[DRAFT] The January General Elections

Kaschovia

Under the Sakura
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This January election cycle, we witnessed historic and never-before-seen voter participation as four people won their respective elections, a few of them in uncontested fashion, and others in a final vote grab. But how did all of the action unfold before us?

On the 1st of January, the nomination and candidacy declaration period began.

Lord Ravenclaw, Gladio, Mall, and Falapatorius declared their candidacies for Delegate, Bootsie, Siwale, and McMasterdonia declared their candidacies for Vice Delegate, Darcania, and Clean Land declared their candidacies for Speaker, and HuAt and Goyanes declared their candidacies for Speaker of the Regional Assembly.

Just two days later, campaigning began.

The race for Delegate was only ever going to be a two-horse race, although I wouldn't've been surprised if one of the other two pulled some considerable votes.

Lord Ravenclaw's Campaign for Delegate

Lord Ravenclaw's campaign arrived under the 'Still Soaring' slogan, a nice addition to the campaign, in my opinion, for a player who has been through too much and has not received the credit where it is necessarily due for his contribution to the region and the community.

He details what the term Ravenocracy means, describing it as "An administration led by Lord Ravenclaw which emphasises a strong World Assembly Performance, a Strong Diplomatic Presence, a Robust and Flexible North Pacific Army alongside a vibrant internal culture and roleplay world."

He goes on to list a variety of facts about himself, and the things he has done, not necessarily within the North Pacific, but within the greater NS community itself. He nods at his crowning as co-King of the North Pacific as part of the Delegate Delirium event, mentions his ministership as Minister of Foreign Affairs for Osiris twice, The East Pacific, The South Pacific, The North Pacific twice, and The New Galactic Empire. He also mentions his service as Chief Justice in Osiris and TSP, and as Justice in TEP and Osiris twice. He finishes the list by citing his presidency over two successful court cases while a Judge in Osiris. One of which saw him "convict the infamous (Couper and Traitor to Osiris) Cormac for Treason against the State."

He remarks a string of other events during his NationStates career, including founding "the largest Discord Server in NationStates with over 1,100 members," his service on the Security Council, and the fact that he didn't coup Osiris.

He mentions that his NationStates career has "been built on adversity", additionally saying that "My career in NationStates has been built on adversity. Through hell and high water, I have weathered the never-ceasing squall from faction after faction across NationStates. I am still standing despite numerous attempts to drag me below the watery depths, I am still on my feet. The waves hold no fear for me, and I do not fear the storm. I am not finished yet. My story will be finished when I say it is and no one will take that decision away from me."

He showed us all that he has great and undying respect for his primary electoral rival, Gladio, by saying "my esteem and respect for Gladio has no bounds," he also says "I have found it, and to my very dear friend General Gladio, arguably the best Soldier, Officer, and Commander that The North Pacific will ever see, I wish him the best of luck. It is rare that I can compete with a friend or equal, and I shall cherish this opportunity to compete with a friend on an equal playing field."

For Communications:
Brend0g deserves a bottle of the finest spiced rum for his work, and the work of his staff this last term. He and Abc have undoubtedly shone as new Ministers, and they leave their respective ministries in strong positions. Going forward, the focus is on maintaining the momentum - including allowing Communications to better work with Foreign Affairs and the Roleplay World to provide a voice for our roleplayers and showcase our deep, and vibrant culture around NationStates. We are more than just a legislative and WA powerhouse, and Communications is the vessel that we will use to showcase what else we can offer to the World.

Something to think about:
  • Have you ever wondered what else Communications can do besides just publish The Northern Light and host the Northern Broadcast Service?
    I have. The potential is huge, and untapped.

For Culture:
I'll avoid giving too much fan service to McMasterdonia, but we have been reminded this last term why we shine; with SillyString's Holiday events and McMasterdonia bringing the Lennarts back which has been a lot of fun so far. On a Roleplay perspective, I have been working with my colleagues in Forum Administration and the Roleplay Moderators to greater facilitate the RMB Roleplayers and bring them into a welcoming environment within the community. I have been pleased to see those efforts bear fruit, and over the next four months I intend to continue working closely to facilitate closer ties, shared experiences and dialogue between the RMB and Forum Roleplaying Communities.

