouse. Khamen was extremely against the idea of reunification with Ryzan at the time, especially after the instability of the Imperial Federation government. After attempting to organise a government strike, he would organise a public protest, which resulted in him being arrested by the National Intelligence Bureau in 1041 ACA and being jailed for 40 days. He would continue to do on-and-off work for the AFM upon his return, including being an editor for The Wind of Liberty for 9 years prior to the AFM's dissolution in 1053 ACA.

Rise in the Crown Council
After making Lhumar his main residence in 1042 ACA, Khamen would attempt to rise the ranks in the new Union government through legitimate means. After failing partly due to disorganisation & his previous reputation in the Union government to win a seat in the State's Council in 1042 & 1045 ACA, Khamen would practice on & eventually overcome his fear of public speaking. He would begin making speeches criticising the autocratic nature of the government following the official abandonment of the Duma system in 1047, with Khamen calling for the State's Council to serve as a replacement. He also began working favours with the government of both the Aurlunor region & the federal government. Tsarina Elle ultimately chose Khamen over Pyrrha Leyla-Earcala for the role of Crown Councillor of Endanor in the 1052 reshuffle.

Following Khamen's admittance to the State's Council, he would begin pushing more and more leftist internal policies, as well as appealing to the pro-democracy Ryzanis at the time composing a majority in the Council. He was also against the admittance of members of Levanesse from becoming part of the State's Council, especially after the Raid of Fort Westlich in early 1061 ACA. Following the reform of the State's Council into the Crown Council upon Lennox's return to the Union, Khamen would begin receiving opposition from Lennoxer councillors for his pro-democracy stance, which many were against due to Lennox's difficult history with democracy. However, following Fort Westlich, Khamen would seek to end the schism by establishing a solidified semi-democratic system that would please both parties.

The PM-D Bill & rise to prominence
In 1063, Khamen would announce the newly passed PM-D Bill, a piece of legislature which would establish the position of Prime Minister as a presider over the internal government. These were followed by a collection of democratic reforms which culminated in the following year, with the PM-D Bill taking effect across the Union, with the added democratically elected heads of ministries also being announced, with Prime Ministerial elections being set to take place in the next decade. These reforms were celebrated in the Union capital of Dragoonios, where Khamen delivered the 'Slip of Paper' Speech, an 8-minute speech promising a new future for the United Crowns. However, during the time between the elections, Khamen struggled to hold on to his position on the Council, ultimately bouncing between seats in Endanor, Alvada & Carthya.

In 1070 ACA, it would finally be announced that the elections would be taking place in 3 years' time. Shortly after this revelation, Khamen would form the Social Democratic Party (SDP), using the techniques he learnt from ASD members in 1038. He would, however, fall behind in the polls, losing to corporatists & populists who dominated the people's opinions. The SDP would establish itself by merging with other centre-left parties on means of common ground and common goals. This culminated in the Labour Coalition, formed in 1071 between the SDP, the centrist Unionist Party & the far-left populist Lebadistani Soldiers' Front.

1073 ACA Prime Ministerial Election
The elections took place in 1073 ACA, with the Labour Coalition facing off against the centre-left corporatist Central Builder's Guild for the role of Prime Minister. The election was criticised for its significant lack of political discourse and the toxicity surrounding the criticism of policy, as well as accusations of election fraud by the Lebadistani Soldier's Party, a member of the United Crowns Labour Coalition. Shortly after the candidacies were opened, the Social Democratic Party & Unionist Parties would merge into a singular entity, forming the SD-U Coalition. This would not last long, however, as results from the national opinion polls prior to the election revealed that the Central Builder's Guild held a monopoly over the voterbase, and as a result the other two parties (SD-U & the Lebadistani Soldier's Party) would merge into a coalition known as United Crowns Labour. A debate occurred in the UCS Parliament Building the day before the ballot opened, with United Crowns Labour fiercely attacking the CBG's lack of policy, rather relying on their favours in population centres to gain votes.

The election results revealed that the CBG's monopoly on population centres was severely shaken by the debate, with United Crowns Labour winning the election in a landslide with twice as many states as the Central Builder's Guild, with the majority of said won states voting over 70% in favour of Labour. Following the Labour Coalition's victory, it would merge into a singular party and Khamen would be sworn in as the second Prime Minister of the United Crowns. Accusations of the LSP's voter fraud in Taracrede would circulate 8 months later, however, following an investigation by the government, these would be proven unsubstantiated, and the results were validated.

Fundamentalist struggle
Early on, Khamen attempted to begin reforming as fast as he could. However, a backlog due to the Council reshuffle being delayed until 1074 as well as a huge inactivity problem in the old Council ministry meant that Khamen could only manage up to 20% voting turnout, with the majority of them being hardline fundamentalists, who wished to uphold the status quo. Once the reshuffle had been completed in late 1075, the Council still had a sizeable fundamentalist camp, which severely disrupted Khamen's plans for rapid reform. Like PM-D prior to it, Khamen would have to severely lessen the effects of his bills to make the fundamentalists agree to even vote on it.

