Esquarium Today [Regional News, CLOSED]

[Montecroce]

Voter Fraud Fears Emerge


Voter fraud concerns emerge as election results appear 'off'

2015:10:1 / Cristo Città

As the votes slowly come in for Parliament elections in Montecroce, the results have begun to both startle and please many. For now, it seems the Partito Nazionale may have locked in a win in the election, and have the majority of the seats. But this sudden rise in votes for the PN has caused some to suspect that voter fraud is occurring. Currently, the PN will have a 35% share of Parliament seats, up from about 12% previously. Political scholars in the country contribute the rise to growing dissatisfaction with the Unione Indipendente party's policies. These policies have been more and more left-leaning as of late, perhaps causing members of the supposed center-right party to search for a party that is more representative of their beliefs.

While no evidence has been found of voting fraud, it may be hard to dissipate such rumors if the PN does indeed win the elections. The PN is widely considered to be a large government capitalist party, and many more socialist-minded citizens fear that capitalism will ruin the nation. The Stati Confederati (SC) party, however, seem to believe the fears of voter fraud to be legitimate, stating that these elections may permanently decide the future of the nation, and have the potential to set up a dictatorship.

While the SC and PN have not often seen eye-to-eye, except in economical matters, these accusations, however indirect, may set off a large confrontation in the coming months within Parliament, and indeed, in the streets between supporters of both parties.

Voting is expected to be complete by Sunday morning.

[Vyvland]

English • Lorence • Funjresdeg, 1f. Oktobre, 2015 • Niymeked 18:08

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Local elections 2015: Liberals collapse while rivals soar

After a day and night of vote counting, the results are almost all in for Vyvland's provincial and municipal elections held on Wednesday. Each of the seventeen provinces and 1058 municipalities of Vyvland held elections on Wednesday to elect their Provincial Diets and Municipal Councils respectively. In some areas, mayors, borough and parish councillors were also elected. The elections took place almost exactly halfway through the current electoral term, midway between the 2013 general election and - assuming the government stays together - the 2017 election. Thus their result is being keenly eyed as the most accurate mid-term prediction of voter patterns to come.

Overall, the picture looks like a resounding loss for the Liberal Party, which has lost ground from having the second-most seats at the last provincial elections in 2011 to having the fourth-most this time round. All other major parties but the National Party gained seats, most at the Liberals' expense.

Crash Diet: coalition-building begins
Many Diets have already begun the informal coalition-building process. Three that may see a stalemate for a number of weeks are Nevel and Wik, where slim rightwing majorities are stifled by many right-of-centre parties' unwillingness to work with one another, and Bajre, where independents hold the balance between left and right. Helland's regionalist-unionist divide adds another element into that province's notoriously tricky government formation. The emergence of the Welland Social Democrats, a splinter from a scandal-ridden provincial Socialist Party, will complicate matters in the already-fragmented Diet of Welland, where neither the traditional left nor right have a working majority.

A two-party system for Vyvland?
Vyvland has been, since reunification, a decidedly multi-party state. The largest share of the vote any single party has won is 37.7%, achieved by KDC at the height of the National Party's post-reunification lull. First, second and third-places have tended to shift between the Socialist, Liberal and Conservative parties. Coalitions are the norm at almost all levels of government bar the smallest municipalities (and Lyksdal, which has often had majority Socialist governance).

Yet now - except in sectarian Helland and the small provinces of Brudon and the Islands - either the Socialist Party or KDC holds the most seats in every province's Diet. Only in Bajre is the Liberal Party even in the top two - compare this to its top-two finishes in ten provinces in 2011. In the Southwest, the Liberal Party has fallen from first place with 38 seats in 2011, ten clear of its nearest rival KDC, to 21 this year, placing it in fifth.

The idea of Vyvland's politics moving towards a two-party state surprises many commentators and politicians alike. Bysbeerer columnist Dav Magsen is sceptical that such a system will take hold. "I don't see this becoming a permanent fixture in Vyvland's political landscape, simply because it's too early to call something like this. The Liberals are in an unpopular coalition and are seen as having compromised their integrity, but this sort of damage shouldn't be permanent as long as the party acts vaguely competently in the years to come."

Only once before has this sort of two-party structure emerged in Vyvland: in the latter years of North Vyvland, when the Radical People's Party, the predecessors of today's Liberals, declined in prominence after entering into coalitions with social democrats and christian democrats, in which their liberal voice was marginalised. Modern-day echoes of this period are widely mentioned in Liberal circles. Former President Robert Ujson made a rare comment today on the results, stressing that 'the Liberal Party is too vital to the preservation of democratic freedoms in this country to let it fall from grace'. He stopped short, however, of questioning the current leadership.

Municipal elections - the narrative continues
Despite their different focuses, most municipal elections returned results broadly similar to the national picture. The Liberals were left high and dry, coming first in none of Vyvland's thirty largest municipalities (in 2011 the party was placed first in nine). Liberal-led city administrations in Vlud, Mafiy and Seldon have all ended as municipal politicians reel from the unpopularity of the party in the national government. The now-former mayor of Mafiy XXXX stated in a press conference that Liberal Party members needed to take 'a long look at ourselves' to ascertain what the party is doing wrong, in a move assumed by some to be a challenge at the current party leadership and position in the KDC-led coalition.

Meanwhile, votes for the National Party continue to even out between the former North and South, while the Greens and Capitalist-Libertarian Party gained 81 and 45 seats respectively. Much of the new voter bases for these parties came from disaffected ex-Liberals.

A centre-right coalition looks like the most likely outcome in Vlud, though the Socialist Party has won second place in the city for the first time since 1988. In Lyksdal, the Socialist Party was left one seat short of an overall majority on the City Council but nevertheless has announced its intention to govern alone. A broader left-of-centre coalition including some agreement with the United Left is likely to be formed in Jesel, though what form this will take remains to be decided and will probably only be agreed upon after lengthy negotiations.

Though knocked into third place in Mafiy, the Liberal Party will still be the city's kingmakers; it is likely that the party will align in a coalition with the Socialists and Greens though it may opt to enter into a more centre-right agreement. KDC made particularly large gains in Lorence, where the party has an outside chance of leading the next administration, while Strossen seems to be headed for another Socialist-led coalition. Steven looks certain to continue its trend of right-of-centre governments while things are much more evenly matched in Wel, where the support of a few independents could be the deciding factor in who gets to run the city for the next four years.

[Pavonistade]

-DEVELOPING- PAVONISTADE RAISES DEFCON LEVEL FROM 4 TO 3
Defense Minister explains "instability in range of Pavonistade" as a justification

Date: October 2, 2015

Minister of Defense Bianka Lawrence (right) was to
address the recent change in DEFCON level.

In light of what has been collectively mentioned as "grave turmoil" in Esquarium, Pavonistade has raised its defense readiness condition from 4 (Normal) to 3 (Heightened).

Earlier in noon Minister of Defense Bianka Lawrence announced the changes to DEFCON, which in Pavonistade is based on imminence to conventional war. She stated there was a need for increased military and security alert due to "the unveiling of instability and security threats across multiple regions, in addition to instability in range of Pavonistade". What was also added was that "any ongoing grave turmoil can devolve easily [...] so our country must always be prepared to secure itself to the fullest extent".

While Minister Lawrence did not elaborate on specifics in her description, many analysts believe that she may have referred to the recent Soledan coup d'état, already condemned by the King and Houses of Deliberation of Hyd Gohin. There is also a concensus that Minister Lawrence has taken note about the Irvadi Civil War, in which Pavonistade has provided humanitarian aid since 2014; the Second Domestic Terror War, where Pavonistadian assistance began earlier in June; and the Ocelotian Crisis, where growing inability to properly administrate the Ocelot Isles may have a toll on Pavonistade. Smaller groups of experts point to the recent recession and conflict in South Conitia as further justification for the DEFCON change.

A lack of surprise has been demonstrated by several experts and scholars across the country. University of Gordhoss professor Wiliemn Tymons believed "[t]here has been a pattern of altering defense readiness conditions, primarily between levels 4 and 3, in the face of periodic situations." He further noted that Pavonistade has not returned to level 5 (Peaceful) since 1990, when it raised its alertness from 5 to 4 after the Ocelot Isles Independence Referendum of 1990.

As the whole of Pavonistade is put on increased attention for any suspicion or issues, Minister Lawrence said that she "hope[s] for a resolution to varying conflicts and a timely return to normal levels."

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[Vajorr]

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VJAARLAND PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT VAJORR
PM Sjolgaard to visit the country, among interest and hostility.

NEW HAUSTAD - The Federal Foreign Office announced today that the Vjaarlandic Prime Minister, Harald Sjolgaard, will visit the country within the following month. He will be the most important Vjaarlandic dignitary to visit the country since the founding of the Republic. The visit would set in stone the new era of Vajorr-Vjaarland relations first started in 1977.