For Defence:
It has been an honour and a privilege to watch General Gladio in action since he returned to serve and command the North Pacific Armed Forces during my second term in July 2016. Whatever comes next for the NPAF, Gladio's leadership is a large part of why it truly is NationStates strongest and most dependable military force, and truly going forward with or without him, the NPAF should remember what he's taught them if they want to continue to progress to lofty perches yet untouched. The North Pacific Armed Forces are an essential vessel of our foreign policy, like with all Independent Regions. We've consistently seen new records be set, and we should aspire for bigger and greater things as well as expanding our horizons to find new potential partners as we maintain our already high standards.
Something to think about:
  • I'd like to see more of the Officers showcasing their skills on the field.
  • The NPA is somewhat isolated out of the necessity needs of security but it doesn't have to be that way.
  • I'd like to see more NPA Officers on Diplomatic Assignments across NS to help improve our overall information gathering capabilities.


  • For Foreign Affairs:
For Foreign Affairs:
Despite working in Diplomacy and foreign affairs for over five years here in NationStates and another five years elsewhere in other games - Travian being the primary, I am still experimenting with new methods and means to improve the standards of diplomatic education. I'm at the point where I am willing to try osmosis from a young age on new potentials, similar to the NS Issue on Super Soldiers. Why? Why not at this point? Angling forward with retention and training being a key-goal for the Ministry. It is also high time that we work on increasing the Senior Diplomats and training staff to ensure we're doing all we can internally. Senior Diplomats are meant to serve as front line officers, envoys and negotiators for our region, and we simply don't have enough. The aim by May would be to have increased the staff count to a manageable number with a suitable assessment to judge experience and skill. Outside, I will not shy away from being honest with the regions we have treaties or NAPs with. We should not be idle, nor unwilling to reassess relationships that are not working and at the same time, our strength relies on us seeking a varied network of alliances and agreements to maintain our security in trying times, allow the exchange of ideas and the mutually beneficial growth that comes from having solid friendships.
  • My stance on Lazarus
  • My foreign policy in a simple sentence: "My foreign policy is as it has always been: open-minded, with a focus on our existing strengths and a keen eye on where we can do better; we will not shy away from hard decisions as we take stock of what we have and what we need to improve upon and nor will we sit idly by on the world stage."

Home Affairs:
I am fortunate to be able to watch poetry in motion as the Home Affairs staff shine brightest under the gaze of the Executive Council. It has been truly refreshing to witness the Ministry's recruiters and mentors work. Long have they been an inspiration to me when it comes to teaching Diplomats, and I still have a long, unrealised dream of having Home Affairs lead the way with revitalisation of a central training scheme for the Executive Staff. Going forward, working with Ministry Officials I will assess the feasibility of such a program and how best the Ministry can be supported in its crucial role.

A key area I want to talk about is refinement. I'm seeing concerns that there are too many Telegrams being sent and it's worth a discussion about. We don't want to drown our residents with messages so we should endeavour to find a happy balance.

For the World Assembly:
WALL has started to become something serious for us. The last two terms under Pallaith have seen WALL start to become an integral part of our World Assembly and Foreign Policy plan. It may be a tad delayed given the age of the Organisation but it is a welcomed change that has the potential to benefit us greatly. Key aims in this area will be to ensure the WA Ministry is appropriately staffed and that momentum is kept up as we continue to work with our WALL colleagues. Sil Dorsett deserves many accolades for his work in ensuring our WA Ministry is ready to meet whatever comes next as he takes a well deserved holiday.









Gladio's Campaign for Delegate

Gladio's campaign reverted to a more simple, but bold slogan, with 'Progress and Results'. Right at the beginning of his campaign, he told many of us what we had wanted to hear for a long time. It is not promises or the plans for progress, but real progress and real results.

He began his campaign in a similar way to Lord Ravenclaw, mentioning his history with the region, referring to his 6-term tenure as Minister of Defence under various Delegates, his extremely impressive NPA record of over 200 missions, and his work in the Deputy Minister of Defence and Chief of Staff positions.

