News Thread [Kylaris|Canon|IC]

[Volarea]

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Alsland Election 2020
SDF Largest Party, Coalition required for a majority

ANS Staff (@ANSOnline)
December 12, 2020 | Yndyk

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SDF is the largest party Photo courtesy of me.

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Yndyk

After a relatively short campaign, tonight the leaders can do no more as the public have cast their votes. The current favourite to be Alsland's next Prime Minister is Lilliana Elliott of the centre-right SDF. Her main challenger is Ottila Möller of the centre-left SdA. The many candidates have been travelling throughout the country over the last few weeks in an attempt to win voters over and polls are showing that the centre-right National Bloc is on track for a slim majority in Alsland's house of representatives.

21:00 - Good evening, welcome to ALS' live coverage of the 2020 general elections. Alsland has had 4 Premier's in 6 years, the last few years have seen rising tension between Alsland's 4 communities and tonight the nation votes on who will be the country's next Premier's.

Will it be, as the polls suggest, the current Premier Liliana Elliott who wins re-election and ushers in a new age of politics in Alsland; or can Ottila Möller defy the pollsters and claim victory for the Progressive Alliance. We may even see a different candidate entirely claim this election for themselves as the country's main political blocs are struggling to win over support and keep their voters. Tonight the country decides. We have reporters in every province waiting to deliver the results as they come in and along with other major news organisations in Alsland and independent polling groups, we will deliver the first exit poll at 9:45pm when the polls close.

21:01 - As you all know a December Election is unprecedented in Alsland, elections by tradition take place in Spring but this year is different and as a result we are expecting turnout at the polls today to be among the lowest in Alish History, the lowest turnout in any election came in 1960 when Eric Feigenspan was brought into office on a turnout of only 54.8%. Today's expected low turnout is likely driven by the rising numbers of Politically unaffiliated voters and the weather which took a turn for the worst yesterday, if that's a sign of anything we'll just have to wait and see but you can sense a feeling of disinterest in this election specifically, according to a large amount of people we spoke to, they said none of the candidates won them over.

21:01 - When the polls close we will bring you our exit poll for this election but first we must introduce the others in the studio who will be commenting on this election throughout the night. First we have former Premier of Alsland and and former President of the Euclean Community Bonne Zijlstra. We also have former Premier Aachtsje Wieringa. We also have dozens of reporters at the places where it matters like Ilfracombe in Fawkhamshire where Premier Elliott will be arriving for the result in that province in a few hours. We also have reporters in Yndyk, Wottested, Werdau, Kirchester, Hurdegaryp, Glauchau and Rahu.

21:05 - Tonight is a historic night for the country and if the polls are to believed we are on the brink of a Political shakeup that could last for generations. Bonne, you campaigned hard for the Progressive Alliance in Delland, Yndyk and Wottested during this campaign yet it seems like your efforts and the efforts of almost every other Progressive Alliance party may be in vain. Do you care to comment?

21:06 - Well obviously the polls throughout the campaign have not been good for the Progressive Alliance but we have seen rises in support in Garz, Zittau, Yndyk and Martiland and we are hoping this, along with a drive to get people to the polls will prove the polls wrong.

21:07 - But polling data shows a large amount of voters, usually Progressive Alliance voters, aren't planning on voting this election due to a variety of reasons. Do you really believe that you have been able to drive turnout up today?

21:08 - Well certainly I hope we have been able to, voter participation and a choice of parties is what is so unique about this country and this shows that if there is a low turnout we must return to having our elections in Spring and Summer.

21:10 - Thank you Mr Zijlstra we're hoping to hear more from you throughout the night. Ms Wieringa, you surely must be happy with how this campaign is going. In Delland which is you and Mr Zijlstra's constituency your party has been leading throughout the campaign. Surely you are happy with this?

21:12 - Yes I am happy with how the campaign has been ran but we shouldn't get too confident about our own successes. I believe that Premier Elliott has been doing a great job in her campaign and her premiership so far. However the decision is not up to us it's up to the people of Alsland and whether they are choosing between the National Bloc, the Progressive Alliance or the other parties contesting this election.

21:15 - Thank you Ms Wieringa. I would like to remind our viewers that we hope to bring you the first exit poll of the night at 9:30pm when we will see a poll on how the people have voted.

21:24 - With only 6 Minutes until our exit poll can be released and the polls close we are getting news that Premier Elliott will be departing from her family home in Ilfracombe at about 10pm to go to the Fawkhamshire Provincial declaration, Fawkhamshire historically has been the first to declare although a fierce competition has emerged between Fawkhamshire and Martiland who came first in 2010 and 2015 to declare their results first.

21:29 - We are now seconds away from the polls closing and only seconds away from delivering our exit poll which will give us an insight into who's won and who hasn't. This poll is unique because it will tell us how voters have voted and not who they planned on voting for. Uusally the exit poll will give us a clear indication about how the night will progress.

21:30 - It's 9:30 and we at ANS are predicting that Lilliana Elliott will remain as Premier and the National Bloc have won a majority, how big that majority will be well we can tell you that we expect it to be somewhere from a 5 seat majority to the National Bloc only needing 5 seats to have a majority. However we can tell you that tonight will be a historic night from the country.

21:31 - Ms Wieringa, it appears you've done it. Are you happy with this result?

21:31 - Yes Willy I am thrilled with this result, we have campaigned hard and I believe the result shows that we have. The public are entrusting us with governing this country and we shouldn't let them down. This Government I believe will work for the people of Alsland to deliver what is best for them.

21:33 - Thank you Ms Wieringa, we would like to bring your attention to one specific party for a moment, the UDU, our exit poll predicts Alsland's former third party has lost all of it's seats. The party's platform this year was heavily criticised for it's euclosceptic policies. Klara Fabel, the party's leader said she would quit if the party lost seats, well it appears that she is out of the job tonight and she has led her party to their worst defeat since the 1950s.

21:38 - We're also getting news from the Premier that she is happy about the result and is watching the election with her family at their residence in Ilfracombe. We believe that she will leave her house to attend Fawkhamshire's result declaration sometime between 21:50 and 22:30. Alsland as you know uses electronic voting and this makes for quick results on elections. But it appears the country has chosen Lilliana Elliott to be their Premier in a historic moment, the second time a women has led one of the country's blocs to victory and the first time since 2000 that any bloc could potentially achieve a majority in the House.

21:42 - Thank you Pabbe, we're getting an indication from specific areas on the country on how they have voted, lets look at Fawkhamshire's 1st Senate district, whilst the Senate is up for election in April we have an indication from some of that district's votes that the Estmerish Separatist party the Democrats have done exceptionally well and the SDF has indeed won a landslide in Fawkhamshire. We are actually expecting from our exit poll for support for the Democrats to rise significantly from 2015 which for any future government should be alarming. Whilst the idea of Fawkhamshire and Hamptonshire seceding and joining Estmere is a fringe idea it is still supported by about 8% of the population there and we believe that 8% to be very politically active.

21:58 - We're getting word that Premier Elliott has left her home in Ilfracombe and is now at the Ilfracombe Central sports centre which is being used to declare that Province's results. We know she is happy with the results and it is highly likely that she will remain as Premier for the foreseeable future.

21:58 - Thank you Pabbe, let's bring your attention to another close race tonight the race between Martiland and Fawkhamshire to be the first to declare their results. Now Fawkhamshire has historically been the fastest province to declare their results but Martiland has been catching up and it declared 10 minutes earlier than them in 2015, we know that Fawkhamshire want their crown back and we know that already most of the votes cast are being received. The voting machines used in today's elections are being taken to Ilfracombe where they have been arriving since 21:30, we know that about half of the machines have already been received and their votes will be counted soon. We are expecting the final machines to arrive at 22:20 where it takes only a few minutes to process all their ballots.

21:58 - In Martiland the process is different however, the province isn't one continuous entity it's split into four distinct parts. The machines from each of those parts will be counted at individual areas and sent to Rahu where they will be declared. Due to the Province's small size it doesn't take long at all for this process to occur.

Also in Martiland we are expecting the KPP to do exceptionally well in this province as always. You may even remember from 1975 to 1990 they held every single seat in Martiland and we are hearing that their leader and current Minister-President of Martiland, Ahto Malk, is hoping they can regain their past victories. The party's result in 2015 was their worst since 2005.

22:21 - We now go live to Rahu where Martiland have done it for a third time running and they have declared their results first tonight.

22:22 - KPP - 10 Seats
ASAI - 1 Seat
Justice - 1 Seat
The Centre - 1 seat

22:24 - As you can see from that the KPP haven't quite managed to win every seat in the province and The Centre and ASAI survive in the province. In fact Martiland is the most supportive province of ASAI with the party gaining most of their support from Martiland, Yndyk and Wottested. Another interesting thing is that the Justice party are back in the House following a long absence, the party traditionally does well in the Senate but they and their leader Ullo Mand, the grandson of Villem Mand, are officially back in the House following a long absence.

22:29 - What is interesting about this is the speed of how it was done. 57 minutes was the all time record set by Fawkhamshire in 2005 but Martiland have declared their results 52 minutes following poll closings making this a record for Martiland. We are also being told that Ahto Malk, the leader of the KPP, is happy about their results and has said that the KPP won't let the people of Martiland down. Malk is one of the most popular figures in Martiland and his party which is a member of the Progressive Alliance, is the dominant party in the province.

22:32 - We actually now have the results from Fawkhamshire coming in 10 minutes after Martiland, this is the Premier's province and it is key to understanding how this race will turn out

22:34 - Sotirian Democratic Front - 11 Seats
Socialist Party - 3 Seats
Democrats - 1 Seat

22:37 - Look at that. Fawkhamshire is dark blue tonight with the SDF completely sweeping the province, the Socialist Party have been badly defeated and the UDU have lost all their seats from the province. The Democrats also gained a seat in this province. This is a truely monumental moment for Alsland and the province of Fawkhamshire, once it was the birthplace of the Socialist Party and home of former Premier Jonathan Fraser but tonight, it now looks like the SDF and National bloc by extension have won big.

22:49 - It wasn't long ago that Fawkhamshire was once considered safe for the Socialist Party in the house, not even the Worker's Party could win a majority of seats there in 2005 but tonight it seems that the SDF have won the province and they have won big potentially reshaping the Province's politics for generations to come. Premier Elliott was obviously very pleased with what she has done tonight as she has done what many thought was impossible just 10 years ago. In fact in 2010 actually the province was home to the reverse of tonight, the Socialist Party winning 10 seats and nearly wiping out the SDF from the province.

