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THE PRIME MINISTER’S ADDRESS TO THE NATION

My compatriots, all across Predice.
In these crucial times for the existence of the Predicean people, I’m turning to you not with a plea, but with a demand.
Each and every one of you shall do their duty.
Beloved sisters: kick out all those, who desert from the army. When annihilation is upon us, they hide in their homes from military service.
I have instructed every mayor and village elder to ensure, that there is not a single deserter in their area. Everyone who is strong enough must join the army. Let it be known, that he who deserts is a traitor to his comrades and to his nation. To the soldiers already serving, discourage desertion at every turn, and I ask the officers to do the same. To the deserters, watching or reading this cozily in their homes, know this: you are abandoning your country at its hour of need.
God bless you all, and God bless the Most Serene State of Predice.

KARDENCCIAN LOCAL HERO ARRESTED TODAY, POPULATION SHOCKED​

Record-breaking heatwave swamps northern Goyanes

June 15, 2021
Newsdesk

Hosen Sæg – As temperatures reached nearly 33˚ C on Monday afternoon, the Imperial Meteorological Office is advising that temperatures may continue to remain scorchingly hot as a heatwave passes over the usually temperate northern areas of Goyanes. The wave is causing increased power demand and failures on some parts of the grid as many seek to use their air conditioners at maximum power.

Yesterday's temperature was the hottest recorded since 1988 in Hosen Sæg, with temperatures in Hofsvægr reaching all time highs. The hot weather brought many outside to public pools, parks, lakes, rivers, and beaches to cool off, with some beaches appearing as if they were in South Iteria.

The IMO is advising that cooler temperatures will return as a system of thunderstorms moves in by Wednesday night, ending the first major heatwave of the year. Meanwhile, medical services are warning residents to stay hydrated and to avoid time out in direct sunlight, as UV levels are above normal due to the weather.

JORDAN ANDERSON WINS 2ND TERM​

by Alexander Jackson
on June 16th, 2021

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DETRETA - This morning, Delacian citizens cheered in joy as the incumbent president Jordan Anderson won his second term. The election pitted incumbent Delacian Democratic president Jordan Anderson against Conservative candidate Samuel Matthews. Many citizens have been showing their congratulations to the president. The conservative party is planning to run with the same candidate in the next election.

Delacia's next election will take place on May 7th, 2025. A new Delacian Democratic candidate will be chosen due to the 2 term limit, effectively making this term the Anderson administration's last term in power.

Nationaal Nieuws Corporatie Aubervaijr
National News Corporation Aubervijr

The June 2021 Election Results
By Valentin Von Rooy, Political Correspondent
22nd of June, 2021 - 14:51

A few days ago, on the 19th of June, 2021, the first Aubervijans began voting for their preferred parties. The main parties people voted for were the Commonwealth and Conservative Parties. NNCA kept a close eye on the election, and published predictions alongside electoral experts, and based on recent polling, most experts agreed that the Commonwealth Party, a coalition of several, anti-monarchist parties advocating for the restoration of the Commonwealth, would win the election. Their predictions were correct.

As voting began, the Conservatives looked like they might have had a substancial lead over the Commonwealth Party, but their votes decreased a few hours in and the Commonwealth's just kept on increasing, and eventually, the Commonwealth Party overtook the Conservatives.

Many experts have pointed to a scandal involving the recently dominant Conservative Coalition, a coalition of several Conservative parties, which King Leopold forcefully dissolved following the said scandal, which involved corruption and crimes being committed amongst their leadership.

When the clock struck midnight on the 21st of June, counting began across the country. The counting took 24 hours or so, and the results were announced at seven in the morning on news stations across the country. Aubervijr's system of proportional representation means that 1 seat in Parliament represents approximately 224,577 votes, in a simplified manner. Taking this into account, the Commonwealth Party secured 404 seats - a majority. The Conservative Party secured 211. The Liberal Party secured 78, the Social Democratic Party secured 71, the Labour Party (separate from the Social Democrats) secured 35 and the Right Party secured 1.

The transition of power is due to take place tomorrow at 9 AM, where the Conservatives will leave office and will be replaced by the now victorious Commonwealth Party. The current Prime Minister under the Conservatives, Sijbrand Valkman, has assured that the transition of power will be swift and orderly and congratulated Rudolf Verstege, the leader of the Commonwealth Party on his victory.

It is expected that the Commonwealth Party will rush a referendum on the removal of the Monarchy, which was suspected after numerous speeches on the Monarchy by the party, especially by leftist elements of the party stating that 'the existance of a hereditary monarchy would mean that the privilege and patronage that corrupts and plagues Aubervijan society would remain'.

There is a rumour that Rudolf Verstege stated that he won't swear alliegance to the King like prior Prime Ministers have always been required to do. If this is true, Rodenhuis will swear alliegance likely only to God.

Whether he swears to remain loyal to the King or not, Aubervijr holds it breath, awaiting the current and future heads of government to shake hands and take each other's place, as PM and Leader of the Opposition.

CENTRAL BANK OF KINBAFA ATTACKED BY YOUNG COUPLE, NATION IS ASTONISHED​

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Nationaal Nieuws Corporatie Aubervaijr
National News Corporation Aubervijr

Rudolf Verstege becomes Aubervijr's new PM; including a summary of Mr Verstege's life
By Valentin Von Rooy, Political Correspondent
23rd of June, 2021 - 09:37 AM

Rudolf Verstege, after taking an oath over a Bible first belonging to Aubervijr's first 'Chancellor', Vincent Martien, shook the King's hand and was officially inaugurated as Aubervijr's new Prime Minister.

Rudolf Verstege, originally a member of the Labour Party, before becoming the leader of the Social Democratic Party, and was elected leader of the Commonwealth Party in 2015.

Rudolf's political views shifted over time, from ardent socialist to national conservative, and today he describes himself as a 'people's conservative'. We thought we should give you a short overview of his life, though, from his birth up until now.

Rudolf Verstege was born Rudolf Jasper Arnout Simon Verstege into an aristocratic family on the 2nd of February, 1966. Rudolf's grandfather was a Viscount, and his father was a failed politician. Rudolf was interested in politics at a young age, and quickly aligned himself with Socialism. At the age of 14, he joined the youth branch of the Labour Party, and spoke for the party in public events. At the age of 18, he joined the party fully, and studied political science at university.

After graduating at the age of 22, Rudolf was quickly noticed by the party's leadership. He was offered to sit in Parliament with the Labour Party, which he accepted. Rudolf was well known for his speech on the monarch at the time, King Frederik, made in 1989;

"In order to sit in this Parliament you have to take an oath and swear alliegance to the King. You are required by law to do so. Refusing to do so bars you from sitting. For Republicans like myself, to tell a lie in order to sit in this seat is quite offensive, to myself. The existance of a hereditary monarchy would mean that the privilege and patronage that corrupts and plagues Aubervijan society will remain. In order to achieve total equality and a capable economic system, the monarchy cannot remain. My position on the monarchy is clear. Abolish it."

