Esquarium Today [Regional News, CLOSED]

[Namor]

Моджинг Сибо | Mojing Sibo
March 2, NMR 2378

SHOHAI ANTELOPE TURNS ON KUO ZHANG
Frontrunner says Kuo doesn't understand nationalism


Speaking to supporters in Kuo Zhang's base, Antelope says he wants to dispel Kuo's nationalist credentials

By Yu Vang | THE ALLEGED HONEYMOON between Popular Front candidate Shohai Antelope and People's First candidate Kuo Zhang has come to an end as Antelope met supporters in Peitoa and spent his time there blasting Kuo and his policies.

Antelope, who enjoys a comfortable lead ahead of both Kuo Zhang and Huan An, traveled straight into Peitoa - a district known for being a People's First Coalition (PFC) stronghold; in the last election, Peitoa was the only district where a majority voted for Kuo. Antelope's trip to Peitoa is seen as a direct assault on the PFC and its controversial chairman.

Earlier, Antelope had tweeted that Kuo "doesn't know how to express [nationalism] in a civil or realistic way." One of his campaign ads also featured Kuo as a "radical end of the horseshoe."

"I'm here to dispel the fantasy that Kuo Zhang is a patriot, a nationalist whom Namorese should emulate. Mr. Kuo doesn't understand what Namorese nationalism is all about. It's about loving your country and using that love to promote unity and work for the betterment of this nation. It's not about restoring glory or insulting others. We don't need to restore Namor's glory because Namor has always been glorious, and anyone who denies that is not a real nationalist," Antelope said to a room of supporters in Novi Namor.

Antelope added that Kuo Zhang does not have any "specific plan" that will address the Nantai dispute.

"His plan on Nantai is to have a big mouth and go with all guns blazing. That's not a plan. My plan is that we take a stance, stick with that stance and convey our intentions very clearly. And our stance is very clear - we seek eventual reunification and any solution must involve the Namorese people and satisfy the Namorese people. We cannot compromise this stance."

Besides questioning Kuo's nationalism, Antelope said Kuo lacks a reasonable economic policy.

"One reason why Kuo keeps losing debates is because his party has no idea about what he will do about the economy and jobs. The economy is a very important issue. Not being able to tackle the issue is one thing, but not knowing that you must try to tackle the issue as President-General is another."

Although Kuo was the main target of Antelope's critiques in Peitoa, Antelope reserved some time to attack Huan An, who is still struggling to clearly surpass Kuo in the polls.

"I think Mr. Kuo is getting double-digits in the polls not because he's very good but because Huan An's very bad. People are getting fed up with the New Democrats and there's nothing the New Democrats can do about that."

The Storm Goes On

Antelope's attack on Kuo comes as Tesong released its bimonthly poll showing Kuo in second place with 15.2 percentage points, slightly ahead of Huan An who is trailing in last with 14.1 points. This poll and others seem to suggest that the "K-storm" is showing no sign of retreating at the moment. Nearly a quarter of voters remain undecided.

But Huan An's campaign denied that the polls indicate a poor performance. New Democratic Party leader Derrick Lee told the Mojing Sibo that "Huan is focusing on the undecided voters and is making headway in getting them to vote New Democratic, which means that by March 20 he will get at least 40 percent of the popular vote, if not more."

Although he is clearly ahead in the race, Shohai Antelope only has the support of a plurality of Namorese. Should he pull off a stunning landslide victory unseen since NMR 2368, he must win the hearts and minds of undecided voters, some of whom are leaning towards Kuo Zhang.

OTHER NEWS

• Domestic: Pickle article claiming Esquarium's inevitable demise by inactivity goes viral
• Domestic: Jahistic Party entourage assaulted by pro-monarchist Unolian immigrants
• Katranjiev: Last Namorese-majority duchy to become Katranjian majority by 2020
• Pisdara: Aininian govt urged to intervene in Pisdara after conditions of detained nomads revealed

[Geadland]

THE NAMORESE ELECTION: WHAT DOES GEADLAND THINK?
Huan An is the most popular in Geadland, but 63% of voters are neutral

3 March 2016 Last updated 13:57 Geadish Standard Time
BONDHAVEN - A Dagposten opinion poll in Geadland found that voters in Geadland appeared to prefer Huan An over Shohai Antelope by a large margin. However, the majority of voters surveyed were undecided on the issue, especially those on the Geadish left. As a result, political professor Johan-Peter Blumendal cautioned against deducing much from these findings.

Of the respondents who registered an opinion, Huan An was supported by 58%, Shohai Antelope was supported by 40%. Just 1% supported Kuo Zhang, while 1% supported other candidates. However, only 37% of respondents registered an opinion on the Namorese presidential election. The main purpose of the poll was to gauge support for political parties in Geadland, which allowed analysts to see whether support for Namorese political parties coincided with support for their Geadish counterparts. A majority also said that they would have rather seen Fu Wen stay on for a third term.

The poll found that right-wing voters in Geadland tended to support Huan An and were more likely to take a stance on the Namorese presidential election. By contrast, only 25% of left-wing voters and 38% of centrist voters registered an opinion. Johan-Peter Blumendal, a professor of political science at the University of Elhaas, said "I'd caution against using these findings to suggest that Geadland is supportive of Huan An. Only 21% of the total respondents declared support for him. Left-wing voters in Geadland, who would be more likely to see eye-to-eye with Shohai - have either declared neutrality or don't know whether to support anyone."

A large margin of those who declare support for Huan An chose their reason as being "He is more likely to foster better relations between Namor and Luziyca." This is consistent with polling evidence that has long shown that a large majority of voters in Geadland support détente between Namor and Luziyca - as has both the current government and the SDLP-led government that preceded it. This is also why Fu Wen has been fairly well-liked in Geadland even among voters on the left. Nataniel Ikmann, a Liberal MP, recently said that "I'd like to see Huan An win in Namor as he'll just get on with other world leaders a bit better. That said, I'd say he'd a bit too libertarian for us if he were to stand in an election here."

On the left, SDLP backbencher Johan Smid was discussing the Namorese election and was asked about whether his party colleagues were supporting the Liberationists. He replied "It's funny, because Namor's Liberationists ought to be our natural allies. Yet I don't know many members who openly favour Shohai. I suppose his party has an authoritarian past and he could sour relations with Luziyca. I'd still voting for him though if I was Namorese, because the economy has to be the most important issue." Of the polled voters who preferred Shohai Antelope over Huan An, the most popular reason stated was that "He would do more to limit Luziyca's influence", narrowly ahead of "He would make Namor more prosperous."

As usual, the government of Geadland has stayed neutral. When asked about his views on the candidates in the Namorese election, Foreign Minister Julius Albrechtsen said that "Our government does not take stances on elections in other countries. We are prepared to engage with whichever candidate wins in Namor." When questioned about Kuo Zhang who recently referred to Katranjians as being "dogs", Albrechtsen replied "Obviously that's not a good thing to say and our government doesn't condone that sort of rhetoric, but our stance is still neutral."

Shohai Antelope currently leads the field in the Namorese election, which is scheduled for 20 March. He is polling a large margin ahead of Kuo Zhang and Huan An, who are currently jostling for second place. It is not certain as to whether he would win an absolute majority on the first round or whether a run-off would be forced.

[Namor]

ELECTION '78 Overseas Namorese become new battleground in presidential election
How overseas voters will help determine the next President-General

March 3, NMR 2378

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16 DAYS

UNTIL NMR 2378
GENERAL ELECTION

NAMO, CAPTIAL DISTRICT- As Election Day draws nearer, the three candidates vying for the Executive House are turning their attention towards another group of voters - Namorese living overseas.

Namorese residing overseas at Namo International Airport ahead of the
election of NMR 2373

There are about 27 million Namorese citizens living outside of Namor, according to the Ministry of Overseas Namorese Affairs. A majority of overseas Namorese are eligible to vote; in fact, over nine million of them have successfully registered to vote in the March 20 election - a dip from the 11 million overseas voters who howed up in NMR 2373. Of those who plan to vote, a majority will cast their ballot at a nearby Namorese embassy or consulate. Others will return to Namor and vote alongside domestic compatriots.

Most overseas voters come from countries with a significant number of Namorese, such as Ainin, Scotia, Riro and Katranjiev. Because of these countries' proximity to Namor, their overseas voters have a stronger attachment to Namor than voters elsewhere and are more likely to vote.

Unlike domestic voters who are more concerned with the economy, overseas voters focus on foreign policy. This was clear during the election of NMR 2373, when a majority of the 11 million overseas votes went to Fu Wen, whose efforts to improve relations with Luziyca sent positive signals to the overseas Namorese community, especially the business sector which benefited from increased trade and contact with Esquarian Union (EU) member states. The overseas vote is said to have prevented Fu Wen from winning a plurality of the popular vote, thus guaranteeing his reelection.

This year, the New Democrats are hoping to receive the same level of support from overseas voters as they did in '73, especially as polls place them nowhere near the left-wing parties. With less than 20 days left until Election Day, Huan An appeared in a video directed at overseas Namorese, asking them to vote New Democratic.

"We need each other, we need you. Come out on the 20th and make the right choice," Huan said.

Some are heeding Huan's call. 44 year-old Ken Haitxo, a registered overseas voter from Selkirk, Scotia, was one of the voters who crossed the border and cast a vote for Fu in NMR 2373. This year, he says he's ready to vote for Huan An.

"He is the candidate that will maintain stellar relations with not just Scotia, but Katranjiev, Luziyca and the rest of Velkia. As someone who is a Namorese and a Scotian, a leader who is capable of getting along with other countries is very important to me," Ken told PTH.

But the opposition is also making headway in winning the overseas vote and discouraging traditional supporters of the New Democrats from showing up.

The NMR 2373 election is a lesson learned for Shohai Antelope, who had been viewed by many overseas voters as the legacy of an authoritarian yesterday. Some overseas voters are descendants of Namorese who fled the mainland following the Namorese Civil War, so there is a reluctance among overseas Namorese to throw their backs behind a Liberationist candidate. To compensate for this, Antelope is spending more time trying to win the hearts and minds of overseas voters. In particular, Antelope hopes to win undecided voters, especially those disillusioned with the New Democrats since the last election.

"I'm not fighting for those who agree one hundred percent with the Popular Front. I'm fighting for everyone, including those who aren't comfortable with another New Democrat in office. I want a coalition consisting of the young, old, northerners, southerners - everyone," he told a delegation of overseas Liberationist loyalists.

The Popular Front says it expects a high turnout among overseas Namorese voters from eastern Katranjiev and Riro, where pro-Liberationist sentiment runs high.

So is the People's First Coalition's Kuo Zhang, whose derogatory comments on Katranjians earned him praise from Riroese who distrust Krasimir and an alleged endorsement by Riro's president, Ling Mon. The PFC has never been successful at courting the overseas vote due to its perceived radicalism, but Kuo says the party is "wiser enough" to do just that.

"I will win the overseas vote. They will vote People's First in droves once they recognize that I'm the candidate that will prevent Namor from becoming the second Trifonov," Kuo said, referring to the Katranjian duchy whose Namorese majority is projected to end by 2020. "Many people are very worried now."

