Excerpt of the Daily Transcript of the Nantai Legislative Assembly
Kenyen, Nantai
Context: after the announcement regarding a referendum, and the response by the Namorese government, the Nantainese legislators have to address these issues. Among the issues such as who is eligible to vote, whether they should include an option for the status quo [Namorese territory under Luziycan administration], and whether they will use instant runoff voting, or a block vote. This is an excerpt of the debate concerning the inclusion of an option to maintain the status quo in the referendum.
Vladimir Bogolepov (11th district, Whigs): Mr. Speaker, I would like to propose that the referendum include an option for the status quo according to the October 7 Consensus. By ensuring that all of the options are offered, it will help to increase the legitimacy of the referendum in the eyes of the Namorese authorities.
Tao Fangwei (63rd district, People's Action): Mr. Speaker, if I may address the point raised by the honorable member from the eleventh district (Bogolepov), most Nantainese do not want to maintain the status quo. They would rather be under the sovereignty of one country or the other, not to be administered by one country while being under another's sovereignty. What the honorable member from the eleventh district proposes to do, Mr. Speaker, is to include an option that nobody wants, and that is unnecessary for the referendum to be valid.
Vladimir Bogolepov: Mr. Speaker, while I acknowledge the concerns that have been raised by the honorable member from the sixty-third district (Tao), the fact of the matter is that it is necessary to have a vote with meaningful options. It would be pointless for us to have a referendum without having all the major perspectives, especially when the independence option is on the ballot.
Tao Fangwei: Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out to the member from the eleventh district, with all due respect, the independence option is only included because if we do not include this option in the referendum, it will likely be challenged in the courts for not giving residents meaningful choice... (is interrupted by Bogolepov)
Vladimir Bogolepov: ...but you propose that you exclude the st... (is interrupted by Tao)
Tao Fangwei: ...the reason why I and my colleagues do not want the status quo included in the referendum, Mr. Speaker, is because if we include the status quo, it will mean that this dispute will continue. If we want to ensure that this dispute ends, it is up to us to decide what we want, and there have been polls stating that most prefer to be under Luziycan sovereignty.
Vladimir Bogolepov: Mr. Speaker, if I may address the concerns raised by the member from the sixty-third district, the matter at hand is that many polls have conflated Luziycan sovereignty with the status quo, by both Nantainese and federal polling organizations. It is impossible to determine whether Nantainese actually support the status quo, or support Luziycan sovereignty over Nantai. By including this option, we can ensure that people will be able to make a sensible and informed choice on whether they'd want Luziycan sovereignty, or to maintain the status quo between Namor and Luziyca.
Tao Fangwei: Even if we are to entertain the notions that the status quo and the "remain in Luziyca" options have been conflated, Mr. Speaker, we can see that the claims presented by the member from the eleventh district can easily be disproved. In a 2015 poll from the Kenyen Sibo, we can see that 63% of respondents supported Luziycan sovereignty over Nantai, 31% supported Namorese sovereignty over Nantai (under the Tao plan), 5% support the status quo (Namorese territory administered by Luziyca), and only 1% support independence.
Vladimir Bogolepov: That is just one poll, Mr. Speaker. There have been many more polls, especially published by the Kenyen Sibo in 2017 in the run-up to the attempted referendum, Den Konstitution, and Asteri tis Thalassa, that have conflated Luziycan sovereignty and the status quo. The fact is that even if one poll may show the difference, this does not change the fact that most have conflated them. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, to address the claim presented by the member from the sixty-third district, these polls show that it is essential that we include an option for the status quo.
Tao Fangwei: While the honorable member from the eleventh district is discussing claims that polling organizations somehow conflate the "remain in Luziyca" and the status quo options, there have been a lot of polls within Nantai by Nantainese papers besides Kenyen Sibo which do not conflate the two, such as the Kenyen Zvedza and the Po'ai Sibo. This means that for all intents and purposes, Mr. Speaker, it is difficult for the claims presented by the honorable member from the eleventh district to stan against such evidence. Because of this, Mr. Speaker, it is sufficiently clear that there is little to no support for the status quo in Nantai, and when you consider that there is no constitutional requirement to ensure that this option is provided, I believe that I speak for most of the chamber that there is no need to provide the status quo option, based on these points.
Vladimir Bogolepov: Mr. Speaker, I believe that considering that this debate will continue on to the detriment of other pressing issues, it'd be crucial for us to vote on the motion tabled.
Speaker (So Chen): Agreed. The legislature has heard of the terms of the motion. All those in favour of the motion will please say aye.
Some members: Aye.
Speaker: All members opposed to the motion, please say nay.
Some members: Nay.
Speaker: In my opinion, the nays have it.
Vladimir Bogolepov: Mr. Speaker, I would like to call for a division.
Speaker: Will all those voting aye to the motion please rise?
Sixty members rise
Speaker: Will all those voting nay to the motion please rise?
