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Statement of Purpose: Founded on the principles of liberty, morality, and matriatism, the staff of the Eagle's Cry are dedicated to the principles of free speech and accessibility of information, except where this information could endanger the well-being of the Shrailleeni people. This news source will report to the Shrailleeni people and the region the true goings-on within the Shrailleeni Empire through foreign electronic and domestic printed mediums.
National News
October, 1295 (2018)Elections Conclude Successfully
The New Constitutional Empire: Predictions and Surprises
Imperial City - With the conclusion of polling and the results tallied, the Enlightened Matriarchy joins the majority of the region in forming its first democratically representative government. Not a mere foreign import, these elections are a culmination of over a century of Shrailleeni republican philosophy on such subjects as the rights of the subject, the social contract, and the exaltation of the Children of the Goddess. As the first meeting of the National Imperial Shrailleeni Assembly (NISA) prepares to convene, there is much speculation as to what this new legislature will look like and what policies it is likely to pursue.
Of the 544 seats of the People's Representative Council (PRC), 234 belong to candidates who adhere to a set of politics being referred to as the Imperial Republicans. Mostly women from the states of Ra'ilti, Vangar, Sevreen, and Kurungo but hailing from every territory in the empire, these representatives will doubtlessly support the Constitution as it is without pushing for revision, and are expected to guide Shrailleeni policy in a direction more reminiscent of the mid-twentieth century. Many of them have ties to the tourism and oil industries, and have spoken vocally on the need for non-intervention in foreign affairs.
Surprisingly though, these candidates failed to secure a simple majority in the PRC. This means that the Imperial Republicans will have to negotiate with other political philosophies in order to form an effective government. Their most likely allies will be the 37 candidates representing the religious orders, who share many Imperial Republican ideals but who are also vocal advocates of defending the Leenic faith both at home and abroad. With their support, however, the Imperial Republicans will secure a majority government.
These two voting blocks will face their most substantial minority opposition from the Radical Republicans, who made predicted gains throughout Muldera but who also picked up seats in Fromathra, Ra'ilti, and Vangar. A total of 158 Republican candidates have been elected to the NISA, representing a variety of manufacturing, agricultural, and shipping communities including several candidates with ties to the oil industry. They will likely be pushing for Constitutional reforms and for increasing ties with Adiron, Novitera, and other strong regional democracies. It is likely however that they will find common ground with the Imperial Republicans on several issues of trade and economy. They Radical Republicans also claim the largest number of male representatives in the NISA, at a ratio of nearly 1:3.
One of the major surprises in this election came from the minority votes. Minority candidates mostly representing Ashlanders, Shamanists, Small Islanders, and the Navaretta won 76 seats, mostly from the Ashland Confederation, Navarett, and Kurungo but including one surprising Leenic Christian candidate from Imperial City and another representing the New Edomite feminist exile community. A much greater surprise came from the Nine Feathers, judged initially to be a fringe sect limited to Imperial city, which earned 36 seats - nearly as many as the religious vote!
The newly elected representatives will face their first test with the convening of the NISA's first session in three days. All of the empire will watch eagerly to see if this new democratic experiment will produce sound results, or if as some have postulated the Shrailleeni people are still not ready for self-government.Meet the Matriarchs
A great deal more coverage has been done on the women running for the Imperial Matriarchate, the upper house of the NISA which will wield considerable authority in the passage of legislation and which will work closely with the Mother Empress on matters of policy. With one women elected from each of the constituent states of the Enlightened Matriarchy, the matriarchal campaign was perhaps surprisingly tame with frontrunner candidates emerging early on. Thus the eight seats of the Matriarchate were filled with few surprises. Here are the women who will wield the guiding hand of the imperial legislature for at least the next two years:
Tesseya Ressefren, Matriarch of Ra'ilti - Hailing from the northern port city of Vesfri'a, the Ressefren family became one of the forerunners of the new middle class when its matriarch Vallera Resfri'a founded the Shalben Shipping Conglomerate. Tesseya Ressefren first made a name for herself in local politics by challenging the corrupt policies of the Queen of Vesfri'a with accusations of tax farming and interference with Imperial proclamations. Tesseya was one of the few revolutionaries of 2015 who publicly allied herself to the Mother Empress over the local Queen, a decision which proved wise following the Second Enlightenment and the failed coup by the nobility. During the campaign she made appeals primarily to the populations of Imperial City and Blue Sea concerning the need for a unified economic vision and liberal trade policies, gaining a majority vote over her Temple-based opponent.
