Brukean Elections 2018 (closed)

[Bruke]

Benyam Mekonen, leader of the National Party, has received his fourth endorsement from abroad. The Minister of Hogwarts Pride has endorsed him and his party.

"The Minister has been very generous with his endorsement. The leaders of the world must not be afraid to stand up for the interests of their own nations, and put their people first. Whatever else we may agree or disagree on, this must be the starting point of all international relations between honest leaders and morally upright nations such as Hogwarts Pride."

[Tethon]

From the Emperor of Tethon,

On behalf of my nation and for the good of the world at large, I hereby endorse Mr. Mekonen in this election and wish him many great successes in the future. He has the qualities of a great leader, and I'm sure, given the opportunity, he could become the greatest leader in his nation's history. Nationalism is indeed a worthy cause and all of our nations welfare must always come first.

With regards,

The Emperor of Tethon

[Land of Catholic Peoples]

On behalf of the faithful, and the Land of Catholic Peoples. I, the Pope of the Land of Catholic Peoples, hereby endorse Mr. Mekonen and bless him in his quest to lead his people. He has shown us to be a good, moral and just man, worthy to lead his people forward. I pray for him and that he is able to be blessed with such an opportunity.

The Pope of the Land of Catholic Peoples

[Bruke]

Benyam Mekonen, leader of the National Party, has received his fifth endorsement from abroad. The Emperor of Tethon has endorsed him and his party.

"Thanks to the Emperor, I now have the same number of endorsements as that aristocrat Negasi. With this pouring in of support from all around the world, I believe that the National Party can increase its share of seats in Parliament, hopefully enough to make me Prime Minister. If I am so blessed as to become Prime Minister, I will move Bruke away from the orbit of the globalist elites which disparage our country and towards upstanding nations like Tethon which hold fast to what their peoples hold dear."

[Lagov]

On behalf of the people of Lagov, I, the King of Lagov, hereby pledge my support to Mr. Mekonen and his party in the election and wish him the best in the race for Prime Minister.

Signed,

The King of Lagov

[Mogonda]

The President straightens his tie before stepping onto the podium for the broadcast. I, the President of Mogonda, pledge my support and give my endorsement to Mr. Mekonen and the National Party in this election cycle. I wish him the best and good luck.

The President exits the podium and ends the broadcast.

[Bruke]

With the endorsements of the Pope of the Land of Catholic Peoples, the King of Lagov, and the President of Mogonda, Benyam Mekonen and his National Party now have more international support than the Royalist Party.

"Negasi likes to say that only the Royalists have the experience necessary to lead Bruke through uncertain times in a dangerous world. But that is not true. We can join with other nations which, like us, are suffering under the globalist dictatorship of the World Assembly. Together, we will jealously guard our rights against a body that would see our values die out, our jobs lost, and our rights trampled upon in the name of the so-called greater good."

[Dominion of Savagery]

I, the Supreme ruler of the Dominion of Savagery, hereby endorse Mr. Mekonen in his efforts to become Prime Minister. May he govern with a strong and steady hand.

[The Restored Reich]

I, Albert Vonhimrick, recently elected Chancellor of the Federal Republic of the Restored Reich, hereby pledge my endorsement to Mr. Mekonen in the election. Seeing as how my own nation has recently overthrown an evil and corrupt dictatorship and installed a democracy while maintaining our nationalist beliefs, we believe that we share a belief with Mr. Mekonen and his party in the rights and sovereignty of nations while promoting freedom and democracy and wish him a great victory.

[United Irish Peoples]

We here in the Republic of the United Irish Peoples support Mr. Mekonen in the current election and I, the Taoiseach of the Republic of the United Irish Peoples, hereby officially endorse Mr. Mekonen in this election race.

From the office of the Taoiseach

[Socalist Russia]

I, the General Secretary of Socialist Russia, do not usually support right-wing politicians. However, I am moved by Mr. Mekonen's patriotism and his love for his country. Even though I am communist, I am a patriot of my country as well. Therefore, I endorse Mr. Mekonen.

[Restored Florida]

From the office of the Governor of Restored Florida,

I, the Governor of Restored Florida, endorse Mr. Mekonen in his efforts to become Prime Minister and protect his nation from the globalist World Assembly. I have full confidence in him and his party and have no doubts about a great government he will hopefully get the chance to form.

From,

The Governor of Restored Florida

[Bruke]

Benyam Mekonen, leader of the National Party, has now received thirteen endorsements from abroad, becoming the politician with the most endorsements by far.