Eighty-four members rise
Speaker: With sixty votes in favor of the motion, eighty-four votes against the motion, five abstentions and one absent, the motion presented by Vladimir Bogolepov of the Whig Party has been defeated.
Vladimir Bogolepov (11th district, Whigs): Mr. Speaker, I would like to propose that the referendum include an option for the status quo according to the October 7 Consensus. By ensuring that all of the options are offered, it will help to increase the legitimacy of the referendum in the eyes of the Namorese authorities.
Tao Fangwei (63rd district, People's Action): Mr. Speaker, if I may address the point raised by the honorable member from the eleventh district (Bogolepov), most Nantainese do not want to maintain the status quo. They would rather be under the sovereignty of one country or the other, not to be administered by one country while being under another's sovereignty. What the honorable member from the eleventh district proposes to do, Mr. Speaker, is to include an option that nobody wants, and that is unnecessary for the referendum to be valid.
Vladimir Bogolepov: Mr. Speaker, while I acknowledge the concerns that have been raised by the honorable member from the sixty-third district (Tao), the fact of the matter is that it is necessary to have a vote with meaningful options. It would be pointless for us to have a referendum without having all the major perspectives, especially when the independence option is on the ballot.
Tao Fangwei: Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out to the member from the eleventh district, with all due respect, the independence option is only included because if we do not include this option in the referendum, it will likely be challenged in the courts for not giving residents meaningful choice... (is interrupted by Bogolepov)
Vladimir Bogolepov: ...but you propose that you exclude the st... (is interrupted by Tao)
Tao Fangwei: ...the reason why I and my colleagues do not want the status quo included in the referendum, Mr. Speaker, is because if we include the status quo, it will mean that this dispute will continue. If we want to ensure that this dispute ends, it is up to us to decide what we want, and there have been polls stating that most prefer to be under Luziycan sovereignty.
Vladimir Bogolepov: Mr. Speaker, if I may address the concerns raised by the member from the sixty-third district, the matter at hand is that many polls have conflated Luziycan sovereignty with the status quo, by both Nantainese and federal polling organizations. It is impossible to determine whether Nantainese actually support the status quo, or support Luziycan sovereignty over Nantai. By including this option, we can ensure that people will be able to make a sensible and informed choice on whether they'd want Luziycan sovereignty, or to maintain the status quo between Namor and Luziyca.
Tao Fangwei: Even if we are to entertain the notions that the status quo and the "remain in Luziyca" options have been conflated, Mr. Speaker, we can see that the claims presented by the member from the eleventh district can easily be disproved. In a 2015 poll from the Kenyen Sibo, we can see that 63% of respondents supported Luziycan sovereignty over Nantai, 31% supported Namorese sovereignty over Nantai (under the Tao plan), 5% support the status quo (Namorese territory administered by Luziyca), and only 1% support independence.
Vladimir Bogolepov: That is just one poll, Mr. Speaker. There have been many more polls, especially published by the Kenyen Sibo in 2017 in the run-up to the attempted referendum, Den Konstitution, and Asteri tis Thalassa, that have conflated Luziycan sovereignty and the status quo. The fact is that even if one poll may show the difference, this does not change the fact that most have conflated them. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, to address the claim presented by the member from the sixty-third district, these polls show that it is essential that we include an option for the status quo.
Tao Fangwei: While the honorable member from the eleventh district is discussing claims that polling organizations somehow conflate the "remain in Luziyca" and the status quo options, there have been a lot of polls within Nantai by Nantainese papers besides Kenyen Sibo which do not conflate the two, such as the Kenyen Zvedza and the Po'ai Sibo. This means that for all intents and purposes, Mr. Speaker, it is difficult for the claims presented by the honorable member from the eleventh district to stan against such evidence. Because of this, Mr. Speaker, it is sufficiently clear that there is little to no support for the status quo in Nantai, and when you consider that there is no constitutional requirement to ensure that this option is provided, I believe that I speak for most of the chamber that there is no need to provide the status quo option, based on these points.
Vladimir Bogolepov: Mr. Speaker, I believe that considering that this debate will continue on to the detriment of other pressing issues, it'd be crucial for us to vote on the motion tabled.
Speaker (So Chen): Agreed. The legislature has heard of the terms of the motion. All those in favour of the motion will please say aye.
Some members: Aye.
Speaker: All members opposed to the motion, please say nay.
Some members: Nay.
Speaker: In my opinion, the nays have it.
Vladimir Bogolepov: Mr. Speaker, I would like to call for a division.
Speaker: Will all those voting aye to the motion please rise?
Sixty members rise
Speaker: Will all those voting nay to the motion please rise?
Eighty-four members rise
Speaker: With sixty votes in favor of the motion, eighty-four votes against the motion, five abstentions and one absent, the motion presented by Vladimir Bogolepov of the Whig Party has been defeated.