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Other News

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• ELECTION '78 Most Geads (who made up their minds) say they want Huan as President-General - A Dagposten opinion poll shows that among Geads who registered an opinion on the Namorese election, 58 percent support Huan An.
• Kuo Zhang: Shohai Antelope "is very afraid of me" - Responding to Shohai Antelope's attacks against him, PFC candidate Kuo Zhang said Antelope is acting "out of desperation" and added that he "is very afraid of me, very."
• Central government intervention in Pisdara urged as video purportedly shows "horrendous living standards" - The surfacing of a video purportedly showing the reprehensible condition of nomads in a Pisdara holding facility has spurred calls for the Aininian Supreme Court to strike down a law that sanctions these facilities.
• Zheng Zhuli says he's willing to reconcile with Namor - The Jahistic Union's leader said to a delegation of Namorese living in the country that he will reestablish diplomatic ties with Namor if he wins the next election.

[Luziyca]

Nantainese Legislature considers allowing Nantainese to vote in Namorese elections on home soil

River Tam

KENYEN, NANTAI - Today, PAP legislator Gi Sang has tabled legislation that would permit Nantainese to vote in Namorese elections on Nantainese soil. The legislation will help ensure that "Nantainese can feel more connected to Namor," in case of a hypothetical referendum for the status of Nantai, and mean that people ages 18 and older shall be allowed to vote in Namorese presidential elections, as well as Namorese CenCo elections.

Gi explained that "for generations, Nantainese have participated exclusively in the Luziycan political system. However... however, we'd like to encourage Nantainese to also look at Namor's political system, and to participate in that too: after all, Namor has all these seats, but yet, all of them come from East Po'ai, not from Nantai, so the system is inevitably rigged in favor of the leftists."

Gi then stated that "if we permit Nantainese to vote in Namorese elections, we will finally have a say in Namo, and explain to the Namorese politicians who for so long have ignored the will of the people, what we really want, not what they want from their ivory towers because they never experienced actual Nantainese outside of East Po'ai."

Gi's bill was met with substantial opposition: Andrei Wei from the Whig Party criticized the bill, stating that "if we allow Nantainese to participate in Namorese elections, Namor will claim that their claim over Nantai has legitimacy, and they will use that as an excuse to ignore the will of the people. Is that what we want? NO!"

However, it is very clear though that even if the law permitting Nantainese gets passed in time, this law would be met with a lot of challenge from the federal government, so it is very unlikely that Nantainese will be able to vote in this Namorese election without going towards Namor, or heading to the Namorese consulate in Kenyen. It is more likely that Nantainese may be able to vote from Nantai in the NMR 2383 general elections.

In other news

• Opinion - Gi's bill is clearly unconstitutional
• Spresi - New Veran Hus School building opens, named Fu Wen Primary School in honor of his response
• Pisdara - VP Colin Hardage urges "heavy sanctions on Aininian territory" unless Ainin ends racist government
• Katranjiev - Trifonov predicted to become Katranjian-majority

[Namor]

Government says Namorese in occupied Nantai can't vote
Наморайин | English
13 days till election

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Central Avenue Port of Entry in Po'ai, Nantai Prefecture, West Namor

The government commented on the recent proposal by a legislator in occupied Nantai to allow residents of occupied Nantai in Namorese elections, saying that while there is "no question" that the people of occupied Nantai are Namorese, complications arising from Luziyca's occupation of the region mean that Namorese living in occupied Nantai are not eligible to participate in Namorese elections.

Minister of Public Security Jeng Sho made this remark during a Q&A session in CenCo, when People's First deputy Chia Baovang raised the proposal that is being discussed in Kenyen and asked about the government's stance towards allowing occupied Nantai residents to vote.

"The Constitution of the People's Republic of Namor states that the right to vote is restricted to citizens of the People's Republic. There is no question that the entirety of Nantai Prefecture is Namorese territory, the fact is that most of Nantai Prefecture is not under our administration and for that reason we have been unable to extend citizenship status to the Namorese there," Jeng said.

Asked about why Namorese in occupied Nantai cannot participate in their own country's elections, Jeng cited the Nationality Act, which differentiates between "Namorese citizens" and "Namorese nationals." He said that residents of occupied Nantai are "non-citizen nationals of Namor," a status that is conferred upon Namorese living in "unliberated areas of Namor," which prior to NMR 2369 included the district of Peitoa and occupied Nantai but has since consisted of occupied Nantai only.

The issue of Namorese from occupied Nantai voting in Namorese elections was raised by a Kenyen lawmaker who introduced a proposal that would permit occupied Nantai Namorese to vote in Namorese elections on occupied Nantai. The lawmaker believed that extending suffrage to occupied Nantai's Namorese would make them "feel more connected to Namor" and grant them "a say in Namo."

But the proposal has been opposed by pro-Luziycan loyalists in occupied Nantai who claim that extending suffrage would "ignore the will of the people." The proposal is also expected to meet insurmountable opposition from the Luziycan regime, which means it is unlikely to pass even if it is somehow approved by the legislative body in Kenyen.


Trending

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Mojing Sibo poll: Antelope in the lead, Kuo Zhang surpassing Huan An | Luziycan school renames itself after Fu Wen in honor of Fu's response to deadly shooting | More Geads support Huan An, poll shows | Five PFC sympathizers in Novi Namor arrested after throwing bananas at Liberationist party branch | EDITORIAL The pros and cons of letting occupied Nantai vote

[Namor]

ELECTION '78 New Democrats hold massive rally in Namo
"Speak Up, Keep Namor Yellow," says embattled ruling party

March 6, NMR 2378

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13 DAYS

UNTIL NMR 2378
GENERAL ELECTION

NAMO, CAPTIAL DISTRICT- 13 days until the election, a massive pro-New Democratic (NDP) rally occurred in Namo, attended by President-General Fu, Vice President Lee, Huan An and other major NDP figures.

New Democrats packed the streets of Namo in a show of solidarity with
Huan An

Organizers of the "Speak Up, Keep Namor Yellow" rally say up to 100,000 people from across the country took part in the rally, which began at 10 am and ended in 7 pm.

NDP supporters enthusiastically listened to party leaders speaking at the rally. The highlight came around soon when prominent NDP leaders, including President-General Fu Wen, current party leader Derrick Lee, Huan An, running mate Gang Yuching and Tuyet An formed a human chain in a show of unity.

Huan An used the rally as an opportunity to hit at opponents Shohai Antelope and Kuo Zhang, accusing them of "buying votes through fearmongering and empty talk." Claiming that the "silent majority" is on his side, Huan called on the party to be united as the election approaches and voters to "speak out."

"Millions of Namorese know deep in their hearts that we are the right choice, but they won't speak out because the left has proclaimed very loudly that we are the ones who are selling out this country, who are responsible for everything going wrong, who are using us as scapegoats. And today we are saying no to the manipulators, and the majority of our people ought to do so too.

"We are locked in a two-front war with the leftists and the far-right ultranationalists. No one denies that it's tough. That's why the people of Namor must speak out, for the sake of the country we all share."

Huan lambasted the "left-wing media," which he called the Popular Front's "propaganda wing."

"The Liberator is owned by the Liberationist Party. TFTV is run by a former GYO terrorist. It's not surprising that they're standing behind Shohai Antelope, but it's shocking that they also throw themselves behind Kuo Zhang and his orange horde, screaming for this country to become the second imperial Chorea. They can fool us once, but they can't fool us twice. If they have guts, they should come here and see us gathering here to denounce them."

Fu Wen, who had allegedly favored Tuyet An over Huan An during the primary season, showed no visible sign of contempt for Huan as he spoke at the rally.

"I swear, if the Popular Front takes power, you're going to get pissed with them fast. But if you elect a great guy like Huan An, you won't regret it," he told supporters, who then laughed.

The rally comes as the New Democrats are fighting an uphill battle to retain control of the government ahead of the March 20 general election. Polls released by Tesong and the Mojing Sibo show New Democratic candidate Huan An in third place, still lagging behind People's First Coalition (PFC) leader Kuo Zhang. Polls at the moment also predict that the New Democrats will finish third place in the concurrent legislative election, only slightly ahead of the PFC.

Few scuffles were reported during the rally. Some city residents complained about the commotion the rally, which shut out traffic in some places, caused.

"Screw this rally, otherwise I would have reached my destination sooner," one taxi driver told PTH. "These yellow-shirted peeps can rot in hell for all I care."

"Our laws strictly forbid CIA agents from operating on Namorese soil," another interviewee said. "Where is the Liberation Army when you need it?"

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Other News

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• ELECTION '78 Occupied Nantai Namorese are non-citizen nationals, cannot vote - Minister of Public Security Jeng Sho said that as non-citizen nationals of Namor, people in occupied Nantai are not eligible to vote in Namorese elections.
• Candidates prep for March 10 debate - PTH goes into what will be discussed during the debate and who viewers should pay attention to.
• Kenyen lawmaker proposes bill allowing occupied Nantai to vote in Namorese elections - The lawmaker, Gi Sang, said allowing occupied Nantai Namorese to take part in Namorese elections will help them "feel more connected" to their country.
  

[West Cedarbrook]

West Cedarbrook 1 - Drunk On a Work Night!

It's 2:00 AM Wrycova! And if you're watching now, YOU'RE DRUNK ON A WORK NIGHT!


Hello, Ho!, Hi, Hey there! I'm Jimmy Schneiderman, your host on West Cedarbrook's most popular inappropriate drinking talk show, and You're DRUNK ON A WORK NIGHT!.
<band>Drunk on a Work Night! Drunk on a Work Night! Drunk on a Work Night! Yeahhhhh...
Thank you, Caleb and the Shickers folks. Ain't they something?

Now, one of my favorite segments on DOAWN, 'Man in the News'. In our global search for boozotainment, presented to our drooling, passed-out audience, we extend our reach overseas. Way, way overseas. As many of you are aware, both of you that are still coherent now, that is, There's an important election underway in Namor. No, no, that's not 12 miles north of Charleroi on NR55, you know, Namor, like way, way over there. Now, I'm not going to go into details here. It wouldn't do you any good, and you probably won't remember any of this tomorrow. No, most of you will be guzzling coffee and trying to stay awake at work. Those of you that still have jobs, anyway.

And by the way, keep away from that "Pact of Five Crowns". Odissia has much fine liquor. "Pact of Five Crowns" isn't one of those brands.

But anyway, what was I saying. Oh, yeah. It seems that one of the candidates in the Namor elections, a Mr. Kuo Zhang said that "Katranjians are dogs". No, no, don't look up Katranjiev either. I think I lost too many of you looking up Namor. But what does the average Katranjian thing of that? An more importantly, what does the Katranjian's dogs think of that? Tonight, Drunk on a Work Night wastes the valuable time of reporter Zalman Shmelucky to find out the answers. Zalman, bring it on in!

Zalman Shmelucky, live feed from Krasimir, Katranjiev.

<Schmulecky> Hi Jimmy, hi winos. I'm here in Krasimir, in front of the Palace, just talking to everyday Katranjians, and their pets. I'm really happy about this Jimmy. You owe me big time.

<Schneiderman>Heh heh, you bet Zal. Who's this cute little pooch?

<Schmulecky> Isn't he cute? Here's Fido, and his owner a Mrs. Wanda Sadowski. Mrs. Sadowsky has graciously let us talk to the little guy. Fido, what do YOU think of Kuo Zhang calling Katranjians dogs

<Fido>Sniffs microphone, yelps, licks microphone.

<Schmulecky>Thanks Fido. What a cute little pup. (takes a few steps, stoops down do talk to a slobbering Dalmatian) Here we have Czar, and his master, Boris Gadunov. Czar, what...