Around 08:00 a statement from the Foreign Office was released, “confirming that the Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Vjaarland, Harald Sjolgaard will be visiting Vajorr very soon.” The immediate reaction was one of shock as there was no hint that the visit would be taken place. A Social Democratic politician was noted to have said that Prime Minister Grüner “pulled the [Vjaarlandic Prime Minister] out of the voting box.” Indeed, many here are wondering if the National Party is already gearing up for the 2016 Federal Elections. However after the surprise, reactions quickly grew polarized.

In a press conference outside the Federal Palace, Deputy Prime Minister Haus Auer said, “We are pleased to announce that his Excellency Sjolgaard will be visiting the country. We are so honoured to host the Prime Minister of our northern neighbour and we will be showing him the very best of what Vajorr has to offer.” The Vjaarlandic Prime Minister will be visiting the capital and make a couple of stops. He will make a speech in front of Parliament, a private meeting with the Prime Minister, and a tour of the capital. The announcement has drawn the ire of East League MPs who flocked to social media blasting the National Party for inviting him. “The Nationals have truly drifted from their original purpose; Independence from the monarchists!” one message said. The far-right East League has generated much controversy for its anti-Vjaarlandic and social conservative stance. Overall however, reaction has been generally positive with political commentators noting that Prime Minister Grüner was walking in Kohl’s footsteps.

The visit of the Vjaarlandic Prime Minister would represent the warmest relations between the two countries before the fall of the Vajorrian Kingdom. However, relations with Vjaarland ever since independence has been strenuous and controversial. After its independence, Vajorr and Vjaarland subjected each other to a series of military and economic confrontations. This continued for the majority of the 20th century, even when the two countries were supposedly allied such especially during the Second Great War. However tensions rose to a flashpoint in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a series of events known as the Troubles. Among a hysteria of anti-Vjaarlandic sentiment, the country was ready to go to war. However the President stepped in; claiming that the current political environment was incapable of government, he dissolved Parliament and called new elections. A grand coalition of the Social Democrats and the Nationals prevented another League government. Under the Social Democratic Prime Minister James Kohl, Vajorr largely repaired its relations with its former adversary. Under a policy of normalisation, tensions have cooled significantly of the course of the past several decades.

[The Jahistic Unified Republic]

Controversy Looming as Baseball Playoffs Begin
MiniSport Office Launches Invesitgation into Reserve Clause

The State Ministry of Sport officially confirmed an investigation into the "Reserve Clause" that has been a part of Unolian baseball since its foundations. This comes during the dramatic very end of the Unolian Major Baseball (UMB) regular season which drew an estimated twelve million unique visitors to the ballparks situated around the country.

As player protests intensified and with the demand for higher wages and a more powerful players' union, the Triumvirate of Baseball (Unolian League President Kerri Lin, United League President Jack Wiesenthal, and de facto Commissioner of Unolian Baseball Richard Ma) have all remained stagnant in their beliefs.

The Reserve Clause is a clause in the contracts of every single UMB player that says that the team they are currently signed to has the right to negotiate with the player first. The catch is that the player themselves, if offered a contract by the team they are currently employed to, are stripped of the right to accept any other contract. The effect of the rule is that teams keep players indefinitely on a year-by-year basis and prevents them from negotiating another contract with a team unless they are released by their current employer.

Proponents of the rule, mainly in baseball's ruling elite, claim that this provides stability and a promise to fans that their favorite players will be on their favorite team year by year.

Opponents claim that the rule is no different than chattel slavery.

The Chairman of the Unolian Baseball Players Association, former starting pitcher for the Brookopolis Lightning baseball club and Ziegenian national Volkmar Frueh said that this was about freedom of choice.

"This is slavery. They can cut and give us raises at whim and sell us to other teams at whim. I will be stating my case to the Ministry of Sport and, if needed, the [Assembly of the People's] Committee on the Constitution." Said Freuh in a meeting of the UBPA.

The Triumvirate of Baseball remains defiant and has reportedly lawyered up. The Sports Ministry can strip the Majors of their "Unolia Series" recognition, which provides the postseason champion with official recognition as the "best in Unolia" in their sport and recognizes them with the "Hero of Unolian Sports" honor if the Ministry finds baseball in contempt of decency. This could lead to a loss of sponsors and prestige to an otherwise devoted fan base.

On top of this, Frueh has proposed the players go on strike to further their cause. This would mean the first major work stoppage in Unolian baseball history and a loss of over 450,000,000 USD in sponsorships, ticket sales and the like. As of now, the postseason will continue as planned and we'll likely see a completion of the Unolia Series.

Postseason Matchday One
What to Expect

Tomorrow marks day one of the Divisional Championship Series, where the first and second places in all four divisions face off for the right to progress in the playoffs onto the League Championship Series and potentially the Unolia Series. All five games in each series will always be broadcast on local television, and Firebrand Sports will carry Game One of the Montway v. Amespark series, Game Three of South Unolia v. Waterford, Game Two of Garapple vs. Chesterton, and Game Four (if necessary) of the Perryslayne Vipers v. Perryslayne Patriots series.

In the United League (UTD) North, the Montway Rebellion (1st, 77-55) and their starter, Lee Tai Hoi Han (16-8, 2.53 ERA) will hope to win a crucial battle-of-the-aces with the Amespark Union's (2nd, 74-58) and the exceptional Paul Kane (13-4, 2.71 ERA). In the sixteen regular season matchups between the teams, Montway has won nine, Amespark seven.

In the South of that league, the South Unolia Giants (73-59, 2nd) make their first playoff appearance in nine years (they won the Unolia Series in 2006). They will have to take on the defending Unolia Series Champions in the Waterford Sailors (84-48, 1st). The first matchup will be between Ziegenian Joris Herbst (9-9, 4.03 ERA) for the Giants and Unolian Will Barnes (14-5, 2.81 ERA) for the Sailors.

In the Unolian League North, the Garapple Lightning (71-61, 2nd) and the Chesterdale Fortsguards (72-60, 1st) will face off. Qing-nan Chen (12-11, 3.82 ERA) will take the mound in Game One for the Lightning, facing off against Michael Stephens (7-8, 2.35). Qing-nan, despite his decent overall record, is winless (0-2) against the Fortsguards, giving up almost five runs a game to them. Garapple will try to claim their first Unolia Series title this year.

Then we have the Local Series. Both Perryslayne teams claim to be the rightful team in their city. This will mark the first time they have met up in the postseason, making this a desperate series. The Vipers (2nd, 67-65) came a distant second to the Patriots (1st, 78-54), but they've split their twelve meetings down the middle at six a piece. The Vipers will send up Ziegenian starter Kasch Schactschnieder (11-5, 2.15) against Unolian League ERA Champion and Pitcher of the Year contender Christian Dickson (14-3, 1.73).

[Qianrong]

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A LOOK AT ELECTION 2015
It may be small and far away, but Lecistan's elections might have massive effects on South Conitia-
Also, history hints that covering Namor's upcoming elections will probably get us sued by the Txotai AR.


Anti-government protesters have been jailed by the Saltuceri regime on dubious or absurd charges.

BONOVENTI, ODISSIA- OCTOBER 4^th, 2015 - July 5th, 2015 was a historic moment: for the first time, Qianrong recognized Juhani Kaarenmaa-Hennala as something other than a pretender to the Nevan throne illegally reigning as a racist and sexist tyrant over an oppressed people. After the mysterious- perhaps even suspicious- death of Kresztof II Olowski, Juhani Kaarenmaa-Hennala became Grand Duke Juchany I of Lecistan, and Qianrong recognized Lecistan at the time. To be fair, Qianrongese recognition only lasted sixteen days before Kaarenmaa-Hennala decided to replace the popularly-backed and charismatic Janusz Medzerz with the both incompetent and near-universally despised Wiktor Kozlowski, after which Qianrong decided that Juhani's Lecistan probably wouldn't be much better than Juhani's Nevanmaa and dropped recognition.

Of course, Wiktor Kozlowski is no longer in power- replaced in his party by Guglelmo Manti and as President of Lecistan by Jovanne-Marco Saltuceri. It says something about Kozlowski, no doubt, that his deposition in a military coup was not significantly opposed by any part of the military, the elected government, the Lecistani population, or even the Nevan royalist regime. Unfortunately, Saltuceri is for all intents and purposes just Kozlowski except not universally despised, actually competent, and more than a little ruthless.

But Lecistan has its seventh general election in two days, with the vote to be held on October 6th. And the people of Lecistan- well, the males with a certain amount of money, because no realm that close to Nevanmaa would have universal suffrage- have the chance to take their future down any number of potential paths, with a full fifteen parties campaigning for seats in the country's legislature. The choices range from technofascism to democratic socialism. But what will each of these paths entail- and more importantly, will the power-hungry Saltuceri let any person other than himself run Lecistan?

Jovanne-Marco Saltuceri seems eager to win the election- and might very well try to rig it.

