2020 Arvenian General Election (Manifesto/Exclusive/Closed)

[Arvenia]

Primary Thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=488657&p=37415386#p37415386
Debate: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=489723

The Kingdom of Arvenia is now due to hold election in 2020. It has been four years since the 2016 General Election, which was held a year after the short-lived reign of the Supreme Crisis Assembly. Since 2016, general elections are held every four years instead of six years, although the Prime Minister can have at least two terms.

This general election sees the country either elect a new PM or even re-elect the current one. The current Prime Minister is John Greatwall, the founder and leader of the Royal Assistance Party (previously known as the "Royal State Party").

This thread is dedicated to more detailed platform for each candidate in the general election. You're not allowed to post here (only I can post here). I will be posting platforms for the candidates in full detail in the form of their manifestos.

[Arvenia]

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Arvenian Reform Party

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George Santoro (Party Leader)

Amber Lin (Deputy Party Leader)

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People of Arvenia, our country is heading towards an uncertain kind of future. Our government, led by Prime Minister John Greatwall, hasn't done anything to solve our issues. As a result, our future remains uncertain until further notice.

For once, our government may have our lives becoming better after the fall of the Supreme Crisis Assembly, but our country is still suffering, both socially and economically. Despite improved working conditions, social stability, cultural diversity and moderate environmental regulation, we still have many issues left to solve. These include gender wage gap, wealth inequality, political corruption, extremism, lack of universal healthcare and coronavirus pandemic, as well as other countless issues.

For our country to survive and prosper, we must follow 20 important points.

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1. We need to reform the national government in order to make it more efficient. Such reforms includes creation of better government agencies and delegation of more power to provincial governments.
2. We must strengthen our welfare state in order for it to stay alive and efficient. As such, we must make it bigger and encourage the government to fund it.
3. We shall implement more welfare programs for people who are either disabled or homeless. There shall also be welfare programs for immigrant families.
4. We must encourage the government to be more involved in our affairs, both socially and economically. The economy is in desparate need of more regulation, while our marginalized citizens are in desparate need of social justice.
5. We have to make our taxes more progressive in order to help those who are held hostage by poverty. As such, it is our duty to bridge the gap between rich people and poor people.
6. Our schools are in a dire need of reformation. Such reforms would include free access to education and active crackdown on bullying.
7. Our prisons are in a dire need of reformation. Such reforms would include better sanitary conditions, the removal of solitary confinenment, active crackdown on prison violence, greater access to legal counsel, greater oversight on prison staff and the promotion of restorative justice.
8. We must continue supporting people who live in other parts of the world. As such, our country has to participate further in humanitarian aid and also fight for world peace.
9. We must separate the government from religion in order to make our country secular. As such, we need to strip Megandelanism of its status as state religion (yet guarantee freedom of religion for its followers) and impose taxes on religious cults (mostly to eliminate them for the greater good).
10. We desperately need universal healthcare. As such, the government needs to take control of our hospitals and give people access to medical help.
11. We must rid our country of drug addiction. As such, the government must carefully regulate drugs and fund rehabilitation centers.
12. We must end gun violence without violating our civil rights. As such, the government must implement extensive restrictions on gun ownership and ban assault weapons.
13. We have a duty to welcome new people to our country. As such, the government must place less restrictions on immigration and promote cultural diversity.
14. We must protect the environment at all cost. As such, the government must help other countries fight against global warming and prohibit our companies from participating in environmental degradation.
15. We are tasked with supporting scientific research for the greater good. As such, the government has the duty to develop new technology and promote medical research.
16. Our country is in a dire need of more social progress. As such, we must implement more progressive policies that would benefit us all (such as equal pay and affordable housing).
17. Our country has suffered from hate speech for too long. As such, the government must protect minority groups and keep an eye on legitimate hate groups.
18. Our people needs to be employed. As such, we must create more job opportunities for the unemployed and combat employment discrimination.
19. Our democracy needs help. As such, the government must expand our civil rights and combat political corruption.
20. Most importantly, we must handle COVID-19 more efficiently. As such, we must encourage social distancing a little bit longer and eventually develop a cure.