<Czar>Bares teeth, growls, snaps at Schmulecky

<Schmulecky>Well, maybe not. (Takes a stroll down the street, stops to pet a beagle. Beagle jumps on the cameraman and starts licking the lens). , Hello sir. I'm here visiting from West Cedarbrook, and your dog in on "Drunk on a Work Night" with Jimmy Schneiderman. If you don't mind, what's your doggie's name? Nakita? Mind if we talk to him? (bends down). Nikita, do you think that Kuo Zhang's characterization of you owner as a dog is appropriate? Do you? Do you?

<Nikita>Woof! (licks Schmulecky)

<Schmulecky>Such a good dog! Here's a snack.

<Schneiderman>Can you hurry this up? You're not having much luck.

<Schmulecky>Does anyone in the News Division know what the hell you're dong?

<Schneiderman>Nahhh. They're hammered too. This isn't going good. Try a cat.

<Schmulecky>Oh, okay. Dammit. (Walks up to a young lady, holding a black and white long-haired cat), Er, if you don't mind. Zalman Schmulecky here, West Cedarbrook One news. Ma'am, many of our viewers at home want to know what the dogs of Katranjiev think of Kuo Zhang's claim that the country is run by dogs. We want to give our viewers both sides of the story, kind of balance it out. Do you mind if we talk to your cat? Okay. What's it's name? Zilya? Okay. Zilya, what do you make of Kuo Zhang's claim that your country is ruled by dogs? As a cat, do you have any concerns?

<Zilya>(looks cute).

<Schneiderman>Great work Zal. Any other species care to weigh in?

<Schmulecky>Yah, well maybe one more. (Walks down the street, bends down to talk to an iguana on a leash). I think we have one here. Hi big fella. What do you think of Kuo Zhang's... (Iguana stares into camera) Jimmy - I can't keep this up. This is Zalman Schmulecky for West Cedarbrook One News, Krasimir, Katranjiev.

[FreYhill]

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Interim Prime Minister Won Chi sparks debates on Primaries
Freyhillian Interim Prime Minister Won Chi Hun sparks debates on Prime Ministerial Primaries in first Dietary Meeting
프레이언덕이안 | English

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Editor Oh Jin Ho | March 8, 2016 Sworn in as Interim Prime Minister last week by Governor-General Pyon Jung Min, Won Chi has already sparked debate in the House of Representatives of the National Diet's first meeting after the arrest of former Prime Minister Dae-Jong-Ji. Announcing her desires to make Political parties conduct Prime Ministerial Primaries, she added that this extra step in Federal elections would make the final result represent the Freyhillian public much more fair and accurate. Won Chi plans to put through her legislation to add this extra step of the Federal Election through the House of Representatives next week, with the Freyhillian Liberal and National parties expected to vote for this process, ultimately passing the bill along to the Senate. Although that the bill will pass through the House of Representatives, a recently hostile Senate towards Won Chi would most likely debate the bill furiously. Optimistic of the future result of her Legislation, she tweeted about the bill earlier today.

Won Chi Hun @WonChiMP Under my proposed legislation, the representation of your next Prime Minister shall be purely representative for You, the Freyhillian People. #FreyhillPM #Primaries #FreyhillianDiet #NATS RETWEETSFAVORITE 5M1.5M 3:33 PM - 8 March 16

The Freyhillian Post's chief political correspondent, Pak Kun Woo is in favour of Mrs Won Chi's legislation, stating that now is the time for pure Freyhillian representation. With Pak Kun adding that even though that voting is compulsory in the Commonwealth, the proposed Primaries wouldn't be under the Interim Prime Minister's legislation, allowing the Freyhillian people to decide if they want to nominate a candidate for the Federal election or not. She kept on urging the Senate to pass this legislation and to put personal benefit behind and think for the people of the Commonwealth, suggesting a double dissolution if the Senate doesn't pass the bill. Even though that the Legislation has a high chance of passing through the Federal Diet, there is uncertainty whether if the next fixed federal election in 2020 would undergo the new system or the Governor-General will issue a writ for a Double Dissolution of the National Diet upon signing the Legislation into law of the Commonwealth. A double Dissolution would mean an end of the long lasting Jong-Ji administration for good, allowing the new leadership of the Liberal Party of Freyhill to take the realms after the primaries stage as well as the disbanding of the current hostile senate.

OTHER NEWS

• Domestic: Freyhillian Interim Prime Minister Won Chi Hun sworn in by Governor-General.
• Domestic: Health Minister of the Commonwealth officially opens regional hospital in the Province of Kusan.
• Namor: Namorese in occupied Nantai can't vote in upcoming elections.
• Katranjiev: Trifonov predicted to become Katranjian-majority

[Pisdara]

8 March, 2016

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PRPN government adds new amendment to Settlement Act
In a conference held today, a spokesperson for the ruling Radical National People’s Party stated that the party has added a new amendment to the controversial Settlement Act. The PRPN’s all-white paramilitary branch, nicknamed “The Militia”, has been granted more powers in seizing nomads and their property and transporting them to the settlement camps, but that wasn’t the largest effect of the new amendment.

The PRPN spokesperson claimed that “arable land is at a premium on the island, and we have to make sure that the proper people are in charge of producing our crops. I for one trust an Aininian much more than a Pisdari.” According to the new law, one's property and land can be taken without warrant or consent if the owner is ethnically Pisdari. Nicknamed the “Eviction Clause” by opponents, the law would see a government-led push to take Pisdari-held lands and distribute it to ethnics Aininians.

As expected, this new law has opponents to the government reeling. Even many Aininians, who have previously supported the PRPN in the January elections, have become disillusioned with the party’s heavy-handed and undemocratic tactics. Lucien Deboul, a resident of Kurur Nheshtinka’a, explained that “feelings were high that election, and we choose poorly. Now, I can safely say I’m opposed to any PRPN law out of principle. Their going to make Pisdara a second Nevanmaa.”

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More videos and accounts surface as Settlement Act controversy grows

Futher protests erupted after more videos of the holding facilities and their
conditions surfaced on the Internet

After the shocking revelation of the conditions in the Asuragar-Zalalal Nomadic Facility emerged via a video last week, more accounts have been pouring onto the web, showing the deteriorating status of the facilities. Local human rights organizations have called the facilities “nothing short of dehumanizing”, and the opposition in the Territorial Council has called for the Supreme Court of Ainin to strike the controversial Settlement Act and announce a recall election.

Protests have emerged in both Ashuragar and Sakar over the videos, but the PRPN will not call any early election over the controversy due to its majority coalition with the Liberal Conservative Party. Despite this, many protesters still feel they “should make our voices heard before the PRPN takes it away from us.”

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[FreYhill]

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Amendment to Elections Act passed
Freyhillian Interim Prime Minister Won Chi Hun's first Legislation passes both Houses of the Federal Diet.
프레이언덕이안 | English

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Editor Oh Jin Ho | March 9, 2016 The new legislation read to the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth yesterday by Interim Prime Minister has been passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, with the government legislation awaiting for the royal assent of the Governor-General. The new amendment to one of the oldest acts of the Freyhillian Government now requires Primaries to occur for the nomination of political parties’ leader’s months before the Federal elections. Causing the writs issued by the Governor-General to be extended to 6 Months after signing.

Multiple members of Freyhillian political significance has endorsed this new measure of pure representation such as the Speaker of the House of Representatives Pom Yong Su congratulating the newly formed leadership of the Liberals-Nationals coalition on the passing of the next step of the total representation of Freyhillian politics. The amendment itself passed the House of Representatives with 90 members of parliament voting Aye to 60 members voting Nay, with the Bill being sent to the Senate soon after. With the 5th of March holding both Houses of the Diet, the Senate soon voted on the amendment to the act, with the legislation passing by just one vote.

The Amendment of the Commonwealth Elections Act has now been sent off to the Governor-General, awaiting royal assent from the Monarch’s representative for the Commonwealth. Expected to be signed into law tomorrow, Won Chi Hun is expected to announce whether her next move would be to continue the newly elected government or to continue on as Interim Prime Minister. Our Chief Political Commentator Pak Kun Woo has predicted that Won Chi Hun will call for a dissolution of either just the House of Representatives or ultimately a Double Dissolution at the House of Representatives’ meeting tomorrow to maintain political stability after the conviction of former Prime Minister Jong-Ji. Although that Interim Prime Minister Won Chi Hun having the full executive power of the Prime Minister, only the Governor-General can dismiss the Houses of the Diet; although the Governor-General is obliged to follow the advice of the Prime Minister.

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OTHER NEWS

• Domestic: Respected Freyhillian Economists predict improved Free Market in the future.
• Pisdara: Ruling Radical National People’s Party adds new amendment to Settlement Act.
• Katranjiev: Trifonov predicted to become Katranjian-majority

[Ainin]

Home » News » Politics
▍ Alain Bergeron Confirmed as Citizen-Protector of Pisdara
▍ ON THE FIRST DAY OF NEW SESSION, DR. BERGERON CRUISES THROUGH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CONFIRMATION

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HUIMONT - On the first day back from its month-long Spring Recess, the National Assembly of Ainin moved quickly and approved the nomination of civil rights leader Dr. Alain Bergeron as Citizen-Protector of Pisdara. The House Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs voted 11-1 to refer the nomination to the full House of Deputies after a very brief debate. Deputy François Duhamel of Iberville (National Alliance) was the only member to vote against the motion. A motion to suspend debate was enacted by a two-thirds majority of the chamber, which subsequently voted voted 315-44 (93 deputies were absent) to ratify Prime Minister Marianne de Lotbinière's nomination.

The upper house, the House of Censure, then unanimously adopted the lower house's resolution without debate by a voice call. By 17:30, the resolution had graduated from committee, passed both chambers of the National Assembly, and been signed into law by President Cao Nima. This was the fastest a nomination has ever cleared the legislature in Aininian history, which owes its record to the fact that both the governing SDP-CA alliance and the opposition Conservatives supported the resolution, and the only party opposing the move was the far-right National Assembly, which only controls 31 of the lower house's 452 seats and is not represented in the upper house.

"I am pleased by the National Assembly's quick action in approving this nomination and giving a clear mandate for sensible government in Pisdara," de Lotbinière announced in a statement. "We will be working swiftly with Mr. Bergeron to bring back the rule of law to Pisdara and end the terrible human rights abuses in the protectorate."

Opposition Leader Anna Barési concurred, stating that "this is not a political issue. It doesn't matter if you're left or you're right, all that matters is that you're a sane human being that doesn't support mass murders and fascism."

However, controversial leader of the far-right National Alliance, Max Cornell, declared his strong opposition to the turn of events, accusing the Lobtinière government of "raping the democratic process in Pisdara" and vowing to fight Mr. Bergeron's accession to the office of head of state of Pisdara.

Rémi Michaulx, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Esquarian Community, has confirmed that Dr. Bergeron has taken the oath of office and is currently awaiting to board an Aininian Air Force aircraft that will take him to Pisdara. He added that the newly-inaugurated Citizen-Protector was accompanied by a "strong military protection" to "prevent incidents in Pisdara." Minister Michaulx declined further comment.

