Tyran Regional News Thread (Closed. Tyran Only)

by **Tennai** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 12:09 pm

The Comic Feed

Slinging Fireballs: Volume 63
by Shriya Agarwal

First of all, I wan to apologize to all of my readers for taking so long to get you this next installment of my R&L game session narrative. Apology now given, I assure you that this will the most exciting installment yet. Why is it the most exciting installment to date? That can be said with one name. Vijayalakshmi Devi. Yes, you read that right. I had the opportunity to run a session with the creator of Rakshasas and Lairs, Vijayalakshmi Devi.

Now I know all of you are dying to know how the session went right away, but I think you will get a better picture of things if give you the experience in pieces and with the mandatory gushing at the end.

To start things off, this thing caught me completely by surprise. Last month on a Wednesday, the date does not matter, I was taking a long lunch break after my team and I had finished our project early. Because I had not been there in about a month, I decided to head out from the Veeta building and head over to Roa Masala and really spoil myself with one of Chef Rao’s menu specials. When I was at my table and waiting for my meal, I decided to pull out my phone and check my e-mails. I sorted through what seemed like thousands of spam mails before I came across a message from Naga Gameworks with a nondescript title heading that read “Concerning Rakshasas and Lairs.

When I saw the message I thought to myself, “This must be the publisher sending me another preview of some upcoming splat book, convention, or perhaps some other sort of game material.” It only took half a second after I opened the e-mail to realize that simply was no the case. Apparently some of the more important or influential people at Naga read my site and had decided set up a special session to with Vijayalakshmi Devi to promote R&L to a larger audience. When I finished reading the e-mail it took me the rest of the day to fully realize what had just happened. I had been invited to game with the goddess of tabletop RPGs, Vijayalakshmi Devi. After that had sunk in, the only thing I could do for the res of the day and night was mutter “Holy shit.” I can relay to you with utter certainty that this fangirl did not get any sleep that night.

When the day of the session arrived I was healthy mix of ecstatic and nervous. I can not count how many times I thanked the goddesses and also pleaded with them to keep me from making a royal fool of myself. I thought there was no woman in the world luckier than I.

When I arrived in the conference room that had been set aside for the session I was surprised at how small it was and how people there were actually there. Aside from myself, five other players (you can find their names after this article), and Devi, there was only a camera operator present. It was quite the cozy setup, but certainly not lacking. There were expertly crafted battle boards, professionally painted miniatures for us to use (and take home), complimentary special edition rulebooks for each of us, and plenty of delicious snacks to sate inevitable game session munchies.

After an a brief introduction from Devi of herself and what she would be running, we sat down and rolled some characters. Your’s truly won the bid for the kshatriya class (Score) which I attached to a yakshi (hurray for sexy holy warriors). The rest of the group comprised of a human priest, a vanara thief, a gana warrior, a human sorceress, and an apsa gandharva. In other words, a fairly balanced group of adventurers. Once the characters were done, we started on the session with a beautifully written introduction and our emergence into an abandoned jungle village.

After some initial party banter, we started by searching the village and the area around it to no avail. There was no trace of anything or anyone coming in our out. There were no signs of a struggle of any sort either. We then spent the next fifteen minutes going back forth about one theory or another with magic playing a part in almost every one. We were just about settled on an idea involving teleporting mages and magical dampening stones when our thief nonchalantly stated “I am going to climb that tree over there.”

Devi asked him which tree and after a short back and forth our thief was using his little monkey paws to scramble up a tree. He then decided to search tree and low and behold he found the signs of a large group of creatures and some empty vials. After laughing at our outlandish theory and patting our thief on the back, we proceeded to follow the trail of who we assumed were the reasons behind the empty village.

It took a few insanely enjoyable days and nights of gaming around the table, but we eventually reached the end of the session which concluded in a most fantabulous way...which you will have to read about or watch when I get the full transcription and video of the events up tomorrow.

To wrap things up, those days spent gaming with the goddess of the tabletop genre were the most amazing in my life. Devi is an immensely creative, intelligent, poetic, and downright decent woman who know how to put on a good game. The only thing I regret is the fact that Devi is not a single woman. Sigh. Even if I can not spend time with her on a more personal level though, there is no denying that bathing the glory of a gaming goddess was and will always be the most fantastic thing to happen to this fangirl.

As always, thanks for reading my rantings, ravings, and gushings. Till next...hold on, I think need to wipe this drool off my chin. Damn those sexy thoughts. Anyway, I will see you next week on the Comic Feed.

No where did I leave that clean hankie...

by **Quen Minh** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 5:35 pm

Điện Kinh

Quenmin's Top News and Statistics Register for Economists Since 1973

(March 3, 2017)
Last Edited: 5 Hours Ago

Cannabis Market Emerging: The Three Prominent Companies That Have Confirmed Their Involvement in its Growth

After the Marijuana Trade Act has been passed into law two days ago, the future reality of cannabis plantations setting itself on Quenminese ground and legalized packages of it being marketed across the entire nation has been met with mixed reactions among various financial organizations, with dubious thoughts being conjured mostly by prominent firms and banks like Ben Ky Thach and Green Marsh. Despite the current ambivalent atmosphere, several firms and banks have decided to invest in the emerging market, although there will be three notable companies that will be listed below.

1. Unicorn Capital

Unicorn Capital was the first hedge fund and company to have incentivized itself on pouring their investments on the cannabis market. Believing that cannabis-oriented products have the potential to exert benefits over the economy, Capital CEO Nguyễn Bình Thắng decided to put 10% of their shares in order for the emerging part of the economy to gain confidence in itself in progressing.

"It is quite an unusual feat that this country will possess in the near future, if not a particularly convincing one. In spite of it's side effects and the regulations that the current government has installed on them, I believe that the cannabis industry will thrive in the years to come," said Bình Thắng in yesterday's conference.

As of today, the fund has poured in a total of Ѧ200,000 in its investment loan for the emerging market.

2. Bến Sắc Fund

Despite facing some opposition of the market's worth, one of the country's leading funds eventually got together and decided to give it a chance to do whatever it can to produce profit and value. Having found the future of the market a possibility for profit to come pouring out, CEO Lê Công Liễu decided to pool money into the rising industry.

"It'll be worth the time to see this part of the economy rise, even though it may sound preposterous right now, given the plant's current reputation," he said in the same conference.

Currently, the Fund has put in Ѧ150,000 in its investment loan.

3. Luong Siblings Group

Last but not least, this company.

Willing to make profits whenever a huge, potential opportunity presents itself, the Luong Siblings Group would be all in with strong determination and effort to ensure that any of their aspirations would resonate without any doubt or fear at all. In the case of a surfacing industry like this, they would do anything to ensure its prosperity is secured.

"Cannabis, although possessing a reputation of being a detrimental drug, can be a great product that can be bought or sold throughout the entire country, as long as the government has imposed regulations to keep it under control. That being said, this company will do whatever it takes for the market to thrive," said Lương Tôn Thắng in his statement at a recent press conference moments after the company's announcement of wanting in on the development.

The company's investment loan is currently at Ѧ295,000, although prior to their supportive attitude on emerging businesses, it is expected to rise in the near future.

[ Stocks ] [ Futures ] [ FX ] [ Rates ] [ Siduri ] [ Eracura ] [ Inara ]

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by **Azura and Montemayor** » Fri Mar 10, 2017 9:00 pm

Press Secretary Samuel Jahoda (left) before speaking
to reporters outside of the National Assembly Chamber.

By Kája Ružička
Updated 2:27 PM AMT, Fri. March 10, 2017

[Azura and Montemayor - AMBC] Hrabské - After months of silence, the government came out today with an official statement of opposition to the amendment put forward by the Socialist Party last December.

During a press conference outside of the National Assembly chamber this afternoon, the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary communicated the Prime Minister’s and the government’s opposition to the amendment put forth in December. After being asked by AMBC’s National Assembly correspondent Ivo Nemek if the government had yet formed an opinion on the amendment, Press Secretary Jahoda responded by saying, “The Prime Minister is of the opinion that the election of Senators should be left how it is currently written in the Constitution. It has been working efficiently for many years and she sees no reason to change it at the current time.”

When pressed further on the issue as to why the Prime Minister felt Azuran and Montemayori citizens shouldn’t be able to select their Senators themselves, the Press Secretary pushed back. “The idea that our citizens are not able to elect representatives is absurd. The entire National Assembly is elected by popular vote, as is the provincial legislatures. The Senate is not meant to be elected directly by the people, if it were, then that’s how the writers of the Constitution would have made it. The entire process is to ensure that the provinces have some sort of representation on the national level. If the citizens of those provinces want to have a say in who the Senators for the province are, they are more than free to contact their provincial representative in the provincial legislature and voice their opinion.”

After the statement was made by Press Secretary Jahoda, Socialist Party leader Eugene Prochazva was quick to criticize the government on its decision. “The Prime Minister is simply trying to protect her government’s majority in the Senate. She cares very little why the Constitution was written the way it was. She uses that as a guise to give her a reason other than that she is only looking out for herself and [Senate Conservative Leader] David’s majority. She is scared that if we give the people a voice in the election of their Senators her governing coalition will lose its position as the majority.”

Despite polling saying otherwise, Prochazva also insisted that the amendment was popular among the citizenry. The latest AMBC polling shows that the majority of the country has yet to form an opinion on the amendment, with only twenty-three percent of those polled approving of the amendment and twenty-two percent against the amendment. These numbers are expected to change significantly now that the government has come out against the amendment.

Even with the clear opposition in the government and even some opposition in the Liberal-Labor coalition, the Socialist Party leader says that he will still push for a vote in the full National Assembly. The Liberal Democratic Party leader nor the Labor Party leader have come out in favor or against the amendment as of yet, support that would be needed if the amendment had any chance to succeed. Now that the government has come out against the amendment, questions to the Liberal and Labor leaders are expected to increase significantly on the subject.

Several of the smaller opposition parties have come out in favor of the amendment. The far-right populist Freedom Party and its twenty-two National Assembly members signed an open letter to the Prime Minister in March after the general election urging her to support the amendment. The leader of the centrist Catholic Democratic Party has also voiced her support for the amendment, citing how many voters have no representation in the Senate due to how it is structured.

The amendment would have to be passed through both houses of parliament with a two-thirds majority and then signed by the Emperor. Prochazva has said he hopes the amendment will be passed and signed into law before the next provincial elections take place in 2018. If the amendment happened to be passed, a nonpartisan commission of lawmakers would also have to set the constituency borders, which would take an unknown period of time. If there is any hope for the amendment, it would have to move through parliament at a fast pace in order to give ample time for constituency borders to be drawn, something that is looking less and less likely every day.

See Also on this Series

On the Concern of the Su Mot Initiative II: Statistics on Technological Companies
On the Concern of the Su Mot Initiative III: Expenditures on the Augmentation of Renewable Energy

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War Brewing in Syara: CEO of Ben Ky Thach Makes Statement on the Matter

by **The Republic of Akashi** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 5:16 am

明石公共放送
ᴀᴋᴀsʜɪ ᴋōᴋʏō ʜōsō
ᴀᴋᴀsʜɪᴀɴ ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ ʙʀᴏᴀᴅᴄᴀsᴛɪɴɢ sᴇʀᴠɪᴄᴇ

未等語 Mirago | Kāhē | English

Friday, 21 April 2017, 4:16 PM Akashi Standard Time
Government passes basic income and major tax reform legislation

Minister of Social Services and Protection Miranda Walsingham signing the Basic Income Act

Akashi has become the second country in Tyran to convert its social security system to the basic income model.

The National Assembly today passed two pieces of legislation, the Basic Income Act (基礎所得保障法 Kiso shotoku hoshō hō) and the Tax Restructuring Act (税制再編法 Zeisei saihen hō), by large margins. The new laws will replace Akashi's existing social security provisions with a single payment, distributed unconditionally to all Akashians, and reform the income tax to include a negative income tax component.

The legislation follows a series of pilot programs implemented by the Ministry of Social Services and Protection beginning in 2011, and lengthy consultations and committee scrutiny. The new tax thresholds were based on the National Statistics Office's findings regarding the cost of living in Akashi.

The debates for both laws were marked by a significant degree of consensus between parties. They drew support from across the political spectrum, with both the governing Socialist Party and opposition Moderate People's Party voting in favour, as well as the Progressive Party, Green Party, National Union, Future Party, United Reform Party, Liberal Party, and Social Credit Party. The bills were passed with 492 votes in favour and 2 against. The Conservative Party voted against both bills, while the New Akashi Party abstained from the vote, its leader Peter Wells declaring that the party respected the fundamental merits of the legislation and would not "stand in the way of the country".

Prime Minister Kōko Kaga, who had made the basic income a centrepiece of her "21st century Akashi" agenda, stated during the debate that "the basic income is an idea whose time has come". She welcomed the result, declaring that it represented "one of the most significant contributions in our eternal struggle against poverty and inequality, not merely here but hopefully in the world as well."

Miranda Walsingham, the Minister of Social Services and Protection who has championed the idea since assuming the office, emphasised the "historic achievement" of the new legislation. She told AKH that it was "a great solution to the great problems we face. It will be a permanent safeguard against growing inequality, and a mechanism that will protect the right to a decent standard of living as we grapple with future challenges."

Cross-party consensus

The cross-party support for the idea was reflected in the different arguments in favour put forward. Progressive Party leader Minako Hayashi argued during the debate that a basic income "will realise, in a definitive manner, the freedom of people from the tyrannical obedience and submission demanded by capitalism, and give them the means to pursue useful and meaningful work they desire."

"A basic income shall be a means to restore justice to our economic system and society. We support this bill to give what we call 'menial' work the dignity it deserves, to reorient society towards rewarding the people who do the necessary and dangerous work of keeping our society together and functioning. It is long overdue that we recognise the importance of all the unpaid work that holds society together, particularly in caring, and support it appropriately."

The Future Party emphasised the ability of the basic income to redistribute fairly the gains of automatisation and prevent it being exploited to impose precarity and rob workers of their rights. The Greens described the measure as "a relief to the planet", arguing in its favour as a means to shift the economy from a growth-based model to a sustainable one. National Union leader Richard Lewis called the initiative "a strengthening of our national bond", while the Social Credit leader Masao Yamagata explained his support for the bill citing its ability to bring "absolute economic security to the individual".