So let's start with the President himself- Jovanne-Marco Saltuceri, thrust into power by a military coup of his own creation. Saltuceri has never won an election and has never been a politician. Under him, Lecistan's economy has collapsed, the country has struggled against genocidal rebels, and Lecistan's international stature and recognition have managed to plummet even further than they had under Kozlowski. That would be an impressive resume for someone who desperately wants out of power, but Saltuceri doesn't seem to want to leave his office any time soon. Saltuceri is, while independent, the leader of the three-party rightist National Unity Camp, whose platform is essentially more of the same- more cessations of sovereignty to the so-called "Nevan Realm", more economic and security troubles, more repression of opposition groups and the rise of a police state, more hard times than ever before.

Oh, but that's being unfair. After all, there are three parties, and they all have unique platforms. The National Union for the Resurgence of Lecistan, which controls 21 of the country's 50 legislative seats, is the largest party in the legislature. It endorses Saltuceri, who is technically independent, and its platform is the tried-and-definitely-not-true platform mentioned above. The second is the Moderate Front. This used to be the main opposition party, but in recent months every member of the party with a spine fled it like a sinking ship and it has now latched onto the National Unity Camp in a desperate attempt to not die. Its platform is also the platform above, except the Moderate Front is also agrarian. And the third party is the National Socialist People's Community for Lecistani Revivalism, apparently named by somebody who thinks that you win elections the longer your party name is, as though politics is writing an essay for school and you have to write a certain number of words to get the best grade. Its platform is mostly the platform above, except substitute "Nevanmaa" with "the Triumvirate" and "police state" with "genocidal totalitarian hellhole".

Essentially, the National Unity Camp is more of the same bad things, more of the same bad things plus farming, and significantly worse things. If that's a skillfully worked-out platform that will ultimately benefit the Lecistani people, then I have some nice seaside property in Gnasri that I'll sell to you.

There are also two parties that, while technically not members of the National Unity Camp, fit in with it more than they do with the actual opposition. These parties are the reactionary Old Roots party, which has an almost Luddite platform, and the Lecistani Front for a New Technocratic Order, a technofascist group. There's really not that much else to say about them. One's Luddite and would probably work well with the National Union, the other's technofascist and would probably work well with the National Socialists.

Lukosz Grzeskowicz's Solidarity coalition is diverse, but united in a quest to fix a broken system.

Unsurprisingly, many Lecistanis are not happy with the platform of business-as-usual mixed with an even worse alternative offered by the National Unity Camp- and there are many opposition parties to pick from. There is one main opposition coalition, the Solidarity Alliance, containing five opposition parties- the Lecistan Social Democrats, Rally for Lecistani Sovereignty, Party for Freedom and Progress, Great Reform Party, and Lecistan for a Peaceful & Democratic Change. The Lecistan Social Democrats- led by Lukosz Badows- have become the spiritual and effective successor to Janusz Medzerz's Society of Socialists, which itself joined the party after having struggled without its deceased founder. The Rally for Lecistani Sovereignty- led by Lukosz Grzeskowicz, who also leads the coalition- has been vocal in fighting for the release of several of its leaders, jailed on almost certainly fabricated charges, and has been mobilizing massive street demonstrations for days to get the message out. The Party for Freedom and Progress- led by Bogdan Borzyszkowski- is a libertarian oddball in the mostly leftist coalition, but is just as dedicated to guaranteeing political freedom and national self-determination. The Great Reform Party- led by Fraceszk Szpilman- was one of the first parties to split from the imploding Moderate Front. And Lecistan for a Peaceful & Democratic Change- led by Léch Staniswônrzi- has bravely endured political repression that forced its leadership into exile in Odissia. While these parties have varying economic plans and oppose a monarchy to differing degrees, and their policies towards Odissia vary, they all support a separation from Nevanmaa- and a Solidarity victory would undoubtedly shift the balance of power in South Conitia as a result.

There are also a smattering of unaffiliated opposition parties- the Agrarian and Civic Party, National Republican Party, Feline Party, Lecistani Ethnic Front, and Lecistani Progressive-Conservative Party. The first one and final two have done little to distinguish themselves from the crowd- though for the last two, that might be because they were founded mere days ago. The National Republican Party's policy is alright in a few areas, but they support the institution of a state church, which would alienate members of other Christian sects and other religions in Lecistan, and the banning of the Nevan language, and how would you enforce a nationwide ban of the words "sauna" and "perkele"? As for the Feline Party, it's a satirical party led solely by cats, and that's all I need to say. These parties are likely to pick up whatever crumbs the two coalitions don't catch.

The Solidarity Alliance, though, would have a good chance in any free and fair political system. Its leadership style incorporates all of the parties involved, and the message it sends- one of increasing the country's independence from Nevanmaa, getting rid of archaic and restrictive voting laws, guaranteeing the country's self-determination and civil rights, and increasing the powers of elected officials- is the course the country needs to take if it hopes to be anything other than an impoverished and isolated puppet regime. If the number of people who show up to rallies and demonstrations against the Nevan royalist and Lecistani mass jailings of more than 2,100 dissidents is any sign, then they certainly have popular backing. In fact, polls conducted by independent organizations project a win of 40 of the country's 50 seats by Solidarity- 17 for the Rally for Lecistani Sovereignty, 9 for the Lecistan Social Democrats, 9 for the Party for Freedom and Progress, 4 for Lecistan for a Democratic & Peaceful Change, and 1 for the Great Reform Party.

The mass jailings of opposition supporters show how desperate Saltuceri is to retain power against the people's will.

So why are people worried? Well, partially because the same poll shows 6 seats going to the National Socialists and 1 seat going to the cats, but even those are acceptable compared to the reality, which is that the Lecistani government will almost certainly try to rig the elections to guarantee a victory for the National Unity Camp, even though polls suggest the Solidarity Alliance would be the rightful victors. The government has jailed multiple leaders of the Rally for Lecistani Sovereignty- many of whom are presently on hunger strike in prison- and has forced the leadership of Lecistan for a Democratic & Peaceful Change into exile; the individuals in question were charged with crimes that were blatantly false and obviously fabricated for political reasons. Nevan royalist forces, with Saltuceri's blessing, have unjustly arrested at least a thousand Lecistani civilians to be ripped away from their homeland, tried under the Nevan royalist regime's infamously repressive laws, and thrown into Nevan jails on fabricated charges by kangaroo courts. Saltuceri himself has arrested at least 1,100 protesters and opposition supporters, again on fabricated charges. The most recent arrests were after protesters supposedly sang a song, Bread and Cornflowers, that is banned under oppressive laws that restrict free speech- except not only were they not violating an unjust and absurd law, videos taken at the arrests show that they weren't even singing the song- they were actually singing a variation on the Qianrongese soccer chant "The Firebirds March on Bethlehem" entitled "The Lecistani People March for Freedom".

This mass jailing of dissenters and dissidents on blatantly false charges shows a desperation by Saltuceri to retain his hold on power. And the result of the "official" polls, released by the Lecistani Ministry of Elections, show that he is perfectly fine with rigging the elections to maintain an iron grasp on power. Polls published by the Lecistani regime show the National Unity Camp winning 46 of the legislature's 50 seats and the Solidarity Alliance taking the remaining 4, whereas independent and unbiased polls show the National Unity Camp taking only 8 to the Solidarity Union's 40 with non-aligned parties taking the remaining two. Unfortunately, the only government that is presently set to monitor these elections is the regime that calls itself the Nevan Realm- and the so-called Nevan Realm obviously can't be trusted to fairly monitor an election where it has been jailing the political opposition and has a clear motivation to rig the election in favor the government. And it's unclear if any human rights or civil liberties groups will be willing or able to monitor these elections- the Esquarian Human Rights Monitor hasn't yet commented either way, and the National Rights and Liberties Index says it doesn't have the funding. As a result, this means that the chance the elections will be rigged is absurdly high, and that the victor of these elections will probably not be the one that the Lecistani people picked, but the one that Saltuceri and Kaarenmaa-Hennala picked.

That isn't a reason to give up hope- it's a reason for Lecistani opposition to continue fighting. What they have to do now is make sure that the world hears them, notices them, and remembers them. If they can come out in force and make it clear that they are the majority, and that they will not be silenced by despotates at home or abroad, then more nations might take notice of them- not just in South Conitia, but across Esquarium. And that might bring about international pressure directed at the Nevan royalist regime and the Lecistani royalist regime that would isolate the groups seeking to manipulate the vote in Lecistan and quite possibly force them to stop. And domestically- well, independent polls estimate that the five parties that make up the Solidarity Alliance together have the backing of nearly eighty percent of the country's population, and eighty percent of the Lecistani population is 2,895,000 people, and 2,895,000 people can put a lot of pressure on the Saltuceri regime. If anything, the Lecistani people need to be more vocal than ever before- it might be the only way that they can save their country from a bleak future.

