Pekelo Makanui

Pekelo Makanui (1860 – 1942) was a Telamonian independence activist who served as Prime Minister of the Free Polybloxian Government in Exile from 1933 to 1935.

Life

Pekelo Makanui was born in exile, the son of the former king of Manakapa, less than three months after the kingdom was dissolved and incorporated into Rogaulia. Makanui was raised in a patriotic spirit and taught to fight to one day set foot on his father's lands. He received a good education, studying at some of the best universities in Luobu Empire. He soon joined the exile party and, in 1891, joined the royalist faction founded by his brother, Pekelo Makia. Makia inherited the title of king in exile and also became prime minister of the Free Polybloxian Government in Exile. Makanui joined the government and held numerous positions for the next seven years. In 1898, he was appointed government plenipotentiary in Ro-Kasom, after which he moved to Jolta. He was the only candidate for this position, as he was the only one who spoke the Ro-Kasomian language.

He remained in the country for the next twenty-nine years, forging allies among various politicians. His efforts paid off, as Ro-Kasom soon became one of only two countries to recognize the government in exile and, in fact, the only country able to help the Telamonian cause. Makanui also gained the ear of the Telamonian diaspora in Ro-Kasom, promoting a more liberal version of conservatism and advocating for reform. At the time, the diaspora was largely composed of the working class, whose members chose either communism or liberal conservatism. As the face of the diaspora, he was able to influence the Ro-Kasom government and solidify support for the Telamonian cause. He was also concerned about some of the health and safety practices in Ro-Kasom imposed on ethnic minorities, and he pressured the government not to force Telamonians to work too hard. Some Telamonians in Ro-Kasom knew him as the "Eternal Ambassador", because he had spent twenty-nine years of his life there and often represented Telamonian interests.

Makanui returned from Ro-Kasom only in 1927. During his absence from the government in exile, it relocated to Kohola. Furthermore, political changes occurred there, as the democrats gained significant support. He therefore decided to engage in securing support from the island governments. He also became interested in matters on the colonized islands. He supported Libela and began acting as an intermediary in transferring money and ammunition from Ro-Kasom. When his brother died in 1932, he decided to become involved in government affairs and, with the support of his nephew, Pekelo Ekela, became prime minister the following year. As prime minister, he committed himself to supporting the Golden Sun Association and the Legions of the Sun. He served in this capacity for only two years, after which the democrats essentially destroyed the royalist party, winning an overwhelming majority. The government itself ceased to be an emigration government and began to become merely a foreign branch of the Golden Sun Association. In 1936, Makanui tried to convince Robloxia, and later the Neo-Japanese Empire, to support the association. After receiving a refusal from Robloxia and some support from Neo-Japan, he returned to Kohola and settled there. In 1940, he fulfilled his dream of seeing his ancestral island at least once when, after the revolution, Manakapa was liberated by the Legions of the Sun. Makanui began traveling around the island. He was in Maliblox City when the Neo-Japanese Empire launched its invasion of the Telamon Islands. In January 1942, he became one of the occupiers' prisoners. When they realized his high standing, he was thrown into an advanced prison. In late January, Makanui reportedly began complaining of a wound he sustained when a piece of debris fell on him during a bombing raid. Without receiving medical attention, he died on January 29, 1942.