Tomb for Delegate - May 2017

Tomb

TNPer
3WTvipA.png

Ladies and gentlemen,

Firstly, thank you all for your help, support, and encouragement over the past four months. Being your Vice Delegate and Minister of Home Affairs has been an honor, so thank you for your trust and co-operation along the way.

Before I get to the meat and substance of this campaign, I want to reflect on our work over the past term:

As Vice Delegate, I have worked tirelessly with the Security Council and our WA population to ensure that SC members are at acceptable endorsement ranges that allow them to deal with emergencies when and if they come up. When I assumed office as VD, only 3 of 8 SC members were in the preferred 800+ endorsement range. The other 5 ranged from below 600 endorsements to barely 700. My initial solution to this dilemma was implementing weekly theme weeks for each Security Councillor; we soon discovered a major flaw in the plan. Many of the SCers could not always guarantee availability.

We did not give in. We compromised. Instead, we focused on, developed and implemented endorsement boosting campaigns that were tailored specifically for each Security Councillor. WA nations in the North Pacific have seen at least one of these telegrams asking you to endorse a specific security councillor. Oftentimes, they listed the said SCer's contributions to the region -- both in their capacity as SCer and as a private citizen -- and thanks to those valiant efforts, the introduction of the WA Keepers program, and and your endorsements, the whole Security Council is now above 800 endorsements, with the majority being at 900 endorsements or 25 endorsements away from 900.

Our region is now the most secure it has been in a long time. That is thanks to your partnership with and support for the Security Council. Endorsements aside, another thing that I have been careful to do this term is security checks for citizenship applications. I am happy to report that we have witnessed ZERO lapses in security checks on citizenship applicants. I have long held the belief that when it comes to regional security, one tiny mistake could cause huge devastation, and that is why I've made it key to analyze and check every applicant to the best of my ability and in the most timely manner.

Lastly but certainly not least, the SC right now is the midst of rounding up discussions on an official disclosure policy. I think that's something that's long overdue for the SC, and I am honored to have led the effort to address and increase transparency and disclosure for the Council. Guys, I could not have done all of this alone without your help and support -- everyone one of our citizens, everyone of our 1,600 WA nations, every single one of you -- you have made our success possible. I'd like to particularly thank the SC for their cooperation with me over the past four months; working with you guys is an honor, and I thank you for your support and guidance. I'd like to give special thanks to Justice Zyvet for his help with the drafting of the disclosure amendment, your contributions are highly valued.

But I am not done yet :P

In addition to being VD, I also served as Minister of Home Affairs this term. When I received the Ministry, it was in a very inactive state, with the Staff unable to fully complete core tasks such as recruitment and mentoring. In many ways, this was not the government's fault, as NS in general was experiencing a winter slump during that time period. With the help of the Delegate and the support of my deputies, we were able to turn the tide. The result is one of the strongest and most productive Ministries of the term. To this minute, the MoHA is active and going strong.

As much as I would love to take credit for this, it is you, the citizens, that brought the Ministry up to its feet by answering my call of action and by joining its staff. The Ministry of Home Affairs is a testament to the greatness that TNP can and will reach when everyone comes together with a common goal: improving TNP.

Without further ado... I am honored to stand before you as a candidate for Delegate, in the May General Election. I am not standing alone, however. I am elated to announce that I will be running on a joint-ticket with Communications Minister Kasch, who is our Vice Delegate candidate. Kasch is the embodiment and the definition of what a rising star is, and I am honored to be running with a close friend and colleague who I know, for a matter of fact, will do an excellent job as Vice Delegate.

For many of you, this will be your first General Election to view and vote in. I want you to understand that your votes matter. YOUR voices matter. YOU decide TNP's future. In every position Kasch and I have served, we make it our priority to engage with the citizenry. The key to stability, the key to order, and the key to having a successful region lies in the citizenry's hands. Always remember that.

I seek your vote for our campaign. Tomb for WA Delegate and Kasch for Vice Delegate - spread the message if we have your support. We have the experience, energy, and relentless passion for this community, and I know that we can deliver the results that TNP deserves.

Thank you.

MY POLICIES:


Home Affairs Policy:

Home Affairs is a Ministry that I have always supported and mentioned in terms of importance to the region, because it is close and dear to my heart and the work that I have done for this region. The work produced by Home Affairs is directly correlated to the activity and retention levels of the region. The forums can be very intimidating and difficult to navigate for newer members. It is essential that successful recruitment continues. It is paramount that new players are embraced, welcomed and guided through the forums and beyond. Regardless of whether they choose to stay or leave the region, they must feel like they belong.

This upcoming term, we will not be stopping at recruitment and mentoring. We have plans for a plethora of other branches and reaches of the Ministry. One of these branches is the RMB Guardians. Our vision for RMB Guardians is a relatively simple one: they must be more involved, helpful, encouraging and insightful. Whether it concerns the NS forums, out off-site forums, dispatches... you name it, and the RMB Guardians will be there to explain it quicker and better than ever before, we will work extremely hard to make this happen.

