NS Parliament 2 Life Outside [IC]

[Crylante]

"So, the weather's been awfully nice the past few days, hasn't it?" asked van Aldenkamp in an awkward attempt to break the ice.

"Nice relief from Bloemenwijk, isn't it?" Xiaoqing agreed. She grimaced slightly at the extensive menu (a waste of money in her opinion), and ordered some huangjiu (a Chinese rice wine).

"It is." replied van Aldenkamp as his attention turned to the menu in front of him. Some part of him felt guilty that a significant proportion of his constituents made barely enough to live on while him and other legislators could enjoy luxuries like this, but after all, trying to fix that was one of the reasons he entered politics. After a short amount of thinking, he ordered a second glass of huangjiu for himself.

[Sarderia]

"So, the weather's been awfully nice the past few days, hasn't it?" asked van Aldenkamp in an awkward attempt to break the ice.

It certainly has... I'd say it's been somewhat hotter because all the debates we have in the Parliament room before, though. But it's a thing of the past now.

[Martune]

"So, the weather's been awfully nice the past few days, hasn't it?" asked van Aldenkamp in an awkward attempt to break the ice.

It certainly has... I'd say it's been somewhat hotter because all the debates we have in the Parliament room before, though. But it's a thing of the past now.

"Yes, all the hot air from yelling really makes you want to change from a suit and tie into shorts and shirt huh?

Floortje looked over the menu and kept silent, waiting for someone else to speak and continue the conversation. Despite her reputation as a firebrand when it comes to speeches and political campaigns, when it came to interpersonal interactions she was actually quite reserved and slightly socially awkward. Once a waiter arrives, she orders a gin and tonic as her drink order.

"Nice choice for a drink. I'm more of a strong knock out drink man myself, but only when I'm at home."

He leans over to the waiter.

"A scotch neat please."

Looking back at the table, the thought that many were here for business rather than pleasure couldn't escape him. Personally, he just wanted to have a good time. He knew that singing karaoke with the opposition wouldn't be an option but why the hell couldn't they converse like friends?

"So, I thought about having these sort of gatherings for us every once in awhile. Obviously not every weekend but when it was convenient and not too close to the last gathering. It was unfortunate that I planned this during Ramadan but I will learn from my mistakes. But, the thought of us parliamentarians coming together for at least one night and talking fills me with joy. Any thoughts?"

[Vedastia]

Jan van der Stel arrives, admittedly apologizing for his tardiness.

"My apologies, everyone. How have you all been?"

[Martune]

Jan van der Stel arrives, admittedly apologizing for his tardiness.

"My apologies, everyone. How have you all been?"

"Well my drink hasn't arrived you so that should tell you."

[Merni]

Looking back at the table, the thought that many were here for business rather than pleasure couldn't escape him. Personally, he just wanted to have a good time. He knew that singing karaoke with the opposition wouldn't be an option but why the hell couldn't they converse like friends?

"So, I thought about having these sort of gatherings for us every once in awhile. Obviously not every weekend but when it was convenient and not too close to the last gathering. It was unfortunate that I planned this during Ramadan but I will learn from my mistakes. But, the thought of us parliamentarians coming together for at least one night and talking fills me with joy. Any thoughts?"

"Why not? After all, if there's one thing I've learned in 20 years of being in Parliament, it's that we need more communication and cooperation across party lines. There will obviously be a government and an opposition, and they will inevitably oppose each other on many issues, but that doesn't mean we can't have friendly discussion once in a while."

[Vedastia]

Jan van der Stel arrives, admittedly apologizing for his tardiness.

"My apologies, everyone. How have you all been?"

"Well my drink hasn't arrived you so that should tell you."

"Oh good, then it's not just me."

[Martune]

"Well my drink hasn't arrived you so that should tell you."

"Oh good, then it's not just me."

"Oh good, the drinks have finally arrived."

Hubert takes his scotch and takes a good sip.

[Martune]

Hubert goes home after the slow dinner.

