2021 Darkmanian Senate Referendum (IC)

[Darkmania]

2021 Darkmanian Senate Referendum

The citizen of Darkmania is heading to the polls for a referendum regarding the re-establishment of the Darkmanian Senate. Polls have been close and the result is not known but we expect that it will be a close vote. All legal citizens over the age of 18 (16 in some places) have the right to vote in elections and we expect that the turnover rate will be high.
The darkmanian Senate has a long history. It was founded in 1890 as an attempt by the then ruling conservative party to quell the republican movement by creating an upper house that only the monarch can appoint members of. After the Transition from a monarchy to a republic, the Senate was made an electable chamber with full elections held at the same time as regional elections (aka elections for provincial assemblies). The Senate was disbanded in 1990 in order to strengthen the ruling dictatorial party’s iron fist.
After the Restoration of Democracy in the mid-2000s, it was agreed that the Senate should be restored only after the stabilization of democracy in Darkmania as well as being held as a referendum. Most political parties in Darkmania have openly supported a restoration of the Senate, the most vocal "Bicameralists" being the Conservatives, Labour Movement, Liberals, Farmer’s Party, and many other smaller ones. The most vocal “Unicameralists” are Libertarians, right-wing populist The Republic, and the Communist Party.

If voted to be reestablished by the populus of Darkmania, the “Sëintat” will be represented by 3 senators from each of Darkmania’s 42 provinces as well as their capital territory, for a total of 129 seats. Each senator will be elected via Single Transferable Vote with every senators being elected at once Each senator must be 40 years old by the time of their election and are subject to a 5 term limit with each term being 4 years.

The referendum is dominated by two camps. We will present both of them here.

#StÿmËyr (#VoteYes)

“#StÿmËyr” (#VoteYes) is the main group that campaigns for the reinstatement of the Senate. Run by Rëubens Älsaks, famed senator from 1978 to 1990 as a conservative from Ämelk, he's best remembered for being a vocal opponent of the dissolution of the senate right after the civil war saying “Ill rather be dead than losing the last guardian of darkmanian democracy, the senate”.

Their main arguments for the senate are that it will make every province and the territory equal, it will safeguard democracy, and that other nation have a senate.

Nëy! (No!)

“Nëy!” (No!) is the main group that campaigns against the reinstatement of the Senate. Run by Ëlesebëth Yälga, an MP from Bëmeg for the Libertarians, she has a known reputation for “dieting the state hard”, as in she fights for less bureaucracy and for being one of the most libertarian within the “Libertarians” party.

Their main arguments against the senate are that the unicameral chamber has worked so far, it adds more bureaucracy that several nations have don't have a senate.


IC Voting date has been set at 30th May. This thread will serve as a news-wire thread leading up to said date. You are permitted to post here.

[Darkmania]

ENDORSMENT LIST

Endorsing a camp for this referendum are as easy as a simple “(BLANK) endorses (camp)”- post on this thread. This post here is a list of endorsements for both camps. All endorsements are used for IC purposes.

#StÿmËyr (#VoteYes)
No endorsements as of typing.

Nëy! (No!)
No endorsements as of typing.

[Darkmania]

Road To the Vote

Humble Begnings

It might only be 44 days left but the campaign has started. Posters has been hung promoting their side. "Vote Yes for the reestablishment of the Senate and safeguard Democracy". "Vote no and keep the legislature unicameral". I still see regular advertisements of consumer goods alongside the propaganda posters and I expect the propaganda to be all over my country in the days leading up toward the referendum. There have lucky not been any signs of violence and knowing darkmanian politics are about anti-polarization I expect it not to turn into a civil war due to some vote asking for a recreation of an upper house with 129 seats.

I am a 22-year-old student in Örkendrem. I am studying English at the Örkendrem Hüilumies University in the capital city in Darkmania. I am one of 12 million in said city. I have never lived to see a darkmanian senate in my life so far but both of my parents have, my dad even voted for one senator back in the '80s. Both of my parents have nothing but happy memories of the senate and has dreamed of bringing back the senate. And they aren't the only ones. Opinion polls reveal that the older you are the more you might vote in favour of bringing back the senate. My generation is kinda mixed but from what I remember from the opinion polls are that my generation is slightly in favour. Ëlesebëth Yälga is running a camp with an uphill battle but since the vote arent until the end of May, everything might happen.

I take the Metro to and from university. I have seen posters for both sides on the stations. At university, I heard someone talks about the upcoming referendum and their thoughts. Rëubens the pro-senate guy looks like he ran away from a nursing home. Ëlesebëth always complains about bureaucracy but never proposes any legislation that reduces it. Lucky my English lectures are an escape from this. My professor has said that she intends to keep referendum politics outside this lecture room for the time being. Her job is for me to learn what I need to pass my English exams so I can become an English teacher.

At home at my rented student home, I live with my boyfriend. I and he are in a hetero relationship and has been for years. I also feel like my home also is an escape from this whole referendum mess. He might campaign against the Senate but at least he doesn't do it here. When I come home from a day of hard studies are the smell of slightly burned pizza, someone smoking cannabis and someone's last night vomit. At home both me and my boyfriend are safe. Safe from this whole vote. It has just started but I see it everywhere. On social media, it's 20% propaganda and 80% things i care about, cats and memes. So my home might not be that safe yet, but at least it is. For now.

[Darkmania]

An DaTV announcement announcing debates regarding the upcoming Senate Referendum

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On 30th May 2021, Darkmanians over the age of 18 or 16 in some places will go to the poll to cast their votes to answer the question of they would like to re-establishing the Senate with the representation of all 42 provinces and the capital district, giving the upper house 129 seats. And it's best to be properly informed in a healthy democracy with proper arguments from both sides of the spectrum of the debate. While it is easy to do so in the age of the internet, for better or for worse, it's always the best way of letting the heads duke it out.

DaTV is happy to announce that the broadcaster will broadcast 3 debates, two being a classical "face to face" debate and one with serious questions from citizens asking questions to the heads of their campaigns about anything related to the senate. While it will not be broadcasted to the IBA network there will be an unblocked Livestream for every debate letting citizens and journalists from other nations, not just for countries with at least one IBA member broadcaster. The site that will let the citizens ask the questions for the debate will come later. All of the dates of the debates will come in due time.

DaTV will also host an election broadcast on the voting date (30th May) that will be broadcasted to the IBA network, starting at 20.45 local darkmanain time, and will be at least broadcasting for4 hours or until the results are clear. DaTV will also allow campaign advertisement on their channels following strict rules and must be 1 minute 30 seconds long and in special windows not to disturb our regular broadcasting. The camps have been sent a blueprint for how the campaign ads must be made signed both from DaTV as well as the Election Commission. Special advertisements encouraging people to vote will also be broadcasted on DaTV.

As of now, we are busy ensuring that this referendum doesn't get too polarizing. We at DaTV know that there are bad apples on both sides but we don't want the bad apples running the show. We only want the good ones.


-DaTV