News Thread [Kylaris|Canon|IC]

by **Azmara** » Wed Mar 04, 2020 12:28 pm

PRESIDENT RYGINSDOHTER APPROVES DISSOLUTION OF FOLKSMOT FOR ELECTION
The President has confirmed the 2020 election will happen on the 19th April.

Ana Jonsdohter (@anajdohter)
^{04 Mar 2020 | Aalmsted, Azmara}

President Ryginsdohter signs the dissolution notice.

AALMSTED, AZMARA – President Maarija Ryginsdohter has signed the Dissolution Notice for the 53rd Folksmot, which means that the current Folksmot will cease to sit after Friday as the campaigning period for the 2020 election begins.

This comes after yesterday evening's vote on the motion, proposed by the Prime Minister and brought to the front of the agenda, resulted in a vote of 125-1 in favour of the motion, with 24 members not voting on the motion. The only MP to vote against was former People's Party member for Groonbank, Karl Karlssun, who was expelled from the party after a scandal involving inappropriate messages sent to members of staff, yet many members of the Sotirian Democrats did not vote on the election, with this decision being connected to the poor results predicted for the party.

Major issues that are thought to affect the election are thought to be the record of the Workers'-Green-Socialist coalition that has governed the nation since June, with the debates centering on its policies towards regeneration, climate change, renationalisation and devolution. Debate over the course of regeneration policies, in which government investment money has been pumped into infrastructure and education in areas of the country suffering from deindustrialisation, and renationalisation, in which the government has reversed the partial privatisations of transport, water and energy carried out in 1992 by the Gold Flame-Radical government, will feature heavily as Gold Flame have emphasised the use of tax breaks and subsidies to encourage new industries over "reckless intervention" to fight deindustrialisation and have expressed concerns about the renationalisation.

Devolution is thought to become an issue as the Radicals, the Free Alliance, the Greens and the Workers' Party are poised to attempt to capitalise on their major role in legislating and campaigning for the creation of devolved legislatures in Haadland and Hytklif, while the Sotirian Democrats and the People's Party are thought to continue their opposition to devolution seen throughout 2019, hoping to capitalise to anti-devolution voters in both provinces. However, the strategy's effects are uncertain as the Sotirian Democrats lost control of Hytklif in the elections to the devolved assembly for the first time in 30 years as a pro-devolution coalition took controo.

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by **The Kingdom of Glitter** » Thu Mar 05, 2020 7:31 pm

GOVERNMENT UNVEILS UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME PROGRAM, A KEYSTONE POLICY
Mac Suibhne made universal basic income one of his main campaign promises, and is now set to lay its foundations

James Kelley (@jkelleygbf)
^{4 March 2020 | Spálgleann, Caldia}

Finance Minister Pádraigín Níc Aodhagain worked closely with the taoiseach on UBI and is the bill's principal architect.

SPÁLGLEANN – Senior ministers have unveiled the details of the government's planned universal basic income program, a major component of the party's 2019 campaign manifesto. Using a combination of oil profits, money in sovereign wealth funds, and a third tax bracket, the bill would give every Caldish citizen a €200 a month stipend. It is set to be the foundations for the governments later plans to provide citizens with €1000 a month and will serve as a trial for the scheme.

At a press conference this morning, Taoiseach Stiofán Mac Suibhne was joined by Pádraigín Níc Aodhagain, who holds a dual portfolio of Minister of Finance and Minister of Pensions and Welfare, where he shared the details of the program for the first time. Mr. Mac Suibhne made the issue central to the 2019 snap election campaign, promoting it as one of the party's new ideas to tackle growing inequality.

Under the program, every Caldish citizen and EC citizen living in Caldia will be given a monthly stipend of €200, totalling to €2400 annually. Households with children will be allocated €200 per child until each child reaches the age of eighteen, when it would be allocated directly to the individual.

For a family of four, a payment of €800 in total. This would amount to €9600 each year. For earners making over €65,000, they can request that the stipend be applied as an annual tax deduction. The same applies for households that file jointly, meaning a family of four could deduct up to €9600 per year.

All Caldish citizens and EC citizens living in Caldia would receive the stipend regardless of their income. The eventual goal of the program is to provide individuals with €1000 a month, or €12,000 annually. This would be a basic income awarded to all citizens and is above the poverty line, ensuring that all have a permanent earnings floor that no one could fall beneath. Many existing benefits could be phased out if the program is fully implemented, effectively replaced by a universal basic income.

Praising the program, Mr. Mac Suibhne said it was a "major step towards closing [the nation's] worsening wealth gap".

"Today, we lay the foundations for a universal basic income program that will bring real relief to many in this country. This is something we must do to help our working families and is a major step towards closing the worsening wealth gap. This is just the beginning of this program".

Since the 1980s, wealth disparity in Caldia has grown significantly. Policy changes implemented under the government of Patricia Flowers began an era of spending cuts and privatization. It also brought an end to anti-unemployment policies. Wage differences between the lowest paid worker and company executives were lower than other developed economies prior to the Flowers government. In the decades after, a widening gap between the lowest paid workers and the highest paid workers. Many industrial workers have had their jobs outsourced to cheaper labor markets or have seen their sector downsized significantly.

Commenting on liberal economic policy, Ms. Níc Aodhagain stated that "we may be the children of neoliberalism, but today we continue to show that our government is committees to a new way forward".

The Finance Minister is the chief architect of the bill and worked closely with the taoiseach while drafting the legislation.

"Rising inequality and decades of stagnant wages will be ended once this program is not only implemented, but expanded upon".

The program will be funded through excess oil revenues and assets in the State Expenditure Fund. In 2017, the state-owned RPG had a revenue of €54.5 billion and a net income of €4.1 billion. The State Expenditure Fund had €150 billion in assets as of 2019. On the campaign trail, Mr. Mac Suibhne said he wanted to "make sure the people had benefited from the petroleum boom".

"It is high time the state shares the benefits of and puts it in the hands of our working families" the taoiseach said back in February of last year.

It is projected to cost about €23.2 billion annually. To further fund the program, the government will introduce a third bracket for the income tax. Those making over €150,000 each year will pay a 35% income tax starting with the June budget, a 10 percent increase from the current 25 percent rate for those making over €65,000.

The program has generated criticism from opposition parties, both for its projected cost and the tax increase coming along with it.

A spokesperson for the Liberty Party criticized the program as a "sure-fire failure" and accused the Social Democrats of returning to their "tax and spend ways that nearly bankrupted the country".

Liberty's leader, Pádraig Mac Piarais, tweeted that "They nearly bankrupted the nation once, and Mac Suibhne looks to do it again".

Other opposition parties have voiced their concerns over the universal basic income program, especially over its use of oil revenues.

"This money is intended to be placed into our sovereign wealth funds to ensure our future, the taoiseach must be very careful to ensure that existing requirements for the use this revenue are met" Centre Party leader Lachlann Mac an Fhleisteir told reporters after the government's press conference.

Other countries have run trials of a universal basic income program before. Findings indicate that while recipients were overall happier and healthier, they were not more likely to find employment. Mr. Mac Suibhne downplayed this line of thinking, saying that the goal was "far less about whether or not people find jobs, but that [the program] is supposed to improve working people's lives and fight wealth inequality".

"That is what anti-unemployment policies are for" the taoiseach quipped when pressed at this morning's press conference.

As of 2018, the unemployment rate was 5.5% and decreased in 2019 to 5.3%. Mr. Mac Suibhne has pledged to introduce policies aimed at further driving down unemployment and has already increased funding for existing anti-unemployment programs, much of which had been cut under previous governments.

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by **Eskaeba** » Fri Mar 06, 2020 9:04 am

CANDIDATE SUMMARY: NAKAI MUMBENGEGWI
The section candidate will look to expand left-wing influence in Garambura.

This article is part of a series that will summarise the history and campaigns of the main candidates.

Nakai Mumbengegwi is the 2020 declared candidate for the Garamburan Section of the Workers' International (Section garambourenne de l'Internationale ouvrière; SGIO), a left-wing-to-far-left party in Garambura, and an affiliate of the larger overarching Workers' International that has political presence in many countries. Mumbengegwi was born in Ostapils-Baihaven, Swetania, in 1956, to a father who had been a tirailleur of the Gaullican Empire and had defected to Swetania. Mumbengegwi and his family relocated to Sainte-Germaine in 1960, where he would grow up. Taking after the political activity of his left-wing father, Mumbengegwi quickly adopted left-wing policies and was initially a member of the Social Party of Garambura before joining the SGIO in 1981. Mumbengegwi was a critic of the presidency of Takakunda Kuda Kani, particularly of his cooperation with Euclea and Halland, militarisation and policies towards the rest of Bahia. Mumbengegwi has been a member of the National Assembly, or MA, since 1999 for the district of MB-Gambaiseuil and served as ambassador to the Panswetanian Council Republic between 1993 and 1998.

In 2020, Mumbengegwi is running on a policy of drastic change. Wanting to begin transition to a council socialist model seen in Coius in countries such as Dezevau and elsewhere in Swetania, Mumbengegwi is overwhelmingly for increased cooperation with the socialist world and is an advocate of Garamburan membership of the Association for International Socialism. Also critical of Garamburan membership of the Congress of Bahian States, Mumbengegwi supports withdrawal from the organisation on the basis of its tolerance for "oppressive dictatorships and regimes, including our neighbours in Rwizikuru". Mumbengegwi is a secular candidate, and supports increased separation between church and state and the removal of compulsory religious education in schools. He supports increased LGBT rights, women's rights and abortion rights, and wants to introduce constitutional guarantees for the respective populations. Mumbengegwi is for the introduction of term limits, and wants to see the constitution amended to include them. Decrease in military size is also one of Mumbengegwi's key policies, opting to re-route military funding to more social causes such as housing. Mumbengegwi is aiming to increase unionisation rates in the country.

Policy Summary:
Ideology: Left-wing
CBS Membership: Against
Term Limits: For

by **Liecthenbourg** » Fri Mar 06, 2020 10:39 am

Camille Chamoun - 10 Adar 5780 / Jomeh: 16. Esfand 1398 / 6 March 2020

Home · Tsabara · Bahia · International · Politics · Business · Technology and Science · Arts · Education · Health · Sports · Weather

As the world watches, Adunis goes ahead with planned offensives.

Bedjene Province - As the divisions within Tsabaran society have ripped in twain, and strife, conflict and crimes pilfer through towards the rest of the world, the government has undergone several offensives in the central Tsabaran province of Bedjene.