The speech was met with thunderous applause by his party and other socialists, and was met by shouting from the ruling parties and their friends. King Frederik later pardoned Rudolf when the Conservatives attempted to have him removed from Parliament for betraying his oath.

In 1996, the 'Moving the Left' bill was passed, which ideologically moved the Labour Party further from socialism and towards centrism. Rudolf, now the Shadow Secretary for Education, resigned from the party alongside Shadow Secretary for Health, Jan Vanderwilt. Jan formed the 'Social Democratic Party' with Rudolf, and Rudolf took leadership of the party, making Jan his depute. The party gained most of the Labour Party's seats in the upcoming election, which Labour even today have not recovered from.

In May of 2014, the Social Democratic Party and the Social Republic Party, the latter of whom were centre-leftists who wanted the abolition of the monarchy, agreed to form a coalition party which they, at the time, called the 'Combined Social Republicans'. The Conservative Commonwealth Party then asked for permission to enter the coalition in order to 'contain the Conservative Party'. The coalition agreed.

Over the period of a few months, party after party joined the coalition. Just prior to the 2015 elections, a leadership and depute leadership contest was held within the coalition. Rudolf won the leadership contest with a landslide, and an experienced Liberal politician, Olivier Rodenhuis, secured the depute leadership. Rudolf was 38.

When the 2015 elections came around, the coalition, now called the 'Commonwealth Party', gained 325 seats - more than any other party, but they still lacked a majority. But because they were already a coalition, they couldn't form another coalition to lead a government. So, the Conservative Party formed a coalition government with the Liberal and Reform Parties, giving them a majority over 400 seats.

In the 2020 national polls, the Commonwealth Party saw a surge in popularity following the death of King Frederik and the ascension of young Leopold III, who a lot of the population deemed unfit to rule. A solution, was the return to a democratic republic, which the Commonwealth Party advocated for. And thus, the Commonwealth Party were near guaranteed a majority.

In the 2021 elections, the Commonwealth Party secured 404 seats, a majority. Rudolf Verstege's dream as a boy had been fulfilled, and supportive crowds outside Saint Constantijn's Parliament chanted 'Rudolf; the aristocrat to save the people'. Political experts said that the sentence 'summarised the man'.

Rudolf made his opening speech to Parliament with:

"My honourable friends, yesterday belonged to the Conservatives. Today belongs to us, and to the people of Aubervijr."

Good day to all those joining us for the News Hour at twelve. I am your host Eva Folstad. Today had heated debate coming from parliament. Prime Minister Neville has been moving ahead with talks with Suadavici Bureaucrats regarding the lease and partial renovation of a Yalken port for military purposes. They met early yesterday in a formal ceremony as the Prime Minister greeted Consul Marcus Antonius Varus before continuing on to a two hour meeting behind closed doors and certain members of cabinet. The Prime Minister has been lambasted by certain members of the opposition for the “lack of clarity and transparency” regarding the construction and acquisition of the port and how far its function would affect Yalkan as a whole. In response to this, opposing parliamentarians have invited Predicean and Saintonian experts on the matters of debt relief and defense planning to give more credence to the idea of runaway spending by the Progressive Conservatives. With the recent roll of bankruptcies that are rocking the economy, it is with hope that these experts can help the MPs get a grasp on what actions to take in such dire times.

RAP

Predice creates new Corps Headquarters in the North

By: LtCol (Ret.) Vincenzo Collerini
10.07.21


PORTO EMBRO, NORD— In a surprise to many observers, the Predicean Army General Staff announced today, that a new Corps headquarters would be created, but based in Porto Embro, far from the present lines of battle.

The Corps

The LXVIII Corps headquartered in Porto Embro is estimated to be the smallest active Corps of the Predicean Army, though it was confirmed that seven unspecified brigades would be put under its command. The General Staff confirmed that these were not troops taken from the frontlines, but instead from the strategic reserve, which, they assured still had plenty of troops.

Criticism

The General Staff’s decision was met with criticism, due to the fact, that what many see as vital troops were stripped from the Strategic Reserve to create a relative backwater command. Additional criticism was levied due to the public announcement.
A retired military officer who wishes to remain anonymous told us: “It’s like telling the enemy to attack us even harder.” The General Staff have refuted this by saying that the Northern flank was “paper thin” and a “gaping hole” in Predice’s defence.

Yalken fears

The creation of a new Corps headquarters in the north, larger than the entire Yalken Army has caused many in Yalkan to look back in fear to the 1988 5 Day War, when Predicean and Yalken troops clashed in the Oclusi corridor, with Yalken Forces eventually forced to retreat.
Some in Yalkan fear that this may happen again, though Predice denies this, with a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry telling us: “We remain steadfast allies of Yalkan.” A General Staff spokesman also said “War with Yalkan would be impossible, even if we wanted to invade. Yalkan has many allies it can call upon.”

Political decision?

Some observers are stating that the creation of the LXVIII Corps may have been precipitated by politics, with some claiming that the Corps was created to threaten Yalkan out of its talks with the Imperium Suavidici. The General Staff firmly denies this, saying that the Corps was created to defend Predice’s unstable Northern Flank, which is to say, defend Predice against Oclusia. Observers remain suspicious however, as the Corps was formed just a week after Yalken PM Neville deepened negotiations with the Suavidici over its potential acquisition of a Yalken port for military purposes. The Imperium Suavidici has been waging a highly controversial and bloody war in Yamantau, whose government has received significant Predicean support.

The Government has set out its plans to reform areas of the current primary education policy and organization in order to “Greater connect teachers and pupils with the lesson material”. The education minister William Maferson has announced that a limit will be placed on each individual primary teachers use of SILP lessons for each academic year.

Since the 1986 education reform to how lessons were planned and provided to teaching personnel and support staff there has been a significant increase over time with the use of the Standardized Issued Lesson Plans (SILP) in schools across the country. This has largely been attributed to the increased volume of material added to the curriculum during the period in addition to increasing class sizes. The introduction of SILP to the department of education meant that there would be some pre-prepared lessons, and lists of appropriate learning materials for said lessons, which would be available to all teachers to access.

The idea behind it was to combat declining standards in schools and reduce the nonpaid hours which during the 80’s had risen to become a massive problem which needed to be addressed. SILP allowed the department of education and anyone with a teaching qualification to create lessons with supporting materials which could be submitted to the independent Board for the Provision of Standardized Teaching Materials and Resources (BPSTMR) for approval. The lessons would cover a topic from anywhere across the curriculum, from Mathematics to PE to RE etc.