He did defer from his work in the MoD, saying that "Aside from the Ministry of Defense, a few years ago I was also a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where I served as an ambassador In several regions, I am also a member of Communications where I have written 3 articles for The Northern Lights and as of recently I have been an active member of Home Affairs where I have helped out with recruitment and have reached the rank of Expert."

Defence:
The main priority for Defense In this term will be to train The NPA Officers so that we can have strong and capable leaders that will lead our army In the the next few years. Maintaining a large and active army Is vital so that we can protect our allies and our Interests abroad. For this reason The NPA will continue to conduct regular training operations so that we can Improve our skill and capability while at the same time we will also work with all of our allies by conducting joint-operations with them. If elected Delegate I plan to continue our one-military policy so that we can ensure that our army Is 100% based on home-grown talent and loyal to TNP! Another thing that I would like to see Is to spread awareness of the NPA and its operations on gameside by posting dispatches with reports on successfully completed operations.
Foreign Affairs:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Is a very Important part of TNP. Under my delegacy, I will make sure that the ministry Is active and that all of our embassies are staffed with active and competent ambassadors. As a region, we have diplomatic relations with regions with different ideologies from raiders, defenders, Imperialists, neutrals and Independents. If elected Delegate I plan to maintain our stance as an Independent region and will work to strengthen and foster our relations with all of our allies primarily through Defense where we will organize joint-military missions with all of our allies. The Ministry of Communications will also play a vital role in TNL Issues so that we can keep our embassies active.
Communications:
I am impressed with the work that the Ministry of Communications has done for the past two terms and the number of TNL Issues that they've managed to release. If elected Delegate my main priority for the Ministry of Communications would be to continue to consistently release at least one TNL Issue every month. I believe that we have some really excellent writers working In this ministry and we should use their talent to turn TNL Into a quality newspaper.
Home Affairs:
The Ministry of Home Affairs plays a very Important role when It comes to recruiting new members and Integrating them Into our community. If we want our government ministries to be active and fully staffed and to work properly and efficently we will need an active HA. I don't have any plans for drastic changes In this ministry, I think the system that It has now and the way It works Is fine and If elected Delegate I will make sure that HA remains active throught the entire term by regularly sending out recruitment lists and we will try to bring In as many new people from gameside as possible, mentor them and encourage them to get Involved In our executive staff.
Culture:
Culture Is a ministry where I lack experience so for that reason I will have to rely on the next Minister of Culture and the rest of the staff In this ministry to ensure that It continues to run smoothly and actively.
WA Affairs:
TNP Is the largest region In the game and because of that we also have a very large pool of WA nations along with our membership In WALL gives us considerable Influence In the WA. I am Impressed by the work this ministry has done over the past two terms and under my delegacy this ministry will continue to run smoothly and will remain active.
Mall's Campaign for Delegate

Mall posted six promises in his campaign:
  • Once elected I will call upon every major raider org to endorse me for weeks to boost my influence,
  • I will use every legal method available to me to reduce the endo counts of other nations in the region,
  • I will appoint JAL to the position of Minister of Defense,
  • I will appoint Regional Officers who are loyal to me who will aid in the coming purge,
  • Once my term is nearing its end I will ban as many nations as I can while flying my shark flag over the region,
  • If it becomes clear that I cannot hold the region any longer I will eject enough WAs and myself to TRR, thereby conquering the Fratt infested hellhole.
Whether Mall is really serious or not is a question still dividing the North Pacific to this day.

Falaptorius' Campaign for Delegate

Falapatorius also posted a campaign, but, as Mall also did, failed to match the detail and thought that Lord Ravenclaw and Gladio put into their campaigns.

Falapatorius noted his 4+ year citizenship within TNP, his positions as Deputy AG and AG, his military experiences with the Order of the Grey Wardens and the Dragon Knights of Aenaroth, his knowledge of administrative controls and TNP law, his hesitance to make any major changes to the governance of the government, and his unwillingness to coup the region.

McMasterdonia's Campaign for Vice Delegate

McMasterdonia makes reference to his plethora of contributions to the community right off the bat, listing his five-times elected Delegate, one-time elected Vice Delegate, his many ministerial appointments (with one as Deputy Minister), and his commitment to the Security Council since 2013.