Bedjene is the second largest province within the Federation by population, behind Yeruham. It is the third largest in terms of geographic area. It is also the only of the provinces that directly borders both Adunis, the seat of the government, and Aïn Djasser, the 'heart' of Sheik Salah's territory.

Acting President Nazim al'Qutayni described the tactic as one that is planned to "perform a decisive blow" against the insurrectionists and rebels in the east of the country.

The news of the offensive comes after the Estmerish reaffirmed their commitment to the fight, with the Estmerish defence secretary having to defend his position on the matter. Cedric Lewis, Estmere's Secretary for Defence, confirmed that "Over one hundred [military] personnel will provide assistance to the al'Qutayni government." According to the reports of the Aschombe Herald, Estmere has supplied twenty-four fighter aircraft, an unknown mix of 'typhoons' and 'tornadoes.' Whilst other equipment was mentioned, it has not been specified.

Whilst not all the details have been made available, the offensive has been mostly composed of armoured units. Much of the reporting comes from second-hand accounts on Twitter and Facebook, as in Bedjene the internet has not been cut off like in provinces in the further east. The official troop figures are unknown, but armoured brigades have been reported to be present. This information was corroborated by our military correspondent, who described the armoured vehicles -- Tsabara's famed 'Earaba' Main Battle Tank -- as the "spearhead of any worthwhile offensive."

The Tsabaran government has gone to great lengths to exemplify the multi-ethnic and multi-religious composition of its forces, painting itself as a force for the cosocial state against religious extremists.

Reports that the Estmerish fighters that have been stationed in airbases near Adunis since late February were providing aerial support for the operation have been denied by the government, claiming that it was their own aerial forces that had successfully provided close air support and the bombing of strategic positions on the Bedjene/Aïn Djasser border.

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by **Azmara** » Sat Mar 07, 2020 3:18 pm

ANYWHERE BUT STEFANSBERG: CLIMATE CHANGE "TOP OF THE AGENDA" IN LEAFY SLOH
Sloh has long been a bastion of the progressive middle-class. So, how do they view the current election?

Leif Freissun (@lfssundah)
^{07 Mar 2020 | Sloh, Hytklif, Azmara}

A typical riverside colorful terrace in the city.

SLOH, AZMARA – The City of Sloh has long been an item of curiosity in Azmaran political history. It consistently scores as one of the most affluent government districts in the country, and around 65% of the city's residents were deemed "middle-class" in a 2017 study. Most other political districts in this group have had long histories of voting for Gold Flame due to the party's pro-business policies, and most other political districts in the Hytklif Province have a history of voting for the Sotirian Democrats: the province sees one of the highest rates of church attendance in Azmara and has long been a bastion of conservatism.

However, the City of Sloh has not followed either of these trends; in 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014 the City voted for the Radicals, while in 2017 it marginally voted for the Greens. The abnormal voting patterns have been connected to the city's large student and academic population, and these voting trends are seen in other university towns such as Wucing and Eśensted, but to a lesser extent than in Sloh, and polls show that many native residents of the town with no connection to the university have similar patterns. So what do the current residents of this political maverick of a town think about the election?

At a cafe by the river, a group of three young men and two young women sit in the windowside table, with coffees sitting next to them. All five of them post-graduates at Sloh College, I ask what they think about the election. The first to answer, one of the girls, responds in a distinctive Sompland accent, replying enthusiastically that she'd vote for Jorśsun's Workers' Party, praising their commitment to environmentalism and regeneration of her hometown. Two of the others place their support behind the Radicals, one of them praising their role in the devolution arc, another praising the climate policies and stating their admiration for Helmut Þurisassun, the late Radical Prime Minister whose stimulus policies are credited with alleviating the initial 2005 Recession.

Another tells me climate change is their first concern, and that as a result they will vote for the Greens, while the last says he has not made his mind up on who to vote for, saying that many parties made strong arguments. And, while ordering myself a takeaway drink, the barista on service tells me she'd likely vote for the Workers' Party. When I ask why, she says simply that she feels they care about ordinary people like her in a way she felt the previous two governments didn't, and mentions sweeping changes to workers' rights she feels benefited her personally.

My next stop is a square in the centre of town. I try asking a few passers by what they think; the first tells me he doesn't follow politics, while the second tells me the Sotirian Democrats and the third says the People's Party. Both of the latter women cite the new devolved assembly and their chosen parties' opposition to it as a reason for their vote, with the former voter telling me that her hometown should not be involved in what she describes as a "vanity project" of unrelated coastal communities, and that the new assembly "did not care" about the interests of Sloh. The latter is more extreme, telling me that the new assembly is "treason" to the Azmaran Commonwealth and its activities should cease "at once". Neither meet the picture of Sloh I get from the election results and the stereotypes, but both demonstrate the influence that devolution and Sloh's vote against it have on the area's politics.

Other passers by are more typical. A researcher I meet at a bench on the side of the square throws his support behind the Greens, while two primary school teachers I meet outside a kebab shop plan to vote for the Radicals. All cite climate change and socially liberal policies as reasons behind their vote, saying that these issues matter strongly to them. However, a nurse between shifts and a young mother between jobs I meet afterwards throw their support behind the Workers' Party, with the former citing the healthcare reforms made by the government and the young mother expressing dismay at what she views as "draconian" welfare policies by other major parties.

An accountant I meet while crossing a bridge says that he would vote Socialist. As I inquire further, he touches on his strong Sotirian faith and his belief that Jesus Sotirias would endorse such policies in the real world. As I continue on the bridge, I meet a manager who does not engage in the trend of the city to buck political trends, and endorses Gold Flame wholeheartedly, saying that they understand the principal role of business in bringing forward the country forward. A companion of his, employed in a similarly high position in the same company, agrees with him.

The last person I talk to is a retired librarian at a small park on the edge of the city, accompanied by two young grandchildren. He is quick to tell me who he'd vote for: the Workers' Party. He says that of the many governments he has lived under, he has rarely seen the country as prosperous as under the current government, and that he wishes to give them a mandate to continue.

Clearly the defining feature of the city and its different attitudes to other middle-class areas is its deep-running social liberalism. While it may not undercut the whole city, and many still endorse the conservative politics of the rest of the province while the managerial classes still cling to the market liberalism of other heavily middle-class settlements, the socially liberal current definitely influences many of the city's affluent voters to endorse the focus on socially liberal policies brought by the Radicals and the Greens.

Many have debated the socially liberal influence's origins, and while this is not the purpose of this article, it appears that the domination of a university known for socially liberal student activism on the town, and a resentment of a conservative province many feel lumped in with, play a major role. However, it would appear from this visit that the City's reputation as a bastion of the progressive middle-class vote is not one that will fade anytime soon, and without any major upsets it would be safe to call the city's votes for either the Radicals or the Greens.

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by **Liecthenbourg** » Sat Mar 07, 2020 5:24 pm

Six Candidates And Counting.
Gaullica's presidential race has begun with a wide field of six 'major candidates' having declared their intention to run.

Antoinette Giroud
^{March 7th, 2020|Verlois, Gaullica}

Monique Degar-Abdulrashid taking a selfie with supporters after one of her political rallies.
Photo courtesy of courteous photography.

Verlois, Gaullica -

Being called 'Gaullica's most diverse presidential race in history', 2020 is set to be a historic election. Of the six major candidacies that have been announced, three of them are women, and one of those women is not only an Irfanic but of Tsabaran descent. Furthermore, it features the first candidate for President who is a Baean-Gaullican.

The Social Democratic Party has held control of the presidency and both chambers of the senate (through coalitions) for all but 11 months from 2010-2020. And they are set to 'defend' the presidency, as the party aims to transition from the titan of politics that is President Jean Vallette to a younger generation of socialists who reflect the diversifying crowd of the party's supporters. This has arisen in Monique Degar-Abdulrashid, Gaullica's current Premier. She is viewed as the current favourite to emerge from the first round of voting on the 29th of August, with VousGov polls putting her support between 27 - 28%.

Coralie Barreau, a name common across all of Gaullica now, polls in second at 19-21%. A member of the Gaullican Conservatives and Foreign Minister from September 2018 to May 2019, Barreau was ostracised from her party for being outed as a lesbian by Gaullica's leading tabloid newspaper: 'Marianne.' The story was detestable but it ultimately led to her resignation on dubious grounds of security concerns. Barreau did not take her resignation lying down and has surged as the dominant opposition voice to the government.

Others, such as Augustin de Troumpe, have also announced their candidacy for President. De Troumpe finds his core of support from a responsible and respected position as foreign minister, as well as a contingent of voters who are likely dissatisfied with their other conservative options.

All in all, the Presidential election in August/September is set to be -- at the moment -- a wide field of competing candidates that move to either bolster Vallette's legacy or distance the nation from it, hoping to break a cycle of PSD dominance at the legislative level.

Numerous other policy positions have been polled to be important: nominally security and defence are featuring predominantly as Gaullica finds itself pressured in the Arucian by the Chistovodian Workers' State. Furthermore, matters relating to the ongoing Tsabaran crisis will undoubtedly arise as the situation worsens if not resolved soon. Ultimately, the battle over the permissions of the constitution and religious authorities, alongside other domestic issues, will likely take some time on the back-burner as Gaullica's candidates will be expected to be dealing with a notorious beast: foreign policy.

And thusly, Le Monde invites you to understand who the candidates are as we cover the Race to the Presidency.

The Candidates

Monique Degar-Abdulrashid (PSD) - Premier
Monique Degar-Abdulrashid served as Minister of Health from 2008 - 2018 under two different SD Premiers, before she herself became Premier following the ousting of Antoine Duquesne in 2016 for tax-evasion. She has served as Premier since Summer of 2016 until now, with a brief 11 month intermission from September of 2018 to August of 2019. Premier Degar-Abdulrashid is seen as one of Vallette's political proteges and was once referred to as his 'successor' by L'Hommage.

If she were to become president in September of this year, the Premier would go on to become the fourth woman to hold this position and the youngest ever President of the nation at 38. She would be the first President who is not a Solarian Catholic, being an Irfanic herself. Furthermore, she would be the first President to be of foreign-descent, as her parents were from Tsabara.

Regarded as a 'unifying figure' in the PSD, she describes herself as a 'pragmatic socialist' by virtue of her position of Premier. She holds the 'core values' of the party; a commitment to a strong welfare state, finances to education and health in particular, the maintaining of a mixed-market economy supported by government intervention and recently impressive actions on environmental issues through the 'Fair Green Deal.'