[Inhorto]

OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER
REPUBLIC OF BANDURIA

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DECREE to provide for the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsman to protect the rights of all Bandurians as provided by the Human Rights Act
DCRB-2020-001

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Introduction

The Prime Minister,

ACKNOWLEDGING the power vested in his Office under §3, clause 5, subclause b of the Government Establishment Act to:

"Issue, by decree, statutory instruments to clarify or elaborate upon the execution and enforcement of acts of the House of Representatives. Such instruments are subordinate to the legislation of the House of Representatives and must conform with them and the Constitution" (§3.5.b).

CELEBRATING the plethora of cultures, religions and peoples that make Republic of Banduria the beautiful nation that it is,

NOTING that the strength of Banduria lies in her unique ability to unite and protect the peoples of all races and cultures that inhabit these islands,

LAUDING the House of Representatives of the Republic of Banduria for passing the Human Rights Act to protect the rights of all peoples in Banduria—irrespective of their sex, races religion, nationality, ethnicity, heritage, socioeconomic status, or any such factor,

CONCERNED that the laws of the House of Representatives do not presently provide for systems or institutions to ensure respect and compliance of the government agencies to the Human Rights Act,

RESOLVED that the Government of Banduria must make provisions for the creation of the office of a public defender, who shall charge himself with the oversight of organce of governance with respect to compliance to the Human Rights Act, and other laws and regulations,

hereby DECREES,

§1 - General

1. ESTABLISHMENT—There is to be the Office of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Banduria, headed by the Ombudsman of Banduria:
   1. The State President shall, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoint a citizen of Banduria having at least thirty-five (35) years of age who has displayed outstanding moral capacity to the Office of the Ombudsman of Banduria for a fixed term of ten (10) years;
   2. The Ombudsman shall not be removed for any cause or reason except in cases where he should tender his own resignation voluntarily, dies, or is determined by a two-thirds majority of the House of Representatives to be unable to exercise his duties on account of physical or mental ill-health, or on account of criminal conduct as determined by a court of law;
   3. No person may hold any other office, public or private, that accrues him monetary benefit while he is serving as Ombudsman, and the Ombudsman may not receive any gifts or monetary benefit from any public or private individual or entity beyond his fixed salary, which shall be set at 30,000 USD per annum.
      
2. INDEPENDENCE—The Office of the Ombudsman shall be answerable to the House of Representatives alone, and Office's activities shall not be intruded upon, hampered, or delayed by the Government of Banduria in any capacity; the Office shall be independent of the Government.
3. APPROPRIATIONS—The Ombudsman shall have the privilege to request such appropriations as he deems fit for the proper functions of the Office, and shall have the privilege to use such appropriations in such a manner that he deems fit, pursuant to the laws of the House of Representatives.
4. JURISDICTION—The Office of the Ombudsman shall be responsible for inspecting the compliance of any State body—or corporation or institution operating within our outside Banduria that receives funding or collects debts from the Government of Banduria—to the Human Rights Act, to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations and to any other document providing for rights and freedoms that the Government of Banduria has ascribed to, as well as to universally-accepted jus cogens norms:
   1. Any person or organization within our outside Banduria may submit a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman, whereupon the Office shall consider the report and, if the Ombudsman shall deem the complaint to be salient, shall pursue an investigation;
   2. Any person or body subject to the jurisdiction of the Office of the Ombudsman shall surrender, if the Office should compel them, information, documents, or any other material as the Ombudsman shall deem fit in pursuit of his duties as outlined in this decree.
5. REPORTS—The Office of the Ombudsman shall publish reports and opinions on such matters over which he shall have jurisdiction, and all such publications shall be reported to the public record and to the House of Representatives unless a law of the House shall provide otherwise.

§2 - Application

This DECREE shall enter into force 7 May 2020 forthwith and shall remain in force and shall be renewed by the Prime Minister every two months henceforth. Pursuant to the Government Establishment Act, the House of Representatives may elect to repeal this DECREE, in which case it shall cease to take effect upon repeal forthwith.

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SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED before me, the undersigned authority, this seventh day of May, the two-thousand twentieth. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and official seal.

Joseph Yu,
The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of the Republic of Banduria
7 May 2020
Boschstad

[Skeckoa]

"This is how they plan to get their kids off on the easy. We know which groups in this country are more prone to committing crimes, and it's not the people in my district. They want to pass this because they know that their friends and community partner's kids will be the ones getting arrested.