[Geadland]

HOUSE PASSES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Next Parliaments will only be able to fell a prime minister if they nominate a successor

10 March 2016 Last updated 12:14 Geadish Standard Time
DA HEGNER - The House of Representatives has voted by a 468-64 margin to approve an amendment to the constitution which will limit the House of Representatives' ability to cast a vote no confidence against the government. Starting with effect from the next general election, the chamber will instead have to give a 'positive vote of no confidence', in which it nominates an alternative prime minister. The Queen will still be able to call a snap election in the aftermath of such a vote; it does not state explicitly if she would first have to appoint an alternative prime minister.

Another change is that manner in which the lower chamber passes the budget. Instead of simply voting yes or no to the government's proposal, the chamber will 'elect' a budget, choosing between the government's proposal and any alternative proposals put forward by the opposition. An exhaustive ballot method would be used, with the least popular proposal eliminated each time until one can be passed with majority backing. This is similar to the method used by the lower chamber elects its Speaker. It is not clear what would happen if the government saw its proposal defeated in favour of an opposition backed budget - this might either be interpreted as a loss of confidence for the government, or it may require them to carry on governing with a budget they do not want to use.

Constitutional amendments must first be passed by Parliament and then either passed by the next Parliament (i.e. after a single general election) or approved by referendum. This amendment was passed four years ago with support from Andras Verbåten's government and most of the parties in Parliament. The amendment then passed by a similar margin in the current parliament with most parties supporting it. Prime Minister Efa Nordland said that "The general trend in politics over the last decade has been towards increasing fragmentation, which may make it difficult for future governments to pass the reforms Geadland needs. The amendment will hopefully provide us with a better hope of stable government in the future."

The SDLP also backed the amendment, having first proposed it in their 2009 manifesto. Opposition leader Samuel Stefansen said that the government's support for the amendment was "proof that a broken clock can still get the time right twice a day" and agreed that "hopefully it will discourage parties from bringing down a government on a whim." Christian People's Party leader Rita den Burgh saying that her party was "honouring the promise we made to the SDLP when we supported their last government." However, 3 delegates from her party broke with the party line and voted against it. A single Progressive delegate also rebelled against his party - Georgus Paulsen, who call it "giving out free sweets to the left."

The Socialists and Greens both opposed the amendments, with Green Party leader Harald Fredriksen arguing that it was "if the aim is to stop small parties from bringing down a government, it will not work. Parties can still bring a government down if they want to, but it will force them to do so by making it look like they support parties they don't support. It's a deception." The Swedish People's Party also voted against it, with their parliamentary leader Filippa Karlsson expressing concern that "It will compromise our ability to serve as a neutral guardian of the Swedish community's interests." 17 of the 20 independent delegates also voted against it, with Paula Vossman calling it "a blatant attempt to water down the influence of independent politicians."

[Ainin]

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A CHOICE AS CLEAR AS A SUMMER DAY'S SKY
Shohai Antelope is a principled, pragmatic progressive who will work for all Namorese

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The face of Namor's best choice forward (© Mojing Sibo, used with permission)

Via the Aininian Press Association - In less than two weeks, Namorese voters will head to the polls and choose the next president-general of the country. The result of the vote will decide the direction of the country, and indeed, much of the world, for years to come. In face of this monumentally impactful choice, we have weighed all the candidates' policies and have come to the clear conclusion that the only viable choice for regional peace, domestic stability and economic prosperity is Shohai Antelope and the Popular Front.

We strongly believe that he is the only candidate who would be able to unite Namor and move it forward. The right-wing extremist Huan An would take the country down the ruinous path of neoliberal hack-and-slash, thoroughly discredited by the worldwide Recession of 1980, while the election of Mr. Zhang, who in the past has praised Arnborg's racial laws and called for the annexation of Roubao, an act that would almost certainly lead to global war, would be Namor's greatest mistake since the Green Fever.

A vote for Kuo Zhang is a vote for a type of authoritarian fascism unheard of in mainstream politics since the dismantlement of Chorea at the end of the Second Great War. A demagogue by training, Mr. Zhang brings out the worst and most divisive aspects of Namorese society at a time where national unity is urgently needed to brave the challenges of the twenty-first century and the bearing pressure of economic recession. There is no universe where he or his People's First Party of raving lunatics can unite the country's political establishment in consensus and find effective solutions to the country's problems. Not when his response to the existential threat of climate change is "let it happen." Not when he insinuates that remilitarisation of the Luziycan border would be a positive for Namor. Not when he seeks to revoke the autonomy of Namor's ethnic minority regions and bring them under central authority. Not when he desires to annex Roubao, inevitably sparking war with Unolia and the Triumvirate. If it can be said that an Antelope presidency would perpetuate a Liberationist family dynasty and that an An presidency would turn Namor into a Luziycan client state, then it would not be a stretch to affirm that a Kuo Zhang presidency would be truly a massive change for Namor. Namely, by destroying the country.

In the past, we have supported President Fu Wen due to his capability as a peacemaker, as evidenced by his reasoned handling and steadfast non-intervention in the Qianrongese crisis, push for peace in turbulent South Conitia, and his openness towards working with nations that Namor has historically had chilly relations with, such as Luziyca and the Triumvirate. While it is unfortunate that Namor has yet to act against the Caliphate, who pose a severe threat to the stability of Nautasia and the international community as a whole, President Wen has left a largely positive legacy and refused to entangle Namor in foreign policy debacles, unlike several of his predecessors. His domestic policy has likewise been marked by slow but steady progress in streamlining decades of bureaucratic bloat and sensible economic policy designed to both keep Namorese enterprises in Namor and attract foreign capital. While his handling of the stock market crisis was poor and defied all economic sense, the outgoing President-General of Namor has left the country with a more robust (although smaller) economy, an improved diplomatic standing and a stronger civic tradition than when he assumed office.

But make no mistake, Mr. An is no Fu Wen. Huan An is a right-wing extremist and, at best, a caricature of President Wen. Look no further than his legislative record for evidence. He authored the so-called "Fair" Taxation Act, a radical proposal that would have replaced Namor's income tax regime in favour of a 25% flat rate, a proposal that time and time again has shown encourages increased income inequality and erodes the equality of opportunity by curtailing the purchasing power of the poor and increasing that of the rich. This would be even more marked in Namor, whose rapid switch from a command to a market economy in the past has led to one of the largest wealth gaps in the world. During the most recent debate, he has shown an utter lack of vision for the Namorese economy, continuously deferring to "great businesspeople" and market forces. This laissez-faire belief in allowing the market to continue its negative slide unhindered is dangerous, and would thrust Namor down a path that would certainly lead to economic ruin and hurt everyone, poor or rich, white collar or blue collar, Kannei Namorese or Txotai Luziycan.

In contrast, Mr. Antelope brings real solutions to the table. He has vowed to fight corporate handouts, including the infamously lax carbon footprint reduction tax credit. He has called for an expansion of the social safety net to catch those left without a job by the worsening economy. He has called for an end of the make-money-quick privatisation of state enterprises without consideration for long-term harm. He has proposed policies to keep the Namorese secondary sector in Namor, which would go a long way in ensuring that the working lower class does not slide any further into poverty. Mr. Antelope propose a thoughtful and progressive plan of action that does not embrace the neoliberalism of past administrations, resulting in incredible income disparity and a volatile economy vulnerable to destructive corrections. He also does not attempt to drag Namor back to the hard-left, as his primary rival Tao James had pledged by declaring his opposition to the very institution of capitalism.

On foreign policy, Mr. Antelope and Mr. An's differences on peace with Luziyca are largely stylistic. While Mr. Antelope has come out in opposition to the policy of détente implemented by President Wen, he does not wish to return to the high-tension past of Namo-Luziycan relations. In fact, many have speculated that it was largely symbolic in order to outmaneuver his primary opponent Tao James in order to secure the nomination, and that an Antelope presidency would not result in a radical shift in the country's foreign policy. He opposes the New Democratic Party's foreign policy because it is increasingly turning from an exercise in peacemaking to an experiment in hyperglobalisation. Under a Huan An presidency, Namor would commit to a stunningly large expansion of free trade with its former archrival of Luziyca and deregulation of many protectionist mechanisms that protect Namorese industry and ensure that Namorese companies keep their wealth in the country. The proposed trade deregulation could not come at a worse time. Dismantling the mechanisms that keep Namor's sovereign wealth in Namor at a time of economic downturn could potentially lead to a one-way flow of capital out of the country, into Luziyca. Mr. Antelope instead balances the considerations of peace and the domestic economy, and would fight for equitable relations between the giants of South Velkia that would not require a potentially devastating outflow of human and financial capital. Mr. An further seeks the dismantlement of the West Esquarian Treaty Organisation, which military analysts caution would significantly hinder the ability of Namor and Ainin to coordinate a military response to emergencies. As Mr. Antelope has warned, the end of WETO would also embolden the enemies of democracy in Velkia, who would see it as carte blanche for aggression unseen since the Second Great War.

Lastly, Mr. Antelope defends the institutions that make Namor great. He is an outspoken defender of the country's state-subsidized Common Medical Care System (CMCS), which has brought quality healthcare to millions without breaking the bank during a time where state coffers will soon find themselves pinched by economic recession. He has not only vowed to defend but also to expand Namor's social security net and provide aid for those at the bottom of society. This stands in stark contrast to Huan An, who is following the orthodox right-libertarian idea of cutting welfare in favour of some vague concept of "opportunity", ironic as he also plans on gutting the equality of opportunity in Namor through a disproportionally regressive flat income tax.

While President Wen has overseen a period of Namorese history that will be seen for decades to come as a relatively bright section, changing circumstances require a strong leader with pragmatic ideas and solutions to Namor's problems. Only Shohai Antelope delivers, and we wholeheartedly endorse him for President-General of the People's Republic of Namor.

The Editorial Board

[Namor]

ELECTION '78 Candidates make final sprint for Election Day

March 11, NMR 2378

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8 DAYS

UNTIL NMR 2378
GENERAL ELECTION

NAMO, CAPTIAL DISTRICT- With nearly a week left until the election, the presidential candidates and political parties are making their final sprint for the hearts and minds of Namorese voters.

(From top to bottom) Huan An, Shohai Antelope and Kuo Zhang

All three presidential candidates say the TFTV debate last night helped boost their chances of winning. New Democratic deputy Huan An, who has been struggling in the polls while trying to sway voters from People's First candidate Kuo Zhang, gave a sanguine assessment of the debate's effects on his campaign.

"I got my message across and I got the [New Democratic] party's message across to the millions who were watching. I managed to expose Kuo Zhang as nothing more than a demagogue who doesn't deserve a presidency. As for Deputy Antelope, I was able to make him flip-flop on several issues, and that's not a good thing for him. I myself am optimistic," he said.

Senior leaders of the New Democrats, including outgoing President-General Fu, say they're aware of Shohai Antelope's seemingly unbreakable lead, but add that Huan still has time to stun the left.

"Huan An showed his best at the debate last night. Now it's only a matter of voters flocking to us in droves in the coming days," said the President-General.

Across the spectrum, Shohai Antelope is indulging in his lead but is not sitting back. Since the end of the debate, he has begun a "morale-shattering mission" by touring traditional New Democratic strongholds in the southern coast, hoping to shore up supporters and get Huan-leaning but reluctant undecided voters on his side.

"If you are uncomfortable with either Huan An or Kuo Zhang as your next President-General, please join me," he said during a rally in Esquarian City. "I don't want to exclude anybody in an inclusive revolution."