To her supporters, this mirrors a trend of 'continuing progress'. Yet, some sources in the PSD have suggested they feel this might not do well for their chances. "Voters like change, they like to see something different" one told Le Monde. And they worry that Monique Degar-Abdulrashid represents no divergence from what will go down in history as the 'Vallette Years.'

Her campaign is one centred around her experience in government, her capability to govern and her ability to 'get it done.' She will no doubt press the successive years of the Vallette Presidency and her Premiership to her advantage, highlighting key legislative victories such as the statehood referendums of Nouvel Anglet and the IDS in January of 2018, the passing of the 'Fair Green Deal' for the environment and against 'corporate interest' this past December, and the commitment to the expansion, maintenance and improvement of the educational and health services.

Coralie Barreau (PRCP) - Leader of PRCP, largest opposition party.
From ambassador to Caldia to the foreign minister who's firing brought down a government, Coralie Barreau went from the pinnacle of respectability within the 'Traditional Coalition' to its greatest enemy. The co-founder of the PRCP, Coralie Barreau served most notably as the foreign minister of the 'Traditional Coalition' from September of 2018 to May of 2019. Refusing to resign over her 'outed' state, she was subsequently fired by Premier Devereaux over the issue of 'data compromisation.' Prior to this, under the Lévesque presidency, she served as ambassador to Caldia from 2004 - 2011. Even before this, she had a brief period in as the Minister for Overseas States - the ministry that was once concerned with the dependencies and overseas territories of Nouvel Anglet and the IDS.

Like Monique Degar-Abdulrashid she would also be the fourth female President and additionally the youngest elected at 43. Her political career did indeed begin early. Furthermore, she would be the first LGBTQ+ President Gaullica has ever had.

Her PRCP has momentum as a conservative alternative. They won a phenomenal 106 seats at their first election, with over 16% of the vote, second only to the PSD. She is campaigning with a 'new' kind of conservativism that parallels them more as the direct opposites of the UCT: "fiscal conservativsm and social liberalism".

Her campaign is oriented around a period of financial reforms, 'limited deregulation' to increase Gaullican competitiveness within the Euclean Community and even privatisation of 'certain elements' of specific nationalised industries such as energy and rail. Primarily, however, she has positioned her long period of foreign policy experience as a keystone in her campaign. Championing environmental causes, she argues only she can get other countries to make the needed changes because she "understands how they work." Furthermore, her campaign is keen to bring to the forefront the 'Tsabaran Crisis' and the stand-off with Chistovadia.

Augustin De Troumpe (UCT) - Leader of the UCT
Once called 'the strangest man in Gaullican politics' by the Aschombe Herald and GBF, De Troumpe is a walking anachronism that is beloved by the 'common man' or so he claims. Often viewed as a legislative king-maker due to his party's share of the seats, De Troumpe and the UCT had propped up Vallette's PSD government through coalition through much of 2010 - 2020. He served as Foreign Ministry in this administration, and before that under the Presidency of Anne Heaux he served as Minister of the Interior.

De Troumpe would not be the 'first' of any measure, but he and his supporters do not view this as an issue. As he described it, in a mannerism of public speaking that he has made his own ('telling it like it is'), "Policy is more important, OK?" He then added that he would actually be the "first President married into Caldish royalty, OK? Nobody talks about that."

His campaign, much like that of Barreau, is oriented on his foreign policy experiences. With the Tsabaran Crisis and the issues with Chistovadian sabre-rattling in the east, he claims that only he has the foreign policy experience to battle with these issues facing the nation. He also positions himself a a greater domestic alternative to the PSD, arguing that their threatening position towards the constitutional requirements of the clergy in Gaullica are "borderline catastrophic" for our civil services.

He will likely be facing opposition that if the PSD are such problems for the country, why did he support their efforts in government, and it is likely that he will pin the same responses to his biggest competition from failing to effectively govern.

Patrick Laurent (CG) - Senator in the First Chamber
A lesser known member of the 'Traditional Coalition', Mr. Laurent has served as a Senator for the CG since 2008. He dutifully fulfilled the role of Minister of the Environment under the CG led coalition government from September 2018 to August 2019. Perhaps the most 'unknown' individual in the race has not stopped him from securing the endorsements of a majority of the members of the Gaullican Conservatives, including former Premier Devereaux.

Returning to the 'firsts' for the presidency, Mr. Laurent would be the first President of Baean descent. His parents migrated to Gaullica in the mid 1960s.

His status as the Minister of the Environment during two of the worst heatwaves ever experienced in Gaullica back-to-back will likely draw much criticism from his competitors, but we have been assured - in vague details - about the capability of Mr. Laurent to respond to these accusations.

His policies, as per his website, call for a greater shifting of responsibility of the government to supporting private enterprises that support environmental efforts and breaking the government monopolies over 'environmentally destructive' processes. He has been vocally critical of the politicians using the 'foreign "crisis"' as excuses to ignore more aspects of the political debate, and has argued that the government has fallen short on its promises to the peoples of the IDS and Nouvel Anglet.

A soft Eucloskeptic, he said he would nevertheless respect and seek to foster cross regional dialogue on environmental efforts and an increase in competitiveness amongst environmentally friendly companies.

Renée Lémery (SGIO) - Senator in the First Chamber.
The most left-wing candidate running for President, Mrs. Lémery represents the SGIO - Gaullica's Section of the Workers' International - also commonly referred to as the 'Communal Coalition.' Mrs. Lémery has never held a cabinet position, nor has the SGIO served in government before, but she is a notable presence on Gaullica's political scene.

Seen as the woman who successfully killed the notion of the 'monarchical referendum' and 'put the question to bed' for good, Mrs. Lémery -- like the other female candidates -- would be the fourth female president, and the youngest of any elected female president.

Her candidacy is concerned with the foreign issues, but advocates for diplomatic dialogue with the Chistovadian Workers' State as opposed to aggressive action. Furthermore, she has openly declared her plan to form stronger working relationships with the AIS. Whilst not publicly advocating to leave the Euclean Community, she has suggested that its formation should be "fundamentally questioned" and "rethought."

Her supporters have praised her authenticity and her scathing criticism of the 'Traditional Coalition' for allowing the FN into government as "functionalists in disguise."

She faces a long battle ahead with her 'radical' domestic economic policies, which include worker ownership of several industries and a 'maximum wage.' Furthermore, she is the only candidate who is arguing that Gaullica's constitution requires an amendment to allow the nation to marry people -- and to extend that privilege to the LGBTQ+ community.

Nathan Maitre (Independent) - Mayor of Verlois.
The millionaire mayor of Verlois from 2010 - 2014, Nathan Maitre is an independent with strong economic and socially liberal leanings. Despite running as an independent, he has secured the endorsement of the UL in force, catapulting him further in the polls than many expected -- even as a well known mayor.

He was elected to the mayorship of Verlois on a platform of improving the services of the city, but found himself battling a recent knife-crime spree that he aimed at combating with community outreach, but also several 'stop and search' policies that enabled police to 'pull aside' suspicious individuals. Despite the statistic falling in crime, Mr. Maitre failed his re-election campaign on the basis he had permitted the police to ethnically profile members of Gaullica's Coian communities as criminals. He apologised then and now, opening his campaign with an apology to "those effected."

His political positions include favouring 'sensible intervention' alongside the Euclean Community in Tsabara, mirroring Estmerish intervention in the state, and "improving the show of force" in the IDS. He is so far the only candidate to announce their candidacy from outside of Gaullica, doing so in the IDS to "prove a point." He also claims to be committed to environmental issues, and under him Verlois saw many green-energy initiatives, but has argued that the plans of the government are "stifling to businesses" and "consumers."

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by **Liecthenbourg** » Sun Mar 08, 2020 4:15 pm

BELMONTESE SOVEREIGNTY MUST BE RESPECTED.
President Martynenko has criticised the 'obtrusive moves' that several AFDC states have conducted in relation to Belmontese-Maracan relations.

Ihor Loboda (@LobodaIhor)
8th March, 2020 | Chistovodia

President Viktor Martynenko addressed the "breaches of sovereignty" at a meeting of the Presidium.
Photo courtesy of Cartoonplurals

MISTO MYRU, CHISTOVODIA -

President Viktor Martynenko addressed the concerns arising over the meeting between Belmontese President Caetano Villa-Lobos and Maracan President Adão Costa at a meeting of the presidium of elected members today. Whilst the Worker's State has been wholly supportive of the endeavour of states normalising their relations with the island state, countless world leaders - predominantly from the AFDC - have 'condemned' the meeting.

"Its a matter of a state's sovereignty," President Martynenko told the members of the Presidium. "It is up to the Belmontese government to undergo the diplomatic relations it wants. I, for one, applaud the meeting between Presidents Villa-Lobos and Adão Costa. Ideally this would have begun a trend of normalisation from the members of the Asterian Forum for Development and Cooperation and the rest of the Asterias. Unfortunately, it would appear this is not the case at all. Did you know that no single state in the Forum has an embassy in Maracao? Belmonte will become the first state within that bloc to open one. They expect there will be reciprocal relations and playing by the same international rules when not a single one of them so much as recognises the state of Maracao."

President Martynenko would go on to chastise the 'twitter diplomacy' favoured by Imaguan President Privitera. "He's trying to sabotage the whole thing: he sees nothing beyond what interests his own belief in that the Asterias might be better run by rich oligarchies and companies than country's wishing to do things for the benefit of the people."

"The AFDC's reaction to this has proven the worst fears we had about any attempt to nromalise relations across the Asterias," Martynenko conceded. "Unfortunately it would appear that only the leaders in opposition, such as in Nuvania, have respect and reason in regards to international relations. Regardless of any of his other views, Mr. Andrew Bohn, the leader of the Nuvanian opposition, did indeed hit the nail on the head when he called this 'embarrassing.'"

Kazymyr Didyk, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that they "supported the efforts of trade" between the Belmontese and Maracan governments. He, at the meeting, "praised the conduct of diplomacy between the nations" and expressed his greatest sympathies towards the government in Belmonte that was being "tarnished by lies".

At a conference post the meeting of the Presidium, a reporter for the Red Star asked the Foreign Minister: "What does the government view of the claims that Maracao is 'illegally occupying' the core territory of an AFDC memberstate?"

