33 Provinces in 33 Days (News Thread in Laeral, Open)

[Laeral]

Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

And the first exit poll for the night is in! Here’s the presidential race:
Vendorme (LPP): 28%
Liu (NDA): 21%
Misra (Prog.): 18%
Errante (Cons.): 11%
Hsieh (LU): 10%
(Others unlisted)
If these exit polls hold up, it looks like Vendorme and Liu are headed into the second round, as expected. Liu’s favored in a head-to-head matchup between the two. The Progressives, meanwhile, look as if they’re heading for their worst electoral defeat in decades, while the Socialists’ Jean-Pierre Nury suffered the indignity of not even making the top five.

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

The far-right populist Laeral Unbowed! candidate, Hsieh Pai-han, looks as if he’s performing worse than earlier polls said, although we should bear in mind that Laeral Unbowed!’s vote totals are usually a percentage point or two higher than polls say. People don’t want to say they’re voting for Hsieh.

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

Voter turnout is estimated at about 60%, slightly higher than 2014’s first round election. It’s hard to tell what this means for the election, since the NEC doesn’t release a breakdown of this statistic.

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

The National Election Commission website: cen.gouvernement.lr will have live updates on the nationwide popular vote as the night goes on, but I’ll periodically update here. The election website is known to be slow, and those of you who were following the liveblog in 2014 remember that the website crashed in early evening.

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[Laeral]

Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

The first votes are coming in, mostly from rural townships.

Est. 3% in
Vendorme: 31%
Liu: 22%
Misra: 17%
Errante: 14%
Hsieh: 9%
Other: 7%
It’s not looking like a good night for the Socialists so far, but their base lives in urban areas that typically finish counting ballots later.

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[Ru-]

OOC: don't sweat it. This thread has been very well put togather, and really interesting to follow. That you were busy makes it even more impressive.

King Yoshio (@realkingyoshio)
Just now from New Ru City, Ru

So! The first round of the Lareal elections are tonight! It's been pretty exciting in the weeks leading up to this election but it's all up to the Larealan voters now. I'm sure they will make the right decision for thier country and fof themselves, regardless of what this little dragon has to say about it! I wish all the candidates running the very best tonight, and that no matter who wins in the end, that our two nations can take a bold step forward togather into better cooperation and goodwill for years to come. Whoever the next president of Lareal is: I look forward to meeting and working with you! #LarealElection2018

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[Laeral]

Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

More of the rural votes are coming in now, as well as some of the urban votes. They do seem to be more from southern Laeral and the peninsula than anywhere else at present.
Est. 18% in

Vendorme: 30%
Liu: 22%
Misra: 18%
Errante: 13%
Hsieh: 9%
Other: 8%
Looks as if we’re starting to see Misra creep up with the influx of votes from her urban areas of support. Vendorme’s built up a commanding lead so far, so the question of the night is whether it’ll be Liu or Misra who takes the second spot in the runoff.

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[Laeral]

Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

The National Election Commission’s website has just crashed under the unprecedented number of people accessing the site. We’re working at Les Couloirs to keep results coming in. The TV networks aren’t getting live results either, but the NEC is looking at alternate methods to deliver results.

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

The National Election Commission delivered the latest results to the various news networks electronically. Information on where the votes that remained to be counted are located isn’t available, unfortunately. Almost one-third of the vote is in, and Nury’s candidacy is at last appearing on the list of candidates, at a mere 4%. Vendorme’s vote totals seems to be diminishing, although not enough to jeopardize his position in first place. Keep a close eye on Misra and Liu’s share of the vote, which is where the uncertainty seems to be tonight.
Est. 30% in
Vendorme: 29%
Liu: 22%
Misra: 19%
Errante: 12%
Hsieh: 9%
Nury: 4%
Other: 3%

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[Laeral]

Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

Est. 51% in
Vendorme: 27%
Liu: 22%
Misra: 20%
Errante: 12%
Hsieh: 9%
Nury: 5%
Other: 5%

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

Est. 73% in
Liu and Misra are drawing very close together- this looks as if it’s going to be a nail-biter. Next update is expected in twenty-five minutes.
Vendorme: 27%
Liu: 21%
Misra: 20%
Errante: 12%
Hsieh: 10%
Nury: 5%
Other: 5%

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[Laeral]

Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

Misra’s only about 200,000 votes right now from overtaking Liu- it’s possible that we could see an upset here tonight. Expect Progressives and New Democrats alike to be looking very nervously at these numbers.
Est. 89% in
Vendorme: 27%
Liu: 21%
Misra: 20%
Errante: 11%
Hsieh: 10%
Nury: 6%
Other: 5%

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

We’ve received word that an estimated 92% of the vote is now in, although the NEC’s keeping quiet on who’s leading. We’re expecting a new update in about 15 minutes. We’ve also received word on who makes up the ‘other’ category at this point- the Radical Party of the Left’s Bruno Zhou is at 3%, the Secular Democrats’ Cedric Garcia is at 1%, and all other candidates make up the last 1% or so.