Antelope is not only gaining ground domestically. République, the Aininian paper of record, published an editorial endorsing Antelope for President-General, calling him "a principled, pragmatic progressive who will work for all Namorese." République's endorsement follows a long line of endorsements by the international press and some world leaders, both tacit and explicit, for Huan.

Kuo Zhang says he performed well - and many of his supporters agree - but he has come under the most amount of criticism following last night's debate.

Viewers both within and outside of Namor balked at the People's First candidate's promise to not turn Namor into "a second Chorea or Luziyca." The journalist who asked the question was later claimed to be Katranjiev's Queen Elis - a claim that was confirmed by both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (albeit shockingly) and the queen herself. Kuo also ruffled Qianrongese feathers by drawing a parallel between Namor's Txotai and "West Tuhao," a Scotian province that Kuo mistook as a part of Qianrong.

The outside world, as usual, is not amused with Kuo's rhetoric. Qianrongese prime minister Qi Chien-Xuan conspicuously excluded Kuo in a tweet in which she said both Antelope and Huan are able to improve relations with Namor. The same République editorial that endorsed Shohai Antelope said a Kuo presidency would "destroy the country."

But Kuo did gain some acclaim for insulting a Luziycan journalist who suggested that Namor's education system needs to be improved.

"Clearly your kids don't do as much homework as we do," he said, which was met head on with applause.

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Other News

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• ELECTION '78 Winners and losers from the TFTV presidential debate - A post-debate poll shows most Namorese believe Shohai Antelope won the debate.
• ELECTION '78 World watches as Namor elects its next leader - Examining who's with whom in March 20.
• ELECTION '78 Expect more endorsements rolling in as election day approaches - Prominent Namorese media papers Namor Today and Mojing Sibo have yet to endorse a candidate.
  

[Qianrong]

"QSR"'S LONG JIAO-DAN ANNOUNCES MAJOR POLICY CHANGES
ANALYSTS SPECULATE CHANGES WERE INTENDED TO CONVINCE NAMOR TO SIDE WITH REBEL REGIME

Long Jiao-Dan announcing the changes in Xiangmen this morning.

MARCH 11, 2016- Yucheng, Qianrong- Long Jiao-Dan, self declared "Chairman" of the so-called "Qianrongese Soviet Republic", announced several changes in his regime's domestic and foreign policies- vowing to never pursue nuclear weapons, allowing a Liberationist group to participate in upcoming emergency "elections", formally disavowing SISQ allegations of Namorese aid discrimination, and declaring the region of Oteki as a part of Namor- in what many suspect to be an attempt by Long and the rebel regime to convince the Namorese government to switch recognition from the Second Independent State to his breakaway regime.

The speech detailing these policy changes was made by Long before the rebel regime's rubberstamp legislature, the Presidium, in the Hall of the Qianrongese Nation in Xiangmen. The Hall of the Qianrongese Nation served as the assembly facility for the legislative committees of the defunct Nationalist People's Party before its abolition in the Winter Rebellion.

"It is the conclusion of myself, my advisors, and the Politburo that these changes will address several inconsistent or outdated policies that this government has previously held," Long told the members of the Presidium shortly before unveiling the changes. "We thus hope to clarify our stances on several critical issues, acknowledge several basic truths, and move the Soviet Republic forward by demonstrating its commitment to peace, democracy, and internationalism... these policies will have massive benefits at home and will hopefully assuage fears abroad about our commitment to the liberation of the people of Qianrong."

Long outlined four major policy changes. First, he said the so-called "Qianrongese Soviet Republic" would formally promise to never seek to construct nuclear weapons and express a commitment to destroying the nuclear weapons held by the Second Independent State if it got the possibility. Secondly, he announced emergency "elections" for the Presidium, adding that the Front for the Liberationist Revolution in Qianrong- one of its allies in the Second Domestic Terror War- would be allowed to nominate candidates for this election. Third, he would formally acknowledge that there was no concrete evidence of the Namorese denying humanitarian aid to Otekians during the Second Domestic Terror War. And fourth, his government would make a formal declaration recognizing the disputed Oteki region- which Namor invaded during the Second Namo-Luziycan War- as an autonomous republic of Namor.

Most analysts believe that the changes are an attempt to paint his government as more willing to work with the international community. In the wake of the Coupe d'Esquarium hostage crisis, in which a soccer match lost to the Kenyen Fighters led to the Luziycan ambassador to Qianrong being murdered, many countries have become wary about their dealings with Qianrong. Much has been made of the rise of Qianrongese nationalism, with Namor's Mojing Sibo describing it as "paranoid xenophobia" and the National Defender labeling it as "near-pervasive" and as a "flaw in our national character". The SISQ has continued to demand that any Namorese aid be distributed by Yucheng in the wake of the Cablegate scandal and in spite of a lack of evidence; they have refused to destroy the nuclear weapons they inherited from the FDRQ. These decisions are popular with the voting population, and help guarantee that the current government remains in power- but as Qianrong recovers from the ravages of the Winter Rebellion and the Second Domestic Terror War, put the government in an awkward position as they seek foreign aid. In taking the opposite tack, the "QSR" seeks to look more willing to cooperate and thus more desirable than the SISQ.

And there is no denying that many of these changes are explicitly directed at Qianrong's northern neighbor, the People's Republic of Namor. Two of the policies- acknowledging the lack of evidence for Namorese discrimination and recognizing Oteki as Namorese territory- explicitly pertain to Namor. They were explicitly listed as criteria for reestablishing relations by former New Democratic candidate Tuyet An and People's First candidate Kuo Zhang. With Shohai Antelope of the Liberationists dominating most polls by a twenty-point margin, allowing a Liberationist group to compete in emergency "elections"- even if the elections are by and large for show- seems to be a direct attempt to gain the favor of Deputy Antelope and his vice-presidential nominee, Long's cousin Long Jiao-Che. And Qianrong's nuclear arms have long been an issue for the government of President-General Fu Wen. Namor's economic and political clout in the region is known very well by the people of Qianrong, and there's no doubt that Long Jiao-Dan is trying to get it on his side.

Foreign affairs official Shuo Rong-Ren told reporters in Yucheng that Long was likely attempting to gain access to foreign, especially Namorese, financial support, arguing that Long is seeking foreign cash to wage a propaganda war against the SISQ. "Long is seeking to make the QSR look more prosperous and more connected to the world than the SISQ. If he can do that, he hopes that he can sway the Qianrongese people to support him willingly. So getting legitimacy from Namor, and all the money that flows through Namor's economy, would be a massive boon for him."

Several observers have also highlighted that Long has forced Qi Chien-Xuan into a corner. "If Prime Minister Qi was to make any of those announcements, then she'd almost certainly see her governing coalition implode and her popular support vanish," says Professor Ri Cheng-Wan. "Qianrongese voters are too sympathetic to the Otekian cause, too convinced of Namorese discrimination, and too convinced that those nuclear weapons are necessary for their defense. By contrast, Long Jiao-Dan doesn't have to answer to the people, or to anyone. So he's taken an action that Prime Minister Qi simply cannot match- and Namor will notice that, no doubt."

Some, however, are not so sure Long will come out unscathed. Myhrodniv Klitishko, leader of the Otekian Qianrongese Association, told reporters from the Shanliang City Journal that he was "confident" there would be a backlash from Otekians living in otekitowns controlled by the QSR, such as Sorbijov in Huali or Malzhenkov in Pingyuan, as well as from other Qianrongese groups sympathetic towards the Otekia cause. "Even if the People's Association of Ethnic Otekians [a group established by the "QSR" as an alternative to the OQA] doesn't speak up, you can be sure Otekians will. Even the Free Democratic Republic refused to stop Otekians from protesting what Namor does in Oteki, after all... I'm sure that Qianrongese of all ethnic groups will see this as nothing more than desperate pandering to the Namorese government and as an abandonment of the Qianrongese and Otekian peoples by the rebels, and I'm sure they're going to raise hell about it."

The Namorese government has not yet responded to the announcement.

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News from Across Esquarium
AININ- Republique backs Shohai Antelope in Namor elections
GEADLAND- House easily passes constitutional amendment
PISDARA- RIghts lawyer Bergeron confirmed as Citizen-Protector
NAMOR- New Democratss make poll gains after massive Namo rally
LUZIYCA- Nantainese can't vote in Namor elections, Jeng Sho says
QIANRONG- Qi tweet suggests fears about Kuo presidency-general

[FreYhill]

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Second 2016 Federal Elections confirmed
Freyhillian Interim Prime Minister Won Chi Hun confirms advising the Governor-General on dissolving the House of Representatives.
프레이언덕이안 | English

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Editor Oh Jin Ho | March 12, 2016

Interim Prime Minister Won Chi Hun
at The House of Representatives.

With Interim Prime Minister Won Chi’s legislation now passed through the Commonwealth Diet, Prime Minister Won Chi has announced her intentions for a second 2016 Federal Election for the House of Representatives under the new Primaries system. Calling for the Governor-General to issue a dissolution of The House of Representatives during Dietary Sittings, The Interim Prime Minister received massive criticism from the opposition; The Labor Party of Freyhill, with the Opposition Leader calling the move unfair to not just to the newly elected Members of Diet but to the Freyhillian people. However, Interim Prime Minister continued with proceedings and slammed the Opposition Leader in his attempt to use this chance the Freyhillian people have to have an elected Prime Minister as a political stunt.

The Governor-General has been reported preparing for the dissolution of the House of Representatives, with an official announcement organised for later today at The Gungjeon, the residence of the Head of State. Upon the announcement of the dissolution of the house of representatives, the government will go into its caretaker mode for the next 4 Months until the arrival of the Federal Elections. It is expected that the current Interim Prime Minister will remain as caretaker until the Primaries, the Governor-General will then take over for the last leg of the race for the office. The Freyhillian Electoral Commission is also reported preparing for the first Primary vote of the Commonwealth at Congcheon. The Congcheon Primaries, expected to take place on the 20th of March holds the largest amount of delegates for candidates to pick up, having a population of 18.5 Million Freyhillians situated within the province. It has been reported that 962 delegates are required to receive party candidacy for both the major political parties of the Commonwealth, with a slight adjustment to occur in later elections to suit the needs of the parties.

The President of the Liberal Party yesterday confirmed that their convention will be joint with the Nationals Party due to their historical coalition agreement of government and will be held on the 12th of June at the Goldglass Convention Center. It is expected that multiple people of the current cabinet of the Commonwealth will run for the nomination of the Liberal Party, with Interim Prime Minister Won Chi Hun expected to win the Nationals Party nomination. For the Freyhillian Labor Party nomination, multiple backbenchers of The House of Representatives are expected to run for the nomination, showing that there is a high dissatisfaction with the current opposition leader within his own party.

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© 2016 Freyhillian Post, Subsidiary of Freyhillian Broadcasting Commission.

[Geadland]

The Liberal reports
NAMOR: HERE’S ONE FOR HUAN AN
He is the least worst candidate for the presidency. A shame he’s too libertarian to win.

12 March NMR 2378 Last updated TBC Geadish Standard Time
NAMO – Namor has shaped world affairs greatly in the past few years, especially thanks to its growing economy and rapidly changing relations with Luziyca. All of these are at stake as the country prepares to vote on Sunday 20 March – and the result will matter a long way beyond its borders and shores. Esquarium’s largest electorate will face their starkest choice yet. On the left, Shohai Antelope offers them a chance to elect their most left-wing president in decades. On the right, the uncompromising libertarian Huan An has won the nomination for President-General Fu Wen’s party even though the president himself was overheard questioning whether Mr Huan was too right-wing. Elsewhere on the right, the perennial nationalist Kuo Zhang has been drumming up support.

