The Senate Daily Life: Living by Alternative Facts

[Department of Elections]

The Most Trusted Name in News™

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BREAKING NEWS: Electoral Commission sets Constitutional Assembly election dates, regulations; Chairman resigns
Marco Roboto, Fernão News Network | June 20 2017

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The Electoral Commission during public comment.

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- (Fortaleza, Fernão) The Fernãoan Electoral Commission voted last night to approve the President's request for a Constitutional Assembly.

Chairman Mateus Palmeiro convened the special meeting for the Commission to formally receive the President's message and to set a timeline for the consideration of the matter. By the end of the night, the Commission had approved and set dates and regulations for the election of an Assembly for revising the Constitution.

After seven hours of comments from the public, with a small majority of the nearly 500 speakers in support of the measure, Commissioner Naila Abadi moved to authorize Operations Director Rebekah Sandoval to direct State Commissions to prepare for an election. While Commissioners were at first hesitant, the support of Chief Electoral Commissioner Umukoro Amjad, who serves on the Commission ex-officio, changed the mood of the board.

"While the reservations some members may have, including the Chairman, I can see, I am also inclined to agree with [Amjad] … rather than give State Commissions insufficient time to organize precinct-level operations," said Commissioner Maria Fernando, "and the authorization of operations … is something in which this Commission must be involved."

After the Commission voted 6-2 in favor of telling states to prepare for an election, Amjad moved that the election be set for one month from the date of the meeting. Chairman Palmeiro ruled the motion dilatory but was overturned on appeal by a 5-3 vote. Amjad's motion was amended to one week, to prevent extensive campaigning, and passed by the same 5-3 vote. The Commission then passed regulations for the election 7-0-1, Chairman Palmeiro abstaining.

The Commission voted to require candidates to submit short, two paragraph platforms, and prohibited campaigning or public appearances from any candidates directly. They authorized the Commission's Rules Department to draft rules for the counting of the nationwide single transferable vote to elect seven members.

Chairman Mateus Palmeiro announced he will be resigning effective the date of the election. Candidates have been asked to file in the Senate Lobby, at the Commission's desk.

[Roosevetania]

The MNP announces its support for the government change. "The MNP supports democracy and a fair government," said party leader Ana Ernst. "That is why we support the transition to a parliamentary republic, the best form of government."

[The Sarian]

The Most Trusted Name in News™

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BREAKING NEWS:Night of the Long Knives as Krishnan Axes Cabinet
Wake Snapper, Fernão News Network | June 20 2017

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President Krishnan on an overseas hunting trip over Christmas

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- (Fortaleza, Fernão) President Priscilla Krishnan has delivered a shocking press statement tonight where she sacked the entirety of her cabinet following an article in the Fortalezan Times where she called for a "bi-partisan consensus" for Constitutional Reform. The President, who has long struggled to have her cabinet confirmed, shocked political observers with the announcement. Sources close to the President have suggested that the vacancies will be filled by partisans of all parties, with top jobs going to members of the Red Green Alliance. More on this story as it develops.

[Costa Fierro]

Fortaleza, Fernão. 6:30 am.

The garrison of Forte António south of Fortaleza stirred as it usually did during this time of day. However, within the compound, things were not all as they seemed. Soldiers were preparing themselves. They were putting on combat fatigues, combat helmets, body armour and other essential battlefield kit. Their commanders were anxious. The order had come through two hours before, from their commander. Other soldiers were already on the move into the capital and the troops could hear the buzzing of helicopters throughout the city.

Once they had been given their rifles and ammunition, the troops were brought out into the main courtyard where military trucks were waiting. They climbed aboard and the trucks soon drove off into the city under armed police escort.

It wasn't long before the military's objectives were met. Armed soldiers stormed the television and radio stations based in the capital and had surrounded the residence of the President as well as the Senate building. The soldiers prevented anyone from leaving or entering the buildings. Former Secretary of Defence Sunil Singh Panehal then delivered a prepared statement to a country just about to awaken.

[Western Pacific Territories]

Fortaleza, Fernão. 6:30 am.