Under the provisions currently provided by the department for education as selected by the BPSTMR the use of SILP in primary schools across the country has risen to a new record as 17.3% of all lessons in the last academic year in state-run primary schools used SILP lessons. This is a rise of 0.3% from the previous year of 17%. Over the last decade SILP lessons have risen year on year to their current rate after declining to under 5% of all lessons in the 90’s and 00’s. This rising use of SILP lessons has been blamed by the Government for the stagnation in the SEPET and SMPET results amongst Year 2’s and Year 6’s with secondary schools which significantly have not seen a rise in SILP lessons have continued to have a persistent rise in their SSCT results.

The message that the Government has appeared to have taken from these trends is that although SILP lessons assist teachers in assuring that they are not overworked whilst ensuring that lessons of a high quality are available to be provided for all students, they are creating complacency amongst the nations teachers with them being used unnecessarily so that they can reduce the amount of out of work hours they are providing.

In his speech today William Maferson spoke about the “need to ensure that our teachers are connected to the lesson which they are teaching our children so by extension they will be able to tailor the lesson to our children’s learning” and “complacency has no place in our schools! We do not expect it from our own children, we would not tolerate it. So why should we allow complacency, whether purposefully or unintentionally to creep upon our teachers. Whose duty is to ensure that all children regardless of background, age and ability reach their full potential.”

The Ministers speech was concluded with the announcement that although SILP lessons would remain available for all teachers to use as they currently are, in primary education teachers will now face a limit of 5% of their lessons being permitted to utilize SILP lessons. This is to encourage creativity and ensure a greater portion of lessons are planned by primary school personnel.

ATTEMPTED ROYAL MURDER STOPPED BY EMPERA JASEMIR KLADERAI, OUR RULER IS SAFE!​

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SBC NEWS

Federal Parliament approves formation of Home Guard

14.07.21
By: Johannes Karotamm

Kariste, VA — The National Defence Development Act of 2021 passed its third reading in the Federal Assembly, and the Federal Council sent it to the President for assent just yesterday. Despite vocal opposition, it passed 76-33 in the Federal Assembly. It will allow for the first Federal Subject involvement in National Defence, since the disbandment of the State Guards in 1957.

Home Guard

The Home Guard is to be a new Branch of the Scalvian Defence Force (SDF), expected to serve as a Reserve, and part-time force.
The act lays out a goal of 20,000 members by 2023, a figure which experts see as optimistic.
Additionally, the Act foresees the formation of the Guard on a Republican level.

Other Changes

The Act finally puts an end to the divisive tank issue, confirming that the government will be seeking a replacement to the lauded T54/07, with a plan to replace them on a one to one basis.
In addition, the act authorised the procurement of another corvette, as well as new helicopters for the navy.

National News Coroportation Aubervijr

The Government proposes the 'Commonwealth of Aubervijr Bill' to Parliament, second reading due to be held

Sunday, the 18th of July, 18:02
By Valentin Von Rooy, Correspondent

The Parliament of Aubervijr errupted into chaos this morning, as the Commonwealth of Aubervijr Bill was proposed to the chamber. Whilst, from the opposition benches, outrage and confusion was blurted out, the overpowering cheering from the Commonwealth Party’s seats forced the opposition to quiet down. Once the Speaker of the House restored order, and once it was voted upon, a vote on whether a second reading should be held took place.

512 votes voted for a second reading, an overwhelming majority. Whilst Parliament resumed, a separate committee briefly voted upon it themselves, and approved a second reading with preperations for a third already underway. Thanks to the nature of the bill, a third reading does not require royal assent, as according to the 'Compromise Act of 1702'. A second reading is due to be held in the next sitting of Parliament. Aubervijr is once step closer to lacking a King.

Something we predicted incorrectly was the referendum. Because it was submitted as a bill, the people are unable to vote upon it, only Members of Parliament can. The Commonwealth Party, however, are expected to hold an unofficial referendum to ensure the people still support them after the submission of the bill. The copy of the bill is seen below.

19 July 2021
by Jeanne Paulette di Rochambeau

National News Corporation Aubervijr

Commonwealth of Aubervijr Bill submitted to the Upper House for further approval

Sunday, the 25th of July, 13:41
By Valentin Von Rooy, Political Correspondent

The third reading of the Commonwealth of Aubervijr Bill occured last night, and following a vote in the Parliament, the majority (487 for, 313 against) voted for the bill to be submitted to the Eerste Kamer (literally Upper House), where it will face further readings, and then may be approved and will become law.

If approved, everything in the bill will be considered law after the process of writing a constitution, and establishing an amendmant process has ended. Once the reform process has ended and everything within the bill completed, it will become law. This will mean that King Leopold III will lose his throne.

The Upper House is currently dominated by the Commonwealth Party, meaning the bill is almost certain to pass. The Royal Family have made no statement on the bill, and King Leopold was rumoured to have considered dissolving Parliament before a third reading could be held, but decided against it.

Rudolf Verstege, the current leader of the Commonwealth Party and the Prime Minister has congratulated his Party on the passing of the bill to the Upper House, and celebrations from anti-monarchist supporters across the country lasted until early this morning. Political analysts have commented on how democratic the bill is.

The Upper House is due to address the bill during their next sitting, and will likely rush the readings of the bill in order to pass it quickly.

Plans for what will happen after have been detailed in a Government statement, which states the planned dissolution of the Commonwealth Party will be organised and orderly, as to avoid confusion or chaos. An emergency Government has already been formed in advance to run the country whilst the dissolution takes place. Seats in Parliament will be distributed according to nationwide polling, and a snap general election will be held soon after to accurately determine seat distribution, among other things.

The Government that forms after the snap general election will exist for a shorter amount of time than any other Government that may succeed it. The next general election that has been planned by the Commonwealth Party is due to be held in just under 5 years on June 22nd, 2026 - and this remains unchanged, even if the snap election will be held at a later date than expected.

Many fear that the bill is being rushed too quickly, but many say that it should be rushed in order to achieve a fully democratic state in Aubervijr. They believe a true democracy cannot have a Monarch nor Royal Family, and thus want the bill rushed.

Most political experts believe that the Commonwealth Party's plan will work and turn out relatively well, but it is hard to predict, especially at such an early but crucial time as it passes through the Upper House.

Esthursia News

Osy Prime Minister and President infighting - when will it end?

The Prime Minister of Osynstry, the two-term socialist Jeremy Wilson, is facing new opposition over his latest Bill to prohibit privatisation of public services by legislation from the President, the three-term social democrat Osmund Newboke. As the First Minister of Gwyncoln, a social liberal, is backing the President's opposition while the Prime Minister of Asþorhelm, the left-wing populist Magnús Þorsenn has the Osy PM's backing.