"The people of the Ilha de Revoluçao, the island that is often erroneously referred to as an illegal occupation, are free to participate in free and fair elections, participate in the economic apparatus of the state, enjoy civil liberties, peace, prosperity, healthcare, education and protection," Didky replied. "Ultimately, no state on earth is as opposed to colonialism as much as we are. Liberal democracies, such as Estmere, are proud proponents of the ideals behind liberal interventionism. Maracao liberated Dunhelm from the clutches of white minority ruled regime. The people of the Ilha de Revoluçao could vote to leave, and yet they do not."

In a show of solidarity, the President is expected to visit Maracao on the 12th of this month. When asked if he had plans to visit Belmonte to discuss future relations, he declined to comment aside from a "we shall see."

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by **Ostry** » Sun Mar 08, 2020 8:33 pm

by **Union of Akoren** » Mon Mar 09, 2020 10:34 am

Army and Air Force stage major missile tests
^{SURENA ALIZADEH, CHIEF DEFENCE CORRESPONDENT}
^{Doshanbeh: 5. Esfand 1398 |Zahedan}

The Revolutionary Army has conducted a series of “successful and defiant” missile and weapons tests in eastern Irvadistan yesterday and this morning. Among the test operations was a series of missile attacks on a mock airfield, which included deactivated aircraft, vehicles and other equipment. This was followed by the testing of the Emad-ye Ettehad-B ballistic missile which has a range of 3,800km. The Ministry of National Defence praised the tests as “further confirmation of the Union’s deterrence capabilities and a firm confirmation of the Union as a major world military power.”

Yesterday, at midday, several battalions from the Land Forces’ Strategic Operations Corps fired six short-range ballistic missiles at a former airbase near Beit Musa, which had been renovated and restored a month prior. These six ballistic missiles according to the MoND struck their targets, destroying the reinforced hangars, bunkers and tarmac. These missiles were then followed by 12 land-attack cruise missiles, including the Emad-ye Ettehad LACM. These cruise missiles struck the airbase support buildings, fuel tanks, parked aircraft and the airfield’s power-station and radar station.

The missiles used all have ranges between 800km-1,200km and constitute the latest in Zorasani missile technology.
With the missile test being described as a success, the Air Force took its turn in bombing this target airfield. Using anti-runway bombs and air-launched cruise missiles they struck their targets with ease, further destroying segments of the runway and key base structures and infrastructure.

General Bavram Khalizadeh, who oversaw the exercises spoke to UCTV Artesh saying, “these exercises today have proved highly productive, insightful and successful. We continue to improve and expand our capabilities and strengths, securing for the Union the ability to strike accurately and at range.”

The tests come as Estmere deployed a squadron of aircraft from its Air Force, to “assist” the training and development of the Tsabaran Air Force as violence erupts across the central regions of the country. The Estmerish squadron is housed at the nation’s premier air facility near the capital of Adunis.

The MoND denied any purpose for the tests other than “to further reinforce the Union’s capabilities and deterrence.”

How the Army brought a base back to life
By Saad Belkhadja, Deputy Defence Correspondent

In the arid and desolate east of Irvadistan sits the airbase of Beit Musa, once a major hub for the Revolutionary Air Force, it was shuttered in 1999 following the expansion of larger bases in the centre of the Union Republic. Since then, it had been mostly consumed by the drifting sands, its tower, hangars and other buildings slowly decaying over time. It was a ghost town, ready to be reclaimed by nature, until last month. The once dead airbase was swirling in activity, with engineers pushing back the sands, buildings being restored, the hangars repaired and the tarmac becoming home to aircraft once more.

Over the course of a month, the airfield was restored, it looked and felt like a living facility, but it was all fake. Of the 36 aircraft parked on the tarmac, only 18 were intact, the rest had their parts stripped, leaving behind only their frames and wings. The tarmac was also home to old and disused vehicles, trucks, jeeps, airport maintenance and fuel tankers. These vehicles were arranged into positions you would expect at an airbase.

As one officer told me, “the aim is to make this airbase as close to a real thing as possible without putting people here. We have vehicles and planes were they would be if it was active. We’re restoring this airbase under the aim of launching a surprise missile and air attack.”

When the tests finally came about I joined the same officer a top hill overlooking the base. Along the ridge sat analysts, engineers and senior commanders - all present to study the results of the mock attack. The key was to “observe, analyse and improve” I was told repeatedly.

For over forty minutes I sat beside the officer waiting for the test to happen. Unlike those around me, I began to wonder if something was wrong, had the missiles failed to launch? Was the test called off? Had the missiles missed? Just as I was about to ask the officer next to me, two siren bursts echoed across the valley, followed within seconds by a series of great clouds of dust and sand were whipped up into the air, followed by more dust and then a cacophony or bangs and thuds that echoed along the valley walls. We all waited with bated breath for the dust to settle, when it did there was jubilant cheers.

The rows of aircraft were shredded burning wrecks, with some having their fuel tanks filled to the brim for realism’s sake. The four main shed hangars were ruins, while the reinforced concrete hangars were punctured. As the results were studied the second wave arrived, striking other buildings, including the radar station and accommodation blocks. It was a spectacle to behold, the sheer firepower and accuracy of these missiles was enough to be awed by, yet it was the realisation that if this base was full of people conducting hostile operations against the Union, they would have felt the devastation. In the space of seconds, the airbase was neutralised, I do not know many of the aircraft were destroyed or damaged beyond repair, yet such a strike would certainly afforded the Air Force more control of contested skies. It was awe inspiring and an honour to witness the firepower of the Union in action.

©SABRP. 2020

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by **The Kingdom of Glitter** » Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:35 pm

GOVERNMENT TO PROCEED WITH PLANS TO BUILD SECOND PIPELINE TO WERANIA
Despite criticism from environmentalists, the Mac Suibhne government will go ahead with the Tuaisceart-Süd 2.0 project

Mícheál Mac Innes (@mmigbf)
^{9 March 2020 | Spálgleann, Caldia}

The project comes at a time when Euclea is looking to reduce dependency on foreign oil suppliers.

SPÁLGLEANN – The Caldish government will press ahead with plans to construct a second pipeline to continental Euclea, after opposition from environmental groups failed to stall the project. The project aims to boost Caldish gas supplies to Euclea at a time when the Euclean Community is looking to curtail its imports from outside the bloc.

In a statement published today, the Ministry of Petroleum announced that the government will push its plans for a second pipeline in the coming weeks and months. Being billed as Tuaisceart-Süd 2.0, named after the existing undersea pipeline that connects Caldia to continental Euclea. The proposed pipeline is planned to run from the industrial town of Lacagh, located outside of Shanbally, through the North Sea to Werania. It would run parallel to the existing Tuaisceart-Süd pipeline (North-South) which connects Screeb, located north of Shanbally, to Werania.

In the Petrol Ministry's statement, which reaffirmed the government's commitment to the project, the second pipeline was hailed as a "significant development of Euclea's energy future".

"This project will allow the Euclean Community to ensure energy security while boosting economic development in the North Sea" the Ministry said in its statement.

Many details have not yet been released, including the projected cost for the project or an exact timeline. The Ministry's statement said that while a "number of factors" remained uncertain, many of them would be resolved as the project gained momentum. The Ministry of Petroleum had already conducted studies regarding the viability of a new pipeline, which rendered "largely positive results". There are some studies still being conducted, and the Ministry is waiting for their completion before it offers specifics.

Several cabinet officials had recently visited Westbrucken in order to discuss the project with Weranian officials. Minister of Petroleum Seán Mac Cearbhaill and Minister of International Investment and Cooperation Siobhan Fitzwarren were among the Caldish delegation sent to Werania.

A spokesperson for Weranian Chancellor Otto von Hößlin called the project "a welcome development" and "good for jobs, energy security and the economy".

The project enjoys broad support among both the Caldish and Weranian governments despite political opposition in both countries. Both the Caldish Greens and the Weranian Green Party have come out against Tuaisceart-Süd 2.0. Colm Ó Corráin, co-leader of the Greens, called the project as "regressive" and claimed it would have "major repressions for both the environment and carbon emissions".

The Greens have regularly criticized the Mac Suibhne government for its green policies, arguing the PSD does not go far enough to address the climate crisis. Major points of criticism include the PSD's support for the petroleum industry, a lack of support for taxes on major carbon emitters, and the Tuaisceart-Süd 2.0 project.

Taoiseach Stiofán Mac Suibhne will personally take the project before the Northern Forum in order to gain the organization's approval. While it is simply a formality, the Northern Forum's focus on infrastructure and energy resulted in the construction of the Tuaisceart-Süd pipeline in 2004. Nearly sixteen-years later, the Caldish government hopes the North Forum will approve a second pipeline.

The project faces some political hurdles it must overcome before it ultimately gains approval and construction begins. While it will face no opposition from either the Caldish or Weranian governments, in Werania the rise of the Green Party presents some challenges from the centre-right coalition government. Within the Northern Forum itself, the project is expected to face opposition from the Greens-led Ordennian government and potentially the Azmaran government, where the Green Party serves as a junior coalition partner. There are also broader concerns within the Euclean Community, where the Euclean Commission is attempting to formulate its response to the climate crisis and the Gaullican government is test-driving its 'Green Fair Deal'.

Mr. Mac Suibhne has previously argued that a second pipeline between Caldia and Werania will improve the EC's energy security. As political crisis has pushed Tsabara, the world's third largest oil exporter, to the brink of civil war. In his view, the Tuaisceart-Süd 2.0 project is a "necessary evil" that the taoiseach hopes will become more attractive to Euclean governments as the situation in Tsabara continues to deteriorate. Tsabara exports significant amounts of oil and gas to Euclea and there is growing uncertainty about its ability to continue exports at expected levels.

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by **Azmara** » Thu Mar 12, 2020 3:25 pm

ISABELA KRYSDOHTER: I WILL NOT COUNTENANCE T-S PIPELINE
The Energy, Climate Change and Environment Secretary went public about her strong opposition to the proposed Caldia-Werania pipeline this morning.

Ana Jonsdohter (@anajdohter)
^{12 Mar 2020 | Aalmsted, Azmara}

The Hon. Krysdohter speaking earlier today.

AALMSTED, AZMARA – The Secretary of State for Energy, Climate Change and Environmental Affairs said in an interview with the A1 News channel this morning that she would not be able to support the construction of the proposed Tuaisceart-Süd pipeline between Werania and Caldia, and that she could not serve in a government which supported the pipeline.