22:58 - The Results are coming in fast now, Wottested, Alsland's second city and a political battleground this election is now about to declare it's results. Throughout the campaign it has been neck and neck between the Conservative Party, a National Bloc member and the Social Democrats in Delland, a Progressive Alliance member. We will now see if the trend from Fawkhamshire continues or were we sorely mistake.

23:00 - Conservative Party - 5 Seats
Social Democrats in Delland - 3 Seats
Green Socialists - 3 Seats
Workers Party - 1

23:03 - The Political earthquake continues, Wottested a formally safe SDyD city and province has flipped blue for the Conservative Party. It is hard to state in words, the magnitude of tonight's results but it's shocking to see the SDyD, once a party that was crucial in 2000's landslide victory for the Progressive Alliance, struggle to get more votes than the Green Socialists. Speaking of them, they have done extraordinarily in Wottested tonight, Bene Feitsma promised a political revolution, she may not have done it but the Greens are a force to be reckoned with in Alsland tonight.

23:03 - What's surprising is that the National Bloc have turned a major city, a base of left-wing voters into a Conservative and Liberal haven tonight. Wottested, the former capital of the country, the place where Alsland's trade unions are often influential in provincial governing, has went towards the Conservatives. I was not expecting this, the polls said at most the Conservative Party would win one more seat than the SDyD but they have outperformed expectations and have flipped the "Pink tide" in Euclea.

23:29 - We now go to Zittau where the leader of the Sotirian Union is defending his seat against the Social Democratic Alliance.

23:31 - Social Democratic Alliance - 10 Seats
Sotirian Union - 4 Seats
The Centre - 3 Seats
Green Socialists - 2 Seats
Workers Party - 1 Seat

23:33 - In an election of surprises, this may be the turning point, the Social Democratic Alliance have won outright in the Province of Zittau. Also Jochen Scheffler has lost his seat, the political successor to Benjamin Schaumann's career is practically over, he is no longer leader of the Sotirian Union as it's rules dictate it's leader must be a sitting member of the Senate or House. The Progressive Alliance has turned back the advance of the National Bloc and tonight may not be as clear cut as we predicted earlier on in the night.

23:58 - We're all still reeling from the surprises of tonight but here's some stability, Yndyk is now about to declare. The city is safe for the SDyD who's main competitors have been the Greens led by Bene Feitsma. We are hoping Yndyk won't surprise us as well but if it does it at least makes for good television.

00:00 - Social Democrats in Delland - 6 Seats
Green Socialists - 3 Seats
Conservative Party - 2 Seats
Luetske Groenewoud (IND) - 1 Seat

00:02 - We were hoping Yndyk wouldn't surprise us, our hopes have been answered, Yndyk remains as a safe SDyD city and Province. The Biggest surprise may be the independent, Luetske Groenewoud winning a seat. Groenewoud was not on many people's minds until tonight and she is the first person to win as an independent since 1995. In fact Groenewoud was not even predicted to win a seat so we've had to quickly rush to add her colours into our result system.

01:09 - It's been over an hour since our last declaration but we have one from Hamptonshire, there was a problem with their machines but it's been fixed and we can now deliver you the results. Hamptonshire is expected to go blue, it's traditionally flipped between the two blocs.

01:11 - Sotirian Democratic Front - 16 Seats
Socialist Party - 4 Seats
Democrats - 2 Seats
The Centre - 1 Seat

01:14 - The SDF out on top in Hamptonshire in a historic wave tonight, blue is the colour that flows through the country tonight. Catherine Fischer the leader of The Centre retains her seat by a narrow margin and the Democrat's have increased their support. But the main picture is that the SDF have won a landslide in Hamptonshire and Fawkhamshire tonight, the largest in history for the SDF. 29 seats in total for the SDF putting them on top as it stands. We have been told that Premier Elliott has arrived in Yndyk for a celebratory party with the National Bloc, the mood is more somber for the Progressive Alliance it seems.

01:35 - We now have what is arguably the most important province of the night. Delland will be declaring it's results momentarily. Polls have shown a tight race between the SDyD and Conservative Party but this province will decide whether we all have egg on our faces or our prediction of a National Bloc majority was correct.

01:40 - Conservative Party - 12 Seats
Social Democrats in Delland - 8 Seats
The Centre - 3 Seats
Green Socialists - 1 Seat
National Rally - 1 Seat

01:43 - There it is, whilst we were expecting the Conservative Party to come out ahead, 4 seats is a good result for the Conservative Party tonight. The SDyD on 8 seats means that they will have 17 seats in total by the end of the night. The Conservative Party on 20 seats tonight. The National Rally winning a seat here is odd, the party's main support base was historically in Martiland and Fawkhamshire but it seems that they have made inroads in Delland. The Green Socialists gaining a seat in the Province and the UDU losing it's seats here.

02:47 - Last but not least is the province of Garz, the second largest province in Alsland and usually the last to declare due to the distance needed to travel by some places. Garz was once an SU safe haven, so was Zittau and Zittau has turned pink tonight.

02:50 - Social Democratic Alliance - 12 Seats
Sotirian Union - 8 Seats
Green Socialists - 3 Seats
The Centre- 2 Seats

02:53 - Garz is pink and the National Bloc don't have a majority tonight. By a slim margin there will have to be a coalition between parties to see who will be the country's next Premier, Lilliana Elliott is the leader of the largest party but Ottila Möller's SdA has 25 seats, 4 less than Elliott's. Garz flipping is historical as the province was an SU safe hold in 2010 and 2015 but it along with Zittau has flipped.

03:00 - Tonight was a night of drama, at the start of it we believed the National Bloc were on track for a majority. now, 6 hours later, it's unclear who will lead Alsland. The National Bloc have the most seats but The Centre's leadership is hesitant on any future coalition. That's all, thank you for watching and good night.

Comments [ 17033 ] | E-mail
©ANSToday 2020

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[Gapolania]

[Etruria2]

[Etruria2]

Mauro Ochetti, academic in political science at the Euclean Institute in Kesselbourg City - 14 December 2020

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Home · Kesselbourg · The Continent · The World · Policy · Opinion · Features · Newsletters · Continental Pro

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ETRURIA'S TRIBUNE MOVEMENT FACES ITS FIRST TRUE CRISIS

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Etruria's President revealed to be just like any other

Kesselbourg, Kesselbourg - The Pope Joseph Letters Scandal may seem small on the face of it, but in reality it’s the first major crisis to hit the Etrurian Tribune Movement. It not only brings to the fore, internal divisions over the LGBT+ community, federalism and the Catholic Church, it has also revealed Carcaterra’s own weakness - the need for adoration and praise. It’s a irony at heart, any other liberal democracy would gossip and move on, but in Etruria the Church remains perhaps the most influential institution, this is a true crisis and the first the Tribune Movement has faced in four years.

One of the truisms of the Tribune-era in Etruria is that every crisis the right wing populist government has faced, has both been of their own making and been used to benefit itself. Take the crisis with the EC in 2018, any other government in my view would have collapsed under the weight of the pressure, the Tribunes not only survived but thaey used the crisis to win re-election in a landslide utilising their new electoral system. They used the Pietromontecorvino Incident, to use Caldia’s Taoiseach Jimmy O’Rielly’s stupidity to bring about his downfall. In 2018 again, they used the student protests to bash down student groups and the Union for academic lecturers. The Tribune government has a Candrevian skill unlike any other, they have used every crisis to empower themselves, defeat enemies and crush threats, real or perceived. Until now.

Eucleans maybe enjoying what the Weranians call Schadenfreude, seeing a party that stalled EC expansion for years unlike any other period since its inception. But it is ironic as stated, that this would be the first crisis, but it is easy to see why. The Tribune Movement deserves credit for over four years, portraying itself as a cohesive, unified if not monolithic political entity, but in truth it’s far from such like any other party. What this crisis has done has revealed to contours of its internal divisions and factions, while also revealing the internal limits to its own hard right wing platform and ideology. This revelation doesn’t endanger the government or party, for its entirety are unified in the pursuit of the objective; restoring traditional values, what is revealed is the degree to how far each faction or wing will go to achieve it.

The leaks have unleashed a row over the repugnant LGBT+ Free Zone, already in place in the state of San Francesco. One wing fully supports its implementation across Etruria, as the truest manifestation of the country’s commitment to “traditional values”, yet that wing is besieged by others who see it as grotesque, or more particularly too extreme. The Veratian rebels argued that you can promote traditional family values without denigrating a community in such a cruel and extreme way, this position appears to be shared by most of the party. But do not let this deny the fact that until this point, the party is without question, homophobic. Up until this moment, discrimination was found in exclusion from certain policies or schemes. The youth housing schemes, Famiglia+ purposefully exclude same-sex couples, the entire party is reportedly supportive of ending civil partnerships and passing a constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely between a man and woman. Hate crimes against the LGBT+ community have sky rocketed since 2016 and Tribune led city administrations have repeatedly interfered or stopped pride events. The row then, is over how public, how overt do you want to take this discriminatory position, do you want to keep it as a dog whistle, subtle and legalistic or do you want to be brash and drum beating?

The second issue brought to fore is the internal divide over what is federalism? Etrurian federalism has always been more fluid than its northern neighbours in Gaullica and Werania. Povelia possesses the ability to institute direct rule over a state in the event of an emergency and the powers delegated to the states are in a constant state of flux. The Etrurian federal government in comparison to others bar that of Zorasan for obvious reasons, is one of the most powerful already. Since entering government in 2016, the Tribunes have overseen the most dramatic centralisation of power since the restoration of democracy in 1984. The entire law enforcement apparatus was federalised and centralised into one cohesive system in 2017, education has brought more and more under the purview of the federal government, economic development of the states has fallen further under Povelia’s control and the states governed by Tribunes regularly defer to the federal government over key issues. Many in the Tribune Movement see federalism as a hinderance and an aged irrelevance, except for the two western states of Carinthia and Novalia, which according to opinion polls are more pro-Union than some Vespasian states, and there lies the Tribune view, federalism promotes regionalism and undermines the nation. Even Carcaterra has expressed a desire to see Etruria become a unitary state, but admitted that is highly unlikely owing to resistance the states would put up. But the leaks have revealed Carcaterra’s hypocrisy, on the matter of LGBT+ Free Zones, he argues with abandon that they are a “states issue”, or something solely for the states to decide, hardly the words of a Unitarian. The role Finance Minister Leandro Laezza played in the Veratian vote which banned any discriminatory policy like a free zone being implemented plays into this balance of federalist vs unitary, and further degrades Carcaterra’s position. There are those, such as Veratia’s far right Prefect who would agree with it being a state’s decision, while the opposition were quick to call out Carcaterra and his government as they regularly denounce the decisions made by states run by non-Tribune parties. There is a growing belief that Carcaterra and most of his ministers oppose the Free Zones, but as will be explained below, Carcaterra isn’t rarely willing to upset the base, even a minority. And so the leaks reveal an internal debate over whether the states should pursue a policy if not supported by the federal government and whether that should matter at all, even though the party opposes federalism. It’s a balancing act the party is revealed to be failing miserably.

