ARCHIVED: Hardish Bay Referendum

plembobria

plembobria

TNPer
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The Residents of the Hardish Bay colony will head to the polls thursday to state their opinion on Hardish Bay's status in Plembobria. The voters will answer the yes or no question "Should the Hardish Bay Colony alter its status as a crown protectorate of the Kingdom of Plembobria?" If they answer "yes" they will be asked what status the Colony should take. The options are:
  • Province of Plembobria
  • Autonomous Province of Plembobria
  • Independence

Hardish Bay's current status is complicated. The Colony has its own parliament consisting of two houses. The Upper Legislative Council consists of 35 members appointed by the Government of Plembobria. The lower Legislative Assembly consists of 80 members elected members elected using the Additional Member System. Bills require the approval of both houses in order to become law. The leader of the Majority in the Assembly is appointed the Chief Minister.

Hardisian laws are subordinate to national laws, and the national Parliament has the power to legislate specifically in Hardish Bay. This happens rarely. Hence, Hardish Bay enjoys semi-autonomy. Additionally, Hardisans must pay national taxes. (This the is greatest difference between Crown Protectorate status and Autonomous Province status. e.g. In Crilalia, all tax money funds the Province, and the Assembly sets the taxes independently.*)

Currently Hardish Bay has no representation is Parliament, which they will be granted if they receive autonomous province or province status.

The referendum will be non-binding. However, Chief Minister Tamati Patariki says that he will deliver the certified results to Parliament in person, and request that they consider it. Prime Minister Briggs stated that the RDP-SF coalition was "prepared to work with the people of Hardish bay in order to help them gain the self-determination they deserve."


*This status is currently being reconsidered.
 
"Scheisse... Scheiss auf Hardisch-Bucht!" muttered a graying-haired man in a suit. He held his morning brief, a packet of papers printed specially for him. His chair reclined forty-five degrees and his feet rested on the desk. On his desk was the golden placard, "HANS KREUTZER - KANZLER DES REICHES". Not that anyway coming into this office would mistake him for anyone else.

Kreutzer turned his swivel chair ever so slightly. His hand reached out and gingerly held the cup of tea on the table. The esteemed chancellor brought it to his lips. He took a sip. He took another sip. Then he set it down and exhaled.

This referendum in Hardish Bay was by no means the worst news he had heard this week, but it changed things on the Pelhaforan front. It meant the Pelhaforan movement for independence would be galvanized by the Hardish Bay events. At the very least, the Pelhaforan republicans would now demand a referendum...
 
Anaru approached his boss's office. He knocked at the door. "It opens!" a gruff voice answered from the other side. He entered.

The office was small, dark, and old. On Anaru's right, there was a bookshelf made of what looked like mahogany. On the left was a large window. The blinds were drawn so no light was let in, save a few thin dust-filled rays. In front of him was a desk, also of mahogany. Seated behind it was a man wearing a pinstripe suit. His swivel chair was turned away from Anaru. All that was visible was the back of his balding head.

"Sir, this is the list you were looking for," said Anaru.

"Leave it. Go on with the rest of your duties," replied the man.

"Sir, I need to know, what happened to..."

"Hemi is dead."

"Wha... How..." Anaru stuttered.

"He died in service of the Cause. Thanks to him the DU won't bother us."

"But there's another representative. She'll do the same..."

"No she won't. We've dealt with her."

"How?"

"You don't need to understand the details of our plan. Do your own duty and the Cause will be achieved. Now get out of my office!" Anaru left quietly. With the door shut the man turned around. He examined what his foot soldier had given him. It was a list of people who had died in past year. Rigging this referendum will be easy.
 
REFERENDUM FINISHED, STATUS INCONCLUSIVE SAYS PM​

The results of the referendum on Hardish Bay's status has been announced with little consensus. 64.3% answered "yes" to whether the Colony should alter its status as a crown protectorate. Of the people who did, 24.9% said they wanted Hardish Bay to become a province, 32.5% voted for an autonomous province, and 42.6% voted for independence.