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OTHER NEWS STORIES
Uncensored, Unedited Truth
Qianrong: Stalemate: why have the Terror War's fronts halted?
Pavonistade: Country raises DEFCON status amidst "turmoil"
Riro: Nari oil pipeline ratified by Namorese Central Council
Vyvland: Liberal Party tumbles in local election results shock
Namor: "Dejungization" bill continues to cause furor in Peitoa
Soled: Military coup leaders declare all opposition groups illegal

[Nevamaa]

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Lecistani Governor-General bans all public meetings, protests for next seven days

NEVANLINNA - Lecistani Governor-General Kustaa Lamminlaita has issued a decree on behalf of Grand Duke Juhani III, prohibiting all public meetings of more than five people until Sunday, October 11. Those defying the ban would risk being imprisoned for seven days, effectively preventing them from voting in Tuesday's general election.

The Office of the Governor-General released a short statement, stating that "the temporary restrictions on freedom assembly are vital preserve peace and prevent intimidation of voters by republicanist extremists. The decree is in full compliance with Lecistani law, which allows temporary suspension of civil liberties to protect national security."

A stern warning was also issued to those who were preparing to defy the ban: "Those wishing to violate public peace in the Grand Duchy can and will be taken into custody until next Sunday, and risk not being able to vote."

So far, the extremist oppsition has had little chance to cause trouble thanks to General and Duke Rolf Tuura, commander of the Nevan troops in Lecistan. Tuura's troops, now numbering almost 30,000, have worked around the clock to maintain peace and prevent extremist activities in all major cities. "We have been working hard to ensure that the Lecistani people can go to the polls knowing that they won't be intimidated by riots or violence orchestrated by extremists", Tuura states. "This weekend alone we have arrested over 1,000 suspected extremists who we believe have been responsible for various illegal activities in Šimungotš and Ritserzow. We also took control of a publishing house that had been printing the Tšëfarva (Trzëfarwa), an extremist and anti-monarchist newspaper".

Tuura's vigilance seems to have paid off, at least according to our correspondent in Šimungotš where the atmosphere is peaceful, with soldiers dressed in blue uniforms and piikkikypäräs patrolling the streets. "It's much safer on the streets after Saltuceri came to power", said one middle-aged man who wished not to be named. "During Kozlowski, there were constant protests, rebels and republicans rioting and no food in the stores. Now everything is much better."

Lecistanis will go to the polls on Tuesday, October 6th to elect a new Royal Chamber, and whether the election will be a victory for the extremist opposition or the National Union remains to be seen.

[Namor]

THE PICKLE - Почаи Симмун

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Picture of the Day: Ballot paper for the Lecistani general election

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[Geadland]

The Liberal reports
VYVLAND: LIBERALS IN DISTRESS
Centrist liberal parties in Vyvland and Geadland are both losing ground, for similar reasons

3 October 2015 Last updated 12:34 Geadish Standard Time
VLUD – Local elections were held in Vyvland last Wednesday, producing no clear winner and one very clear loser. The left-wing opposition made the most gains. However, the ruling KDC (centre-right) unexpectedly won the most votes and even managed to gain seats, having previously been on course for minor losses. Considering that local elections frequently produce backlashes against the national government, this is quite a good result for the new Prime Minister Gyneld Welelmsen. But there was still a backlash against the government. It was foisted on the KDC’s partners, the Liberal Party, who had led the government from 2009 to 2013 during the premiership of Vren Dens.

Compared to the last local elections in 2011, the Liberals’ vote share dropped from 20% to 10%, costing them just under half their seats in the provincial and municipal elections. As coalition negotiations begin to form the governments in the 17 provinces and over 1,000 municipalities, it appears that not one will be led by the Liberals. Some polls have placed their ratings in single digits. By comparison, only six years ago, the Liberals took 31% of the vote in a general election, their best result ever in the reunified Vyvland.

Thanks to its centrist economic policies and moderate liberal stance on social issues, for the past 10 years the party’s platform might well have been closest to what the average Vyvlander voter wants. There are drawbacks, however, to being a party that works willingly with both sides. Parallels can be drawn between them and the Liberal Party of Geadland, which is also sagging in the polls. Both worked with the centre-left from 2009 to 2013, in which they alienated many of their right-leaning supporters. After taking losses in a general election in 2013, they then switched to working with the centre-right, in which they alienated many of their left-leaning supporters.

It is not clear what a party in this situation can do. They will likely swear to fight back, but they said similar things after taking losses in 2013. In Vyvland, some of the Liberals whisper that their party should withdraw from the coalition. A few of their MPs voted against confirming Welelmsen into office and Gregor Urs, who served as a minister in Dens’ government, said three months ago that that the coalition was “untenable”. But breaking up the coalition is not exactly in the Liberals’ interest. They would go into an election campaign with poll ratings of 10% and an inability to work with the right-wing parties, as well as probably alienating many of their remaining supporters. On the other hand, it is not clear whether they would regain votes from the left if they brought the government down.

When the Geadish Liberals took a beating in provincial elections last June, their party leader Kjel Hammervik resigned. Vren Dens may do the same. Ever since the 2013 general election, many in her party have questioned why she is still leading them. The fact she has been a minister since then means she has been unable to publicly criticise the government or argue for distinctive policies. A few weeks ago, a polling of the party’s membership found that 60% wanted her to resign. However, it is not clear who could replace or challenge her. Fe Bysbeerer, a national newspaper, noted that “those supporting the coalition support her leadership, while those opposed to the coalition hold no cabinet place from which to make their voice heard.”

The only good news for the Liberals in Vyvland is that the KDC are moderating, having replaced their leader Kurt Blymont with Gyneld Welelmsen. Blymont was a fierce warrior of the right who was popular among his base but often struggled to win over the centre ground. Some of his socially conservative actions, such as restricting abortion laws, were unpopular among voters, including those who had supported the Liberal Party. By comparison, Welelmsen promises to move the party closer to the centre and steer clear of fighting in culture wars. If the Liberals want to minimise their losses, they should Welelmsen a chance and let the government serve a full term. They would risk a possible disaster in 2017, rather than a probable disaster in 2015. Though in the Geadish Liberals’ experience, they have suffered as much from supporting Efa Nordland, a liberal conservative whom Welelmsen has often been compared to.

The leading parties of Vyvland have found that the sort of policies favoured by the Liberals tend to work well, and have tended to stick within that territory. This leaves voters looking for more hard-line alternatives when they decide they want change. The decline of the centrist Liberals is one symptom of increasingly polarised and fragmented political landscape. The rise in support for the Greens on the hard left and the Capitalist-Libertarians on the right is another. Yet another is the incoming coalition government in Welland, which looks likely to be formed with six parties. The declining support for centrist liberals in Vyvland and Geadland may make it harder for other parties to form and run governments in the future.

[Qianrong]

Because modern news media is already a fiasco

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Nevan Prime Minister Tuomas Hyvarinen announced the policy on behalf of Juhani III, who is still not dead yet.

NEVANMAA TO BAN ALL INDEPENDENT THOUGHT, COMMON SENSE IN LECISTAN AMIDST RUN-UP TO NATIONAL ELECTIONS
October 4th, 2015 - Nevanlinna, Nevanmaa - Nevanmaa's Prime Minister Tuomas Hyvarinen, Commander of the Order of the Rubber Stamp of the Nevan Lion, announced on behalf of his Royal Majesty, Juhani III Kaarenmaa-Hennala, King of Nevanmaa and Grand Duke of Lecistan, that the Nevan government would be banning any and all independent thought and the usage of common sense by Lecistani citizens. "This is a necessary action to stop the increasingly large number of Lecistanis who are realizing that their country is becoming dangerously repressive and unnervingly close to Nevanmaa," Hyvarinen explained. "If we don't take this action, then the Lecistani people might actually elect a leader who's more concerned with improving the situation in Lecistan than with kissing up to a foreign despotate." The new law comes shortly after Nevanmaa banned all public gatherings of more than five people, the attempted silencing of a major opposition newspaper, and the arrests of more than 3,000 Lecistani civilians on fabricated charges or for political crimes.

Hyvarinen explained the reasoning behind the law to the press. "It's obvious that, since Juhani III inherited the Grand Duchy of Lecistan, the situation has done nothing but deteriorate. There have been numerous insurgencies, including at least one genocidal one. The economy has collapsed in Lecistan, and the country has become isolated from its neighbors and the world. Repression and oppression have grown exponentially as Nevan troops flood the streets and Lecistani police fabricate crime after crime. A capable and popular leader was replaced by us with an incompetent buffoon, who was himself replaced by a military tyrant. Any sane person would desperately want us out of Lecistan- we've been nothing but bad news for them," Hyvarinen said. "But His Magnificence isn't going to lose control of any of his domains, especially not to peasant rabble."

Moving on, Hyvarinen explained how the law would allow His Pretentiousness to retain control over an unwilling Lecistan. "It soon became obvious that the Lecistani people, if they though for themselves and used basic logic, would link the problems facing them to us and to our puppets there. And if they linked the problems to our puppets, then they certainly wouldn't vote for them- well, maybe the sadomasochists would vote for them, but the sadomasochist demographic just isn't large enough to guarantee a victory for Jovanne-Marco Saltuceri, his thugs, and the various other Lecistani politicians who have decided to sell their souls and their country. Anyone who utilized any sort of independent thought or common sense would almost inevitably vote for the Solidarity Alliance. The only obvious solution was to ban both independent thought and common sense, so that the Lecistani people would have to show up to the polls as brainwashed slaves."