One particular scheme that we have laid the groundwork for this term is the reintroduction of TNP Trivia. While we unfortunately did not get the chance to unveil this program, it is complete and I look forward to revealing it. I am confident that with competitive, forum-based trivia run by the Guardians, we will not only see the RMB Guardians assume a more involved role in-game, but we will also see an even greater surge of interest in our forums, which in turns leads to greater participation in role-play, the NPA, the Executive Staff, and virtually all other areas of activity within our region.

RMB Guardians aside, over the coming term, I would like for the Ministry of Home Affairs to partner up with the Speaker’s Office to create some sort of citizenship status notification system. We have many citizens who lose their citizenship due to accidental lapses. This in turn requires the administrators to demask the citizen in question, and a lot of the time, the administrators end up have to recheck and remask them and go through the whole process again when the member decides to apply again. This could be entirely avoided if we notify said citizens of their impending status ahead of time.

Other ideas that the Ministry of Home Affairs will tackle and work on this coming term include but are not limited to: the full implementation of rank and rewards system for recruiters, get out the vote campaigns close to election time, and the revival of TNP's dispatch writing program.
Cultural Affairs Policy:

We have had a lot of success in the Ministry of Culture over the past term. But there is no doubt that we still have a lot of work to do in this area. My number one priority for the Culture Ministry is to engage our citizenry by utilizing our culture. Despite being the largest region in the game, TNP has a very close knit yet always welcoming community, which is a good thing. My hope is that through weekly discussions, quizzes, and contests, we can realign the Ministry of Culture so that it's not only become a promoter of RP within the region but also a hub of cultural activity.

To do that, the Ministry of Culture will embark on a #StandUpTNP campaign to try and engage our citizenry (especially newer members) through regional events, competitions, and activities. We will also attempt to find seasoned RPers and aspiring RPers to join our RP world, in order to grow the community, and work on a series of updated RP FAQs and tutorials for newer RPers. It's my hope that through all these initiatives we will see retention rates skyrocket. To further supplement this, starting in July (what's left of May will be used for planning), the Ministry of Culture will aim to have weekly game nights every Friday where the region can get together, play some sort of free online game, and basically do what we do best: goof off and have fun!

The Ministry will also continue the organization of fun polls on our Regional Page on the main NationStates website, and will be establishing TNP Artists' Camp, a program for inspiring aspiring graphics creators to hone their craft. As you guys can see, my goal is to make TNP more fun and engaging. Period. But that cannot happen without your involvement and participation, and we definitely cannot get to it without your vote.
Foreign Affairs Policy:

When it comes to foreign affairs, I have long believed that the foreign arena should be approached using a 3 step strategy. First of all and perhaps most importantly comes the strengthening and reinforcement of ties with existing allies. There exists a common misconception across NationStates that a treaty is the highest level of relations two regions can reach -- after that, there's nothing left to do. That's not right. Just like with any relationship, we must continue to foster and improve our standing with our allies abroad. Culturally, we can do this in the form of cultural events like state visits, joint AMAs, festivals, and/or competitive events.

Alternatively, and if our ally has the capability to do so, it could happen in the form a joint military mission or through co-writing a WA resolution. But no matter what we do, we must reaffirm our commitment to our allies abroad. Another key aspect of my foreign policy is the expansion of relations with other regions abroad. And by that, I am not referring to establishing more treaties. I'm simply in favor of working with other regions abroad that we're not necessarily allied to. All of the venues of action that I described above apply here as well.

A state visit with TAS would allows us to meet and greet their citizenry and government leadership. A tag/detag operation with the Pacific will allow us to establish a working relationship militarily with that region. A festival with the United Kingdom will allow many of us to take a peek into UK culture and how it can shape up a region when employed as a theme. There's a lot of potential out there, and it's important TNP capitalizes on this and work with other regions to further its interests and strengthen its standing abroad. Lastly but certainly not least is the maintenance of our diplomatic corps and the training of diplomats. As much as it may be essential to have active diplomats posted in all of our regions, it is equally important to provide these diplomats training beyond the simple delivery of foreign updates.

If elected, I plan to work with incumbent Minister of Foreign Affairs Guy as well as former Minister of Foreign Affairs Praetor (along with my pick for the position) to try and come up with a comprehensive training strategy for our Diplomatic Corps. As you all know, when it comes to foreign affairs, the only real way to gain experience is by actively tackling and learning from situations and happenings, and so it is important that we figure out a way to relay that experience to newer ambassadors so that they can learn from it and establish a career for themselves as diplomats.
Communications Policy:

Generally speaking, Communications is not a Ministry that covers a lot of responsibility. It has a specific role and purpose, and it always works better when the workload is light and efficient, so this is the direction we must intend to move if we want a successful term. A stable, efficient staff and good, strong leadership is all that's needed to make it happen, as illustrated by Minister of Communications Kasch this term.

