2019 Caldan Elections

[The Resurgent Dream]

OOC Rules

1) After this initial post, this is intended to be an in character thread about an in character election. Hence its placement in this forum. Please keep OOC to a minimum. If it becomes an issue, an OOC thread will be created.

2) No godmoding. Please do not roleplay my nationals without permission. Please do not roleplay a military intervention or an intelligence presence without first sending a telegram to discuss. Feel free to post media coverage, public reactions, and diplomatic interactions.

3) The poll will have a significant result on the outcome but will not completely determine the next election. 100 seats in the House of Representatives will be determined by the poll results while 780 seats have been predetermined. This is entirely a mechanic to ensure the poll does not implausible change the entire political complexion of my country. It is possible for either major party (Labour and Nationals) to win a majority and also for any of the smaller parties to become an influential "kingmaker" holding the balance of power.

4) While there is nothing stopping your government from taking an official position, this goes over about as well in the Caldan Union as it would in most real life countries. The system provides for parties to do worse if they receive explicit endorsements from foreign governments. It is, of course, possible to game this by pretending to help a party you actually want to hurt. However, being too obvious about it will prevent it from having any effect.

5) The candidates will periodically be at public forums where they can be asked questions, including by your nationals.

Parties

Name: Labour Party
Leader: Lola Foster
Ideology: Social liberalism, social democracy
Foreign Policy: Pragmatic engagement, multilateralism
Political Position: Centre-Left

Name: National Party
Leader: Sam Martin
Ideology: Conservatism, civic nationalism
Foreign Policy: Realism
Political Position: Centre-Right

Name: Liberal Party
Leader: Ronald Wade
Ideology: Liberalism
Foreign Policy: Liberalism
Political Position: Centre

Name: Centrist Democratic Union
Leader: René Reynaud
Ideology: Social conservatism, communitarianism, social market economics
Foreign Policy: Eclectic
Political Position: Centre

Name: People's Party
Leader: Winston Baxell
Ideology: Right-wing populism
Foreign Policy: Theoretically pragmatic but with strong pro-Pantocratorian, pro-Snefaldian, pro-New Edomite, anti-Knootian, anti-Excalbian biases
Political Position: Far Right

Name: Socialist Party
Leader: Chris Rutledge
Ideology: Social democracy, socialism
Foreign Policy: Theoretically based on radical solidarity and internationalism but with strong pro-Pantocratorian, pro-Snefaldian, pro-New Edomite, anti-Knootian, anti-Excalbian biases; opposition to South Epheron as a nonnegotiable litmus test
Political Position: Far Left

Name: Green Party
Leader: Vickie Magar
Ideology: Environmentalism, nonviolence, grassroots democracy, social justice
Foreign Policy: Noninterventionism
Political Position: Left

Name: Reform Party
Leader: Sarah Hilton
Ideology: Traditionalism, decentralisation, cultural nationalism
Foreign Policy: Pro-Pantocratorian, pro-Excalbian
Political Position: Right

Name: Radical Party
Leader: Elijah Blades
Ideology: Multiculturalism, identity politics
Foreign Policy: Post-colonial
Political Position: Left

[The Resurgent Dream]

Prime Minister's Private Office, Kilburn House
Tarana, Caldan Union

The Prime Minister's Private Office was simply an office, albeit a well-apportioned one. There was nothing iconic about it as there was about the Cabinet Room or the government frontbench in the House of Representatives. Various Prime Ministers had freely switched between several offices in Kilburn House with Oliver Welton preferring a sitting room. However, George Flynn had settled upon an arrangement where the Prime Minister and Clerk of the Privy Council each occupied one of the offices adjacent to the Cabinet Room and to one another and the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister occupied the office adjacent to the Prime Minister's on the side opposite the Cabinet Room. This arrangement worked well and was maintained by Sir Malcolm Stuart and now by Lola Foster. It allowed her primary political adviser and her primary nonpartisan civil service adviser both easy access while providing her with important proximity to the Cabinet Room. Now, however, the door to the Clerk of the Privy Council's office was firmly closed. Foster would not be needing Sir Anthony Lascelles nonpartisan advice was not needed today. However, the Chief of Staff, Patricia Kirkpatrick, was leaning back against the Prime Minister's desk wearing a concerned frown. 'Six months,' she said. 'We only needed six more months.'

'I know,' Foster said, leaning back in her own chair, two fingers pressed to her temple. 'There was no time in the 20th century where anyone would have thought anything about an election six months early but we've had eight Prime Ministers since 2009, four in 2016 alone. There's been half as many Pantocratorian Chancellors in that time. Even fewer Excalbian.'

'On the other hand, no Caldan election has produced a government filled with fascist thugs who get off on bullying schoolchildren,' Kirkpatrick observed.

'Pantocratoria...' was the only response Foster made, trailing off and leaving her thoughts unspoken. 'Still, I wanted to serve a full term to the last day, if only to show Caldans it was actually possible. Instead, we've gotten more political chaos. Rutledge can't accept the result of a leadership challenge so he and his followers leave the party, form a new Socialist Party, deprive us of our majority. In very few of their constituencies were voters dedicated to the candidate personally. Most of them got elected because people wanted a Labour Government. There was no real alternative in New Excalbia. The deal was done between the only two countries that had any say. Lady Christina and I wanted it to go as smoothly as possible. It wasn't pleasant but, if I had it to do over again, I would make the same decision again.'

Kirkpatrick shrugged. 'If only the Knootians weren't so dedicated to the Boers.'