Mr Antelope and Mr Kuo both contested the last presidential election, in which Mr Fu was elected to a second term. At the time, The Liberal described Mr Kuo as being the worst-suited candidate for the presidency (see The Good, the Bad and the Antelope, December NMR 2373). We see no reason to change this unflattering verdict. Although few expect him to win, he still could shock the system by finishing in second place. Some polls have already placed him ahead Mr Huan for second place. And politically incorrect politicians like Mr Kuo (who recently referred to Katranjians as “dogs”) are often underestimated by pollsters.

Power to the people state
Mr Antelope himself has hardly been averse to this sort of nationalist posturing. He has supported a bill to water down the October 7 consensus and said five months ago that “there is nothing illegal about retaking Nantai by military force” (admittedly, few would expect him to try it for real). He and Mr Kuo have kept the Nantai issue at the forefront, often distracting voters from economic issues. We have argued that Namor is better off leaving Nantai alone (See Let It Go, September NMR 2737), especially because the Nantaians do not want to be annexed. He has at least clearly distanced himself from Mr Kuo, especially with the speech he made last week. In the past, this newspaper expressed concern about the Liberationists due to their authoritarian past. This time, as long as Kuo Zhang is kept away from Executive House, Namor’s democracy is unlikely to be at stake. Indeed, the New Democrats have made only limited attempts to chip away at the last remnant of Green authoritarianism – the situation of the Otekian people.

Fears about Namor’s relations with Luziyca may also be misplaced. Though Mr Antelope would almost certainly set them back, it is hard to imagine them sinking to the depths of the NMR 2330s. Once free of having to pander to an electorate that by a large margin distrusts Luziyca, he may be more pragmatic. For this newspaper, the main issue ought to be the fate of Namor’s economy. It has had to contend with a wobbling stock market in the short term and slowing growth in the long term. On some counts, Mr Antelope’s calls for a more interventionist government need to be listened to, especially as Mr Fu was too slow in responding to the initial stock market crash.

Mr Antelope cannot fully decide whether he wants to be a genuine socialist or a market-friendly social democrat. He has moved to the left since the last election, as has the alliance of left-wing parties that he leads (now known as the Popular Front). The largest of the three parties in the outgoing Central Council is the moderate Democratic Socialists, but their influence is waning. Meanwhile, the hard left Socialist Party looks set to increase their representation, and Tao James almost won the Popular Front nomination. The parties are mostly protectionist and completely hostile to trade with Luziyca, as well as towards any reform to the public sector. For all their talk of returning power to the people, they seem more likely to return power to the state.

Courageous but inexpedient
If the left looks unready for government, then New Democrats are meanwhile showing all the classic symptoms of a party that has been in government for too long. The first is infighting; the party’s base is at war with its leadership, having foisted Mr Huan into being nominated. Worse than infighting is graft; a recent watchdog reported that corruption was on the rise on all levels of government. A particular issue is the lax enforcement of anti-gambling laws. Finally there’s a slump in popularity. Voters are calling their economic leadership into question, thanks to the recent stock market crisis. Though it may not reassure them, the economic data presents a better picture. The economy has been booming for most of a decade and so far has weathered the recent storm. If Mr Fu was seeking re-election, there would be a solid case for giving him five more years. Instead, the party finds itself represented by Mr Huan.

Mr Huan was an influential figure in the party long before sweeping the party’s primary. It is thanks to him that the centrepiece of his party’s economic vision is a 25% flat tax. This would be a step too far. The cost would be expensive and the benefits would be felt mainly by high income earners, and wealth inequality is already on the rise. A far better strategy would be cutting red tape and spending money on worthier causes. It was due to concerns about Mr Huan’s ideological rigidity that this newspaper called for his moderate opponent Tuyet An to be his party’s nominee instead. The New Democrats’ leadership made similar calls to their party’s base ahead of the primary. Those calls were unheeded.

On several issues, Mr Huan actually offers to do better than Mr Fu. Few politicians in Namor have a background as admirable as his: as a journalist he exposed corruption, stood up to the Liberationist establishment and opposed the Namo-Luziycan War. He is prepared to take Namorese relations with Luziyca to new positive heights. He has courageously broken a taboo by being willing to come to a settlement on Nantai (he proposed giving Nantai a referendum). Some of his other inexpedient policies are not so beneficial. His call to end WETO is misguided, because although Luziyca is no longer a threat to Namor, Ainin and the other members, they still have other threats they ought to be allied against.

That said, the President-General can easily be kept in check. Mr Huan can only do what the Central Council permits, and they are highly likely to block any excesses he proposes. Faced with voters who are losing faith in markets and détente, as well as Kuo Zhang’s dreadful smear campaign, Mr Huan has doggedly promoted liberal economic policies and better relations with Luziyca. He deserves a chance to prove himself. Too bad he's probably too libertarian to get one.

---

Sosjaltidens reports
SHOW IN SHOHAI
We endorse Shohai Antelope for the Namorese presidency

12 March NMR 2378 Last updated TBC Geadish Standard Time
Namor’s political scene is unusual in several ways. Younger voters tend to be more right-wing, a legacy of how it their generation that started the rebellion against the notionally left-wing Liberationist establishment. The left-wing parties also tend to be more nationalist, more likely to call for intervention in foreign policy. The other thing that stands out is the sheer size of the electorate. They face a stark choice, between two fringe candidates and a social democrat who ought to win by default.

One of them, Kuo Zhang, is an obvious fascist. It is easy to get desensitised to and forget just how outrageous some of the things he says are. He proposes annexing Roubao, which would start a war with Unolia. He wants to quash the rights of Namor’s minorities and centralise the country. He has called Katranjians "dogs" and Luziycans "pathetically uncivilized". He espouses a mean-spirited Kannei-centric chauvinism that ought to be contrasted with the racially inclusive nationalism that Yunglang Antelope once believed in. On pretty much every other issue, Kuo talks as though he has no idea of what he’s talking about. Whether he's suggesting that climate change is a good thing or giving vague and empty promises, even without his shock jock behaviour he would still be unsuited to the job.

Another, Huan An, is a fringe candidate in a different way. Though he's not extreme in the anti-democratic sense, his ideology is so hyper-capitalist it makes Efa Nordland look socialist by comparison. Few things epitomise his blind faith in the market any more than his proposal for a 25% flat tax. Given that wealth inequality in Namor is now higher than Luziyca, and still soaring, why would they need a tax cut that would only really benefit the rich? Even The Liberal has gone on the record criticising it. Even if Fu Wen was the nominee instead (he cannot stand due to term limits) the New Democrats wouldn't exactly deserve to win. They let a stock market bubble grow out of control and did virtually nothing to fight back when it inevitably burst.

One issue that Huan An does mostly get right most of the time is foreign affairs. He wants to keep improving relations with Luziyca. He is willing to drop Namor's claim to Nantai. That move that would normally be suicidal in Namorese politics and it is unfortunate he has had to lose support for it. But he has lost support deservedly for other reasons. And realistically, what damage could Shohai Antelope do? He might have said that invading Nantai is "not illegal" but no-one in their right mind thinks he would actually do it. He seems more intent on defending the status quo with Luziyca rather than taking their relations back to the past. And he has made it clear that he completely rejects Kuo's brand of nationalism.

We endorse Shohai Antelope, now that our original preferred candidate Tao James failed to win the left's nomination. A career politician who is as ingrained in Namo's establishment as Executive House, Mr Antelope IV could never bring the breath of fresh air to Namor that Tao could have offered. But he is smart and firmly progressive. He wants to protect and expand Namor's welfare programs and transfer money from the rich to the poor, the opposite direction to which it currently flows. He promises to get tough on corruption and corporate welfare and introduce a national minimum wage, a chance to phase out corporate exploitation. Though he has his flaws, perhaps they will become less of an issue once he stops having to compete for votes with Kuo Zhang.

[Luziyca]

Esquarian Commission officially decides to dissolve the Esquarian Union

Headquarters of the EU

BETHLEHEM, F.C. - Over a month ago, the Esquarian Congress voted itself out of existence, meaning that as a result of lack of funding, the EU would be unable to provide services after December 31, 2016. Today, the flag of the Esquarian Union was lowered for the last time as the Esquarian Commission officially voted to dissolve the EU.

The legislation that the Congress passed was titled "On the procedures to terminate all activities of the Esquarian Union," stating that "due to redundancy with the EC, and the historic ties of the EU to Luziycan foreign policy," in addition to declining membership (seeing a decrease from eleven members in 2014 to seven), that "all EU organs should cease operation at 11:59:59 pm, on December 31, 2016, at the latest," and also added that "all EU resolutions and laws shall cease having effect," before stating that "once this bill has passed, the Congress shall adjourn sine die."

Due to the fact that the Esquarian Congress provided the budget for the other institutions of the Esquarian Union, such as the Esquarian Commission, the ICC, and the EU Defense Command, the EU would lack funding to operate its institutions from Jan. 1, 2017 onwards, especially with the Congress having ceased all operations. Consequently, programs operated by the EU would essentially be no longer to operate due to a lack of cash.

Today, the President of the Esquarian Union, Lilyana Paskaleva (from Katranjiev), after reaching an agreement to end the EU issued the following statement to the press, saying that "Effective immediately, all member states of the EU shall be released from their obligations to the Esquarian Union."

When asked by reporters when the EU will end, she replied that, "It will end at the very last second of the very last day of 2016," but also added that "with this decision, the EU now is basically going to spend the rest of the year wrapping up loose ends and winding all operations down, so that by the time that clock hits midnight, and we enter 2017, the EU shall cease to exist as an independent legal entity."

Plans are proposed to transfer control of the International Criminal Court to the Organization of Esquarian Nations, while the EU Defense Command and the Supreme Court will be dissolved altogether. All of the records of the EU will be transferred to various archives throughout the world. In addition, the future of the Greenwich Area is now uncertain due to the fact that there is no central authority coordinating the area.

For now, Acting President Colin Hardage has said that "we will try and maintain the Greenwich Area, but since the EU is essentially kaput, there is no obligation to remain in it. We will plan on negotiating a new treaty to create a successor to the Greenwich Area."

In other news

• Namor - Why we shouldn't be worried about a Kuo Presidency
• Katranjiev - Behind the Elis-mania: how is she so popular?
• Freyhill - Elections to be held following PM being charged with murder
• EU - Property developers eye EU headquarters, with apartments, offices and a hotel being proposed

[Namor]

Namorese FM: Qianrongese rebels "step in right direction"
Наморайин | English
8 days till election

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Long Jiao-Dan, leader of the Qianrongese Soviet Republic (QSR), acknowledged that there
is no evidence of Namor having discriminated against certain groups of people while delivering
humanitarian aid to Qianrong, and Txotai's status as territory of Namor

In a rare thumbs-up to Qianrongese insurgents, Namor's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the latest remarks made by Qianrongese Soviet Republic (QSR) chairman Long Jiao-Dan in regards to Qianrong's Namor policy are "a step in the right direction," although it fell short of specifying whether Namor will establish ties with the rebels.