The outspoken Green politician, who has been instrumental in pushing for increased use of renewable energy and for other measures to tackle climate change in the Jorśsun ministry, touched on the environmental impact that she thought the pipeline would have, citing figures on the increased use of oil that the pipeline would see and the estimated emissions caused by that increase in oil. In one answer, she declared the pipeline "completely nonsensical", and "the last thing [Euclea] needs when oil is running out and the use of renewables becomes ever more important".

The comments by Krysdohter show a notable rift in the Workers'-Green-Socialist coalition government, which has maintained itself largely without conflict through its term, as the Union for Energy Workers, a trade union closely affiliated with the Workers' Party and which Employment and Workplace Relations Secretary Jon Maarksun previously served as General-Secretary of, declared that Krysdohter's comments show a "middle-class naivety" as to "the importance of jobs brought to and maintained in Azmara by the pipeline".

While the Workers' Party and its senior Cabinet ministers refused to comment on the issue, the party will find it difficult to dissent from the union's view of the issue, and thus in coalition negotiations after the election it is thought that the issue of the pipeline's construction will complicate the formation of any potential coalition involving the two pipelines as the Green Party will likely push for the government to publicly oppose the construction of the pipeline through the Northern Forum.

The issue also places somewhat of a rift between the governments of Caldia and Azmara over the issue of the pipeline as the Caldian government's enthusiastic support for it contrasts the internal conflict over it seen in Azmara. This contrasts much of last year, where Prime Minister Jorśsun and Caldian Taoiseach Stiofan Mac Suibhne were described as belonging to the "pink bloc" as the two small, northern centre-left governments have collectively dissented from politicians such as former Gaullican Premier Hugo-Noël Deveraux, Estmerish Prime Minister Reginald Wilton-Smyth and Weranic Chancellor Otto von Hösslin over the political and social policies of the EC, the nature of Euclean federalism and the EC's foreign policy.

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by **Ordennya** » Fri Mar 13, 2020 4:41 pm

Berntsen: "We will fight the pipeline."
Energy & Climate Change Secretary Petra Berntsen pledges to fight Tuaisceart-Süd 2.0 in the Northern Forum.

Olaf Mikaelson(@olafmdn)
^{13th March 2020|Vastdal}

Energy Secretary Petra Berntsen, speaking at a press conference this morning.

Vastdal - In a combatitive press conference this morning, the Secretary of State for Energy, the Environment, and Climate Change and Green Party deputy leader Petra Berntsen vowed that the Ordennyan government would take the fight against the recently accounced Tuaisceart-Süd 2.0 pipeline to the Northern Forum.

Her remarks follow that of the Azmaran Energy Secretary from yesterday.

The announcement by Berntsen makes the Ordennyan government the first Euclean government to speak out against the pipeline, which has been a source of controversy within Caldia, Werania, and Azmara, and follows on from the government's plan to make Ordennya a significant player in the first against climate change. In her press conference, Berntsen offered a sharp criticism of both the Caldian and Weranic governments for "neglecting their duties in the fight against the climate crisis", while also turning fire on the Euclean Community for "dragging its heels" over the Climate Action Plan.

The announcement, however, did reveal a rift within the Labour Party. Despite a statement of support for the government's policy by Lina Nyberg, the Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, and recently elected Leader of the Labour Party, who said she would stand by Berntsen at the Northern Forum, the Community of Energy & Gas Workers, Labour's fourth-biggest union affiliate, criticised the policy, calling it "economically and socially tone-deaf". Conversely, Moses Lindberg, General-Secretary of the Ordennyan Confederation of Trade Unions, said the "fight against climate change is part of the fight for worker's rights".

by **Liecthenbourg** » Sun Mar 15, 2020 4:28 pm

PRESIDENT MEETS BELMONTESE PRIME MINISTER.
President Martynenko has arrived in Belmonte following a weekend in Maracao, where he is expected to embark on a mission of 'normalisation' between the two countries.

Ihor Loboda (@LobodaIhor)
15th March, 2020 | Castelonovo, Belmonte

The President waved following his arrival at Augusto Cintra International Airport
Photo courtesy of Cartoonplurals

CASTELONOVO, BELMONTE -

After hinting that he could very well be visiting Belmonte following his weekend visit to Maracao, in which he reaffirmed Chistovodian support for the country and its democracy in the face of aggression in the Arucian, President Martynenko touched down today in Castelonovo.

The President confirmed his visit to Belmonte following a few days in Maracao, where he addressed reporters at one of the proposed sites for the upcoming Belmontese embassy in Porto Leste. Also there was noted Belmontese politician Leonardo Rebouças, who spoke after Martynenko and praised a "new era" of pan-Asterian diplomacy.

President Martynenko's itinerary in Castelonovo is jam-packed with meetings and press conferences. He is expected to attend a dinner with the Belmontese Prime Minister Rita Maurino. It has been confirmed that Martynenko and Villa-Lobos will not be meeting in an official channel or meeting and will not be discussing relations. Martynenko is also expected to be discussing the island of Maracao and the rising tensions in the Arucian; particularly the views of the nations of Sanslumiere and Imagua and the Assimas.

"I look forward for productive, diplomatic and progressive talks" Martynenko said to the initial press presence at Augusto Cintra International Airport. "Many people have taken to it that geographic and pre-set agreements will determine the way we think and reason diplomatic relations for eternity. There is a real desire for change, a change against the hostility that permeates most facets of the continent. There is a real desire for change, so that the citizens of the Asterias can live in peace. And Belmonte has taken the first steps into recognising a state within the Arucian as legitimate, and thus with this gesture that may seem small to many, we in fact take a giant leap into a new era of dialogue and peace."

The question on the minds of many will be the AFDC's response to the potentiality of 'diplomatic normalisation', but the President was clear that he expected the efforts of the Belmontese Prime Minister to be "a hallmark of good diplomacy."

When asked about his thoughts on the comments of Cassius Armstrong, Martynenko retorted that "I don't believe comparing yourself to ROSPO is a flattering comparison. The implication of what you would do to a dissenter is... fairly horrific."

The diplomatic meetings are expected to go on for the next few days, with an early time-table suggesting that Martynenko will return by Wednesday.

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by **Nuvania** » Sun Mar 15, 2020 9:44 pm

Government Condemns Presidential Visit, Ambassador Recalled

Susanne Paulson (@SuePaulson)
16 March (3:00pm)|PIETERSBURG

The Nuvanian government has condemned the visit of Chistovodian President Viktor Martynenko in what Foreign Minister Maarten van Doorne calls the "highest possible terms".
"We cannot underestimate the serious undermining of trust we place with our neighbours and our friends in the Asterian Forum for Development and Cooperation," he said. "The Belmontese government has seriously compromised the integrity of the relationship between our two governments, and has flagrantly violated our goodwill towards them again."

Foreign Minister van Doorne also announced that Nuvania would be recalling its ambassador in Castelonovo, saying that the foreign ministry would be "withdrawing most embassy and consular staff".
"We took the decision to withdraw the ambassador from Castelonovo as a signal of our government's immense frustration at the lack of progress being made with the government in Castelonovo," he said. "We have also withdrawn most of the staff from our consulate in Pinheiros as well, owing to the deteriorating political situation."

Van Doorne said that essential staff would remain in both the embassy and the consulate in order to process visas and offer support to Nuvanian citizens in Belmonte. The consulate would also be offering these services to temporary visitors from Nuvania in the city of Pinheiros, where a large number of Nuvanian business in Belmonte is conducted.

Van Doorne did not rule out further actions to be undertaken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and said that it was likely the ambassador of Belmonte in Pietersburg would be kicked out of the country if they weren't already withdrawn by their own government. However, van Doorne made it clear that expelling the Belmontese ambassador was a possible option.
"We're not about to engage in what is a significant diplomatic act unless we feel it is appropriate," he said."

The visit comes soon after Belmontese government officials, including the President, travelled to Maracao to establish closer economic and cultural ties.

The Asterian Forum for Development and Cooperation (AFDC) has an unwritten but universally followed policy of refusing to engage with Maracao directly diplomatically over their occupation of Dunhelm Island. Currently all members of the AFDC recognise Dunhelm as belonging to Imagua.

Chistovodia itself has a long history of supporting leftist militants in countries around the Asterias, and the country provided arms and training to militants operating out of Vilcasuamanas in the 1970's and 1980's.

Van Doorne said he did not expect a resolution to the current diplomatic crisis to be resolved soon, saying that the government was "preparing for a long term diplomatic disruption".
"We are hoping that the coming elections there in April will provide a change of government," he said. "Hopefully then we can put an end to this debacle."

Leader of the Opposition Andrew Bohn took to social media to criticse the government response, claiming that withdrawing the ambassador was "completely unnecessary".
"Why is it this government is about unnecessary escalation?" he asked. "Things like this only serve to push our friends and allies away from us." In a separate interview, Bohn said that the AFDC policy regarding Maracao had been "outdated" and was due for review.
"That is something that really needs to be looked at," he said. "Current AFDC policy hasn't produced results and will likely never produce results until we can engage with Maracao directly."

Bohn also criticsed Chief Minister Robert Marten for his "remarkable silence" on the dispute.
"One would have expected to see our Chief Minister front and centre on this dispute," he said. "Outside of one tweet, we haven't seen him or heard anything from him. Where is he? Where is the leadership that we were expecting?"

Van Doorne said that the government would be making further announcements when the Belmontese government responded.
"We're evaluating the situation every day, so expect further announcements."

by **Imagua and the Assimas** » Sun Mar 15, 2020 10:30 pm

IMAGUAN GOVERNMENT RESPONDS TO CHISTOVODIAN STATE VISIT, NUVANIAN RECALL
Senior civil servant Tate Tucker to lodge diplomatic protests against Chistovodia and Belmonte

ROBERT MOSES (@BobMoses)
16 March, 2020 16:30 IST | CUANSTAD, CITY OF

Permanent Secretary Tate Tucker

Following the announcement of a state visit by Chistovodian President Viktor Martynenko to Belmonte, Permanent Secretary Tate Tucker from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a press conference to discuss the developing situation, as incumbent Foreign Minister Jonas Barrett is currently running for re-election in the constituency of Knowleston West.