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[Ru-]

King Yoshio (@realkingyoshio)
Just now from New Ru City, Ru

About that social media thing (cause I'm being flooded with replies about it) We have turned the investigation over to the Larealan authorities and my intelligence officials told me not to post anything further on it. I just want to make clear that I've seen the report and the evidence myself and these are not "rumors." They are the findings of top, highly trained Ruvian Intelligence officials, backed by compelling evidence after a lengthy ongoing investigation. It's in Lareal's hands now, and I am sure that the full story will come out in due time. This is bigger then any one person's campaign so I'm glad it's being treated with the seriousness it deserves.

Oh, and to those new to my replies because of all this: I hope you don't mind all the memes! My most active followers are a rowdy bunch, and thier posts can be a bit...odd.#LarealElection2018

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[Laeral]

Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

New update! 98% in. Liu’s still narrowly leading Misra, although she’s widened the gap to 250,000 votes. It looks as if there won’t be a miracle comeback for Misra tonight. Barring a major last-minute upset, Vendorme and Liu will be going into the second round of the presidential election.
Vendorme (LPP): 28%
Liu (NDA): 20%
Misra (Prog.): 20%
Errante (Cons.): 11%
Hsieh (LU): 10%
Nury (Soc): 6%
Other: 5%

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

The National Election Commission has just called a few of the General Assembly races, and so we’ve placed them on the Les Couloirs General Assembly result tracker below.

Province	Incumbents	Les Couloirs Prediction	Projected Winners
Arquien	Lenoir (Cons), Cheung (LPP)	Incumbents reelected	Lenoir (Cons), Cheung (LPP)
Aumont	Imbert (Soc), Lagarde (Prog)	Incumbents reelected	Imbert (Soc), Lagarde (Prog)
Celeste	Brault (Prog), Wen (Cons)	Brault reelected; Wen unseated
Felliere	Regnier (Prog), Bruneau (Con)	Regnier reelected, Bruneau toss-up
Harcour	Lu-Rossignol (Prog), Fouquet (Soc)	Lu-Rossignol reelected, Fouquet toss-up
Lematre	Besson (Cons), Leduc (LPP)	Incumbents reelected	Besson (Cons), Leduc (LPP)
Meilinis	Brunel-Zhang (Con), Tang (Prog)	Incumbents unseated
Meridoc	Delorme (LPP), Lefort (Soc)	Delorme reelected, Lefort unseated
Peichen	Zhu (LPP), Bai (Con)	Zhu, Bai unseated
Sendrasi	Ma (Prog), Zhu (Cons)	Ma reelected, Zhu unseated	Ma (Prog), Unknown
Shaoxing	Chen (Con), Lim (Prog)	Incumbents reelected	Chen (Con), Lim (Prog)

Moderate Progressive Gwenaël Ma has been re-elected in Sendrasi, while the race between Conservative incumbent Henri Zhu and LPP challenger Chan Xun has not yet been called. That race gained national headlines recently when candidates started throwing around insults such as “dastard” and “king of lies”. Lematre province has also been called; both delegates were reelected in the deep blue province. The same is true in Arquien. In Shaoxing, Delegates Chen and Lim have been reelected handily, and Imbert and Lagarde have been reelected in Aumont. It’s typical for only results from ‘safe’ seats to come in on Election Night; tallying up results from the ranked-choice votes will take time.

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[Laeral]

Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

It’s over. 99.7% in.
Final result:
Vendorme (LPP): 28%
Liu (NDA): 20%
Misra (Prog.): 20%
Errante (Cons.): 11%
Hsieh (LU): 10%
Nury (Soc): 6%
Zhou (Left): 3%
Garcia (Sec): 1%
Other: 1%
Delegate Damien Vendorme and Governor Liu Mei-han will advance to the second round of the presidential election. Liu leads Misra by 270,000 votes. This is a stunning upset for the Progressives, and a massive triumph for Liu’s new, insurgent party. No one could have predicted a year ago that the LPP’s opponent in the second round of the 2018 presidential election would be a former academic and WA Ambassador. The Socialists also have their worst result since the 1970s, and Laeral Unbowed! enjoys their best result of all time.

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

Misra, Errante, and Nury have all privately conceded, and stand ready to make their concession speeches. No word from Hsieh.

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

Nury, from his campaign headquarters in Althea: “Hsieh and the far-right ideology that he stands for must be kept from Republic House at all costs. I encourage everyone who voted for me to cast their ballot for Liu Mei-han”. He also said that he will dedicate himself to campaigning for Socialist Assembly of Commons candidates. He’s rumored to be considering resigning his party positions.

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

For what it’s worth, the Secular Democrats’ Garcia has endorsed Liu, while the Radical Party of the Left’s Zhou has encouraged his supporters to spoil their ballots in protest during the second round election.

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

Misra, at Progressive HQ in Laeralsford: “Governor Liu and I have had our fair share of disagreements over the years. Yet throughout, and throughout the campaign cycle that we have just experienced, my respect for her both as a public figure and as a human being has never been in doubt. I wholeheartedly endorse Governor Liu over Delegate Vendorme’s extreme ideology, and I wish her the best of luck as she continues to strive for the presidency”. Misra also said that she hopes to stay as Prime Minister in the new National Assembly, although polls make that look unlikely. Knowing Tanvi Misra, this likely won’t be the last we hear from her.