Mekonen, leader of the National Party and a senior member of the House of Deputies representing the district encompassing Valley Heights in Wusite County: "Although I do not support the ideologies of all the leaders which have recently endorsed me, I would note that we are all united by our desire for our nations to be strong. We all wish to put our peoples first, whether in international affairs or any other subject. If I am to become Prime Minister, I would make sure that the nation always come first. Those who have been betrayed by the current government will have their voices heard. No longer will the Brukean people be sold out to globalists and their unholy agenda."

The other parties have responded to this unprecedented development, with each party leader issuing their own statement. This story will be updated as more statements are issued throughout the day. As all party leaders are also Members of Parliament, there may be a slight delay.

Finhas Motuma, leader of the Liberal Party and the current Prime Minister: "Mekonen should not gloat about his party's recent support from abroad. Many of these nations have questionable human rights records at best, and their leaders, which range from communists to possible fascists, are no paragons of democracy. Mekonen's penchant for strongmen seems to have attracted a crowd of would-be dictators. But this is to be expected: authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and xenophobia is all the National Party has to offer voters. In stark contrast, the Liberal Party will always stand for the liberty and rights of all people."

Sefanit Fasika, leader of the People's Party of the Republic and a senior member of the House of Deputies representing a district in Commodore's West End neighborhood: "The National Party has used hateful rhetoric for years, always seeking to divide Brukeans on the basis of class, nationality, or lifestyle. While the Nationalists try to divide, the PPR will always fight for working men and women by advancing the cause of revolutionary democratic socialism. To move the country forward, we must call out those who seek to pit one group against the other and stand firm in our commitment to progress."

Rahel Masresha, leader of the Progressive Party and a junior member of the House of Deputies representing a district in Dub City's Boulevard neighborhood: "The National Party is the epitome of everything our country stands against and I will not waste anymore time discussing him. Instead, I would remind voters that there is another party that they can turn to, which will fight for social and economic justice: the Progressives. We will oppose dangerous attacks on our cherished freedoms and values, whether by the Nationalists or any other party."

Nahum Afewerek, leader of the Social Democratic Party and a senior member of the House of Deputies representing a district in Dub City's Boulevard neighborhood: "Mekonen and his National Party are a stain on our democracy. We must remember our history, and what comes of boastful men with empty promises. We must unite as a people and reject fear-mongering and scapegoating of the other, or risk going down that dark road of guided democracy once again. The Social Democrats will resolutely stand against Mekonen and his ilk, instead seeking to bring Brukeans together in all their diversity."

Tamru Negasi, leader of the Royalist Party and a member of the House of Nobles from Brukeville: "I am glad to see that figures across the political spectrum are standing up to a divisive figure. But in order to truly counteract his message, we must understand what attracted Brukeans to it in the first place. Many look in dismay at a world that sometimes rejects the values and institutions upon which our nation was founded. I say to you that those values and institutions are just as relevant today as they were over 150 years ago, that which the Royalist Party seeks to protect."

[Tinhampton]

Esther Howard, Foreign Affairs Correspondent for the Tinhampton Sentinel (ATTN head of the Bruke Electoral Commission): "I can understand your claims that there was a war that prevented the conduction of the Brukean elections, but that occurred some four weeks after the bulk of the election's action had already occurred. How could this be possible, why would a long-dissolved government declare war, when was the original election meant to be scheduled, and how has it been forced into a delay of some six-and-a-half months by now?"

[Bruke]

Esther Howard, Foreign Affairs Correspondent for the Tinhampton Sentinel (ATTN head of the Bruke Electoral Commission): "I can understand your claims that there was a war that prevented the conduction of the Brukean elections, but that occurred some four weeks after the bulk of the election's action had already occurred. How could this be possible, why would a long-dissolved government declare war, when was the original election meant to be scheduled, and how has it been forced into a delay of some six-and-a-half months by now?"

OOC: I really, really neglected this thread, and that's my fault. Also, I wanted to have this happen in real time (thus the delay of many months between the start of the election and its conclusion)

The biggest thing that's been holding me back is my lack of knowledge regarding images (specifically, how to make an electoral map from scratch)

[Tinhampton]

With the exception of Mekonda (who has two posts under her belt), all of the people who have endorsed the National Party have one post; all of them roughly using the sentence structure "I, the [TITLE OF RULER] of [NATION], hereby endorse Mr. Mekonen" somewhere in their post, and five of them emanating from The Reunited Resistance Against Liberals. Ain't that a bit suspicious, or are you withholding judgement for now?

