Meritocracy Foreign Affairs Update
Week of December 15th, 2006
Written by Haor Chall, Deputy Quaestor
Senate Confidential
Consul: Big D Baby
Quaestor: Greater Moldavi
Praetor: Nebutopia
Censor: Siempre
Tribune: Objectivist Chimps
• Prefectures represented
The passing of the Prefecture Representation Act marks a positive change in the way the Senate interacts with its prefectures. Discussion, which started with a prefecture summit held in Alpha Omega, had been ongoing for sometime on how best to encourage greater activity and contact between the Senate and the prefectures. The legislation introduces prefecture representatives to the Senate, who have the power to discuss and vote on legislation and in elections alongside Senators.
• Abolishing Patricians
Legislation is under discussion to remove the Patrician class from the Senate. Patricians, whose duties ironically include sponsoring legislation to bring it to vote, are now seen as largely unnecessary. Inactivity of the patrician class, along with the move towards a greater role for Curias, means that the abolition of the patrician class has a large amount of support in the Senate. Having received the support of four Patricians, the legislation now goes to vote in the Senate.
• Sound advice
In an address to the Senate, the Consul has announced the creation of a number of new advisory boards across the Curia. Based on the information from the Senate Skills Index, the idea behind the boards is to try and better use the skills of Senators to advise and discuss policy in the Curia. The new advisory boards are, the Foreign Policy Advisory Board, the Roleplay Advisory Board, the Prefecture Advisory Board and the Legislation Review Team.
• Resignations from the Senate
The Senate has sadly seen a glut of resignations recently; the Senators from Argyres, Maiopoeia and the Anti Commi Clan all have left the Senate. The nation of Argyres remains active in Meriterra, and the Anti Commi Clan apparently intends to hang around still in a different capacity. Maiopoeia, better known as Lord Tom, has left citing the siren call of that dreaded ‘RL’. We wish them all well in their future endeavours and hope that they do stay in touch with the Senate.
• Passport Control
As ever, although some Senators move on to pastures new, there are always new faces appearing in the Senate. We have seen the return of a number of old faces to the Senate, with the arrival of Nebutopia and Greater Moldavi. Having resigned and left for a few weeks Balanvinski has also been re-admitted into the Senate. We also have two new members, Frogs from Heaven and Corrupt Bargains, who already seem to be fitting in well.
Events in Meriterra
Meriterra, as ever, has seen conflict break out again. This time a coalition of nations, led by Ylling, Lantisia, Nuclear Industrial and Corintur prepares to attack the rogue nation of Manticores in response to the unprovoked attacks by Manticores on Ylling. International tension with Tazistan has increased as well, despite yet more government changes and reform the Tazistani government remains embargoed by many of the leading nations of Meriterra. Further more, in response to terrorist attacks in Argyres, the Argyi government has sanctioned a number of raids and missile strikes against terrorist targets in parts of Tazistan.
With all this international tension, it is perhaps not surprising that two new defence pacts have been created. The Meritocratic International Defence Initiative (MIDI) founding signatories are the Nuclear Industrial Corporate Republic, Balanvinski, Lantisia and Chica La Rebels. The Meritocratic Union (MU) has been formed out of a number of the Tazistani states. The Kitmat Pact, a powerful alliance whose members include the states of Winnipeg, Eli and Argyres, has announced its intention to carry out a military exercise in the Western Ocean.
Recent Intermet Articles
The Intermet staff have been busy of late, with new articles aplenty, including the new tabloid- the Senate Scroll, the Tribune Times, the NICR MediaNet broadcasts on events in Meriterra and interviews with the Consul.
The Senate Scroll
Tribune Times
NICR MediaNet Broadcast
By the fire, Big D Baby
NS news special