[Arvenia]

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Arvenian Self-Defense Party

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Prelude

We have all seen that the current government is inefficient when dealing with global warming, immigration, pandemic and armed conflict, even though it dealt with crime and welfare pretty well. The current Prime Minister may be the son of a former politician, but he is not an efficient politician just because of that. As a former Air Marshal who had participated in many armed conflicts (including our country's fourth civil war), I can prove myself to be a more efficient leader of our country. I have just recently joined politics after former Prime Minister James Battlington retired due to his medical situation. Now that I am fully in charge of the Arvenian Self-Defense Party, I will do what it takes to save our fragile country from the issues which the current government is incapable of solving.

Diplomatic Affairs

Arvenia must reduce its involvement in international affairs in favour of its territorial integrity. As such, Arvenia needs to adopt armed neutrality and defend its own cultural identity. However, the ASDP is not an ultranationalist party, but rather a moderately nationalist party with emphasis on civic, cultural, environmental and economic nationalism. As such, we must ensure that Arvenia can look after its own citizens and avoid unnecessary conflicts. On the other hand, Arvenia can still retain diplomacy and trade with other countries, but should avoid interfering with those countries' internal affairs and rather focus on its own internal affairs, as well as oppose foreign espionage and restrict diplomatic immunity.

Social Affairs

Arvenia must preserve its cultural identity and slow down progress until further notice. The government shall hand out social benefits to both military families and retired military personnel, as well as assist both homeless people and disabled people. Veterans who are homeless are in dire need of access to housing, rehabilitation, social benefits and equal treatment, since they were all very dedicated to their country while in service. Same-sex marriage shall be discouraged, but we shall not condone hate speech against LGBT people, because they are all humans like their straight counterparts. Abortion and science will be tolerated, while both men and women shall be conscripted into the military (once they reach 18). As such, compulsory conscription will stay and a militarized police force (that is similar to the Gendarmerie Nationale) will be created as soon as possible. Law and order can be achieved by handing out harsher sentences to those who commit vile offenses and increasing police presence in every Arvenian city. Healthcare must also be available to all citizens through a single public system and eventually a national health insurance. Native Arvenian cultural heritage must be preserved (because that is part of our cultural and national identity). Regarding gun ownership, that will be supervised by the government in order to reduce gun violence. Regarding COVID-19, the government shall be regulating social relations in order to combat the pandemic.

Economic Affairs

Arvenia has a duty to protect its economy and ensure that its citizens are employed. As such, the government must tighten its grip on the economy and nationalize important industries (most notably the manufacturing industry). Following such nationalization, Arvenia's state-owned enterprises will be utilized for essential tasks (such as international trade, universal healthcare, alternative energy, urban planning, manufacturing and broadcasting). Greater state investment will aid the economy and prevent market failure. While trade is allowed, the government must place tariffs on imported goods and prohibit foreign companies from acquiring Arvenian ones (as well as prohibit Arvenian companies from acquiring foreign ones), which means trade between Arvenia and other countries is heavily supervised by the government (mostly to represent Arvenian interests). On the other hand, private ownership is still allowed, although the government can still intervene whenever a private company doesn't pay taxes or engages in foreign direct investment. The government will also utilize taxation, since that would benefit government spending.

Other Aspects

The global warming is a real threat, but it isn't our fault. That fault is on foreign powers, especially the United States of America (whose companies are complicit in causing global warming by exploiting the environment for natural resources). As such, it is best for Arvenia to protect the environment on its own instead of cooperating with other countries (especially with the fact that the US has yet to fully commit to sustainable development). The government shall develop green technology and prohibit Arvenian companies from participating in environmental degradation, as well as tasking the military with protecting the country's maritime territory and imposing martial law (if global warming escalates). There shall also be stronger restrictions on immigration in order to combat illegal immigration and make background checks on newcomers. The government will also be funding education, rehabilitation, infrastructure, welfare, law enforcement and scientific research, as well as developing an anti-ballistic missile defense system that will protect Arvenia from long-range ICBMs, medium-range TBMs and short-range TBMs.

Conclusion

Once the government has done the tasks above, Arvenia will politically, socially, culturally, economically, ecologically, technologically, diplomatically and militarily prosper. On the other hand, we may not know what would happen in the future. It is currently unknown at the moment, but trust me: WE WILL PREVAIL.

