Tony Au
Tony Au (known by the forum name dstryker) (active 2000 to 2002) was a prominent micronational economist, founder of the Intermicronational Currency Exchange Organization and the last Prime Executive of the United Republic of Tymaria.
Tymaria
Au, who had been behind the creation of the Apollo Sector's economy, immediately took an active interest in the economic and financial affairs of the newly formed United Republic of Tymaria, and in November 2001, found himself appointed to Head of the Reserve Bank of Tymaria. He would also take a leading role in the National Bank of Tymaria and the creation (and administration) of the successful Tymarian Stock Exchange. By mid-2002, Au would rise to become the Minister of Financial Affairs.
Election as Prime Executive
The July 2002 election for the third Prime Executive of Tymaria was held during a time of increasing inactivity and national disunity (with Interland's strong musings about secession during the campaign). It was during this election that Au would launch his campaign to become the Prime Executive, competing against Nick the Yardistani and Christopher Donle. When voting concluded on July 4, Au had won the election with eight of fifteen votes cast, while Nick the Yardistani gained five votes, and Donle two votes. His term as Prime Executive officially began on July 11, succeeding outgoing Prime Executive Jason Rhode.
Speaking to the Apollo Skyline on the eve of his victory, Au announced that a major goal of his administration would be to enact reforms to streamline the Tymarian government, so as to allow citizens greater ease in interacting with it. Au also voiced his intent to increase security (referring to the 4-11 Incident) and gain new immigrants. Au voiced his desire to pursue an isolationist agenda to the Skyline, noting that he preferred to focus on domestic affairs (though he did desire to pursue the formation of an intermicronational economic system). He also mused about reforming the state system to create a "single Tymaria, not a conglomerate of states."
Upon taking office on July 11, Au gave a passionate speech in which he asserted that Tymaria, despite recent troubles, including secessions of some states, "still lives." He acclaimed that Tymaria existed on the shoulders of its citizens, not its constitution or the states.
As Prime Executive
On just the second day of his term in office, July 12, Au implemented his plan to revitalise Tymaria by issuing an executive order suspending the Constitution permanently, noting that it "restrains Tymaria and tries to bend her to its ancient will." Au called for a new constitutional convention to produce a document that would "let Tymaria grow." The executive order also dissolved the House of Nations, in order to facilitate state reform (the House sat the representatives of the states, thereby making it a potential roadblock to state system reformation). The order further suspended the authority of Tymaria's highest court, the High Tribunal. It did not affect the operation of the House of the People and the ministries of the Tymarian government.
Already sparking controversy by suspending the constitution, House of Nations, and High Tribunal, July 12 would also see Au unveil his plan to dissolve the Tymarian states. He gave each state three days to decide whether to remain within the Union, and if the state sought secession, Au guaranteed it no legal repercussions or objections from the House of the People. Those states deciding to remain within the Union would be dissolved after the three day grace period, allowing Tymaria to become completely unified, instead of being held hostage by often-strikingly different state and regional agendas as it had been throughout its history.
Within eight minutes of Au putting forth the offer of barrier-free secession, the Tymarian state of Shireroth, which had always had an active secessionist movement and began pursuing the idea of secession after the suspension of the constitution earlier in the day, announced that it would leave the United Republic. Shireroth's Erik Mortis encouraged other states to secede and come under the umbrella of Shireroth for "protection." In a matter of days, Interland and the Free Republic would also secede from Tymaria.
With its three major states now independent, Tymaria was crippled, though began to rebound somewhat by the end of July with new immigrations and continued to have a stable economic system. Meanwhile, Au began to become periodically inactivity due to "connection issues"; indeed, following the attack on Tymaria by Freenesia on August 12, there was no quick reaction from Au or his ministers.
End of Tymaria
Unable to completely rebound from the shock of having its three major states secede, and with Au becoming more-and-more inactive as Prime Executive, Tymaria was faced with a dismal future. By September 11, the general consensus in the micronational community was that Tymaria was "dead." Upon hearing of a plan by Menelmacar to annex Tymaria, Au returned briefly on September 18 to formally dissolve the United Republic to stiffle any attempts to annex it.
His decision to dissolve Tymaria outright upset many advocates who desired the United Republic's infrastructure be given to the Apollo Foundation (despite Tymaria's non-Apollo status). After much protestation over the decision, Au allowed the Apollo Foundation to preserve the Tymarian discussion forums and website.
Upon dissolving the controversial micronational union, Au hinted at the impending end of his micronational participation when he called for interested parties to come forward to replace him as Chairman of the Intermicronational Currency Exchange Organization.