2011 Devonitians coup

On May 22st 2011 the nation Devonitians replaced Southern Bellz as Delegate of the South Pacific^[1] against South Pacifican law . Through foreign support and an unendorsement campaign, Southern Bellz was returned to the delegate seat on May 24th ^[2]. Devonitians was later revealed to be a puppet of Sedgistan.

Background

Southern Bellz became delegate of the South Pacific on 1st January 2010, replacing Fudgetopia through the challenge mechanism. In October 2010, Southern Bellz refused to open embassies between the South Pacific and the Rejected Realms; the delegate nation in the Rejected Realms, Kandarin, had been transferred to Naivetry, a method Southern Bellz disapproved of ^[3]. The forum government was criticized for not being connected to the onsite community and for general inactivity.

The coup

Devonitians was founded 7th May 2011 by Sedgistan, a site moderator and administrator of the Rejected Realms. Beginning approximately 20th May, Devonitians endorsed all World Assembly nations in the South Pacific and telegrammed them requesting an endorsement back ^[4]. At the time of major update on May 22nd 2011, Devonitians held 104 endorsements while Southern Bellz held 98; as the nation with the higher endorsement count, Devonitians became delegate.

Several hours after becoming delegate, Devonitians changed the World Factbook entry to the following ^[5]:

Welcome to the South Pacific. Once known to the world as the "party region" it fell into ruin, neglected by former delegates.

I took less than 36 hours to seize the delegacy. Let this be a message to all feeder delegates: to hold power, one must use it.

I do not intend to hold the delegacy for more than a week. Instead, I invite endo-swappers to join the region and compete for the delegacy. Once there are several above the former delegate's endorsement count, I will resign from the WA and depart peacefully.

In the meantime please endorse your native elected delegate: Devonitians.

Endo-swappers are encouraged to declare their candidacy and post manifestos here.

They issued the following statement on the forum ^[6]:

I do not wish to hold the delegacy of the South Pacific for long, as I accept that I do not have the time for it. Instead I am inviting endo-swappers, whether from inside or outside the region, to join and see if they can take over. My only intention is to ensure that the region does not return to its former delegate. Those who stand in my way will be dealt with through all available methods.

Devonitians banned large numbers of nations who unendorsed Devonitians and endorsed Southern Bellz. Nations from other regions, including Europeia, were requested to support Devonitians' delegacy ^[7]. They changed the WFE to encourage endo-swappers to take the delegacy.

The closest candidate to winning was GreenGremlins, who was two endorsements below Southern Bellz at the time she regained the delegacy ^[8] GreenGremlins was later revealed to be a puppet of Whamabama, a member of both Equilism and the Rejected Realms ^[9]. Whamabama reportedly planned on returning control of the region to the legitimate government if GreenGremlins had become delegate ^[10]

Resolution

Residents of the South Pacific were telegrammed and requested to unendorse Devonitians ^[11]; however, several nations that endorsed Southern Bellz and unendorsed Devonitians were banned. The Founderless Regions Alliance moved into the South Pacific to endorse Southern Bellz. Southern Bellz regained the delegacy of the South Pacific on the major update of 24th May 2011.

Involvement of the Rejected Realms

At the time of Devonitians taking the delegacy, only two people were aware of the puppet's true identity. Sedgistan was Officer of Foreign Affairs in the Rejected Realms, and Crazygirl. After Devonitians took the delegacy, Dalimbar suspected the nation was owned by Sedgistan, and Sedgistan confirmed this when the evidence became undeniable [12]. Biyah (Officer of Media) was then informed by Delimbar, and Naivetry (Delegate) was informed by Sedgistan [13]. Sedgistan and Naivetry issued a statement on May 26th that criticized the legitimate South Pacifican government for not engaging residents on-site and for asking for support from the Founderless Regions Alliance to retake the delegacy.

On June 2nd 2011, Biyah issued a statement revealing the identity of Devonitians and that the government of the Rejected Realms had been aware of this. According to Biyah, Dalimbar and Biyah were asked to bring raider endorsements into the South Pacific to keep Devonitians delegate and to enable the delegacy to be given to CrazyGirl^[14]. Dalimbar ^[15]and Naivetry ^[16] both confirmed the statement as true.

Aftermath

(the punishment of cg/sedge in trr?)

On June 21st, 10000 Islands withdrew its embassy with the Rejected Realms. https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=119037

https://rejectedrealms.com/viewtopic.php?p=8020307#p8020307 Some residents of the South Pacific considered the coup to have had positive effects. The Brave Little Toaster mechanism for Delegate election was replaced by regularly scheduled elections.

The coup sparked discussion on making delegates more accountable and active, including suggestions of holding regular delegate elections ^[17]. On July 21st 2011, the South Pacific passed a law mandating delegate elections every six months with reconfirmation votes halfway through the term ^[18]. An endorsement cap was also introduced into law.