[Lauchenoiria]

Rival campaigns out in force as opinion polling suggests 47% support for independence

Arbrera Square, named after the tree goddess worshipped in Lurian, the religion of native Aelurians, has been filled with rival independence campaigners every day this week. The north of the square was decked in the dark yellow of the pro-independence camp, while those supporting remaining within the Federation of Lauchenoiria filled the east of the square with Lauchenoirian and Aelurian flags flying beside each other.

Shoppers and pedestrians passing through the square are being inundated with leaflets imploring them to support one side or the other, and there is seemingly no escape. Campaigners from both sides seemed eager to talk with anyone who would listen. Pro-independence campaigner Elijah Yates told the Liaville Times:

“Support for independence on the streets is growing. In the aftermath of the war, many people did not seem supportive of the idea, but as the referendum draws near, more and more people are realising that independence is the best way forward for Aeluria. After reading up on the issues and listening to debate, more and more people are changing their minds.”

Meanwhile, the anti-independence campaign has been attempting to demonstrate the unity of Lauchenoiria through having Communist and Liberal campaigners work together. Images of the two parties, on opposite sides during last year’s civil war, working together has come as a shock to many on the mainland, who had previously felt their differences were irreconcilable. Some see this cooperation as a sign that the divides during the war are starting to fall away, as Lauchenoirians come together to reconcile and rebuild democracy.

Leonie Bennett, the 18-year-old Campaigns Officer for the Young Liberals, is from Buttercity but has been on Aeluria campaigning. She had been involved in the war, and is unaccustomed to standing side by side with Communists.

“It’s strange, because eight months ago they would have been more likely to shoot me than work with me. But I came to Aeluria to show the people here that those of us on the mainland are trying to reconcile our differences, and that there is a place for Aeluria in the Lauchenoirian family, and to do that we need to work with those who were not so long ago, our enemies.”

With two weeks to go until the referendum, supporters of both sides are becoming increasingly nervous, with independence supporters knowing this is their only chance for a decade, and supporters of Lauchenoirian unity fearing that the Federation is about to split apart forever.

The campaign continues.

Issue Focus – Religion

Religion plays a major part of the lives of many Aelurians. The main religion on Aeluria is Lurian, the faith of the indigenous tribes present on the island before colonisation. Lurian is a polytheistic religion, and Lurites worship a variety of deities that represent parts of nature – the main deities being those of land (Luria), trees (Arbrera), the sky and water (with a large variety of minor deities). The central tenets of Lurian include pacifism, tolerance, and a desire for balance in the world. The very name Aeluria means, in the native dialect, ‘of the goddess of the land’.

Opinion polling shows that 91% of Lurites support Aelurian independence, the highest percentage of any demographic group. While Lurian has no central authority, many priests and priestesses have come out in favour of independence. They say the central government of Lauchenoiria does not respect their traditions, and accuse them of attempting to stamp out all religious worship.

The Lauchenoirian government is strictly secular. Under federal law, religious worship on school property is forbidden under the constitution, which can cause problems for Lurite children wishing to say the midday prayer. In 2017 (figures for 2018 are not available due to the war), twenty-one Aelurian schools were fined for breaking this regulation.

Members of minority religions on Aeluria, however, are staunch supporters of remaining part of Lauchenoiria. Christian and Muslim groups on the island have put out statements opposing independence, saying that they worry an independent Aeluria would not respect their right to worship. Religious minority children on Aeluria report high instances of bullying, with 76% of Muslim children reporting bullying in school, and 62% of Christian children in English-language schools. Spanish-language schools had a much lower rate of Christian bullying, at 22%.

The Aelurian Independence Party (AIP), currently led by Nazario Macías, attempted to scrap the school worship ban in 2016, but were blocked by the Lauchenoirian Supreme Court. The AIP have assured Lurites that it would be the “first thing to go” in an independent Aeluria. Support for the AIP has always been high amongst Lurites, with 62% of Lurites supporting the AIP in 2002, a time when the party had seemingly no chance of winning any elections.

Religion is said to be one of the major issues of the debate, with Aelurians far less enamoured with the secularism of Lauchenoiria than the atheist-majority mainland. Historically, the 1952-1993 communist regime attempted to ban all religion, leaving Lurites on Aeluria to practice underground. On the mainland, the number of Christians dropped dramatically, from 82% of the population in 1950, to a mere 14% by 1995. However, on Aeluria, Lurian remained steadily practiced, despite the central ban.

It is said that if Aeluria wins independence, it will be down to Lurites. Therefore, for all those interested in the outcome of the referendum, religion is the issue to watch.