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

Bernard Errante delivers an inconclusive message in his concession speech: “I have not yet reviewed the respective candidates, and so I will withhold my endorsement until I have developed a clearer picture, not just of where the candidates stand ideologically, but also their characteristics as a leader of our great nation”. He thanked his supporters, his campaign staff, and his fellow Conservative politicians for their work.

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

Hsieh has finally conceded, saying that “we have done great things, and made great progress towards taking back our nation and our traditions. And while we may not hold the presidency, I will continue to work tirelessly towards helping the movement continue in the upcoming elections for the Commons.” He endorsed Vendorme, but urged all supporters to take a close look at Liu’s policy platforms.

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Malcom Cadiou (@malcomcadiou)
Just now from Les Couloirs Offices, Laeralsford, Laeral

That looks as if that’s all for tonight. Vendorme and Liu advance, while many General Assembly races are yet to be called. I’ll keep updating throughout the week, but in the meantime, good night to everyone reading this. Thanks for staying with me.

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[Trive 38]

Prince Yuri Yakovlev @PrinceYuriYakovlev
Just now from Lyrene, Bethune

I commemorated @LiuMei-han's qualification to the second round with fellow NDA supporters on Lyrene today.
Let us hope for another victory on the second round. #LaeralElections

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[Laeral]

Artifacts From the Campaign Trail: Map of First-Round Presidential Election

This map shows the top vote-getter in each Laeralian province during the first round of the 2018 Laeralian Presidential Election. Looking at the map, several trends are clear. Firstly, Liu Mei-han won virtually all of the Riverlands, apart from Jinhua, Choisel, and Aumont. Liu even managed to pull off a win in Laeralsford, historically a Socialist/Progressive stronghold, although only by the slimmest of margins. Notable also is that she managed to win in several provinces, such as Celeste and Cote d'Argent, that are Arrivée-dominated, thus demonstrating that her candidacy has cross-racial appeal. Although record-high support from Rén, notable particularly in the western Riverlands, pushed her over the top in the crowded field of candidates, Liu will need to win votes from Arrivée as well to triumph in the general election.

Damien Vendorme, meanwhile, won most non-Riverlands provinces, notably in the south of continental Laeral and the Laeralian north. Vendorme was the second or third-vote getter in many provinces as well, meaning that his margin of victory was greater than what might be assumed based on the map. He continues to struggle with winning over Rén voters, however. He notably won many Conservative strongholds, such as Cenefort and Meridoc, illustrating the degree to which Conservatives abandoned Bernard Errante to support Vendorme. The Conservatives won only three provinces, a far cry from their strong finish in 2014.

The Progressives, meanwhile, were largely reduced to finishing first in places between those won by Liu and Vendorme. Much of their traditional Riverlands base of support went to Liu, while Vendorme won in Meilinis despite heavy Progressive efforts there. In a bright spot for Progressives, they did finish strong in much of the Riverlands, as well as winning Aumont and Loiraine, traditionally Socialist-dominated provinces.

[Brasilia Brazil]

::
President and Captain Jair Bolsonaro and Vice President and General Antônio Hamilton Martins Mourão of Brasilia Brazil.

I have been in close friendly diplomatic communications contact since the end of the first round Laeral Presidential elections with the leaders of Miami Shores, The USA of America, Budapest Hungary, NS Jerusalem Israel and NS Taiwan China, and I speak on our behalf.

We are sad and shocked Hsieh Pai-han of the conservative far right Laeral Unbowed Party has lost the first round Presidential elections and done so poorly, we hope and trust you will be a future President of Laeral. We have no choice now but to support Damien Vendorme of the Laeralian People's Party, yuck People's Party (gulp).

We wish you a political upset victory similar to President Trump's on election night, we will all establish close economic, political, cultural, tourist and military diplomatic relations with you, your nation and the Laerian People when you become President of Laeral.

Serious questions, when will the second round Presidential elections of Laeral take place, day, month and year? Will their be a new Poll?

Signed:
President Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Vice President Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami Shores.
President Donald J Trump and Vice President Mike Pence of the USA of America.
Prime Minister Victor Orbán of the Democratic Republic Kingdom of Budapest Hungary.
Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of NS Jerusalem Israel.
Lady President Tsai Ing-wen and Preimier William Lai Ching‑te of NS Taiwan China, The one and only True China.

President and Captain Jair Bolsonaro and Vice President and General Antônio Hamilton Martins Mourão of Brasilia Brazil.

Actually not bad, You are the Trump, Viktor Orbán and Jair Bolsonaro of Laeral to Make and Keep Laeral Great Again.

:
Damien Vendorme.
Laeralian People's Party.
Conservative Right Winger.

Policies:
-Taxes: Lower income taxes especially on the wealthy, cut corporate tax in order to spur economic development. Increase tariffs slightly to protect domestic industry.

-Healthcare: Improve medical schools in Laeral, while removing restrictions on health insurance companies. Welcome immigrants with medical training. Prevent medical workers and paramedics from striking. Promote religious and non-profit care providers as an alternative to government health care.

