[Lauchenoiria]

Liaville Times – Referendum Special

21st February 2019

Aelurian Government responds to comments from Shuellian Director of International Affairs on the referendum

Earlier today, Director of International Affairs Hoffman, from the Incorporated States of Shuell, made a speech regarding the question of Aelurian independence, in which he pledged to support the island in the event of independence.

His comments come at a time when the anti-independence campaign have been focusing on the supposed lack of international support, and as such are welcomed by many pro-independence campaigners. However, among supporters of the Communist party, the remarks, which also included a promise of aid to Lauchenoiria, have received a more hostile response.

Shuell, known for its anti-communist stance, is widely disliked among members of the Communist Party, who view the announcement with suspicion. In contrast to the Communist perspective, however, the comments have been tentatively welcomed by most other parties, including the Liberal Party. Josephine Alvarez stated that “this will assist us in rebuilding after the war, and should be welcomed.” However, some are still concerned over Shuell’s authoritarian nature.

First Minister of Aeluria, Nazario Macías, today welcomed the news out of Shuell, saying: “an independent Aeluria would seek to develop a positive relationship with as many nations as possible, including those who have previously had little to do with Lauchenoiria. As such, we would welcome support from Shuell.”

A new opinion poll out today puts support for independence at 45%, down three points from the previous poll, with eight days to go before the referendum.


Issue Focus – Culture

Unlike mainland Lauchenoiria, indigenous Aelurians still make up a considerable proportion of the population of the island, and have managed to preserve certain aspects of their culture, which makes the island considerably different from the rest of Lauchenoiria. Native Aelurians make up 44% of the population, with a further 8% being made up of mixed-race individuals, many of whom have some native Aelurian heritage. The major religion of Aeluira, Lurian, is the religion of the native people of the island, although it has been adopted by a number of the descendants of colonial settlers.

Native Aelurians traditionally lived in small villages rather than large settlements, which shows itself still today in the fact that Liaville is the only city (although there are a number of smaller towns), and the island still has more small villages per capita than mainland Lauchenoiria. Aelurian tribes also tended to be ruled by a matriarch of advanced years (often cited as a potential reason for the Kerlian support of the island, even if it is somewhat socially conservative in other ways).

Aelurians are also less likely to celebrate holidays such as Christmas, which, while originating in religion, is still celebrated by many Lauchenoirians who are not practicing Christians. Aelurian shops and restaurants do not close early on Sundays, unlike in mainland Lauchenoiria, as Sunday holds no special meaning to most Aelurians. In fact, many more Aelurians work on Sundays than people on the mainland.

The language of native Aelurians, Aenian, has declined consistently since the beginning of the 20th century. In the last census, only 22% of Aelurians said they could speak Aenian fluently or almost fluently. Campaigners for the promotion of the Aenian language suggest that with independence, it would be easier for the language to be protected and promoted to the population. Currently most road signs on Aeluria are in Spanish and English, but miss Aenian entirely, as almost all Aelurians speak either Spanish, English or both.

Proponents of independence suggest that without independence, Aelurian language and culture will be gradually subsumed by that of the mainland, and to protect it, independence is necessary. Opponents argue that Aeluria contributes its own uniqueness to wider Lauchenoirian culture, and enriches it, and that nobody on the mainland is trying to destroy or alter Aelurian culture.