Also, is there any IC response to Ms Howard's earlier question?

[Bruke]

With the exception of Mekonda (who has two posts under her belt), all of the people who have endorsed the National Party have one post; all of them roughly using the sentence structure "I, the [TITLE OF RULER] of [NATION], hereby endorse Mr. Mekonen" somewhere in their post, and five of them emanating from The Reunited Resistance Against Liberals. Ain't that a bit suspicious, or are you withholding judgement for now?

Also, is there any IC response to Ms Howard's earlier question?

Oh, you're talking OOC. I'm withholding judgement for now.

I know I haven't been the best with fleshing out political history of the parties, but the National Party is, along with the People's Party of the Republic, the Progressive Party, and the Liberal Party, supposed to be a minor party, with the Royalist Party and the Social Democratic Party being the two major parties.

This means that the most likely scenario, even with all these new endorsements from The Reunited Resistance Against Liberals, is the National Party becoming large enough that the Royalists would need them in some sort of coalition.

IC response is coming momentarily, I'm just gathering info from the other threads.

[Illemenia]

I, President Gold of the United States of Illemenia, hereby endorse Ms. Rahel Masresha of the Progressive Party of Bruke. It is the goal of my Liberal Party to promote liberty and liberal ideals. It is my belief that Ms. Masresha upholds these beliefs more than any other party. She is also strong on the environment. I wish Ms. Masresha the best of luck in this election.

[Bruke]

Esther Howard, Foreign Affairs Correspondent for the Tinhampton Sentinel (ATTN head of the Bruke Electoral Commission): "I can understand your claims that there was a war that prevented the conduction of the Brukean elections, but that occurred some four weeks after the bulk of the election's action had already occurred. How could this be possible, why would a long-dissolved government declare war, when was the original election meant to be scheduled, and how has it been forced into a delay of some six-and-a-half months by now?"

Response from the Royal Electoral Board to the Tinhampton Sentinel in Particular, and the International Media In General:

The 2018 general elections have been affected by highly unusual circumstances which were outside our control. As to the question of timing, the election period this year was signficantly shortened from the usual length. Usually, elections occur at the federal level in December of that particular year, but the Board allowed the Government to move Election Day to this month (August of 2018) in light of what has happened. There were a number of debates and other events that were previously scheduled but had to be canceled, so the "action", as you put it, was far from over.

There were three conflicts that were ongoing at the time of the decision to suspend the elections, one of which has ended inconclusively. In December of 2017, Brukean forces were deployed to Diyaristan as part of operations against the People's Revolutionary Front. As of January of this year, the conflict is still ongoing, with the Diyarstani government apparently being dissolved but the PRF members still at large. There was, and still is, a very real threat of an attack by the PRF on politicians while on the campaign trail or on voters at the voting booths. Also in January of this year, Brukean security services became involved in the crisis in Elvectica during the reign of Queen Marianne Bordeaux and her ally, the VEXA Corporation. In an unrelated matter that occurred in that same month, the Uzumaki Empire, whose government has now been dissolved, threatened an invasion of our country. Naturally, there were fears of imminent destruction at the hands of one or all of these adversaries, and thus the election was suspended until such time as it was considered safe enough to resume the process.

The Elvectican crisis only ended in March, the war with the Uzumaki Empire petered out around March but only became inactive as of this April, and the Diyarstani conflict has never really ended, as noted above. Although the election officially was suspended in January and resumed in March, government activity continued on through each of these trials, which is why there were multiple bills that made their way through Parliament in January, February, and March. There were several potential terrorist plots of varying significance that were thankfully foiled by security forces, which is now only being revealed as the counterterrorism operations have long since ended. The terrorist plots and the process of demobilizing the military and ending evacuations for civilians only further delayed the resumption of the election, and campaigning plummeted as a result. The campaign events held since April have been small-scale, and have not been mentioned by Royal Republic Broadcasting because of lingering security concerns.

We hope that this letter, which is being republished by the national broadcaster, clears up the concerns regarding the general elections. If the Tinhampton Sentinel or any other foreign media outlet has any other questions, do not hesitate to ask us.