He then mentions his satisfaction with his work as Minister of Culture, stating that he was "was delighted to be appointed Minister for Culture in his [Pallaith's] government," and believes he "led a very successful Ministry during this period." He then reaffirms his capability to hold the position due to his activity as a Security Councillor.

McMasterdonia includes his goals if elected Vice Delegate, the first being to expand and improve upon the efforts of the TNP for #1 endorsement competition, by launching the second edition for this year.

His second goal was to improve SC engagement with the RMB. From the campaign: "I believe that improving our engagement and activities on the RMB is of vital importance." The three ways McMasterdonia believed he'd achieve engagement goals were first to run RMB Trivia, second to hold themed days or weeks on the RMB sponsored by a Security Councillor, and featuring a "Security Councillor of the Week" on the WFE/RMB.

Siwale's Campaign for Vice Delegate

Siwale did not write a long-winded introduction or a history of his NationStates career, but simply and plainly about his enjoyment in the position over the last four months and his goals and hopes for another term as Vice Delegate. As it would be laborious and unnecessary to commentate on each of his detailed spoilered aims, I have included them here for more convenient reading.

The Security Council:
The Security Council has grown over these past few months, with 11 current members. While I would like to see some members become more active in SC business and the rest of the TNP community, I am confident that the Security Council is collectively capable of responding quickly and effectively to any regional security concerns.

Seeing the Security Council in action has only boosted my confidence. The event that really sticks out this term was the Delegate unendorsement campaign about a month ago. The Council and I responded to the threat within minutes of the harmful TG going out and were able to control the narrowing endorsement gap between the Delegate and myself. This was done through mass TGs and frequent postings on the RMB, Forum, and Discord to help spread awareness that the original TG was a fraud. This event not only allowed the region to see the Security Council hard at work, but also taught me the value of having a decent sized endorsement gap between the Delegate and the Vice Delegate. I have since increased the endorsement buffer between myself and the Delegate to discourage an event like this from happening again.

It has been a pleasure working with this experienced group of individuals and I look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts in the upcoming term, if elected. I try to include the Security Council in all pertinent decisions and encourage all members of the Council to voice their opinions before any decisions are made. All members of the team have something they can bring to the table and I welcome any and all feedback.
Endorsement Counts:
The North Pacific has seen a tremendous rise in endorsement counts since September. This can be attributed to the increasing WA population as well as a number of initiatives taken throughout this past term. Through the implementation of a number of different strategies, I was able to see what methods worked better than others for raising endorsement levels.

The biggest event to bolster our endorsement counts collectively as a region was the TNP for #1 event. This event was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the Security Council and was a tremendous success. During this event, TNP exchanged over 70,000 more endorsements and became the #1 ranked region in the world for endorsements (even if only for a short period of time). After seeing the success of this event, I would like to organize another endorsement campaign for this upcoming term. This event would mainly focus on raising endorsement counts of the Security Council as opposed to the entire region. The higher the endorsement counts of our Security Councillors, the more secure TNP is from external threats.

Besides TNP for #1, the Security Council and I have been working to increase endorsement counts of all members of the Security Council. This has been through monthly publications of the WADP Awards, endotarting, and manual telegraming. The combination of all three has proven to be quite effective. All members of the SC are back to being over 800 endorsements and the Delegate is up to 1150 endorsements which is a dramatic difference when compared to endo counts from September.

I plan to continue these methods in the next term. I will continue to publish WADP on the last day of every month (as long as there are no technical issues with the spreadsheet) and continue to encourage all members of the Security Council to endotart whenever possible. The only alteration I plan to make involves increasing the frequency of manual TGs I send out. I have found that reaching out to nations individually opens up a valuable line of communication between them and the Vice Delegate. It allows me to address any questions and concerns they may have and encourage them to become a Keeper of the North. A lot of times, nations are unaware of the value of endorsing the Security Council or are unsure of how to endorse. This is an excellent place for the Vice Delegate to step in and help educate these nations.
Citizenship Security Checks:
It has always been a priority of mine to process citizenship applications as quickly as possible without jeopardizing accuracy. As a previous Minister of Home Affairs, I know just how vital a quick turnaround time with applications is to member retention on the forums. A quick processing time also gives the Vice Delegate ample amount of time to consult with the Security Council regarding any questionable applications.

