It's that time again: election time. The past couple of years have proved to have been difficult for the nation with the death of Vincent Xanatos, the 11th Chancellor of Firaqis. His successor, Liam Barnes, has tried (with varying degrees of success) to unite the mourning nation.
The candidates:
1) Grand Chancellor Liam Barnes
Running Mate: Vice Chancellor Howard Lombard
The Wolf Party
Liam Barnes was Vice Chancellor to Vincent Xanatos out of necessity. Rivals in the primaries, they were forced to come together to win the general election. It was common knowledge that the two rarely saw eye-to-eye. V.C. Barnes rarely made public appearances in support of the more popular Xanatos, which weakened his image when he rose to power. His domestic policies have been met with mixed results. Having inherited a sluggish economy, his firm views on regulation strengthened it at first. However, business is starting to fail without the freedom they've enjoyed for years. He's overhauled education and internal security at the tax-payers' expense and has been accused of adopting socialist policies. While his predecessor heavily focused on foreign relations, Barnes has ignored the international community and is an outspoken critic of the World Assembly.
His running mate, Howard Lombard, was Minister of Foreign Relations under the Xanatos Administration and was elevated to Vice Chancellor as per the Succession Amendment. He enjoys considerably more popularity than Liam Barnes and will be instrumental in his election. However, his focus on working with other nations and joining the World Assembly will make it difficult for him to align with the Chancellor.
2) Governor Marcus Taylor
Running Mate: Senator Adam Sterett
The Progressive Party
Governor of the state of Narai, Marcus Taylor enjoys great popularity for his capitalistic views and liberal social policies. He's enjoyed three terms as governor and it's long been speculated that he would run for high office. While not an outspoken supporter of the late Xanatos, he silently respected him. However, it's no secret that he strongly disagrees with the Barnes Administration on most issues. He's criticized Barnes for abandoning the mission in Dezania to create a stable government, refusing to work with the World Assembly, taking control of business, drastically raising taxes, and standing in the way of social change.
His decision to name Senator Sterett of Axiom as his running mate has surprised many political commentators. Sterett is not known for stirring up debate as Taylor does and is a quiet voice in the Senate. While not well-known to the public, he has many allies in the Senate which may prove instrumental to the campaign.
3) Senator Adrien Xanatos
Running Mate: former Ambassador Leo Roland
The New Independence Party
Adrien Xanatos, nephew of Vincent Xanatos, is a single term senator from Amar. While he's related to a highly popular figure, commentators believe he has little chance of winning the election. The New Independence Party has few supporters when compared to the Wolf and Progressive parties. Even if he wrestled the big contributors away from Barnes and Taylor, his political views may seem somewhat radical to some. He's promised to drastically reduce the role of the federal government. Welfare, education, and other social issues would take massive cuts. Regulation would be non-existent. Most efforts would be focused on national security.
Leo Roland, former Ambassador to the Gulf Free State, has almost no political experience. Before becoming Ambassador he rose to the rank of Commander in the Firaqis Ground Forces, then transferred to the Special Reconnaissance Branch. He was personally involved in the infamous Operation Sandstorm incident, but was pulled out by Grand Chancellor Barnes before completion. He's unknown to the voting public, but is well liked by an important ally, the Gulf Free State.
While the citizens of Firaqis examine the candidates, it's expected that other heads of state will weigh in. No doubt, their opinions will help sway the vote. (OOC: the poll will run for 14 days)