This has further accentuated the holes that tactical voting has brought - with conservatives realising that the weight of the two post industrial countries is far too much, predictions are for the August 2021 presidential election that right-of-centre people will back Newboke in order to keep out the Socialists.

The Prime Minister, however, has made a statement, calling the President's refusal to back down over the Public Services Protection Act 2021 "deeply damaging" and "delinquent of duty". Wilson and Þorsenn have both made statements in recent days announcing regional legislation however the stress of the Esthursian Union is being shown - with 63% of Esthursians saying they're "proud" to be under Esthursia, both leaders have been testing their boundaries tentatively.

Does now begin the chance for Wilson and Þorsenn to challenge the centrist, bureaucratic united government? The answer: probably.

With polls putting Newboke a good 10 points ahead of his rivals, with 35% saying they'll back Newboke (vs. 26% for Socialist Banbury and 24% for ProgCon Alborough), it's clear that the President will be given a serious mandate to rein in the socialist and near-populist regional leaders if he wins next month.

Government in Crisis: Ties uncovered between Bannet Principal and Right Wing Terrorists
By: Phillipe Dupuy
July 31, 2021

The National Government is in a tailspin today as Florentin Malais, the former Liberal Principal of Beaune, has been arrested on twenty one counts of murder, one hundred counts of espionage, ten counts of domestic terrorism, and one count of treason. The former politician and high ranking member of the Liberals was arrested by police this morning after a tell-all published in the Bannet Public Register by an anonymous source. The whistleblower provided ample video evidence, correspondence, and audio recordings to prove a connection between Florentin Malais and the Knights of Laurens, a Callisean Supremacist organization which has been terrorizing Syrixian migrant workers in Bannet for years.

Since 1973, Bannet has been the site of much racial conflict in Callise. Large amounts of Syrixians have migrated to the area after large buyouts of public land by Syrixian companies. The Knights of Laurens have been around for much of this conflict, but has exploded in membership in recent years as layoffs have increased at the major factories in the region. The displacement of the native Callisean laborers in favor of Syrixian migrants, many of whom are willing to work for substantially less, has created tension between the groups. In Late 2020, New Surat, one of the migrant communities, was the result of a mass anti-Syrixian riot. The inciting incident was an alleged incident of harassment by Syrixians towards a Callisean school girl, but no substantial evidence has been found to suggest this is the case. Police speculate the riot was probably an organized effort by the Knights of Laurens after Syrixian migrant scabs were brought in to cross a picket line. From there, violence only worsened. Sporadic attacks and violence against cops ended with hundreds dead and irreparable damage to the Syrixian migrant community in New Surat. During this period, trust in the police and provincial authorities was severely weakened, and resulted in acts of vigilantism spreading throughout the city (usually among the Syrixian community). The conflict was only brought to an end after a vigilante, Emmanuel Padhi, second generation immigrant and police officer, engaged in a successful attempt to detonate charges at a building where the Knights of Laurens were planning a militant occupation of New Surat, killing many of it's organizers and members.

For months, we had assumed this to be the end of the story. However, three days ago, a whistleblower with extensive access to public records has connected Florentin Malais to the groups and their attacks. The evidence shows that Malais used his authority as Principal to provide logistical, financial, and political support to the movement. The evidence further suggests that Malais held some sort of executive role in the movement, and had extensive control over their attacks. Most damning of all, the evidence demonstrates that Malais had orchestrated much of the unrest and violence which led to the New Surat riot, and had planned a false flag attack by Syrixians which would have been used to instigate a race war within Bannet. Although unsubstantiated, the whistleblower claims Malais had done this for political support: that he intended to publicly put down the riot, pass sweeping security reform, and snowball his "success" into a campaign for President. Malais himself has refused to comment on the allegations or his potential motives.

Being a high ranking member of the Liberal Party, Malais has created a crisis within the Dupont government. Although no evidence exists suggesting anyone outside of Malais had knowledge of his schemes, the scandal has severely impacted their ability to govern. The Civic-Republicans, essential to the Liberal mandate, held a party congress in which the party was dissolved altogether in the wake of the scandal (with the majority leaving the coalition and a minority staying). The Progressive Conservatives have left the coalition entirely. Sources close to the Dupont Directorate say that Dupont has organized a vote of confidence to be held in late August. If the Liberals fail to achieve a majority in this vote, an election will be held this January.

Follow the Beaune Tribune to see how this story unfolds.

National News Corporation Aubervijr
King Leopold III confirms the Royal Family will cooperate with the Commonwealth of Aubervijr Bill

By Rypke Visser
11:42 AM, Sunday, 1st of August, 2021

The Royal Family has confirmed in a statement that they will cooperate with the Commonwealth of Aubervijr Bill if it is to pass in the Upper House. Regional, unofficial referendums held across the country show that 62% of the population support the contents of the bill. The bill is due to receive a third reading in the Upper House in two days time (Tuesday).

If the bill receives a third reading, a vote held amongst members of the Upper House will be held, and if a majority vote for the bill to pass, a short process will begin, where the bill is sent to the Speaker, Prime Minister and Depute Prime Minister to sign, before it is submitted to the King to sign. The King's signature is not needed for the bill to pass, but it would be a gesture of support for the people's wishes if he did sign it.

Once all the needed signatures are received, the bill will become Parliament's last act as it completely reworks the political system Aubervijr has had for 319 years. A constitution has already been prepared and will near instantaneously be passed in the new Upper House, which shall be called 'the House of the People', and an amendment process established.

Rudolf Verstege and King Leopold III met on Saturday to discuss post-abolition events and what shall happen to Leopold when the Monarchy is abolished. The two are apparently good friends and agreed on multiple topics, and have good respect for each-other. Rudolf Verstege has permitted the King to remain in Constantijn Palace if he desires after the abolition, although Leopold will have to pay for all it contains - including staff. Leopold will have to surrender his other palaces, however.

A politician has already been submitted for the position of President. Coenraad Andries Ferdinand van Rijckevorsel, a 63-year-old politician who was a member of the Conservative Commonwealth Party for 32 years, and led it for 2 before he led his party to join the Commonwealth Party prior to the 2015 general election.

Political experts predict that the bill will pass with a majority in the Upper House on Tuesday, and the Constitution will see the foundation of a second Commonwealth. The 'Proposed Constitution', as it is currently called, takes inspiration from Hendrikus Karel Lodewijk's 'Equal Nation Act'. Lodewijk was the third Chancellor of the Commonwealth of Aubervijr from 1672 to 1690, and is deemed one of the most influential politicians in all of Aubervijr's history.

Further reports are due to cover the bill's third reading on Tuesday and the following vote.