They're reckless hoodlums, and now they want to police to not do its job of protecting the people. I understand that universities, primary schools, straight-laced parents, exercise, and good nutrition can keep children away from crime. So why not spend money on those things first? They want to give our money to criminals because they know that one day it will be their children and their people who are caught behind bars.

Banduria will be a nation that is soft on crime, and that is unacceptable. Banduria will be a nation that rewards its assailants, its children who play hooky, its arsonists and drug dealers, all while getting the bill and putting it on the shoulders of our honest workers. It's frustrating when we see these westerners govern with their eyes in books and not looking up at the real world. This is not Germany, this is not Stockholm, this is not Amsterdam, this isn't even Hangzhou, this is Banduria

Say NO to the 'Lite on Crime' Act, say yes to peace and order and justice, the things that make Banduria worth protecting"

[Kamilistan]

Chuah Woo Shen or Chuah for short walked out of his home , bringing his laptop and headphones along in his bag , he walked towards his car and enter. He drove to a nearby coffee shop and parked there , he got out and took his bag along with him. He walked towards the coffee shop and enter. He waited in line , few minutes it was time for him to order.

''Good day , sir. What are you going to order?'' Asked the baristas

''Uhm.. one cup of hot coffee , please.'' Replied Chuah

Chuah waited for a few minutes in line before reciving his coffee , the baristas handed Chuah his hot coffee and Chuah paid the baristas the amount of cash for the coffee. He grab his hot coffee along with his bag and sat next to a window. He grab his laptop and put it on the table , he plugged his headphones in the laptop, He put his headphones on and listen to music as he does his paperwork.

[Skeckoa]

Chuah Woo Shen or Chuah for short walked out of his home , bringing his laptop and headphones along in his bag , he walked towards his car and enter. He drove to a nearby coffee shop and parked there , he got out and took his bag along with him. He walked towards the coffee shop and enter. He waited in line , few minutes it was time for him to order.

''Good day , sir. What are you going to order?'' Asked the baristas

''Uhm.. one cup of hot coffee , please.'' Replied Chuah

Chuah waited for a few minutes in line before reciving his coffee , the baristas handed Chuah his hot coffee and Chuah paid the baristas the amount of cash for the coffee. He grab his hot coffee along with his bag and sat next to a window. He grab his laptop and put it on the table , he plugged his headphones in the laptop, He put his headphones on and listen to music as he does his paperwork.

A young Filipino-looking man comes knocking on the window from outside the café, cupping his hands as if asking for change, and then rubs his stomach to demonstrate that he is hungry.

[Martune]

Hubert had enough of parliament for one day. The screaming and the debating left his head aching and mind scattered. All he could think about was how hungry he was. It felt like he hadn't eaten in awhile. He rose from his seat and walked out of the parliament building towards the nearest drug store. He purchased some ibuprofen and a bottle of water. He forced the medicine down with the dirty water and exited the store with a contorted face and a now angrier disposition. He continued walking to his favorite cafe, Sunshine Park, for a quick bite and drink.

Hubert approached a crosswalk that said he was allowed to cross. He started a little quick walk to beat out the timer so that he wouldn't be stuck on the other side.

His mind began to race. He thought about his job and how he didn't even love it anymore. Everything was so cut and dry and formal to the point where he couldn't have any fun with it. Having to write bills, talking to business people, scheduling environment conferences, and so many things that just didn't fit his style. He didn't want to be a secretary; hell he didn't want to be an MP at all. But he wouldn't just resign completely. But he would leave the government and have some resemblance of autonomy. He was tired of being yanked around and told what was expected of him.

Hubert reached the crosswalk with the signal still indicating it was his time to cross. But, as soon as he stepped out onto the street a sharp pain blasted his head. The feeling of a 100 knives splitting his head down the middle overwhelmed the secretary and he collapsed on the ground. People saw this and began to panic but Hubert was slipping unconscious.

As he laid there, all he could think about then was how he wasn't ready to go. He didn't want to die. The last thing Hubert heard was the angelic sound of beautiful female voice making an emergency call.