The garrison of Forte António south of Fortaleza stirred as it usually did during this time of day. However, within the compound, things were not all as they seemed. Soldiers were preparing themselves. They were putting on combat fatigues, combat helmets, body armour and other essential battlefield kit. Their commanders were anxious. The order had come through two hours before, from their commander. Other soldiers were already on the move into the capital and the troops could hear the buzzing of helicopters throughout the city.

Once they had been given their rifles and ammunition, the troops were brought out into the main courtyard where military trucks were waiting. They climbed aboard and the trucks soon drove off into the city under armed police escort.

It wasn't long before the military's objectives were met. Armed soldiers stormed the television and radio stations based in the capital and had surrounded the residence of the President as well as the Senate building. The soldiers prevented anyone from leaving or entering the buildings. Former Secretary of Defence Sunil Singh Panehal then delivered a prepared statement to a country just about to awaken.

Yahweh considers firing his retcon cannon. Yahweh decides to wait as he does not know the context, because he was too busy telling Satan to stop sending IS fighters over to heaven as a joke.

[Ainin]

Amman Singh leaves the Senate Building with a female aide and walk past the soldiers almost as if they weren't there. They get in an Uber.

[Natanians and Nosts]

A man (accidentally) starts a rally somewhere in FD-1 against the coup d'état after complaining loudly.

[The Sarian]

Priscilla took her dog out for an early morning stroll.

[All Lukania]

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FPM organized candlelight vigil in Novo Sagres, Tâmega
Leonardo Águas, Fernão Zenith | June 20th, 2017

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A vigil attended by hundreds in the electorate's largest city

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- Tâmega, the electorate that was recently put on the map for voting the FPM's Cristovao Matos in it's Senate seat, the party's first electoral win, has been host to a candlelight vigil attended by hundreds in Novo Sagres, the largest city in the electorate. The Fernão Phalanx Movement, very influential in local politics, organized the vigil in memory of Senator Ritesh Bell who recently was tragically shot and killed just outside the Senate building itself, the very symbol of Fernãoan democracy.

Matos himself attended the event but did not speak in front of the crowd, when asked later by a Zenith reporter why, Matos said that this was not an event organized to gain political points or raise awareness of his party, this was a memorial for a good man. Matos also addressed the statements allegedly made by Senator Bell's shooter which included phrases such as "Hail Matos!". He said that neither he, nor his party, ever advocated for violence for any reason, and that he felt dirty to have his name corrupted by these horrific acts.

Matos further said that with the alleged link between his party and the shooter, the party would be delving deep into their old paper membership records to see if there was any information they could find on the shooter in order to aid the police in their investigation. More on that story as it comes.

[Cuprum]

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Economy: Restoque is an unstoppable bull!
Ramon Montes, Bazar de Fortaleza| Posted: 27 Jun 2017 16:31 TST| International

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Restoque posted a profit of $857 million, on revenue of $30.1 billion

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Until last year, Restoque was known as much for its ubiquity in online retail as it was for the bold and expensive visions of CEO Raí Oliveira. The company would spend mightily, only to assuage investor fears with promises of a bright future. Many of those investments, like cloud computing, have become huge and profitable businesses. Some — like the failed Water Phone —have fallen flat on their face. Now, however, Restoque appears to have hit its stride as Oliveira' long-term visions for the future begin paying off big time. For the fifth straight quarter, Restoque has earned a profit. This time around, that profit is bigger than it's ever been before, and by a large margin.

For the second fiscal quarter of 2016, Restoque posted a profit of $857 million, or $1.78 a share, on revenue of $30.1 billion, making these past three months its most profitable quarter in its history. Those earnings handily beat the Market expectations, with investors putting Restoque at EPS of $1.11 a share on revenue of $29.56 billion. Year over year, Restoque's profit is up 832 percent while sales have jumped 31 percent from the second quarter of 2015, when Restoque made a profit of only $92 million. After a brief and perplexing dive, Restoque's stock is now up 3 percent, and its share price has jumped more than 40 percent in the last 12 months.