Government to send more aid to Gwladcan


(Aydini Red Berets, awaiting assignments)

As of this week, Government officials from the Ministry of Foreign affairs have announced the deployment of more troops to the nation of Gwladcan in efforts to suppress insurgent forces in the province of Montãni. Alongside the delivery of more financial assistance alongside the delivery of more construction equipment and materials to assist in the continued construction of infrastructure in Gwladcan.

Following these actions, his Imperial Majesty's Government has decided to alongside current forces in the Montãni region, Red Berets will be sent in to keep the peace in recaptured towns alongside maintaining civic order in areas directed by the government in Gwladcan. This all comes after recent victories against the forces of insurgents in the region and more strengthening of bi lateral relations between Aydin and Gwladcan.

The AIO also appears to be optimistic about progress in Gwladcan with both Chief of the General staff Kadir Baba and General Bozkurt Tekin overseeing the conflict in Aydin. Both men seem to think that the insurgents should be broken sometime in the next few months or at most within the year.

In the future, according to some sources his Imperial Majesty's government will begin increasing efforts into assisting King Gaiseric and his clans with the pacification of the other warring clans in Essalanea along with more assistance and financial investment into the country. For more information on current topics and breaking news please consider making a tax deductable donation for more content for you to enjoy.
Written by: Takan Asma 8/5/21

Trade union protests merge with pro-devolution and youth protests - strikes forecast for August 12
As the Presidentials lay just three weeks ahead, will this jeopardise Newboke's image?

Protests in major cities, particularly the capitals, have intensified. President Newboke has called for "calm and civility, rather than a disorganised roucous of poorly organised shouting", with the Prime Ministers staying conveniently quiet for the press - in person, it's a different story.

That's because the Prime Ministers and First Ministers have been at the protests.

Protests for renationalisation of EsthursEnergy, formerly KGE Energy, alongside the National Trade Union of Osynstry (NTUO) and Union of the Esthursia Public Sector (UEPS), have been intense. Hundreds of arrests have been made by police working under Newboke's party's instructions, with protests running often into and through the night.

The fact that Prime Ministers and First Ministers are on board has intensified the riots and the energy - but made them far more confusing. A dispute that started from energy protection has sprawled into a protest against all that's wrong in Esthursia, from devolution to youth unemployment.

President Newboke also has shown hesitancy to support the actions of his more centrist Home Minister, Frank Moore, in demanding arrests and forced dispersion orders for "highly economically disruptive protests".

In the election campaigns of past, Newboke's perceived stability and economic abilities buoyed him to power. Now he's got neither - and with trade unionist strikes set up in Osynstry for the 12th and Asþorhelm for the 14th, with Meathere and Threpshire not far behind, the timing could not be worse. The question on everyone's minds - can Newboke come out of this smelling of roses, and if so - how?

August 8, 2021
Jan Hofer

August in Goyanes means only one thing. The return of college football. The sounds of marching bands parading about, the smells of cookouts in university parking lots, and the years and years of traditions that come alive again every fall. As the 2021 season rolls around, GRK Sportsnet has compiled a brief list of teams that will be on the rise and fall and contenders for the Apple Bowl this year.


Nyhett Tech Linebacker Kristof Edelman after scoring a defensive touchdown vs. the University of Nyhett in 2020

Best Odds: Nyhett Tech Bruins

After a building year that led to a stunning 4OT 25-28 loss to Nyhett State in the 2020 Northern Conference championship game, the Bruins are back, returning the most offensive and defensive productivity of any team in the NHFB. The Bruins are looking especially solid on the defensive side of the ball, with defensive line coach Johan Vanderbæk producing exceptional turnovers for the team. The team’s star quarterback, Hans Burmeister, is expected to have a record-breaking season supported by his strong wide receivers and tight ends, producing a hard-to-beat “air raid” offense. However, the team is also backing up the ground side of the ball, with a solid running back lineup.

Breakout Season: Kristian Øyvind Bulldogs

The Kristian Øyvind Bulldogs are entering their third season with new coach Karlheinz Traumberg, and have solid offensive and defensive production, with their QB Alan Opper averaging 8 meters/play. While not returning as many players as in-conference foes Osanhalt State or cross-conference rivals University of Osanhalt, the Bulldogs have some of the most athletic players in the league on their side, as well as a piercing offense that breaks through the toughest of defenses.

Return to Mediocrity: Imperial Fighting Bishops

After losing to 3rd-seed Hysende Tech in the semifinals of the playoffs, Imperial College lost their star coach Franz Valler to the pro leagues, leaving the Fighting Bishops’ leadership scrambling to find a new coach. Furthermore their lead players, including QB Anders Athelstein have been drafted to the big leagues, leaving the team very young and inexperienced. Caught off guard by a bad recruiting cycle in 2019 and 2020 exacerbated the current problem. It may be a few years before we see the Bishops in title contention again.

Title Challengers: Sørnen Gamecocks

The Gamecocks will prove to be the greatest threat to the Bruins. They are scheduled for a non-conference match this season, and they are both expected to meet at the Apple Bowl according to most pundits and analysts. Sørnen will be returning star QB Markus Hillingdon, as well as numerous other players, and their tough defense will prove to be make-or-break for the Bruins’ air raid and running options. The only downside is that this is a weak year for the Southern Conference, so the Gamecocks must not let their guard down by the time cross-conference games come around.

Guten Abend, dear views. I am Von Der Zeit’s host Ulrich Schrempf. Today we have breaking news that will rock the international football world and spell disaster for any ongoing foreign diplomacy. A great shame that will now forever live on with us all. Late this evening around 7 p.m. Head coach of the Alemriche international CEFA world cup national team, Eric Wehr, was arrested by authorities for bribery, fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, and the greatest crime of them all, economic espionage. Mr. Wehr has been accused of using and accepting bribes to buy referees and local officials, use loaded footballs that are against regulation, and has generally conspired to keep all these illicit activities a secret through intimidation, payments using team funds, and nepotism.

However that is only the tip of the iceberg. AVK* officials have also stated interest with and put out an arrest warrant for one of the CEFA Officials, a Mr. Kory Ubterson, a local of Meklenberg. He too is tied to many of the crimes affiliated with Mr. Wehr and as of this time cannot be located. The AVK have put up roadblocks and check stations at all points of international travel. Mr. Ubterson is notoriously known for being accused of using a penthouse, bought with CEFA funds under the guise of a promotional venue for players and interviews, to house one of his pet cats. A cat! An accusation he fervently denied, despite no player ever claiming to have been to said penthouse. Well it seems like this may have been true after all, with his current warrant for arrest. When asked about how this might affect Alemriche’s status as a participant in past and current CEFA World Cup, we received no response from CEFA officials. When asked about how long the court process might and if there’s sufficient evidence to convict, this OA* representative had this to say:

Cuts to a man standing at a podium wheezing with laughter.