-Education: Make it easier to create charter schools while giving more control of the educational system to provincial government. Promote the use of school uniforms. Cut the role of race as a factor for university admission, while expanding the number of National Open Universities to prevent elitism.

-Foreign policy: Cut foreign aid spending and funding for Laeralian diplomats abroad. Stay in UN, WA, and IDU, but cut funding to the missions in those nations. End certain free trade agreements to promote domestic industry.

-Energy: Retain largely as current, including continuing to use nuclear power. End subsidies for alternative fuels and energy to focus on “tried and tested means of energy production”.

-Military and Justice: Increase military spending and research. Create more military bases overseas in strategic locations. Increase number of police officers while increasing punishments for attacking police. Enact strict anti-gang legislation.

-Immigration: Switch from offering immigrants citizenship to offering temporary work visas. Decrease the number of incoming immigrants.

-Infrastructure: Increase spending on rural infrastructure.

[Laeral]

OOC Notice: Sorry, no update today. Some real life issues came up, and I don't have the time tonight. I'll make two posts tomorrow. I'm also reaching a very hectic period in my offline life, and so there may be some interruptions with the daily updates over the next week. This is taking up a great deal of my time, and so I may have to start releasing updates on a slower schedule to give myself time to get back on top of things. Sorry, and thanks again for reading.

[Lauchenoiria]

 

Josephine Alvarez (@JosieAlvarezLiberal)
Just now from Buttercity, Lauchenoiria

Congratulations to @LiuMei-han for advancing to the second round! It is my hope that this will be a fresh start for Laeral, and I look forward to improved relations between our two nations in the future, especially in the aftermath of our civil war. Liu would be a fantastic President of Laeral and she has my full endorsement!

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Paul Doberman (@PaulDobermanLF)
Just now from Seahaven, Lauchenoiria

Disappointing that @HsiehPai-han has been eliminated. Of the two remaining, the right choice is CLEARLY @damien_vendorme_english. Can Laeralites really trust Liu Mei-han? As the Kerlian-front Women’s Alliance looks to gain seats, ALL female candidates should be subject to extra vetting so Laeralites can be SURE they are not Kerlian spies. After Charissa Clarke, can other nations really afford to take the chance?

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Laura Moore (@L_MooreLiberal)
Just now from Lorentonia, Lauchenoiria

Commiserations to @MisraCampaignEnglish, who ran a fantastic campaign but was unfortunately let down by false allegations. I’m sure Laeral has not seen the last of Misra yet! Of the two remaining candidates, the obvious choice is @LiuMei-han. Vendorme is a threat to the peace in Lauchenoiria with his absurd conspiracy theories, and I hope he never becomes President of Laeral.

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[Laeral]

Day Twenty: A Police Officer in Aumont
Robert Gauthier, 50, lives in the city of St. Clair in the small coastal province of Aumont. He’s a middle-aged Arrivée man, with light brown hair and blue eyes. He works as a police officer and is worried about the growth of gangs in in the city. “They’re increasing in size, it’s no longer just the small local gangs of the past, but they’re getting ever larger,” Gauthier says. He is concerned they will soon merge with the triads on the national level. “Gang-related crime is on the increase, the longer they’re allowed to grow, the harder they’ll be to tackle in the end.”

He is also concerned about the recent increase in human trafficking. “It’s on the rise, and the decrease in the budget and power of the police across Laeral is responsible,” Robert says, shaking his head slightly. He wants greater respect for the police, and an increase in their budget. “The legalization of prostitution in some other provinces is also definitely a factor in the rise of human trafficking,” he adds, “though thankfully it’s not yet legal in Aumont.” Despite prostitution not being legal in Aumont, he considers this a nationwide problem.

Gauthier is supportive of the Laeralian People’s Party’s policy to enact strict anti-gang legislation. “We need to tackle the growth of gangs as soon as possible, and the LPP is the only party which we can trust to do this.” Gauthier voted for Damien Vendorme in the first round, and is pleased he’s through to the runoff. “I’m thrilled. Vendorme is exactly the kind of president Laeral needs. He will support a crackdown on crime, support increasing the police budget and finally give us what we need to tackle crime in this country.”

OOC: Section written by Lauchenoiria.

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Aumont province, is a small left-leaning province on the east coast. Arrivée-dominated since the French arrived, controversial late-night comedian Julien Chen joked recently that “Aumont looks just like Laeralsford, if there was an ethnic cleansing”. Aumont’s General Assembly race became known nationwide this year when a video of Progressive Delegate Isabelle Lagarde struggling to use chopsticks went viral on social media. Lagarde and Socialist Delegate Christelle Imbert are running for reelection, with their main competitor being Conservative challenger and Notable (member of the province’s legislature) Nicolas Besse. Lagarde’s defeat isn’t an impossibility, with a minor scandal involving a 30,000M renovation of her General Assembly office dragging down her poll numbers. Voters went to the polls last night, and although polling is sketchy, Les Couloirs gives Lagarde a 75% chance of retaining her seat. The province’s fundamentals are largely on Lagarde’s side, with the province’s Assembly of Notables governed by a Progressive-led coalition and the province’s First Minister a Progressive. Aumont went for Misra in last night’s presidential election.