Factions of the Tribune Movement
• National Conservative - Sotirian Democratic: the left-wing of the party that corresponds to the hard right
of sotirian democracy and social and national conservatism. Led by Leandro Laezza.
• National Populist - the overwhelming majority of the party, anti-federalism, anti-globalisation and
economically nationalist. Highly supportive of the Catholic Church and promotes its empowerment. Led by Francesco Carcaterra.
• Ultra-nationalist - the right wing of the party. It promotes unitary government, nationalism and opposes an outsized role
of the Church in everyday life and government. Supports the abolition of civil partnerships, same-sex adoption and wants a
complete halt to Coian immigration. Led by Guiliano Vinci.

The second issue is that of the Church itself and what role it should play. For the overwhelming majority of the party, it should play a prominent role in society. If outsiders define the Tribunes by their democratic backsliding, populism and racism, many Etrurians define it by its commitment to Catholicism and the Church. It should be noted that the party is approaching the leaks as part of a conspiracy against the Church itself, many tribunes are using the issue to burnish their Catholic credentials. The pro-Tribune media is either being highly critical of a Pope perceived to be too left wing or a Pope who is victim of a plot aimed at breaking the “undeniable ties between the Pontiff and his faithful in Etruria.” It would be wrong to deny that the Tribune government is more religiously guided than any other predecessor and the links between the Movement and the Etrurian church are profound and exceptionally close. For most of the party, the Church is a quintessential element of Etrurian identity and society, aided by Etruria being one of the most religious societies in Euclea and vies with Gaullica for the highest church attendance rate. Both the left wing and centre of the party want the Church to play a role in government, they want the Church to play a role in society, in many ways, it is a rebellion against the sweeping de-religiosity of Euclea and typically Etrurian. The right wing of the party opposes this, owing to its neo-functionalist positions, it views the prospect of heightened Church influence as a threat. To the right wing of the party, only the government should hold such sway and authority, not an outside body that is unelected (read untouchable) and the only one capable of vying for popular affection. It is telling therefore that the right wing and its supporters have been highly critical of the Pope. Veratia’s Prefect, Giuliano Vinci openly accused the Pope of being an “SDP voter” and criticised an unelected outside individual involving himself in Etrurian politics. But the process of elevating the Church will continue, the Etrurian Cardinals dubbed the San Vittore Six will continue to have direct access to President Francesco Carcaterra and Vinci will continue to rail against the clericalism of the federal party.

Lastly, the effects the leaks have had on Carcaterra personally are pronounced. Perhaps the most damaging aspect of the leaks is the revelations of Carcaterra’s own weaknesses and the destruction of the image of one man at the head of an invincible political machine. The leaks have shown Carcaterra’s states issue to be nothing more than a dodge, that his need or want for perpetual praise and adoration by the Tribunes’ expansive base is what drives his positions on key hot issues. The states issue answer is him dodging the need to admit that he doesn’t support them himself or just doesn’t want to take a side in relation to his party’s factions. Carcaterra taking a position would mean upsetting one element of his party and that doesn’t sit well with him. But perhaps the crunch of it all is that the leaks reveal his party to be just like any other, the aura of the Tribune Movement being something different to the staid entities of Etruria and elsewhere is gone, the reputation for being Teflon is gone and the aura of invincibility is gone. Carcaterra is revealed to be just like any other leader, any other politician. As a devout Catholic himself, the Pope’s criticisms will hurt, though unexpected I imagine considering some in his party believe the Pope being Coian is partly to blame for it all. Some in his party believe Popes should be Euclean only, because only “Euclea truly understands the Church and the role it plays in the story of the human race.” But if there is one thing to note it is that Carcaterra is a political street fighter and one of the most adept conspiracy theorists in Euclea, he will no doubt double down on the growing theory that the letters are fake and that the Pope and by extension Etruria are victims of a nefarious plot by forces inside the Church aiming to discredit it. No doubt Carcaterra will put a stop to the infighting, already having meetings with cabinet ministers who blamed Prefect Vinci for publicly lauding a Free Zone in Veratia’s, while others have blamed the prefect of San Francesco, Luciano Giustiniani for introducing the free zone into the vernacular in the first place. While the right wing will surely stop demands for Laezza’s sacking or resignation in due course. Carcaterra will also now be forced to slap down the right wing, ordering them to accept that the process will continue, traditional values will continue to be restored and the church will continue to be empowered and that they will have the back it.

It is highly unlikely that any heads will roll, the party will move on and survive. It may suffer a blip in polls but it will continue to dominate the narrative and the political arena. But, going forward, it will do so with its reputation tarnished and its aura of exceptionality and invincibility obliterated. The opposition parties will surely be giving thanks to the Pope for doing more damage to the Tribunes’ image than they could muster themselves, which is a point for discussion entirely of its own. The Tribunes have faced their first true crisis, they are suffering their first bout of infighting and it won’t be the last, sadly, it just took four years for it to happen.

[Volarea]

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New Governing coalition causes outrage
The New Governing coalition negotiated over the weekend between the National Bloc, the Democrats, National Rally and the Justice Party has caused outrage from all sides of the political spectrum

ANS Staff (@ANSOnline)
December 15, 2020 | Yndyk

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Elliott defended her coalition in a press statement Photo courtesy of De Tiden.

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Yndyk
Less than a day after unveiling her new coalition agreement with the other leaders of the National Bloc, the Democrats, National Rally and the Justice party, Premier Elliott has faced fierce criticism over the agreement with many expecting her approval ratings to take a large hit.

Elliott unveiled the deal in a press conference outside her official residence in Yndyk earlier this morning. In the press conference she thanked members of the media for attending before announcing the terms of the coalition agreement which also adds the Kirenian 'Justice Party' as an official member of the National Bloc which is the first expansion of any of Alsland's political blocs since the addition of the KPP to the Progressive Alliance in the run up to the 2002 Kirenian Regional Elections.

In her statement Elliott claimed that the deal was the best way forwards for the country. The agreement keeps Elliott in power although it gives various high profile cabinet positions to members of Alsland's miscellaneous right-wing parties. Most notably Tristan Franck, the leader of the Right-wing National Rally, has been appointed as the Secretary of Defence and Daniella Wright who is the leader of the Estmerish nationalist Democrats party has been appointed as Secretary of Justice.

Despite it being less than a week since Elliott won a crushing landslide in Hamptonshire and Fawkhamshire, she is facing intense criticism by even members of her own party. Phillip Gardner, the Minister-President of Hamptonshire was unsparing in his criticism of the new coalition deal. In a speech delivered during a regular press-meeting Gardner called the agreement a disaster for Alsland and called Elliott's judgement into question. Gardner's statement has caused a rift within the SDF with Elliott loyalist rallying around their leader and moderate members are defending Gardner.

Addik Kuiken, the departing SDyD leader also called Elliott's judgement into question saying "No sitting Premier should ever let parties that have advocated for the criminalisation of LGBT relationships and the destruction of the country into government. It's frankly a disgrace."

Elliott defended the coalition in a Video recording posted on Twitter. In the recording Elliott said that it was within her right to choose a coalition that has been approved by the President that will best serve the country's interest. Despite this there is a general feeling of discomfort with National Bloc Representatives. According to a source from within the bloc the mood has changed from general celebration about Elliott's victory to discomfort for their new colleagues.

The criticism even came from prominent party leaders in the National Bloc, Jolke Dekker criticised about the deal which be begrudgingly approved of in a meeting on Monday morning. Dekker said in a meeting with new Conservative Representatives that he doesn't like with working with them, referring to the National Rally and Democrats.

Catherine Fisher, the outgoing leader of The Centre called the agreement a disaster for Alsland. Fisher who announced her resignation on Election night after her party lost seats on Saturday's election pulled her party out of coalition talks as one of her final moves as leader. Despite this the party is in a confidence and supply agreement with the National Bloc and the government which provides the Government with a majority of 1 representative.

Meanwhile Tristan Franck, the leader of the National Rally defended the agreement and claimed that those who criticised the deal were in disbelief over the election result. In a statement which was delivered to members of the press outside his home in Leens, Franck claimed the Establishment were involved in a plot to hurt Elliott's popularity. Franck's appointment as Secretary of Defence is one of the main issues with the coalition deal. It's the first time since the Great War that a far-right party has been a member of the Federal government. Franck's political history is notable for his statements on Women's rights, immigration, minority religions, abortion and LGBT marriage. Franck made headlines in 2005 following Martina Scott's election defeat when he said she would "be better suited in the kitchen." When talking about Jonathan Fraser in 2013 he repeatedly called Fraser a "pedophile", a baseless homophobic conspiracy theory promoted by anti-LGBT activists during Fraser's premiership.

The leader of the Democrats, Daniella Wright said that their priority was serving the people of Hamptonshire and Fawkhamshire but that they were happy that the Government has listened to their growing number of supporters and invited them to gain a new view in the cabinet. Wright, whilst a much less controversial public figure than Franck is still notable for her support of Hamptonshire and Fawkhamshire seceding and joining Estmere, whilst this was not on the party's platform in the run up to the 2020 Election there was mention of a drive towards educating voters on the benefits of joining Estmere. Wright also made headlines in Hamptonshire and Fawkhamshire for her inflammatory comments on race and immigration when an immigrant from Bahia was assaulted in Kirchester in August.

It appears as if the Government are experiencing their first publicity crisis since Elliott became Premier following Schaumann's resignation last month. Experts are predicting that Elliott will lose a considerable amount of moderate support especially in Hamptonshire, the more liberal leaning of the two Estmerish provinces. With the Senate elections approaching in April it's looking increasingly likely that National Bloc infighting could cost them the election.

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©ANSToday 2020

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[Liecthenbourg]

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CN Secretary-General reaffirms commitment to the Vidović Plan.
Ekaterine Beruchashvili, the Secretary-General of the Community of Nations, reaffirmed her support for the Vidović Plan ahead of the International Assembly vote on a resolution that would also reaffirm support for the plan.

Moïse Baillieu
December 16th, 2020|Kesselbourg City, Kesselbourg

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The Secretary-General told the International Assembly that she "remained committed" to the plan of her predecessors; Miloš Vidović.
Image courtesy of Salome Zurabishvili.

Kesselbourg City, Kesselbourg

Describing it as one of the most "historic pieces of international cooperation", Secretary-General Beruchashvili announced her reaffirmation of the Vidović Plan. In the coming weeks, the International Assembly is expected to vote on a resolution that would reaffirm its support for the Vidović Plan in its original form.