Suffice to say that this does not look good for either Mr. Wehr or Mr. Ubterson or Alemriche’s CEFA future.


*AVK = Amt für Verfassungsschutz der Krone/Crown's Office for the Protection of the Constitution
*OA = Öffentlich Ankläger/Public Prosecutor

Opinion: Why the Sultan's half-finished "Pleasure Boat" is good for Aydin

(Alleged design of the "Pleasure boat")

In 2018, the nation was swept into a fever over the controversial decision by the Grand Sultan to purchase the construction of a multi-billion dollar, luxury aircraft carrier yacht project. Dubbed the "Pleasure Boat" by many who oppose it, the ship has become a symbol of the Sultan's exploitation of the people of Aydin by the Sultanate. The ship hosts a wide array of features including an onboard pool, bungalow, residence, kitchen facilities, and much more. Alongside this, the capabilities for the landing of both helicopters and decently sized aircraft with a crew capacity of 5,000 and a guest capacity of 400. And according to some sources, the ship also may have the added perk of swappable decks one of which included a full golf course.

(The alleged golf course design)


Now as the ship reaches the halfway mark in its construction, the original critics of the project have resurfaced with their complaints towards the project, with some going as far as to label it useless and debauched. And many have falsely accused his Imperial Majesty of wasting state funds on such a project. But I must say I disagree, the project itself although controversial is all but a poorly propped up strawman by which opponents of his imperial Majesty use to criticize him, unjustly I might add.

This project from the beginning has been funded out of pocket by his Imperial Majesty since construction started at the end of 2018. This fact completely disproves the theory that his Imperial Majesty somehow diverted state funds to some "passion project" when in fact it was purchased with his own private funds. Now to back that up, his Imperial Majesty when announcing the construction of the ship, promised that the ship would be used for state functions alongside, foreign diplomatic missions and events. The ship in the end although being somewhat gaudy will still be used to assist the government in its functions and by all accounts has been actually a generous out-of-pocket gift by his Imperial Majesty to the nation.

The ship is set to launch sometime in 2023 or 2024 and from the point of launch, a tour of the Craviterean coast is planned on which the ship will conduct diplomatic missions to several yet to be decided nations.

For updates on construction and events related to the ship. Keep up to date with ART and sign up for our mailing list and E-mailing list.
Written by: Hamza Bayer (8/10/21)

Nyhett Tech opens satellite campus in Haland, Prydania


The newly-completed main building for the campus in the Haland suburbs

August 16, 2021
Newsdesk


HALAND, PRYDANIA -- The Nyhett Institute of Technology, more commonly known as Nyhett Tech, is opening and accepting applications for this semester at their new satellite campus at Haland, in eastern Prydania. Haland, the main city for the more Gojan east of the country, was the logical choice for the new campus, funded by the Kingdom of Nyhett and the Imperial Government.

The campus is being operated in cooperation with Midlands University of Hadden, Prydania, and will offer bachelor’s degrees (Kandidat; 4 years) valid in both Prydania and Goyanes in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Cybersecurity, and Information Technology. Students can also spend a year at the main campus in Svartsfjerg, Nyhett, to take classes if they choose.

Admissions is primarily targeting local secondary-school students who have just graduated, and several hundred scholarships will be given to students based on need and academics. Furthermore a comprehensive financial aid program will be set up to ensure that locals can take classes at the university at minimal or no cost.

University president Tadd Eisenhoff told GRK News that “this new satellite campus represents new educational opportunities for the people of Prydania” as well as “a chance to develop native, generational talent in the country that will provide economic and technological stability for years to come.”

The new, state-of-the-art facility will have laboratories, lecture halls, dormitories, classrooms, and all other features of a full-fledged university, including a research compound where students can conduct comprehensive research with other doctorate students and professors. In addition, a large student center with gyms, pools, restaurants, event spaces, and student recreation opportunities will be provided.

Next year, the campus will be accepting applications for two-year Assosierad degrees in more technical subjects such as plumbing, welding, vehicle mechanics, electricity, and other trades in order to stimulate the local economy. Furthermore, exchange opportunities will open for Gojan students to take classes in Prydania and vice-versa.

Graham Ingley announces manifesto promise to abolish top rates of income tax

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Our economics editor Edgard Aldershot comments on the "radical-right" policy proposed by Ingley's new EPP

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24 September, 2021 - 19:38

Forethane Osborne has spoken alongside legislation to put a 10,000 sterling pound limit on yearly donations to a political party, a ban on "votes-to-buy" practises, a complete block on corporate donations and a Watchdog in place to "stamp out circumvention of the rule", as well as a "reappropriation" of funds in the last year "wrongly and illegally given" back to the state.

Although in normal times, even the worst of us would likely applaud the foreseeable end to political corporatism - there's possibly a larger objective here, which regional Prime Ministers and the President all benefit from.

The answer: the conservative parties - with the exception of the National Democrats, who have a sizeable membership - are hit hard by this. The right-leaning Esthursian Sunday Times has compared this to "setting Manning's wallet on fire" - and for good reason, the Conservative Union once had three-quarters of its income from the big-donor "Leaders' Group". As a result, with this style of near-oligarchic politics being banned, the Conservatives are expected to be forced to cut back their campaigns and staff heavily; even with Manning receiving more membership fees, and less corporate donations, than she once did - it's still expected to be a heavily one-sided hit to finances.

With just months remaining until Esthursia goes to the polls - this could severely hinder the Conservatives, currently second, and their efforts to finally take down Forethane Osborne, and ten years of Social Democrat-led government that has tended left gradually. The Conservatives also tried to lobby to the centre and right in regional parliaments and the Esthursian Parliament for a month-long "transition period", in effect to delay any major changes until post-election, but more of their own ministers voted against their own amendment than opposing ministers voted for it.

Osborne's response to all this?
"The Conservative Party are simply going to have to learn to appeal to ordinary people, rather than a select few elite. If they fail, they fail. It's in their hands to move on from this corrupt period of their history, not to hang on to our legs, screaming and crying. This decision is final." Former Chancellor Jeremy Wilson has also described the Conservatives' unsuccessful efforts to force a delay to the legislation as "cowardly, corrupt to the core and catastrophic to their rightfully already low reputation", and called for Osborne "ignore the shrill cries of the right and press on with stamping out elitism and political cronyism".

The Conservatives have made their voices heard - but nobody's listening.

Elaena Eorvikhaer and Emperor Irwin Expecting Second Child

KARTHIED - The Duchess of Kaenland and the Emperor of the Vestrugat are expecting their second child, the royal household announced. Emperor Irwin was reportedly ecstatic as nobles and ministers congratulated him in the minutes leading up to a meeting of the Witangamot. As of yet he has not given an official statement.