'It's hard to say in public that I had to support a bad deal to prevent worse consequences. It ruins the support,' Foster noted. 'The Socialists will be coming for us hard in what we think of as safe constituencies. The Centrist Democrats will hit hard in the new Provinces. The Christian Democrats, Islamic Democrats, and Arcadian Democratic Union finally got past their sectarian issues and realised they had the same policies.'

'Without the divisive, sectarian label, I think too many of those policies will appeal to people who would otherwise vote Labour,' Kirkpatrick lamented.

Foster shrugged. 'The world is as it is.' She rose from her chair. 'We should be getting to the Palace to formally advise the Queen to call an election. We can think the Liberals that we at least get that dignity instead of a vote of no confidence. Wade told Rutledge the Liberals would vote with the government on that so long as an election is called in short order.' She took a deep breath and stepped out of the office. By the next day, Parliament would be dissolved and the election begun.

[Excalbia]

Sunday Morning with Tim Sarkanais on EBC

A round, slightly stooped figure with a mop of unruly graying hair sat to the left of a sparse set composed of two chairs and a low table framing a large video display. At the moment, the screen simply displayed the logo of the Excalbian Broadcasting Corporation with the title of show superimposed over it in a serious, unassuming script.

The round figure, in a well-tailored yet somehow wrinkled-looking dark suit, turned to the camera. “Welcome back,” he said in a rich, baritone voice. “This is Sunday Morning and I’m Tim Sarkanais.” He looked across the set to his guest, an attractive, mature woman with perfectly coiffed hair wearing a stylish suit with a skirt that fell just above her knees. “And I’m pleased to be joined today by Lady Christina Freedman, recently retired political leader, Chancellor, Minister of State and Minister of Defence. Welcome, Lady Christina. Thank you for joining us this morning.”

“Thank you for having me on your show, Tim,” Lady Christina said with a smile full of gleaming white teeth. “The fear of any retired politician is being forgotten,” she laughed.

“Not much chance of you being forgotten.”

“That’s too kind.” The former Chancellor smiled.

“So, Lady Christina, my first question is: are you really retired? You’re young, especially for a politician, so the conventional wisdom is that you’re really just taking a break until the right moment for you to return to one of the top positions. Is that the case?”

Lady Christina chuckled slightly. “I’ve already held all the top positions in the political realm. I see no need to repeat myself. So, yes, I am retired for good. I’m looking forward to a less hectic lifestyle and more freedom.”

“There are also rumours that you are writing your memoirs…”

“Good God, no,” she said in mock horror. “There’s nothing sadder than a former politician trying to justify her decisions or get revenge on her critics.”

Sarkanais chuckled. “If everyone took your advice, we’d be out of business.” He paused, turned suddenly serious and leaned forward. “To change topics, let me ask you to talk a bit about the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Caldan Union. An election that seems to have been triggered by the outcome of the New Excalbia Conference on Zamimbia…”

Lady Christina frowned slightly. “The Caldan Union is a mature, rational democracy. As well as an old and trusted ally. The Caldan people have proven themselves quite capable of sorting through political rhetoric and choosing reasonable women and men to lead their nation. And despite that rhetoric, her elected leaders have proven time and time again to be rational, reasonable partners, who adhere to the Union’s existing obligations, treaties and alliances. I would not expect anything to change with this election. Beyond that… well, one hesitates to comment too much on another's internal politics…”

“But, as you point out, Lady Christina, you are no longer a politician and no longer speak for either His Imperial Majesty’s Government or for your party. So, as a keen political observer, what do you think of the elections? And of its circumstances?”

Lady Christina gave an icy smile. “Well, to paraphrase a great leader of an earlier era, it is easy to be one of the ‘cold and timid souls’ who sit on the sidelines waiting to criticize the man or woman in the arena, who ‘strives valiantly’ to do great deeds, even if that means occasionally falling short. Both we and the Caldan Union went to New Excalbia daring to strive for great goals: the freedom of all the people of Zamimbia and South Epheron; their independence within existing borders; peaceful and mutually beneficial relations between them and all their neighbors; and full human rights for all residents of both countries.

“Now, did we fall short? Of course, we did! It would be the height of deceit to deny that. But, why did we fall short? For one simple reason: Zamimbia and South Epheron, without consulting with any of the other assembled powers, except Knootoss, came to their own agreement.

“So, what would our critics – or those of Prime Minister Foster – have had us do? Overturn their bilateral agreement? Wouldn’t that have been nothing less than colonialism and imperialism? And I wager it would have provoked condemnation from those same critics! Beyond that, it would have put us on a collision course with Knootoss once again… something no reasonable person should want.

“Once confronted with Zamimbia’s and South Epheron’s decision to trade territory and citizens, we had to decide whether to challenge it, with all the negatives I just mentioned; blandly accept it; or try to make the best of it. We chose the most difficult path, the latter. We insisted that those whose homes and citizenships were to be shifted from one country to another have a say over their fate through a plebiscite. And so, they will. We also insisted that the Western Atlantic community together take responsibility for ensuring a peaceful transition and a strong, free and prosperous Zamimbia. And so, we will.

“Did we – and Prime Minister Foster – achieve our great goals? No. But did we take the risk and dare to solve a problem that generations before us had ignored? Yes, we did. Did we do the best with what circumstance handed us? I would argue that we did.”

“So, you believe that the Labour backbenchers, whose defection triggered this election, are unjustified in doing so?”

Lady Christina again flashed a cold smile. “Let me say this, Tim, it is easy to be one of cold and timid souls on the backbench, who are quick to criticize, quick to assert maximal demands, and quick to promise the sun, moon and stars. It is much more difficult to be a leader. The Caldan Union has a leader. And I’m sure that after this election it will still have a leader. And those cold, timid souls will go back to carping, complaining and criticizing from the safety of the bleachers. That is, after all, what suits them best.”