The Caldish delegation to the International Assembly is expected to introduce the resolution sometime within the next two weeks. It will call on the Tsabaran government to undo constitutional changes made by al'Tughluq and weaken the Tsabaran presidency. Should the resolution pass, it will be a major boost for the elected Tsabaran government, the 'Unity Coalition', which is facing insurrection from the newly declared Hamada state.

The Vidović Plan, named after Secretary-General Miloš Vidović, was the Community of Nations' plan put forward to assist the Tsabaran people create the Transtsabaran Federation in the wake of the dissolution of the 'Tsabaran Republic' in the early 1990s. Miloš Vidović's plan called for the creation of a 'cosocial state', that included:

• A proportionally representative legislature.
• State-level coalitions in multi-ethnic provinces.
• Ethnic and religious reservations within the lower house and the judiciary.
• A President, Vice-President and Premier who come from different ethnic or religious backgrounds.

The plan was historic for the direction invitation that the Secretary General issued towards both Meyer Kahlon and Atwan al'Tughluq. Kahlon was the last official leader of the Tsabaran Republic and Atwan al'Tughluq had arisen in the calamity of the dissolution of the Republic to be the premier voice for Irfanic and pan-Rahelian interests.

The various parties in Tsabara met under the auspices of the CN. Vidović facilitated these meetings and was an integral part of the process. The plan was accepted by Kahlon and al'Tughluq, and in turn shown to the rest of the nation. The Vidović Plan won the support of leaders in all of Tsabara's ethnic and religious groups. It was put before the Tsabaran people in a 1991 referendum. The proposal was supported by a majority of voters in each of Tsabara's communities. Kahlon ran for election as president, unopposed, becoming the country's first president -- as an independent candidate -- to be democratically elected under the new constitution in February of 1992.

After the referendum, the CN oversaw the plan's implementation. The Tsabaran Republic was restructured into the Transtsabaran Federation. The sectarian strife that marred the Republic came to an end as a result of CN involvement. As a result, the Vidović Plan won accolades for bringing peace to Tsabara.

However, al'Tughluq was able to cross ethnic divides and unite the different Irfanic groups in the country under his Movement for National Revival. This gave him influence over the system that was never anticipated, and by 2016 he was able to successfully establish the country as a presidential republic. This was met with much controversy and condemnation from the international community, including disapproval from Beruchashvili.

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©LEMONDE 2020

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• Who is Tatiana Grzybowska, the Papal Secretary? [ 36,238 ]
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• Jules Barnier confirmed to be new Minister for the Econony, industry and Digital Infrastructure. [ 25,136 ]
• New Alish coalition government sparks backlash. [ 11,951 ]
• Between Pope and President: Etruria's Tribunes in turmoil. [ 43,684 ]

[Caltarania]

[Caltarania]

[Xiaodong]

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Werania concludes €2.1 billion arms deal with Tsabara
Westbrücken says the deal will be a boon for the Tsabaran government

Karin Kiesewetter
17 December 2020 | Westbrücken, Werania

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Arms deal includes light armoured vehicles.
Photo courtesy of AV photos.

WESTBRÜCKEN, WERANIA - Defence Minister Ulrich Furler today announced that Werania had concluded an arms deal with Tsabara that amounts to €2.1 billion, one of the largest in the last ten years in Werania.

"This deal aims to ensure that the government in Adunis will have the ability to better bolster its forces as well as engage in more expansive counter-insurgency warfare that will be able to combat the current insurgent groups operating within Tsabaran territory" Furler said in a press announcement today alongside general Rabi Hashmi who was representing the Tsabaran military.

The deal's exact contents are classified but are known to include the sale of hundreds of light armoured vehicles (LAV's), around 40 large-calibre artillery systems and over a hundred heavy machine guns to Tsabara. Furler stated that Werania expects the equipment to be delivered to Tsabara promptly and that it will ensure that the Tsabaran government is able to possess a professional edge over insurgent groups enabling them to engage in large scale offensives against such groups.

The government stated it would continue to discuss a further arms deal with Tsabara that would also cover aircraft and missile technology but stated that such discussions would take time and that the government considers the new deal to be satisfactory for the current moment.

"This is a good deal, a great deal, for both Werania and Tsabara. The Tsabaran security situation naturally affects Werania and so we think that such a deal will help bolster both Tsabaran and Weranian national security" Furler stated.

The announcement comes shortly following an increase in tensions in the Rahelian state as Zorasani-backed rebels in the south declared the independent state of Hamada and Estmerish forces have attempted to perform a reportedly failed raid in the country. According to some sources the deal was fast-tracked in order to coincide with moves by the ECTDO to further step up forces in Tsabara in support of the Nazim al'Qutayni's government.

However, there has been some criticism by Tsabaran officials that their Weranian counterparts have been difficult partners. Its no secret that Westbrücken has been cautious about supporting the Qutayni government seeing him as having enabled former president Al-Tughluq's more bellicose tendencies and that some are closer to Aryeh Kahlon's Atudite People's Party. The recent cooperation between Qutayni and Popular Front leader Qadir Jabbar has also raised eyebrows in Westbrücken.

According to some sources, Weranian officials have been reluctant to discuss acquisition of surface-to-air missiles which the Tsabaran's say are amongst their most needed assets. Westbrücken has stated that it is still discussing the issue and that it is monitoring the development of issues closely on the ground.

The announcement of the deal has split the opposition. The SRPO have criticised the government for failing to provide greater support for the Qutayni government, stating that government is "risking letting the legitimate Tsabaran government fall into the hands of extremists". The Greens meanwhile have criticised the deal from the other direction stating "there is no guarantee Weranian hardware won't be used for human rights abuses" and that such moves may be a pretext for greater Weranian involvement in Tsabara which the Greens heavily oppose.

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endmigrationnow · 1 hour ago
good - let them blow each other up. long as they stay away from here!

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vongoblin · 1 hour ago
why does nazim have a moustache like a kebab shop owner lol.

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oversizedxiao · 1 hour ago
EXCLUSIVE - 99% of pensioners don't know they can claim up to €100,000 FREE at retirement. Click ----> here to find out!.

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[Empire of Falconia]

Ravnian National News

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NSF candidate lineup

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Novigrad - Today, the RSF has narrowed down its top picks for the Ravnian 2021 presidential race. The current picks are Andiry Avramenko, Artem Boyko, and Matviy Holub. These men have vowed to “change the course” of the government, and send Ravnia down a new political, social, and economic path.

Artem Boyko has put healthcare at the forefront of his campaign, promising to expand government healthcare. He has also stated his distaste for private healthcare, which has led some to believe that he will make efforts to tear down Ravnias growing private healthcare industry. Artem Boyko has also stated his intentions to fix the so-called “wage gap” through wage legislation. It should be noted that the wage gap theory has been disproven by several separate, independent, investigations by both the government and private parties.

Matviy Holub has put the economy on the top of his list of issues, making the bold (and some would say foolish) promise to bring the Ravnian economy back to and beyond its strength before the 2005 economic crisis. Matviy Holub has stated that in order to accomplish his economic promises, he intends to move Ravnia away from a mixed economic system to a more command economy styled system. This has received mixed responses from NSF voters, with a sizable portion of voters believing that it will not help the economy.

Andiry Avramenko is the third and final candidate the RSF has put up for the election. He has proven to be the most radical of the three, promising a wide array of changes, some of which include: legalizing recreational drugs like marijuana, canceling university debts, establishing a higher minimum wage, breaking up large corporations, and conducting land reform of the Ravnian interior. Surprisingly enough, Andiry Avramenko has gained a respectable following, primarily from younger voters.

These men, who if elected would very likely change the course of Ravnian history, are scheduled to debate in the coming days.[/b]

[Xiaodong]

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Xiaodongese government introduces constitutional reform package to the Legislative Council
17 December, 2020 | By Jiang Huliang

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Premier Xi Yaotong announcing the proposed reforms to the Legislative Council

RONGZHUO - The Xiaodongese government has formally announced today that it seeks to introduce a raft of constitutional reforms to be passed by the Legislative Council and a later referendum that would "aim to ensure and facilitate the continued development of the nation and move on from the Normalisation process to a new age".

The government stated that it believed that the existing constitution had failed to secure the security of the state in the pre-Normalisation era and that provisions that would streamline the judiciary, strengthen the executive and reaffirm the Corrective Revolutionary spirit was needed in order for Xiaodong to move into the 2020's.

Xi stated that the new constitutional provisions will be presented to the Legislative Council in January, when the Normalisation legislation will formally expire on the 19th January. Xi has stated that they will be accompanied by a National Security Law that the government hopes will be passed around a similar date. If the constitutional proposals attain a majority in the Legislative Council and are formally endorsed by the State Presidium they will be put to a referendum which the government hopes to hold in February 2021.

"These proposals will ensure that the country will remain strong after four years of discipline. They will ensure that the government has a legal framework so that the people of Xiaodong can strive to fulfil our future as the leading global power" Xi stated.

The reforms being proposed mainly preclude an overhaul of the judicial structure. The current semi-autonomous anti-sedition courts will be merged into the existing judiciary system. The appointment of judges, which currently sits with the responsibility of provincial governments on a provincial level and the national government on a federal level, will instead be solely the purview of the Judicial Council with approval from the State Presidium although nomination of judges will rest with provincial and national governments. Powers of the Ministry of Justice will be transferred to the Judicial Council and the State Presidium.

The constitutional amendments will also make it illegal to insult Xiaodong, the Xiaodongese nation, Xiaodongese government institutions, or Xiaodongese national heroes such as the Jianzhao Emperor or Lu Keqian. Xi stressed that the new articles intent will stamp out anti-Xiaodongese feelings and promote national harmony. The amendments will also stress "Five Cardinal Principles" of the Xiaodongese nation which are -
1) National Principlism (国家主体主义)
2) Xiaodongese nationalism (晓东民族主义)
3) Democracy with discipline (有纪律的民主)
4) Social reform (社会改革)
5) Society of moralism (道德主义)
The government's reforms have also imposed a five year term limit for the premier, vice-premier, ministers and the President of the Legislative Council which can be renewed once and will take effect upon the next elections for the Legislative Council in 2022. The government has said that the term limits will increase stability within the government and smoother leadership transitions although will not apply for the State Chairman and Judicial and Examination Council Presidents.

The Xiaodongese constitution was passed in 1942, the second republican constitution for the country and the first that upheld the principles of nationalism, revolution, peace, democracy and prosperity. The constitution underwent major amendments in 1988 with these new amendments being the most expansive since then.