Obviously, that's easier said than done, but I am convinced by the Ministry's recent success that we can make it happen. And so next term, we will focus on producing four whole TNL issues, continuing the ranking and rewards system of authors, and relaunching the NBS radio, which saw huge success at the beginning of the term.
Defense Policy:

In the area of Defense, we need to continue our successful efforts in the recruitment and training of NPA soldiers. While we currently do have one of the largest militaries in the game (with about 20 active soldiers), I personally have a vision for the NPA to become a 30-40 member army, and fortunately, we have the resources to sustain that. With a WA population of over 1,600 WA nations, an active chain of command, and a plethora of resources provided to us by R3n and Elu, I believe that we can definitely sustain 20 member increase. In addition to that, I personally plan to work with my Minister of Defense to hold training/practice operations every during every single minor starting June. This will be a good opportunity for our soldiers to gain experience and promotions, and it'll help show the NPA's might and talent to the rest of NS.

My other priority for the Ministry of Defense is the continued cooperation with our allies abroad as well as other regions out there. As an independent, I will be holding the NPA to a careful balance by making sure that it participates in both raiding and defense missions. I believe that there is much to gain from working with the both spheres allowing TNP to gain the best from both worlds.
World Assembly Affairs Policy:

The Ministry of World Assembly Affairs plays a huge role in that it's not only a key part of the game mechanics (voting on WA resolutions, etc), but it is an extremely effective and essential tool when it comes to foreign affairs. As the largest region in the game with the largest WA population, TNP has considerable clout and influence in the WA internationally. The Ministry of World Assembly Affairs should maintain the success it has seen over the last term, encourage a more active recommendation writing objective, organize and schedule recommendations, reward consistent and quality recommendation authors and expand their influence within the World Assembly Legislative League (WALL).

I think we have had huge success with the Ministry over the past two terms, and that's because we have had extremely dedicated and involved ministers spearhead the Ministry's efforts and activities. Over the coming terms, I'd personally like to see more one-on-one mentoring of the MoWAA staff to ensure that staff members are well trained in evaluating resolutions and well versed in writing recommendations.
Finally, here's some badges for you to wear in your signatures! Feel free to resize them if you need to.

http://i.imgur.com/rfxfVnL.png - Tomb/Kasch- with extra words

http://i.imgur.com/fhaLFQv.png - T/K

http://i.imgur.com/ZLlXYJT.png - Tomb/Kasch- Basic

http://i.imgur.com/sm7bn1X.png - Tomb/Kasch- Small Pin
The regions where I hold citizenship: TNP, Balder, Europeia, Lazarus, and United Kingdom.

Balder - I am currently the Statsminister in Balder. By the time our elections end, there will only be around 10 days left in that term, and if I prove to be victorious, I will promptly step down from that role.

UK - I am currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs in UK. However, that term ends on Thursday, and I am not seeking reappointment to focus my energy on TNP.
TNP (Currently Serving): Vice Delegate, Minister of Home Affairs, Deputy Minister of Communications, and Assistant Attorney General. Formerly: Delegate, Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Communications, Attorney General, Court Justice, Election Commissioner, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Minister of Defence, Deputy Minister of Communications, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, and NPA Chief of Staff.

Osiris: Keeper of the Deshret (Speaker), Vizier of WA Affairs, Vizier of Cultural Affairs, and Deputy Vizier of WA Affairs.

Balder (Currently serving): Statsminister. Member of the Storting. Formerly: Lawspeaker, Foreign Affairs Minister, Cultural Affairs Minister.

Lazarus (Formerly serving): Court Justice

UK (Currently Serving): Foreign Affairs Secretary. Formerly: Member of the Parliament (2x), Minister of Culture, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister, Prime Minister, Forum Administrator, and Member of Her Majesty's Privy Council.

CoDN: Minister of Justice

The Rejected Realms: Officer for Communications

 
It is a huge honour to run this campaign alongside you and whoever else wants to support us!
 
I have a number of questions, some of which may be familiar to people as they are questions I have previously asked those who have stood as part of a ticket for Delegate or Vice Delegate (or who opposed such tickets).

Generally, why is it better for the Delegate and Vice Delegate to stand together on a ticket than to stand independently of each other? Particularly, why is it better for yourselves to stand and be elected as Delegate and Vice Delegate as a ticket rather than standing independently of each other?

Would you say that the law for general elections should be reformed to remove the independent elections of the Delegate and Vice Delegate and, instead, expressly link the two and require ticketing, or do you think that there are advantages to the current system of independent elections, despite the use of tickets and the advantages you (presumably) see in them?

Is a specific role intended for Kasch to play in your government if you are both returned (or, indeed, if you are returned but he is not)? Would he be likely to continue as the Minister of Communications, for instance?
 
