1989 Gandhari coup d'état
| 1989 Gandhari coup d'état | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Gandhari government
| Gandhari army
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Izzeddin al-Masri Nureddin al-Azhar | Firaz al-Hafez | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| No mortal casualties | |||||||
The 1989 Gandhari coup d'état was a military coup d'état executed in Gandhara by the Gandhari Armed Forces, led by Chief of the General Staff General Firaz al-Hafez, resulting in the removal of the President of Gandhara, Izzeddin al-Masri, from power and the suspension of the Constitution of Gandhara.
Background
After president Abdel Ramzi was assassinated on 11 November 1979 by officers of the Gandhari army, Prime Minister Izzeddin al-Masri took office as acting president, before he was democratically elected in the presidential election of February 1980. There were accusations of fraud during the election, which led to ongoing civil unrest and instability in the country.
Abdel Ramzi had started peace talks with Almarania over the long standing Mavrija dispute between the two countries, which allegedly led to his assassination. There were conspiracy theories that president Ramzi was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy within the Gandhari government. The assassination took place exactly 666 days after Ramzi's presidential inauguration on 5 May 1973. The trust and confidence in the government were low at the beginning of Al-Masri's presidency.
Al-Masri gained support back in 1984, when he reached a set of agreements with Almarania regarding the Almaranian–Gandhari border and the status of Mavrija, known as the Tihum Accords. There was dismay among Gandhari citizens who believed that Mavrija should be an integral part of Gandhara, but the Accords brought relative peace between the two countries. The Tihum Accords were described by international observers as "a good piece of diplomacy".
Al-Masri's popularity ultimately fell during the presidential election of 1987, when he refused international observers. Al-Masri accused national and international news sources of influencing public opinion, while opponents accused Al-Masri of electoral fraud. After Al-Masri's second election, the Gandhari economy fell into recession, there was a shortage of power and gas, and there were accusations that the president and his close staff used public funds for private projects. Al-Masri refused to listen to protesters and showed more autocratic behaviour, and he lost the support of the Armed Forces.
Coup
On 14 June 1989, the Gandhari Armed Forces seized control of the government. General Firaz al-Hafez declared coup d'état on the national channel RTG. The broadcast was watched by viewers all over the world and became an iconic moment in Outernatian political history. The army then extended martial law throughout the country, abolished the Parliament and the government, suspended the constitution, and banned all political parties. Al-Masri and 34 of his staff members were taken prisoner. The events caused mass celebrations in cities and villages all over the country. General Al-Hafez stated that the ideals of the Gandhari Revolution were being threatened by the government and that democracy was retaken. The General promised that the Armed Forces would lead an interim government and that democracy would be restored within months.
Aftermath
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Rabih Hamam, was declared interim president by the military. In preparation of a new presidential election, Hamam announced a referendum to revise the suspended 1957 constitution. The referendum was held in January 1990 and the revision was approved by the electorate. Following the presidential election in June, Adel Shahrani was inaugurated as President on 18 August 1990, marking the beginning of new era in Gandhari political history.
Izzeddin al-Masri had to face trial on charges of electoral fraud, leaking classified documents, and the abuse of public funds. Due to Al-Masri's health conditions, the trial was deferred multiple times. Finally, Al-Masri died awaiting his trial in 1991.