Richard Connington

**Richard James Connington Jr.** is a Kinkowan politician who served as the 24th President of the Free Democratic Republic of Kinkow from August 1593 to January 1602. Before his accession to the presidency, Connington served as the 34th Speaker of the House of Representatives from January 1593 to August 1593. To date, Connington is the only Speaker of the House to have assumed the presidency, through the presidential line of succession.

Born in Cedar, Matanon, Connington attended Matanon State University and the University of Heplia. After attaining a law degree from the University of Heplia Law School, Connington enlisted in the Kinkow Navy; where he served for 8 years and left with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Connington began his political career in 1576, when he was elected to the Kinkow House of Representatives from Matanon's 1st District. He served in this capacity for 16 years, the final 4 of them as the House Minority Leader and Speaker of the House in 1593. Following the impeachment and subsequent removal of Roland Hannery from the presidency, Connington became the first person to ascend to the presidency, who did not serve as Vice President upon ascension. Connington went on to win a whole 4-year term in 1594 and was subsequently reelected in 1598; holding the office of president for 9 years. Connington was succeeded by his Vice President, Eric Dewey in January 1602.

Connington is credited with being the founder of the 'New Welfare Party', a term used to describe the more socially progressive Welfare Party of the late 16th to 17th centuries. The new brand and shift in ideology allowed for the Welfare Party to contest elections in traditionally freerian or libertarian territory, which proved vital to the party's electoral success throughout the period.

As president, Connington entered the FDRK into the League of Nations, which was key in his foreign policy initiative of 'collective diplomacy'. Upon entering the League of Nations, Connington pressed for the FDRK to be granted veto power in the League of Nations Security Council, which was subsequently granted by a vote in the General Assembly of 125-23. In 1595, with an LoG coalition of 21 nations, Connington sent an invasion force into Kurukala to expel the neighbouring Karibishi invaders. The Kurukala War was a success and Kurukala government was promptly restored to power. The success and relatively short-length of the war earned Connington widespread approval, nationally and internationally. Domestically, Connington presided over a stable economy. However, upon leaving office, the national debt had grown by 4%; the largest growth recorded since the Great Recession. Socially, the Connington administration was relatively progressive. In March 1594, Connington signed the Equal Marriage Revision Act into law, which stated that the right of homosexual couples to get married holds precedence over religious laws. The act was viewed as the most significant attempt to separate church and state in more than 60 years. On January 21st, 1595, the day after his inauguration, Connington introduced the New Start Act, a legislative package that included the illegalization of the death penalty and the New Start Programme, a government-funded reeducation programme for former felons. The Act received strong opposition from the more conservative members of the Welfare Party. However, the act was signed into law by Connington on the 2nd February 1595, after it passed the House and Senate with a vote of 411-191 and 71-12 respectively.