Tomb! I am happy to be supporting you in this campaign and wish you the best of luck!
 
Thank you for listing your policies. I haven't had a chance yet to delve into anything but I did have a quick question I didn't see covered in either candidates' thread.

What policies will your administration enact to ensure that the government is transparent and accountable to the region?
 
When you were last Delegate of The North Pacific you ordered then Minister of Defence Eluvatar to tell an applicant to the North Pacific Army that membership would be granted to them on condition that they "stopped criticising the Government and attitudes of the NPA", which was a violation of the Bill of Rights and your oath of office as Delegate of The North Pacific (something of which you were convicted of by the Court).

You were found guilty on the charge of gross misconduct, to quote then, Chief Justice Plembobria, "It is the Court's opinion that the Defendant's attempt to curtail the Complainant's criticisms of the NPA as a requirement to join constitutes a violation of the Bill of Rights, and is not justifiable. Having sworn an oath to uphold the Bill of Rights, the Defendant is guilty of violating that oath."

You resigned from office due to an unrelated incident before sentencing could occur and thus were only hit with the suspension of your voting rights for three months.

TNP Legal Code Chapter 2; Section 8:
8. Gross Misconduct will be punished by removal from office and the suspension of voting rights for whatever finite duration the Court sees fit.

Related posts:

1. Indictment by the Court
2. Verdict of the Court
3. Sentence of the Court

Why did you not, in the interests of full disclosure mention this in your campaign?
 
Hello Raven and thank you for your question, my friend.

I'll answer you with the same words that I answered Cormac with four months ago:

"To answer your question, I am not proud of that episode/chapter of my TNP career. It is something that I deeply regret, of course, and I have apologized in private to Flemingovia, and I have expressed my regret publicly multiple times now. As I said, this is a closed chapter, and while I do regret going through it, it has improved me as a player and taught me a lot. I understand the importance of free speech, and it is something that I will uphold and promote everyday in which I am a Vice Delegate if elected."

As you stated, the topic is out there, and I am not gonna dwell on a mistake that I made. Instead, I learned a valuable lesson from it, and I moved on. I continued to contribute and I didn't give up.
 
Perhaps. You also failed to mention the fact that you were Delegate at all in the past, elected in the Special Election caused by McMasterdonia's resignation and then again at the regularly scheduled General Election in May 2015.

A lot happened that could have positively impacted your campaign, yet rather than own it and display it, you ignored it. Conversely, you've also ignored the times you were elected to the Court and Attorney General's Office - as well as the vacating and resigning to seek another office almost immediately after winning one of them.

Why have you not given us, and those who have endorsed you, a complete and wholesome picture of your past roles and service to The North Pacific so that you may be judged for the good and for the bad?

Own your decisions, own your past, own your mistakes and your triumphs - this is something I have said for years.
 
Praetor:
Thank you for listing your policies. I haven't had a chance yet to delve into anything but I did have a quick question I didn't see covered in either candidates' thread.

What policies will your administration enact to ensure that the government is transparent and accountable to the region?
Hi Praetor and thank you for your question. I am proud to have lead the fight for disclosure in the SC, and as Delegate you can expect nothing less from me. But to be specific, I envision accountability and transparency through the following:

Weekly Delegate and Minister by Minister reports.
Publication of forum cabinet meetings a month after they're published (some sensitive content maybe censored).

Just as I was as Vice Delegate, I am going to to be an open and accessible Delegate.
 
Raven, I already addressed those issues last election -- and I managed to get elected to the most important position in TNP according to the words of some. And I performed very well in this role.

Perhaps you need to look at that thread. Regarding the positions I've held, you don't need to look anywhere past my signature for a comprehensive list of my positions and accomplishments in TNP and elsewhere. It's on full disclosure.
 
And people who have signatures on the forum disabled will not see that, cool. You also didn't answer my question - I am asking why you did not include some very important information in a current election platform. I don't care what you addressed LAST ELECTION, that was THEN. That is not relevant to this election, and the electorate has changed a lot since the last election.

You don't get to cop out giving an actual answer. If you want to actually last a full term this time round, you need to learn how to actually take criticism and respond to it in a way that doesn't appear as thought you're deflecting.

Source: I lasted eight months (that's two terms as Delegate) and won an election every cycle in 2016.
 
Yes, I've answered your question, read the post above.

Also:
TNP (Currently Serving): Vice Delegate, Minister of Home Affairs, Deputy Minister of Communications, and Assistant Attorney General. Formerly: Delegate, Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Communications, Attorney General, Court Justice, Election Commissioner, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Minister of Defence, Deputy Minister of Communications, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, and NPA Chief of Staff.

Osiris: Keeper of the Deshret (Speaker), Vizier of WA Affairs, Vizier of Cultural Affairs, and Deputy Vizier of WA Affairs.

