Garibald Turner

**John Garibald Augustus Turner** (born 15 September 4031), commonly known as **Garibald Turner**, is an Alfegrian politician who has been the President of Alfegria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces since 4087. He is also Head Chairman of the Communist Party of Alfegria (CPA) since 4085, and is the nation's highest ranking general.

Garibald Turner was a rebel commander during the 4050s; after his uncle Thaddeus Turner took power, Turner was one of the most important political figures in the country, serving as Minister of Defense from 4062 to 4087, the longest to serve in such a position.

After Thaddeus Turner died on 21 December 4087, Garibald was unanimously elected President by the Communist Party and Congress on Christmas Day. He was re-elected President in 4092 and once more in 4097, shortly thereafter announcing in early 4098 that he doesn't wish to seek re-election in 4102 and wants to retire as a politician.

## Early life

John Garibald Augustus Turner was born in Donfent, Alfegria. The son of army commander Augustus Turner and Donfent native Zoe Haústen, Garibald is the eldest of three brothers: himself, Edmund, and Stephen.

Due to being the sons of a promiment military commander, they relocated to different areas of the country very often, but finally settled in Shuteburgh when Garibald was 12 years old. While living in Shuteburgh, the family faced extreme forms of socio-economic discrimination due to them living in a lower-class neighborhood. Despite this, Garibald attended Saint Arsted Secondary School and graduated at the age of 17 as valedictorian of his class. He then attended Shuteburgh College aiming to gain a Bachelor's degree in Medicine in order to become a pediatrician, but eventually dropped out of school in 4051 for unknown reasons.

After leaving school, Garibald became a comitted nationalist and joined the newly-founded Communist Party of Alfegria in 4055, as he personally identified with the Party's far-leftist ideals and also since his uncle Thaddeus Turner was co-founder and a promiment member of the Party.

In 4056, Garibald served in the Red Hammer Movement group that attacked the Shuteburgh Military Base, and he spent 10 months in prison & permanent exile from Alfegria for this action. While in exile, Garibald and his uncle Thaddeus gained support in the then-Communist country of Occidentalis, and planned for a mainland invasion of Alfegria.

## Commander in the Alfegrian Revolutionary War

In January 4057, after gaining over 2,500 supporters in Occidentalis, Garibald and Thaddeus invaded Alfegria by landing on the northern coast, marking the beginning of the Alfegrian Revolutionary War. The invasion turned out to be an absolute failure; only 400 of the 2,500 supporters were alive by the time the army routed and fled. Despite this, Thaddeus still trusted Garibald as his main supporter and right-hand man, so he named him Lieutenant Commander of the Revolutionary Forces shortly after.

After many years of devastating guerilla warfare and supreme military tactics, especially at the Battle of Shuteburgh, Emperor Arstan VI  of Alfegria surrendered at M'aztila in July of 4061. After hearing of his surrender, the Turners and their loyal guerilla forces quickly captured Donfent  in order to solidify their position, and established a temporary government co-led by Garibald and Thaddeus themselves. The war was finally won by the Communist forces.

Due to Garibald's exceptional abilities as Lieutenant Commander during the War, Thaddeus Turner named him Minister of Defense in 4062.

## Political career

#### **Early political career**

Garibald Turner was a devout member of the National Communist Committee and the United Revolutionary Party of Alfegria until he became President in 4087, in which he dissolved both factions and persuaded members of both factions to join the Communist Party. In 4085 due to internal complications with the Communist Party, Thaddeus Turner appointed Garibald as Head Chairman.

#### **Ascension to Presidency**

On 21 December 4087 at the age of 84, Thaddeus Turner died due to natural causes. Just a day later on public television Garibald Turner announced his plans to serve as President of Alfegria, despite it already being extremely apparent that he would be appointed President after Thaddeus died. He was then officially inaguarated as President of Alfegria on Christmas Day, 4087 by the Communist Party of Alfegria with approval from Congress.

Many political commentators consider Garibald to be an extreme political loyalist who wants to keep the Communist Party of Alfegria as the main faction of Alfegria. However, a majority of others believe he is more willing to institute more democratic and capitalist policies. In his most recent five-year plan, he has announced that he wishes to "open trade with the rest of the Eltenian countries" and "establish more favorable welfare systems in the name of traditional democracy". Garibald is also considered by most to be far less charismatic and confident than his uncle Thaddeus.

#### **Presidency**

During his term as President, his administration has announced multiple economic, political, and militaristic reforms. In 4088, the ban on parties with opposing ideals serving in Congress had been completely lifted by the Garibald administration, allowing for previously underground Parties such as the New Environment Party and the Conservative Right to gain MOTCs and a massive amount of popularity among voters. In an effort to gain more domestic food supply, in the same year sales taxes were significantly reduced on farmers and the government turned over state-owned farmlands to private farming companies.

In early 4090, the government increased the national minimum wage from 5.58 Alfegrian dollars to 6.00, mainly in response to multiple minimum wage protests across the country. In the following year, same-sex civil unions were allowed.

In July 4092 after being unanimously re-elected President for the first time, the Garibald administration announced their five-year plan, with hopes of "re-vitalising the national economy" and "plunging the nation out of debt". In the same year, notorious Alfegrian drug lord Züscak Goodtherpe was shot and killed by the Revolutionary Army outside the city of M'aztila after almost three decades of crime.

After being elected for the second time in 4097, Turner publicly announced in January 4098 that he didn't want to be re-elected for the third time in 4102, and wishes to retire with his wife and children in the northern suburbs of Donfent.

## Personal life

In 4052, shortly after dropping out of Shuteburgh College, Turner married long-time girlfriend Georgina Williams, the daughter of prominent lawyer Louis Williams. After the Alfegrian Revolutionary War, she was appointed as the first Head Chairwoman of the Women's Communist Party of Alfegria. The couple has three sons and two daughters (Alexander, Louis, George, Isabella, and Margaret). Their eldest child, Alexander, currently serves as Head Speaker for the Communist Party of Alfegria  while Louis and George both serve as naval commanders.

In an interview in 4097, following his second re-election as President, Garibald Turner commented on his military ancestry, stating: "While my family may have been extremely loyal generals to the Emperor, I never wanted to carry on such a disgusting legacy. My father was physically abusive to me and my mother, and we were all discriminated by the older children simply due to where we lived. I was tired of the abuse, and I vowed to never be the same degenerate person my father was. I believe my uncle Thaddeus  was my real caretaker, as he truly treated me as if I were his son."

In an interview with news reporter Allan Zercates, Turner was described as "entertaining, kind, and honest."

Turner is a devout Atheist, stating that he has "never truly believed in a god."