Sincerely, Air Marshal Michael Wang

[Arvenia]

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Royal Assistance Party

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I, Prime Minister John Greatwall, can say that I am terribly sorry for the issues that our country had to face during my rule. I admit that my government wasn't efficient enough. However, that will change and I will make myself more efficient than ever. If I get a second term in office, me and my party promise to do more for our beloved country. You can find my promises down below.

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• There shall be less restrictions on both abortion and same-sex marriage, while we still focus on preserving our monarchy, our culture, our faith and our humanity.
• There shall be even greater state investment in the economy, which helps cultivate a good life for our people.
• There shall be more welfare programs for both immigrants and disabled people.
• There shall be more crackdown on crime.
• There shall be more spending on healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, welfare, rehabilitation, military, law enforcement and public education.
• The royal family shall be given more political power in order to strengthen its status as the symbolic representative of our country.
• The working conditions shall be further improved in order to create a much safer environment for our workers.
• Rich people shall be obliged to work and cooperate with poor people for the benefit of society at large.
• Gun control shall be more stronger in order to curb gun violence, although it would still be moderate.
• The environment shall be protected from degradation, although such protection would still be moderate.
• Immigration shall be moderately controlled in order to curb mass immigration.
• Scientific research shall be regulated in order to protect our humanity and reduce technological unemployment.
• More jobs shall be created in order to reduce unemployment.
• Developing countries shall be aided by our country.
• COVID-19 shall be efficiently opposed through more social distancing and less mass gathering.
• The current government shall be expected to fulfill those promises as soon as possible.

[Arvenia]

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Civic National Party

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Introduction

As you all might now, we firmly believe that it is a home for all, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, sexuality, language, religion, gender, disability and class. However, years of social divide, economic crisis and political turmoil has teared our country apart like never before. Not a single issue has been solved and our country would soon fall. But that will not be tolerated by the Civic National Party. The CNP is a political party that stands for moderate social progress, civic nationhood, honest politics, universal healthcare, fiscal responsibility, nature conservation, poverty reduction and liberal democratic values. With the CNP in power, we can solve every singe issue this country has and keep it united like never before.

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Civic Nationhood

We believe in an inclusive form of nationalism that adheres to traditional liberal values of freedom, tolerance, equality and indivdualism. We think that individuals need a national identity in order to lead meaningful, autonomous lives and that democratic polities need national identity in order to function properly. Our definition of civic nationhood is built around shared citizenship, human rights, cultural diversity and liberal democracy.

As such, Arvenia as a nation shall be defined by not language or culture, but rather by political institutions and liberal principles, which its citizens pledge to uphold. Membership in Arvenia is open to anyone who shares those values.

The CNP seeks to promote such idea by any means necessary, such as protecting human rights, supporting social integration, upholding territorial integrity and opposing foreign espionage.

We firmly believe that everyone has the right to live in Arvenia and are deeply concerned by the issues that the country currently faces right now. The CNP is fiercely dedicated to ensure that everyone has that right to live in the country. We shall reject ethnic nationalism and accept civic nationalism.

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Social Progress

As a liberal conservative party that incorporates socially liberal policies, the CNP is dedicated to maintain a balance between social equality and social hierarchy. As such, we firmly prefer a moderate form of social progress, which means that society would progress, albeit in a slow manner.

We seek to reform certain traditional institutions, most notably marriage and education, in order to keep up with the social balance between equality and hierarchy. We are supportive of same-sex marriage, abortion, immigration and charity, as well as individual rights and cultural values.

In recent years, social divide has never been so bigger than before. Homelessness and crime are on the rise, while policing and housing have just started to decrease significantly. We will reverse that and save our fragile homeland.

We are also dedicated to support harmony between different nationalities, ethnicities, languages, genders, sexualities, religions, disabilities and classes. We would appreciate that people would advocate for greater community development, both in Arvenia and other countries.

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Economy

We have made it clear that the Arvenian economy needs to be renewed. It is in dire need of funding from the government and also provide jobs for Arvenians who are not employed right now. A preferable approach enables the development of a strong, robust public sector filled with high-quality, sustainable services.