The parties of the centre-right approached from a different angle. The Liberals chose to highlight the program's ability to simplify the social security system by replacing existing social programs and tax credits with a single universal payment. The Moderate People's Party and United Reform Party supported the proposal by arguing that it would guarantee "positive liberty", reducing bureaucracy and encouraging entrepreneurship. United Reform's Yua Honda declared, "We have seen in our pilot programs improvements in wellbeing, greater work, and productivity rises as a result of a basic income. Rolling it out nationwide would do wonders for incentivising employment. It would remove the uncertainty that people face about whether temporary or low-income jobs would curtail their social insurance."

Moderate leader Danielle Reynolds told the National Assembly that "with a basic income, innovators will be given room to experiment knowing that they would have something to fall back on. I support this measure for the great good it will do for our small businesses, entrepreneurs, and creators, who will not need financial security at their disposal before they can invent or create anything. The system must be predictable, to encourage people to take risks."

Criticism was voiced by the Conservative Party, whose leader Josephine Richards said: "Good intentions do not change the fact that this will be an appallingly expensive socialist experiment that would choke the economy with the huge tax raises it would inevitably require, and the destruction of work ethic through doling out pay with no job."

The basic income

㋯30.000
Monthly income for all Akashians

Paid without any need for work

Paid irrespective of any income from other sources

Replaces Universal Assistance and pension programs

㋯306 billion
Cost to government

No tax on incomes below threshold

Social support paid directly through the tax system

Progressive taxes collected on incomes above threshold

'Enough to live on'

The new basic income will be ㋯30.000 per month, a sum Mx Walsingham describes as "enough to guarantee a decent standard of living, to cover the important expenses — food, housing, child care, transportation, and similar necessities."

All Akashians will automatically receive the payment every month, through the National Tax Agency, regardless of employment or existing income. Akashians who earn less than ㋯30.000 will be exempt from taxation. Those whose earn more than ㋯30.000 will have their income taxed, at increasing rates corresponding to their level of income. The tax brackets remain the same as before.

Finance Minister Yumiko Kisaragi stated that the combination of basic income and negative income tax will be "an elegant solution to redistributing productivity gains and economic growth fairly to all." She has announced that further adjustments to the tax system will be made as the basic income achieves full implementation.

"What we are especially looking at is abolishing the distinction between income tax and taxes on other sources of income, such as capital gains and profits. This will simplify our tax system and close loopholes that tax evaders and avoiders take advantage of."

The Progressive Party is similarly exploring the possibility of introducing supplemental payments in the future, for senior citizens, disabled persons, full-time carers, parents and children. Saya Ōmura, MNA for Yoshii, commented: "Such payments will of course be reduced as income rises."

by **Great Lucis and Aomori** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 9:44 am

Lucis Broadcasting Corporation: 94 Years of Unending Service to the World

Saturday, April 22, 2017, 7:30 A.M

Sunrise: 5:45 A.M
Sunset: 6:15 P.M

Temperatures:
Insomnia: 12°C - 9°C; Chance of Precipitation: 40%
Altissia: 10°C - 6°C; Chance of Precipitation: 55%
Fleuret: 12°C - 7°C; Chance of Precipitation: 50%-60%
Shinjiku: 13°C - 10°C; Chance of Precipitation: 50%

Lucis|Erebonia|Tenebrae|Aomori

Lucian economic growth to pick up this second quarter by 3.5%

The UK's economic buildup is likely to gain momentum this second quarter of this year, pushing up tax revenues by more than the estimated according to the Ministry of Finance.

Notable contributors to this upswing would be the recent rise in production output, incoming orders and employment levels being on the rise since February. Most evidently, the production output in Aomori is higher than that of Lucis by 2.7% but less than Tenebrae by 1.7% and more than Accordo by 0.7%.

The Lucian Economy grew by 3.7% in 2016, which had been the strongest rate in three years. The upswing from the previous year was provided by the increasing private consumption percentage, higher state spending and increased production output. In the final months of the previous year, the economy boosted by 0.3%, and economists predict that the economy will have increased by another 0.2% by January 2017.

On the first three months of 2017, tax revenues of the parliament as well as the 3 other states rose by 4.3%. That is double than the projected 2.3% rise for the whole year. The tax revenue has enabled the premiership of Prime Minister Ignis Stupeo Scientia to focus on building more bridges and help fund the maintenance of various buildings of importance. It has also enabled the funding of more than 17 job-provision agencies to further increase employment.

In other news:

Local:
* Her Majesty, Queen Lunafreya Nox Fleuret delivers sixth child
* Defence Minister Noel Kreiss, to visit Quenminh to layout new military exercises
* Crime rate in Fleuret lowers down by 10% further

Entertainment:
* Shiori Akiyama releases final single
* Agakibanese Soprano, Helene Wakabayashi to hold concert in Aomori
* Amaze Entertainment showcases 2 new titles for Shinjiku Q3
* Endelmann Pictures reveals new Orbis Mortem title
* Himitsu, TRI-G, and SWITCH to perform on Shinjiku Music Festival
* Sora Entertainment to unveil new ReLife smartphone at Shinjiku Q3

Business:
* Tenebraean Entrepreneur, Harry Wieser to open a forum this May
* How to start your own business, Harry Wieser explains

by **Segland** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:20 pm

The Republican
Segland's Premier Newspaper

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NUCLEAR COMMISSION APPROVES WASTE REPOSITORY ON VERSTEK ISLAND

HYPER-LONG-TERM FACILITY TO BE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN SEGLAND

An old-style temporary underground facility for storing radioactive waste in Zhaltan, Segland.

RYUTSVAAG -- Jan Denlayev, president of the National Nuclear Energy Commission (NNEC), was pleased to confirm that the commission had approved plans for the construction of a deep geological nuclear waste repository on Verstek Island, a landmass of 17 sq km off the coast of northern Segland.

The approval represents the culmination of an endless debate that has raged in Segland ever since the trailblazing Listern Nuclear Power Plant opened in August 1975; namely, whether or not it is worthwhile to implement long-term management strategies for spent nuclear fuel. A considerable contingent asserted the negative, claiming that it would be much more cost-effective to focus on researching ways to use the waste itself. However, the absence of a timeline for such research lends credibility to the opposing view that long-term storage is necessary.

Dr. Gunnar Sheinfeld, professor of physics at Meilenhorn State University and former nuclear engineer, led the charge to build the Verstek Island repository. Having been part of the team that designed the Listern plant, Dr. Sheinfeld has an intimate knowledge of nuclear science that goes beyond the abstract theorizing of many physicists. In the many interviews and public lectures he delivered on the subject, Dr. Sheinfeld stressed the importance of having a comprehensive scheme for handling nuclear waste in Segland.

"A lot of other countries have been slow on the uptake in looking at nuclear waste seriously," Dr. Sheinfeld said in a 2016 interview. "By that, I specifically mean planning for long-term repositories. That is far and away the best option for nuclear storage that we have on the table. I'm very encouraged by the progress we seem to be making on the Verstek proposal."

It was indeed an accomplishment when the proposal was approved by the NNEC. A number of hurdles had to be overcome in the preliminary stages. First, Seglandic nuclear engineers and scientists had to decide upon the optimal configuration of the repository. Since some nations with advanced nuclear technology have sanctions against Segland and are barred from cooperating with the Seglandic nuclear industry, Seglandic scientists are limited concerning those with whom they may collaborate. Fortunately, allies in the Union of Eracuran Nations were able to pitch in their own expertise on nuclear waste.

After the basic design was confirmed, a suitable site for the facility had to be chosen. The most important factor in this respect is seismic activity, which must be minimal so as to not disturb the buried deposits of radioactive material. Seismologists pointed out the quiet areas of northern Segland. Ideally, a place with few people would also be required. Verstek Island works perfectly since it is totally uninhabited. Indeed, out of a list of 58 potential sites for the repository, Verstek Island won over all the rest.

The design of the Verstek Island Repository is deceptively simple. The entrance is blasted into an exposed clay mountain, opening an access tunnel that descends claustrophobically to a depth of 520 meters. From there, the structure branches out regularly into cavities where the canisters of nuclear waste will be buried. The project of encasing the waste is expected to take decades, after which the entire repository will be sealed off.

Officials intend for construction to begin in early 2018. Though the work will span many years, Seglanders are optimistic and look forward to the completion of the great structure. A poll in Drakenswek, the state of which Verstek Island is a part, found that 98% of residents have a positive view of the Verstek Island proposal. Time, many hope, will prove their optimism justified.

In Other News:
Nocturian nations suddenly disappear, replaced by a new world
GNL Group acquires Cape Hoop Airlines for ℳ1.1 billion
Seglandic Green politics on the rise?

by **Alizeria** » Thu Apr 27, 2017 7:56 pm

IZZY YAHWEH LAUNCHES NEW POLITICAL PARTY
TALKS WITH LEFT ALLIANCE BREAK DOWN

April 28th 2017

Alizeria's most popular politician has today announced the formation of a new political party - the National Party - after a breakdown of negotiations between himself and the Left Alliance.

_{Izzy Yahweh poses for a selfie in front of a 6000 strong crowd of supporters}

Izzy Yahweh, the former Foreign Secretary who was expelled from the Conservative Party for making allegations of corruption, today launched a new political vehicle at the Alexander Park Sheep Racing Stadium in South Krostuk, in front of an audience of more than 6000 people - unprecedented in Alizerian political history.

The newly formed National Party would be a Christian Socialist party, he said, harking back to the "Forgotten roots of the Conservative Party" and that its official ideology would be "Alizerian nationalism" and a reaction to "globalism, capitalism and liberalism".

Yahweh then proceeded to announce a raft of new policies, which included the nationalisation of the banking sector, a compulsory retirement savings scheme and the immediate withdrawal of Alizeria from the World Assembly.

Yahweh also stated that the party would be strongly socially conservative, unlike the Left Alliance, and said that the party would seek to Recriminalise homosexuality, ban the sale of alcohol to children under 18 years and ban immigration from non-white, non-Christian nations.

Commentators have described the fledgling political party as being "Vermilist" - strongly reminiscent of Izzy Yahweh's mentor, former Prime Minister Sir Edward Vermile - and as being a populist party. Although Yahweh insists the party is "centrist", some commentators are calling it a left-wing party, while others have said it may well be Alizeria's first ever Far Right party.

Izzy Yahweh, a long time critic of both Ashtonomics and Dixonomics, had been originally expected to join the Left Alliance given the common opposition to neoliberal economics. Party leader Harry Fitzgerald stated that he would be "welcomed with open arms" and considered the addition of Alizeria's most popular politician to the Left Alliance to be a likely asset in the upcoming elections.

Talks reportedly broke down between Yahweh and the Left Alliance, after Yahweh reportedly insisted that the Left Alliance dissolve its constituent parties and merge into one unified party. He also resented the party's support for the legalisation of gay marriage and abortion.

Left Alliance leader Harry Fitzgerald said that Yahweh was "impossible to do business with" and "wouldn't even show up to meetings, instead doing things through [Yahweh's lawyer] Saul Goldman."

Goldman has been named as the one of the key members of the new party's national executive, while former Conservative Party staffer Don Bullson has been named as the party's President. Commentators have noted that Goldman's presence, as well as that of Izzy Yahweh, will mean that along with strongly nationalist policies, the party is likely to have a strongly Jewish flavour and appeal to Alizeria's largest minority group.

Prime Minister Jennifer Dixon said she did not at all feel threatened by the formation of the new party.

"If you actually look at what Izzy's saying, it's clear that he's going to do far more damage to the Left Alliance than to the Conservative Party."

Opposition leader William Eastwood was also undisturbed, commenting "Flash-in-a-pan third parties like this never get anywhere. I don't think any Liberal Party voter would go near such neanderthalic social and economic policies so he's no threat to us."

Although no candidates or even staff have yet been announced, Izzy Yahweh stated that the National Party would stand candidates in all 160 seats at this year's election.

Polls continue to show Izzy Yahweh as by far the country's "Preferred Prime Minister", while 25% of Alizerians said they would support a political party founded by Mr. Yahweh.

- ADH

In Other News:

Basic income in Akashi - would it work in Alizeria?
Segland one of few nations to survive mysterious disappearance of Noctur
Is it time to ban drunk-driving?

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by **Great Lucis and Aomori** » Thu Apr 27, 2017 9:48 pm

Lucis Broadcasting Corporation: 94 Years of Unending Service to the World

Friday, April 28, 2017, 7:30 A.M

Sunrise: 5:45 A.M
Sunset: 6:15 P.M

Temperatures:
Insomnia: 14°C - 10°C; Chance of Precipitation: 25%
Altissia: 11°C - 6°C; Chance of Precipitation: 30%
Fleuret: 14°C - 8°C; Chance of Precipitation: 20%-30%
Shinjiku: 13°C - 10°C; Chance of Precipitation: 20%

Lucis|Erebonia|Tenebrae|Aomori

Sora Entertainment CEO Hiroshi Tanaka unveils the new Sora ReLive XZ phone

Last Monday, Shinjiku Q3, the largest electronic unveiling in the Northern Region was launched with over 5 new consoles for the eighth generation series of consoles including Aomorinese company, Sora Entertainment showing the new Sora PlayHub 4 neo, a redesigned version of their PlayHub 4.

Apart from consoles and new video titles, many companies including the Quenminese company Sieu Phuong Technologies and its new phone, Vermillion. However, Sora Entertainment has also unveiled its new phone for the ReLive line called the XZ.

Sora Entertainment CEO Hiroshi Tanaka unveiled the Sora ReLive XZ as a successor to its previous model, the Sora ReLive XY, which was the best selling smartphone in the UK and Austrakiba in Shinjiku Q1 2016.