So where is this money coming from? Multiple places, in fact. Restoque has begun turning the corner on its more costly sectors like international retail. It's also ramped up investment in cloud computing with the highly profitable Restoque Web Services. Lastly, the company is figuring out ways to cut its logistics costs as it adds more delivery flexibility for its Prime subscription service, which continues to grow and now sits at 6 million members in Fernao alone. Despite its obvious free shipping perk, Restoque continues to use the service as a way to bring new products, like video streaming and food delivery, to new markets.

RWS, Restoque's cloud computing platform used by companies as big as Flix and Macfly, continues to grow. The division more recently added Salesforce as a primary customer, Restoque says, and it posted profit of $718 million on $2.9 billion in sales. That's a 135 percent jump in profit and 58 percent jump in sales compared with the year-ago quarter. For the second straight quarter, RWS earns Restoque more profit than its entire Fernao retail division.

It's an open question whether Restoque can continue to sustain this profit growth, but the answer may not arrive for some time. Due to the huge success of the company's second annual Prime Day, which occurred on July 12th and broke sales records, the fiscal third quarter ending September 30th may result in yet another big beat. Worldwide Restoque orders rose 60 percent from last year's Prime Day, which amounts to a potential bump of $600 million in additional sales. For the current quarter, Restoque forecasts sales of $31 billion to $33.5 billion.

[Roosevetania]

The Most Trusted Name in News™

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BREAKING NEWS: CIVIC UNION STAGES SENATORIAL COUP IN ATTEMPT TO OBSTRUCT VOTE
Flanderson Pooper, Fernão News Network | June 18 2017

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President Pro Tempore of the Senate Amman Singh

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- (Fortaleza, Fernão) The Senate was thrown into chaos today when the Civic Union lied about vote counts in order to prevent amendments proposed by the RGA from passing.

Civic Union Leader Indira Tamboli proposed an altering to the Senate rules, and during debate, RGA senators David Lyons and David Bloom presented a number of amendments to the bill. These amendments were disliked by the Civic Union. When the time came to vote, recently elected Senate President Michael Ferreira (CTA) abruptly left the chamber and quickly appointed Amman Singh (CU) to preside over the Senate as President Pro Tempore.

But according to a source obtained exclusively by FNN, Singh intentionally "miscounted" the votes in order to keep the RGA amendments from passing. Singh reported that all amendments failed, when in fact only six out of the ten amendments failed. RGA Senator David Lyons brought this to light, the same Senator who investigated the massive Civic Union voter fraud in the first presidential election.

This worrying threat to our democratic republic likely stems from the widespread frustration and disunity in the Civic Union, and is part of a larger pattern of instability and unreliability in the the party. Priscilla Krishnan has recently taken a turn towards the center and has resigned from the Civic Union. There have been multiple reports that the party is becoming increasingly frustrated with Majority Leader Indira Tamboli. The Civic Union's failure to produce a candidate for president meant that they had to turn to the CTA's Michael Ferreira, another sign of disorder in the CU. The future of the party is in jeopardy, especially with the upcoming change to a parliamentary government. Are we witnessing the collapse of a major party? We'll have to wait that one out.

[Western Pacific Territories]

Two gentlemen conduct a drug deal in a alleyway, far from the eyes of the police.

[Ainin]

Amman Singh's office announces that he has filed a criminal complaint with the Fortaleza Police for traducement against Mr. Flanderson Pooper. His spokeswoman notes that he merely read a vote count tallied by senate aides, and that the article did not contain an iota of truth.

[Ainin]

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BAKER WALKS FREE
MAYOR ACCUSES SENATE, PRESIDENT OF "LITANY OF FAILURES"
- Soo Mi Beech

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A solemn Haverkamp addresses reporters from City Hall

FORTALEZA -- James Baker, the suspected assassin of Senator Ritesh Bell, will walk free as a result of what Fortaleza mayor Nick Haverkamp calls a "litany of failures" from the President and Senate. In an emotional press conference from City Hall, Haverkamp laid the blame squarely at the feet of the federal government, accusing it of "wilful negligence" towards the safety of Fortalezans.