Nevan troops marching through the fields of Lecistan- no, wait, that's a photo of cavalry officers from the First Great War.

The move comes as Lecistani elections- set to be held on October 6th- rapidly approach. When asked if the new law might influence the outcome of the elections, Hyvarinen replied, "Oh yes, of course. If we didn't begin harassing the opposition and trying to intimidate voters, then the Nevan government might have to deal with a Lecistani government that actually cares about the Lecistani people." Questioned next about it's legality, Hyvarinen said that the law was "probably legal under some restrictive law passed after the brutal crushing of the Red Rebellion or something like that, I don't know and it doesn't matter". "Saint Augustine once said that an unjust law is no law at all. Unfortunately for the peoples of Lecistan and Nevanmaa both, we're not Saint Augustine. Anyone caught breaking these blatantly restrictive laws that are obviously intended to silence any and all opposition will be jailed."

General Rolf Tuura, Duke of Suomivarihaikasaunakailotavalvuomaa and the commander of the Nevan forces occupying Lecistan, said that his troops would be enforcing the new decrees "with extreme prejudice". "We have been working hard to ensure that the Lecistani people can go to the polls knowing that they will absolutely be intimidated by thousands of armed foreign troops ready to jail them on false charges and suppress any and all opposition. Especially the members of the opposition who are poor, female, or browner than us. This weekend alone we have arrested another 1,000 random people who looked vaguely suspicious and were probably plotting something- and the Lecistani people can rest assured that these people will be imprisoned on fabricated charges in kangaroo courts... Let it be known there is nothing we won't do to silence anybody who attempts to use basic logic or independent thought in the upcoming days. What the Lecistani people want is irrelevant- especially if they want the Solidarity Alliance. Nevanmaa will see the government win these elections at any and all costs."

Tuura also announced that it would be sending 30,000 more troops to Lecistan, in an attempt to turn the region into an outright police state in addition to a Nevan puppet regime. In a show of force, all Nevan troops will be wearing their finest plate armor and will be armed with the most advanced smoothbore muskets in all of Nevanmaa.

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Top 3 News Stories
NAMOR: The Namorese Central Council has announced that it has passed the "Antelope Memorialization Act", which requires every town or city in the People's Republic of Namor to name at least half of its streets after Yunglang or Gelai Antelope, two of the country's pre-Minjuha dictators. "The Antelopes may have been just as repressive as the Jungs- in fact, seeing that they controlled more of Namor for longer, they probably oppressed more people than some tinpot island regime ever did- but history is written by the victors and the Antelopes were on the winning side," said Liberationist leader Shohai Antelope. "The passage of this bill will be an important step in guaranteeing that we move away from glorifying the dictatorship known as the Republic of Namor and further towards glorifying the dictatorship that the early People's Republic of Namor was... it is only fitting that we honor our national heroes. Also, we just learned that we have the legal authority to tell cities how to name their roads, and that sort of micromanagement is actually pretty fun." The move has elicited fury in Peitoa, where many have crowded the streets to protest what they view as government interference in an area where the central government should have no authority. In Namo, however, what Peitoans think is seen as irrelevant. "Peitoa is like, what, one percent of the population?" said Socialist Deputy Tao James. "Who gives a fuck about what they want?"
SOLED: Great Commander Pernk Ulpederm, the leader of a recent military coup in the Socialist Republic of Soled, has told reporters he was inspired to lead the coup d'etat that thrust him into power after seeing the successes of military coups in foreign countries. "My two greatest inspirations were, without a doubt, Guo Tse-Zu of Qianrong and Alexei Spalin of the Ocelot Isles. They both also led military putsches that thrust them into power, and under their reigns, Qianrong and the Ocelot Isles were nothing but stable and peaceful countries," adding that the abrupt establishment of military regimes had solved, not exacerbated, problems in both countries. "Everybody knows that the Second Domestic Terror War abruptly ended when Guo Tse-Zu declared himself Acting Chancellor, and the growth of diplomacy in Spalin's Ocelot Isles is world-famous," he said. "When was the last time you heard about anything bad happening in a country led by a military dictator?" Asked about his ideal ally, Ulpederm said that he would love to get on better terms with Jovanne-Marco Saltuceri, the military dictator of the Nevan puppet regime in Lecistan. "Sure, we may disagree on many things, but it's important that we unelected and self-declared military rulers stick together in tough times like this."
QIANRONG: Sources close to both Prime Minister Qi Chien-Xuan and Chairman Long Jiao-Dan have confirmed that the recent stalemate in the Second Domestic Terror War is because "the hate between the two is simply gone". "Prime Minister Qi and Chairman Long used to send each other angry cables all the time, and spent countless hours preparing speeches denouncing each other," said an aide of Prime Minister Qi. "But now the entire relationship feels increasingly stale, and both sides are beginning to lose interest. They simply don't hate each other any more." A source close to Long Jiao-Dan expressed a similar sentiment. "They used to be inseparable when they were arguing about the future of Qianrong- really, the ideal civil war relationship. But now they barely even send assassin's each other's way. It's kind of sad, really." Prime Minister Qi and Chairman Long themselves, however, maintained that nothing was wrong. "I hate that stuck-up terrorist asshole, he hates me, and that's that," Prime Minister Qi told a press junket earlier today. "Nothing in this hate-hate relationship is changing any time soon." Chairman long was more belligerent however, telling propaganda media sources that "this interference into the personal relationship between myself and the capitalist whore is absurd... you all have no authority to be prying into our personal affairs." As of press time, both sides had rejected rumors that they had already begun looking at foreign leaders to wholeheartedly despise.

[West Cedarbrook]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJpSPvBmjwg


http://www.RWC.wc

5:00 PM Wrycova Central Time
Weekend Business Roundup

Finally tonight, the Software Providers Council in it's annual meeting at the Arlen Heights Techplex Conference Center has called on the Senate to stiffen penalties for software piracy, amid concerns that companies and individuals will dodge payments to it's members in the event of an economic downturn. This was announced at the start of the weeklong conference. The keynote speaker, Dr. William Aharon, President and Lead Technology Officer for Lucioni Development, told members "We have seen in the past that proliferation of unauthorized, copied versions of our members products, whether current or out of support, has increased sharply during times of economic distress. We need to make a statement, and discuss with our representatives in the Senate, that stresses the harm such piracy causes. It's stealing, pure and simple. And it goes on in some of our largest concerns, across business functions, and at all levels. This isn't only a case of tracking down and busting some poor slob download copied versions of a spreadsheet or texting application from some foreign website. Penalties need to be put in place that will really take a bite out of those at middle and higher corporate levels that don't want to pay up honestly for services and critical software that our members have risked a lot, and invested heavily to produce. That includes some of the largest companies in the Kramden, in supply chain, resource management, distribution, banking, and funds transfer functions. And government agencies themselves, at all levels, national, state and local need better monitoring and policing.

Software theft is a serious matter. Penalties under existing civil law need to increase to discourage such theft, often ordered at the senior management or director level.

As Council members, we must vigorously pursue civil action against the accused. One of the changes to software copyright law we are asking for is speedier actions, such as
enjoining the accused from using our software immediately upon filing a request for injunction. Monetary damages must also be increased. We are asking the Senate to allow the copyright owner to request actual damages, which include the amount it has lost because of the infringement, in addition to any profits attributable to the infringement, and statutory damages, as provided under current law. We are asking for an increase in penalties for simple, individual unauthorized program copying from the current 150,000 Zug limit to 250,000 Zugs for each program copied."

[Namor]

Election '78 Coverage Leftist parties say they successfully formed electoral alliance

October 5, NMR 2377

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NAMO, CAPITAL DISTRICT - After days of talks, the Socialist, Democratic Socialist and Liberationist parties issued a joint statement saying that they've successfully formed an alliance ahead of the NMR 2378 presidential election.

According to a statement released by Socialist leader Gongchan Zhushi, Democratic Socialist leader Namsa Singho and Liberationist leader Shohai Antelope, the three parties have agreed to form the Popular Front (PF) and hold a convention to nominate one candidate who will represent the whole front in the election. But the alliance is only meant to stand for the presidential election, as the three parties will campaign separately in the coinciding election for CenCo.

"We have different approaches to certain issues. We have disagreements. But upon closer analysis we determined these differences are petty at best," the statement read. "That is to say, should one candidate represent all three parties [in the election], these differences can be set aside. On the other hand, there are more things where we can agree on, like the flaws of an unregulated free market economy, overbearing corporate influence and the current administration's failure to address critical problems such as poverty and workplace abuse.

"These problems can only be addressed through an effective alliance against the New Democrats. United we stand, divided we fall," the statement concluded.

In an addendum, the People's Front said it hasn't decided when exactly it would hold its nominating convention, although it said that it was "certain" it would nominate a candidate by late January.