During the presentation, Tanaka presented the features of the ReLive XZ. It includes a redesigned version of their stylus pen which is now called as "NeoPen". It has a 16 megapixel camera in the front and on the rear with a redesigned version of ReLive's stabilization system. The display featured Sora Entertainment's famed LUMINOSTRI screen with a 1920x1000 Full HD display. Tanaka spoke out in the unveiling and said that the new phone is Sora Entertainment's new approach to the new decade and to define the new standard of smartphones.

In other news:

Local:
* Chancellor of the Lucis Commonwealth Trade Organization, Sazh Katzroy visits Hung Yen for talks about further investing into rehabilitating Elizabeth Port
* Former Prime Minister of Austrakiba, Mariya Nanatsuki to visit Aomori next week

Entertainment:
* Agakibanese Soprano, Helene Wakabayashi to hold concert in Tenebrae
* Amaze Entertainment releases two new games
* Endelmann Pictures CEO: "A New War film in Production"

Business:
* Lucis Gil and Quenminese Tien exchange rate further improved
* Marketing Techniques? Harry Wieser explains

Exchange Rate:
1 Lucis Gil - 4 Quenminese Tien

by **Kirisaki** » Sun Apr 30, 2017 7:41 am

Konohana Project given the all-clear
Knightsbridge confirms ExCo to sign off on major policy package

Kirayuki - The Sentinel of Energy and Environment, Kyrin Knightsbridge, today confirmed to reporters that the much-vaunted Konohana Project had finally been given the go ahead by the Executive Committee, and commencement would possibly come as early as in the third quarter of 2017.

Speaking today at a scheduled press conference at the Pavilion of the Green Dragon, Knightsbridge hailed the Konohana Project as 'the first step towards the Kirisaki of the future', and said that costing issues and planning mishaps that had caused untoward delays in the confirmation of Konohana had been 'satisfactorily resolved'.

"Today, with the blessing of the tenshi as well as the unanimous agreement of my colleagues on the Executive Committee, we take the first step towards building a new Kirisaki, a Kirisaki which will undoubtedly be the envy of the world. Change has been needed for some time now, and hopefully Konohana will be much more than an isolated effort towards bringing about meaningful change. With a series of radical, innovative policies designed to tackle a wide range of issues that are of concern to the people of Kirisaki, the government has shown that it will stop at nothing to improve the lot of the common man; and indeed it is with the common Kirisaki-jin's interests in mind that we have decided to forge forward with Konohana."

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Kyrin Knightsbridge (@kyrin_k)
Posted 30/04/2017, 8:12 PM (KST) —

Relaxing with a glass of burgundy after a long day. Dinner with my fellow members of the Executive Committee at the Soryu-tei was a stimulating occasion; we used the opportunity to have a fruitful debate over social policy. No doubt the excellent food helped sharpen our minds. We've also arrived at the decision to greenlight a major new policy, and will be issuing a policy announcement in the coming days!
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Explainer
What is the Konohana Project?

The Konohana Project, so named because of its billing as a major step towards a fully sustainable and environmentally friendly Kirisakian society, was first conceived as the central plank of the Progressive Coalition's Radiant Future Party's 2014 general election manifesto. It is an ambitious policy package that aims to create at least seven new so-called 'green' settlements, accelerate the regeneration of existing post-industrial settlements, decommission all polluting fossil fuel plants, and bring about the afforestation of over 20,000 square kilometres of land, among other things, over a projected timeframe of ten years.

Konohana would see the designation of two legally distinct administrative entities, the centre of learning and the sustainable settlement. The former would be fully autonomous polities dedicated to education, to be headed by special councils answerable directly to the Imperial Diet and the tenshi, with extant university towns and cities to be officially designated as such; while the latter would be a status granted to a series of newly built settlements that are to be governed by a set of reformed urban planning regulations designed to create cities that are fully sustainable from a socioeconomic and environmental perspective in the long term. Municipalities granted either centre of learning or sustainable settlement status would gain significant privileges, ranging from tax incentives for businesses to increased council funding, to the tune of a twofold increase.

Afforestation initiatives under Konohana is slated to focus on three main areas; industrial wasteland, a large portion of which suffered serious pollution in service to unfettered economic growth during the Tsuyoshi Reformation; urban and suburban areas, where tree cover has been on the decline due to overdevelopment, with a national average of 25 per cent despite increased efforts by local councils in recent years; and land denuded by illegal deforestation, which remains a thorny issue that has yet to be successfully tackled by the sitting government.

Konohana's main proponent, the leader of the Radiant Future Party Mikoto Nikaido, has tried to push for its approval ever since her party gained the largest number of seats amongst fellow PC component parties upon the conclusion of the 2014 general election, but has seen her efforts to force through a bill repeatedly rebuffed by the Imperial Diet despite a significant progressive majority. Fierce critics of Konohana have come from all fronts, including from within the usually united PC, as doubts linger over dubious cost estimates, disputes with local authorities as well as the ultimate viability of the project, given its complexity.
This explainer was first published on 24 January 2016.

According to sources from within the Sentinelry of Energy and Environmental Affairs, which would be responsible for the majority of Konohana policy initiatives, the Konohana Project is slated to be carried out in three separate phases, with each phase estimated to take five years - a significant departure from Nikaido's originally projected, highly ambitious timeframe of ten years for delivery of the entire project. The first phase would consist of achieving short-term objectives such as increased funding for local tree-planting schemes and new urban afforestation projects funded by the central government; the procurement of land required for settlement and infrastructure construction via negotiation or compulsory purchase orders; the beginning of the decommissioning of currently operating fossil fuel plants; and planning, assessment and consultation for larger construction projects during later phases.

Phase two, which is set to be initiated in Q3 2022 and end in Q4 2027, would see afforestation take place in the industrial wastelands, to follow a comprehensive soil treatment programme in areas where they are needed. Construction of new sustainable settlements is expected to take place during this timeframe; one million new affordable homes are also to be built on the outskirts of existing settlements. These new homes are, like their counterparts in the new sustainable settlements, to comply with reformed urban planning regulations that will be passed in a complementary bill. The final phase of Konohana, to commence immediately upon the end of phase two, would see the government spend up to 3.4 trillion rin on industrial subsidies for businesses operating within the boundaries of the new sustainable settlements, and finalisation of new renewable energy plants that are set to produce a net power surplus by the time all such plants come online.

The entire Konohana Project is estimated to cost a total of 7.5 trillion rin by the Government, an estimate which is widely believed to be on the conservative side; a costing report produced by the independent Office for Budgetary Oversight puts the total cost at almost two times that, at 14.7 trillion rin.

The Government invites members of the public with queries or concerns to submit them at konohana.gov.krs/publicfeedback.php. These will be taken into account in future planning for the Konohana Project.

by **Kirisaki** » Mon May 01, 2017 2:21 am

Oral Questions to the Government
The 35^th Imperial Diet of Kirisaki - 1 May 2017

Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

In accordance with the parliamentary schedule set out for the day, Questions to the Government will now commence. This House recognises the member for Kita-Karen.Tsukasa Miranaga [KAM - Kita-Karen]

Thank you, Madam Speaker. If the chairperson will list her official engagements for the day.Yuiko Tachibana [KSA - Mizunaga]

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, today I had meetings with my colleagues on the Executive Committee and others, and in addition to my duties in this House, I will have further such meetings later today.Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

Kita-Karen.Tsukasa Miranaga [KAM - Kita-Karen]

Madam Speaker, all of us who have been following the latest domestic developments were greeted with a pleasant surprise last night, as the Sentinel of Energy and Environmental Affairs gave our party's flagship policy the green light. I am personally in little doubt that the Konohana Project will be a roaring success in my constituency, where it is slated to create over 3,000 temporary jobs and, eventually, 1,250 permanent skilled jobs. Can the chairperson tell us more about how the Executive Committee arrived at the decision to approve the Konohana Project, and will she commit to seeing the Project through to its very end, in light of the many benefits that it is set to bring to the country?Yuiko Tachibana [KSA - Mizunaga]

I'm personally delighted that my honourable friend has chosen to raise this issue, as I believe the approval of Konohana is absolutely the right decision going forward. As my honourable friend mentions, Konohana is estimated to create thousands of new jobs, and this is not limited to Kita-Karen alone. I have here a report from the Sentinelry of Labour, which says that over 100,000 temporary jobs will be created over the course of phases one to three, with a further 20,000 permanent jobs to come upon the completion of Konohana. This, in addition to the economic stimulus that will be brought about by the public spending committed, are but two key reasons why the Executive Committee approved Konohana, and we are determined to gain cross-party support over the coming days in order to ensure Konohana becomes the success it needs to be, for the good of the country.Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

Shirayukigahara.Ken'ichi Sakizaka [NPP - Shirayukigahara]

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It has been two years since the Democratic Action party, as part of the Progressive Coalition, was elected to government on a manifesto pledge to tackle rising urban house prices, so that our teenagers are not condemned to a life spent renting expensively from landlords. However, statistics from the Imperial Office of Statistics show that house prices have remained stubbornly high in the two years since. What measures have been taken to tackle this desperate problem beleaguering our tenants?Yuiko Tachibana [KSA - Mizunaga]

I yield to my honourable colleague, the member for Ara.Kanna Kamui [DAP - Ara]

The member for Shirayukigahara is to be commended for his keen interest in the issue of high rents; driven, no doubt, by an instinctive concern for his constituents. With regards to his question, we in government are constantly looking at suitable measures to lower rental prices, and one of those measures to have been recently considered include the zoned expansion of suburban residential areas on the outskirts of Kirisaki's larger cities, with one half of a planned 1.5 million new affordable homes to be set aside for affordable renting. We are also exploring the possibility of introducing stricter rental legislation, including a soft cap on rental prices tied to the assessed market value of the property. If the member for Shirayukigahara wishes to discuss the issue with me in more detail, I encourage him to contact my office so that we can set aside a suitable time to do so.Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

Kirishima 3rd.Nagisa Toyohara [CPM - Kirishima 3rd]

As a member for the coastal prefecture of Kirishima, which prides itself on its diverse ecology, it has been brought to my attention numerous times over the course of this Diet that the kiripikaryaa, a wild cat indigenous to our islands, is currently classified as endangered, due in large part to human development encroaching on their natural habitats. Recent surveys have indicated there may be as little as 500 adult individuals living in the wild, with this figure set to decline even further over the coming years. Can the right honourable member for Mikagahara assure me that all possible avenues are being explored with a view to saving the kiripikaryaa from imminent extinction, and can she lay down a strong commitment to protecting any and all endangered species within Kirisaki?Kyrin Knightsbridge [KAM - Mikagahara]

First of all, I would like to thank the member for Kirishima 3rd for raising this issue. The kiripikaryaa is without doubt an invaluable part of Kirisaki's natural and environmental heritage, and I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we are united in regret at seeing the kiripikaryaa population decline year on year. As the Sentinel of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the member for Kirishima 3rd has my assurance that we will study the problem very thoroughly, with a view to implementing measures to reduce over-encroachment on the kiripikaryaa's natural habitats, and we will look at commissioning surveys to identify endangered Kirisakian species which will then be the subject of holistic conservation programmes to save them from extinction.Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

Hinayama.Shin'nagi Uchida [FSC - Hinayama]

Madam Speaker, in stark contrast with the member for Kita-Karen, I was horrified to discover last night that the Radiant Future Party's Konohana Project had been given the go-ahead. Words cannot begin to express the fiscal devastation that such a flagrantly irresponsible programme would cause to our economy. It has been proven, time and time again, that such reckless programmes of public spending do nothing more than flush taxpayer rins down the toilet, and I cannot fathom why the right honourable member for Mizunaga has given such a white elephant of a programme her approval. Does she think throwing 30 trillion rin after a KAM pipe dream constitutes a rational decision, or has she been brainwashed by Mikoto Nikaido herself?[Disturbance, temporary halt in proceedings]

Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

Order. Order in the House! I must ask the members of the government to behave themselves; this is not conduct befitting representatives of the people of Kirisaki. However, I must also ask that the member for Hinayama withdraw her remark - this is inappropriate language and I intend to treat it as such. If she does not do so I will be forced to propose a motion to expel the member for the remainder of the day's sitting.Shin'nagi Uchida [FSC - Hinayama]

Which remark could you be referring to, Madam Speaker? I don't believe I've uttered a single untruth - is it not the role of the Imperial Diet to give the opinions of the people of Kirisaki a fair hearing?[Disturbance, temporary halt in proceedings.]

Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

Order! I think the member for Hinayama knows very well what I'm referring to. I must ask, once again, for her to withdraw her remark.Shin'nagi Uchida [FSC - Hinayama]

I hereby withdraw the allegedly inappropriate remark, but insist that the substance of my question be given the fair hearing it deserves.Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

The question from the member for Hinayama has been heard and it shall be answered by the Government. The house recognises the right honourable member for Mizunaga.Yuiko Tachibana [KSA - Mizunaga]

I invite my right honourable colleague, the member for Sakurada, to respond to the member for Hinayama in her official capacity as Sentinel of Finance.Keiko Akiyama [KSA - Sakurada]

Thank you, my right honourable colleague. Before we proceed, I would like to point out a factual discrepancy in the tirade unleashed just now by -[Disturbance, temporary halt in proceedings.]

Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

Order in the House. I must warn you, I am losing my patience with the childish behaviour that has been on display here today. If there are any other examples of such behaviour I will not hesitate in exercising the powers vested within me as Speaker to expel the offending members from the chamber. Sakurada, you may continue, but please take care not to employ inappropriate language.Keiko Akiyama [KSA - Sakurada]

Shin'nagi Uchida [FSC - Hinayama]

15.4 trillion is a figure easily bandied about by the right honourable member for Sakurada, but has it ever occurred to you to frame these numbers in more approachable terms? For the fiscal year ending 31 March 2017, the Government's total tax revenue was 28.78 trillion rin, equivalent to 10 per cent of Kirisaki's GDP; assuming these tax revenues remain roughly constant over the projected fifteen years of Konohana, the right honourable member of Sakurada is actually suggesting that the country spend a little over 3 per cent of its annual tax revenues on a mega-project, ambitious to the point of fantasy, which more likely than not will fail to come to fruition. This, at a time when the last Budget statement by the Sentinelry of Finance shows that we spend but 1.5 per cent of GDP on our defence! The right honourable member for Sakurada is supposed to be the overseer of Kirisaki's coffers; how can she justify spending on that scale without a cast-iron guarantee of success? If she kowtows to her party bosses and shells out for Konohana, I can only shudder to think of our economic prospects for the next fifteen years.Keiko Akiyama [KSA - Sakurada]

It is true that spending on the order of trillions of rins must be properly justified before it is approved. However, I am pleased that we at the Sentinelry of Finance have carried out the necessary due diligence. We expect Konohana to cost the taxpayer 15.4 trillion at most, and the true cost is likely to be some way below that. Having said that, I invite my right honourable friend, the member for Mikanomori, to make further remarks with regards to the question posed by the member for Hinayama. Mikoto Nikaido [KAM - Mikanomori]

Shin'nagi Uchida [FSC - Hinayama]

Of course the right honourable member for Mikanomori would attempt to justify Konohana; it is her beloved pet project after all. I am not, for a second, denying that we have a moral duty to our constituents, or to the people of Kirisaki as a whole. However, it is worth considering whether the money would be better spent elsewhere; for instance, towards the construction of new youth centres for the use of the young generation, towards funding our public health service, or, dare I say it, giving the hardworking citizens of Kirisaki some much-needed relief from their heavy tax burden? Would that not constitute more constructive and practical uses of public money?Mikoto Nikaido [KAM - Mikanomori]

The member for Hinayama is absolutely right in that we would all like for our public health service to be better funded, for our youths to spend more of their time engaging in constructive activities, and for our tax burden to be lightened somewhat. I must however point out that funding Konohana does not necessarily preclude the Government from implementing other measures to bring about these changes she says she would like to see. No doubt the member for Hinayama will be horrified at the prospect of even more Government spending, but I would like to take this opportunity to assure her that thanks to the long term economic plan put into place by this Government, should her party ever manage to form a Government she will not find an empty Treasury with a note reading 'there is no money left'.Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

Hanafuda 3rd.Shugo Matsuda [PPK - Hanafuda 3rd]

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In light of the recent passage of the Marijuana Trade Act by the Quenminese parliament, are there any plans by the sitting Government to follow in the footsteps of the progressive Quenminese parliament and introduce a similar law during this Diet?Yuiko Tachibana [KSA - Mizunaga]

I am sorry to disappoint the member for Hanafuda 3rd, but as of this moment in time there has been no great desire within Government to explore the passage of a similar law, nor do I foresee there being much public appetite for the decriminalisation of recreational marijuana. I would like to assure him, however, that we will reconsider our position should the public opinion shift significantly in the future.Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

Edaminato.Akiha Sumiyoshi [KSA - Edaminato]

On February 19 earlier this year, the Syaran Sentinel published an editorial ranking the top ten most powerful states in Tyran, with states ranked by criteria such as, and I quote, 'geopolitics, international influence and prestige, availability of resources, economic productivity and growth, military prowess and capability, force projection, international trade, and bureaucratic efficiency'. As I perused the aforementioned editorial, I noted with great interest that Kirisaki did not make the cut, even as Rapallo and Tennai came in at tenth and ninth, respectively. Does the Government see this as a natural consequence of our relative geopolitical isolation and recent cuts to our military budget, leading to a decline in Kirisaki's international influence, or does the Government believe, as I do, that we should explore measures to rectify this situation with all due haste, so that Kirisaki can be restored to its rightful position amongst the powers of Tyran?Yuiko Tachibana [KSA - Mizunaga]

I thank my honourable friend the member for Edaminato for her question. While I do not believe there is a single, exact formula for rankings of this nature - indeed, the Syaran Sentinel itself admits that there is 'an inherent futility' in ranking nations by order of 'greatness' - I share her sentiments that we should take proactive steps towards establishing Kirisakian influence abroad where it is not present and entrenching it where it is. To that end, I would like to extend an invitation to her to attend a meeting of the Executive Committee, the date of which will be fixed later, at which we will discuss this matter in greater detail.Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

Wakamine.Lee Adagaki [CPK - Wakamine]

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have been following politics in Alizeria for a considerable period of time now, and recently noted that the man hailed as Alizeria's most popular politician, the former Conservative Party politician Izzy Yahweh, has launched a new political party, the National Party. Even though the National Party has yet to select its candidates for the upcoming 2017 general election, it seems that the strength of Mr Yahweh's immense personal popularity may well propel his newly formed party to power. In the event of Mr Yahweh's party successfully forming a government in Krostuk after the election, will members of the Executive Committee welcome his premiership, and will they do everything in their power to improve bilateral relations with Alizeria, with a view to forming an ever closer relationship?Koeda Kawagoe [KAM - Kirayuki]

It is Government policy to refrain from commenting on election campaigns in foreign countries. That being said, we are committed to working with whichever government the people of Alizeria elect, and that includes a government headed by Mr Yahweh. On the subject of closer Kirisakian-Alizeria ties, we are always looking at ways to improve relations with our fellow Tyran states, and Alizeria is obviously no exception.Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

Yarizakura.Yui Miyano [DAP - Yarizakura]

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My partner was recently admitted to Yarizakura General Hospital due to a bout of acute gastroenteritis. Both she and I were surprised by the quality of treatment that was administered, not to mention the pleasant attitude of hospital staff which helped to make the ordeal considerably less uncomfortable. Will members of the Executive Committee join me in celebrating the success of our Imperial Health Service, as well as the thousands upon thousands of excellent staff that constantly strive to give patients the best quality of care?Akane Asahi [KAM - Amaya]

I am sure I speak for the entire House when I say that we all wish the partner of my honourable friend a speedy recovery. My honourable friend is absolutely right to highlight the success of the Imperial Health Service, which has been ably administered by my honourable friend the member for Mitakihara, and I am in complete agreement with her that the staff of the IHS deserve all the credit that they get for their excellent performances. The IHS has rightly been lauded as a jewel in Kirisaki's crown in the past, and we in Government are committed to ensuring that the IHS continues to receive our unconditional support in its quest to provide top quality healthcare, free at the point of use, to the people of Kirisaki. Long may this state of affairs continue.Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

Kamiigusa 1st.Takeo Itsuka [KAM - Kamiigusa 1st]

My thanks, Madam Speaker. News coming out of Segland confirms that the Seglandic National Nuclear Energy Commission has approved plans for a deep geological nuclear waste repository situated on Verstek Island. As is public knowledge, my constituency houses two nuclear energy generation facilities as well as a nuclear waste disposal facility. Given that one of the Konohana Project's stated objectives is to gradually decommission currently operational fossil fuel plants and replace them with renewable energy plants by the conclusion of the third phase, what assurances can the Government give to my constituents that it will follow the Seglandic lead and continue supporting the generation of clean, safe nuclear power?Kyrin Knightsbridge [KAM - Mikagahara]

I thank the member for Kamiigusa 1st for raising this very valid issue on behalf of his constituents. While there are currently no plans to decommission currently operational nuclear power plants, at the same time this Government are not considering the expansion of our nuclear generation capacity, as we are looking at maximising Kirisaki's renewable energy generation capacity under Konohana. However, I can assure the people of Kamiigusa that Kamiigusa 1 and 2 are in no danger of being shuttered soon, and this Government will sanction continued operation of these two plants until the end of their specified lifespan.Azusa Katamochi [Speaker]

That concludes Questions to the Government for the week. There will now be a one hour recess.

by **Alizeria** » Tue May 02, 2017 3:56 am

PARLIAMENT DISSOLVED AHEAD OF ELECTION

April 28th 2017

His Royal Majesty King Nikolas II has issued a writ of election, following the dissolution of the 62nd Parliament of Alizeria.

_{Prime Minister Jennifer Dixon has confirmed an early election}

Prime Minister Jennifer Dixon said that her decision to call an early election was influenced by her desire to avoid a winter election with a low turnout, and holding an election later in the year while international conferences were underway.

She denied that the formation of Izzy Yahweh's populist National Party had anything to do with her decision.

Polls show that Dixon's Conservative Party are deeply unpopular, and that large numbers of the 100 current MPs, who won seats following the 2016 landslide, are likely to be defeated this election.

However, polls also show the opposition Liberal Party to be equally if not more unpopular, while the Left Alliance and National Party are both hoping for a breakthrough, and to end the two party duopoly for the first time in over a century.

"I think our record stands for itself and the silent majority of Alizerians will agree," Said the Prime Minister. "Yes we've had to make some hard decisions, but the economy is growing again, debt is under control, inflation is low and we can now begin rebuilding and reinvesting in social services."

Opposition leader William Eastwood said the Liberal Party was "ready".

"The Liberal Party has a vision for a dynamic, open and progressive Alizeria. It's time to move away from the stone age values and policies of the Conservative Party and bravely face the 21st century."

Meanwhile, Left Alliance leader Harry Fitzgerald said that it was time for a "new politics" and to "break away from the deceit, arrogance and betrayal that the two old parties represent.

"The only difference between the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party is the name. If you want real change, vote for the Left Alliance."

National Party leader Izzy Yahweh said that this year would be time for "forgotten Alizerians to rise up and remind the establishment and the political class who holds the power in this country. It is the people, and we will send them a message!"

Current polls:

Party preference:
1. Conservative Party - 42%
2. Left Alliance - 26%
3. Liberal Party - 24%
4. National Party - 8%

Preferred Prime Minister:
1. Izzy Yahweh (National) - 46%
2. William Eastwood (Liberal) - 24%
3. Jennifer Dixon (Conservative) - 20%
4. Harry Fitzegerald (Left Alliance) - 6%
5. Anthony Ashton (Liberal) - 4%

A FOUR HORSE RACE - THE PARTIES' POLICIES:

- ADH

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by **Kirisaki** » Thu May 04, 2017 4:08 am

Five Centuries and Counting
A look back at half a millennium of Kirisaki-Gylias relations

Diplomatic editor, Kirayuki Guardian - Haruhiko Shiina

Today marks five centuries since the first of the tenshi Katana's expeditionary fleets first made land on the fair shores of Gylias.

The arrival of the expedition was, in many ways, a highly symbolic event for the Kirisakian people. For them, it marked a new dawn for the country, a fresh start after decades upon decades of bloody civil war. During this period, Kirisaki had, reflexively, turned inwards on itself. A country beset by war and poverty, crime and lawlessness, had not the means nor the inclination to expand its influence beyond its own borders. It was not until the warlord Katana rose to power in the late throes of the fifteenth century that the disparate fragments of Kirisaki were slowly assimilated into her realm through a potent combination of brutal conflict and savvy diplomacy; the defeat of her last major rival, the lord Fumitada, at the pivotal battle of Shirayukigahara in 1502, was the crowning achievement of a superlatively successful campaign to unite the lands of Kirisaki under one banner.

For Kirisaki, the narrative was about more than just discovering new trading opportunities or staking out virgin land for colonisation. It spoke instead, of a fallen titan slowly feeling its way back into the realms of power; a country which, rightly or wrongly, believed itself to be a significant player on the international stage, shaking off the troubles of war and once more training its sights further afield. Not content with merely ruling over a united Kirisaki, Katana aimed to firmly entrench Kirisakian influence in the region, dispatching a number of expeditions to uncover what lay beyond the empire's horizons.

The presence of Kirisaki-jin in Gylias had been documented as early as the eleventh century. Kirisakian merchants had, by then, established shipping routes from the major port city of Amaya to Gylias independently of the Seraphic Throne, ferrying exotic trade goods from Gylias in exchange for grain and precious metals from the empire. These merchants, some of whom were already based permanently in Gylias, eventually married native Gylians and integrated into local communities, forming the first significant Kirisakian diaspora in the country. Katana's expeditionary fleets, however, represented the first meaningful contact between the two countries. Where before the Seraphic Throne had not maintained any interests in Gylias, it was now making a concerted effort to lay down foundations for the future build-up of Kirisakian influence by expanding its trading potential.

The Gylian expeditionary fleets, led by Katana herself, first made landfall at Fyna. Legend has it that the leader of the Zerian state, Ryndha Ternií, who was renowned for her clairvoyant abilities, had predicted the arrival of Katana's fleets; when Katana, together with a number of her advisers and lieutenants, rowed ashore in a galley, she was surprised by the sight of a delegation of leaders and local citizens waiting for her. As soon as they disembarked, Katana was greeted by a warm embrace from Ternií, and these words, which would go on to characterise five hundred years of Kirisaki-Gylias relations, were spoken —

"Friends, welcome to our shores. May the fates of our people be bound for evermore, for it has been foreseen; together, we are destined for greatness."This first encounter marked the beginning of a relationship that was different from all the others; at times warm and cordial, at times intimate and passionate. A bamboo scroll dating to the middle of the sixteenth century, whose authorship is generally attributed to the scholar Genji Nagano, likened the special relationship to 'a loving couple, fifty years by the covenant of marriage bound'. Upon her return to her capital in Mihama, Katana, who was very much enamoured by the charming hospitality of the Gylic peoples and excited by the trading opportunities that Kirisaki's southern neighbours presented, immediately began making plans to establish a Kirisakian foothold in Gylian lands. Before too long, she managed to secure trading rights for Kirisakian merchants at Gylian coastal settlements from the Liúshai League. Kirisakian merchant fleets, proudly flying the flag of the empire, began to make Kyman one of their main ports of call; located as it was on the eastern coast of Gylias, Kyman served as a convenient stop-off point for the empire's merchants before they turned the Nerveiík and sailed westwards for Tennai and Nalaya.

The many valuable trade goods that were channeled to the Kirisakian homeland via these lucrative shipping routes made many a Kirisaki-jin a rich man. However, the relationship was by no means one-sided; throughout the reigns of Katana and her successors, the custom of Kirisaki's merchants at Gylian ports was one of the major factors in bringing about a sustained economic boom that greatly improved the lot of the common Gylian. Whereas the Gylians at the time had struggled with a slump in regional commerce - the Liúshai League’s only other significant trading relationship being with the Cacertian states - the firm trading relationship that became a mainstay of bilateral relations offered Gylian labourers and merchants a chance to sell their goods abroad to Kirisaki for far higher prices than they would otherwise have obtained. The Seraphic Throne, recognising the massive trading potential of the Liúshai League, took the step of subsidising the construction of basic port and transportation infrastructure in the Gylic states, further burnishing the reputation of Gylic ports as highly attractive entrepôts, and eventually creating an economic boom that led to the rapid development of coastal Gylic settlements, which the Gylic states in turn used to invest in inland infrastructure.