Sincerely, Helen Meba, Chairwoman of the Royal Electoral Board

Brukean forces about to be sent to Diyaristan
Brukean forces arrive in Diyaristan
Opening of the Lion's Den to visiting researchers from Elvectica
Uzumakis launch attempted invasion
Evacuation order for civilians

Let me know if the links don't work or are not accurate, I'll go back and fix them

[Bruke]

Press Release

Royal Electoral Board
Administration Building
1865 Boulevard of the Republic
Brukeville, Prince Bruce Province BRPB1905

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

In the wake of three major conflicts which required the evacuation of civilian and military personnel, voter turnout has been expected to decline. In response, Election Day will become Election Weekend. Voting will take place on Saturday and Sunday (August 11th and August 12th), with the 11th being reserved for those who vote by mail. Polling places will open at 8:00 AM (Pacific Standard Time) and close at 6:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time) on each day.

Election Day protocols will become active after 12:00 AM (Pacific Standard Time), as this message is released to the press in preparation for the morning papers/broadcasts.

[Bruke]

Polling places have opened a little over an hour ago, and people are beginning to cast their votes. Some are dropping off them off at polling places, while those who are not so able-bodied are dropping them off at mailboxes, where specially designated vans from the Royal Brukean Post will take the precious cargo once polling places close.

This means that, in some locations, it may take a bit longer than usual for results to start coming in.

[Bruke]

RRB would like to introduce our commentary team for Election Weekend.

Berihu Amare is a visiting fellow at the Royal University at Brukeville's Center for Regional Politics, and he was formerly an advisor for Yihun Asamenew, Chairman of the Royalist Party of Prince Bruce Province.

Shawel Mulugeta is the host of "Changemakers", a podcast on Boulevard Radio. Before that, he was the campaign manager for Teklile Gulema, the long-time MP from Dub City's North Boulevard and a prominent figure in the Social Democratic Party.

Kahsai Einku is a pollster and statistician for Brehane and Associates, having worked for the public opinion division since she started at the company in 2009.

[Bruke]

The polls have closed for the first day of voting. Our panel is here and ready to discuss potential outcomes, with a focus on the House of Deputies.

Tesheme: "I'm Mulu Tesheme, your host for special election weekend coverage. Let's bring out our panel."

Amare: "Berihu Amare here, I'll be the right-wing commentator for the evening."

Mulugeta: "This is Shawel Mulugeta, and I'll be voicing the left-wing perspective."

Einku: "And I'm Kahsai Einku, who will be examining polling and other data from past elections and recent polls conducted by Brehane and Associates."

Tesheme: "Let's get started. Mr. Amare, Mr. Mulugeta, Ms. Einku, which one of you wishes to start us off?"

Mulugeta: "Ladies first."

Amare: "For once, I agree with Shawel. Let's give our viewers some context."

Tesheme: "Nothing wrong with a little history. Ms. Einku, what major trends could shape the results of this first day of voting?"

Einku: "The electoral makeup of those who vote by mail versus those who go to the polls is quite different. Voters who cast their ballots by mail are generally older, have a working class background, or serve in the military. Generally, older voters lean conservative, which should boost the chances of victory for the Royalists and the Nationalists. However, it's a different story when it comes to service members and the working class. Traditionally, the miltary has been a conservative institution, however in recent years the demographics of the armed forces have changed: we now have a more diverse fighting force in terms of gender, class, and sexual orientation. The average soldier is now just as likely to be a city dweller as from a rural area, and so what you will see is that more of those voters split along standard ideological lines. This won't mean you'll see Progressives winning in Wusite County, for instance, but it will mean that in a competitive district, you could see unexpected results. Working class voters have been polarized in recent years, as they have mostly abandoned the Social Democratic Party in favor of the National Party or the People's Party of the Republic. While the modern-day Social Democrats are more of a middle-class party, they do still hold substantial support among unionized workers in Metropolitan Province. The Utilityworkers' Association is one prominent example of this, continuing to endorse and provide manpower for Social Democratic candidates in local, provincial, and national elections. It remains an open question, however, whether or not working class voters on the whole will stay with the Social Democrats for the party to hold on to their seats in the House of Deputies, or at least play a spoiler role for the Nationalists or the PPR."

Tesheme: "With that, we'll sign off for now as we're being told to await an announcement from the Government Information Service. Stay tuned for results and more commentary."

End of 7:00 broadcast

UPDATE (Near 10:00 PM)

Tesheme: "We're being told that the first results are trickling in..."