Elaena Eorvikhaer returned to Esplandia two months prior after spending the last year and a half in Goyanes. Her return signaled to the people that the recent internal conflict was well and truly over.

Their Royal Highnesses The Emperor and Duchess are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Kaenland is expecting their second child," the statement said. "Members of both families are delighted with the news." The baby will become second in line to the throne, and push Princess Katharin Amelia to third.

People are already speculating about the child and the sex. Most importantly, people wonder what the name of the child will be. For a girl the most popular suggestions found in numerous online polls is split between Katharin and Avalus. For a boy, the online polls are unanimous in their preference for the name Sherwin.

IS EMPERA JASEMIR PARTEI KLADERAI REALLY DEAD?​

Comment Section:

Joint Forces Press Centre


Victory in Vittoria!
31.08.21

THIS IS A TRANSCRIPT FROM A PRESS BRIEFING GIVEN BY BRIG. GEN. Federico Bernadeschi, HEAD OF THE JFPC AT THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE IN ANTOFAGOSTA

AUGUST 31ST, 2021
12:30PM

Predicean Forces from the Army of the Chiave have driven the enemy from the city of Vittoria. Several large enemy formations, estimated to be two divisions, have been encircled just south of the city. Major combat operations in the city have come to an end. Units from XXI, and XXV Corps, Army of the Chiave are driving enemy units towards the national frontier. The enemy is disorganised and in full retreat. We have won a great victory.
In the Bellaterra sector, the garrison is maintaining its positions, while the Army of the Lamone's two corps are driving towards the city. Just 29 kilometers separate the Army of the Lamone from the Bellaterra garrison. Units from XXX Corps have smashed the enemy at the hamlet of San Giuseppe, much of the hamlet was destroyed by the fighting.
Units from the Predicean Air Force have gained air superiority over the frontline. Close air support for Predicean forces on the ground has become more and more available. The Air Force has executed 2,489 sorties today, 143 more than the same time two weeks ago.
Units from the Predicean Navy are continuing to secure the trade lanes on the seas and blocking the enemy's trade. The frigate Santongia was severely damaged in the execution of its duties, struck by a missile from an enemy Destroyer. 29 of its sailors were killed.
The enemy has taken signifiant losses.
Predicean forces have taken moderate losses.
Glory to the Defenders of Predice!
Glory to the Heroes!

Guten abend, dear views. I am Von Der Zeit’s host Ulrich Schrempf. Our journalists in the field have covered even more in the ongoing controversy plaguing our National Football team. One of our very own, one of the highest paid athletes in the world, the so-called hero of the pitch, Alexís Gentschenfelde, has been arrested today during a press conference held to address some of the controversies being laid forth by the state and media. AVK* officers stormed the Meklenberg City FC’s ThomPharm stadium conference room, when Alexis and journalists were in the middle of a Q&A. The officers took Alexis into custody with little resistance. Thankfully our news team was already on hand and immediately switched to coverage of the arrest. Here is some video of the action.

“-I’m merely clarifying that I in no way condone the actions hefted onto Mr. Wehr, I just think that his name will be cleared and-”

“Mr. Gentschenfelde?”

“What? What is this? Who are you people?”

“I am agent Udo Stein, I work for the AVK. We’re here to place you under arrest for conspiracy and violent assault. You have the ri- Hey! Scheisse! We got a runner!”

The camera pans out to show multiple officers running through the assorted chairs and past the panel table chasing after Alexis.

“Sweet Christus he’s fast!”

Alexis is shown trying to unlock multiple doors before running back the way he came, dodging multiple officers attempting to apprehend him. He runs past all the journalists and panel coverage. The camera is unmounted from its stand as the cameraman pursues the fleeing Alexis through the hallway.

“Alexis! Stop running! We want this to be non-violent!”

Alexis is blindsided by a large AVK officer as he tries to round a corner towards the stairs. Alexis is seen to be crying on the ground. Eventually the other officers catch up to where Alexis is as he still clutches his chest. The cameraman pans to the panting AVK agent.

“Scheisse…See...I told you we wanted it to be non-violent.”

As you can see, he was apprehended by authorities. Apparently he has been accused and arrested for assault of multiple stadiums’ personnel. Many have come forward in assistance of the ongoing case against Mr. Wehr and now Alexis himself. Luckily our journalist had the opportunity to ask him some questions before being taken away.

“Alexis! Alexis! How does it feel to be the largest national embarrassment in the history of association football?”

Alexis starts screaming as he's put into the back of a black SUV.

Alas now we must all ask ourselves. How deep does this go? As always we will keep you up to date.


*AVK = Amt für Verfassungsschutz der Krone/Crown's Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Saint Constantijn Broadcasting Association
Sint Constantijn Omroepvereniging
Tuesday, the 7th of September, 2021

Snap general election campaigns end across Aubervijr, with the election due to take place in 13 days

Exactly one month after the Commonwealth of Aubervijr Bill was passed, campaigning by political parties has ceased, with a snap general election due to be held on the 20th of September, to determine who will lead a post-monarchy Aubervijr. There are several new parties which have formed following the dissolution of the Commonwealth Party, which are listed below.

• The Social Messianist Party, lead by Rudolf Verstege,
• The Republican Union Party, lead by Olivier Rodenhuis,
• The Conservative Party, lead by former Prime Minister, Sijbrand Valkman,
• The Social Democratic Party, lead by Johannes Dumonceau,
• The Democratic Union Party, lead by Johan de Vries,
• The Reform Party, lead by Bernhard Adrichem,
• The Liberal Messianist Party, lead by Friso van Beurle,
• The Labour Party, lead by Floris Teuling
• The Environmental Conservation Party, led by Maurits van Buuren,
• The Right Liberal Party, lead by Christian van Baarle,
• His Majesty's Party, led by Alexander van den Akker (Leopold van Coeverden, Aubervijr's former King, is a member of this party), and
• The Faursian National Party, lead by André Reitsma (who advocate for devolution, and simultaneously, the independence of Faursia - Aubervijr's westernmost peninsula)

The parties will now prepare for the upcoming general election, with each party having invested the same amount into an election campaign, with an online campaign on social media being widespread. Any further campaigning will result in fines for the party, which are hefty.

National polls suggest that the Social Messianist Party are quite popular, yet the Workers' Reform Party have recently spiked in terms of popularity following their campaign. The Social Democratic Party are a socialist party, who advocate for Messianist Socialism. They are opposed to communism, and have made that clear, to establish a fine line between themselves, and communism.

The current Head of State, Coenraad van Rijckevorsel, shall maintain his office until 2026, unless he dies or resigns, or other means.

The Faursian National Party plan to push the option of devolution in Faursia in the event they gain a seat or more in the Parliament. If this succeeds, they will push for an independence referendum. No party is likely to agree to this, according to political experts.