The cordial relationship both countries enjoyed with each other was to last the better part of several centuries. This mutually beneficial relationship, however, was brought to a screeching halt by the Colonisation War of 1695-1704. The Xevdenite king Jaru, an impetuous, militaristic leader with jingoistic ambitions of imperial conquest, overcame the resistance of the Gylic states, who were deprived of any sort of meaningful military assistance, by sheer weight of numbers. In the process, however, Xevden's neighbours exploited the Colonisation War and its drain of Xevdenite troop numbers based in Xevden proper to invade and subsequently annex the country. This led to Jaru fleeing Xevden and, when the last remnants of resistance by the Gylic states had been defeated, to declare the Second Kingdom of Xevden in what is modern day Gylias.

Under Xevdenite rule, the native Gylian population were summarily subjected to policies of discrimination and disenfranchisement. The administration of the tenshi Kirashi, which had looked on in growing dismay as the Liúshai League states fell, one by one, under Xevdenite control, wasted no time in denouncing the Second Kingdom as an illegitimate entity, and refused to formally recognise Jaru's government. The first years of Xevdenite rule aw a dramatic shift in Kirisakian policy vis-à-vis Gylias, from a policy of close cooperation to outright hostility against the Xevdenite government. This state of affairs only deteriorated further when in 1710, a Kirisakian merchant ship flying the flag of the empire was illegally boarded by the crew of a Xevdenite naval vessel, leading to widespread protests against what was perceived amongst Kirisaki-jin as a flagrant violation of Kirisakian sovereignty. In response, Kirashi's Sentinel of War and Defence, Sakuya Miyashirano, dispatched the Second Imperial Fleet to patrol the Sea of Lirinya, threatening a swift and summary response to further Xevdenite aggression.

Bilateral relations took a turn for the better after 1754, after the removal of the aging Jaru in a palace coup orchestrated by his queen Senalta. Senalta's successful attempt to end the Rebellion of 1749 with the ratification of the Treaty of Adhnat, followed by signs that her rule would be benign and enlightened relative to the cruelly discriminatory policies pursued under Jaru's leadership, prompted the tenshi Nagisa to reconsider her government's hitherto steadfast position on Xevden. While Nagisa was in fundamental disagreement with many Xevdenite policies enacted under Senalta's leadership, at the same time he realised, as did the native Gylic population, that Senalta represented the Gylic peoples’ best hope of obtaining further concessions to their benefit. The reforms that were effected under Senalta's auspices made renewed Kirisakian cooperation with Xevden, once viewed as morally reprehensible and of no immediate political or economic benefit, somewhat palatable; despite that, Kirisakian relations with Xevden were never as close as they had been prior to the establishment of the Second Kingdom, and interactions between subjects of both countries were generally limited to unregulated small-scale trading in foreign ports. The Seraphic Throne would repeatedly put pressure on the Xevdenites to improve the lot of the Gylic people, and refrain from mistreating the Kirisaki-jin who had settled in the Gylic states, with mixed fortunes.

Consequently, Kirisakian foreign policy pivoted away from Gylias; where once Gylias had been the main focus of Kirisakian foreign policy, Nagisa's zeal to establish Kirisakian influence within Tyran led her to pursue Kirisakian interests in Cacerta, Lirinya and Aomori. Nagisa's expansion of Kirisaki's sphere of influence eventually led to the empire cementing significant footholds abroad, particularly in Inara, where the overseas dominions of Phonox and Akashi were established. Despite the policy pivot away from Gylias at this point, and a resigned acceptance to a period of sustained Xevdenite rule over Gylias, Nagisa always harboured hopes of eventually resurrecting the special relationship between Kirisaki and Gylias. This did not come to pass under Nagisa's rule, but one of her successors to the Seraphic Throne, her granddaughter Erii, played an instrumental role in liberating the Gylian people from their Xevdenite overlords, effectively removing the one obstacle that had barred the resumption of such a relationship.

After Senalta's death, the government under the Xevdenites had relapsed into authoritarianism, driving a wedge between the ruling nobility and the Nhej and native Gylians. This, coupled with the rapid spread of radical political ideologies within the populace, eventually formed the perfect storm that sparked the Liberation War in 1938, which was spearheaded by the People's Army, the largest rebel force. As the Liberation War raged on in Gylias, Erii's administration followed developments with keen interest; as it became clear to Erii that the rise of the rebel forces presented a golden opportunity for the removal of Gylias's Xevdenite oppressors, she pushed forward with proactive measures to aid the rebel forces in their cause. Covert support was delivered to the PA in the form of aid shipments smuggled into the Gylian heartlands; these consisted of canned foodstuffs and medical supplies, and, as the war progressed, weapons and ammunition for the PA's fighters. Eventually, after the defeat of the Xevdenite government forces became a foregone conclusion following the battles of Nerazur and Mytin Pass, Kirisaki, with the consent of the PA's leadership, committed a peacekeeping force of some 10,000 troops and serving police officers in order to quell unrest and oversee aid distribution efforts in the already liberated regions of Gylias.

Immediately following the end of the Liberation War, Erii's administration reached out to the first prime minister of Gylias, the former PA leader Darnan Cyras, offering to assist in the reconstruction of the devastated country. Under the first few years of Cyras's premiership, which was characterised by teething difficulties for the nascent Gylian state, Kirisaki channeled humanitarian aid, technical expertise and, to a more limited extent, foreign direct investment, into the country to aid rebuilding efforts. Together with Cyras's appointment of Gylian nationals of Miranian heritage, such as the great education reformers Rin and Sakura Tōsaka, as well as the popular and effective Minister of Internal Affairs and Public Security, Akane Tsunemori, to Gylias's first postwar cabinet, Kirisaki's assistance in the reconstruction effort helped to bridge the divide that had formed under Xevdenite rule, laying the foundation for the further solidification of relations in the years ahead.

Throughout Cyras's tenure at the head of Gylian government, which lasted for a combined eighteen years from 1958 to 1976, Gylias became an increasingly invaluable Kirisakian ally. Cyras's broad liberal-leftist coalition rode a wave of national euphoria, instigated by the resounding success of the post-war reconstruction effort and the adoption of a set of popular progressive reforms known as the Golden Revolution, to three successive victories at the Gylian polls, allowing him the time and the political capital to shape Gylias in his own image. This new Gylias, characterised by a staunchly left-wing political atmosphere in the halls of government which eventually percolated down to the wider Gylian populace, found a natural partner in Kirisaki - a country whose prevailing political winds, history of sexual freedom and liberal, egalitarian society was seen as a template for a modern progressive Gylian state.

However, there was change afoot in 1976, as Cyras's anointed successor as the leader of the Progressive Alliance, Aliska Géza, died in a car accident days before she was due to lead the PA out in its first election without the father of modern Gylias at its helm. The subsequent election saw a shocked and disoriented electorate hand the authoritarian Revolutionary Rally group and its leader, Aaén Janez, enough seats in the Gylian legislature to form a coalition government with a reluctant Progressive Alliance. While bilateral relations did not initially deteriorate in the early days of Janez's ministry, Janez's tendency to indulge in aggressive posturing on the international stage alienated the government of the tenshi Shizuno, leading to widespread fears that the special relationship could once again be threatened. Janez's wildly oscillating stances and blustering attitude led Kirisaki to adopt a policy of strategic patience with regards to Gylias; the installation of the independent Filomena Pinheiro at the head of the Gylian government after Janez was ousted in 1987 saw the resumption of normal relations. Successive liberal-leftist coalition governments led by Mathilde Véira and Kaori Kawashima, while inevitably beset by problems of their own, proved to be successful at repairing the damage wreaked by Janez during her terms in office, both domestically and internationally. Kawashima's decision not to run for a second term as prime minister in 2012 paved the way for the PA to regain the prime ministership, with its leader Antoinette 'Toni' Vallas elected to office leading a smaller group of coalition parties.

Ever since the modern Gylian state was proclaimed by Darnan Cyras almost sixty years ago in 1958, Kirisaki has always valued its southern neighbour as a trusted, reliable partner. Throughout five centuries of relations, the picture that has been painted of relations between Gylias and the empire has almost always been one of intimate cooperation resulting in mutual benefit; the initial trading relationship that enriched both countries during the days of the Liúshai League, Kirisakian assistance in Gylias's postwar reconstruction efforts, elements of Gylian popular culture influencing modern Kirisakian culture, mutual cooperation in fields of scientific research, and perhaps most significantly, diplomatic support for each other on the international stage. Together, both Kirisaki and Gylias are more than the sum of their parts; together, we stand firm as we grasp each other's hands in the spirit of goodwill and cooperation.

In an age where unrest continues to simmer in Eracura and Siduri, perpetually on the verge of erupting into all out war, while an increasingly assertive Acrea continues to rise in Inara, Tyran as a whole is facing a series of unprecedented challenges that may well define our future for centuries to come. As Kirisaki struggles to rise to these challenges as part of the region, never more than in these times of increasing geopolitical uncertainty have we needed our Gylian friends more.

Eracuran correspondent, Gylias Review - Leina Nasradh

The peoples of Gylias and Kirisaki share a long history together, which we celebrate this year on the 500th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations.

The two nations had both been aware of each other before — it was around the year 1000 that the first Gylic ships, traveling northwards, sighted the shores of Kirisaki. Trade links were soon established, with no small part of the initiative coming from the port of Amaya, several of whose traders earned the distinction of being the first Miranians to settle in Gylic lands. While relations proceeded peacefully between the province of Miranaga and the states of Zeri and Var, the development of systematic links was for decades stymied by the civil war that beset Kirisaki.

The unification of Kirisaki in 1502 eliminated the obstacles it previously confronted, and opened the door to it achieving its potential as a significant nation in Tyran. An expeditionary fleet led by the tenshi Katana themself landed at Fyna in 1517, to a warm welcome from the Zerians — whose leader Ryndha Ternii was not only said to have predicted their arrival, but also stated to the Miranian delegation that "together, we are destined for greatness."

Ryndha's prediction was largely borne out by the subsequent century, during which Kirisaki and the Liúshai League developed friendly, mutually beneficial relations. Mutual trade provided handsome benefits to many Kirisakians as the Gylic states became a significant trading partner, while in turn Kirisaki's generosity and assistance with expanding port and transportation infrastructure along the coasts became a cornerstone of prosperity for the Gylic peoples. The Miranian communities in the League states flourished, growing in number and gaining a high standing. The discovery of Miranian literature and poetry captivated and inspired many Gylians, leaving a significant mark on the autochthonous arts. During the 16th and 17th centuries, it became possible to say that, to a Gylic, to be modern meant to be more like the people of Kirisaki. Instructional books, of the kind that appealed to the aspiring upper middle classes and discussed the relation between individual and society, played a vital role in introducing Gylic audiences to the intricacies of Kirisakian society and culture.

The amity between the Miranian and Gylic peoples endured the long years of Xevdenite oppression, a time during which Kirisaki served as one of the champions of the Gylic cause in the world. The Gylian people are forever grateful to Kirisaki for its efforts to resist the Xevdenite usurpation and push for justice to be done. When it proved necessary for that justice to be achieved through armed conflict, Kirisaki once again stood with the Gylian people as they fought to liberate themselves, and the Kirisakians who served as peacekeepers and humanitarian workers in the Free Territories are honoured in our memory.

Once independence was secured in 1958, Gylias was able to achieve the long-held dream of restoring normal relations with Kirisaki. During the difficult first years, Kirisaki generously provided assistance with the rebuilding efforts, whether in the form of material aid or technical expertise, and the expansion of the Common Sphere created additional means by which the two nations could expand and deepen their cooperation. In a time when much of Tyran warily kept Gylias at arms' length, Kirisaki knew and understood that Gylians were not the bomb-throwing extremists the region seemed to expect, but sophisticated and sober radicals, who once again looked to Kirisaki as a model for fashioning a new, progressive and egalitarian society.

It is impossible to imagine what Gylias would've been without our Miranian partners, whether Gylian or Kirisakian nationals. Whether in the fields of education, governance, culture and the arts, or the economy, the vital contribution that Miranians have brought to Gylias is paralleled by the long-lasting friendship with Kirisaki — one that has endured historical tragedies and domestic difficulties alike. The ties that bind our people together have strengthened and enriched us both, from scientific breakthroughs to exchange programs that have sustained the regular interactions between our peoples, from cooperation to preserve our natural heritage to diplomatic harmonisation.

The difficult times that portend ahead for Tyran — whether in conflicts that Eracura and Siduri struggle to extinguish, newly ascendant powers seeking to reconfigure the existing order, or the established powers clinging to existing advantages — only reinforce the fact that we can rely on our old friends in Kirisaki, and they can rely on their old friends in Gylias.

This article will be reproduced in full on the website of the Gylias Review.

by **Kirisaki** » Fri May 05, 2017 10:47 am

Tenshi assents to dissolution of Imperial Diet
Karen grants ExCo chairperson's request for snap elections as landmark bill fails to pass

Kirayuki - The tenshi Karen today gave her assent to the dissolution of the Imperial Diet upon the request of the chairperson of the Executive Committee, Yuiko Tachibana. This comes in the wake of the stunning failure of the Progressive Coalition's Konohana bill on the floor of the Imperial Diet, with sizable numbers of rebel PC members crossing the floor to vote with the Opposition.

On a turbulent day for the PC administration led by Tachibana, members of the Imperial Diet voted to nix the Konohana Appropriation Bill, which contained, among others, provisions to set aside a total of 15.4 trillion rin over the course of fifteen years for the project's funding, and the appropriation of 10 million rin of taxpayer money in order to undertake a series of extensive local consultations on public works projects throughout the country. It is reported the ExCo held an emergency meeting following the bill's surprise defeat; some two hours after the conclusion of the day's sitting, the ExCo chairperson Tachibana was filmed arriving at the Imperial residence in Misaka to ask for the dissolution of the Imperial Diet.