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Latest Polling, from Le Laeralien
Delegate Damien Vendorme: 41% (+14)
Governor Liu Mei-han: 35% (+13)
Undecided/Other: 24%

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Le Laeralien: Misra Pledges To Keep Prog. Party Role

La Sentinelle: Can Liu Grab Misra/Nury Voters?

Le Pays: It’s Vendorme & Liu

Les Couloirs: Hsieh Voters Face Choice: Ideologically or Racially Aligned Candidate?

Le Stylo: Misra Defeated In Triumph For Democracy

[Laeral]

Day Twenty-One: The Conscientious Conservative

Bernard Errante, the General Assembly Delegate who conceded the presidential race two days ago, appears at first impression to be a genial man, but very, very worn. As the senior Delegate from Choisel, he keeps his job, but his run for the presidency is over. Errante himself was the oldest candidate for the presidency, at 75, and rumors persisted on the campaign trail of his persistent health conditions. Errante himself has 52 years of government experience, rising from a brief career in the Laeralian National Security Force (Laeral’s army) to a provincial legislator, Mayor of Marist, a Representative, and now a Delegate. Errante, a lifelong Conservative, is now the de facto leader of a political party that is projected to suffer massive defeats across the board.

“I have few regrets from my campaign,” Errante says. “I am of course disappointed that the voters didn’t quite push us over the top this time, but there will be more elections.” Errante himself says that he has no future plans to seek higher office. “I intend to retain my position within the Conservative Party, but my main focus is on returning to the General Assembly and continuing to work for the people of Choisel province.” Errante has been criticized by the party base and, unusually, other party members as well, with Rep. Nicolas Guerin (C) saying that Errante’s campaign committed a number of errors, and that Errante himself is “rather bland”. Errante himself shrugs off that line of criticism, saying that “politics may become louder and more furious, but I think that the voters prefer simple integrity, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to get things done”.

Errante also made the unusual decision not to endorse a candidate for president in the second round in his concession speech. “Both Liu and Vendorme have their own advantages and disadvantages. I prefer Liu’s temperament, but Vendorme’s policy experience is a point in his favor.” He won’t admit which candidate he plans to vote for, but says that his previous recommendation still stands to Conservatives disappointed by his loss: don’t be. “Don’t spoil your ballots, and make the moral choice for who you want as your next president. There will be future elections, but the most important thing to do now is make your voice heard by voting.” Errante himself says that his plans for the immediate future, besides voting, are simple: “I’m going to sleep in my own bed, at home, with my wife beside me, and then I’m going to go fishing. And then I’ll move from there.”

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Choisel province, one of the original Laeralian provinces, has a population of over two million, and is a frequent swing province. The province’s demographics are majority (60%) Arrivée, and 40% Catholic. Choisel’s Delegates are Bernard Errante and a Socialist, while the provincial legislature, the Choisel Parliament, is governed by a shaky minority Conservative government controlling only 20 of 60 seats. Current First Minister Laurent Dumoulin took power only after inconclusive 2017 snap elections triggered by a sex scandal involving previous First Minister Lecocq, a Progressive. Brennan won Choisel in 2010, but LPP candidate Corinne Pelletier won in 2014 and Bernard Errante won Choisel in 2018’s first round. Choisel remains a focus of Conservative campaigning ahead of the Assembly of Commons elections, although Tanvi Misra has also announced plans to campaign for Progressives in Choisel as well.

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Latest Polling, from Le Laeralien
Delegate Damien Vendorme: 42% (+1)
Governor Liu Mei-han: 38% (+3)
Undecided/Other: 20%

Le Laeralien: Liu Joins Vendorme In Support For Misra-Serriel Investigation

La Sentinelle: Progressive Party Chair Chen Ting-fei Resigns Post-Election

Le Pays: Socialist Leadership Battle Ahead Following Election Loss

Les Couloirs: GA Balance Unlikely To Shift; LU! Predicted To Gain GA Seat

Le Stylo: Pig Escapes Factory Farm, Flees 30 Km To Home Farm

OOC: Brasilia Brasil, the final round of the election will be on Sunday, December 23rd. I don't intend to create a new poll, because all of the parties shown in the poll are still running candidates for the Assembly of Commons.

[Vedastia]

Horace Newman (@ForeignMinisterVT)
Just now from Hoipton, Vedastia

HM Government announces its support for Damien Vendorme in the next round of the election. While saddened by Hsieh's loss, the Kingdom of Vedastia believes that Laeral should elect someone who can hold back the tide of foreign domination, and Vendorme is that candidate.

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[United New England]

Elizabeth Tyagi-Kennedy (@ETK_UNE)
Just now from Boston, Massachusetts, United New England

@LiuMei-Han is a compassionate, bright, and determined leader. I especially appreciate her concern for causes such as hospital funding, child care, teacher licensing, renewable energy, campaign finance transparency, multicultural acceptance, and affordable housing. I give her my endorsement and wish her the best of luck during the rest of the campaign.