[Imperii Ecclesia]

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CAUSE OF SIMEON KOVACHEV'S GLORIFICATION ADVANCED
The Canonization Commission submits Report on the Life of Simeon Kovachev to the Holy Synod of the Tengarian Church

SHARE:

PETAR MAROV (@marovpetar)
^{17th DECEMBER 2020 18:22 | LENOVO, TENGARIA}

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Field Marshal Kovachev showing off plans to observers in 1939 during a field exercise with the Tengarian National Army.
Photo courtesy of Kovachev Family Estate.

LENOVO, TENGARIA -

The Canonization Commission authorized by the Holy Synod of the Tengarian Episemialist Church has officially handed in the copious research they have done concerning the life and actions of Simeon Kovachev to the Holy Synod for final review and decision, completing the next step in his glorification and canonization process and recognition as a Saint.

As well as being the most important Tengarian statesman of the twentieth century, Simeon Kovachev is also widely regarded for living a Holy Life and for promoting the Faith after a period of godlessness and secularism of the dark days of the Early Republic. Movements for his glorification began across Tengaria soon after his death in 1983 and many people began to venerate Simeon as a Saint. The movements have continued to grow since then in popularity and scope, especially among the religious population. A poll conducted by the National Standard shows that over 55% of the population is in support of his glorification, most of them from among the faithful; less than 6% said they were against, while the rest said they were indifferent.

After waiting several decades after his death to allow to avoid haste and ill discretion as well as to give the movements time to develop the cause naturally, especially under the care of the local Bishops, on the 30th anniversary of his death in 2013, the Holy Synod authorized the Canonization Commission of the Holy Synod to begin a thorough and comprehensive review on the life of Simeon Kovachev. They were given full access to the Kovachev's family records and the records of the Presidential office, official documents and press releases, old military papers, Simeon's extensive private letters and works, as well as reports from people who knew him and from other sources, both national and international. Due to the impact which Tengaria which Simeon Kovachev had on both Tengaria and internationally, this naturally proved a very great and weighty task. After seven years of careful compilations and research, the Commission finally released its report to the Holy Synod today on December 17th.

The report carefully and thoroughly laid out the details of Kovachev's life, from his beginnings in Strelsti in 1901 through his death in Lenovo in 1983. It not only features biographical accounts and testimonies of his life, but also brings out many of his private writings about events he experienced or other's opinions of his actions. Based on his personal writings and letters, as well as the accounts of his closest friends and family, the report states that "Kovachev was a man of deep piety and faith... a loving father and husband, and a devout Sotirian who placed Sotirias at the centre of his life." The report took note of Kovachev's practices of personal piety, including the prayers which he wrote while on long duty in the field, or his love for the Liturgy or his devotion to the Faith. It noted how he excelled in virtue from a young age, not only in courage and moderation, but justice and prudence as well. He was claimed by one Tengarian philosopher to be the "very model of Xenagoras's magnanimous man." In addition to the natural virtues, he also possessed the supernatural virtues of faith, hope and charity.

The report also does not fail to notice his unwavering support for the Church throughout his life, most notably in his Presidency. The report praises the care he took into constructing an education which would produce virtuous and faithful citizens. It also notes that Kovachev promoted the Faith actively and enshrined it in the nation's second constitution. In addition, he restored the rights and liberties which had been taken away during the first two decades of the early republic. The report thusly concludes that he "was a faithful son of the Holy Church and a temporal defender of Her against her enemies".

Furthermore, the report noted how Kovachev was "an obedient servant of God and Emperor and yet a leader when he saw it as his duty to his Nation". It noted how although he found himself in positions of power and prestige, he never desired to have them for his own glory or honor. Although he easily could have taken over control of the early republic after the Great War, he refused, seeing it as an act of treason against his Emperor. However, after the Tengarian Civil War, he saw the need to heal the hurts of Tengaria and to work for the common good, which prompted him to found National Rally and to unite a country broken and wounded from division and conflict. From this, the report concluded that "there can indeed be no doubt that Kovachev lived his life in accord with the Sotirian faith and as an example of holiness, sacrificing his very life for the sake of the people of Tengaria."

However, the report did also bring up critiques of Simeon from other sources, mostly ranging from political opponents to outside commentators. President Vladimir Vasilov is claimed once to have exclaimed in 1952 that "No matter how much he claims to not desire power, the army is loyal to him rather than me! Kovachev's 'virtues' are nothing more than mere pride and arrogance. He will take the power from us one day, and we will rue it." Rumen Santov claimed that Simeon was "a charlatan and a idealistic fool who deceives others into thinking that he is virtuous in order to increase his own vanity". However, besides allegations, the report claimed that it could find no evidence for actions which corresponded with these that did not apply directly to things which these people would consider politically disadvantageous. Even most critics of him recognized him as a "moralistic tyrant" or a "virtuous fool", although often only held his character in contempt.

After the report was published, several critics, mostly international, claimed that the report was biased and unfair, claiming that there would never be a fair evaluation when the Kovachev family was still in power. One anonymous Tengarian political exile wrote to the Standard, claiming that "this unfair act of glorification will only serve as legitimacy for the perpetuation of the Kovachev regime, regardless of his personal moral qualities." Some international critics also view it as a "unjust weaponization of religion".

President Teodora also released a statement later in the day, praising the work of the Commission and wishing the Holy Synod well on the continuation of the glorification process. The Presidential office has been supportive of the glorification movement since its early days, wanting to promote his example of holiness and virtue as a shining example for all citizens of Tengaria. She also claimed that this glorification is not political, but rather a "natural and proper recognition of the virtue of the sanctity and virtue, as an example to all Sotirians how to live and achieve their ultimate end." She has also said previously that "I honor my grandfather because by his example he showed me the way to holiness, not for my own glory." If Kovachev is canonized, it would make him the first major Tengarian political figure who is a Saint since Emperor St. Hristophor, who died in 1906 and was canonized in 1978.

With the report having been submitted, the Holy Synod will meet and deliberate over the report, and is also expected to announce within the next few days the result of the deliberation on whether or not Kovachev's glorification is to be approved.

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© TENGARIAN NAITIONAL STANDARD 2020

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MORE HEADLINES

• Full text of the Glorification Report.
• Presidential Statement on Glorification Report.
• Philosophy: On the Meaning of "Predication" in Logic.
• Sports: Drangovo Universals push to the head of the Eastern Conference.
• Opinion: Holy Synod likely to confirm Glorification Smoothly

[Xiaodong]

Xiaodong promised to end Normalisation. What it meant was continuing it forever.
18 December 2020

The announcement a few months of the end of so-called normalisation measures in Xiaodong should have been a cause for optimism. In January 2017 after the largest peaceful protests in the country since the 1980's dislodged the authoritarian State Chairman Jiang Zhongyu and sought to hold his successor Yuan Xiannian to account after falsifying electoral results the Xiaodongese state responded with brute force, sending tanks to crush protesters and unleashing a wave of repression against those attempting to secure their basic political rights.

Normalisation, the euphemistic term for this unrestrained repression, has seen a profound setback for civil and political rights. The numbers are staggering - 1,500 people have been executed by the regime, 200,000 arrested or detained and 500,000 either suspended or removed from their jobs. These purges predominantly affected the civil service where alleged supporters of former State Chairman Jiang and Premier Han Guanzheng whom Yuan had ousted in 2008 were particularly targeted. Universities also have been brought under total government control where critics of the current regime or national principlism more generally have been humiliated and dismissed by the University Oversight Board which constitutes a de facto branch of the Shujichu.

As well as this emergency decrees have enforced stifling censorship with press freedom nigh non-existent. Most notorious of the normalisation measures are the so-called anti-sedition courts in which those accused of anti-patriotic behaviour are tried quickly and often without witnesses, essentially making a mockery of an already weak legal process.

It can therefore be observed that under normalisation there has been a great political and cultural stifling in Xiaodong, one not seen since the 1970's.Therefore the commentary about the surprise announcement that normalisation will be ended was been met positively across some of the more optimistic Xiaologists. "With Normalisation ending, we can see possibly that Yuan is starting to realise that repressive measures are stifling Xiaodong's development and that a return to a focus on economic reform is needed" wrote Henry Goodridge in the Estmerish paper The Standard.

The announcement of the constitutional amendments the Xiaodongese government aims to pass however betrays that Normalisation was never designed to be removed - only strengthened and entrenched into law.

The centre point of the new amendments is to officially merge the extra-judicial anti-sedition courts into the overall judicial system as well as giving the Judicial Council - and by proxy the State Presidium - total control over the judicial process. Whilst previously state governments could pose a check on judicial affairs from the federal government and the Judicial Council, the new measures will essentially freeze them out of the process. The Ministry of Justice will also see its powers curbed as the Judicial Council takes over its responsibilities.

The Xiaodongese government has presented this measure as both an effort to streamline the judiciary and to transfer power away from executive bodies into judicial ones. On the face of it this approach mirrors that of liberal groups, who have long been against the Ministry of Justice's dominant role in the judiciary. However the Judicial Council is not akin to supreme courts in other countries - its president sits on the highest executive, legislative and judicial body in Xiaodong, the State Presidium, and its appointment is monitored by the similarly politicised Examination Council which ostensibly manages the bureaucracy in Xiaodong.

Not helping matters is that the president of the Judicial Council is Yi Shaoqing, who was appointed to the post in 2015. Yi is possibly the most hardline member of the State Presidium (moreso then Yuan and Examination Council president Jin Baoshun, although International Relations Minister Xu Bangguo may be the most hardline) having been a key voice in support for the repression of protesters in 2017 and amongst the most fervent enforcers of the Normalisation doctrine. Yi reportedly helped write the new amendments so it is likely that his campaign of terror via the judiciary will continue.

Just as worrying is the proposed Article 446, which states that it will be prohibited to "insult Xiaodong, the Xiaodongese nation, Xiaodongese government institutions, or Xiaodongese national heroes". The Xiaodongese government has insisted that it will not be illegal to criticise the elected government and that the amendment merely aims to eliminate "treasonous" discourse but it is almost certain the amendment will aim to give a legal pretext to suppress dissent particularly from Chanwan separatist groups. Yuan has already stated that the amendment will ensure "masochistic readings of history" will be subject to legal action - an implicit threat to essentially criminalise recognition of the Senrian genocide or at least assign blame to the Xiaodongese state or people for it.

The final amendment that is being proposed seems the most curious, namely a term limit on the premier, vice-premier, Legislative Council president and ministers within the Executive Council to two five-year terms aligned with the Legislature. This term limit is being presented as one that easily facilitates transfers of power and ending the "eternal reign of ministers". However this again has an ulterior motive - it does not apply to the State Chairmen who will continue to govern for as long as he pleases. This will essentially remove opponents of Yuan within the State Presidium and make them harder to challenge his position. Yuan is suspected to be grooming his daughter, vice-premier Yuan Qinqin, to succeed him as State Chairman making this amendment an easy way to entrench the Yuan family's rule for decades to come.