[Skeckoa]

Tweet:

MP Xie Jia Ju | @XieJiaJu

Condolences to the family and loved ones of MP Hubert Aarts, who passed away today. #BandurianForever

[Kamilistan]

Chuah Woo Shen or Chuah for short walked out of his home , bringing his laptop and headphones along in his bag , he walked towards his car and enter. He drove to a nearby coffee shop and parked there , he got out and took his bag along with him. He walked towards the coffee shop and enter. He waited in line , few minutes it was time for him to order.

''Good day , sir. What are you going to order?'' Asked the baristas

''Uhm.. one cup of hot coffee , please.'' Replied Chuah

Chuah waited for a few minutes in line before reciving his coffee , the baristas handed Chuah his hot coffee and Chuah paid the baristas the amount of cash for the coffee. He grab his hot coffee along with his bag and sat next to a window. He grab his laptop and put it on the table , he plugged his headphones in the laptop, He put his headphones on and listen to music as he does his paperwork.

A young Filipino-looking man comes knocking on the window from outside the café, cupping his hands as if asking for change, and then rubs his stomach to demonstrate that he is hungry.

Chuah looked outside of the window and saw the man , he got up and garbbbed his wallet aong with him. He went to baristas and asked for a cup of water and some food. Later , the baristas handed him the food , he gave the cash and grab all of the food he ordered. He walked out of the cafe and handed the food that he ordered to the man , and also handed hm some cash.

''Here you go.'' Said Chuah as he handed the food and some change.

''T-thanks.'' Said the young Flipino man.

Chuah waved goodbye before walking back into the cafe , he sat back to his place and drank his coffee , he wore his headphones back and countinue to do his paperwork

[Agarntrop]

OFFICE OF THE MINISTRY FOR THE INTERIOR
REPUBLIC OF BANDURIA

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DIRECTIVE for the creation of the office of Immigration Officer and the Immigration Subdepartment and the imposition of new immigration standards to assure that the best and brightest come to this country and that its sovereignty is protected.
IMDI-2020-05-001

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Introduction

The Interior Minister,

ACKNOWLEDGING the power vested in his Office over immigration by the Government, pursuant to the Government Establishment Act :

"(The Prime Minister is Empowered To) Appoint and dismiss ministers to his or her Government, and determine the nature of their portfolios and jurisdiction;" (§3.5.a).

ECHOING the Prime Ministerial decree celebrating the plethora of cultures, religions and peoples that make Republic of Banduria the beautiful nation that it is, and that the strength of Banduria lies in her unique ability to unite and protect the peoples of all races and cultures that inhabit these islands,

NOTING that in order to protect Bandurian sovereignity, only the brightest and best should be permitted to enter our nation with favour,

RESOLVING that a new immigration system must be implemented,

RESOLUTE that a subdepartment for immigration should be created,

BELIEVING that an office of immigration officer should be established to head such subdepartment,

SATISFIED that the Interior Ministry of Banduria must make provisions for the new policy regarding immigration into this nation,

hereby DIRECTS,

§1 - The Subdepartment and Immigration Officer

1. ESTABLISHMENT—There is to be the Subdepartment for Immigration, headed by the Immigration Officer:
   1. The State President shall, on the advice of the Interior Ministry, appoint a citizen of Banduria having at least thirty (30) years of age who has displayed outstanding intellect or capacity on the subject of immigration and border protection to the Office of the Immigration Officer of Banduria for a fixed term not more than five (5) years;
   2. The Immigration Officer shall not be removed for any cause or reason except in cases where he should tender his own resignation voluntarily, dies, or is determined by the Interior Minister to be unable to exercise his duties on account of physical or mental ill-health, or on account of criminal conduct as determined by a court of law;
   3. No person may hold any other office, public or private, that accrues him monetary benefit while he is serving as Immigration Officer, and the Immigration Officer may not receive any gifts or monetary benefit from any public or private individual or entity beyond his fixed salary, which shall be set at 150,000 florin per annum.
      
