Kalistani Major History

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Kaliburg slowly recovers;  International Aid pours in
Priority is homes, but National Assembly restored and elections are held on schedule
Kaliburg, Ananto
February 9, 4893


The National Assembly in Downtown Kaliburg completed repairs in time for General Election

Nearly a year after a devastating Earthquake leveled huge sections of the Capital city of Kaliburg, the Republic reports that they are on track with recovery, have restored vital services and infrastructure to most parts of the city, and have restored public buildings.  The National Assembly, which was severely damaged in the Quake has been restored and is now in operation once more, allowing the Government of Kalistan to meet once more in the capital.  The International Airport has been reopened for commercial passenger traffic, and facilities at Port Davon are 65 percent operational, said National Service Program Restoration Team spokeswoman Dani Allen.

"We have split our work into two segments," explained Allen.  "By far the majority of the assets have been dedicated to cleaning out the demolition in the neighborhoods of Imperial City, Zappa City, and Ellysia.  By the time we had a handle on the fires and the damage last spring, we realized that we had grossly underestimated the damage to structures in those neighborhoods.  It was then that we put out the call for heavy machinery and building materials from our friends in the international community rather than traditional forms of crisis relief, like money and food.  And we would like to thank both the member nations of the Seleyan Intergovernmental Council, who came through for us in a big way thanks to lobbying and organization from Aldegar, but also our comrades in Keymon, Lodamun for additional medical personnel and financial assistance, Liore, Endralon, Dolgava, and all other countries who quickly heeded our call for help in our time in need.  When the time comes for us to repay the kindness, the Republic will not forget the kindness shown our people by our fellows in the nations of the world."

In the city of 7 million, more than 50,000 single homes were damaged to the point of uninhabitability.  An additional 10,000 apartment units needed to be demolished because of the earthquake, leaving an estimated 250,000 Citizens homeless in the Republic.  Application for temporary housing skyrocketed after the quake, but the issue was not as critical as planners anticipated directly after the earth quake.  "We lost a lot of dwellings," said Allen.  "But the public sector was lucky in that about 75 percent of the displaced were able to find temporary housing with friends and family, or had second homes outside the city.  In the end, we were able to supply trailer homes for families, housing another 35,000 individuals, and for the young and able, who have found temporary housing with the National Service Program, the Bivouac sites, maintained by the Militias south of Igloo have provided a secure and warm community for the more than 20,000 individuals commuting into the cities to work on recovery alongside the NSP."

Most major demolition in the city limits was completed by late August last year, and then rebuilding in the neighborhoods began.  "We wanted to ensure that the neighborhoods with the lowest median incomes were the priorities of our efforts," said Allen.  "At first, the choice to focus on the poorest neighborhoods was somewhat controversial, but when we explained that those who were the lowest incomes tended to have fewer resources, and that the local economy relied on our workers being at work to provide services for the other people in the Capital, the mood softened significantly.  It also helped to explain to the people that the decision had already been made, and would continue on regardless of public sentiment, and if wealthy people wanted to jump to the front of the line, they could pay to rebuild their own house at any time."


NSP construction prioritizes vertical development when across the Northern neighborhoods

When it was possible property owners were asked whether they intended to move back into single family homes, or if they would consider four and five story condominium complexes instead of houses.  "As we were planning our rebuilding efforts, some of the younger comrades argued strongly for vertical development in these neighborhoods," explained Allen.  "Their argument was we should not just be rebuilding homes for people, but also the communities.  We would need to build not only someone's residence, but also their neighborhood stores, and shops, and services.  This discussion led us to ask residents about trading the single family home for two and three bedroom condominiums.  In the space where we used to house six families, we would not house twelve, and move their neighborhood services closer to them, to encourage foot traffic and to open up green spaces."  In initial surveys, among those intending to return home, something like 78 percent of individuals who had lost homes said they would prefer to live in a vertically developed space, rather than return to the block after block of rowhousing which was built after the Ananto War in the 4100s.

"It will allow us to economize both services and infrastructure, as well," said Allen.  "Most of the residents said they looked forward to not having a car anymore and utilizing public mass transportation, and having more green spaces in neighborhoods."  By far the most enthusiastic adopters were in the densely populated Zappa City neighborhood, followed by Ellysia.  Residents in Imperial City were less warm on the idea, with only 45% of residents preferring to move out of single family homes. "We can still do some vertical development in Imperial City, and open some new parks, and the residents seemed to be more interested in this."  As for Davon, residents there have, for the most part decided to rebuild their neighborhoods using private contractors.  "The people of Davon were emphatic that they did not want their homes, which tend to be larger and more expensive, and include land, to be rebuilt by the NSP.  That's fine, I suppose:  We are happy to redirect those resources to rebuilding in other neighborhoods."

The Republic, resilient as ever continued rebuilding at a feverish pace, and around the clock in all weather, through the entire winter.  "It was rainy and cold," said Allen, "but our members and the working parties which we are overseeing are resilient and they are happy to be out there helping their neighbors, and in many cases their own families.  We are looking forward to this summer, when our production schedule will double, and we will have four shifts a day, operating around the clock, a real assembly line process, for sure.  With our current schedule, we will have all four shifts in some phase of the home building process across the city.  By the end of this summer, using prefabricated techniques, as well as the additional manpower machinery lent us by our neighbors, and our own assets, we expect that all single family homes that we will be constructing in Zappa City will be completed, something close to 6500 single family homes.  We will then turn the Zappa City teams to building the condo complexes.  The home construction in Imperial City will take a bit longer, probably into October, but on the other hand, Ellysia should be completed in May."

As the physical landscape of Kaliburg is repaired, the emotional and political landscape still bear scars.  Following the positive identification of the remains of the former Premier Marguerite Beloit, the Socialist Party named an interim Premier, Harold Phipps-Bennots.  Phipps was a senior deputy from Gendaris, who was known before election as a corn farmer in Odufaray.  His premiership was meant to be a caretaker premiership, while the Party scrambled to replace the influential and hardworking late Premier of the Republic.  The Interim premier handled his job effectively, ensuring that reconstruction was the top priority of the Government, and proposing two pieces of legislation, one outlawing forced marriage, and the second nominating Gaduridos for Seat C in the WC.  But in November, President of the Republic Carrangus announced his retirement from office, citing health concerns, and Party officials decided to put Phipps forward as the SP's candidate for the Presidency.  Phipps was easily elected against the new SDP candidate, and moved to the Head of State's Office earlier this month.  Meanwhile, the SP's new leader, George Jackson, the 24 year old Deputy from Yoshimi Suldanor, was acclaimed by the National Assembly, and he picked up for Phipps in the Newly reopened National Assembly.

Kalistan is recovering well, but will be rebuilding for years.  Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the people of Kalistan, and the aid and assistance of our overseas friends, we have taken huge steps toward being back 100%, and we will redouble our efforts until there are no more people without homes, parks, services and reliable infrastructure.  It may take longer for our Republic to recover what was lost and some of us have lost far more than can ever be replaced by the NSP's work crews.  For those people, we would also like you to know that the Republic will not forget you either.  Our Republic's rebuilding may not help you forget, but it will help you continue to live on and may help your wounds heal after time.