Society and Politics

[P3D]

Population: 48m

"White" population
Hungarian: 4m
Slav:3m
Boer:4m
Polish: 2m
Normann:1m
German:2m
Jewish:1m
Portuguese: 2m
Colored:7m

Native:22m

While the percentage of original Boer settlers in the population of Orange had changed a lot with the influx of immigrants. They are still the most prosperous and influential ethnic group. Being the first to arrive they held the best lands, and a relatively large percentage is above census (see later). They form the core of the Army Officer corps.
Eastern European immigrants seeking religious freedom and better life arrived mainly from Austria and Poland. They comprise most of the industrial workers and the overseers working in several mines, and the ever growing number of entrepreneurs, industrialists and professionals, which resulted in the apparently irrecoverable change of the governing parties.
Portuguese: they came into the fold by the annexation of Angola and Mozambique. They still dominate those lands, although other ethnicities are already arriving in large numbers in he wast new provinces. Despite their somewhat darker skin color, they are considered "white" by the law - the former colonies  would not join Orange othwerwise.

Colored ("Kleurlinge"): a mixed group of neither-white-nor-black part of the population, mulattos, people from India and native Khoisans - who has lighter skin than bantu tribes. They are subject to negative discrimination, but their rights are much closer to whites. For example, there are already a limited number of colored officers both in the Army and the Navy, and they can marry white people. They make up a significant part of the urban poors, as blacks are prohibited to stay any extended perion id the city. Negative discrimination makes it harder for them to rise up, but there are examples of successful entrepreneurs, engineers and doctors who rose from their ranks.
Although they are considered 'genetically' (no one use this exact word) than whites, their white ancestry is held to allow them to rise up by their own talents. Their political power, mainly to their diversity and low number of colored who are wealthy and educated enough to be enfranchised - thus eligible to vote.

Natives ("Kaffirs" or "Blacks")
The black primitive masses originally inhabiting the continent. But the tribes were chased away from the better lands, forcing them to live on marginal farmlands. They provide the bulk of the cheap workforce in the mines and agriculture. Laws restrtict their employment in the industry, and they cannot live permanently in white settlements. There are strictly enforced segregation laws to avoid unnecessary intermingling of the white and black population. Few lucky ones are able to work in the white towns - for a maximum of three months a year. They are not slaves legally, but they have limited rights and even that is often ignored. Moreover, when black people stay in "white" areas, they must belong to a white (not colored) preson who is not only responsible for them, but also have almost unlimited power over them - this is often translated as slavery by ignorant foreigners.

The growth of their number is limited by their low living conditions and lack of public health measures - and the Orange governments are not eager to change this. Still, there are a few natives that are eligible to vote - tribal leaders of the tribes that provide the native corps. They are above the census, served in the military, and thus automatically granted voting right by Almighty Bureau of Revenues, Census and Statistics, which has no regards of such trifle matters as the skin color of people paying enough tax.
There are some other special cases regarding natives. First, albinos are considered 'colored'. The illegitimate mixed-blood offsprings of native women might also be considered colored if judged so by authorities. Unless these chlidren are already in a white dominated environment (say a small farm) they can stay with their mothers. At other occasions they are taken away and given to foster parents - their white origin entitles them to live a civilized life. This is not an isolated occurence, as their financial need forces a lot of black women to work in the "recreational industry" - brothels in cities and at military bases.

Native Military units
A few of militant native tribes are selected to supply the manpower for several 'native' corps. Almost the whole manpower of these tribes are soldiering for over twenty years. Foreign newspapers sometimes call these units slave soldiers or black mamelukhs. Their standard of living is well above that of the black masses, and even above the poorest urban denizens. This does not come free - native units are always used in the forefront of the battle, and they are used to quell the occasional native revolts - which they usually do with savage cruelty. As a result of their exemplary status they are universally hated by other natives.
To avoid the revolts of these miltant tribes, the Orange Army utilized precautionary measures. First, these units are always used far from their homelands, and their home correspondence is strictly censored. Home leave is strictly regulated. Moreover, the population staying at home - the women, children and elders are basically held hostage to keep them in check, and the occasional revolts of these militant units are punished severely, with their tribes losing most of their male population, their special status and financial security.

National Revenue and Census Laws

Voting rights are based on wealth and military service. Conscription is
3 years for all males at the age of 16. Immigrants over 24 but under 30
years must serve 2 years, and 1 year under 36. Women are allowed to
serve in the military as nurses. Education is free, compulsory between
ages 8-16, even in rural areas - and child labor is forbidden.


Hegemon
*

Group: Head of State
Posts: 669
Member No.: 62
Joined: 27-January 06




Presidential Republic
Head of State: President, elected for 7 years, Commander in Chief

Senate: 99 members, consisting of the 25 wealthiest citizen (determined
by taxes paid) of the Republic, few members prominent members of the
Academy, religious leaders, provincial representatives and elected senators.
Assembly: Elections every 3 years, each time half of the seats are voted
for by popular vote, for 6 years.

Political Parties

The census excludes more than half of the population from voting. As
immigrants and the lower-class is excluded from voting, the effect is the

New Republic Party, "Oranje"
leader: Hendrijk van Osterkemp
The party is strong in the industrialized areas. They are backed
financially by industry magnates, shipbuilders. They are navy
proponents, and always looking for additional foreign markets for Orange
products. The more and more immigrants had established themselves
financially, the more the party's power increased during the years. The
1901 election was the first one they won.
Agenda: Industrialization, Conservative, Free Trade

National Freedom Party
leader: Andraas Chaazaar
The voting base is the rural landowners. Due to the peculiarity of the
census, all but the least wealthy landowners are allowed to vote, so
they are basically overrepresented in the political arena. The parthy is
of mainly boer ethnicity, but after the loss of the 1901 election, a
Hungarian ex-aristocrat rose to the front. The party is for
colonializing the non-claimed areas of the north, which needs a strong
army against the Zulu threat - and keeping other tribes at rest.
Nevertheless, the northward expansion halted in the later years, which
might be
the main reason behind their defeat.
Agenda: protectionist, Conservative, Colonization

Christian Socialist Worker's Party
This is as far socialism could get down under. Most of their base is
below the census, so they are only a minor party in the Assembly. They
are fundamentalist protestant, anti-black and (slighly) anti-semitic.
Agenda: Christianity, Social Democrat

Libertarians
The fourth parliamentary party, somewhat antimilitarist. Their most
spectacular achievent up to date is giving voting rights to women (above
census) who served as nurses in the army or the navy.
Agenda: Liberalism, Free Trade