Yessara Fenin, Matriarch of Muldera - One of the more contentious candidates, Yessara Fenin was the public face of the Mulderan rebellion in 2015 which briefly overthrew Imperial authority in the industrial city. Despite the deaths of the Mulderan royal family during the uprising, Yessara is credited with preventing the Mulderan militias from engaging with Black Wing forces and widening hostilities. Following the declaration of the Second Enlightenment, she chose to negotiate with the Mother Empress and succeeded in gaining semi-autonomy for Muldera and its environs in exchange for rejoining the Imperial system and reopening the factories vital to Shrailleeni heavy industrial development. She is one of two Radical Republicans to be elected to the Imperial Matriarchate.
Vella Remban, Matriarch of Vangar - A business woman and entrepreneur from Tahlmatora, Vella Remban ran a successful campaign by appealing to the rainforest agriculture industries of Vangarra. Herself directly involved in the trade of coffee, she promised to fight for the continued growth of the forest industries by taking a hard stance against its competitors in Ayaca and against unionized labor efforts on the plantations. The rest of her platform is considered Imperial Republican, to which she made strong statements against allowing men in government, "wasteful" military adventurism in places such as Gavinium, and the need to establish Shrailleeni influence in the region on the basis of "soft power" and economic development.
Trissa Velar, Matriarch of Fromathra - One of the few surprises in the campaign for the Matriachate, Radical Republican Trissa Velar defeated her Imperial Republican opponent by a small minority of the vote. The rebellion in southern Fromathra was more violent than that in Muldera, and was suppressed by the deployment of the Black Wing and with the aid of New Edomite troops. Afterward the leaders of the republicans were found and arrested, but the Second Enlightenment partially justified their efforts and led to lenient sentencing for many. Trissa Velar was one of those who accrued only a light sentence, and even participated in the National Assembly which drafted the Constitution. She gained powerful support across southern Fromathra by promising to fight for the republican ideal, and it is believed that she was able to sway undecided voters by publicly praising the Mother Empress for the Constitutional reforms.
Princess Kalato fe Messalika, Matriarch of the Ashland Confederation - The second true surprise of the Matriarchal elections also came from the island of Fromathra, with the almost unanimous election of Princess Kalato fe Messalika to the position of Matriarch of the Ashland Confederation. The rebellion of Prince Niseyai against imperial authority, which resulted in the kidnapping of several hostages including foreign industrialists, initially led to the confiscation of the royal family's holdings and the dismissal of its titles. However, the Queen of the Messalika was able to demonstrate in court that the Prince acted against her own authority and that her family remained loyal to the Mother Empress. Afterward her youngest daughter, Princess Kalato, began a campaign to unify the Ashland tribes and begin their economic recovery through the establishment of several new oil wells. Seen as balancing tradition and modernization, the Princess had little difficulty in winning the vote against her common-born opponents.
Sevessa Vristek, Matriarch of Sevreen - Sevessa emerged as the moderate candidate from Sevreen, defeating in the elections a more radical opponent as well as a member of the surviving Sevreeni nobility. The partition of the island into two new polities consolidated the Railtic population and has left many facing new questions about the future of their economy. Sevessa has promised to represent the concerns of the plantation and fishing industries and to work to strengthen the current constitution. She also made several speeches on the importance of promoting Leenic values, and has voice support for the growth of the religious judiciary and the seat of the Mother Empress as important moderating factors in government.
Lisabet Shay, Matriarch of Navarett - The second major surprise of the Matriarchal elections, Lisabet Shay is an infamous Navarettan activist from a proud Cetan-descended lineage. The new Constitution specifies that only worshippers of the Mother Goddess can be considered citizens. As such, many Magi Navaretta are formally barred from voting, and this was expected to move the election in favor of a Railtic candidate. Lisabet overcame this obstacle on account of her suspicious but public entry into the Order of Comfort in 2016, thus qualifying herself for elections. Her election was nearly a tie, but she managed to win enough of the Leenic vote to achieve victory, a feat attributed to campaign promises made regarding badly-need Navarettan infrastructral and economic development. As a well-known Navarettan activist Lisabet will doubtless have to tread the political waters of the Matriarchate very carefully, but in her acceptance speech voice only optimism and spoke of a new age of Navarettan and Leenic Sisterhood.
Princess Zala Anbesa fe Kurungarra, Matriarch of Kurungo - The second-eldest niece of the Regent of Kurungo, Princess Zala has been active politically for the last ten years in the state and was the favorite candidate to win. Notable for her efforts in human rights and her opposition to the Kurungarran Amazons, who were declared illegal late last year, she is seen by many as the model of the enlightened nobility in a state that still holds the Mother Empress in extremely high regard. Her passionate speeches regarding the need to take a firm hand against Deadora have made national headlines of late, and she spearheaded the campaign to promote the new treaty with the Imperium of Arbites and spoke well of reconciliation.
The selection of a Matriarch of State, which will be conducted by the Mother Empress upon the first convening of the Matriarchate, could go to any of these women. However, it is rumored that Tesseya Ressefren and Sevessa Vristek are favored options within the Imperial Palace for the position.