Balder (Currently serving): Statsminister. Member of the Storting. Formerly: Lawspeaker, Foreign Affairs Minister, Cultural Affairs Minister.

Lazarus (Currently serving): Court Justice

UK (Currently Serving): Foreign Affairs Secretary. Formerly: Member of the Parliament (2x), Minister of Culture, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister, Prime Minister, Forum Administrator, and Member of Her Majesty's Privy Council.

CoDN: Minister of Justice

The Rejected Realms: Officer for Communications

I'd much rather campaign on the issues than on what you're trying to do -- and we understand each other very well. Thank you for your time, Raven.
 
I notice nothing in your campaign references CAIN. How would you approach CAIN if elected? How would you reform it if given the absolute power to do so? How do you respond to Pallaith's approach outlined in his campaign?
 
Darcania:
I notice nothing in your campaign references CAIN. How would you approach CAIN if elected? How would you reform it if given the absolute power to do so? How do you respond to Pallaith's approach outlined in his campaign?

Greetings Darcania! Thank you for your questions, my friend. Before I answer them, I would like to give you some background. I have had the privilege to work extensively with CAIN across multiple regions. The bulk of my experience working with the organization comes from my time as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in UK and as Statsminister in Balder. On a personal level, I've tried to promote CAIN in every FA leadership role that I've served. Whether you approve of CAIN or not, I think we can all agree that Nazism does not a have place in NS. That sort of hatred, ignorance, and discrimination should not be tolerated and needs to be actively combated. Period. With that in mind, it is also important to acknowledge that no organization has had better success in bringing regions together of all ideologies and affiliations to combat Nazism than CAIN has. I do acknowledge the fact that there are currently issues within CAIN that need solving -- Praetor recently made a whole list of reasons (some of which are valid and some of which are not). From my perspective the solution comes in the form of diplomatic reform. A good first step for us would be to go on and pass the recent CAIN amendments. Those address a plethora of issues that regions have had with CAIN, and they were actually reached by consensus among delegates to CAIN. Once that's done, we need to up our involvement in the organization and its leadership. We simply cannot sit on the sidelines and ask for this and that. We need to take a proactive role in the organization, and our leadership -- our Delegate and our Foreign Minister -- need to tackle the issues that our citizenry voices by working with CAIN's leadership one-on-one and reaching solutions. Again, the answer comes in the form diplomatic reform.
 
Tomb:
I do acknowledge the fact that there are currently issues within CAIN that need solving.
What do you believe that these problems are?

Edit: Some other questions I just thought of.

You did not mention CAIN giving wide publicity to Nazis. Do you believe this isn't a bad thing, regardless of the fact that regions usually benefit from wide public attention such as this?

Why do you believe that having an organized effort for every individual Nazi operation is worse than an always-organized effort, even when a non-nazi operation is not occurring, that can fall victim to issues such as politicization?

Do you believe that CAINs usage of the term "Nazi collaborator" has been effective?

On another note, how will you reflect the region's anti-griefing view in the World Assembly? Do you even support this view?
 
What would your top two ideal choices for each of your Ministers be?

What Ministry would you add and what Ministry would you remove if you had to?

What do you think of the previous Ministry of Gameside Affairs? Would you consider reinstating it, or should it remain defunct? If so, why?
 
As an independent, I will be holding the NPA to a careful balance by making sure that it participates in both raiding and defense missions. I believe that there is much to gain from working with the both spheres allowing TNP to gain the best from both worlds.
Uhhh that's not how Independence works. Independence is not R/D centrism. It's not agreeing that both R/D are ok. It's about refusing to base the entire region around the military.

Most Independent regions mostly raid, some mostly defend. Trying to strike a "careful balance" runs counter to the doctrine of independence. Per the manifesto:

II. An Independent region rejects the Raider/Defender dichotomy and does not take a position in the middle of the spectrum. An Independent region instead identifies separate, more complex and nuanced, interests for their community, which do not fit in the Raider/Defender dichotomy, such as: maximizing regional activity and stability; increasing the region’s influence and impact in the interregional stage; developing strong ties with like-minded communities and regions; and protecting the sovereignty of friendly and aligned regions.

VIII. An Independent military does not a priori and universally take a position against any type of military operations for external moralistic reasons, nor does it commit to conducting a single type of military operations for its own sake. Furthermore, an Independent military is not under any burden to try to balance the amount of operations of different kinds. Rather, decisions and guidelines on the types of military operations an Independent military may execute are adopted on the basis of regional interests and can be reevaluated on a case-specific basis.
(Emphasis mine)

What is your actual objective by trying to strike a careful balance? Do you believe there is a careful balance now?
 
How would you react should the Regional Assembly choose to no longer be a part of CAIN; either by not ratifying it prior to a deadline or by failing to pass an amendment?
 
Darcania:
Hello?
knock knock
Anyone there?