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[Byzconia]

Tamara Ortega (@Tammy_Ortega)
Just now from Byzconia City, Byzconia

I, and the entirety of the Social Democratic Party, give our full support to @LiuMei-Han. Though we would have loved to see the #Conservatives moving onto the second round, we all feel that Governor Liu is a wonderful representative for the Laeralian people. She represents a bright future for Laeral and an invigoration of Laeralian politics and Byzconian-Laeralian relations, as well as a firm stance against the dangerous demagoguery of @damien_vendorme_english.

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[Laeral]

Breaking News Update
Adapted from an article for Le Laeralien

Christian Zhou, a Representative in the Assembly of Commons, is dead after being stabbed by a man armed with a knife. Zhou, a member of the Conservative Party, was campaigning in Cordeliers, Corday, when a knife-wielding man leapt upon him from behind and stabbed him eighteen times with a kitchen knife. Representative Zhou was declared dead upon arrival at Cordeliers General Hospital. His assailant has been captured by police and identified as Wang Bao, who had an existing criminal record. Eyewitnesses reported that Wang shouted “Death to the collaborators!” when stabbing Zhou, although the assailant’s motivations remain unclear. Having stabbed Zhou, the attacker fled, leaving Zhou to die, and was apprehended by police after a short chase. The Cordeliers Police Department reported that no officers were seriously harmed during the capture, and Wang Bao is being held in jail until a trial can be held.

Bernard Errante, former presidential candidate, said in a statement that “all Conservative representatives, and indeed the entire Conservative Party family, is greatly saddened by our loss. We are all in shock at this horrific murder, and we have nothing but sympathy for Christian’s family”. Representative Zhou’s wife, Laetitia Zhou, has said that “Christian’s death is a horrible blow to our family, and we now must try to move forward with our lives without him”. President Brennan has declared the stabbing “an attack on our democracy”, and ordered that flags throughout the nation be flown at half-mast. All parties competing in the upcoming elections, meanwhile, have declared a rest from campaigning in honor of Christian Zhou.

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Liu Mei-han (@LiuMei-han)
Just now from Songshan, Meilinis, Laeral

我非常高興得到Josephine Alvarez，Laura Moore，Elizabeth Tyagi-Kennedy和Tamara Ortega的支持。這麼多強大的女性領導者！如果我們能得到一組自拍照。
Je suis très heureux de recevoir l'aval de Josephine Alvarez, Laura Moore, Elizabeth Tyagi-Kennedy et Tamara Ortega. Tant de femmes leaders fortes! Si seulement nous pouvions avoir un selfie en groupe.
I'm very happy to receive the endorsement of Josephine Alvarez, Laura Moore, Elizabeth Tyagi-Kennedy, and Tamara Ortega. So many strong female leaders! If only we could get a group selfie.

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Del. Damien Vendorme (@damien_vendorme_english)
Just now from Dovasary, Sarene

Excited to have the foreign support of Vedastia as the final round of the election approaches. The 'Vedastia Together' coalition is the kind of strong, resilient leadership that's needed, and I look forward to working with them in future.

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[Laeral]

Day Twenty-Two: A Diplomat in Laeralsford
In addition to being the largest city in Laeral, Laeralsford is the administrative capital of Laeral, and home to the greatest concentration of civil servants in Laeral. Jessica Bernard works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an analyst, focusing on high-level international governance. As a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) responsible for staffing embassies abroad, she worked for two years at the Laeralian Mission to the World Assembly, under then-ambassador Liu Mei-han. Bernard didn’t vote for her, though. “I voted for Tanvi Misra in the first round,” Bernard says. “She had the experience and the temperament to be an excellent leader, and my views lined up with Misra’s more than Liu’s.” Bernard was transferred back to a domestic posting by the Foreign Affairs Ministry last year. Bernard wanted to spend more time with her family, and a job opening appeared that would allow her to continue her work from the comfort of Laeralsford. “I’ve lived in a lot of places in my career,” Bernard says. “Probably the most unpleasant was in Gonhog, because I can’t stand the cold, but overall I love my job. It’s a dream career, working in all of these interesting locations and knowing that what I’m doing means something. Foreign Service Officers are really the face of Laeral abroad.” Despite her support for Misra, Bernard says that it was an “easy decision” to vote for Liu in the next round. “Ambassador Liu was a good boss, definitely one of the better ones I’ve had. She was a political appointee, which meant that we were all wary of her, but she knew far more than most political appointees about Laeralian foreign policy, and she would always come around to see how all of us were holding up. She’d come to our holiday parties, she knew everyone’s name, and she knew when to listen to us FSOs. Most of the FSOs are voting for Liu; I can’t think of any of my colleagues who are voting Vendorme. As you might expect, we tend to be globalists, fairly cosmopolitan types, and so nationalism is really anathema to a lot of us.”

