11
« on: September 18, 2016, 07:40:16 am »
Considered putting this on the big Coates run thread, but felt the topic was different and important enough to have its own thread.
As we all know by now, one of the things at stake in this run is the monarchy itself. Prior to the start of this run, Coates expressed his initial opinion of the monarchy: why would an advanced civilization as Wakanda have a monarchy? His writing so far has shown various parties being at odds with the monarchy.
We've already have the obvious players against it in Tetu, Zenzi, and Stane.
The MAs and their followers are a bit of a wildcard, but its safe to say at this point that they would support a change of the guard, under the right conditions.
Changamire has been advocating for democracy and appears to get gaining some support, including overseas.
There are other factors at play. Though the Wakandan people haven't openly revolted, #1 has made it clear that, internally, resentment towards the monarchy has been building up, due in large part because of previous events.
It's still somewhat vague at the moment, but the seemingly common thread in the stories in Shuri's journey are various lessons about leadership: connecting and being one with the people, patience, fortitude, etc. Coates said that Shuri will be a "different" character once she comes back from the Djalia. I suspect that difference will be on display vis-a-vis her approach and perspective in governing.
All in all, the in-story seeds of potential change in Wakandan governance (as well as Coates' personal opinions on the issue) are there and could result in a new style of governing that doesn't follow the traditional monarchy model.
Thus the question: what type of government will Wakanda have once #12 concludes? Will the monarchy remain as is, or will there be something different?
When the run started, I felt that Wakanda would transition towards a constitutional monarchy similar to the UK model. T'Challa is still king and the monarchy is still a highly influential part of Wakanda, but it no longer holds as much authority as it once did. A newly-formed Wakandan parliament--which will succeed the Wakandan council seen in the Hudlin run--will have the most amount of power and will be made up of elected members, including a prime minister.
However, I wouldn't be surprised if Wakanda ended up going with a modified version of a Diarchy that includes a strong parliament consisting of elected members. The monarchy stays around and has authority, only equaled by parliament. In case of a disagreement, the queen mother and/or an appropriate third party mediates the disagreement. I feel such a setup will be a compromise that allows Coates to get what he wants while those hoping that T'Challa is still king with authority get what they want.
Example:
T'Challa is King. Shuri is the co-ruler (helps address the gender topic that Coates pushed this season).
A new democratically-elected parliament is formed (addresses Coates desire for a more democratic voice in Wakanda).
The monarchy and parliament are somewhat equal in stature (addresses Coates desire for a more democratic voice).
Ramonda and/or a selected third party served as occasional mediators between the monarchy and parliament.
It's not perfect or my preferred choice. I prefer that things stay as is. But I would much rather go with this than the constitutional monarchy route, or an outright democracy.
So, I turn the question to you all. Do you think the monarchy will survive as is? If not, what changes do you think will occur?
Sidenote: I understand many of us would prefer for the monarchy to stay as is. As I mentioned, I do too. That said, change is on the horizon, whether we like it or not. The question is, what change do you think Wakandan government will encounter?
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