2. DEPENDENCE—The Subdepartment for Immigration shall be answerable to the Government alone, and Subdepartment's activities shall not be intruded upon, hampered, or delayed by the House of Representatives in any capacity; the Subdepartment shall be independent of the Legislature.
3. APPROPRIATIONS—The Subdepartment for Immigration shall have the privilege to request such appropriations as it deems fit for the proper functions of the Subdepartment, and shall have the privilege to use such appropriations in such a manner that it deems fit, pursuant to the laws of the Government.
4. JURISDICTION—The Subdepartment for Immigration shall be responsible for directing the Bandurian Border Force—or corporations or institutions operating within or outside Banduria that enforce Banduria's borders—to comply with the immigration laws and guidelines set out in Section 2 of this Directive, to international law regarding immigration, and to any other law providing for border security that the Government of Banduria has ascribed to:
   1. Any person or organization within or outside Banduria may submit an application for citizenship or any visa to the Subdepartment for Immigration, whereupon the Subdepartment shall consider the report and, if the Subdepartment for Immigration shall deem the application to be permissable under this directive, shall look into granting such application;
   2. Any person or body subject to the jurisdiction of the Subdepartment for Immigration shall surrender, if the Subdepartment should compel them, information, documents, or any other material as the Subdepartment for Immigration shall deem fit in pursuit of its duties as outlined in this directive;
   3. The Subdepartment for Immigration may deport and exclude from reentering the country for up to five (5) years any person it deems to be in Banduria illegally.
5. REPORTS—The Subdepartment for Immigration shall publish reports and opinions on such matters over which it shall have jurisdiction, and all such publications shall be reported to the Government.

§2 - Immigration Laws

1. TRAVEL—A person who is a citizen a country mentioned in Schedule A of this directive may travel to the Republic of Banduria without a visa for a period of no more than 90 days, after which they must apply to the Subdepartment for Immigration for a visa to remain in the country legally.
   
   Any person who;
   1. enters or attempts to enter the country without a legitimate passport;
   2. enters or attempts to enter the country without a visa and remains in Banduria for a period exceeding 90 days;
   3. commits or attempts to commit any crime whilst in Banduria; or
   4. enters Banduria from a country not mentioned in Schedule A without a legitimate visa,
      
   may be deported and excluded from Banduria by the Subdepartment for Immigration, pursuant to Section 1.4.c. of this Directive.
2. REQUIREMENTS-- When Considering an Application for a visa under Section 2.4. of this Directive, any Applicant who does not meet all of the following requirements must be rejected by the Subdepartment for Immigration:
   1. fluent speaking of either Dutch, Cantonese, Tamil, Indonesian, Malay, or Penghuni; and
   2. a professional offer in Banduria.
3. SHORT-TERM VISAS-- A short-term visa may be applied for pursuant to Section 1.4. of this directive and may be used to accuire travel for a period not exceeding 180 days. No person on a short-term visa may complete any kind of work in Banduria. Breaching the conditions of a short-term visa shall result in the offending party being deported pursuant to Section 1.4.c. of this directive.
4. LONG-TERM VISAS-- Any foreigner who wishes to travel to Banduria to complete any kind of work, or to remain in Banduria for a term exceeding 180 days, must apply for a long-term visa pursuant to Section 1.4 of this directive. The Subdepartment for Immigration may place conditions on long-term visas in addition to the conditions imposed under Section 2.2. of this directive. Breaching the conditions of a long-term visa shall result in the offending party being deported pursuant to Section 1.4.c. of this directive.

§3 - Application

This DIRECTIVE shall enter into force 10 May 2020 forthwith and shall remain in force and shall be renewed by the Interior Minister every two months henceforth. Pursuant to the Government Establishment Act, the Prime Minister or House of Representatives may elect to amend or repeal this DIRECTIVE, in which case it shall cease to take effect upon repeal forthwith.