Haverkamp first took aim at the Senate, which he called "asleep at the wheel." He noted the slow pace of the legislature in confirming judicial nominees and condemned the sharp partisan divides in the chamber that have prevented it from functioning effectively. Since Fernese and UN law requires suspects to be presented before a judge to enter a plea, the lack of judges means that Mr. Baker must be released by police within three days of his arrest ― a deadline that will pass in a few hours. While he welcomed the recent news that the Senate had finally entered executive session on judicial nominees, he also noted that "for the millions of Fortalezans who must now live in fear at the thought of Mr. Baker walking free, it is too late." Nonetheless, he implored that both blocs immediately confirm the nominated judges so that "no more blood is shed."

He then accused President Krishnan of similar failings. He noted that "even if we had judges, Mr. Baker is yet to be charged with a delict." He claims that this is the result of the Department of Public Prosecutions' "decapitation" after the president fired Attorney General Mohammad al-Ghamdi, who also served as acting Procurator General. According to departmental policy made pursuant to the Criminal Code, the Procurator General, as director of public prosecutions, must sign off on bills of indictment. With the office of Procurator General vacant, reportedly after the President's Office took no action on a recommendation by Dr. Al-Ghamdi to appoint Fortaleza City Attorney Kareema Hanoona to the post, the Attorney General served as acting Procurator General as prescribed by law. However, according to several legal observers, the President's recent purge has left the leadership of the Department of Justice vacant and federal prosecutors toothless.

"The whole debacle," he concluded, "reeks of pornographic amounts of partisanship and narcissism." He vowed to explore all other legal avenues for once again taking Mr. Baker off the streets, but in the meantime warned residents to be cautious.

While he had nothing but scorned anger for federal politicians, he praised the actions of law enforcement during the manhunt for Mr. Baker. He commended their peaceful defusion of a dangerous situation towards the end of the manhunt for Mr. Baker, when he took a female hostage in the vicinity of the city's train station. He cited the actions of municipal police sergeant Ahmar Bahmani in particular for talking Baker out of harming the hostage and coaxing him into surrendering without a shot. He also commended the "swift action" taken by the Federal Police to assist local authorities during the crisis.

Mr. Baker is currently being held at the Rhodes Street municipal police station. He is expected to be released sometime today under heavy police escort to avoid vigilante attacks. He will be heading to an unidentified friend's home.

[Western Pacific Territories]

Knowing that they cannot be put on trial due to a lack of judges, drug dealers have begun openly selling their product where it is most convenient for their customers.

[Roosevetania]

Lawless criminals realize the state of anarchy, beginning to freely rob cars, loot homes, and ransack stores. Gangs see their opportunity to get revenge on their enemies, and several people disappear into dark alleys. Violent vigilantes begin a hunt for Jimmie Baker, RGA Senator Ritesh Bell's killer. People begin setting fires and smashing windows. Illegal drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine circulate through the city at unprecedented levels. All these criminals know nothing will happen to them due to the lack of judges or prosecutors.

[Tumbra]

Rhodes Street
Fortaleza

Upon hearing the news on his thirty year old television, thirty-six year old Abdul al-Maroun wanted to kill this James Baker fellow. How dare he pervert the institutions of democracy that him and his father had fought so long for! How his blood boiled at hearing the news that a Senator had been murdered, even after such a promising start to democracy in Fernao!

He could not let this stand. His small dilapidated one-room flat was just above Rhodes street, where the evil criminal was due to be transported. There could be no escape for him. Already crowds were gathering around the small police station, where the fences surrounding it looked like it could be destroyed any minute.

He knew he had to do something. He wanted revenge for Ritesh Bell. He wanted blood.

Immediately he knew what to do. He grabbed one of old Mansour's alcohol bottles - always opened, never finished - and grabbed a piece of cloth and stuffed it inside the bottle. He then grabbed a lighter and another piece of cloth.

The din had risen to a cacophany of noise, reminiscent of people screaming at the old dictator wanting him to be executed.

Running downstairs, where the heavily armed prison vehicle had arrived to take Baker away, he knew what he had to do.

He lit the cloth and threw it at the truck. He had always been good at basketball, and this was no more difficult than throwing a ball into another hoop.