Tucker told reporters that "the Imaguan government is concerned with the decision by President Martynenko to visit Belmonte and increase diplomatic cooperation between the two states, particularly as it suggests a continuing shift by the Belmontese government away from democracy, from human rights, and from their largest economic partners in the Asterian Forum for Development and Cooperation. We have summoned the Chistovodian and Belmontese ambassadors to lodge a diplomatic protest against the decision to have a state visit."

"Like our partners in Nuvania, we have recalled our non-essential staff back to Imagua, and our ambassador will be temporarily recalled so that they will be briefed on Imaguan policy going forward, especially if said policy changes after the elections."

"Thus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cognizant that our general elections only eleven days away, and also cognizant that such unilateral moves will only undermine the foundations of the AFDC, urges Belmonte to not ratify the agreement with Maracao until after this issue is resolved at the next AFDC summit. We may announce further measures on 28 March, if this situation does not improve, or if the situation worsens."

More as the story develops.

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by **Liecthenbourg** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 2:33 pm

Vallette begins his 'Bahian Tour'.
President Jean Vallette has arrived in Garambura, beginning a state visit that spans multiple Bahian nations..

Antoinette Giroud
^{March 16th, 2020|Mambiza, Garambura}

It is the first high level state visit from Gaullica to Garambura since President D'Issonaire met with TKK in 1985.
Photo courtesy of courteous photography.

Mambiza, Garambura -

Gaullican President Jean Vallette has arrived in Charles-Dumont International Airport, Mambiza, signalling the beginning of his 'Bahian Tour.' The highly publicised event has been planned in advance for many months, with the President of Gaullica expected to visit a large majority of the nations that compromise Bahia, including Dezevau.

Landing in Mambiza earlier today, Vallette has become the first sitting Gaullican President to travel to the country with such a purpose as a tour of Bahia since President D'Issonaire in 1985.

The President's itinerary revolves around meetings with Zivai Mushohwe, the interim-president of Garambura and the GNP's candidate in the upcoming presidential elections. Mr Mushohwe served as the Vice President of Muzukuru Chiyangwa, who resigned as President earlier this month over corruption allegations. President Vallette was quick to dismiss the meeting as a "political stunt", as the planned tour had been in the works for "months upon months upon months."

Vallette is expected to visit the Chennois Cultural Institution in Mambiza, which is the ruling cultural and linguistic body that serves as the regulatory body for the dialect of Gaullican spoken by that community. He is also expected to attend numerous state dinners with key individuals in the Garamburan political scene, including the aforementioned Zivai Mushohwe and his wife.

After his days in Mambiza, he is expected to travel to numerous other cities in Garambura. Notably, he will be travelling to Mutimukuru, the capital, alongside President Mushohwe and is expected to visit its democratic institutions, such as the National Congress. He has also been invited to give a talk at the University of Mutimukuru on the "geopolitical relations" of the Gaullophonic world. The event is sponsored by the Association of Gaullophone States.

Politically, the two leaders are expected to discuss a reassessment of foreign aid, especially after the tragic loss of life and property damage in the wake of Hurricane Annabelle, as well as Garambura's commitments to social democracy. The Tour is coming at a key time in the global position of Bahia as not only do ROSPO and COMSED continue to wage an ideological conflict across the continent, but a re-motivated AIS seeks to court sympathies in left-leaning governments across the globe.

To the journalists who awaited him as he disembarked his flight, President Vallette called the tour a "historic journey" that was "long overdue on the part of Verlois."

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by **Eskaeba** » Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:03 am

by **Eskaeba** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:26 am

SAMUEL CZENKO: "AVENGE THE STOLEN PEOPLES"

March 19, 2020 - Helga Yurievna (@hyurievna)

Samuel Czenko has criticised the Nuxican government for the lack of autonomy and self-determination given to the country's Narodyn population.

Velike Vishnavaya, Narozalica - Narozalic president Samuel Czenko has criticised the government of Nuxica over the lack of autonomy and cultural recognition given to the country's eastern Narodyn demographic, stating that the idea of "assimilation" into Nuxica was unjust and "uncharacteristic of a modern, first world nation".

Nuxica gained its Narodyn demographic in the peace deal of the 1979 war between itself and Chistovodia, and has shown no intent to recognise the cultural differences between the native Nuxican populace - speaking Floren and Lusitan - and the Marolevic peoples of the east.

"They have been a frontrunner in the recognition of the native peoples, cultures and languages that adorn the country, but have shown consistent animosity towards the people they have forced into their country.", Czenko remarked. "It is a duty of ours, as a nation of Marolevic blood, to stand in solidarity against such injustices, and to avenge the stolen peoples."

"These people did not choose to be Nuxican, they did not choose to have their traditions, their culture, their heritage neglected by a foreign government. They have been stolen - there is no other word - ripped from the bosom of the country they held dear."

Czenko ended by saying the demographic "deserved a say in their future", and that Narozalica would welcome Nuxican cooperation in giving the Narodyn population a greater input on how they want their region to be administered.

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by **Liecthenbourg** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 10:47 am

PREMIER DEMANDS ACTION ON 'STOLEN CHISTOVODIANS'.
Echoing the calls of the President of Narozalica, Angelika Cuvillier calls for a referendum on Nuxican sovereignty in former Chistovodian territory.

Ihor Loboda (@LobodaIhor)
20th March, 2020 | Misto Myru, Chistovodia

Premier Cuvillier called for action at a meeting of the General Congress earlier today.
Photo courtesy of Cartoonplurals

MISTO MYRU, CHISTOVODIA

It is almost fortuitous that as the Workers' State begins to assert its position in the Asterias as a respecter of the sovereignty of nations who dare to think differently, in favour of peaceful dialogue as opposed to endless antagonism, that the President of Narozalica has called for what has been on the mind of every government since 1979.

President Czenko, the President of Narozalica, has called out the Nuxican government for the "assimilation" of the Marolevic peoples of Osakh, but now referred to poetically as New Kyrlav (after a region in Poliania) into Nuxica. He said that the Chistovodians in Nuxica had been robbed of their futures and choices. He said that they "did not choose to have their traditions, their culture, their heritage neglected by a foreign government".

Such sentiment has been the official policy of Misto Myru since the land was appropriated and occupied following the end of the 'Asterian War', or the 'Chistovodian-Nuxican War', in 1979. In the Worker's State it is remembered bitterly as the 'War of Survival.' Due to the nefarious actions of a coalition of Asterian states, Nuxica's military regime was able to occupy territory that, as President Czenko so eloquently described, has been stolen.

Premier Angelika Cuvillier was quick to rebound and echo the sentiments of the President; stating that "his beliefs and comments are not new ideas -- and are simple truths of the fact of the matter." During today's session of the General Congress, after a solemn rendition of l'Internationale, she brought the topic of the stolen people to the floor.

"President Czenko has gone above and beyond his call as President of Narozalica to stand up for an oppressed people on the continent of Asteria Superior. When the topic of oppression and cultural erosion is brought up on this continent, it is always done through the lens that it was a novelty created by the Euclean colonisers and imbued in ancestors, but no longer practiced by civilised people. Unless, of course, you happen to be some degree of socialist -- in which case you are clearly a supporter of 'grave injustices' on the Ilha de Revoluçao."

"This is because the narrative has been written by those who would see themselves doing no fault. Nobody recalls that during the war between Chistovodia and Nuxica, it was the fight of a democratic country versus one corrupt, military hegemony. In a just, truthful world, the global governments would have rallied behind a democratic country -- but it was on the back of a military junta that the corporate run countries hedged their bets and interests. This conflict has led to the systematic erosion of the hope and cultural identities of the Chistovodian peoples in New Kyrlav. Or, if you are from Nuxica, Eldmark, Cassier, Halland, et al, they were liberated."

"And what did this liberation of the people of New Kyrlav do? It liberated them from their employment, free healthcare, happiness, opportunities, families and friends. It bestowed upon them the freedoms of which oppressor to have: state or company. The freedom to sell themselves into wage slavery. The freedom to become indebted. The highest rates of unemployment, job dissatisfaction and depression. The lowest scores in schools and exams. As President Czenko has said, we have said, but perhaps now the world will listen: these people have been ignored and left-behind by a government that does not care for them. The Stolen People should be returned."

"I call upon the Nuxican government and President Figueroa to introduce a motion to allow the peoples of New Kyrlav to take control of their own destinies: to be allowed to decide their own futures. I'm demanding, because their pleads have gone unanswered, to allow them to have a referendum on their own sovereignty. You have already taken everything else, but allow them their person-hood."

The General Congress gave the Premier a standing ovation, before quickly supporting such a measure as an official position. President Martynenko, who had recently returned from diplomatic visits to Maracao and Belmonte, expressed his "immense pride" in the Premier and the "will of the people of the Workers' State."

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by **Kumuso** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 11:10 am

NO NATION TOO SMALL
Korsotku talks self determination
March 20th, 2020

Korsotku at IFDS forum in 2001

KUMUSO -- Almaz Korsotku’s office is in the Koh Civil Service Center on the north side of Kumuso city. There are no windows in his office, which is about the size of a cubicle, but in the hallway, he can look across the valley to where the monastery is; famous for its spacious and luxurious government offices. He sips coffee from a styrofoam cup that looks like it has been used all week while we talk about the Chistodovian concessions, something that he knows a lot about. Korsotku is the Kumusi delegate to the International Forum for Developing States, which has been trying to gain a foothold in the Asterias for over thirty years. Some say that Korsotku is the man who will make that happen.

“The Narodyn are not in a unique situation,” Korsotku opens. “They’re just one of hundreds of ethnic groups that have been shuffled into foreign occupation because of half forgotten wars.”

Korsotku gestures to a map of the world which fills up one of his walls. On it are dozens of sticky notes which are labelled in neat Bhumi characters. There are actually two hovering over the eastern border of Nuxica; one says Narodyn, the other says Zalyk. Seeing I have noticed, Korsotku smiles and waits for my next question.

“Not many people know this,” he says, leaning forwards, “but during the Great War, there was a Mordorna unit stationed there. Well, not a real Mordorna unit, it was just a regular infantry division by then, but they were predominantly of Zalyk origin.”

Korsotku references the infamous cavalry divisions, which were known for their prowess in Euclean wars, but were also used to suppress indigenous peoples in Asteria Superior. Korsotku’s desk and tiny bookshelf are covered in stacks of paper stapled together, most of them appear to be books and academic papers. After speaking about the Zalyk presence in Asteria Superior, however, he produces a glossy paperback book from under a treatise on Arucian sport fishing, and hands it to me. It’s a copy of a 1918 travel diary made by a Gaullican artist. Several pages are dogeared and show sketches of Zalyk villages and men on horseback.