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Laeralsford is the undisputed political and social capital of Laeral, home to over 10 million residents. The municipality of Laeralsford is a major part of the Laeralsford Municipal District, the formal name of the province, although the two are often used simultaneously. The Mayor of Laeralsford Municipality, elected by the 150-member Laeralsford Assembly, comes frequently into conflict with the directly-elected Governor of the Laeralsford Municipal District, who have overlapping responsibilities. The position of Laeralsford Mayor is generally the more powerful, with the mayorship often seen as a stepping stone to the presidency. Laeralsford leans left, and is historically a Progressive/Socialist stronghold. The Mayor, Nathalie Lefevre, is a Socialist, who governs the city with a Socialist-Progressive-Green coalition. The Governor of Laeralsford MD is Laurent Martins-Wang, a Progressive, while the Laeralsford Parliament (the District’s governing legislature) is dominated by the Progressives and Socialists. In Saturday’s election, however, New Democrat Liu Mei-han won the province, the first non-Progressive presidential candidate to do so since 2002. She defeated Misra by the narrowest of margins (less than 10,000 votes) but her victory points to an opportunity for New Democrats in the province, by appealing to centrists and conservatives fed up with what they see as overreach by the leftist forces that have long dominated the province. Liu’s victory could in part be a backlash against those seen as responsible for the Laeralsford Blackout, and in general against Progressive and Socialist politicians some see as being too comfortable in their seats, having little danger of not being reelected. Local party leaders have pledged to take this as a wake-up call, while Governor Liu herself has made plans to visit Laeralsford more in future to drum up support.

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Latest Polling, from Le Laeralien
Delegate Damien Vendorme: 43% (+1)
Governor Liu Mei-han: 40% (+2)
Undecided/Other: 17%

Laeral remains in mourning for Representative Christian Zhou, fatally wounded in a stabbing attack in Cordeliers yesterday. Flags were at half-mast throughout Laeral today, while campaigning ceased nationwide. For the first time in over a month, there were no campaign advertisements aired online, on TV, or via radio, while many candidates attended impromptu memorial services. Zhou’s murder is the first murder of a Laeralian politician since 2010. Damien Vendorme, a presidential candidate from Zhou’s party, said that “this cowardly attack is an attack on the soul of our democracy, and I will continue fighting for Christian’s memory”. Vendorme’s opponent, Liu Mei-han, said that “political violence is always an unforgivable crime and an assault on our freedom of expression. It is saddening that anyone could be so full of hatred so as to see murder as an acceptable tool of political dialogue”.

Zhou’s murderer, Wang Bao, remains in custody. Investigators have discovered that Wang was a member of a Rén-nationalist militia known as the Rén Self-Defense League, which has previously advocated violence against Arrivée. Authorities speculate that Wang may have viewed Rep. Zhou as a collaborator with Arrivée in some race-based conspiracy theory, although the full story is still emerging.

Le Laeralien: Nation Mourns The Loss of Christian Zhou

La Sentinelle: Civil, Religious Leaders Call For Restraint In Wake of Zhou Killing

Le Pays: Rén Self-Defense League Calls Zhou Murder ‘Regrettable’

Les Couloirs: Brennan Meets With Zhou Family

Le Stylo: Is ‘Rén Self-Defense League’ A Threat To Democracy?

[Yohannes]

-+-PUNCH CORPORATION ALL RIGHTS RESERVED-+-

Maréchal-Le Men
Parliament House
ONLINE

Wrote a shout out just a while ago:

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“From administrators to worldbuilders and community organisers to public servants, the young generation of Laeralian storytellers and diplomats I met in the Embassy of Laeral this morning were busy doing the hard work of change — because they know that a single vote can make a difference; that their voices could be that difference.

The antidote to the corrupt, neoliberal internationalism governed for the powerful few is government by the organised grassroots movement. Those who governed for the common working class voters — those who have been left behind by the corrupt, neoliberal experiment of slave wage cheap mass immigration, and those who are willing to ‘say no’ to the neoliberal internationalist ruling class who put greed, mass immigration, and money before the millions of innocent, young working families of our respective nations.

We need those who are willing to put their nation first: Yohannes First, or Laeral First.

Delegate Damien Vendorme. From Yohannes First to Laeral First — Keep up the good work.”

—@Maréchal-Le Men Parliament House on the Laeralian Presidential and Legislative Election 2018.

#LaeralYohannesFriendship #NationStates2018 #LaeralFirst

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[Laeral]

Day Twenty-Three: A Nuclear Worker In Meilinis
Alexis Lu, 41, works at the Maihar Nuclear Plant in Maihar, Meilinis. The plant, one of the oldest in the country, provides power to much of the province. Lu leads the plant’s chapter of the General Congress of Electrical Laborers, a major Rén-dominated labor union. Elected by a ballot of the chapter’s 200-odd members, Lu presides over union meetings, collects dues, leads negotiations with plant leadership, and serves as a delegate to the GCEL’s national congress. The GCEL, which was unable to settle on an endorsement for the first round, reconvenes in the industrial city of Laonong (Jinhua) this week to endorse a candidate for the presidential and legislative elections of the second round. Once a candidate is chosen, Lu will be unable to give his personal opinion; until then, Lu is ready and willing to speak out. “I don’t think Liu Mei-han is the right choice for Rén,” he says. “Liu’s very popular among a lot of my fellow workers, and a lot of my family and friends, but I don’t think that she’s all she’s cracked up to be. It seems to me that she’s just playing the race card to get us Rén to vote her way”. Liu enjoys support of around 80% of Rén going into the presidential runoff. “Sure, Liu is Rén, and Minjian*, and everything, but if you take away her race, I don’t think that she stands for us. Vendorme is a known factor, experienced, and he supports nuclear power, unlike Liu. If GCEL votes against Vendorme, we’ll be voting against our jobs.” Lu himself intends to vote for Vendorme at the union congress, although he knows that Vendorme is unpopular among the plant’s union members. “People need to look beyond people’s race and see which candidate is really better to represent them,” Lu says firmly.
*A dualistic religion, indigenous to Laeral, popular among Laeralian Rén