We are very fierce about our support for our country's traditional industries. Fishing, manufacturing and agriculture have been the cornerstone of our economy for centuries, while tourism came to join some decades ago. However, these sectors are now stuck in continued decline and we are afraid that the economy would suddenly collapse.

In order to save our economy, it is the responsibility of our politicians to make sure our workers are still employed. On the other hand, we are also dedicated to improve working conditions in order to make our workers feel more safe in their workplace and eradicate employment discrimination. We are obliged to provide jobs in both the private sector and the public sector, as well as reduce poverty.

Regarding other economic issues, the government needs to regulate trade for the sake of both consumers and producers, as well as help smaller businesses. We are still supportive of private property and international trade, but we must also promote labour rights, equal opportunity, fair competition and social welfare. We shall also prohibit authoritarian states and shady companies from acquiring our own companies and making profit on our beloved soil.

Regarding spending, the government shall be funding public education, social integration, healthcare, infrastructure, rehabilitation, charity, law enforcement and small businesses.

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Welfare

Our welfare state has been significantly weak recently and many people don't relatively have access to healthcare, employment and public education. As such, we would like to replace it with a medium-sized one that would benefit both the rich and the poor. It would be assisted by proportional taxation and fiscal responsibility.

On the other hand, healthcare and education should be universal. This is essential in order to provide our people with the services they need. We believe this is also a key part of securing a fair and equal society. Our public services should be people-centered and flexible to meet everyone's demands.

As mental health crisis continues to plague our country, we firmly believe that mental health and well-being must be treated as very important for us all. As such, our social services must be adequately funded. The government must fight against mental health stigma, introduce mandatory mental health curriculum in our education system and work with individual provinces to help those who are suffering from mental health issues. We can no longer allow this crisis to go unnoticed and then silently destroy us all.

We shall also implement welfare programs for both homeless people and disabled people.

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Environment

We are currently at war with global warming. As this war continues to rage on, our natural resources have started to deplet and would soon cease to exist, leaving us completely unable to defend ourselves from our own extinction. To fight global warming, the government must mitigate the impact of climate change by developing an efficient plan.

We must give our country access to renewable energy, manage habitats, enhance ecosystem services and protect biological diversity. We must reduce the use of fossil fuels on our soil in favour of wind power, geothermal power, hydropower and biomass. We shall also fight against environmental degradation by any means necessary.

If global warming has already done so much damage on our society, then the government will be tasked with increasing security presence in our national parks and putting a stop to our mining industry.

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Honest Politics

As you may have noticed, political corruption runs rampant in our country. Politicians have started to act greedy and disregard the interests of the general population for their own personal gain, while crime syndicates have started to gain political influence from behind the scenes. We won't tolerate that anymore.

That's why we shall promote what we refer to as "honest politics", which defines politics as being free from organized crime, greed, selfishness and broken promises. To make this idea come true, we must end political corruption by promoting both values education and good governance, placing sanctions on individuals, companies and foreign governments who participates in corruption, ensuring government transparency, barring corrupt politicians from Arvenian politics, handing out harshes penalties for corruption and returning property to its legitimate owners after it had been illegally acquired through shady actions.

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Other Issues

Immigration has become a very huge issue in the West and we seek to minimize its serious nature by any means necessary. While we welcome immigrants, we can agree with anti-immigration activists that immigration shouldn't increase. As such, we would advocate for moderate restrictions on immigration in order to prevent mass immigration and uphold cultural harmony. If you are getting confused, we want to neither ban nor increase immigration, but rather control it for the greater good.

On the other hand, gun violence and hate speech are also prevalent in our country. We would do everything in our power to solve these two issues. Regarding the former, we must make it a bit difficult for people to acquire guns and also ban minors from using guns. Regarding the latter, we need to implement efficient anti-discrimination laws and keep an eye on notable hate groups. Also, we must put an end to the black market, which has allowed such issues to flourish in our country and elsewhere.

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Party Leadership

Tyrone Shakullah (Leader/Founder/PM Candidate/Opposition MP)

Alastor "Alas" Woody (Deputy Leader/DPM Candidate/Opposition MP)