Hi Dark and thanks your inquiry. All questions will be answered by this evening. This week coincides with my exams week in RL and it also happened to be one of our busiest weeks at work. I've been working on answering questions, though, and I hope to have all answered and posted in a few hours.
 
Tomb:
Hi Dark and thanks your inquiry. All questions will be answered by this evening. This week coincides with my exams week in RL and it also happened to be one of our busiest weeks at work. I've been working on answering questions, though, and I hope to have all answered and posted in a few hours.
Certainly, Tomk, my apologies. If you don't mind, then, I have another question for you.

How do you imagine the Delegacy's relation to the AG's office to be? As the AG's duties include providing legal advice to the Executive while at the same time leading the prosecution or, if necessary, filing an R4R on another's behalf against the Executive (along with others).

This dichotomy of both helping ensure the Executive follows the law and leading the consequences of not doing so leads to some interesting interactions. Would you, for example, provide Executive Council access to the AG like Plembobria did with you during the beginning of your Vice Delegacy before you became MoHA? How often do you imagine your Delegacy speaking to the AG for legal advice?

I note that during your last term your Delegacy's relation to the AG was significantly more... antagonistic, due to what Raven said above. Could you highlight in your answers how you hope to improve such relations should you win the Delegacy?
 
What are your thoughts on Cabinet solidarity?

EDIT: Will you take any positions in other regions that you do not already have should you be elected as Delegate?
 
Zyvet's Questions​
Zyvet:
Generally, why is it better for the Delegate and Vice Delegate to stand together on a ticket than to stand independently of each other? Particularly, why is it better for yourselves to stand and be elected as Delegate and Vice Delegate as a ticket rather than standing independently of each other?
It’s hard to comment on whether it’s generally better for the Delegate and Vice Delegate to stand together. It really depends on the circumstances and the situations leading to the pair up as well as the two candidates pairing up themselves. But I’d be happy to reflect on why Kasch and I chose to go through this together. First of all and to put in some background, I first met Kasch and extensively worked with him during his second term as Minister of Gameside Affairs. At the time, I myself was appointed as Minister of Home Affairs, and so naturally, our ministries had to work together since much of what we aim to accomplish in terms of recruitment and retention overlaps. Since then, we have continued to work together with him being my Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and with me being his Deputy Minister of Communications. By working directly with Kasch, I got to see his dedication to TNP first hand. He’s the sort of individual who is willing to put everything on the line for improving and strengthening our region, and he’s never one to shy away from a hard challenge. His most recent term in government as Minister of Communications stands as a testament to that. This has been the most active term for the Ministry of Communications, not only in terms of publication of TNL issues, but also with the Ministry embarking on an effort to launch a radio broadcast, which went very well, and it is something that I personally plan to see relaunched this coming term. Simply put, I’m running with Kasch, because we share the same vision, the same commitment, and the same dedication to TNP. I know he would make an able SC Chair, and I know that he’ll continue to strengthen the SC.

Zyvet:
Would you say that the law for general elections should be reformed to remove the independent elections of the Delegate and Vice Delegate and, instead, expressly link the two and require ticketing, or do you think that there are advantages to the current system of independent elections, despite the use of tickets and the advantages you (presumably) see in them?
As I said, I’m running with Kasch, because I know he’s the best suited to continue and expand on the progress that we achieved in the SC over the last term under my helm. He’s a solid partner and an able administrator, and I know for a fact that he’ll do an excellent job as VD. However, that is a personal choice that Kasch and I made together, because we shared a common vision for TNP’s future. And so I don’t believe that we need to remove independent elections, because that will not always be the case for everyone in every election.

Zyvet:
Is a specific role intended for Kasch to play in your government if you are both returned (or, indeed, if you are returned but he is not)? Would he be likely to continue as the Minister of Communications, for instance?
I do intend for Kasch to play a key role in my government next term should we both be elected, but it will not be in the role of an official government position so that he could focus on his own projects/goals for the SC. What I had in mind was more of a Chief of Staff role that would basically allow Kasch to directly work with me as we work with and assist each cabinet Minister in achieving their Ministry’s tasks/goals for the term. He would basically provide a support system for our cabinet.




Mystery Player's Questions
Mystery Player:
What do you believe that these problems are?
One of the most pressing issues in my opinion and from my experience is the occasional inactivity that CAIN as an organization experiences. Obviously, CAIN is not a region so I’m not talking about activity in the form of regular post making, etc., but rather, activity in the form of collaboration and planning. To be more specific, I believe we have not had a CAIN mission in close to a month now. Who is to blame for this? Ultimately, the signatory regions. As much as it may be easy to try and pin the whole blame on the leadership of the organization, it’s really up to the signatory regions to come together and cooperate. The potential is there, the ability to cooperate is present, but everyone needs to step up to do their part. The need for increased transparency is key, and I really believe that this can be solved/tackled in the form of regular updates and increased communication between CAIN’s leadership and signatory regions.

