The Soeds
The Soeds / Atiscross
| |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outlying Province of the Soeds | |||||||||
 Flag  Seal  Coat of arms | |||||||||
| Nickname: Republic of Soedesia | |||||||||
| Mottoes: "bobl Sôydesia, unwch!" ("people of Soedesia, unite!")  Variant flag used by advocates for the Soeds' sovereignty/independence | |||||||||
| Country |  Princia | ||||||||
| Established | 24th August 2019 | ||||||||
| Government | |||||||||
| • Governor-general | Metropolitan (Y Mudiad) | ||||||||
| • Band identifier | |||||||||
| Demonym | Soedesian | ||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+0:45,-0:15 (RPST) | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | |||||||||
| Area code | O2 | ||||||||
The Soeds (Denfray: +XѲo|⊸Ѳ⊐|; Welsh: y Sôydau), officially the Outlying Province of the Soeds (formerly but still commonly known as Atiscross) and known for postal and statistical purposes as Province O2, is a divisional province of the Princian Commonwealth deriving its name from the suffix of its main cities: Unhidasoed (formerly Unhida), Dinasoed, Ninasoed, Dudesoed (formerly East Exestan) and its capital Exesoed (formerly West Exestan). The Soeds elects 8 ministers and 5 lordministers for representation in the Electoral Legislature of the Prince's Order. The Soeds' 3-digit country code is SOE (Welsh: SÔY) and from 27th February 2021 to 1st February 2023 it was a member of Efricho Prefecture, now being a member of New Cambria Prefecture.
Traditionally, the Soeds has been divided into two earldoms, Marwan and Rhondry, forming a large part of Soedesian identity though not existing in law. Their modern counterparts with similar geographical extents are the regions of Western Atiscross and Meridianam, respectively. It has been proposed by the Metropolitan Party to convert the Soeds' regions to council areas (coinciding with the proposal to re-establish councils to govern Pearcean council areas) and name the new council areas after their respective earldoms.
History
The Protectorate of Atiscross was founded on 24 August 2019, and was granted an autonomous government on 16 September 2019 after the creation of the Confederation of Greater Princia. Due to growing calls for independence and the domination of the polls by the Atiscross National Party, Atiscross' autonomous government was later dissolved in favour of direct rule by Princia on 25 January 2020 and the Prince's Order introduced its controversial system of permittance, banning the Atiscross National Party and stripping Atiscross of democracy in the process. The Protectorate of Atiscross was then renamed to just Atiscross after it became an Imperial Possession following the Princian Coup D'état, although it was able to force de facto independence through sustained rioting and social turmoil. Then after democratic reform, the unrest in Atiscross was quelled and it was renamed to the Outlying Province of Atiscross as it became a province of the Princian Republic & Principality (now the Princian Commonwealth) and was granted an elected governor-general following its admittance to participate in unitary elections. Atiscross was then on 6th December 2020 renamed to the Outlying Province of the Soeds so as to return the geographic region's original name before Princian colonisation, and on 23 November 2021 following the failed 2021 Soedesian Independence Referendum and multiple instances of independence riots – the Soeds' right to elect a governor-general was revoked by the Prince's Order in favour of a governor-general by undemocratic appointment.
Government
The Princian Colonial Authority is the organisation that appoints a Governor-General and Vice Governor-General of the Soeds and will debate permission for any acts they wish to pass.
Governor-General
The Governor-General of the Soeds can do whatever he/she wants, but needs the permission of the Colonial Authority of the Princian Commonwealth. The Vice Governor-General will act as a temporary governor-general if the Governor-General is unwell or is for whatever reason unfit to do their usual duties.
Languages
Currently, the English and Welsh languages have equal status enshrined in law by the previous Atiscross parliament. Although the autonomous government was abolished in January 2020, the legislation around the Welsh language in addition to the national language remains in place nonetheless.
2021 Soedesian Independence Referendum
The 2021 Soedesian Independence Referendum was a people's vote held within the Outlying Province of the Soeds called by the 2021 Act of Referenda on Self-Determination. The question on the ballot paper read: "Should the Soeds become an independent country?" the acceptable answers were "Yes" and "No." The referendum was held in conjunction with and on the same date as the October 2021 10th Unitary Election and 2021 Parvusmountian Status Referendum. The People's Party & Princian Party of Socialists and United Democratic & Liberal Party both announced their support for a "No" vote, the former political party now pressure group Atiscross National announced their support of a "Yes" vote, and the Metropolitan Party announced their support for both equally.
Results
| Answer | № of districts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Yes 
|
4 | 50% |
No 
|
4 | 50% |
Referendum regulations in Princia state that if neither side of the votes counted in a two-choice referendum obtains 60% or more, the outcome of the referendum defaults to the status quo. Both sides of the referendum won four of the the Soeds' total of eight districts, therefore the outcome of the 2021 Soedesian Independence Referendum is the status quo: maintenance of its current political position as an outlying province within Princia.
Geography
Counties
Districts
| No | District (EN) / Dosbarth (CY) | County (EN) / Sir (CY) | Region (EN) / Rhanbarth (CY) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unhidasoed City / Dinas Ynaedy-sôyd | Unhidasoedshire / Sir-y-Ynaedysôyd | Western Atiscross / Gorllewin Croes-atti |
| 2 | Treff Township / Treffgordd | ||
| 3 | Dinasoed City / Dinas Sôyd | Dinasoedshire / Sir-y-Dinassôyd | |
| 4 | Bhaile Township / Trefgordd Bâl | ||
| 5 | Ninasoed City / Dinas Niny-sôyd | Ninasoedshire / Sir-y-Ninysôyd | Meridianam / Meiriddianam |
| 6 | Conown Township / Trefgordd Cynawn | ||
| 7 | Exesoed City / Dinas Ecsy-sôyd | Exesoedshire / Sir-y-Ecsysôyd | |
| 8 | Dudesoed City / Dinas Dwdy-sôyd |