Government Information Service

House of Deputies Districts in Central Province: Initial Results

Clear Margin of Victory

• 34: (incumbents re-elected, National Party party list)

• 35: (incumbents re-elected, National Party party list)

• 36: (incumbents re-elected, National Party party list)

• 37: (incumbents re-elected, National Party party list)

• 38: (incumbents re-elected, National Party party list)

• 39: (incumbents re-elected, People's Party of the Republic party list)

• 40: (incumbents re-elected, People's Party of the Republic party list)

• 48: (incumbents re-elected, People's Party of the Republic party list)

• 49: (incumbents re-elected, Progressive Party party list)

• 50: (incumbents re-elected, People's Party of the Republic party list)

• 51: (incumbents re-elected, People's Party of the Republic party list)

Unclear Margin of Victory, Do Not Project

• 41: (too close to call, SD/PPR party lists)

• 42: (too close to call, SD/PPR party lists)

• 43: (too close to call, SD/PPR party lists)

• 44: (too close to call, SD/PPR party lists)

• 45: (too close to call, SD/PPR party lists)

• 46: (too close to call, SD/PPR party lists)

• 47: (too close to call, SD/PPR party lists)

UPDATE (Near 12:00 AM)

Tesheme: "The first results are here from Metropolitan Province."

Government Information Service

House of Deputies Districts in Metropolitan Province: Initial Results

Unclear Margin of Victory, Do Not Project

• 64: (too close to call, NP/PPR party lists)

• 65: (too close to call, NP/PPR party lists)

• 66: (too close to call, NP/PPR party lists)

• 67 (too close to call, NP/PPR party lists)

• 68: (too close to call, NP/PPR/SD party lists)

• 69: (too close to call, NP/PPR/SD party lists)

• 70: (too close to call, NP/PPR/SD party lists)

• 71: (too close to call, NP/PPR party lists)

• 72: (too close to call, NP/PPR party lists)

• 73: (too close to call, NP/PPR party lists)

UPDATE (Near 12:30 AM)

Tesheme: "And finally, we have the first results from Prince Bruce Province."

Government Information Service

House of Deputies Districts in Prince Bruce Province: Initial Results

Clear Margin of Victory

• 5: (incumbents re-elected, National Party party list)

• 6: (incumbents re-elected, People's Party of the Republic party list)

[Bruke]

Tesheme: "Now that we have all the results in for Saturday, how is the election shaping up? Any initial thoughts?"

Mulugeta: "Things are mostly shaping up as expected. Central Province continues to be tough terrain for the Social Democrats, but if they can hold onto districts north of the [Commodore] Medical Center, I'd say they should have a shot holding the more competitive districts south of the [Commodore] Medical Center. Metropolitan Province is much friendly ground, so we should see an eventual turnaround in the 72nd, 73rd, and 74th Districts. Overall, I think the party's platform appeals to working class voters. The NP is simply too focused on promoting a sort of puritanical worldview, much like the Royalists, to appeal to voters who do not feel as strongly as they do about social issues. The PPR would be doing a lot better if not for the poor messaging and timing. The Diyarstani conflict has brought out the old fighters out of the woodwork, and the PPR's rhetoric of some sort of revived imperialism and talking of a revolution, however peaceful, is bringing up painful memories of the decolonization period. In a time of regressives and revolutionaries, the Social Democrats are the safest choice for working class voters and their families.

Amare: "You are simply incorrect! What will help the Social Democrats with one group will hurt them with another. You're forgetting that middle class voters will be watching to see what these politicans have emphasized in their bid to win these seats. If the Social Democrats trot out the same old expensive policies of years past, the Progressives will push them to promise for even more spending, and the middle class will turn towards the Royalists. We've seen this year that the typical middle-of-the-road voter is shying away from the extremes. Independents are rejecting the PM's massive spending cuts: do you think they will appreciate massive spending increases? I think not. Those competitive districts in Commodore and Dub City you mentioned are all districts that are predominately working class, if the Social Democrats are doing as well as you say they are those districts should be leaning your way, even though nowadays it would be by slim margins. They're trying to be everyone to everybody just like the Liberals are, and it will be their undoing."

Tesheme: And with that, we bid our viewers and listeners adieu. See you when polls close again."

[Bruke]

There are four resolutions in the World Assembly, three of which are still being worked on and one of which is now at vote.

The resolution at vote, "Repeal "Crime and Punishment", would clear the way for another resolution,
Ban on Capital Punishment.

Repeal: "Reproductive Freedoms" would similarly clear the way for Convention on Reproductive Rights. Neither of these resolutions are up for a vote yet.

Conservative and liberal voters will each have something to look forward to, with conservatives wanting member states to have more power to limit abortion and liberals wanting the death penalty to be abolished through international law.