The alliance may prove to be a game-changer: some are interpreting it as a threatening message to the New Democrats, currently split between Tuyet An and Huan An. The alliance's parties are trying to keep the leftist vote intact, preventing a split that may lend victory to the New Democrats. Although leftist parties have stood behind one candidate before (like in NMR 2373 when Shohai Antelope was endorsed by the DemSocs and Socialists), an alliance may reduce the risk of each party nominating its own candidate, thus splitting the leftist vote in favor of the NewDems.

Hai Yungang, a DemSoc strategist, called the move "more symbolic than literal." "With or without an alliance, the chances of the [leftist] parties splitting the vote are relatively low. But with an alliance it's become lower. It's undoubtedly a show of unity to the New Democrats, but whether this will definitely challenge their hold on the Executive House remains to be seen."

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Other News

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• Reports: Over 3,000 jailed amid Lecistan election season so far - According to reports, over 3,000 people in Lecistan have been jailed for political reasons as election day nears. While the opposition has condemned the Saltuceri regime for its latest actions, with one opposition publication vowing not to be silenced by "foreign goons," some citizens praised the government for maintaining public order. In the meantime, Governor-General of Lecistan Kustaa Lamminlaita ordered a week-long ban on protests in the name of curbing extremist elements.
• Liberals in Vyvland suffer loss in local elections - The Liberal Party in Vyvland suffered a loss in this year's local elections, becoming the party with the fourth-most seats.

[Scotia-99]

5 October, 2015

Scotian Government to send independent observers to Lecistan election

Protests continued throughout Lecistan on Sunday before
a week-long ban on public meetings took effect

ABERLEFEN, SCOTIA - The Scotian Government has just announced that it will send a team of independent observers, to the coming election in Lecistan tomorrow, declaring that it might "reassess" Scotia's relations with their government if they are refused entry.

The team, which would be comprised of 400 members of various human rights organizations both in and outside Scotia, is reportedly en route to Lecistan and are scheduled to arrive by this afternoon. Foreign Minister Elizabeth Campbell has told reporters that the Lecistani government must allow them entry into all voting booths "to ensure that the votes are being tallied in a fair and transparent manner," warning that any sign of rampant voter irregularities on behalf of their government will warrant a "reassesment of our ties to the Grand Duchy." She also warned the Nevan government to "refrain from unduly influencing the election" warning that similar actions will be taken against them as well.

Tomorrow's elections to the 50-seat Royal Chamber has been marred by pre-election crackdowns by the far-right National Unity Camp, with backing from the Nevan Realm, against the mainly centre-left Solidarity Alliance. On Sunday, Lecistan's Governor-General announced a week-long ban on public meetings and has since dramatically increased the scale of the crackdowns, arresting over 1,000 over the weekend, and shutting down a prominent opposition paper, Trzëfarwa.

[Victoriala]

貳拾貳:寂静
貳仟柒佰捌拾伍
22nd of Silence
2785 MN : 2015 CE
Year of the Sheep

Her Glorious Majesty to visit Lecistan
______________________________________________

Her Glorious Majesty, in a public statement held in the Glorious Council's eminent Lion's Hall, has declared her plans for an Imperial Visit the Grand Duchy of Lecistan. The Imperial Visit's purpose is for common goodwill and establishment of relations between the two nations and a personal look on the political status of the nation, who has been ruled by the sovereign of Nevanmaa, Juhani III since the month of Harmony. Her Glorious Majesty's visit shall be held in the next week, and it is planned to be the first of a series of visits to the Conitias, and it is speculated Her Glorious Majesty's next location might be in Soled, particularly in the land of Di'qao.

Her Glorious Majesty shall be accompanied by Her Glorious Highness Shoniho, Princess of Rongsen. Along with it are political observers to the Lec realm to oversee the situation within the region, after news that the Duke of Lecistan and Sovereign of the Nevan Realm has indirectly ordered prohibition of factional meetings in the duchy. Her Glorious Majesty, strong-headed and empathetic, considers to talk to the Lec politicians and the people in the future Imperial Visit.

Imperial Governor now elective post
______________________________________________

In a recent agreement with the Imperial Court and coinciding full acceptance in the Glorious Council of State, the position of Governorship shall be now determined by vote. This has been decreed by Their Glorious Illustriousnesses by seal. The Imperial Court has pledged yes by a close margin: [276-258], the imperial traditionalist bloc losing to the diarchist-priestly bloc by 18 pledges.

The new decree states that while the noble governors and lords of the Imperial Domain might retain their status and a seat in the Imperial Court, they may not rule their domains should their subjects not ordain them so, in place of a lord of equal standing within said domains. Exceptions to this decree are the Lesser Banners, who are allowed full autonomy within their domains.

The decree is regarded as the first planned elections in the realm, many metropolitan citizens in support of the new decree, such as Ako Nazumi (SKM), stating that the decree is the first "sign of a truly free Min realm". Some have expressed concerns of the decree's effectiveness, with noted individuals such as Kozo Bosatsu, Amida Gakko and Sokowon Desaki (all NWB) saying that there are parts of the Imperial Domains with only one ruling lord. The eminent ministers of the Glorious Council, however, believes that the problem can be "sorted out over time".

Other Contents in this Periodical

• Marakan Kingdom to purchase tanks - The King of the Banner of Marakan has declared in a recent court session that his government shall buy about ten tanks from a to be announced foreign supplier. The tanks are to be the Marakan Banner's contribution to the Hundred Colors militia.
• Imperial Fleet to advance to Danh Dap from Equalitarianist rebels - The Imperial Fleet, in full power are to advance to Equalitarian-controlled regions of Danh Dap in Qianrong. The Eminent Minister of Battle promise the realm and the Qianrongese people that victory shall be achieved against the destructive forces of the Equalitarian insurgents.
• OPINION // The outside world thinks otherwise - Kohii Agō articulates and deconstructs the "non-liberal" opinion of foreign polities and its contrarian attitude to what the Realm advertises itself to be

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[Lecistan]

5 Rujan, 2015

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Ministry of Elections declines Scotian observers entry into country.

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SZIMÓNGÔCZ - The Ministry of Elections has refused a group of Scotian 'independent' observers access into Lecistan to watch over tomorrow's election. According to the Ministry, "We are convinced that the Scotian observers are spies working with the government of Scotia, who has for years seen Lecistan as an enemy. All elections in Lecistan have since 1965 have been free, and we at the Ministry will keep it that way."

The Ministry has also stated that independent observers from Nevanmaa have already entered the country, and that any more observers are unnecessary. "This is an election, not a betting game." the Ministry stated.

Lecistanis will vote at the polls tomorrow.

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[Michillies]

-retconned-

[Montecroce]

The Votes Are In!


PN wins big in election

2015:10:5 / Cristo Città

The votes are in, and it's official: the Partito Nazionale has won big. Holding just 18 seats out of the 140 in Parliament going into the elections, the PN has managed to more than double their presence, with a total of 40 seats. They now comprise 29% of Parliament themselves, and have virtually guaranteed a representative in the Triumvirate. Most parties this election lost. In fact, besides the PN, ND was the only party to gain seats. Political scholars were asked what these results showed. They were almost all in agreement: a stronger, centralized government is what the people were in favor of.

Here are the results, broken down. The UI, which held 25 seats going in, has dropped to 21 seats. These results show that centrism is still a strong force in Montecroce. However, whether it is from constant flipping on issues, or general appeal of more "extreme" parties, the UI is no longer the "ruling" party. It is believed many of these voters joined the growing wave of "right-ism" that the PN espouses. The SdG has dropped from 20 seats to 17. Again, centrist-tendencies held many voters. In fact, the center-left SdG lost fewer seats than the center-right UI. But the same effect that caused voters to leave the UI for the PN may have caused SdG voters to join the ND party. That party, in fact, gained two seats. The collapse of the SC and RC voter bases hints that the population does not want smaller government, and views current green policies in the way of progress. Both parties dropped from 19 seats to 12.

The DdF's drop is believed to be due to the ever increasing belligerency of the party toward men.
The reason for the PN's rise is currently unknown, other than the assumptions of growing big-government, socially conservative beliefs.

[Odissia]

-retconned-

[Vajorr]

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FOREIGN OFFICE: LECISTANI ELECTIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED VALID
Foreign Office declares election fraudulent due to lack of independent oversight and an oppressive government.

NEW HAUSTAD - The Federal Foreign Office announced today that the Lecistani elections tomorrow will be considered fraudulent by the Vajorrian Federal Government. The Office released the statement today, on instruction of the the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister. This comes after the Michilliean Senate, the legislature a Vajorrian ally, similarly condemned the election due to the actions of the Lecistan ‘government.

The statement was released in a press conference by Foreign Minister Frank Mass at 08:00 Local Time. In front of local news and NÖR reporters, he was quoted as follows; “We believe that any election done under the current Lecistani government is fraudulent and will not represent the wishes of the local population. The Prime Minister considers the actions taken by the Lecistani regime toward government opposition parties, such as suppression, intimidation, and harassment, determinantal to a free and fair political process. The lack of independent oversight will not allow any other group to confirm the results other than believing what the Lecs say. Along with other undeniable reports by multiple sources, the Federal Government hereby declares that the Lecistani elections will not represent the wishes of its people.” The declaration comes after Michillies, Qianrong, Geadland, Scotia and others questioned the legitimacy of the election. The people of Lecistan will go to the voting booths tomorrow.