Spokesperson for the Executive Committee Natsumi Shirakawa said this morning that the Executive Committee had taken the decision to call a snap election after Tachibana's government slipped to a humiliating defeat in the Imperial Diet in a possibly fatal setback for the Radiant Future Party's much-vaunted Konohana Project. Speaking in the media briefing room at the Pavilion of the White Tiger, Shirakawa also confirmed that the country would be going for the polls for a second time in three years on the 5th of June, allowing for a shorter than usual campaigning period of four weeks.

Explainer
How does the Kirisakian electoral system work?
The Kirisakian legislature comprises two houses; the lower house, the House of the Crescent Moon, and the upper house, the House of the Rising Sun. Members of the House of the Crescent Moon serve four-year terms, with no limit placed on the number of terms a member may serve for, similarly, members of the House of the Rising Sun serve six year terms, with staggered elections which mean half of the seats in the House come up for election every two years. Snap elections in Kirisaki do not necessitate the dissolution of the House of the Rising Sun.

Elections for the House of the Crescent Moon employ a semi-proportional parallel voting system comprising instant runoff voting and a hybrid PR-STV system. As of 2017, there are a total of 505 seats in the House of the Crescent Moon; 305 of those being district seats, while the remaining 200 are supplementary seats.

A standard instant runoff voting system is used for single member constituencies, the boundaries of which are drawn to coincide with Kirisaki's districts and special municipalities. Voters rank all candidates in order of preference, and the candidate with a majority of votes is elected. If there are no candidates with a majority of votes, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated and their votes redistributed; this process continues until a candidate is elected.

The supplementary member system in use in Kirisaki comprises a hybrid PR-STV system, sometimes also referred to as the Haruue system after its creator, the 19th century academic Kaede Haruue. Under the Haruue system, parties draw up separate party lists for each of the 48 prefectures in the country. Each prefecture is apportioned a number of seats based on its population, and no parties can field more list candidates in a given prefecture than there are seats apportioned to that prefecture. Candidates who are already running for election in single member constituencies may not be placed on the party lists.

The individual party lists are then combined to produce a centralised list. Voters rank candidates on this centralised list, again in order of preference. The total number of valid votes cast are tallied and the first preference votes are used to calculate the proportion of seats which a given party will receive via the d'Hondt method.

A variant of STV is then applied to determine the candidates who will be elected from their respective party lists. Candidates with vote totals exceeding the Droop quota are elected; votes for these candidates are then redistributed accordingly. If, at any stage, there is no candidate that meets the Droop quota, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed. Once the number of candidates from a given party elected in this manner exceeds the number of seats allocated that party, all remaining candidates belonging to that party are eliminated. This process continues until all seats are filled.
This explainer was first published on 5 May 2017.

The architect of the Konohana Project, Mikoto Nikaido, welcomed news of the tenshi's assent.

"The Radiant Future Party are ready to go to the country. We remain convinced that the PC's shared vision for Kirisaki is the best going forwards, and we look forward to having constructive conversations with the electorate up and down the country during the course of the campaign." Asked as to whether the scale of the government defeat, by a crushing margin of 87 votes, would affect her party's electoral prospects in the upcoming election, Nikaido was dismissive of the impact that the defeat of the bill would have, and committed her party to pushing for the passage of the same bill if re-elected to government.

"We don't believe it will bring about a negative impact ... in fact, there's no reason to believe that voters who are supportive of Konohana's provisions won't turn out in large numbers to support the PC. Konohana comprises a set of policies that have immense public support, and we in the KAM will work hard to translate that support into seats, with which we can continue to fight for a better Kirisaki. As for Konohana, we are absolutely committed to pushing for its passage if we are re-elected to government."The leader of the Opposition and the chair of the Fiscal and Social Conservative Party, Shin'nagi Uchida, was similarly welcoming of the ExCo's decision to go to the country, albeit for very different reasons.

"Obviously we welcome the opportunity to present our ideas to the electorate. I'll be the first one to admit the FSC didn't give a good account of itself at the last elections, but we've proven once again that we're a capable party in opposition by holding the PC administration to account on issues such as tax reform, welfare reform, tuition fees for international students and more recently the Konohana Project. I think voters will appreciate that we've been able to effectively rein in a government with dangerously spendthrift tendencies, and given the farcical defeat of the Konohana Appropriation bill in the Imperial Diet I'm confident that voters will now turn to us as the best candidates to run the country."Early projections from psephologist Akiha Kaieda based on opinion polling from the last two years suggest that the PC are well-placed to return to a government, albeit with a reduced majority. Kaieda, however, noted that the averages did not adequately reflect possible swings in voting intent due to the failure of the Konohana Appropriation Bill, and warned that the PC might be heading for a damaging defeat in the polls come June 5th.

If you are of 18 years of age on or before 5th June 2017, you are eligible to vote in these elections. If you are not yet registered on your electoral roll, you can do so either in person at your nearest local authority office, or via the website of the Imperial Electoral Commission at www.imperialelectoralcommission.org.krs.

by **Alizeria** » Sat May 13, 2017 12:39 am

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL PART ONE: LIBERALISM ON THE LAKE

May 13th 2017

In the first part of our four part series, the Alizeria Daily Herald follows the four parties and their leaders on the campaign trail. This week we are in Auckonto with Liberal Party leader William Eastwood.

_{Opposition leader William Eastwood is confident that the Liberal Party will defy the polls}

With all their talk of creating a modern, progressive Alizeria, Auckonto seems by far the most fitting city in the country for us to meet with the leader of the Liberal Party.

Not only is it his hometown (he represents the Auckonto West seat), it's also the newest city in Alizeria - the largest "new town" in the country, built and founded in the 20th century and famous for its leafy suburbs, it's well planned roading grid system (unlike the winding ancient streets of Krostuk and Norskeberg) and its modern architecture.

The Leader of the Opposition is smiling when we meet at his favourite pub, on the shore of Lake Auckonto. It's a little surprising to see him smile, as the Liberal Party have had precious little to smile about if the polls are anything to go by - with many polls predicting that Alizeria's oldest political party could be about to finish in third place.

Eastwood is a giant of a man, at least six foot seven, and despite the precarious position of his party he oozes charm and self confidence. It's clear too that he's very well respected in Auckonto - the waitress doesn't need to be prompted, she knows he's going to order a glass of pinot noir and he addresses her by her first name. At the tables near us, children are pointing and people are turning their heads and murmuring - to the locals William Eastwood is already Prime Minister and definitely going to win the election.

"I'm a wine drinker not a beer drinker," Eastwood admits of his choice of tipple. "I know politicians are supposed to be beer drinkers to show they have the common touch. But I can't pretend to be someone I'm not, and the truth is I'm as middle class as they come."

I note that it's not an Alizerian wine that he's drinking either, but an imported one. In the years before Ashtonomics, imported wine would have cost a premium - today it's available in every supermarket, sometimes for as little as 5 grotes.

"I'd like for Alizeria to develop a wine industry actually. It's not like we don't have the climate - certainly in places like Country Chiridia or County Kingsbay, it's doable," He says. "But look I'm unashamedly a globalist. I'll drink foreign wine, and I'll eat Alizerian lamb overseas. There's a big world out there."

Pleasantries aside, there's an elephant in the room and it needs to addressed: The Liberal Party looks to be dying.

"It's not dying," Says Eastwood. "In fact I'll tell you now, come voting day it's the Conservatives who will find themselves in trouble, not us."

So does he not believe that the rise of populism - and the two new political parties, the National Party and the Left Alliance - are not the result of Ashtonomics, and of the Liberal Party's actions in the past?

"Absolutely not. We were completely upfront and honest about everything we did in government. We were transparent, we opened the books, we never claimed that we were going to do anything other than liberalise the economy," He says. "Oh and by the way I don't regret it - because in case you've forgotten, under Sir Edward Vermile our economy was more centrally planned than a lot of full-fledged communist countries!"

So what does he attribute to the advent of the two new populist parties?

"Well they're the doing of the Tories, not us. The Conservatives said they were going to 'Undo Ashtonomics' and what did they do when they got into office? They realised that we'd been right all along, that there was no way the country could afford any of the new social spending they wanted to do, and the people felt betrayed.

"The Conservative Party lied to the people. That's why people are angry. That's why people don't trust politicians. You can criticise the Liberals all you want, but we have always been upfront with people. Always."

But surely the Liberal Party haven't helped their situation, especially with the Caucus descending into all out civil war after the resignation of Anthony Ashton?

"That is a fair point. There were some pretty serious differences of opinion. You had the ideological libertarians on one hand wanting to be even more radical, and then you had people like me who were more concerned about social justice than anything."

So have the Liberal Party moved to the centre this election?

"Oh definitely. I don't deny that Ashtonomics was painful for many people, and I want people to be rewarded by it. I'm not saying let's go back to the old tax and spend days, but I definitely think we have problems with equality of opportunity, and we need to invest more in education and other core services."

I note that this sounds remarkably like the Conservative position - with the Tories also laying claim to having 'shifted to the centre'.

"The Tories can say anything they want, but do you really think Alizerians believe a word they say any more?" He says, before going on to admit that a core part of the Liberal Party's strategy this year will be going after disaffected middle class Tory voters.

"We have a new political landscape, and the battlegrounds this election are going to be totally different.

"Traditionally, the towns were always Liberal, the rural seats were always Conservative, and Krostuk would decide the election based on what the economy was doing.

"That's not the case now. I think Krostuk is now solidly Liberal, and Izzy Yahweh is going to deliver the Conservatives a body blow in the Counties. That's what I mean when I say, come election day it's the Conservatives, not us, who will be in trouble."

But doesn't the Left Alliance present the same threat to the Liberal Party in Krostuk that the National Party presents to the Tories in rural Alizeria? Afterall, polls show the Left Alliance are by far the most popular party in the capital.

"Two words: Spoiler effect." Says Eastwood. "The anti-Liberal vote will be split, even if we are less popular in Krostuk. There are still a lot of working class people loyal to the Conservatives. The Left Alliance will split that vote. And actually, I think Izzy Yahweh might get a lot of those people too. But Liberal voters in Krostuk are loyal. They'll always vote blue. And they'll always turn out on the day too."

So he's confident that the polls have it wrong?

Eastwood laughs. "Oh yes. We're the voice of the silent majority now. The Conservatives, the Left Alliance and the National Party are all scrapping over the same types of voters. But it'll be Middle Alizeria - specifically Middle Class Alizeria - who are going to get us over the line. They're fed up with the lying Tories and the flakey, flash in a pan new parties.

"The Liberal Party has been around since 1871 and we're not going anywhere. Voters know us, voters trust us, and they know what we stand for."

And with that, he places his wine glass back on the table, signalling the end of our interview.

- ADH

by **Alizeria** » Mon May 15, 2017 4:27 am

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL PART TWO: AT HOME WITH THE DIXONS

May 15th 2017

In the second part of our four part series, the Alizeria Daily Herald follows the four parties and their leaders on the campaign trail. This week we are in North Krostuk with Prime Minister Jennifer Dixon.

_{Faith and Family isn't just a government programme to Jennifer Dixon - they're the two most important things in her life}

Fluffy, the Dixon family's pet sheep, bolts down the hallway in fright as I enter the front door of their home on the rural fringes of Northhead City, Krostuk.

"Did you get here okay?" Asks the Prime Minister as if greeting an old friend.

I have to say, it's an unusual experience - quite possibly the first in Alizerian journalistic history. I've been invited to the personal home of the Prime Minister, who intends to cook me dinner.

The family home is nice - it's hardly humble, but at the same time it isn't ostentatious either. It's a two storey villa, but most notably is on a very large block of land, and the family even own a horse.

Apparently it's salmon on the menu today, but the Prime Minister warns me it's not a recipe she's used to cooking so "Please don't judge my Premiership based on my culinary skills."

Her husband, businessman James Dixon is also present, and offers me a choice of beer or whiskey (I opt for the beer). He laughs and notes that if he hadn't signed her up to the Conservative Party when they were at university together, she would have never become Alizeria's first woman Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister corroborates. "When we first met, I was actually quite apathetic about politics, while James was the one we thought would end up an MP."

What stopped him?

"Family. Our first child came along and suddenly I felt I had more important thing to worry about. Jennifer though was getting really involved in local community groups and local politics - for her it all snowballed from there."

In 1992, Jennifer Dixon was elected onto the County Krostuk council, which fast-tracked her becoming a Conservative candidate and then an MP. She became a Minister in 2007, under Sir Edward Vermile. I ask what he was like to work with.

"He was as eccentric in private as he was in public," She says. "We were never very close though. I think he wasn't very uncomfortable with the idea of a woman in a position of power. He would shout at everyone in Cabinet except me - with me he'd blush and mumble a bit. It was almost cute."

Commentators have described Dixon as having more in common with Vermile's successor Anthony Ashton than with Sir Ed, with 'Dixonomics' seen as a continuation of 'Ashtonomics' and out of character for a Conservative government.

"I've been through this ad nauseum," She says. "I'm a Christian democrat, not a Christian socialist. I know people don't want to hear it, but socialism is finished in the 21st century. Yes I've moved the party to the centre, but I'm as much a Tory as I've ever been."

As if to prove her point, she insists on saying grace before we begin eating. I ask her husband if they're really that religious or if they're just playing up for the public.

"Well we don't say grace every night because we're not together every night," He says. "But in all the years we've been married I can still count on my hands the number of times we've missed church on Sunday."

This seems as obvious a time as any to segue into the other controversial aspect of Dixon's premiership - Faith and Family, the controversial church based social services programme.

I ask her how she feels about criticism from groups like Secular Alizeria and the Disestablishment League that allowing the Church of Alizeria greater control over social services represents a step backward in time.

"Well they would say that wouldn't they?" She says. "The fact is that Alizeria is not a secular country and never will be. This is a Christian country. We have an established church and we always will.

