1852 Libirachi Presidential Election

1852 Libirachi Presidential Election

Grey denotes delegates voting for Stanford Rightly

The **1852 Libirachi Presidential Election** was the first democratic election for the office of president of the Libirachi Empire and was held on November 11, 1852 and was only contested by Stanford Rightly, the incumbent President.

Following five centuries of imperial rule, various groups and anti-monarchist factions began to emerge in the early 19th century in response to the autocratic Libirachi Dynasty. In 1843, Emperor George III was assassinated by republican forces and his successor, George IV, launched a terror campaign against dissidents in a bid to stabilise his empire; however, the use of terror alienated many within his imperial court and prompted various noblemen to defect to the republican cause. On April 3, 1845, a coalition of five major republican groups founded the Rebel Alliance to act as a united front for the overthrow of Emperor George IV, whilst the organisation's Tribunal of Dictators became the main voice of the republican movement under the direction of its three members: Soloman Crideas, Curtis Albarth, and Stanford Rightly. After forcing the tribunal to issue a joint resignation on February 16, 1849, Rightly appointed himself as chairman of the Rebel Alliance, before shifting the focus of the group towards a military overthrow of the government. The ensuing Libirachi War of Revolution lasted between 1849 and 1852, and ended with the abdication and execution of Emperor George IV on August 26, 1852.

With the death of the emperor and the end of the Libirachi Dynasty, the Rebel Alliance became the de-facto government of the country until the proclamation of the Imperial Republic of Libirachi on August 30, 1852 with Stanford Rightly as the inaugural president of the Libirachi state. On November 11, 1852, Rightly assembled an electoral college comprised of members of his cabinet, the judiciary, and the armed forces in order to conduct the first presidential election in Libirachi history. This electoral college unanimously elected Rightly to a full presidential term and granted him the power to enact a new constitution.

During the first term of Rightly's presidency, the first Libirachi constitution was enacted in 1853 and several major institutions, such as the Libirachi National Congress, were established. In December 1852, Rightly appointed Ashford Longwood as the first vice president of the Republic of Libirachi, with Longwood also assuming the position of chairman of the Libirachi National Congress in 1853. Despite being the founder of Libirachi democracy, President Stanford Rightly conducted a self-coup in spring 1856 in order to allow himself to govern indefinitely by extending his term in office permanently, removing term limits on the presidency, and giving the president more power, in effect making himself dictator for life. In 1864, Rightly removed his deputy Longwood from all positions in government as part of a further consolidation of power. Following Rightly's death in July 1870, the lack of a constitutional succession protocol led to the eruption of a civil war, with Ashford Longwood usurping the constitutional government by military force in October 1871. Unlike Rightly, Longwood and his two immediate successors as president did not claim to be democratically elected, and Rightly's constitution was rewritten in 1872, 1915, and 1933. Democratic elections would not be held until 2010, more than 150 years later.