SCHEDULE A - VISA FREE TRAVEL COUNTRIES

1. The Republic of Albania;
2. The Principality of Andorra;
3. The Argentine Republic;
4. The Commonwealth of Australia;
5. The Republic of Austria;
6. The Republic of Azerbaijan;
7. The Kingdom of Bahrain;
8. The Kingdom of Belgium;
9. Bosnia and Herzegovina;
10. Republic of Botswana;
11. The Federative Republic of Brazil;
12. The Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace;
13. The Republic of Bulgaria;
14. The Kingdom of Cambodia;
15. Canada;
16. The Republic of Chile;
17. The People's Republic of China;
18. The Cook Islands;
19. The Republic of Costa Rica;
20. Côte d'Ivoire;
21. The Republic of Croatia;
22. The Czech Republic;
23. The Kingdom of Denmark;
24. The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste;
25. The Arab Republic of Egypt;
26. The Republic of Estonia;
27. The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia;
28. The Republic of Fiji;
29. The Republic of Finland;
30. The French Republic;
31. Georgia;
32. The Federal Republic of Germany;
33. The Republic of
    Ghana;
34. The Hellenic Republic;
35. The Holy See;
36. Hungary;
37. Iceland;
38. The Republic of Indonesia;
39. Ireland;
40. The State of Israel;
41. The Italian Republic;
42. Japan;
43. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan;
44. The Republic of Kiribati;
45. The Republic of Korea;
46. The State of Kuwait;
47. The Lao People's Democratic Republic;
48. The Republic of Latvia;
49. The Lebanese Republic;
50. The Kingdom of Lesotho;
51. The Principality of Liechtenstein;
52. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg;
53. The Republic of Lithuania;
54. Malaysia;
55. The Republic of Maldives;
56. The Republic of Malta;
57. The Republic of the Marshall Islands;
58. The United Mexican States;
59. The Federated States of Micronesia;
60. Mongolia;
61. Montenegro;
62. The Kingdom of Morocco;
63. The Republic of Namibia;
64. The Republic of Nauru;
65. The Kingdom of the Netherlands;
66. New Zealand;
67. The Republic of North Macedonia;
68. The Sultanate of Oman;
69. The Republic of Palau;
70. The Republic of Panama;
71. The Republic of the Philippines;
72. The Republic of Poland;
73. The Portugese Republic;
74. The State of Qatar;
75. Romania;
76. The Russian Federation;
77. The Independent State of Samoa;
78. The Republic of San Marino;
79. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;
80. The Republic of Singapore;
81. The Slovak Republic;
82. The Republic of Slovenia;
83. The Solomon Islands;
84. The Republic of South Africa;
85. The Kingdom of Spain;
86. The Kingdom of Sweden;
87. The Swiss Confederation;
88. The Kingdom of Thailand;
89. The Kingdom of Tonga;
90. The Republic of Tunisia;
91. The Republic of Turkey;
92. Tuvalu;
93. The United Arab Emirates;
94. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
95. The United States of America;
96. The Oriental Republic of Uruguay;
97. The Republic of Vanuatu;
98. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

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SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED before me, the undersigned authority, this ninth day of May, the two-thousand twentieth. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and official seal.

Susilo Raja Tirta Sri,
The Rt. Hon. Interior Minister of the Republic of Banduria
9 May 2020
Boschstad

[Van Hool Islands]

Nederlandse Vlaktes by-election projections released

Edward Van Heel - 9 May 2020

Politics

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The polling agency Gerhard NV has released it's projection for the upcoming Nederlandse Vlaktes by-election, triggered by the death of the incumbent independent MP Hubert Aarts. Nederlandse Vlaktes has traditionally been a marginal constituency, flip flopping between moderates, socialists, and conservatives. The numbers released by Gerhard reflect this, as shown below.

DE LAAR, Victoria (UCP) - 30%
MOOREN, Mina (Communist) - 25%
VANDERKERK, Johann (Reform) - 15%
LEUNG, Sabrina (Democratic) - 5%
LANGBROEK, Pieter (NVP) - 4%
CHAN, Ji-Yin (RPP) - 3%
KLEIN, Diedre (Independent) - 2%
Undecided - 16%

The election is projected to be quite close. Notably, a majority of the candidates are female, including the two leaders, Victoria De Laar of the UCP, and Mina Mooren of the Communist Party. Mina is a member of the Mooren family, and her father Stephen is a notable farming magnate. Mooren is a newcomer to the political world, but her name recognition could help her to surge forward and defeat the UCP candidate. The by-election is scheduled for 10 May, and we will have results then.

[Martune]

MINA MOOREN RESPONDS TO PROJECTION POLLS

"We are really happy with the numbers so far. I believe that we won't only do good in the outer regions of our constituency where small family , but also in central Nederlandse Vlaktes. I think our message will touch the hearts of many people and they will sympathize with our desire to bring our nation together under the banner of a single socialist utopia. But let it be known that my campaign will accept the election results as they come in. I applaud all campaigns that have currently undergone a quick upstart due to the death of our beautiful late comrade, the Honourable Hubert Aarts. I wish everyone good luck and I wish a hearty thank you to my staff who has done such an amazing job of getting our message out to the voters of this constituency. I will see you after our victory in this election."