Citing the necessity to "acknowledge several basic truths," Chairman Long said his government, based in Xiangmen and currently locked in a seemingly indefinite battle for legitimacy with a rival government based in Yucheng, will push for denuclearization, clear Namor of allegations that it discriminated on ethnic grounds while distributing humanitarian aid to Qianrong, and recognize Txotai as Namorese territory. Long said this shift in policy will demonstrate Xiangmen's "commitment to peace, democracy, and internationalism."

In Namo, Minister of Foreign Affairs Shen Wuhong voiced Namor's approval of Long's policy changes, without mentioning either Long or the QSR by name.

"We do believe that this announcement made by the Qianrongese opposition is a step in the right direction. It could probably serve as a precursor to building an elevated and comprehensive line of communication with any warring side in the Qianrongese archipelago, something we're definitely looking into," Shen said.

Asked if this "comprehensive line of communication" means establishing incomplete or even formal ties with the QSR, Shen replied that "the internationally-recognized government of Qianrong is based in Yucheng, but the opposition is by no means an unimportant factor and has the potential to play a role in ensuring perpetual stability in Qianrong and the region at large."

It is unknown whether the Xiangmen-based government's announcement in regards to Qianrong's Namor policy will force a similar announcement from Yucheng. Last year, Prime Minister Qi Chien-Xuan responded to allegations that Namor had been denying humanitarian aid to the island country's ethnic Otekian population by ordering the confiscation of Namorese aid headed to Qianrong. Insisting that Namor did not discriminate, President-General Fu suspended aid to Qianrong and said aid will not resume unless Namor is removed from Yucheng's "discriminator list."

As things stand, no concrete evidence of aid discrimination has surfaced, although Esquarileaks did release the transcript of a State Council meeting in which one of Fu's ministers proposed declaring Namorese aid off-limits to Qianrongese Otekians.

Analysts say Long Jiao-Dan is trying to win Namor's favor, especially as the Fu administration will step down in April and is expected to be replaced by a leftist government. On the other hand, Namo - frustrated by its failed attempts to improve its image in Qianrong - may as well break up with Yucheng and begin dating Xiangmen, giving the internationally ostracized rebels a sense of legitimacy. But whether that will actually happen depends on what the current administration will do as it nears its last day and what the new administration will do from there.

Trending

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Shohai Antelope in good shape before 320 | Esquarian Commission dissolves EU | Poll suggests more Namorese uncertain about Huan An, Kuo Zhang | Editorial Board of Republique stands with Shohai Antelope | Namor says it "does not appreciate" Queen Elis sneaking into debate without notifying it first | Kuo on Elis appearance: "I think I roasted her"

[Pisdara]

12 March, 2016

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”Is that what he wants?” Governor Léche tells new Citizen-Protector to “leave my island.”
The almost breakneck confirmation of Alain Bergeron as the new Citizen-Protector of Pisdara by the National Assembly seems reasonable. Since the controversial election of the Radical National People’s Party in January, the higher-ups in Ainin proper, especially the Supreme Court, have been dealing with the increasing possibility of various issues emerging in Pisdara, from a rise in ethnic discrimination to accusations of human rights abuses.

It seems fitting that a human rights lawyer, Alain Bergeron would be thus chosen as the new Citizen-Protecter. However, Mr. Bergeron may have an icy reception by Pisdara’s government. Governor Alfred Léche has gone on record as saying that Bergeron was an “advocate for what was wrong with the old Pisdara: progressivism, race-mixing, idiotic cries for a ‘justice’ that he and his Ivy Tower goons never truly understand. The savage Pisdari over Aininian, the barbaric Muslim over Christian, the un-dutiful woman over man, the forces of liberalism over time-tried tradition. Is that what he wants?” Léche’s cold condemnation of the Citizen-Protector may be the first of many rows that could see the two men battle politically, if either maintains their position past this year.

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Liberal Conservatives collapse as Mathias Blanc is expelled from party, joins PRPN
Less than five months ago, no-one expected the Liberal Conservative Party, currently the junior partner in the ruling coalition with the Radical National People’s Party, to be in its current state. The party that once ruled the island for an uninterrupted fifteen straight years has now expelled their own leader and is currently in a state of utter chaos, according to inside sources.

Talks of Mathias Blanc, Governor from 2011 to his stunning defeat this year, stepping down from the leadership of the PCL had emerged, but failed to warrant any results as the weeks went on. Blanc kept what remained of his support base and Territorial seats, even when fellow deputy Enmerkar Ibnatum, the well-known leader of the party’s more moderate faction, gave Blanc the choice of either stepping down and appointing a new, possibly more liberal, successor or face an internal revolt and the split of the moderate and liberal factions from the party. Blanc’s power grab apparently caused the latter. Earlier today, Ibnatum filed his resignation from the PCL, and officially confirmed the founding of the liberal conservative Liberal Party of Pisdara, with him as leader and its only deputy in the Territorial Council. In response, the PCL placed blame on Blanc, expelling him from the party and appointing the rather unknown Peter Jacoune as leader. Blanc himself retaliated by requesting to caucus directly with the Radical National People’s Party, which has just a few hours ago has been accepted and confirmed.

The events of today just sealed the fate of not just the Liberal Conservatives, but also the governing PRPN-PCL coalition. With the loss of Ibnatum, the government has just lost its majority, and now may see early elections called, if the new Liberal Party sees it as advantageous to align itself with the left-wing opposition. We are truly living in interesting times.

---

[Namor]

Моджинг Сибо | Mojing Sibo
March 12, NMR 2378

WHY WE'RE NOT ENDORSING ANYBODY FOR PRESIDENT-GENERAL
It's hard to choose between an ineffective New Democrat, an uncertain Liberationist and a blatant xenophobe


The Namorese voter is stuck between two rocks and a hard place

By the Editorial Board| FREQUENT READERS know that the Mojing Sibo has rarely refused to take sides in elections. In fact, we have never declined to endorse anyone in past presidential elections. But to put it bluntly, we're not endorsing anybody for President-General this year and we think our position is justified for a variety of reasons.

An ineffective New Democrat

Last year, the Editorial board threw its support behind Huan An, who was then on an easily-fought crusade to wrestle the nomination from the New Democratic establishment. We did so for two reasons - although the establishment's Tuyet An is by no means a bad politician, she has been unable to win the support of New Democrats; had the establishment intervened and prevented the more charismatic Huan from becoming nominee, the entire party risked losing the supporters it desperately needs come election day. Also, a Huan presidency was more preferable than the Popular Front, whose candidates were more interested in capitalizing on the stock market crisis to bash Fu Wen than actually thinking of effective policies that will bring the Namorese people out of the mud.

But now, Huan An is facing the same problem Tuyet An had faced during the primaries, except this time he doesn't have the support of most of the electorate rather than most New Democrats. Polls have continuously showed Huan trailing behind the Popular Front's Shohai Antelope by ten or more percentage points. The situation has only worsened since Huan was nominated; as of now, he is still trying to secure his second place status from the rise of Kuo Zhang. If that isn't enough of a pessimistic assessment, the New Democrats' own polls have shown that Huan has the support of around 20 percent of voters, while Antelope has nearly 40. The party is trying to downplay Huan's poor performance in the polls by pointing out that nearly one-fourth of the electorate remains undecided; it suggests that by winning undecided voters, Huan will be in a position to seriously challenge Antelope's lead. But this is hardly reassuring; with a clear lead like the one Antelope has, it can be safely assumed that a majority of undecided voters will not cast their votes for Huan. From now until election day, the chances of a devastating defeat for the New Democrats remain very high and Huan An still runs the risk of capitulating to Kuo Zhang.

Huan's campaign cannot go on stating or suggesting that this is due to the rise of dangerous ultranationalist rhetoric or the lure of the "left-wing media." Ever since his nomination, Huan has been at odds with the New Democratic leadership. His relationship with establishment running mate Gang Yuching hasn't been very pleasant; one member of the campaign told the press anonymously that Huan has privately complained about Gang's closeness to Derrick Lee. Huan's stance on occupied Nantai is not only sacrilegious to the nationalist left; it has also irritated New Democrats who are equally wary of defending Namor's sovereignty. His belief that a referendum should be held to determine the future status of Nantai - and that Luziyca can be trusted to hold one - has only helped the Popular Front's portrayal of the New Democrats as a party that "places détente over the Namorese people." Huan's stubborn refusal to compromise with rivals within the party puts his ability to compromise with the future Central Council or the people at large into question. To us, a President-General with an effective platform is important, but so is a President-General who is able to unite everyone together.

An uncertain Liberationist

Voters swayed from Huan An are likely to decide that their next President-General should be the Popular Front candidate and political dynast Shohai Antelope. Even some neoliberals are beginning to believe that an Antelope presidency won't be a returning disaster. After all, that Antelope prevailed over radical socialist Tao James assures voters that the mainstream left is still committed to maintaining Namor's market-oriented economic system. Namor's democratic institutions are so strong that a return to Liberationist rule will not be able to reverse them. Many doubt a Popular Front victory will set Namo-Luziycan relations back to how they were in NMR 2336. All of Antelope's rhetoric about forcefully reunifying occupied Nantai may just be that - rhetoric.

We disagree. Peering through Shohai Antelope's platform, we can still see that he is a very uncertain candidate. Only a plurality of economists in a recent study say Antelope's policies will affect the Namorese economy for the better. Antelope suggested that, unlike Fu, he will authorize the government to tell shareholders in the stock market what to buy and when to buy. This is uncharacteristic of the free market economy that most Namorese have grown to appreciate. When he was running for the Popular Front nomination, Antelope - much like his rival Tao James - promised a revolution against the New Democrats. But now, he wants an "inclusive revolution" - code words for a coalition consisting of leftists and rightists alike. That makes us want to ask: can it be that Shohai Antelope is an opportunist who simply tells each group of people what they want?

Huan An was right about Antelope pulling a volte-face on foreign policy. It was only a few years ago when Antelope said Namor "had enough" of the détente process. If that itself isn't provocative enough, it should be mentioned that Antelope made that statement in east Po'ai - a popular destination for nationalists who want to hurl tough insults at Bethlehem. Now, Antelope has seemingly rolled back on his anti-Luziycan rhetoric, but to what extent? Antelope calls for "coexistence" with Luziyca; that by itself chills us to the bones as it is suggested that the relationship is only one step away from deteriorating into an all-out struggle for dominance. Maybe there is some validity to the claim that Shohai Antelope isn't the number one threat to détente, but if there's anything the world knows (or should know) about Liberationists is that they're very unpredictable. Yunglang Antelope once said "We do what we say and we will not retreat an inch." This attitude has, for better or worse, survived the test of time.

A blatant xenophobe

Finally there's Kuo Zhang, the People's First Coalition whom an increasing number of voters have come to love but the rest of the world has come to hate - and for good reason. The good news is that Kuo Zhang has zero chance of winning the election; like Huan, he is nowhere near Shohai Antelope in the polls. Most undecided voters are bound to distance themselves from him, provided that they aren't insane.

But here's the bad news - since NMR 2373, support for Kuo has tripled, or in some cases, quadrupled. In Kuo's first election, he won nearly five percent of the popular vote and only district he had won was Peitoa. This year, he is expected to win at least 15 percent of the vote. The worst case scenario is if most undecided voters buy into his rhetoric, which allows him to win up to 30 percent of the vote, possibly surpassing Huan. Huan was probably incorrect when he said Namor is the only country where dangerous demagogues can buy people's votes, but that doesn't help the fact that Namor is experiencing a surge in ultranationalist sentiment at a time when it is counterproductive.