Another issue that we cannot ignore and need to tackle is the publicity Nazis gain. I’m going to expand on that in my answer to your next question below. That publicity is inevitable, but it could be strategically minimized.

Overall, It is important to not underscore what CAIN is trying to do -- it’s a multi-regional/multi ideological coalition fighting for one common purpose. There will naturally be problems that we need to address, but that’s what good leadership does -- they face and address problems head on.

Mystery Player:
You did not mention CAIN giving wide publicity to Nazis. Do you believe this isn't a bad thing, regardless of the fact that regions usually benefit from wide public attention such as this?
Excellent question, my friend. While I do understand your perspective on this, I believe that no matter how we fight Nazism -- whether it be through CAIN or not, Nazi regions will always gain some publicity out of it, and I really think that should not deter us. I’m generally not a fan of using RL examples to relate them to an online game, but I believe the fight against terrorism in RL right now is an excellent example of this. ISIS and other terrorist organizations benefit from the publicity that US involvement gives them (it plugs into their narrative as fighters and it helps them with recruitment), but does that mean that we stop combating them? No. Essentially, the same concept applies in fighting Nazism in NS. Nazi regions will inevitably gain some attention, but it’s important that we do not let that deter us. Instead, we need to improve and strengthen our efforts in combating them -- not only through military action, but also by refining how we announce mission results and how we communicate the goals of our efforts in general to the rest of NS (adding more emphasis on the reasoning behind the missions rather than just flouting them as a success). And so I recognize the point you’re trying to make, and like I outlined, there are efforts to take to minimize the publicity Nazi regions gain. Unfortunately, them gaining publicity to some degree, though, is inevitable, and it is our responsibility to not be deterred in that regard and to keep up the good fight.

Why do you believe that having an organized effort for every individual Nazi operation is worse than an always-organized effort, even when a non-nazi operation is not occurring, that can fall victim to issues such as politicization?
I’m not sure I understand your question completely. Is there be politicization with CAIN? Yes. Is there correlation with politicization occurring with an always organized effort versus individual Nazi operations? I think not. Whenever you have all these different regions with different ideologies, especially in terms of military play, working together, there is bound to be some politicization. But can it be prevented? Yes. It takes a prioritization effort on the part of all signatory regions, and this also requires CAIN’s leadership to sit with the signatory regions and say that: hey, we all have differences, but we all signed up to be part of this effort, so let’s put our heads together and accomplish what our citizenries want us to do. Having an always organized effort is really a key part of what CAIN stands for and is all about.

Mystery Player:
Do you believe that CAINs usage of the term "Nazi collaborator" has been effective?
Yes. Fighting those who support Nazi regions and provide them with resources is really as important as fighting the Nazis themselves. And I think the 2/3s signatory regions approval requirement is a very good safeguard that prevents potential abuse of the label.



Plemby's Question
What is your actual objective by trying to strike a careful balance? Do you believe there is a careful balance now?
First of all, I apologize. I should have used the word “neutral” instead of independent (hence, the “I” in independent was not capitalized) -- it was a mistake on my part, but I think the explanation that accompanies my Defense Policy makes what I mean clear. Nevertheless, I do apologize. Anyways, to answer your question, having a military that strikes a careful balance between raiding and defending puts our region in a position to hold a lot of leverage on the foreign arena. It allows us to work with and get along with regions of both spheres, and in the process, TNP’s involvement becomes desired/wanted by both sides. I think we did a good job this term working with both defenders and raiders, but the reason I am emphasizing the careful balance is because next term and if elected, we’re going to be holding a lot more operations (starting June, there’ll be a practice OP every single minor update), and so I felt that it was essential for the region and our citizenry to see where I stand in terms of military alignment.



Darcania's Questions - Round 1
Darcania:
What would your top two ideal choices for each of your Ministers be?
Ah, one of my favorite questions :P For Home Affairs, I would definitely say either Siwale or ABC. Those two have put such an amazing amount of effort into helping me run the Ministry of Home Affairs this term. I met both of them when they were brand new citizens, and I am really proud of the transformation that they’ve undergone. They’re examples of how any TNPer can go up the ladders of government -- you just have to put in the work, effort, and dedication that goes into it. For Communications, it would easily be Kasch. We’ve not have a more engaging and committed Minister in that area in a long time, and COE would be a close number two for me. I really thought he did an excellent job with the position when he held it 2015. Foreign affairs wise, it becomes tough. I would say McMasterdonia or R3n. They’re both geniuses in that area, and they both have what it takes to be MoFA -- not only extensive knowledge of the foreign arena, but also the ability to be good administrators and oversee the forum-side aspects of the job (the Diplomatic Corps, for example). In Defense, it would be Gladio hands down with QuietDad (QD) coming in second place. Those two have put so much effort into the NPA -- literally years of service. Their dedication is unmatched, and I am proud to have had the opportunity to work closely with both of them. For Culture, my first choice would be Syrixia, second choice would be a tie between Goy/Lennart. I’ve long held the belief that the Ministry of Culture should do more than just promoting RP -- we need to put an actual focus on crafting regional events, competitions, and games to engage our citizenry. RP is important, and I don’t plan to downgrade it as a priority, but rather, my wish is for cultural engagement to become an equal priority in the Ministry of Culture, and these three individuals have a history of doing exactly that. Lastly but certainly not least, I would pick either Pallaith or Sil Dorsett for Minister of WA Affairs. This position requires an engaged, dedicated Minister who is willing to meddle through and master the complicated world of the WA, and these two have shown their ability to do that time and time again. So they would be my top two choices hands down.