"!يركض" ("Run") he shouted, as the flames erupted.

[Roosevetania]

Rhodes Street
Fortaleza

The crowd erupts into shouts and cheers as al-Maroun runs away. Some begin to follow him. Others attempt to overturn the police van transporting Baker. The rioting and looting in other parts of the city continue.

[Ainin]

Downtown Fortaleza

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On the city's wide, usually-bustling Zanzibar Road, chaos reigned. As the hotspot of the city's unrest, it was filled with criminals, rioters and arsonists of all sorts, some carrying stolen goods that they stole from destroyed, burnt-out storefronts, others wielding firebombs and melee weapons. Suddenly, at the southern end of the road, two armoured cars and half a dozen vans came to a halt and the occupants quickly disembarked. It was the Fortaleza Police's riot square.

Shields up, visors down, revolvers secured in their holsters and truncheons ready to strike, the officers quickly formed three rows that covered the entire width of the street, from one sidewalk to another, and marched forward in lock step. Behind the procession of officers followed a van carrying a squad of Special Branch operators in case the situation worsened and a fire truck, which was to use its cannon to extinguish fires and spray rioters who failed to disperse.

From the loudspeaker on the van, the on-site commander exclaimed: As a duly-empowered police officer of Fernão, I deem this gathering unlawful and order the dispersal of its participants."

Rhodes Street

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The bottle flew through the air, spinning all the way, and splashed against the olive-green metal of the eight-ton armoured car. It burst into flames, scaring the hell out of the occupants but otherwise causing little damage to a vehicle that, after all, was designed to survive RPG strikes in Afghanistan. Immediately after the Molotov had made impact, the convoy of one armoured car, two cruisers and two vans came to an immediate half. The passenger door of the lead cruiser burst open and a burly African man in plainclothes ― a detective, from the looks of it ― burst out with a submachine gun in hand. Aiming it squarely for Al-Maroun's chest, he shouted "Disperse now!" as the attacker fled.

Thankfully, it had worked. He would have been in serious trouble if the man did not flee, as he was holding a training weapon that fired blanks. Budget cuts, man.

Seeing more rioters approach, and out of ideas, he quickly jumped back into the cruiser and slammed the door shut. He grabbed his radio handset and pressed the speak button without delay, sparing no time for detailed orders or police jargon: "Floor it."

The convoy immediately accelerates in a cloud of dust and tire smoke and speeds off down the city street at highway speeds, leaving the would-be vigilantes behind. They were headed for Fortaleza International Airport, where he would be out of the reach of protesters. It seemed that he would have to be transported to his residence by helicopter, as the ground approach proved disastrous.

[Malgrave]

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Nagarkar declares support for "From Fortaleza to the World" Initiative
- Soo Mi Beech

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Chetan Nagarkar might of been defeated in the recent mayoral election but that hasn't stopped him from taking a prime role in the local council. Chetan who currently leads the local branch of the Fortalezan Red-Green Alliance was recently appointed Chair of the Red-Green contingent in the City Council, an important role since no party has an overall majority.

In his first speech since losing the mayoral election, Chetan Nagarkar made a rather surprising bi-partisan gesture by giving his support to the "From Fortaleza to the World" initiative proposed earlier by Mayor Nick Haverkamp saying.

"During my campaign, I talked about the need to attract international investment to Fortaleza to ensure that this city enjoys the benefits of stable economic growth and after talking with Nick Haverkamp and my fellow members of the Red-Green Alliance I am certain that the appropriate safeguards have been implemented to achieve that goal."

Chetan also talked briefly about recent developments inside the national legislative chamber and slammed both members of the government and his own party saying.

"As no party has overall control of the city council it could be easy to play into the hands of those on both sides of the political spectrum that want to exploit partisan divides for their own ends but I think it's time to avoid these types of immature political games that we've seen from the national legislature and work together to ensure a brighter future for all Fortalezan citizens."

After explaining how the Fortalezan Business Fund will also give support to local cooperatives and explaining the safeguards that will ensure that steady employment will be generated by these grants Chetan briefly gave support to plans to develop a light-rail system and hinted at a future bipartisan housing bill.

