ARCHIVED: Kannex Chooses

Jahr Zweitausendvier.

Last election.
Change in Liberal Party leadership.

The tree of democracy must, time and again, be refreshed by the compost of used ballots.

Cold War tensions between Kannex and her Helmebaine allies on one hand and the communist Red Bloc have risen to unmatched proportions in the last two years. Under Chancellor Hans Kreutzer, Kannex led a successful defense of democratic Rhuvanland against communist forces, but his successor Torsten Kesler saw a disastrous defeat and the collapse of the pro-Helmebaine Rhuvish government. In Kesler's brief administration, military spending skyrocketed and the nation saw a nuclear war scare during the last Rhuvish war. Tens of thousands of urban dwellers fled the cities to the safety of the suburbs and countryside. After the war, confidence in Kesler's government was at an all-time low. He has announced he will not seek another term. Chancellor Kesler's support for the decriminalization of homosexuality also saw him lose support among the conservative Liberal Party establishment. The Liberal Party has chosen Oskar Müsel as their new candidate.

The mainly-Catholic Christian Social Party has chosen not to form a coalition with the Liberal Party for this election. While the Christian Socials have worked with the Liberals on many issues, including expanding subsidies for religious schools and restricting late-term abortions, the last year has seen some visible rifts arise between the two governing partners. The Christian Socials notably opposed Kesler's welfare reform package and have called for negotiations with pro-independence forces in Pelhafor. Despite the pro-Empire side's victory in the recent Pelhaforan independence referendum, many have called for a review of the plebiscite, citing poll irregularities and alleged greater availability of polling stations in Protestant neighborhoods, which lean pro-Empire. Massive demonstrations have broken out in the Pelhaforan capital of Zarya and other major cities in the Kannexan protectorate, led by mainly Catholic, pro-independence groups.

The Communist Party is predicted to suffer the most losses in the upcoming election. Hostilities with the communist forces of Nebula and Shei Ren and the recent war have made far-left politics very unpopular.

Meet the parties.

Sie dürfen alles fragen.

The young Oskar Müsel was not enough to save the Liberal Party this year as the Democratic opposition swooped up to take the majority in Congress. The Liberal Party suffered much from its foreign policy failures, especially the loss of Rhuvanland to the reds and the nuclear standoff with Nebula. The recklessness of the Liberal Party, coupled with corruption scandals and disunity over issues such as gay rights and welfare, culminated in the worst Liberal defeat in decades. The Christian Social Party lost nearly half its seats, reflecting a trend of Catholic voters flocking to the two major parties. The nationalistic Fatherland Front gained 13 seats, attracting Protestant religious groups in its negative campaigning against the Liberals. As predicted, the Communist Party lost most of its seats, although it still holds as much seats as the libertarian Free Democratic Party and the Green Party combined.

The key to the Democratic success, many analysts say, is Jörg Henneburg's adoption of a more centrist policy under the name of "New Democrats." The Democrats eschewed their long-held call for greater public control over industry. The Democrats pledge a national minimum wage, welfare reform to cut deficits, and a stronger national defense. Henneburg notably criticized the Liberal foreign policy failures, warning that Kannex was falling behind in the Cold War. In addition, Henneburg affirmed his support for the Pelhaforan protectorate government in resolving the Pelhaforan Question.