These amendments are also to be passed alongside a yet-unreleased National Security Law that will presumably outline greater administrative measures to quell dissent, not least by officialising the University Oversight Board.

The new amendments are a sign to the world that whilst Xiaodong claims it is ending Normalisation in reality its repression will live on. Do not be fooled by the announcements and optimism that claims otherwise.

The Xiaodongese Human Rights Monitor does not publish the names of its contributors for safety purposes.

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12251 comments

freexiaodong · 1 hour ago
Depressing but entirely expected. Xiaodongese people need to realise that despite all the rhetoric and blustering that the Yuan government only cares about itself. Profoundly sad time to be Xiaodongese.

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lihuaqing · 1 hour ago
this article straight up lies. normalisation is simply getting rid of criminals and other social parasites. typical anti-xiao propaganda, probably written by a senrian 大腳盆族

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liec_vented · 1 hour ago
We should look to Kituk when planning our cycling infrastructure.

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[Union of Akoren]

[West Miersa]

Miersan National Party offers 'unity front' against Naprzód in next year's election

Aleksandra Wojdyla giving her speech

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CITY OF ŻOBRODŹ - Yesterday, Miersan National Party leader Aleksandra Wojdyla announced plans at the Miersan National Party headquarter to form a "national unity front" against the governing Naprzód for the 2021 general election, which would see participating parties agree to field a common Presidential candidate, and to not compete with one another in constituencies, so to maximize the chance that the unity front could defeat Naprzód and form government to "restore Miersan democracy."

Party leader and former Minister-President Aleksandra Wojdyla announced that "since the passage of the Third Amendment in October, it has become clear that we are at a tipping point [of Miersan democracy]. It is now essential that all those who are opposed to the growing autocratization of the Miersan nation band together to combat Naprzód's authoritarianism, and restore the democracy of Sobolewski and Wojdyla."

"Therefore, the Miersan National Party extends to all political parties opposed to Naprzód's autocratic ambitions to band together, to cooperate in next year's election, and to ensure that we vanquish Naprzód," Wojdyla said. "We will field a common candidate for the Presidency, and we are willing to not run in certain constituencies to guarantee that we can maximize the amount of seats won, as a national united front, so we have a better chance of restoring Miersan democracy."

Response from the opposition parties
Agrarian Party chairman Gaweł Niemczyk announced later that day that "next year, we are not going to be running a Presidential candidate," although Niemczyk denied that it was because of Aleksandra Wojdyla's announcement, but rather, due to the Agrarian Party's consistent decline in the number of votes since 1971, when it garnered around 3,7 million votes, with their results in 2016 being at around twelve thousand votes for the presidential election.

Niemczyk however made it clear that "we are not going to join Wojdyla's suicide pact. We will continue to care about the rural people [in our country], but we will not chain ourselves to a party who is just as authoritarian as they claim Naprzód is."

Green Party chairman Henryk Rydzewski in contrast has expressed interest in joining the front, although "the members of the Green Party will have to make a decision as to whether or not we will join the [united] front or not," with the Greens likely to insist that Rydzewski be nominated as the candidate for the united front as opposed to Aleksandra Wojdyla.

None of the other parties gave a comment at this time.

In other news

• Tengaria - Could Simeon Kovachev become a Tengarian saint soon?
• Xiaodong - Xiaodongese government to interest constitutional reform package
• Christmas - Top ten things to do this Christmas
• Opinion - Why this 'national front' is a threat to our democracy

[Union of Akoren]

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ESTMERE SPECIAL FORCES MASSACRE 15 CIVILIANS
Late in the night, Estmerish special forces stormed a hamlet and murdered 15 civilians including four children.
Sidi Amar, 18 December 2020

Victims were taken to Ash Shalfa for identification.

Estmere, no longer content with massacring innocents from the air has now slaughtered men, women and children on the ground. Several days ago, Estmerish special forces attacked a remote hamlet outside Ash Shalfa, in Ain Djasser. The late-night raid left 15 people dead, including five women and four children, gunned down in their homes. The Supreme Committee for Governance and Resistance has vowed revenge, saying the base near Adunis housing Estmerish units will now be “a sitting target for the vengeance of Hamada.”

According to several survivors, residents of the farming hamlet, helicopter rotors were heard shortly after 1am, waking up residents and scaring several animals. Within minutes, armed men breached the wall compound, shooting their guns into the buildings. One man, who kept a gun for safety attempted to defend his family before being shot dead by an Estmerish soldier. The soldiers then proceeded to storm each building, shooting wildly. A grenade used by one of the soldiers exploded a gas tank, destroying the house and burying its inhabitants. After 10 minutes of horror, 15 of the 22 people who live in the hamlet were dead or dying and the Estmerish soldiers retreated to their helicopters and flew away.

Soldiers of the Irfanic Liberation and Resistance were alerted to the massacre and have secured the hamlet.

One ILR officer told us, “it is a bloodbath, there are bodies everywhere. They came to this place and killed everyone they found, even the children. I have never seen anything like this and I fought in the Irvadistan War as a young man.”

“This place is nothing more than a hamlet for herders, there is nothing here, no weapons, no missiles, nothing of value. It is a disgrace, we will have our vengeance for the children killed here, God willing” the officer further said.

The youngest victim of the raid was a six-year-old girl, who was found beside her elder brother and mother. Locals confirmed that the man who had the gun was his father and was more concerned with keeping the war far from his children.

News of the massacre reached Sidi Amar where a meeting of the SCGR was devoted entirely to the issue. According to a statement released by the committee on social media, “the news of Ash Shalfa suffering this inhumane massacre has shaken the people of Hamada to the core. This kind of barbarism is expected of Qutayni and his soldiers, but not a supposed proponent of the free world. Today, all of Hamada morns the children murdered. Tonight, we morn all the victims of Estmere’s façade.”

The SCGR has also ordered the ILR forces to “exact vicious revenge” upon Estmerish forces in Tsabara, wherever they are located. Several SCGR members pointedly called out the various military facilities around Adunis that house Estmere’s military forces deployed to Tsabara. The Sho’eva Air Base which is home to the Estmerish warplanes bombing Hamada was declared a “sitting target for the vengeance of Hamada” by the SCGR statement. Several months ago, the ILR forces launched several ballistic missiles at the Atudite-majority cities of the puppet government, striking fear among the enemy's families. It is now theorised that the ILR, if they maintain posession of such weapons may seek to strike at the Estmerish presence in Tsabara, though other SCGR sources have indicated they may be struck in different ways, including, "brave sleeper cells deep within the enemy's backyard awaiting the call to avenge our martyred innocents."

Many online have debated whether the raid was in response to the downing of an Estmerish warplane and the apparent capture of one pilot. The status and location of the pilot is unknown, with the SCGR refusing to comment on the pilot in any shape or form.

News from the Front

• Ain Yagout - ILR forces capture the worker's compound of the Haydar II oil field.
• Qaddessiyah - ILR forces down several regime drones
• Bedjene - Vicious fighting reported as ILR forces make gains north and south of Qa'ah.
• Hassani Abdelkrim - SCGR announces a "blood drive" to support the ILR forces

[Gapolania]

[Caltarania]

[Liecthenbourg]

Camille Chamoun - 4 Tevet AM 5781 / Yekshanbeh: 30. Azar 2342 / 19 December 2020

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Home · Tsabara · Bahia · International · Politics · Business · Technology and Science · Arts · Education · Health · Sports · Weather

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The International Council of Democracy has voted to readmit Tsabara as one of its members.

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Tsabaran President Nazim al'Qutayni concluded his speech to the delegates of the ICD with a single, defiant wave.

Morwall, Estmere - With a majority of states behind the motion, Tsabara has been re-admitted into the International Council of Democracy following a five year long appeal that began with the constitutional reforms implemented by former President Atwan al'Tughluq.

The motion put forward by Secretary-General Vasilios Stathakis was additionally supported by the ICD's Office for Elections and Democratic Institutions. The Office cited its oversight of the "election in Tsabara" and certified that:

"where elections took place, there was no systematic, intentional, or conspiratorial skewing of the election to favour one outcome over the other. There was adequate transparency and competition, and non-governing parties were granted the same rights as those who began the election in power."

The Euclean Community, with the exception of Caldia, voted unanimously in favour of re-admitting Nazim al'Qutayni's Tsabara to the International Council of Democracy. Sylvain Lambert, Gaullica's Foreign Minister, described the vote as "a historic reaffirming of democracy and its practices and to deny Tsabara readmittance now would be a rejection of our own democratic principles".

Caldia's Séamus Ó Faoláin reiterated his country's long-standing commitment to neutrality and impartiality on the issue, stressing that their "support for the Adunis government has been consistent".

Several other nations also put forth abstentions mostly marked by concerns pertaining to Nazim al'Qutayni's participation in electoral coalition put together by Atwan al'Tughluq. Within his regime, al'Qutayni served as Minister of the Interior up until he resigned over what he perceived to be "unconstitutional overstepping and racism against the Atudites". A source close to Ó Faoláin hinted that his initial rise to power, a coup d'etat against al'Tughluq's Premier: Aboud, was also a concern amongst many of the abstentions.

The Tsabaran President was present at the vote amongst the ICD's members and after the readmittance was invited to give a speech. Taking centre-stage at the assembly, the al'Qutayni began by "issuing [his] thanks to all assembled democracies" and that their "second-chance to Tsabara would not be squandered". In what has been described to be an effort to appeal to those who still view him with suspicion, Nazim said that "[he] understood the difficulties some nations and delegates had in accepting this motion for re-admittance. I am here to tell you that Tsabara will be different, it shall be different, and many of the constitutional changes made by my predecessor will be addressed and re-examined when stability has returned to my country." He would go on to say that "this acceptance, this recognition of legitimacy, will go a long way in securing the last vestiges of domestic faith needed amongst those who have bought into the propaganda of electoral illegitimacy."

The rest of his speech focused on the commitments to free and fair elections, electoral transparency, coalition governments, proportional democracy and an independent press and judiciary. He stressed an importance in distancing Tsabara from the worst of the reforms of the Movement of National Revival, but also highlighted his perceived difficulties in achieving this in the middle of fighting an insurrection.

After thanking the assembled delegates for a final time, al'Qutayni raised his hand in a defiant fist and said "morning will come!"

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Comments [ 312251 ] | E-mail

© Marzban Media 2020

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312251 comments

theghostoftughluq · 1 hour ago
A sad day for my presidency.