"I've talked about the need to repair and modernise our transport infrastructure and I think that looking into the feasibility of a light-rail project is one of many ways we can achieve that goal, of course we should also look into improving bus networks and look into establishing our own underground network but I am confident that the city council will look at every angle.

As for our commitments towards affordable housing, I am quietly confident that we will shortly announce something that will please everyone."

Chetan however was more tight-lipped when asked about proposals to partially privatise Fortaleza International Airport.

"I understand those plans are under consideration and I think any process towards partial privatisation will have to be carried out in an extremely transparent manner and take requirements of the workers and local residents into consideration."

It is understood that Chetan Nagarkar and Nick Haverkamp will continue to work together over the coming months to avoid the partisan displays seen in the Senate chamber.

[Roosevetania]

Fortaleza, Fernao

The mob is getting larger and larger and the rioting is not showing any sign of stopping. Not only are people taking advantage of the lack of a court system, but now people are infuriated by Jimmie Baker's release and transportation to the airport. As police advance on rioters Downtown, protesters begin throwing bottles and rocks at the line. On Rhodes Street, rioters push over the van transporting Jimmie Baker to the airport.



Seeing police march on rioters only makes others angry, causing the already massive crowds to grow. Looting and burning continues citywide, along with rioters attacking and throwing things at police.
Journalists and photographers capture it all, standing by, ready to record anything.

[Paketo]

Fortaleza, Fernao

As the riots grow in intensity, store owners and employees began arming themselves to protect their stores and homes from looting. The rooftops of surrounding the streets quickly were occupied by several of these makeshift militiamen intent on stopping any looting of their property.

[Roosevetania]

deleted

[Western Pacific Territories]

Gunfights brake out all over the city as gangs begin turning on each other, making power grabs, stealing drugs and weaponry, and exacting revenge for slights. Many citizens not rioting simply lock the doors and barricade the windows.

[Tectonix]

The Most Trusted Name in News™

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BREAKING NEWS: Senator Viel calls for Cloture on Judicial Nominees as Violence Escalates
Nuñes Fox, Fernão News Network | June 23, 2017

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Senator Alexios Viel (RGA) addresses the Senate during voting on an executive session to confirm President Krishnan's judicial nominees.

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- (Fortaleza, Fernão) With mounting violence in Fortaleza and across the nation as criminals realise the lack of judges to oversee their cases, Senator Alexios Viel (RGA) made his case before the Senate as they voted on an executive session to confirm judicial nominations made by President Priscilla Krishnan.

Here is a transcript of Senator Viel's statement to the Senate:

"Mr. President, I apologise for my transgression of decorum for speaking during voting procedures."

"However, I'd like to bring awareness to the state of elevated crime in both Fortaleza and beyond, and I plead to the assembled Senators to support adopting the nominations as fast as possible. We will have time to further examine these candidates later — however, now is not the time. People are getting killed in the streets, and delaying this process any further will only prolong the status of crime."

"This may not be the best manner to go about this process in a normal setting; however, this is not a normal setting. Honourable Senators, I ask that you put partisanship behind you and confirm these nominees with an invoking of cloture. Thank you."

In a run-in with reporters later as Viel made his way back from the washroom to the Senate chamber, he said that "although I understand that there is precedent for cloture not being invoked, this is an occasion of extraordinary circumstances. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and I hope that my colleagues from across the aisle will see that my cloture motion passes and we can confirm these nominees as quickly as possible."

When asked whether he was concerned regarding the qualifications of these nominees, Viel stated that "this may be something that I would be deeply worried about in normal circumstances — as we've established, these are not normal circumstances. We will have ample time later to discuss these nominees once the next presidential elections come by — however, I don't think a slightly unqualified judge compares to a wave of lawlessness and anarchy as we are seeing at an alarming rate."

Senator Viel is expected to motion for invoking cloture once voting on the executive session has concluded. It remains to be seen whether he has accrued the support of the Civic Union — however, hopefully the CU will put aside partisanship and unite with the RGA on this issue.

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