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Meilinis province, home to over 6.5 million Laeralites, makes up a major part of Laeral’s industrial heartland, in a band stretching westward from Meridoc and Carellon into Minsheng and Jinhua. Labor unions continue to make up a major part of the political scene, with Meilinis having one of the highest union membership rates in Laeral. Although organized labor’s political weight is impeded by the existence of separate Arrivée and Rén unions, union endorsements remain coveted prizes in province-wide elections. The sitting Delegates from the province, David Brunel-Zhang (Conservative) and Sandrine Tang (Progressive) both have long ties to the unions, but a series of scandals has upset this. First, Delegate Brunzel-Zhang was found to have given his wife a well-paying government job which existed only on paper, while Delegate Tang earned unions’ ire by voting in favor of a controversial pro-automation bill. Challenging them are current Deputy Governor Sylvie Hou (LPP) and union attorney and provincial representative Fan Cheng (NDA). Meilinis went for Vendorme in the first round of the presidential election. While votes are still being tallied, exit polls show both Brunel-Zhang and Tang being unseated by their challengers, who have been buoyed by millions of marks in campaign spending.

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Latest Polling, from Le Laeralien
Delegate Damien Vendorme: 44% (+1)
Governor Liu Mei-han: 43% (+3)
Undecided/Other: 13%

Les Couloirs: Zhou Killer Tried To Buy Explosives Before Attack

La Sentinelle: Arrivée Nationalist Groups Call For Zhou Support Rally

Le Pays: Vendorme Calls For End To Racial Militias

Les Couloirs: Meilinis Delegates Unseated By Challengers

Le Stylo: RSDL Calling For Race War In Streets!

Del. Damien Vendorme (@damien_vendorme_english)
Just now from Rilos, Cenefort, Laeral

So proud to receive the support of @Maréchal-Le Men Parliament House as the runoff election approaches. In her words, "The antidote to the corrupt, neoliberal internationalism governed for the powerful few is government by the organised grassroots movement." Emperor Maréchal-Le Men is the kind of leader who understands that the needs of her people come first, over the needs of the elites. Liu Mei-han is the very definition of neoliberal internationalism, and we are the grassroots blue wave that will restore power to the people, and take back Laeral's destiny.
#LaeralYohannesFriendship #vendorme2018

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[Mexico City Mexico]

El Presidente.
:
President - Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Make and Keep Mejico Great Again
National Re Generation Party
Leftist Social Democratic Party
Mexican Council of Ministers
Democratic Republic of Mexico.

Viva Mejico.

:
Hsieh Pai-han - Laeral Unbowed.
Damien Vendorme - of the Laeralian People's Party.

While I am a leftist President, I was going to support Hsieh Pai-han of the Far Right Laeral Unbowed Party's many economic policies to help the poor while helping the poor, as I support using the military in Mexico and Laeral to fight crimes and gangs violence.

But now that he has lost the first round Presidential elections, I am going to support Damien Vendorme of the Laeralian People's Party's many similar economic policies to help the poor while helping the poor, as I support using the military in Mexico and Laeral to fight crimes and gangs violence.

See the posts above of Brasilia Brazil I was originally going to reference.

:
Damien Vendorme - of the Laeralian People's Party

Policies:
-Taxes: Lower income taxes especially on the wealthy, cut corporate tax in order to spur economic development. Increase tariffs slightly to protect domestic industry.

-Healthcare: Improve medical schools in Laeral, while removing restrictions on health insurance companies. Welcome immigrants with medical training. Prevent medical workers and paramedics from striking. Promote religious and non-profit care providers as an alternative to government health care.

-Education: Make it easier to create charter schools while giving more control of the educational system to provincial government. Promote the use of school uniforms. Cut the role of race as a factor for university admission, while expanding the number of National Open Universities to prevent elitism.

-Foreign policy: Cut foreign aid spending and funding for Laeralian diplomats abroad. Stay in UN, WA, and IDU, but cut funding to the missions in those nations. End certain free trade agreements to promote domestic industry.

-Energy: Retain largely as current, including continuing to use nuclear power. End subsidies for alternative fuels and energy to focus on “tried and tested means of energy production”.

-Military and Justice: Increase military spending and research. Create more military bases overseas in strategic locations. Increase number of police officers while increasing punishments for attacking police. Enact strict anti-gang legislation.

-Immigration: Switch from offering immigrants citizenship to offering temporary work visas. Decrease the number of incoming immigrants.

-Infrastructure: Increase spending on rural infrastructure.

El Presidente - Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mejico, Viva Mejico.

Democratic Republic of Mexico City Mexico.

:
Hsieh Pai-han - Laeral Unbowed.
Damien Vendorme - of the Laeralian People's Party.

Democratic Republic of Mexico City Mexico.