The Vajorrian Parliament quickly endorsed the declaration with surprisingly little debate several hours later. “The Lecistani government has operated a system of governance where all opposition is suppressed; yet they claim they can hold a free and fair election worthy of a democratic state, ” Government Majority Leader Norbert Lammert (RRN) stated in a rather non confrontational debate. “Opposition parties have been subject to policies that are meant to destroy them. These anti-democratic policies will no doubt result in a ‘surprise’ government win,” Opposition Minority Leader Peter Hintze (SPR) was quoted as saying, “No doubt the Nevan military in Lecistan is there for more than peacekeeping. The level of Nevanmma involvement in the politics of this country will no doubt completely illegitimate any result. We have no way of finding out otherwise since their government just rejected an independent group of monitors from entering the country.” After a quick debate with similarly little conflict, several members from different parties motioned to move the declaration to vote. To a 553 to 47 vote, Parliament adopted the motion with a supermajority.

[The Jahistic Unified Republic]

STRIKE ONE! STRIKE TWO! STRIKE THREE!
Baseball Union, Mere Hours Before Playoffs, Goes On Strike

Capitalizing on an earlier threat, the Players Association representing Unolian baseball players officially voted to go on strike, effectively cancelling the 2015 Postseason and leaving the 2016 season in question. This marks the first time that a major sports organization has gone on strike in Unolian history.

The Leagues and Commissioner's Office confirmed the cancellation of the postseason around an hour after the strike. The Triumvirate of Baseball refused to name a Champion.

"This is a disgrace to the sport of baseball, a sport that has carried so much tradition throughout the years." Said Commissioner Richard Ma. "Instead of coming to the bargaining table, they not only attack us, but the fans that live and bleed baseball. I will be speaking to the Government about this and hoping to use them as an arbiter in this situation so, maybe, we can have a solution to this issue before the Exposition begins so we can play some good international ball then."

On the other side of the issue, Chairman Volkmar Frueh of the Unolian Baseball Players Association, said that the Union had three main demands:

"We demand an end to the reserve clause and the introduction of free agency so that the owners can engage in bidding wars and that players can get paid what they deserve based on skill. We demand the abandoning of the office of Commissioner of Baseball and a return to two separate leagues with two separate Presidents. Lastly, we demand an apology from the two leagues for the institution of the Reserve Clause that keeps our players underpaid and underrepresented."

Thurman Weng, State Minister of Sport, issued a "line in the sand" to both sides. For the Majors, the Leagues cannot "cancel any records held by any of the striking players outside of the norm." Conversely, the striking players "if so drafted by their national teams to play in the Unolian Triumvirate Exposition must do so as if under normal circumstances." This means we'll likely see an Exposition Baseball League as planned. The first round of meetings between the Government, Union, and Front Office of Baseball will likely occur before the Exposition begins on November 9th.

[Nevamaa]

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His Royal Majesty makes a surprise visit to Šimungotš as Lecistanis go to the polls

NEVANLINNA - Royal Court has announced that His Royal Majesty Juhani III will make a surprise visit to the Lecistani capital of Šimungotš today. HRM is expected to meet with President Jóvanne-Márco Sáltucéri, Governor-General Kustaa Lamminlaita as well as various National Union politicians and will also recieve a military parade in front of the Royal Palace and later make a public appearance on the balcony of the Royal Palace.

The visit marks the first time HRM has visited Lecistan since his coronation in July. Security has been tightened due to the visit, with Royal Nevan Army guarding all sites that HRM will visit and searching the said area for any possible suspicious packages or people. Lecistani airspace will also be closed for the duration of the visit.

HRM's visit taking place on the same day as the Lecistani election is unlikely to be a coincidence, and is most likely an effort to encourage potential voters to switch their support to the National Union. On Monday, HRM cautioned Lecistanis against "blindly trusting those who offer simple answers for complex questions", clearly referring to the Solidarity Alliance opposition coalition.


Regional elections scheduled for November 3rd

NEVANLINNA - Royal Court has confirmed that His Royal Majesty has signed all 21 writs of election, meaning that regional elections will be held in all 18 provinces as well two overseas provinces and the Royal Free City of Nevanlinna as scheduled on November 3.

3520 seats will be up for grabs for the 36 registered national political parties as well as countless provincial parties and independent lists. As always, suffrage will be limited to white males over the age of 21. Had the suffrage referendum last year passed, this would've been the first election where women could have voted.

National Coalition currently controls 13 of the provincial diets, with the diets of Länsimaa, Vienanmaa, Marianmaa, Liivinmaa, Varunmaa, Korpimaa, Lumimaa and Lapinmaa being controlled by either Liberals, Social Democrats or various regional parties. Opinion polls show that the control of the Diets is unlikely to change, though Prime Minister Hyvärinen was confident that the National Coalition could possibly win the control of all diets: "the [National] Coalition has a good chance of controlling all the Diets ... our campaigners are hard at work and we've gotten a lot of good feedback from the grassroots level."

[Fascesia]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized comments of Michillian and Vajorrian officials

Grande Fascésia Cité - General spokesman Adrian Jost announced in a press conference in the state department, he criticizes the statements of both the Michillian Senate and the Vajorrian foreign ministry about the Lecistani general election. He denounced these statements as an attempt by the international community to undermine national authority of Lecistan. In addition, the ambitions of Scotia to send an international group of "supervisors" to monitor the election in Lecistan, are considered as presumptuous insolence to the hard-working government of the lecs.

But still, there are problems in this election that cannot be overlooked. For example the Nevan "reign", the occupation of the country by foreign troops and the official head of government grand duke Juhani III., is a factor that can lead to partially falsified results.

The Fascesian government under Suprême-Général Jêrome de Marbourg fully supported the behaviour of the current government and is expected to accept the election results as legitimate. A nation in such a difficult situation needs strong leadership that resists both domestic and foreign aggression.

Congratulations to the winners of the last parliamentary election in Montecroce

Grande Fascésia Cité - Yesterday the great victory of the Partito Nazionale in Montecroce pleased Fascesian officials. In their eyes, a Government under the PN is viewed as a good change in Montecroce. The rejection of green politics and the desire for a more powerful and centralized management in the population are described as exemplary.
With caution are regarded: the increasingly sexist party DdF as well as the Communist ND, which are currently in opposition. But Fascesia has no doubts that the populace is going to change minds at the expense of the aforementioned parties.

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[Luziyca]

Candidates express concerns at Lecistan's election

Breuvi Shjoraski at the Talnakh Library

TALNAKH, SOLOMON - At a campaign stop at the border town with Katranjiev, President Breuvi Shjoraski expressed concern of the potential voter fraud in the ongoing Lecistani elections, as the elections are now being held, due to the government refusing to let Scotian observers into the country.

"As the leader of the free world," Shjoraski said, "and as an everyday Luziycan, I am worried for the people of Lecistan. Thousands of people are being thrown in jail for exercising their God-given right to speak their minds. More had to flee. The government has refused to let independent observers monitor these elections, saying that 'We are convinced that the Scotian observers are spies working with the government of Scotia, who has for years seen Lecistan as an enemy. All elections in Lecistan have since 1965 have been free, and we at the Ministry will keep it that way.' This is not a valid reason: it is an excuse to ensure that Nevanmaa will annex Lecistan into the Nevan realm."

He added that "If you think I am a conspiracy theorist, MP Juhana Stenvall has proposed to include Lecistan in the Eduskunta. If the bill passes, Lecistan would very well be just a Nevan realm, since Lecistan now has a personal union, it has a common currency, it is painfully clear that Nevanmaa will annex it. They are even banning protests in the name of curbing extremism and terrorism, when it is really to harass, intimidate and ensure the victory of pro-Nevan parties."

"With this," Shjoraski says, "this election will almost certainly be fraudulent, and we call for increased sanctions on Lecistan and to cut all diplomatic ties with Lecistan except basic humanitarian needs."

When Sera Svensson heard of it, she stated that "the only way to truly send a message to the Nevans is to cut ties with the Nevan Realm and switch recognition to the Nevan Republic." Her statement had garnered a lot of controversy, and sent her approval rating down a few percentage points.

But Narsete La Via, leader of the NLP stated that "Lecistan is their own country. They do their elections their own way. We should not get involved in Lecistan, and instead focus on our own people first."

Paul Nikolovich has "generally agreed" with Shjoraski's position, while Vonora Khendalor hasn't made a statement yet.