"I happened to share the contention of some of these groups that perhaps taxes shouldn't be going to the Church - certainly not unless there was significant public good. Faith and Family does just that though - it says to the Church, yes we'll pay you, but you need to pay it forward. You are now obligated to help the needy."

Does she think the programme has been a success?

"Yes of course I do." She says. "I know we were criticised for going over the initial budget, and I accept that, but ask all the homeless people who were taken in by the church, you ask the needy families who were given food, you ask the reformed former addicts and the criminals whose lives have been turned around by Faith and Family."

How much personal involvement has she had in the programme?

"This has been very personal to me. It's why I actually get quite annoyed when my name is attached to our economic policies - Dixonomics - when really I've kept aloof of the big economic decisions, mostly. But Faith and Family was always my brainchild, I started forming the idea when I was Home Secretary and it's my proudest achievement - being the first woman Prime Minister is all fine and dandy, but it's actually doing something that matters."

The real question of course now is - will this be enough to give her a second term in office?

"We've made mistakes," She admits. "And I've owned up to them. It's impossible not to. But I don't think that we should be raked over the coals for it, nor do I think we will. We've provided strong and stable government, we've got a growing economy and we're making sure that growth is spread around.

"And look at the state of the opposition. You have the Liberals infighting, the Left Alliance have become the real opposition - but they're too alienating to middle Alizeria and... well we all know how I feel about Izzy."

Could she ever work with Izzy Yahweh in a coalition?

"No." She says bluntly. "I fired him from Cabinet for a good reason. He never used to read his papers, he would sleep in meetings. He's a shameless publicity seeker, and apparently these days he doesn't even bother to return phone calls. He's a lazy, lazy man, and I sincerely hope we won't see him again after this election."

And yet, he's more popular than you and William Eastwood combined?

"He has entertainment value. I don't think Alizerians would really want him in charge making decisions. You should have seen him as a Minister - he was hopeless."

So she's confident that the Tories will storm to victory again?

"We won't storm to victory, but we will win. We're the only party capable of governing right now."

As we continue our meal the Dixons insist I put my notebook away and the rest of the conversation centres around sport, and them showing me photos of their family (they have two boys in their 20s) and discussing anything but politics.

But Mrs. Dixon makes one point very clear and insists I repeat it: The things that matter to her are the things that appear in the name of her most well-known government programme.

Dixon's values lie in Faith and in Family.

- ADH

by **Alizeria** » Tue May 16, 2017 8:34 am

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL PART THREE: ALL IS RIGHT IN THE LEFT ALLIANCE

May 17th 2017

In the third part of our four part series, the Alizeria Daily Herald follows the four parties and their leaders on the campaign trail. This week we are in Norskeberg with Left Alliance leader Harry Fitzgerald.

_{Harry Fitzgerald is ready to take on the establishment - but he doesn't believe he will become Prime Minister}

Harry Fitzgerald hails from Everton, the sunshine capital of Alizeria. So, as we both huddled under our umbrellas and freezing winds and horizontal rain blow through us, you can imagine how disappointed I was that we were to hold our interview in Norskeberg, just as winter seemed to be settling in.

"I'm sorry, but I promised to campaign come sun, wind or rain, and what we're fighting for is more important than the weather," He says, adding. "Though you're right, it's bloody cold here."

We're standing under a canvas shelter on Norskeberg Harbour, where Harry Fitzgerald and the local Left Alliance candidate, Gwen Kelly, were holding a public rally - one which they refused to cancel on the grounds of weather and which - surprisingly - was attended by loyal supporters, who braved the rain for the chance to hear the Left Alliance's message.

"By the way, if we don't do something about climate change we're going to see weather like this a lot more often - even up in Everton!" Says Fitzgerald, not missing an opportunity to plug his environmental views and prove that he is still the leader of the former Green Party.

There's no doubting that Harry Fitzgerald is the baby of all the political leaders - aged just 33, he's also one of the youngest members of Parliament. He was born the year James Cooper came to power, but in spite of his youth is the only of the four party leaders to hold a PhD - he's actually Dr. Harry Fitzgerald, though he's self conscious about using this title.

He was elected to Parliament in 2015, aged 31, and his life prior to that was spent as an academic - he lectured in Environmental Science as the University of Kingsbay. This has lead to charges that he's an "ivory tower elitist" who has "never worked" and is a "career politician."

Fitzgerald laughs at these claims.

"Well this just comes to down to an outdated perception of what work is. People still think work involves being covered in oil, turning a giant metal wheel, or being on a paddock with your hand up a sheep's bottom," He says. "It's the 21st century. The knowledge economy is a thing - and I'm someone who has spent my life working, and working hard, in the knowledge economy.

"Oh and while we're at it, yes I was 31 when I was elected. Jennifer Dixon was 32 when she became a City Councillor. William Eastwood was 28 when he entered Parliament. Izzy Yahweh was the age I am now when he first became an MP. They've all been in politics for much longer than me, and there's a saying involving glass houses and the throwing of stones..."

He's certainly different to other MPs. He's the only Party leader who doesn't own his own house (as an academic, Fitzgerald claims he couldn't afford to, and as an MP has donated most of his salary to the party), and not only that, he doesn't own a car or hold a driver's licence either.

"Cars are bad for the environment. When electric cars become affordable in Alizeria, I'll consider it - unfortunately right now most electric cars are made in countries that drive on the right."

Even despite his youth, Fitzgerald's journey to the House of Peasants was an unlikely one - when he won the Everton seat of Cass Bay, and brought in four other Green MPs (and won a whopping 20% of the vote) it was the first time since the 1970s that a third party had won a seat in the House of Peasants, and was the best result for the third party since the Communist Party in the 1920s.

"I was stunned. We were this tiny, fringe political movement, on a shoestring budget, made up basically of students and academics, and we took a fifth of the vote. That's how angry people were over Ashtonomics - and over Vermile too."

Does he agree, as many commentators have alleged, that the success of the Greens in 2015 was thanks to Anthony Ashton?

"Oh yes," He says, catching me off guard. "If it hadn't been for his economic policies, people would have never been angry enough to vote for a third party. And yes, him insisting on me being in that debate helped me get our message out."

The Greens fortunes reversed in 2016, when a large swing to the Conservatives left Fitzgerald the last MP standing, but since the formation of the Left Alliance, Fitzgerald now stands to overtake the Liberal Party if polls are to be believed.

"I think the Green Party on its own could never have shaken the perception that it was a single-issue party, no matter how much I tried to broaden our message," He says. "But now we have groups like the Alizerian Socialist Party - who will bring up the trade union vote - we have the Social Credit League, who are still popular in rural areas, and of course we have the Feminist Collective too who will say what none of the other parties are brave enough to say when it comes to the state of women's rights in Alizeria."

Is he ready to be Prime Minister?

"I won't be Prime Minister, certainly not unless we get a majority. There's talk about us forming a coalition with the Liberal Party but I don't know if that could work. There's more chance of a Liberal-Conservative coalition than a Liberal-Left one."

But he did have one name in mind that he thought could have led the Left Alliance to victory, and who could have been Prime Minister.

"Yes it's true. I did offer Izzy Yahweh the leadership of the Left Alliance."

Which begs the question - why on earth would Izzy Yahweh ignore such a plum offer?

"Beats me. I've still never even spoken to the man. We were talking to his lawyer, some guy called Goldman, and then one day he called us to say negotiations were over and the next day the National Party was launched. I was dumbfounded. Izzy Yahweh didn't return a single phone call."

So what does he think of Yahweh's chances now?

"He'll win his seat. His party will go nowhere. It's a wasted opportunity."

So what's the endgame for Harry Fitzgerald and the Left Alliance?

"Well first, we are going to demand a change to the voting system because First Past the Post is absolutely archaic. After that, all bets are off and we'll concentrate on forming an alternative government."

But what's going to be the result of the 2017 election?

"I honestly think there is so little difference between the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party now that they will form a grand coalition. And that's fine by me, because the Left Alliance will be waiting in the wings - and we will take them down. Both of them."

The wind continues to howl and the rain continues to pour, but Harry Fitzgerald is undeterred as he packs up and heads into the storm.

- ADH

by **Alizeria** » Sat May 20, 2017 6:40 am

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL PART FOUR: IZZY YAHWEH - ALIZERIA'S MESSIAH?

May 20th 2017

In the fourth and final part of our four part series, the Alizeria Daily Herald follows the four parties and their leaders on the campaign trail. Unfortunately, National Party leader Izzy Yahweh refused to take part in this series.

_{Izzy Yahweh did not wish to take part in this series}

We're in the Krostuk suburb of Jewtown - so named for being where hundreds of Jewish refugees set up their new lives after escaping to Alizeria in the middle ages - to meet not with Izzy Yahweh, but with the one man known to have direct access to him: His lawyer, Saul Goldman.

As it happens, Goldman is also a National Party candidate, hoping to win the seat of Krostuk West - and shut both the Liberals and the Conservatives out of an important marginal seat.

Goldman is gregarious, loud-mouthed and a little bit eccentric - but my first question is met with a firewall.

"He's busy," Is all I manage to get out of him with respect to why we can't meet Izzy Yahweh.

It's not the first time that Yahweh has been known to snub people - he reportedly refused to meet with Left Alliance leader Harry Fitzgerald, even when the offer of leading the Left Alliance was given. And he's famously cagey about his personal life.

And yet in Jewtown, his popularity among the usually Liberal-leaning Jewish community is made obvious. His picture hangs on the walls of synagogues, and the National Party logo is everywhere.

Even Saul Goldman is greeted with cheers simply by virtue of knowing Yahweh - indeed, if Izzy Yahweh is Alizeria's messiah, then it would seem that Saul Goldman is John the Baptist.

"We've been here for 400 years, and finally it will be one of us who gets to be Prime Minister!" One man tells me.

"Why are people so surprised that a Jewish man is so popular in Alizeria?" Says another. "Your whole religion is based around worshipping a Jew!"

There have been more newspaper inches and television stories dedicated to Izzy Yahweh than any other politician in recent Alizerian history - with the exception of Sir Edward Vermile and Anthony Ashton. Yahweh, like Vermile and Ashton, is a larger-than-life figure, but unlike them has never been Prime Minister, and following his expulsion from the Conservative Party, looks unlikely to ever become Prime Minister.

And despite all the attention, next to nothing is known about the man himself, and all attempts to find out are stonewalled. His marital status is a mystery. He's rumoured to have children, but this is not confirmed. For a politician constantly talking about openness and transparency, he is himself known to be extremely secretive.

What we do know is that Isaiah David Benjamin Yahweh was born on April 12th 1965 in the city of Krystel, County Palatine. He was raised in the small farming community of Kickhill and attended high school in Krystel before attending the University of Krostuk and becoming a lawyer. His family are said to have emigrated to Alizeria in the 1930s to escape persecution.

He entered Parliament in 2008, winning the marginal seat of South Krystel, but lost the seat in 2011. When the safe Conservative seat of Wellington became available, Yahweh was said to have been personally asked by Sir Edward Vermile to stand, despite this meaning that Yahweh would have to move to County Wellington. He agreed and in 2014 became the MP for Wellington.

He was promoted to the Conservative Party front bench after uncovering the Immigration Fraud scandal, which resulted in the resignation of Home Secretary Judith Brierley who reportedly granted waivers to immigrants that donated to the Liberal Party.

He displayed an initial interest in running for the Conservative Party leadership - again, with the backing of Sir Edward Vermile, who said that he would be "Alizeria's first Jewish Prime Minister", but dropped out of the race and left Jennifer Dixon unopposed. (It was also said that Vermile's hatred of Jennifer Dixon was so strong that he went on to resign from the Conservative Party in protest.)

As an opposition MP he gained a reputation for uncovering scandals and acting as a whistleblower - for example the Hotel Scandal, in which he uncovered widespread tax evasion. However some of his scandals misfired, such as his claim that a Seglandic submarine had sunk near Alizeria and that this information was being withheld.

While the former gave him the reputation of being Alizeria's only honest politician among his supporters, the latter gave fuel to his detractors, who called him a crackpot and conspiracy theorist.

Conservative MP Simon Johnson - who helped orchestrate Izzy Yahweh's expulsion from the Tories - said that although Yahweh endeared himself to the public, he was loathed by his colleagues who felt betrayed by his often baseless accusations.

"He was interested in one thing, and one thing alone, and that was self-promotion," Said Johnson. "It was never about the truth. It was about getting headlines and he didn't care who he smeared along the way. I've never seen such abuse of Parliamentary privilege in the history of this country."

Multiple sources in the Conservative Party have alleged that Izzy Yahweh would sleep in Caucus meetings, and when in Cabinet would not bother reading papers that didn't interest him.

"On the finance and expenditure committee it was obvious he hadn't even touched his papers," Said Joshua Abishai, a Liberal MP. "He likes to think of himself as this economics expert, criticising Ashtonomics and Dixonomics and the rest and when it comes down to it, I don't think he's so much as looked at Wikipedia, let alone that actual reports he's supposed to be looking at."

Yet in spite of all this, Yahweh has created a cult of devout followers - enough for a personality driven political party to be created. This is said to come down to what Yahweh is brilliant at: Theatre. And he's said to be an electrifying public speaker.

Former Prime Minister Anthony Ashton - a "frenemy" of Yahweh's - says that he admires Izzy Yahweh, but would stop short of saying he respected him.

"If you've ever seen him speak, it's an almost religious experience," Says Ashton. "There's something truly messianic about him, and I'm not a supporter. And yet he appears on stage, the words he says mean nothing, but everyone reaches out to touch the hem of robe, as if he alone can heal the sick and the needy. It's incredible. He is absolutely hypnotic."

Izzy Yahweh is described by many as the "Anti-Ashton" - the two are perceived to be very similar people despite their political differences. Sidney Burchard once wrote that Izzy Yahweh is "The policies of Sir Edward Vermile with the personality of Anthony Ashton."

"I agree with that," Says Anthony Ashton. "Izzy does things and I think - that's exactly what I would have done, or used to do. I mean, he's definitely got a bit of Vermile in him, there's the anger and the vitriol there, but at times it's like watching myself if I was a Conservative MP.