“It’s not just about the Narodyn,” he says, “It’s about Asteria Superior’s relationship with its own people.”

He offers me a sheaf of paper with a badly skewed title page reading Demography of Asteria Superior (2010), published by the ICD, but continues talking.

“The nations of Asteria Superior were manufactured based on how quickly land could be seized, now there are millions of people who are essentially living under a foreign government because of their proximity to a particular colonial port. The only reason we’re talking about the Chistovodian concessions instead of the Nojoch is that they give Narozalica a political advantage.”

When I asked him what Narozalica’s plan for the region was, he threw up his hands.

“I cannot hope to say what imperialists want--only connect their actions with some realities. The most important reality in this case is that there are millions of people who, like us here in Kumuso, have lived under foreign governments who trampled on our freedom as a nation. Kumuso was lucky in the last reshuffling of the imperial deck; we have our freedom now.”

I asked about what the connection between his role in the IFDS and the developing tensions were.

“My goal, our goal really, is to demonstrate that there is no such thing as too small of a nation. Without enough support from organizations like the IFDS, every people can be given the autonomy that they deserve. The first step is recognizing that they’re there, for which I thank President Czenko. Now we come to the second step though, the hardest step, encouraging the Nuxican Narodyns to form their own nation and giving them the resources that they need to succeed.”

See also

[+] Premier Demands Action on 'Stolen Chistovodians'
[+] Samuel Czenko: Avenge the Stolen Peoples
[+] 5 Signs that your Neighbors are Imperialists (sponsored content)

by **Ostry** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:25 pm

by **Nuvania** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 9:36 pm

2020 Provincial Elections: What Can We Expect?

Samuel Hofmeyr (@SamuelHofmeyr)
21 March (3:00pm)|PIETERSBURG

With just less than six months to go until Nuvanians chose the composition of their provincial assemblies and the premiers of their provinces, Die Vrystaat looks at the election within each province, who is likely to win, and what we can expect from this year's elections.

Arania
Arania, located on the central west coast of Nuvania, is one of the strongholds of the National People's Party (NVP) and has been under NVP governance since 1978. The NVP currently holds 27 of the 40 seats of the Provincial Assembly of Arania, mostly from rural areas as well as some wealthy urban seats, especially around the provincial capital of Newport. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) also has a stronghold in Newport, drawing most of its support from seats there. Unfortunately for the DAP, they look set to be in opposition for another six years, as polling from Arania shows an upswing in support for the NVP, with a recent poll putting the NVP on 42.3% support, the DAP on 39.7%, and 19.5% support for the Nuvanian Agrarian League (NAB), who look set to retain their six seats in the Provincial Assembly. The DAP looks set to also retain their seven seats in the Provincial Assembly.

Premier David Andrews also looks confident in winning another six year term, which according to legislative limits, would be his last. Andrews has kept provincial growth above 2.5% annually owing to a series of new economic initiatives, and promoting Arania as a new logistics and transportation hub on the central west coast. There are cracks starting to form within his cabinet, he was compelled to sack Transport Secretary Nico van Rooyen in November 2018 over interference in an investigation into a trucking company run by his paternal first cousin. Despite this, Andrews retains a high approval rating of 48% among those polled in Arania, 22 percentage points ahead of his closest rival, Tania Swart of the DAP.

Prediction: a comfortable win for the NVP and Andrews in Arania.

Brabantia
Brabantia, located on Nuvania's southern coast, is Nuvania's second largest province by area and one of its most important economically and politically, as it shares all of its eastern border with Belmonte, and a smaller proportion in the north with Vilcasuamanas. It's capital, Niekerk, is located on the coast and is an important financial, manufacturing, logistical, and economic centre, being the primary port the Vehemens Sea and maintaining substantial trade links with neighbouring countries and Sublustria as a whole. It is widely considered to be one of the battleground provinces within Nuvanian politics, regularly switching between NVP and DAP governments.

The current government is a coalition of the DAP, the Citizen's Alliance (BA), and the Coalition for Brabantia (KVB), a coalition of various centre-left and left-wing regionalist politicians and parties, who collectively have 34 of the 67 seats in the Provincial Assembly of Brabantia, having achieved a one seat majority in the provincial elections of 2014. Opposing them is a loose coalition of the NVP, NAB, and the Sotirian Democratic Party (SDP). In addition, there are two independent Members of the Assembly (MA) who sit on the crossbenches.

Despite the DAP-BA-KVB coalition, all legislation that has passed has relied heavily on support from the crossbenchers, which has become increasingly frustrating given the number of policies it campaigned on have had to be amended to get crossbench support. Premier Suzanne de Koch made it clear during her speech to launch the DAP's Brabantia campaign in Niekerk that the party would make inroads into marginal seats, including those held by the crossbenchers, as well as promoting coalition partners in key seats where they have a better chance of winning.

While it seems like a good plan, the coalition government draws a majority of support from the seats around Niekerk, as well as the key seats in cities like Boermond, Koendersburg, and Wesselsfontein, and struggle to make it into the more rural areas of the province, traditionall NVP supporters, although recent polling indicates a substantial upswing in NAB support influenced by central government's responses to recent political crises. These seats might become politically important for both the NVP and the DAP in order to avoid a NAB upswell that could influence domestic politics.

De Koch's own polling suggests she should be in for a comfortable win, but if she ends up as Premier while the majority vote goes to the opposition coalition, we could see another election in Brabantia.

Prediction: There are many factors at play in Brabantia, and while a push in the two seats held by crossbenchers might yield results, both the DAP and NVP would need to be wary of a potentially influential upswing with the NAB. A narrow victory could be on the cards for the incumbent coalition, depending on how central government handles the Belmonte issue.

Daalen
Located on the west coast, sandwiched between Kaap to the northwest, Transberg to the north, Veld to the east, and Arania to the south, Daalen is often regarded as a backwater province by many Nuvanians. It's economy is primarily based around the primary sector, and the influence of agricultural and forestry lobbyists still has a substantial influence over its government.

It's no surprise then that the NVP has a majority government in Daalen, holding 27 of the 46 seats in the Provincial Assembly. Daalen is also a stronghold for the NAB, which holds 17 seats in the Provincial Assembly, the highest porportion in any provincial legislature. By comparison the DAP is limited to just two seats, both of which come from the more liberal portions of the provincial capital Daalensfontein.

But don't let the NVP comfort fool you. Despite having a comfortable enough majority in the Provincial Assembly, the NVP's popularity has waned considerably. Daalen is a very conservative part of Nuvania and one that was financially and socially hurt by the economic reforms of the 1980's. While the NAB has been unable to pull off a win at the provincial level despite almost succeeding three times in 1990, 1996, and 2008, big business has always allowed the NVP to prevail. But now with increasing insecurity around exports and an economy heading towards recession, in addition to growing discomfort with continued Asterian Forum for Development and Cooperation (AFDC) membership, the NVP, and Premier Petrus van der Merwe, are no longer looking that comfortable.

Prediction: The NVP is likely to secure another term in government but don't rule out an NAB surge based on the actions of central government.

Etten
Nuvania's most populous province and a major economic powerhouse, Etten is one of the prized possessions within the DAP, who secured victory there in 2014 for the first time since 1996. Etten is home to Nuvania's second and third largest cities, Windstrand and Vryburg respectively. Windstrand being a major manufacturing and logistics centre and home to Nuvania's largest port, Vryburg home to Nuvania's growing information and technology industry and quickly becoming a centre for high tech industries and the tertiary sector. Significant growth in younger and more educated people had substantially changed the demographics of the voters there, and will likely continue to influence future elections.

The DAP acquired 47 of the 118 seats in the Provincial Assembly, and alongside Citizen's Alliance, a youth orientated party called The Future Is Now (DTN), and the Etten Ecological Alliance (EEA), the coalition now commands 72 of the 118 seats, the largest of any provincial assembly coalition. Support for the coalition is almost exclusively drawn from urban seats, especially in Windstrand and Vryburg, both of whom are home to not only significant working class populations, but also educated professionals and university students, all voting demographics that voted overwhelmingly for the DAP and coalition parties in 2014. The NVP saw its vote share drop considerably in 2014, but still managed to bring in 37 seats from the same demographics elsewhere: wealthy and middle class areas as well as rural areas. Etten is also a stronghold for the SDP due to its older population, winning eight seats, while a single seat was won by the NAB.

Being a leading province economically, Etten is very much a hotly contested province in these elections, especially given recent events. Both the DAP and NVP performance will be based entirely on how central government handles the current issues regarding the AFDC, and both may seek to gain or lose out from this. The DAP has more to lose, while it is running a coalition government, it can't expand its own support base at the expense of its coalition partners, and the DAP has consistently struggled to resonate with rural voters, making the DAP's job this year even more difficult if NVP support gets a boost.

Premier Caroline Anderson is facing additional troubles herself, facing allegations of a coverup involving her Health Secretary regarding the secretive nature of infant deaths during two vaccination campaigns led by the Etten Provincial Health Board (EPHB) in 2016 and 2017. Furthermore, Anderson's Transport Secretary is currently under investigation over allegations that he gave contracts to construction and roading companies run by friends and associates. Both of these have harmed the DAP's reputation as a "clean" party in Etten (the NVP is widely regarded as being the "party of corruption" in the province), but whether or not this could affect her chances of reelection remains to be seen.

Prediction: Entirely dependent on a number of factors, but likely see an increase in vote share for coalition partners at the expense of the DAP. Anderson should be reelected again, but she'll have to keep her cabinet clean if she wants to survive her next term.

Kaap
Another major province in terms of political, and economic influence, Kaap is also one of the most hotly contested provinces in Nuvania. Like Etten, it is a major manufacturing and logistics hub, as well as a major financial hub, all of these centred around the capital Pietersburg, which has an immense influence on provincial politics.

Like Etten, Kaap is run by a DAP coalition, although this time it is actually more assured and less reliant on coalition partners. Unlike Etten, Kaap has been a DAP province since 2008, and the DAP increased its share of seats in 2014. Currently the DAP has 42 seats, 34 of which come from electorates in Pietersburg and the remainder from a smattering of smaller cities and localities. Unusually the DAP do quite well in the rural electorates in Kaap, with six rural or marginal seats won by the DAP, with a total of 48 out of 102 seats held by the DAP. Pietersburg also provides the DAP with seats for its coalition partners, these being three seats belonging to the Social Justice Party (SJP) and an additional two for the Citizen's Alliance, giving the governing coalition 53 seats, two more than the 51 necessary for a majority.