Live updates will follow soon.

After 2 days of the formation of the HRoE the Islamics and Revolutionaries were still fighting but today 7:36PM The Milita defeated the last of them and the civil war as come to an end. Milita is now disbanded and is now needed to give there guns and equipment to the government and Troops and high ranks in Military and Political are arrested and sent to prison some are executed. Over 35K AR-15s and AK-47s are captured we are start producing AK-47 because of the ability to mass produce and AR-15s are melted to Get Molten Iron into steel for civilian Projects are now the civil war has ended

This post does not meet with Eras community standards for a news RP entry. References to Islam, AK-47s, and AR-15s are not appropriate for Eras as none of these things exist in the forum setting.

The Mod Team

(Need more information about what Eras is? Review the "Roleplaying in Eras FAQ, which can be found here: https://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/9104896/. All roleplaying activity on this forum other than the Non-Eras subforum and places otherwise marked are expected to remain within the Eras RP setting. -Sil)

A ROYAL COUP IN PROGRESS? WAS JASEMIR KLADERAI KILLED? UNCOVER THE TRUTH NOW!​

Empera Jasemir Partei Kladerai's last letter:

Mercanti Translation: “To Erianne, my sister. Every single day I’m thinking about you. However, I’m very far right now. You’re my favorite sister (and only one). That’s why I am writing for you. You need to know that our dad’s twin attacked me. No, I’m not lying. That’s why I killed him and left him without face. You must be strong, for I may not be here if they succeed to kill me. I suspect that Werdoi Danfeh, that old man, is the criminal mastermind behind those attacks. Please be safe! Love you, Jasemir Partei Kladerai.”​

Click to expand...

Comment Section:

Reducing the voting age - political opportunism, or the advancement of democracy?
The Herald, and Howard Trickett, analyse the moves by regional and now national administrations to decrease the voting age to 15.

21 September, 2021 - 06:47


President Newboke has announced that the voting age in the upcoming general election in January will be 15, in a move deeply polarising the left and the right. With the youth of Esthursia being arguably more loyal to Newboke as well as Banbury - the latter of whom has welcomed calls to reduce the voting age - we must ask, is this a scheme?

On the face of it, yes. We're a few months off from a major election, and Newboke stands to gain from Generation Z's votes - who, although they aren't that much more supportive of Newboke, are far more supportive of him than his right-leaning challenger, Alborough. Unsurprisingly, Alborough and his party have fiercely challenged the debates. We asked him to comment, and he responded:
"They're treating the nation's youth as a stepladder, trampling on each and every one of them to reach power once again."

Newboke's move has come as particularly surprising, as many analysts have seen it as "skipping a hop and a step and going straight into the jump". Polling has also suggested that many people are much more undecided and have been caught on unawares - whereas the most recent poll in March on reducing the voting age to 16 was supported by 63% of those polled, with opposition at 23%; recent polling suggests that 44% support this reduction, 27% oppose it, leaving 29% undecided. This isn't the "tide turning", as the Times has stated, but nor is it as robust - or even majoritarian - as progressives would prefer it to be.

However, it's important to note that the last law reducing the voting age - that time from 21 to 18 - was in 1959. This was a time when maturity arguably happened at a later age - losing one's virginity in the 1950s happened at about the age of 19, whereas now it's gauged at about 16. Whereas the driving age was 18, it's now 16. 16 year olds have also been able to vote in local elections - and in some regional elections, such as the Osynstric general elections under PM Wilson in 2016 - however this will be the first time 15 year olds will be able to vote. No matter one's opinions on it, this is a monumental development in Esthursian democracy, and could engage a generation in politics from a much younger age, now that they've the freedom to express their opinions.

In a speech in Weskerby, outside the Peoples' House, the President told those listening:
"It's in our interest, both as a nation and as a government, to ensure that no voter is disenfranchised. Many will ask if I've gone too low, and to them I ask - is that such a bad thing? Is it not in our greatest interest to provide every single person the vote?

If we're making it too low, that's a sign we've given every person the vote who deserves it. That's full democracy. If we've gone too high, we've denied someone the vote wrongfully."

We must ask two things. One - if President Newboke feels so strongly about this issue, why did it take him 16 years to enact it? For those of us old enough to remember his surprise election in 2005 and his landslide snap election in 2007, we know this wasn't on the agenda. Maybe he's waited patiently to enact it, waiting for public opinion to shift in favour of it, however he must have been waiting rather quietly.

And we must ask another. If we're reducing it to 15, why not reduce it further? Criminal responsibility starts at age 12. If one is able to account for one's actions, why should they be denied the ability to hold the government to account for its own actions through voting? If one is deemed old enough to take responsibility of actions and consequences, surely one is old enough to take responsibility of the actions and consequences of voting? Although this is entirely theoretical - and although I would not explicitly support such a drastic reduction in voting age - it raises entirely valid queries.

Why not take it further? Why not, say, 7? They can read, they can write, and this society has a serious age bias towards the old which can only be tackled by providing the young with a serious mandate. As much as it sounds preposterous, those with dementia can vote, those who are senile can vote, and there's no cut-off point age-wise - so the young are the ones being restricted for things that the old do not get restricted for. As lifespan extends into one's eighties, nineties, and even over the century mark, why shouldn't the ability to vote extend the other way, if it's been extended in this way from 30 to 18 - and now 15 - in the past? These are entirely reasonable queries one must make on a society where age disparities are growing, especially in a highly developed society as Esthursia where median age is past 40, and thus median adult age is over 50. I don't support it myself - but I can see the basis for this far more than I could ever see the basis for denying 15-year-olds the vote.

So no - I don't support the timing of Newboke's decision, and no, we should be skeptical of why he's done it - but the basic principle of enfranchising more voters should be endorsed and strengthened as greatly as possible. Maybe, with this decision, Newboke will reform his party's democratic institutions too. One can only hope.

SHOCKING NEWS: ROYAL FAMILY OF TARDINE WAS EXECUTED TODAY!​

Comment Section:

A STATEMENT BY COMRADE GENERAL SECRETARY MIKHAIL ASLANOV ON THE COUP IN THE NATION OF TARDINE:

"The recent events in the nation of Tardine have troubled and disturbed the members of the MCPR, and the people of our great nation. The recent and brutal seizure of power by the now Emperor of Tardine Werdoi Danfeh, is as unjust as it is horrifying. As such the nation of Rayvostoka will be issuing a strong condemnation of the actions of Mr. Danfeh alongside the issuing of sanctions against Mr. Danfeh and his collaborators. Who assisted in the brutal murders of the Tardinian Royal family and subversion of its government. Further actions by our government are being discussed as of now but believe me when I say this these crimes will not go unnoticed and these malicious actions will not go unnoticed by us or by god." - Mikhail Aslanov