Politics and Issues:
Prior to the Aurelian Menace (2598-2661 TSC), Tantalus was divided along former regional lines by the Emomalii Dynasty, which were often fraught with political tensions left over from the 2518 Conquest of Konstantinople by the Second Apollon Republic. These regions were subdivided into sectors led by Akims and their local bureaucracies, which were further distributed along utilities functions in light of two thermonuclear exchanges in the late 2400's TSC.
Akims were elected by a popular alternative vote system which ensured minor parties remained able to voice their issues before the Xah of Tantalus: By the year 2595 TSC, one-hundred-and-thirteen Akims convened quarterly at Konstantinople's Blacksteel Cathedral of Husayn, while larger sectors left behind bureaucrat contingents to manage immediate issues that arose within the planetary capital. Historical remnants suggest that Akims were elected via universal suffrage and that no substantial obstacles to voter registration remained in the 26th century TSC. The Xah's role was to mediate, confirm, and propose planetary legislation during eras of distress, although histories found in subterranean libraries will affirm that many such policies were detrimental to the planet's economy.
Tantalus is currently ruled by Ayub-Stinley of the AMFT, having overthrown the Aurelian T'iantaloum Kh'uunate in 2661 TSC with the Ordenreich and the Lord's Believers Army (TBA) providing a long-needed knockout punch in the regime's face. Security is maintained by the Ordenreich contingency as well as -to a lesser extent- the TBA, and work is underway to restore the Tantalan infrastructure, education, healthcare, and environmental systems. Radiation remediation is one key concern which consumes the most resources, for there exists not only residual fallout from the nuclear exchanges but also excessive cosmic 'leakage' due to the poor atmosphere quality. Healthcare is relatively poor compared with the Tantalans' neighbors: Life expectancies in some sectors hover below 45 Terran years, and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses are a daily occurrence even with rigorous revitalization of clinics.
Only time will tell when the Tantalans assume control over their own world. Estimates for independence range from as few as five years to as many as thirty, depending on potential logistical setbacks as well as another potential invasion. On a somewhat positive note, net fertility rates have climbed back to a planetary average of 2.312 children per woman, and an influx of medical aid should see modest increases in life expectancy over the next decade. Efforts to revitalize the economy should also prove fruitful if more Tantalan adolescents and adults attend off-planet adults to improve their situation back home, with one administration directive calling for an 85 percent literacy rate by 2672 TSC as well as a twenty-fold increase in individuals certified as doctors, engineers, philosophers, and tradespeople.