The Plembobrian government released a statement on the matter.

Judging by the inconclusive result of the referendum, His Majesty's Government does not consider it prudent to take any direct course of action since any would cause dissatisfaction with a reasonable fraction of the populace.
Click to expand...

More information to come.
 
Anaru left Mr. Bellrose's office. He headed down a corridor to the stairs, and left the building. It was a large, stately mansion. It had been built in 1850 for Lord Jonathan Hardish, after whom Hardish Bay was named. He was one of the original five Lord Protectors of the colony. Of course Sir Jonathan's career came to an ignominious end when King Phillip I ascended to the throne after Timothy I's unpopular reign. The Lord Protectors where tyrants. Phillip I had them imprisoned, and instituted a liberal government.

Timothy awoke. His eye opened slowly. He blinked. He was laying on a damp floor. Something was pinching his ankle. "Where the hell am I?" he thought. Last he remembered he was with his new wife, Regina at the St. Jarvis Hotel. It was his honeymoon vacation in Hardish Bay.

A small bit of light shone in from under the door. He looked and saw his wife laying there. "Regina?" he tried to shake her awake. She wouldn't respond.

Suddenly the door opened. He jumped. In walked a brawny but short man. "What is this?" he shouted at the man, "Where are we?"

"Get back."

"No! Where am I?"

"Get back!" the man reached for his gun and pointed it at him. Timothy quickly obeyed. The man reached for his radio. He spoke into it, "Juliet is still sleeping." Within a few seconds another man came in with a small bucket of water. He dumped it on Regina. She awoke and shrieked. Bewildered, she rapidly looked around, breathing heavily. "Hey, leave her alone!" her husband remonstrated.

"Shut up!" said the short man, pointing his gun at him again. His face showed no emotion.

"Who are you?" The man cocked his gun. "Not another word. You are being held here for a good cause. If you cooperate you will be released. But if you try to escape..." his voice trailed off, but he looked very intently at his weapon.

Regina, still dumbfounded, said nothing. "Take the woman," the man said to his colleague. Obediently he grabbed her by the arm, unshackled her and began to drag her out of the room. Timothy, instinctively trying to defend his wife, lunged at his captors. The short man shot him in the knee. "Congratulations," he said to Regina, "your husband is now physically feeble as well as mentally." He and his colleague laughed, and they left the room, locking the door behind them.
 
The two men continued to drag Regina accross the corridor and tossed her into another room. The short man pulled out a cell phone. He dialed a number.

Patrice Hossam, Plembobrian Ambassador to the DU sat at her desk. In her hands was a picture of her daughter. This was an older picture, when Regina was still in her adolescence. She was never fond of being photographed.

She had been sitting there, staring at that picture all night. She had reports to file, meetings to attend, staff to brief, but she did none of that. Her child was missing. On what was supposed to be the happiest time of her life. Locked away somewhere by some sick seperatists. The phone wrang. She peered at the device, slightly startled. It wrang again. She slowly, deliberately, picked up the handset and put it to her ear. "Yes?" she answered in a hoarse, tired voice.

"Listen to me. If you ever want to see your daughter and son-in-law you will do exactly as I say."

"Let me speak to her. Please." she heard some movement, then the voice of her daughter. "Mom? What do these people want? Where are we?" More movement. The voice of the caller came back on.

"Tomorrow there is something important is going to happen. You'll know what I'm talking about when it happens. When this happens, you will address the Council and you will tell them not to interfere in Hardish Bay, do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. I don't think I need to remind you what happens if you don't listen to me." Silence. The man on the other end hung up. Patrice began to cry histerically.

The short man hung up his phone. "Lock her up. Let's get back to work." His colleague had a mischeivous look in his eye. "Hey, you know we could... You know..."

The short man grabbed him by the neck and pinned him against the wall. "That is not how we operate. We're not petty criminals. Do you understand?" No response. "Do you understand?"

"Y-yes. Yes sir."
 
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