[Skeckoa]

:

晨鸟广播节目 (Morning Bird Radio Show)

RPP Candidate: What we are witnessing in the district once held by the late MP Hubert Aarts is no different than what has happened all across the country since the establishment of the 2nd Republic here in Banduria. Once again we are witnessing a concerted effort by a centralized colonist minority to impose its will on the poorer populations of the exterior via bureaucracy, and technicalities, while ignoring the popular will.

The late Aarts's district is characterized by its farmland. Who works this land? Bandurians. Who harvests the crops, Bandurians? Who transports the crop from the fields to the city? Bandurians. Who collects the money and uses it to force their candidates down our throats, the colonists. In every step of the process, Bandurians are the ones with their hands in the Earth, so much so that they do not always have the ability to go and vote.

I propose that the Bandurian state gives a day-off from work to all Bandurians in the district so that they can go vote in peace without the fear of retribution from their... colonist overseers. If these right-wing parties actually cared for justice as they claim, than they would have set aside this date for voting without question.

Yet, here we are again dealing with the ramifications of an anti-Bandurian dictatorship, and the anti-Bandurian "democracy" that sprouted from its carcass. It may be a different district, yet we hear the same story.

Be it the centralization of power in colonist hands, be it their attempts to soften the force of law to their criminal children and not ours, we see once again how right-wing policies are failing Bandurians every day.

Government, let's be real here, give all of these working Bandurians a day off to vote, and I promise you we can undo this colonization in one generation time.

Radio Host: What do you feel about your position in the polls that have you near the bottom?

RPP Candidate : Nonsense. You go out into the countryside, where there are minimal roads and no phone lines in some places, where do you see these pollsters? Mao knew that the way to show these city folks anything about the country was by force. I'm not saying I would replicate that here in Banduria, but I will say that it would do wonders to better the image of interior Banduria.

[Nova Anglicana]

Victoria de Laar @deLaarforParliament The latest @GerhardNVPolling poll has us ahead! If elected, I will continue the late Hubert Aarts' work to protect our natural beauty and resources while also working to modernize our economy. The choice is dynamism and progress or a regressive economic system that punishes the successful. Let's work together to keep Nederlandse Vlaktes great! #HarmonyProsperityDemocracy RetweetsFavourites 125234 7:30 pm - May/09/20

[Martune]

Mina Mooren-@moorenmood

The path forward is not one of 3 wealthy farm families, but of the people working the land themselves and reaping the benefits of their hard work! Don't vote to kill your farms, vote to save them!

[Skeckoa]

*YIXIANGSHI, Banduria - Unity and Cosolidation Party MP Floortje Cheung motioned for Revolutionary People's Party MP Xie Jia Ju to be "gagged and thrown out" for pointing out that the bill that they were debating did not actually meet parliamentary threshold for number of sponsors.

Xie Jia Ju correctly pointed out there is no public record or acknowledgment of PM Joseph Yu's co-sponsorship. The UCP MP then responded by asking the RPP MP to tell the chamber how she knew that the PM had not sponsored the bill, essentially asking her to prove a negative, an illogical impossibility. The enraged young MP then insisted that her elder MP was "grandstanding" and accused her inquiry as "harassment".

This event comes quick on the heels of another heated debate where MP Xie stood and debated for nearly three hours against a slew of opponents over tenants in what Xie calls "Lite on Crime" bill.

Xie's office responded to our inquiry with the following message:

We believe that the incidental exchange that occurred on Sunday between MP Cheung and MP Xie was completely inappropriate. To ask that an elder statesperson be gagged and thrown out of her place of work for simply pointing out a bill's technical shortcoming is no way to act. We hope that the MP does not hold the same kind of attitude when she herself takes criticism. With that said, we are waiting for an apology for the MP's behavior and would invite the MP to work with us on how to make this bill more suitable and beneficial for a struggling rural population that has been left behind by misinformed well-intentioned bills such as this one.