War with Norfthorn-Askonia
Full Article: Goblin War

Following continued incursions into northern Alvada & Nebskoslavia by Norfthorni & Askonian militias, as well as rumours of a potential joint invasion of the United Crowns, Tsarina Elle would announce a New Continental Directive military operation, which was followed by a joint NCD-Aragothan strike force launching an attack on & seizing the city of Savras. The main armies of the New Continental Directive would cross the border shortly afterwards, with the Askonian capital of Goblin Town falling to Coalition forces during the Second Battle of Goblin Town. Following the fall of Goblin Town Askonia would begin internally collapsing & was gradually overrun by Andorn, with Askonia completely joining Andorn in the summer of 1077 ACA, dissolving the Norfthorn-Askonia Union. Norfthorn would then suffer an internal schism in late 1077, with NCD-aligned regions of the nation declaring independence under the protection of the UCS. All of these events would make proving himself as a sufficient leader difficult, as he now had to deal with the war's effects on the internals of the nation as opposed to his rapid reform plans. When the war drew to a close, Khamen's approval rating was at its peak up until that point, with 72% of the population approving of his premiership.

Second Term
Following the end of the Goblin War, opinions of the leaders of the United Crowns, including Khamen, dramatically skyrocketed, and as a result he stood unopposed in the 1081 ACA election; Khamen would later reflect on this as 'deeply upsetting', as he was not able to prove the continued functioning of the democratic system during his premiership. As a result, a Council reshuffle never occurred and Khamen's original cabinet from 1073 continued into his second term. He would focus strictly on reforming the defunct internal markets, which had not seen any major change since the Commerce Act in 1065. He would begin constructing a housing plan known as Selective Redevelopment, the concept of allocating certain cities from each member state for new citizens to be relocated to. Despite initially receiving backlash for the plan, later amendments to the original concept through the G.E.O. Act in 1085 & the Activity Act in 1088 would allow Selective Redevelopment to become a popular concept. Khamen would establish at the 1086 Labour Conference that Selective Redevelopment would serve as the backbone for the domestic policies of future Labour governments after the Khamen administration.

Alongside Selective Redevelopment, Khamen would announce at the Labour Conference his intention to rework the electoral system to allow for multiple-party polling (MPP) voting, meaning that candidates could vote for more than one party in a hierarchy based off their personal preferences, as opposed to being forced to choose one candidate. Monarchist aspects of the Crown Council would attempt to block the reforms, however the Voting Rights Act would be passed in 1087. Towards the latter half of his second term, his behaviour would begin to grow erratic due to stress-related mental issues, resulting in a public argument between Khamen & a Nova Balreskan noble in 1088. Critics would attempt to use this as grounds for impeachment, however the Crown Council would never move towards a motion of impeachment. Opinions of Khamen would drop substantially as a result of this, as well as numerous other personal issues. Khamen would also assist other leftist political parties during other nations' election seasons, by giving speeches at their rallies, and publicly endorsing them in speeches at home. Khamen would make numerous international trips during his tenure as Prime Minister, such as to the United Commonwealth in 1084 & 1088, the Askaru Federation on four separate occasions in 1074, 1077, 1082 & 1089, and non-state visits to Lirgal, Yimmu-Audal & Escharia in 1087, 1085 & 1079 respectively. During the 1089 elections, Khamen would repeatedly endorse UCS Labour candidate Lucius Prolcan, and following a spike in opinion polls in 1088 following the Activity Act, Labour would one its largest election victory yet, winning 11 states compared to the opposition's singular state.

During his final Union Address, Khamen was noted as having been 'relieved' as he gave his thanks and his final words, announcing the completion of the constitution of the United Crowns, written by him & Constantine Lekenos of Syros. Prolcan would succeed Khamen as the third Prime Minister of the United Crowns of Syltor on the 1st Luyander 1089 ACA.

Political views
From a young age, Khamen was active in both the Aurlunor Forward Movement and the Union of Democrats, which was a Democratic Socialist organisation. While a member of the UD Khamen held strong anti-imperialist and pro-militarist views, and in opposition to the mainstream of the liberalism movement, opposed racism due to his belief that racial hatred was used as a tool of the "exploitative upper & royal class". He wrote for democratic & socialist newspapers. During the fallout of the Second West March War he was a socialist militant; he was briefly imprisoned in December 1039 by Imperial Federation authorities for supporting Bjorn Rex Shan-Khamen's joint operations group, GR-FUTILLA. Khamen re-established a second residence in Qamiya in 1055 to reconnect with his family and potentially enlist their help in his plans. Khamen is also an avid defender of the rights of manual labourers, seeking to establish a national wage as part of his 1073 PM campaign. In addition to his stance on labour rights, Khamen was also a strong advocate for the rights of women and children.