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a white man in tsabara · 1 hour ago
thank you people from around the world

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lyonmustgo · 1 hour ago
allen made war on tsabara; allen is gone.

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MORE HEADLINES

• President al'Qutayni: The people have spoken, our mandate is clear. (10,654)
• In the dawn of his victory, a bombing campaign picks up across the battleground. (21,777)
• World leaders congratulate al'Qutayni's "victory for democracy". (45,996)
• Kahlon: A victory for all of Tsabara. (18,420)
• Zorasani ambassador summoned to Adunis. (4,132)

[Lunas Legion]

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Home · Yemet · Bahia · International · Politics · Business · Technology and Science · Arts · Education · Health · Sports · Weather

Protests against 'Euclean neo-imperialism' in Tsabara continue into second day

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November 19th, 2020 | By Alemu Assi

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Protestors on Anwar-Motuma-Strasse in Girota, the capital of Yemet

For the second day this week Irfanic protestors have taken to the streets of Girota in protest against what protestors have been calling 'Euclean neo-imperialism' and 'economic colonialism' against the 'Irfanic peoples of Tsabara', with an estimated 100,000 taking to the streets of Girota to protest the Euclean intervention in the country following the deaths of fifteen Hamadan civilians, including four children and five women, during a botched Estmerish special forces raid on a remote hamlet outside Ash Shalfa, in Ain Djasser in the self-declared but internationally unrecognised United Irfanic Republic of Hamada according to Hamadan sources.

The Estmerish government, in typical Euclean bluster, called the raid an 'outstanding success', not acknowledging that neither was the pilot that was shot down days earlier rescued during the raid, nor that the civilian casualties inflicted so much as happened. The protests, which have mostly been peaceful despite the presence of some weapons observed within the crowd, concentrated around the Estmerish Embassy in the city. Police presence at the protest was limited, as a protest was simultaneously occurring outside the Presidential Palace led by several prominent members of the Irfanic clergy, speaking to the crowd and calling upon the government of Yemet to use its non-permanent seat on the Community of Nations Security Committee which it will take in 2021, to be held by Endale Nega, to prevent the Community of Nations being 'used as a tool of the Euclean great powers in their colonial wars'.

Outside the Estmerish Embassy, the protests were led by Congressman Fisseha Alem, who's district the Embassy lies within. Brandishing a megaphone and walking along the protest line, the Congressmen called for the Estmerish government to 'stand up and acknowledge that it slaughtered defenceless Hamadan civilians in their homes rather than continuing to deny the crimes it has committed against the free people of Hamada', declaring that 'until they do, the Estmerish would not be welcome here', referring to his district and that 'the people of Hamada are fighting an Euclean attempt to keep an Euclean puppet government in power which freely massacres civilians and commits atrocities while the world keeps its eyes shut', drawing parallels between the al-Qutayni regime and the Weranian minority-ruled First Federation of Yemet that ruled the country from 1953 to 1964. Congressman Alem declared that he and his supporters would 'remain there for as long as they had to to make the Estmerish government own up to its crimes.'

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Alemu Assi is a new reporter with Volksstimme and joined the paper early in 2020. He previously wrote for the Hayik Zeit on local politics from 2018 to 2020.

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©Volksstimme 2020

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[Caltarania]

[Imperii Ecclesia]

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SIMEON KOVACHEV GLORIFIED
The Holy Synod officially recognises him a Saint despite international opposition.

SHARE:

PETAR MAROV (@marovpetar)
^{20th DECEMBER 2020 20:22 | LENOVO, TENGARIA}

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The Holy Synod of Tengaria shortly before the Proclamation.
Photo courtesy of the Patriarchate of Tengaria.

LENOVO, TENGARIA -

Only a few days after the report on the potential glorification of Simeon Kovachev was presented to the Holy Synod of the Tengarian Episemialist Church, the Holy Synod declared today that Simeon Kovachev is numbered among the saints, accomplishing the final step in his glorification and canonization process and recognition as a Saint.

In the Episemialist Church, 'glorification' is the recognition that God’s holiness is through men and women living lives of holiness which are manifest to the Church, and is a simple recognition of their Sainthood. "The Church does not make Saints", the official declaration stated. "God makes them. The Church only recognises these men as made exceptionally holy by God to serve as witnesses to other, worthy of veneration and honor." The process begins by the individual being venerated and honor by their community and those who they impacted, and if the movement grows, the Holy Synod establishes a commission to learn about the individual's life. Once that is presented to the Synod, the Synod then takes the report and uses it to reach a decision as to whether or not this person ought to be recognised.

St. Simeon's glorification process began shortly after his death, and the movement grew rapidly throughout Tengaria. In 2013, the Holy Synod approved a commission to research into his life, which was thorough and lasted over seven years. On December 17th, the report was made public and presented to the Synod. After two days of discussion, the Holy Synod made public the declaration.

"St. Simeon lived a life of extraordinary holiness and virtue", the declaration stated. "He is a model to others for holiness. He is fit to join the ranks of St. Vasil the Great and St. Hristophor the Holy in the ranks of rulers of Tengaria who have lived a holy political life." The declaration also named him "St. Simeon of Tengaria", reflecting his position as the head of state of Tengaria for many years, and how his calling was to serve the entire nation. He is to be considered a patron of politicians, soldiers and educators, reflecting his most prominent effects on Tengaria- his military service and leadership during the Great War, his political career, and his great reform of the Tengarian education system. He is considered one of the Confessors, those who confessed Sotirias and risked his life but not to the point of be martyred.

This recognition means that a liturgical service will have to be composed for his feast day, which was decreed to be April 17th, the date of his birth. In addition, now icons may be written and Churches dedicated in honor of him. The veneration which had previously been a movement is now universal for the Church. The Holy Synod has made contact with the other Episemialist Churches to confirm the decision and make the necessary arrangements to the calendars.

Although reporters were not permitted in the formal session of the Holy Synod, nevertheless some information did come out of the proceedings. There were virtually no disagreements about the holiness of his life, although some did try and find a weak point for the sake full confirmation. However, there was a minority who did suggest that perhaps the glorification may be imprudent because of Simeon's political life, and because of scandal. However, although the matter was heavily discussed, most of the Synod were strongly in favor of the glorification, regardless of what happened. One report also said that the vote itself was unanimous, though some still had reservations. When the decision was made publicly, none of the Synod showed any signs of displeasure, though this is not necessarily reflective of their true thoughts.

There has indeed been much criticism, mostly from outside Tengaria, which protests the decision. One anonymous exile wrote to the National Standard, saying that "This was the inevitable outcome. The truth is, the game was rigged from start- there is no way that the Kovachev regime could resist perpetuating itself by means of the Church which is in their pocket."

In addition, the Soravian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oleksandr Semenenko, made an official statement which stated that “Whilst the Soravian government recognises what is an admirable display of religious integrity and piety, and a notable devotion to the progression of the Tengarian state and its people, we must condemn his canonisation as a gross misuse of religious and political power within the state, and implore the relevant authorities to reconsider the intersection between church and state.”

Both the Patriarchate and Government have made official responses to the criticism. "The government was in no way involved in this process of the Church authority," the secretary of the Patriarchate claimed. "the government never coerced or forced this upon the Church either. The glorification of saints is a matter only belonging to God and for His Church to recognise the results of. We do not make the Saints, God does. Furthermore, to recongise holy individuals who happen to live in the political realm is the duty of the Church. Tengaria still reveres St. Vasil and St. Hristophor, both major political figures, on account of their holiness, not on account of any political agenda."

President Kovacheva's spokesman answered the general objections, saying that "the office of the President has in no way forced the outcome of this decision, and would never infringe upon the sacred rights of Holy Mother Church. We have allowed them access to government records to examine his life, but to suggest that we have the Church in our pocket is absurd." When asked specifically about the comments of the Soravian Foreign Minister, he responded, saying "To suggest that this is a misuse of power is absurd, because the government has had nothing to do with this decision. We fully support it, but not because it was our will- Holy Mother Church makes its own decisions by Divine Will, not ours."

In a speech given several hours after the decision was made, President Kovacheva invoked the intercession of St. Simeon to protect the well-being of the nation, and asked for all Tengarian citizens to join in the veneration of new Saint. "It is an honor that Holy Mother Church has decreed that St. Simeon was a leader of great virtue and holiness. God has blessed our nation in many ways. Let us be grateful for all that has been done, and continue to sacrifice of his life that he made for our nation ourselves in our daily lives, working for the common good of Tengaria."

During the speech, Kovacheva also declared the next day, Monday, as a one-time public holiday. In addition, she proclaimed that St. Simeon's feast, April 17th, would be a National Holiday from henceforth, in honor of the great Saint, and she encouraged all the Faithful who could to make a pilgrimage for the celebrations in April for the formal ceremony.

On April 17th of 2020, the final and formal glorification ceremony will take place in Lenovo. One last Memorial Service will be held for St. Simeon, after which Vespers and Matins with special hymns to the saint will be chanted and the his icon will be unveiled. Then the process will be formally and fully complete.

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© TENGARIAN NAITIONAL STANDARD 2020

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MORE HEADLINES

• Full text of the Holy Synod's Declaration.
• Presidential Statement on Glorification.
• Philosophy: Why must the Agent Intellect be Immortal?
• Sports: Silen Saints lose important game the Drangovo Universals.
• Opinion: Soravia's Comments constitute a Diplomatic Insult

[Volarea]

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Zijlstra elected SDyD leader
Zijlstra was elected as leader by a majority of SDyD Senators

ANS Staff (@ANSOnline)
December 21, 2020 | Yndyk

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Zijlstra regains his position which he held from 1994 to 2004 Photo courtesy of NAFO.

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Yndyk
After his resignation in 2004 he said he was taking a step back from politics, it seems now that Bonne Zijlstra wants his old job back after he was elected as leader of the SDyD in the first round of voting by the party's senators. Zijlstra, a member of the House of Representatives for Delland, said he was happy to regain the party's leadership.

Zijlstra ran the party from 1994 until 2004. He was first elected to the position after Dillon Dijkstra announced his resignation as party leader. Zijlstra at the time was a relatively unknown figure in the country and soon became the candidate of the party's left wing. Zijlstra eventually won in a members vote where he gained 54% of the vote against his challenger who wanted to keep Dijkstra's policies. The party gained 3 seats in the 1995 Election and was the only party in the Progressive Alliance to do so. A growing rift between Zijlstra and the then Premier Adalbrecht Brötzmann. Brötzmann appointed Zijlstra as Foreign Secretary a move which at the time was seen as an attempt by Brötzmann to keep Zijlstra in line. Zijlstra resigned from his position in 1999 following a disagreement between him and Brötzmann. Zijlstra was able to capitalise off of Brötzmann's unpopularity in a speech he made to the House of Representatives following his resignation.

