Alexander Langley
| Alexander Langley | |
|---|---|
 Presidential portrait of Langley, 1954 | |
| 1st President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Meridia | |
| In office January 15th, 1943 - April 5th, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Ricardo Santos |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander Dominic Langley May 2nd, 1898 Rattlerville, Maricopa, Meridia |
| Died | April 5th, 1983 (aged 85) Alberton, Alberton Federal District, Meridian SFR |
| Political party | Meridian Social Labor Party |
| Spouse(s) | Isabella Langley (nee. Smith) |
| Parent(s) | John Langley Amelia Samson |
| Relatives | Langley Family |
| Alma mater | University of Cape Cambridge |
| Occupation | Politician |
Alexander Dominic Langley (2 May 1898 - 5 April 1983) was a Meridian politician and revolutionary who was the first president of the Socialist Federal Republic of Meridia (also known as SFR Meridia) from 1943 to 1983. Under his administration he led the nation as a one-party state under the Meridian Social Labor Party.
Langley was born in Rattlerville, Maricopa to a middle-class family. After getting his law degree at the University of Cape Cambridge in 1926, he joined the Labor Party, wanting to revitalize the Meridian government as he was unhappy with the current government in power under Joseph Richardson. The government shut the party down in 1938. Not giving up on his belief, he founded the Meridian Social Labor Party alongside other former members of the Labor Party. After the Tulip Square Massacre in 1941, he was arrested by the government for 2 years until 1943 when rioters in Alberton overthrew Richardson and the new provisional government freed him and made him the new president.
Under his rule he established the Socialist Federal Republic of Meridia, and made several laws and policies that attempted to make Meridian workers and citizen's lives better. The GDP of the country increased and Meridia helped the Bahian Socialist Revolution in 1945, and was one of the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of Bahia. In the 1950s Langley led the SFRM Space Program, the Ministry of Space Exploration, which developed rockets and space stations like Space Station Unity in 1956. In the 1970s Langley began decentralizing Meridia's politics and economy. Meridians could vote for their governor for the first time, and states were given more control over their services and education.
Langley died at the age of 85 in 1983 after complications from a stroke. He became the longest-serving president in the history of Meridia, serving for 40 years. The death of Langley shocked the country, and many Meridians openly mourned his passing. The MSLP organized a state funeral in his honor. Langley's funeral was attended by many prominent politicians and citizens of Meridia. Langley was eulogized as the "father of modern Meridia." He was succeeded by Ricardo Santos, who appointed the first female vice president, Angélica Baker, and in 1989 Santos declared that Meridia would not be a one-party system anymore and held the first free Meridian election since 1943, which was won by Scott Martin, who dissolved the Socialist Republic and established the Federal Republic of Meridia in 1990.