* Yixiangshi "Yixiang City" is an alternate name for the capital Boschstad, popular among Chinese nationalists, that alludes to Yixiang, the former name of Banduria before the First Sino-Dutch War

[Van Hool Islands]

*YIXIANGSHI, Banduria - Unity and Cosolidation Party MP Floortje Cheung motioned for Revolutionary People's Party MP Xie Jia Ju to be "gagged and thrown out" for pointing out that the bill that they were debating did not actually meet parliamentary threshold for number of sponsors.

Xie Jia Ju correctly pointed out there is no public record or acknowledgment of PM Joseph Yu's co-sponsorship. The UCP MP then responded by asking the RPP MP to tell the chamber how she knew that the PM had not sponsored the bill, essentially asking her to prove a negative, an illogical impossibility. The enraged young MP then insisted that her elder MP was "grandstanding" and accused her inquiry as "harassment".

This event comes quick on the heels of another heated debate where MP Xie stood and debated for nearly three hours against a slew of opponents over tenants in what Xie calls "Lite on Crime" bill.

Xie's office responded to our inquiry with the following message:

We believe that the incidental exchange that occurred on Sunday between MP Cheung and MP Xie was completely inappropriate. To ask that an elder statesperson be gagged and thrown out of her place of work for simply pointing out a bill's technical shortcoming is no way to act. We hope that the MP does not hold the same kind of attitude when she herself takes criticism. With that said, we are waiting for an apology for the MP's behavior and would invite the MP to work with us on how to make this bill more suitable and beneficial for a struggling rural population that has been left behind by misinformed well-intentioned bills such as this one.

* Yixiangshi "Yixiang City" is an alternate name for the capital Boschstad, popular among Chinese nationalists, that alludes to Yixiang, the former name of Banduria before the First Sino-Dutch War

(OOC: There is no public record of the sponsorship of any bills besides the list of sponsors on the bill. The process of a member sponsoring a bill is completely private, unless otherwise specified by someone involved, until their name appears on the bill. Just because Yu didn't post in the thread doesn't mean there's no record of him sponsoring the bill. The only IC evidence of bill sponsorship is the names on the bill, the "Sponsored" posts in the thread are OOC, and your character can not see them.)

[Nova Anglicana]

Oolde, Nederlandse Vlaktes

Victoria de Laar stood before a meeting of the local small business council. She cleared her throat. “Thank you for being here. My name is Victoria de Laar, and I’m running to fill the late Hubert Aarts’ seat in Parliament. Like Mr. Aarts, I am concerned about the proper use of our natural resources and preserving the natural beauty of our great country. And like you, I am concerned about preserving and advancing prosperity for our small business owners. Some think this is a binary choice; that we must be for business or for the environment. This is false. We can grow our businesses and protect our environment at the same time. That’s why I support the Green Energy Financing Act just enacted by our government. This law creates a bank to give loans private business to build out zero-carbon energy throughout Banduria. It means that you can have access to abundant energy to power and expand your businesses. Zero-carbon energy is cheaper and longer-lasting, meaning you can expand without worrying about the problem of power costs. It will help your employees by decreasing their reliance on biomass and other less efficient energy sources. The decreased carbon and particulate emissions mean that you and your employees will be healthier, as well as your families, which will save you money in healthcare costs down the line. A greener Banduria is a stronger, healthier, and more prosperous Banduria.”

“I’d also like to speak on the Economic Modernization Act brought forward by this government. I strongly support this bill as a necessary step forward for Banduria. While it will allow us to become more competitive on the world market and strengthen our export sector, it has important domestic benefits too. A stronger economy means a stronger florin, so your money stretches farther and you don’t have to worry about devaluation driving up costs for your business. The EMA will subsidize domestic agricultural manufacturing, making farmers more able to support their families and be competitive domestically with affordable mechanized agriculture. It will grow the banking industry, extending lines of credit to rural businesses that too often lack access to startup capital. It means you can expand your business and hire more employees, using that money to help Oolde become more prosperous. And finally, the EMA also encourages domestic computer and medical technology, meaning that your kids’ schools will benefit from excellent educational technology, and if injury or illness strikes your family or your employees, our local hospital will have the affordable technology it needs to protect and save lives.”

She paused for applause before moving on to the family values portion of her stump speech.