"I tease him whenever he's late to things - and he's often late. I ask him if he was able to peel himself away from the mirror. And he'll ask me when I plan to peel myself away from the House of Peasants. But that's actually a sign of respect from him, because usually he just blanks people if he sees them as beneath him."

So is Izzy Yahweh a snob then?

"No he's more like a snob to snobs," Says National Party president Don Bullson. "He's actually very, very down to earth, very working class in fact. He likes a drink. He's a smoker. He's not above telling a few dirty jokes in the pub.

"The problem is he has a chip on his shoulder about people like you - journalists - or people he sees as elitist, like university professors and half the people in Parliament. You might see him down at the King and Carriage pub, but you'll never see him walking around, say King John's University.

"He's only interested in common people. He's the last true socialist in some ways, because he genuinely and viscerally hates anyone he sees as bourgeois."

And how does he feel about his Jewish roots, and the Jewish community?

"Oh he cares and he's a proud Jew - he's a practising Jew. Kosher and everything, unlike me," Says Saul Goldman. "He doesn't make a big song and dance about it though and I think he gets annoyed by people who do. But he cares. He cares about minorities, even though people call him a racist. And that gets to him. He's literally the least racist person I know."

And yet it would seem that the man who could have become Alizeria's first Jewish Prime Minister has thrown away his opportunity, given his rift with the Tories. He still outpolls every other politician in the country on that front - even if the National Party themselves languish on only 10%.

The real question therefore is, does Izzy Yahweh want to be Prime Minister?

"No." Says Saul Goldman. "That's too small for him. Deep down, Izzy Yahweh wants to be the King of Alizeria."

- ADH

by **Gylias** » Mon May 22, 2017 12:56 pm

GNBS News

Parliamentary report on size of House of Representatives published
22 May 2017 Last updated 8:35 PM

The Temporary Committee on the Size of Parliament has published its report, which will recommend the reduction of the total number of representatives from 840 to 500.

All but four administrative regions are planned to lose federal districts, as part of the objective of reducing the size of the House of Representatives.

The recommendations of the report are reducing the number of federal districts from 210 to 100, increasing elected representatives per district from 4 to 5, and modifying the Electoral Representation Act 1960 to remove the automatic increase in the number of representatives after each census.

Proposed redistribution of federal districts by the Temporary Committee on the Size of Parliament

Compared to current districts, the report would result in the following changes per administrative region:

Slahar: 1 → 1 (no change)	Altsira: 5 → 2 (-3)	Elena: 17 → 8 (-9)	Dzarna: 13 → 6 (-7)
Makarces: 1 → 1 (no change)	Tandar: 7 → 3 (-4)	Arsad: 7 → 3 (-4)	Adhuna: 12 → 6 (-6)
Gacjar: 1 → 1 (no change)	Kausania: 18 → 9 (-9)	Envadra: 11 → 5 (-6)	Herlan: 10 → 5 (-5)
Gershyr: 1 → 1 (no change)	Mishawaka: 21 → 10 (-11)	Nezyál: 11 → 5 (-6)	Nauras: 14 → 7 (-7)
Eárxath: 7 → 3 (-4)	Sváen: 8 → 4 (-4)	Tomes: 15 → 7 (-8)	Nerveiík-Iárus-Daláyk: 30 → 13 (-17)

The addition of a new representative for each district is meant to compensate for the reduction in total districts and maintain accountability and representation.

The report will be debated this week in Parliament, but if its recommendations are implemented into law, the Boundary Commission will only determine new district boundaries after the next census, scheduled for 2019.

Shrinking the size of Parliament, specifically through reform of the House of Representatives' membership, has increasingly become a topic of debate since the 2000s. The Toni Vallas government established the Temporary Committee in April 2012, for the purpose of limiting Parliament's growth.

Attorney General Estelle Loaëc declared that the proposal "rectifies a flaw in the Electoral Representation Act, that could not have been foreseen at the time of its adoption. Gylias' population has grown steadily, and the need to ensure one federal district for approximately 100.000 people each has led to our current dilemma."

Leader of the Opposition Eniola Ihejirika similarly warned that if the current legislation was not amended, "within two decades we would have a House of Representatives larger than Cacerta's, Quenmin's, or Rapallo's."

The Committee report claims, based on independent assessments and research conducted into the workings of other Tyranian legislatures, that the ideal size of the House of Representatives based on Gylias' current population was between 500 and 600 members. The former option was chosen for the purpose of controlling the costs of elections and public funding for parties.

The report has received a broadly positive yet muted welcome, as a general consensus exists among both government and opposition parties in favour of mandating a fixed size for the House of Representatives. It is likely, however, that once adopted, the process will result in significant changes among parties, with less districts to be up for and less candidates necessary.

by **Alizeria** » Tue May 23, 2017 3:31 pm

ALIZERIA ELECTS HUNG PARLIAMENT

May 24th 2017

Alizeria has elected a hung Parliament for the first time in 127 years, with final election results showing that no party has reached the 81 seat majority in the House of Peasants necessary to form a government.

Election results by constituency. Conservative Party is in Red, the Liberal Party is in Blue, the Left Alliance are in Green and the National Party in Yellow

So far, neither Prime Minister Jennifer Dixon nor Opposition Leader William Eastwood have been willing to concede defeat, with both sides adamant that they will be able to form Alizeria's first coalition government since 1890.

The Conservative Party suffered the heaviest losses, losing 23 seats and ending up with a final result of 77 seats. While they were still the first placed party, this result leaves them four seats short of a majority necessary to continue governing. The Liberal Party gained 15 seats for a close second on 74 seats.

The two new parties both fared reasonably well - the Left Alliance gained 5 seats, and Izzy Yahweh's National Party defied expectations to gain 4 seats.

In terms of popular vote, the Tories placed first on 40%, followed by the Liberals on 28%. Despite only winning 5 seats, the Left Alliance gained a whopping 23% of the nationwide popular vote, and the National Party gained 9% of the popular vote - also considered large for a minor party.

Coalition negotiations to begin:

Prime Minister Jennifer Dixon has reportedly begun talks with Left Alliance leader Harry Fitzgerald about the possibility of forming either a minority government or coalition with the Left Alliance, which pundits consider the most likely outcome from these results.

Meanwhile, Liberal Party leader William Eastwood says that he believes that a three way coalition including his party, the Left Alliance and the National Party is "absolutely possible".

"This election was a vote of no confidence in the government from the public. The three opposition parties together outpolled the government and it's clear that the majority of Alizerians do not support this government."

Left Alliance leader Harry Fitzgerald says he is "open to working constructively with either side" but would not be drawn on his preferred outcome.

National Party leader Izzy Yahweh refused to discuss the possibility of entering any coalition arrangements, although prior to the election he ruled out working with either side and is considered likely to remain on the cross benches.

Alizerians reject the establishment:

While the results weren't the populist uprising that some predicted - with the Liberal Party, who had been predicted to come third to the Left Alliance, ultimately enjoying a last minute swing - the results appear to show that Alizerians are fed up with the establishment.

This was best summarised by Izzy Yahweh's victory speech, "This result is not just a vote of no confidence in the government, it's a vote of no confidence in all politicians!"

Left Alliance leader Harry Fitzgerald predicted that the result would herald "the end of our non-proportional voting system and the start of a new and more consensual type of government in Alizeria."

While the two major party leaders seemed married to the two-party system in their speeches, Prime Minister Jennifer Dixon acknowledged that the result showed that Alizerians were disillusioned with politicians and politics and that it was a message to both old parties to change their ways.

"I think it is fair to say that Alizeria has changed, and these results show that a different style of management is called for."

"Architect of Ashtonomics" loses seat:

While the night featured a number of shocks and surprises, perhaps the most symbolic victory of the night came when Left Alliance candidate Leah Harman defeated former Chancellor of the Exchequer Donald Douglas, and ended the Liberal Party's 100 year old grip on the seat of Krostuk Central.

Douglas was considered by many to have been the true architect of Ashtonomics, and Harman declared her victory in the seat to be a sign that Alizerians were rejecting the freemarket economics he promoted, "which have caused so much misery and destruction over the last three years".

Donald Douglas was gracious in defeat, wishing Harman well in her new role as an MP and quipping that "Actually she's done me a favour - I think my family have forgotten what I look like and I shall enjoy spending more time with them."

The other high profile casualty was Conservative Chief Whip Wilson Bethel, who lost his County Albion seat of Groome to the National Party's Don Bullson, in what was considered by many to have been an upset victory.

Bullson himself went on to admit that he "did not in my wildest dreams seriously expect to win this seat - it's been a safe Tory seat forever, Wilson is a high profile MP... frankly I'm still pinching myself."

The impact of the spoiler effect:

Political scientists have noted that this election saw the spoiler effect come into play multiple times - mainly for the benefit of the establishment parties.

"The biggest beneficiary of the spoiler effect this election has undoubtedly been the Liberal Party," Said political analyst Dr. Sydney Burchard. "There were only five points difference between the Liberal Party and the Left Alliance and yet we need to account for the fact that one party got 74 seats and the other only 5.

"The election saw a large split of the working class and left-wing vote - in other words, the anti-Liberal vote. The Conservatives, who normally do well with the left and the working class, lost of lot of that core support base, who were split between them, the more socially progressive Left Alliance and the more strongly conservative National Party.

"Ultimately this benefited the Liberal Party and, despite them being at an almost historic low in terms of nationwide popularity, allowed them to pick up several Conservative seats across the country."

The results also noted that the Left Alliance's share of the vote tended to be higher in Liberal areas - perhaps reflecting the socially liberal nature of the party.

"The Left Alliance, unlike National, are a primarily urban party. The seats they won were all urban, and their biggest support base is in the cities. This made them a direct competitor of the Liberal Party, but they were unable to win those seats thanks mainly to the Conservative Party and in some cases the National Party taking their share of the anti-Liberal vote."

Burchard also noted that if Alizerians are ever going to reject First Past the Post, "now is the time".

"I think that Alizerians, regardless of their own party political preferences are going to look at this result and wonder how on earth it's fair for one party to get 28% and 74 seats and another to get 23% and just five seats.

"I would expect Harry Fitzgerald to push very hard for proportional representation in post election negotiations - in fact it will probably become a bottom line in any coalition deal."

Possible outcomes:

While a Conservative-Left Alliance coalition is considered the most likely outcome, this is by no means the only possible outcome and the next few weeks will see an unprecedented level of uncertainty.

A Liberal-Left Alliance government could just as easily be on the cards, assuming that William Eastwood and Harry Fitzgerald are able to convince Izzy Yahweh's party to abstain on matters of confidence and supply.

The similarities between National and the Left Alliance on economics are such that if Eastwood is able to work with Fitzgerald, he would also be able to work with Yahweh, at least in theory. However the likely sticking point would be immigration - and for a Liberal-Left government to enjoy the support of National, they would probably have to agree to perhaps a slightly stricter immigration policy.

The other unlikely possibility is a Conservative-National coalition, which on paper would have the numbers for a majority. However, given the acrimonious relationship between Jennifer Dixon and Izzy Yahweh, this is considered highly improbable - Yahweh would likely resign Dixon's resignation as a condition for being willing to work with his old party again.

If all coalition negotiations do break down, then Jennifer Dixon may attempt to form a minority government. This would almost certainly result in her losing a vote of confidence in the House of Peasants, and therefore Alizerians should brace themselves for the possibility of a second election.

- ADH

by **Quen Minh** » Wed May 24, 2017 4:39 pm

"The Noble Actress" Announces Her Retirement from the Entertainment Industry

Liễu Thị Thám Hài
12:30 PM QST, Tuesday, 24 May 2017
345 Comments

Famous actress and model Liễu Khách Khanh Nguyệt, the current Duchess of Soc Trang and Consort of the Dragon Prince of Quenmin who has been known by the sobriquet "The Noble Actress," has officially announced at an entertainment press conference that she will be retiring from the industry in hopes of becoming more immersed with the political matrix of the country.

Prior to her noble and royal status, she felt as if she could do more than to just gain the people's hearts and admiration as a celebrity. While not speaking as if the entire industry is an utter waste of time she believed that for her, it was one step forward into realizing what's more at stake. This motivation was realized in the answer she gave when she was first inquired by the Cong Binh Tribune about her decision:

There are times when I felt like a shadow around political meetings, even though I myself have minored in government and politics under my father's recommendation; even though I knew of how politics went during and after my studies, I never seemed to contribute much to the country's position at that time. Subsequently, when being who I was in entertainment, the feeling of the need of being something more has always been stuck to me, much to myself being married to the Dragon Prince, besides being a noble; even when I was taking breaks from filming or a myriad of photoshoots, my mind has been saying to me 'is this how much you can do?' I've tried to put it away by replying to myself that it was enough that I could contribute, but it still revolved. Eventually, it turns out, after realizing how I was able to rally countless numbers of writers, actors, actresses, and the lot during the Entertainers' March of 2014, that I have been able to see how much more I could do for the entire people of this country. From that point on, I've listened to myself, and I've blocked any other reason that I would have made that would convince me to turn back on the decision that I've chosen, and as of today, there are no new ones that would persuade me to stop expressing my answer to you. Of course, I'll still be able to stick around for a while if I have time, but at this point, I think that I have done enough to bring entertainment up to its current peak and it is about time that I be at my husband's side whenever his time of rule would come.

Amazed at her justification making the choice, her peers have greeted her with kind farewells and blessings to wish her luck in her future endeavors. One such farewell came from her fellow actress and friend, Kiều Thanh Châu, on Cloudverse:

What a splendid answer coming from you, Khanh Nguyệt! That kind-hearted and intelligent side of you never seemed to leave you throughout all these years, and that's what kept a lot of people happy! I wish the best of luck for you in your future goals in life, and we'll be able to support you in any way we can if you need any help or consolation.

After hearing of Khanh Nguyệt's answer on her decision to retire, her fans received her answer with much acclaim, and a myriad of posts came up greeting her with the same messages of good luck and fortune towards her future actions.

As a fan of her, I also wish her the best of luck in her career as a politician and the wife of the Dragon Prince, for I, as well as the others that know or admire her, look forward with what you'll have to offer after he takes his father's place as Sovereign.

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