We can only hope that the rise of Kuo Zhang is merely a byproduct of the slowing economy and falling confidence in the government's ability to handle the stock market crisis properly. If the next President-General solves Namor's issues well and decisively, then perhaps less voters will be inclined to vote Kuo in NMR 2383. Then again, neither Shohai Antelope nor Huan An have proven themselves to be the President-General who will do just that.

Conclusion: Two rocks and a hard place

We should have endorsed Huan An for President-General, but Huan has not become the ideal leader we wanted him to be when he first entered the contest. Instead, Huan has become more of a hard place that most Namorese are reluctant to be in. On the other side of the aisle, Shohai Antelope gives us few substantial reasons to lend him our support. Kuo Zhang even less.

Namor is a democracy, though, so do go out and vote. We will too, but we're leaving our ballot blank and we're letting the candidates know.

OTHER NEWS

• Domestic: Namor reacts unpleasantly to Queen Elis presence in presidential debate
• Domestic: Shohai Antelope tours New Democratic south in search for votes
• Qianrong: Rebels to recognize Txotai as Namorese hoping to get Namo support
• Pisdara: Governor tells Citizen-Protector "leave my island"

[Francilie]

Saturday, 12th March 2016
CEDRIC LIET, PATRIOTS' LEADER : "KUO ZHANG IS AN IDIOTIC DOG"

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Cédric Liet, president of the nationalist party "The Patriots" and of the "Nouvelle Alliance" coalition, gave his two cents about the Namorese presidential election.

DARIONNES, L'AUBE ARMORIQUE-PENINSULES - After the incident of last February, where he was agressed, the Patriots' leader, Cédric Liet, young prodigy of Francilian politics, didn't took so much time to recover: on the Armorican radio Arvorinfo, owned by the media group Arvorig Kazetenn, he was the extraordinary guest of the morning program "Demat Arvorig". With the Esquarian Community elections approaching, he is already in the electoral campaign. A question asked by a journalist was dragging attention on the Namorese election : "Mr. Liet, the international news are fixed on the destiny of Esquarium's largest democracy, Namor. Do you endorse a candidate in this election ?"

He answered:

"Usually, i'm not bragging myself into the affairs of countries that are not my motherland, but let's face that I have a clear opinion of it: Namor is stuck since a long time between two, now three diseases, I could even call them toloupum fevers, they are so virulent...the first toloupum fever, the green one, ruled by a dynasty, the Dynasty of the Antelopes. Liberationism is a quasi-communist ideology, they may want to deny that, but the fact that they're allied with the warmongering Tao James, someone I can't personally take, is proving them wrong. They ruled Namor with an authoritarian regime during decades until the Gelaists came to power, a very good thing, but since then, the Liberationists are the same, even if they organized some "liberal" shift. The second toloupum fever is that New Democratic one. I used to like Mr. An before but his promotion of a détente that will turn the respected country of Namor into a Sprisqua (Luziycan) state is totally bad. You have to choose between a warmongerer and a nation-destroyer. And the third one, the worst, Kuo Zhang, maybe the Tao James of the Namorese Right, is nothing more than an idiotic dog, you know, Her Majesty of Katranjiev, Elis, was doing her duty, to defend her people against that bigot. He's not representative of patriotism, he's an usurpator. He will drive Namor into what Imperial Chorea was. Here, my two cents are said, I really feel sad for the Namorese. I don't know who the next President-General of Namor will be, but he'll sure be a douche."

These sentences stirred controversy among the Namorese diaspora in Francilie, an anonymous member of the Namorese in Francilie Association says that "When Mr. Liet says that the new Liberationist stances are a cover-up, he should think about his party, invaded by dirty xenophobes."

The rest of the political spectrum is okay to say that Mr. Liet "is out of the facts and should focuse on his fearmongering party" (Coline Leroy, Social Party), "does not know a single thing about Namorese politics" (Vang An, Liberal Democrat Member of Congress of Namorese origin), or "should stop bragging into the domestic affairs of Namor" (Pierre Culotti, Republican Party)

Will these sentences stir reactions in Namor ? Or may it be a vain effort for Mr. Liet, head of the polls in the next EC elections ?

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[Francilie]

Sunday, 13th March 2016
INVESTIGATION NEWSPAPER "REINFO" REVEALS THE HIDDEN CRIMES OF THE MINISTERS: CORRUPTION, RAPE AND HARASSMENT

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This cover made the effect of a bomb this morning.

PONTNOUVEAU, L'AUBE CAPITALE - No one could have expected this: the weekly investigation newspaper "Réinfo", has not only a report about the Namorese elections, but a brutal report about "the hidden crimes of the government", "corruption in the government", "the hidden vices of Meeuwessen" or "Gervais-Sévérin and moral harassment". At a time where the EC elections are approaching, this has made the effect of a bomb in the political background of Francilie.
Jegou, Rainier and Ernestin implicated in a fake money case
Yannick Jegou (Minister of Education and Government Spokeperson), Daniel Rainier (Minister of Health) and Cécyle Ernestin (Minister of Housing) would share ties with a clandestine company, accused of priniting money illegally. Condemned in 2007, all the money they printed was declared fake. Except that this company is ruled by a "mini-mob", and the ruler of that company is also accused of murder. His fortune could be counted in millions of écus. To "cancel" the condemnation, he could have corrupted several ministers to get his business back on the legal tier. While several refused, Réinfo claims they have proof that 3 of them accepted to be corrupt. They are Yannick Jegou, Daniel Rainier and Cécyle Ernestin. They could have made pressure on the Minister of Ecnomy, Edgar Eloi, to include an article on his law, voted at the Congress in November 2015 and to enter in application in May, authorizing private companies to print money if they have the authorization of the Ministry of Economy or one of its regional delegates. Then, Réinfo claims that they had a project to convince the magistrates to organize a new trial for the company.
Réinfo also accuses Sjaak Meeuwessen, the Minister of Labour, of rape and sexual assault on young women. They claim to have the testimonies of four women, aged 22, 24, 28 and 29 at the time of the facts, who claim that they have been raped and sexually harassed by Meeuwessen between 2007 and 2009, when all the women worked for Meeuwessen at the Republican Party of Fiennia, when he was the general secretary, just before he left to support Journay and Simlov in their dissident movement.
Last but not least, Maryvonne Gervais-Sévérin, Minister of Culture, could have morally harassed and insulted the Chairman of the Cinema Academy of Francilie, the biggest cinema school of Francilie, Laurent Vittori, just some weeks ago, when she refused to visit the school because of the racist quotes of Jean-Pierre Madraux and Maurice Sardon, the Presidents of the Cinema Academies of Nansbourg and Bord-d'Ouse. "You are a bunch of racist pricks, I hate you.", "Madraux and Sardon, you didn't fire them, you are an assistant". "The warriors of my race will kill you all." This were the regular telephone calls of Gervais-Sévérin to Vittori, maybe once in a day. "She found new things to say every hour, I can't sleep without a new telephone call at 3pm. She is harassing me."
BREAKING : On their website, Réinfo revealed the implication of other ministers, Aldric and Kerpornizh, in the corruption affair. The implicated government members answered to the accusations, saying they are "false", "a dump of fake accusations", "only to trigger some buzz". ( Meeuwessen, Gervais-Sévérin and Ernestin ) The second consul announced an allocution of the Prime Consul tonight at 8pm.

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[FreYhill]

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Minister Mats Lundgren announces intention for Liberal Party Candidacy
Freyhillian Leader of the House and Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Mats Lundgren announces intention to run for Liberal Party Candidacy.
프레이언덕이안 | English

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Editor Oh Jin Ho | March 13, 2016

Freyhillian Leader of the
House and Minister for
Industry, Innovation and
Science Mats Lundgren

Upon the light of Governor-General Pyon Jung Min issuing a Freyhillian Federal Election via writ, Minister Mats Lundgren has announced his intention to run for Liberal Party Candidacy for Prime Minister of The Commonwealth at Innovation House, Goldglass. Minister Mats Lundgren's announcement has sparked political excitement within Goldglass, with Eoh Soo Hyun endorsing the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science via a statement from her office. The Endorsement from The Minister of Employment and Women will affect Minister Mat's Lundgrens chances of receiving Liberal Party nomination with Women and Eastern Provinces expected to side with the Minister rather than Minister of Defence Uh Young Min in Liberal Party Primaries.

The Congcheon Primaries is the Provincial Primary offering the highest amount of party delegates. Being on the east coast of The Commonwealth, Minister Mats Lundgren is expected to take at least 80 of the 100 available Liberal Delegates. Liberal Party Debates are expected to commence later this week when all the Liberal Party candidates announce their candidacy. Debate topics are expected to include multiple domestic issues such as the future of the extensive network of Social and Health Programs provided by the Commonwealth as well as future taxation reform. For Foreign Affairs, debates are expected to go to the issue of national security against The State of Koyro upon the disbanding of Freyhill's primary military protection, The Esquarium Union.

Minister Mats Lundgren is expected to begin his campaign tomorrow at Congcheon and is expected to announce the policy for his campaign. Expected policy includes the replacement of Civil Unions for Same-Sex relationships to Marriage after the Minister announcement of his sexuality late last year. The foreign policy of the minister most likely favour members of The Northern Sea Defense Organization, in an attempt to protect The Commonwealth from the hostile State of Koyro. Tax reform most likely will also be on the agenda of Minister Mats Lundgren as the dawn of the Liberal Party's highly successful plan to abolish state debt running its course. Taxation under a Lundgren administration would most likely be put down about 5% when the Commonwealth hits surplus to ease stress of Freyhillian families but to also maintain that Government Spending on vital sectors of the Freyhillian Government such as Welfare, Health and Education won't be affected.

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© The Freyhillian Post, A subsidiary of Freyhillian Broadcasting Commission. All rights reserved.

[Namor]

ELECTION '78 Debate held for minor parties

March 13, NMR 2378

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6 DAYS

UNTIL NMR 2378
GENERAL ELECTION

NAMO, CAPTIAL DISTRICT- Last night, a debate hosted by news magazine Sikai was held between the presidential candidates of minor parties.

Bao Ding of the Namorese Revolutionary Liberationist Movement (NRLM)

Three candidates were featured at the debate - Bao Ding of the Namorese Revolutionary Liberationist Movement (NRLM), He Pingtao of the Communist Party of Namor (CPN) and Jijin Fenzi of the Jahistic Party - Namorese Region.

All three candidates are neither members of any of the parties represented in the Central Council, nor have they received at least an average four percent in all reputable polls in the two consecutive months leading up to the debate, rendering them ineligible to take part in presidential debates organized by the independent agency Namora Sanju.

The debate was marked with fewer heated exchanges compared to the March 10 major presidential debate, although the candidates did have disagreements when debating economic policy.

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Other News

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• ELECTION '78 Francilie nationalist calls Kuo Zhang "idiotic dog" - A politician from an ultranationalist party in Francilie called People's First candidate Kuo Zhang "an idiotic dog," before claiming that the three candidates running for office are "toloupum fevers."
• ELECTION '78 Mojing Sibo breaks with tradition, declines to endorse a candidate - Prominent newspaper Mojing Sibo described the presidential candidates as "two rocks and a hard place," noting that "it's hard to choose between an ineffective New Democrat, an uncertain Liberationist and a blatant xenophobe."
• ELECTION '78 Blackout period to begin Friday - Starting zero hours in Friday, pre-election opinion polls may no longer be released to the public.