Darcania:
What Ministry would you add and what Ministry would you remove if you had to?
I would not remove any Ministry right now. I think we’re down to the right number of Ministries needed to operate the region, and so I think we’re good in that regard. If I had to add a Ministry, it would be Education. I’ve personally seen the amount of work it takes to have an active, functioning NS university -- and it’s a lot of work, and it requires the cooperation of almost every gov’t official in the region. So it’s a lot of work, but having a University of course comes with huge benefits, especially if we can orient it to provide newer citizens with legal training in TNP law, for example, or some sort of other scheme to allow members to learn and become more involved in the region and its various programs.

Darcania:
What do you think of the previous Ministry of Gameside Affairs? Would you consider reinstating it, or should it remain defunct? If so, why?
I think the Ministry of Gameside Affairs did its purpose when it existed -- engaging and helping transition the game-side population of TNP to our forums. However, I really think that we at the Ministry of Home Affairs have what it takes to handle both forum-side and game-side recruitment and retention aspects. It was a good project at a time where the MoHA was very inactive, but right now, its projects and staff have been fully integrated in the MoHA, and the MoHA has proven to be more than able of handling those responsibilities.


 
Praetor:
How would you react should the Regional Assembly choose to no longer be a part of CAIN; either by not ratifying it prior to a deadline or by failing to pass an amendment?

Praetor:
What are your thoughts on Cabinet solidarity?

EDIT: Will you take any positions in other regions that you do not already have should you be elected as Delegate?

You seem to have either missed these or are deliberately ignoring them. I understand you're busy, however, I would either like an answer or a refusal to answer (which I guess is an answer too?).
 
Hi Praetor, if you look at the questions, I'm not skipping around -- I'm merely answering them in the order they were received. Your questions came after Darc's and Plemby's, so naturally, they would be answered after them, which I am doing right now. I hope that clears it up, my friend.
 
Tomb:
Hi Praetor, if you look at the questions, I'm not skipping around -- I'm merely answering them in the order they were received. Your questions came after Darc's and Plemby's, so naturally, they would be answered after them, which I am doing right now. I hope that clears it up, my friend.
Personally, I don't see why you wouldn't answer them all at once. However, as long as you answer them soonish I'm fine. :shrug:

I'll let you get back to typing. :P
 
"we’re going to be holding a lot more operations (starting June, there’ll be a practice OP every single minor update)"

How do you plan to maintain this?
 
Praetor:
How would you react should the Regional Assembly choose to no longer be a part of CAIN; either by not ratifying it prior to a deadline or by failing to pass an amendment?
Simply put, we would move on. I am convinced that the CAIN amendments before the RA right now are going to pass, but if there was an upset, and the amendments are not ratified, then we would move on. Under my Delegacy, TNP will continue to make combatting Nazism a key objective in both its foreign and defense policies. We will likely continue to occassionally work with CAIN. We will continue to tackle the issue of Nazism in NS. Working with regions outside of CAIN to combat Nazism is something that I plan to do regardless of whether the amendments pass or not, and I think it's an excellent point that you brought up in your comments on the CAIN amendments, so that really has no bearing on the outcome of the vote.

Praetor:
What are your thoughts on Cabinet solidarity?

EDIT: Will you take any positions in other regions that you do not already have should you be elected as Delegate?
Cabinet solidarity is important and essential to an effective government. Simply put, you cannot have an effective government without unity in the cabinet -- without Ministers supporting the Delegate and a Delegate supporting the Ministers. At the same time, cabinet solidarity does not trump TNP law. And by that I mean, the Delegate should shoot for a supportive and unified cabinet at all times, but the means through which they do it should not include intimidation. The bottom line is that solidarity should not result in the suppression/oppression of someone's rights.

To answer your second question, no, I will not be assuming any additional positions. As I said, I'm not seeking reappointment to the Cabinet in UK. I've already stepped down as Justice (after a 5 month term) in Lazarus, and the procedure for my replacement in Balder is in place -- this all so I can concentrate my focus on TNP's delegacy so that we can achieve the goals we have outlined in this campaign while at the same time avoiding any conflict of interest.
 
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