Premier Karl Beijer, probably one of the most powerful people outside of the central government, has boosted education and healthcare spending including reducing illiteracy among the province's indigenous and mixed peoples in an attempt to improve economic outcomes and reduce crime. In what he calls his "Social Investment Program", or SIP, the DAP coalition has delivered a 17.2% increase in the number of indigenous and 30.4% increase in mixed people attending universities, as well as seeing overall crime decrease of 3.4% annually. These successes are not without controversy, Beijer has also implemented significant tax increases on wealthy residents and businesses to fund his social programs, with many right-wing commentators accusing him of left-wing populism. Beijer also has a very cosy relationship with the central DAP leadership, and has supported incumbent leader Andrew Bohn on a number of occasions when it comes to criticism of the government. How that relationship will benefit or harm him will be determined by how the DAP and the central government act.

Prediction: DAP coalition and Beijer look set to win, however their vote share might be hit by DAP actions outside of the province.

Suid Arania
Located on the central western coast, Suid Arania is very much like the other coastal provinces in that part of the country in its regard by most Nuvanians as an agricultural backwater. The province is mostly given over to agriculture save for some mining activities, in particular phosphate mining. It is also the province where the water poisoning scandal unfolded in court early last year, and saw a rare loss by a government ministry in court.

That scandal has greatly affected the trust of many of the residents of the province in the incumbent NVP government, especially among the residents of Philipsbaai whom were worried the province was providing them with tainted water. Questions have been asked in the province about how much the local branch of the NVP played a role in the cover up of the levels of arsenic, and the reluctance of provincial authorities to introduce tougher water quality control measures may affect the incumbent government's chances of reelection. Polling has indicated that the DAP stands a decent chance of taking Suid Arania away from the NVP this year, one of the rare instances where a largely rural province might change parties.

The DAP however would have their work cut out for them. Currently the NVP has 27 of the 42 seats in the Legislatve Assembly, with their allies the NAB holding another six. The DAP has the remaining nine seats. However, support for the NVP has halved since 2014, the greatest decreases in light of last year's water quality scandal. The DAP will be looking to run the right candidates in the right seats to not only increase their share, but unseat the existing coalition.

Prediction: Potential DAP win.

Transberg
Transberg is an unusual province in that it is mostly rural, composed of many small towns and smaller cities, but is considered fairly liberal when it comes to politics, unsurprisingly given parts of it are very close to the liberal stronghold of Vryburg to the north. It's fairly urbanised as well, with one third of its 3.22 million people living in urban areas. This has given rise to an interesting political landscape within the province, where there is a distinct lack of divide between the NVP and DAP politicians.

Currently the DAP controls the legislature, with the party holding 21 of the 46 seats in the Legislative Assembly, and their allies the Citizen's Alliance holding another seven seats, giving the DAP-BA 27 seats, enough for a firm majority. The NVP has 16 seats, and the remaining three seats are held by the SDP. Polling indicates that another DAP coalition victory is on the cards, thanks to the "steady as she goes" governance of Premier Richard Swanpoel, whose cautious if uninspiring attitude towards his office could come back to bite the DAP. Despite this, his approval rates are close to 40%, and his promises to invest in services for the elderly is going over well with older voters, who have a tendency to swing hard towards the NVP. Unlike most other provinces, Transberg seems secure for a DAP government, and this is something that should give the local branch confidence going into this year's election.

Prediction: DAP-BA win by a comfortable margin.

Veld
Nuvania's biggest province and one of its most economically important, Veld is often regarded as Nuvania's heartland. It is the location of many of Nuvania's largest and most important mines, as well as a lot of its farms and heavily invested in cattle ranching. Unusually it also highly urbanised, 69% of the population lives in the capital Constantia, and a further 16% live in the university city of Klip Klop. This gives the province a somewhat unusual political scene, as the province can be split between the very liberal urban areas, especially Klip Klop, and the very conservative rural heart of the province.

Of the 56 seats in the Legislative Assembly, 16 are held by the NVP, 17 are held by the NAB, 12 by the DAP, six by the BA, three by the SDP, and two by a local party called the Ecological Party, which supports more environmental policies and reducing the province's contribution to global warming. In an unusual twist in 2014, the DAP managed to cobble a minority coalition together relying on partial cross-bench support from the SDP in order to be able to govern, after the NVP and NAB failed to create a coalition themselves as the NVP was reluctant to lose power to the NAB.

Premier Johannes van der Sandt's government thus far had proven something of a miracle in not only running a minority left-wing government in a very conservative province, but doing so with the cross-bench support of social conservatives. Van der Sandt has had to make compromises though, the government's planned increase to funding for family planning clinics had to be reduced, and was eventually abandoned altogether. However, he secured additional funding for support for single mothers, and fully funded care for preschoolers. Furthermore he has also seen success on the environmental front, introducing legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as new regulations on mines, including a moratorium on mine expansions and new mines altogether. This is significant given the influence mining has on the provincial economy, at least 30% of the province's income come from mining. Further restrictions for farmers and mining companies could increase support for the more rabidly anti-leftist NAB, especially in that party's home province. It would be wise for van der Sandt to reign in the rhetoric if he wants to keep his job, and protect the progress already made.

Prediction: Veld could go either way, a continued DAP government would be a massive swing in favour of the DAP at the nationwide level, and that could send a signal to the NVP that their shenanigans and inaction are longer being tolerated by an electorate.

Conclusion
From these elections, the DAP looks set to retain a number of provinces and even win another one or two, which would indicate a deeper indication of public dissatisfaction with the NVP. It's likely this will be another election that predicts what we'll see next year when we go to the polls.

by **Fjalland-** » Sat Mar 21, 2020 2:23 pm

GOVERNMENT TO REQUEST BESNARD EXTRADITION FROM IMAGUA
Jacques Besnard has been residing in Imagua since leaving the country in August

Rachelle Allard (@rachallard)
^{21 Mar 2020 | Lafayette, Alexandria}

Besnard during his impeachment trial

LAFAYETTE, ALEXANDRIA – Today after months of Protests the government has requested that former President Jacques Besnard be extradited from Imagua where he is currently residing. In a statement Foreign Secretary Alceste Seyrès said that his time avoiding justice is over and that he hopes that Imagua will agree to extradite the former President who is facing jail time for his role in the Grosjean scandal which ended his Presidency.

Seyrès in a joint press conference with Secretary of State Maryvonne Berthelot and Justice Secretary Nicolas Laflèche said that Besnard's time of fleeing justice were numbered and that he would face the full force of Alexandrian law for his corruption and the death of Monique Grosjean. Laflèche said that his trial would be impartial and he would be represented by a lawyer if he chooses to.

Besnard who became President after the 2015 Presidential election and subsequently had the shortest tenure as President in Alexandrian history when he was impeached in April 2017 in a landmark trial appealed to his followers on chirper claiming that the current administration will pressure the courts into finding him guilty.

During his administration Besnard accepted several bribes from Businesswoman Monique Grosjean until her abduction and murder at the hands of Thugs paid by Besnard after a Parliamentary investigation was opened into the Bribes. His impeachment trials gained international attention and highlighted the lack of Transparency in Alexandria.

Thérèse Besnard, who had became Jacques' Vice-President and later divorced the former President, gained her ex-Husband's role and refused to Pardon him, leaked phone calls between the two showed that Jacques Besnard had suggested that she should pardon him.

Protesters outside the Embassy of Imagua and the Justice Department celebrated at the announcement. One protester, said she was happy that Besnard faces extradition to Alexandria. "Nobody should be able to get on a plane and escape Justice. I'm happy he might be brought back and I hope he gets a long sentence."

Public opinion however is divided on the issue, a small counter-protest at a park near the Justice Department was set up shortly after the main protesters arrived. One counter-protester spoke to us under the condition of Anonymity.
"He's already been impeached and had his family distance themselves from him, his trial was also a sham and media coverage, especially in foreign papers, presented him as a muderous and corrupt TV villain. If they want a true representation of that look at Coius, I can't think of a single nation that isn't ruled by dictators and despots."

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by **Imagua and the Assimas** » Sat Mar 21, 2020 3:22 pm

CONTROVERSY ARISES IN THE CAMPAIGN AS BESNARD AFFAIR TAKES OVER AIRWAVES
Jacques Besnard to be extradited, Nationals criticise the move

DEXTER TURNER (@DexTurn)
21 March, 2020 4:15 IST | CUANSTAD, IMAGUA AND THE ASSIMAS

Photo of former President Jacques Besnard

As we enter the final week before election day, the governing Democratic Labour Party faces more challenges in re-election, as the Alexandrian government requested the extradition of its former President, Jacques Besnard, who is wanted on charges of bribery, murder, and obstruction of justice.

Party leader Douglas Egnell said that "given the revelations revealed by the Alexandrian government, we are obliged to extradite Mr. Besnard to face justice," and told reporters that he directed "the Constabulary to produce a warrant for his arrest, so he may be extradited in a timely manner." Egnell also pledged reforms to Imagua's immigration system, saying that "we are going to institute safeguards if re-elected, so we can sort out those whose charges are obviously politically-motivated, and those whose charges are legitimate, so we can avoid another repeat of Besnard."

Despite Douglas Egnell's promises, Giocondo Stasio of the Nationals has criticised the measures, saying that "while we agree with the Democratic Labour Party that we should extradite Mr. Besnard to face trial, the decision by Mr. Egnell to order the Constabulary to arrest him and extradite him now is solely so he can score some political points," and that "if he is extradited, he will not face a free and fair trial."

Mystelle Stone of the Green Party also echoed the same concerns as the Nationals, saying that "this decision can plunge Jacques Besnard to an unfair trial stacked against him, and the decision by Douglas Egnell to hand Besnard over should be condemned, particularly with regard to the timing of it during an election. The Greens are also concerned that such measures will harm those whose charges are politically-motivated but are assumed to be legitimate just because of where they came from."

However, the decision to extradite Jacques Besnard back to Alexandria was supported by the Movement for a New Imagua, with party leader Dalmazio Pasquarello saying that "Egnell did the right thing in this instance," but criticised the planned restrictions, saying that "these proposed measures do not go far enough: we need to tell criminals that they are not welcome here, even if some of them are innocent."

More as this story develops.

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