In other news

• Unolia - Baseball players go on strike: are they communist spies from Roubao?
• Nevanmaa - Juhani III to visit Lecistan
• Opinion poll - Svensson leads the polls at 48%, Shjoraski at 27%, Nikolovich at 17%, Khendalor at 7% and La Via at 1%
• Lombardia - Homeless Shudri man is beaten, dog stolen by animal rights group: Firenze police to lay no charges on group

[West Cedarbrook]

West Cedarbrook1 News Alert
4:09 PM Wrycova Central Time
Senate To Send Fact Finding Mission to Lecistan
This is Violet Himmelfarb reporting from the Senate, where External Affairs Committee Chairman James Asher has just announced the formation of a fact finding mission comprised of three members of the Subcommittee on Continental Affairs that will visit Lecistan after the formation of a government subsequent to today's elections. The joint announcement with External Affairs Secretary Vernon Kansky came as the embattled Grand Duchy goes to the polls today in what many observers have said is a tainted, if not outright fraudlent election following the accession of the Nevan monarch to the throne in Szimóngôcz, and the most recent coup which landed General Jóvanne-Márco Sáltucéri in the presidency of the landlocked state with a population slightly more than half of Steinhouse. Kansky confirmed during the announcement that the three senators are being briefed on the situation in Lecistan as it unfolds throughout the day.

There had been pressure by the Subcommittee for the mission since the August 24th coup in Lecistan, but Kansky had urged the Senate to put it off until after today's elections. The Ministry of Elections in Lecistan had refused a group of Scotian observers access into Lecistan to watch over the election, stating "We are convinced that the Scotian observers are spies working with the government of Scotia, who has for years seen Lecistan as an enemy. All elections in Lecistan have since 1965 have been free, and we at the Ministry will keep it that way." The Ministry then stated that observers from Nevanmaa had already entered the country, and that any more observers are unnecessary. Kansky advised Asher that a visit to Lecistan before the election might similarly be viewed by authorities there as interference, and that it would be more appropriate to plan a mission after a new government had been formed. He also noted that it would be beneficial to wait until after polls were closed to assess the validity of the election, and any progress Lecistan is making in moving toward democracy.

Senate External Affairs Committee Chair Asher.

The head of mission will be Subcommittee Chair Yonatan Hendrix (Conservative - Central State), seen by many as personally placed in the chairmanship by Senator Asher, and viewed as a pragmatist, aligned with Kansky's realpolitic approach on the continent. Senator Hendrix has voiced concerns about the incoming Lecistani government, and has sought to determine the attitude of General Sáltucéri regaring Lecistan's icy relations with it's Latin neighbors. The close mouthed General assumed office in a coup on August 24th, when he ousted President Wiktór Kozlowski. His presidency has been seen as sporadic, and his views are largely unknown, but rumors throghout South Conitia and further abroad are pointing to his possible retention in office after the election. Many political scientists consider him a nationalist and authoritarian due to his icy relationship with Grand Duke Juhani III as well as his clamping down on dissidents. Other analysts see him as a minor democratizing force, allowing formerly banned parties to run in the October 2015 election, albeit under strict control. Hendrix plans to identify, as much as possible in the wake of allegations of electoral chicanery, the objectives of the incoming Lecistani government toward trade with continental neighbors, border and internal security, enforcement of the existing Lecistani legal code, banking policy, and intellectual property protection. At times, Senator Hendrix has echoed Secretary Kansky's concern over the Grand Duchy's isoloation since Juhani's accession. He has said in the past that "The core of South Conitia is Latin. As such, the non-Latin nations can and do enjoy friendly and beneficial relations with the major Latin powers, through a shared committment to democracy. Any state on the continent deviating toward authoritarianism will find itself isolated, and it's citizens will pay the price of that isolation. It appears that Lecistan is headed down that sorry path". Those remarks came after Michillian President Annemarie Vang revoked the recognition of Lecistan due to the accession of Juhani III as the Lecistani monarch. The problems facing Lecistani relations with it's Latin neighbors multiplied when the Odissian Constitutional Court determined that Lecistani independence was counter to Article 3 of the Constitution of Odissia on September 7th. The Federal Assemblies of Odissia then passed legislation formally incorporating the province of Lecia ten days after the ruling, providing for a referendum on independence after the fall of the Grand Duchy.

Senator Itai Lefkowitz (Libertarian - Steinhouse) will be the mission's minority member. An ally of Senate Minority Leader Fredrick Daniels, Lefkowitz has expressed opinions in line with Daniels' isolationist wing of the Libertarian Party, at times frustrating former President Louis B. Steinberg, leading a more regionalist approach for the Libertarians. In subcommittee discussions Senator Lefkowitz has expressed concerns that the Lecistani political turbulence could lead to inclusion of elements prone to collusion with powers outside South Conitia seen as hostile to the Kramden. He is expected to explore the likelihood of any such connections in the mission's meetings with the incoming Lecistani government, and with leaders of the opposition.

The junior member of the mission is Senator Gilles Morand (Conservative - South State). Morand has been critical of election irregularities in the run up to today's vote. In his third term representing a mid-Ebreo Valley district, Morand has aligned with the "fire eater" faction of the Conservtives, urging more frequent and earlier shows of force in protecting South Contitian democracies. He also has requested that the mission meet with both the incoming government and it's opposition, and wants to meet further with Lecistani journalists, legal experts and religious leaders to gain a more rounded view of how the man in the street in Szimóngôcz and Ricérzów view the situation. He shares with Senator Lefkowitz a concern over the instability in Lecistan providing opportunities for exploitation by communists, or powers outside of South Contita.

As the disputed elections continue throughout the day, messages of concern and condemnation from leaders across Esquarium continue. The latest to add a voice is Luziycan President Breuvi Shjoraski. At a campaign stop at the border town with Katranjiev, the President expressed concern of the potential voter fraud in the ongoing Lecistani elections due to the Lecistani government refusing to let Scotian observers into the country.

"As the leader of the free world," Shjoraski said, "and as an everyday Luziycan, I am worried for the people of Lecistan. Thousands of people are being thrown in jail for exercising their God-given right to speak their minds. More had to flee."

[Qianrong]

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Trzëfarwa chief editor Gúglelmo Jóvannesci dies in prison after being tortured


Jóvannesci, pictured at a Rally event in Ricérzów on September 10th.

October 6, 2015 | Szimóngôcz, Lecistan - The lawyer for chief editor of Trzëfarwa Gúglelmo Jóvannesci told reporters that Jóvannesci has died in prison after being extensively abused tortured by the Lecistani police and soldiers jailing him. Jóvannesci was one of several Rally leaders illegally and unjustly jailed by the regime of Jóvanne-Marco Sáltucéri, and was also on hunger strike at the time.

Jóvannesci's lawyer, Szimón Wôchowszki, said that he had only been allowed to meet with Jóvannesci once- a clear violation of the rights to legal counsel- and that this one meeting had been two days ago. Wôchowszki said that Jóvannesci had been "very obviously beaten" during this meeting, saying that he had black eyes, a limp, and several other wounds. "It was obvious immediately that prison officials were attempting to extract information, a false confession, or were simply abusing him because they could." Jóvannesci, who also appeared "mentally shaken" according to Wôchowszki, refused to answer any questions about torture asked by Wôchowszki. "He would say something along the lines of 'let's talk about something else' or 'don't talk about that'. It was obvious that they were trying to keep the story from getting out." Prison officials have admitted that Jóvannesci died in prison today, but refused to say why when questioned.

Gúglelmo Férdínando Jóvannesci Ínátie was born to Tíbério Jóvannesci and Angelína Ínátie in Jelénik, Lecistan, on May 1, 1958. He was a graduate of Ricérzów Royal University, and worked in various other newspapers before joining Trzëfarwa this September. He is survived by his wife, Sùlisłôwa Jóvannesci, and their two children, Sévero and María. He was 57 years old.

All of us here at Trzëfarwa- still recovering from an attempt by Nevan troops to silence us- are greatly saddened by Jóvannesci's passing. He was a man committed to bringing the truth to light no matter the cost- a cause he has since become a martyr for. In his honor, we will work to carry on in his footsteps by reporting the truth to you, even when it might put us in danger, and we will continue to stand for freedom of the press in Lecistan in defiance of any and all attempts to silence us or shut us down. Jóvannesci will be replaced as chief editor by editor and contributor Mikel Roderiquëz.

Several other Rally leaders- Vice-Chairman Cyryl Gniewek, Communications Director Władësłôw Niemczyk, Lower Rzëszù Regional Chairman Matéùsz Czãkowski, leader of the Rally's irredentist subfaction Janusz Adómkówski- and dozens of Rally supporters remain in prisons in Lecistan or abroad in Nevanmaa after being kidnapped by Nevan troops, in both cases on falsified charges pressed under unjust laws. Many, like Jóvannesci, are on hunger strike in protest. It is possible that they too are being tortured by their jailers, though this cannot be conclusively proved.

Other Articles:
DOMESTIC- Hundreds of protesters arrested by Nevan troops, Lecistani police
FOREIGN- Country after country notices the rigging, intimidation in Lecistan
OPINION- Never surrender: making sure a rigged election doesn't doom Lecistan
DOMESTIC- Kaarenmaa-Hennala visit to Szimóngôcz; thousands protest Nevan rule