In the run up to the 2000 General Election, Zijlstra and the SDyD were polling at historic highs. Brötzmann said during the campaign that he would not be seeking a third term as Premier. Zijlstra, the SDyD and the Progressive Alliance won in a landslide becoming the second time in Alish history that any bloc would gain a majority, the first time was in 2000 when Brötzmann led the SdA to victory. Zijlstra was elected Premier and throughout his term was popular with most opinion polls predicting that the Progressive Alliance would retain it's majority in the 2005 General Election.

However Zijlstra resigned following a car crash which killed his son and left him injured. Zijlstra announced he was taking a break from politics to recover and resigned as Party Leader, Representative for Delland and as Premier. Zijlstra was succeeded by Martina Scott who led the Progressive Alliance to a historic defeat against the Left-wing Worker's Party in 2005.

In June of 2007, Zijlstra became the ASE's candidate for that year's Euclean Presidential Election. He won the election and won 55% of all the votes cast in Alsland in the second round of the election. Zijlstra served as the first EC President from 2007 to 2012. After his tenure as EC President Zijlstra made several comments suggesting he was seeking to get back into Alish Federal politics. In 2015, Zijlstra won election to the House of Representatives in Delland. At the time in a post-election interview he said he would not be seeking the leadership in the ensuing Leadership contest and supported Addik Kuiken instead.

Following the 2020 General Election, Kuiken resigned and Zijlstra announced his candidacy on the 15th of December. Zijlstra's main challenger was Assemblywoman Roza Bruinsma who came from the party's centrist wing. Bruinsma said several times to SDyD senators that Zijlstra wasn't fit for the job. Despite Bruinsma's campaign, Zijlstra who was still widely supported within the SDyD and the country, was elected in the first round of voting by Senators.

Zijlstra won 14/16 Representatives and 8/12 members of the National Assembly making him the new leader of the SDyD and the first former leader to become leader again.

In his victory speech, made to members of the Folkssenaat and party members. Zijlstra opened by saying "Now where were we" drawing applause from the members in the room. Zijlstra said his main goal for Alsland in the future would be a society that is fair and equal. He also used examples from his tenure as Premier and President of the EC to show that he is ready for the challenges and has followed his promises.

Zijlstra was featured in a pre-election poll for who Alslanders favoured to be Premier, Zijlstra came out on top with 39% saying they favoured Zijlstra and only 31% said they supported Elliott. Zijlstra's approval ratings also remain higher than the current Premier's. The Progressive Alliance under current polls are expected to gain seats in the National Assembly although Zijlstra's election as SDyD leader is crucial for flipping the Province of Delland back to the Progressive Alliance.

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©ANSToday 2020

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MORE HEADLINES

• The 2025 election will be interesting. [ 364 ]
• Race for the National Assembly already heating up 5 months before it begins[ 935 ]
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[Azmara]

HEALTH MINISTER REVEALS PLANS TO LEGALISE CANNABIS
Maarijana Helmutsdohter revealed plans to journalists in Nysted Park this afternoon.

Ana Jonsdohter (@anajdohter)
^{21 Dec 2020 | Aalmsted, Azmara}

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Helmutsdohter speaking today.

AALMSTED, AZMARA – In a press conference held in Nysted Park, the Health Secretary, Maarijana Helmutsdohter, revealed her department's plans to set up a regulatory framework in which the sale, growth and consumption of cannabis would be handled.

The former biologist, whose Radical Party had pledged to legalise the substance in their 2020 election manifesto, outlined how the regulatory process would work. The sale of the plant would only be permitted under very specific conditions - only licenced pharmacies will be able to sell the product legally, with clear limits placed on the strength of cannabis strains able to be sold.

Regulations on the growth of cannabis will also be established - households will be able to grow up to three plants for personal use, while the growing of a higher number of plants or the growing of any number with the intent to sell will remain a crime. There is, however, one exception to this - a government-owned monopoly for the growing of cannabis shall be created, which shall be the vendor for the licenced pharmacies in question.

Laws on the pricing of the drug have also been established - as with the sale of alcoholic drinks of over 7.5% ABV and cigarettes, a minimum unit price will be established, yet the price in specific has not been announced. As with the former two products priced in this way, this is done with the intent of managing demand for the good and will be coupled with restrictions of the good's purchase to over-18s.

The move has seen much debate made about it and comes on the tail of worries about an illegal and unsafe drug trade operating in Azmara, with Helmutsdohter announcing her intent to "take power away" from "those selling substances with sinister aims". Many have welcomed the move as a well thought-out move to try and counteract these worries, yet many have criticised the move as the wrong way to tackle such an issue - former Euclean Minister Karla Jonsdohter announced her fear what "legalising a gateway drug" would do to the Azmaran youth, a statement echoed by members of the Sotirian Democrats and the Parti for Hûtklif.

However, many have criticised the approach of legalising the drug - the youth wing of Gold Flame, for example, decried the "statist" approach to legalisation, calling for the industry to be deregulated significantly as compared to Helmutsdohter's proposals. Meanwhile, members of Helmutsdohter's own party's youth wing criticised her for only focusing on cannabis, calling for the decriminalisation of the personal use of drugs such as cocaine, magic mushrooms, ketamine and ecstacy to further counteract the dangers of the illegal drug trade.

The moves are thought to be proposed in a bill in the new year as the Alþing returns to session, yet despite its likely submission as a government bill requiring collective cabinet responsibility and thus the Government voting in favour, it is thought the Workers' Party will give its backbench MP's a conscience vote, meaning the bill may be left to the mercy of opposition members to pass.
Comments [ 10282 ]
© De Aalmsted Heraald Inc. 2020

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MORE HEADLINES

• Bonne Zijlstra to return to Alish national politics. [ 7109 ]
• Pictures: The nativity markets in Azmara's 21 cities, ranked worst to best. [ 13175 ]
• Opinion: Helmutsdohter's proposals show a reasoned, progressive approach to social problems. [ 12004 ]
• Snow projected in north of country. [ 15283 ]
• Opinion: Why the focus on cannabis? Unsafe cannabis has killed no Azmarans. Unsafe ketamine has killed hundreds. [ 10985 ]

[/quote]

[Xiaodong]

François D'Assi - 21 December 2020

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Analysis - why did Bamvango abstain on readmitting Tsabara to the ICD?

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President Anthony Benoudjita photographed in 2016.

Morwall, Estmere - The return of Tsabara to the International Council of Democracy was applauded by many of its members. Yet a few held out against the Rahelian state re-joining the organisation. The rebels who abstained mostly supported the reasoning that the government of al'Qutayni whilst an improvement over its predecessors still could not be considered to be a "full democracy" - particularly as al'Qutayni had himself originally come to power in a coup d'etat.

Yet one of the more intriguing absentations came from the delegate of Bamvango. The Bamvangan government officially stated its absentation came from a desire similar to Caldia to adhere to "total neutrality" and that it still held concerns that the Adunis based government had not announced a detailed roadplan to full democratisation. Yet these reasonings are suspect - Bamvango has rarely ever indicated such strong desires to be neutral whilst the criticisms Bamvango has of the Adunis government are eerily similar to those many have of the Benoudjita government, that it has retained from a previous regime draconian restrictions and powers that it insists it will abandon when it has dealt with an ongoing insurgency.

Rather, it can be observed that Bamvango's absentation comes from a different perspective - that it is instead the most recent expression of the Bnoudjita's "policy of equidistance" between Bamvango's main two benefactors, Estmere and Zorasan.

Estmerish interests in Bamvango are long standing - since decolonisation Estmere has allegedly played a role in deposing two presidents, Johnathan A. Akech and Armel Yombandje, and more dramatically directly overthrew the infamous Kashim Shehu via "Operation Fair Game". Zorasani interest in the country is more recent but emerged in the 1990's when it became a key supporter of Abdallah Yaya Ibrahim's regime. Ibrahim similarly promoted a policy of equidistance between Estmere and Zorasan - aligning with one or the other when attempting to extract concessions, never getting too close to either in order to retain political support.

It's a strategy that Benoudjita - who worked as an economist in Caldia for the Global Development Bank, but was educated in Xiaodong - has continued since he became president in 2014. Unlike Ibrahim who was personally more sympathetic to Zorasan Benoudjita has proven far more adept at threading the difference between the two, appearing at times as a firebrand nationalist and others as a business-friendly democrat in order to appeal to both Morwall and Zahedan. This is despite the Northern Democratic Alliance (NDA), a rebel group operating in northwest Bamvango, reportedly being influenced by Zorasan to continue its rebellion until it can extract concessions from the Bamvangan government.

It helps that Benoudjita government does not perceive the NDA to be a major threat and is instead more focused on eliminating the Patriotic Front-Kuol Arop, a rebel group operating in southeast Bamvango that is led by Oscar Kuol Arop who overthrew Ibrahim in 2014 before rebelling against the central government in 2017. The PF-K is thought to be supported by Yemet who Benoudjita has repeatedly pointed to as the main source of Bamvango's problems. In 2018 Benoudjita reportedly showed to the Estmerish ambassador a map of areas he was "convinced" Yemet aimed to annex from southern Bamvango and that Kuol Arop was the "tool Yemet is using to that end".

Benoudjita has as a result often weaved between supporting Zorasan and Estmere (alongside their allies and other important aid donors to Bamvango Xiaodong, Senria and Halland) in disputes in order for them to step up support for his government and its fight against Kuol Arop. Benoudjita has also however been careful never to appear as if Bamvango is becoming a firm ally of either; indeed in 2016 Benoudjita condemned what he called as the "Satriaisation of Bahia" into pro-ROSPO and pro-COMSED/EC blocs and pledged to ensure that Bamvango would remain "friend of everyone, enemy of no-one".

It is this desire to appear above the fray that led to the decision to abstain in regards to Tsabara. Estmere's pugnacious premier Wilton-Smyth doubtless put pressure on D'jombo to vote for the readmission whilst Zorasan likely pushed for Bamvango to vote against. By abstaining Benoudjita is demonstrating that he remains aligned with both but at the same time neither; an expression of the limited autonomy Bamvango has.

Such a policy of equidistance carries enormous risks however. Estmere and Zorasan have shown themselves to be notoriously flexible in who they support taking over the presidential palace in D'jombo; when Ibrahim's army crumbled in 2014 to the Patriotic Front offensive Estmere and Zorasan quickly abandoned support for his regime and threw their weight behind the rebels which sealed Ibrahim's political demise. A policy of equidistance may mean Benoudjita can for now have his cake and eat it, but unless carefully managed it may leave him with nothing.

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