This term, I managed to remain on top of citizenship applications by frequently checking the application thread throughout each day. All applications were processed within 24 hours and most a lot sooner than that (some in five minutes or less). For this upcoming term, I do not plan to change my method of approach to these applications and promise to remain on top of them at all times.
SC Disclosure:
The private section of the Security Council forum is set up this way for a reason. It houses a crucial workroom for the Security Council where sensitive information can be safely exchanged and ideas thoroughly expressed. This forum is filled with not only classified information, but also opinions and statements from Councillors which were never intended to reach the public eye. Security Councillors post in the private areas of the forum with the expectation that these posts will remain private. I respect this privacy and feel the Council operates better when its members are free to post without the potential pressure to censor their thoughts. Therefore, the release of any private threads should only be done with explicit consent from the Security Council.

While the large majority of Security Council threads are not suitable to be publicly release, there are some threads which do not necessarily need to remain hidden. I am currently in the process of sorting through War Room threads to find matters which the Council and I feel are safe to disclose. This term, I have released seven private threads with the Security Council's permission. Upon completion of this project, any additional threads that the Security Council agrees to the release will be moved to the public Security Council Archive.
Legal Changes:
I am always looking for ways to clarify the laws that encompass regional security. This term, I focused on two changes to the Legal Code: the Citizenship Security Evaluations Amendment and the Security Council Suspensions Amendment (currently in formal debate). I also proposed a new Line of Succession to better reflect activity and experience among Security Council members. While I have no specific plans for legal changes in this upcoming term, I am prepared to propose any changes that I or the Security Council deem necessary.
Bootsie's Campaign for Vice Delegate

One interesting thing about the Vice Delegate election was that every candidate had already served in the position at least once before. McMasterdonia was the first of the group to serve as Vice Delegate, Bootsie was the second, and Siwale was the last.

Bootsie kept his campaign tidy and to the point, initially touching upon his favourable opinion of the position, claiming that "security is something I find dear to The North Pacific, and through my service as a Security Councillor, I've been able to make sure TNP is secure and that there are no threats to TNP."

Bootsie propounded optimistic endorsement acquirement objectives for the Security Council, the Vice Delegate, and the Delegate, summarily directed to the theme weeks moreover featured in other campaigns.

Bootsie alluded to a general improvement in the endorsement acquirement rates of all World Assembly nations in the region, congratulating the World Assembly Development Program on their "great job with improving WA involvement", but stated that "we can really work to improve endorsements further." He aimed to achieve this objective through consistency in releasing WADP updates and utilizing the Regional Message Board.

Finally, Bootsie referenced his tenures as Speaker and Vice Delegate to reaffirm his capability in dealing with security checks and cited his willingness to ask his fellow Security Councillors for double-checks if he happened to be unsure about someone.

Darcania's Campaign for Speaker

Darcania presented his platform in splendid fashion, tracing his goals and aims through creative and beautifully crafted haiku verses. He mentions his qualifications, failings, objectives, and additional plans all in one neat haiku!

No campaign can be located for his running rival, Clean Land.

Goyanes' Campaign for Attorney General

Goyanes kept their platform candid and direct. They cited their work under several AGs such as Ashatwe and Darcania. Goyanes revealed plans to work on the "matryoshka doll of R4R's between the special election and the present moment," "making TNP Law (and associated Legalese) more understandable and accessible to the general community by the creation of a Legal Guide," "continuing a quick and effective response to legal complaints" and "continuing legal advice services to members of the government."

HuAt's Campaign for Attorney General

HuAt divulged early in his platform that he had "taken some time off from NS in the past year or so in order to focus on RL and college," but was becoming "involved again in the past months", so he thought it appropriate to continue his legal career in TNP by running for AG. He cited his involvement in the Court as Assistant Attorney General under PaulWallLibertarian42, and his role as lead investigator in [Criminal] Complaint: Falapatorious v. Flem.

He then states that "as Attorney General I would like to appoint deputies that are new and eager to learn about the TNP legal system along with others who are more experienced in the proceedings. I believe that our legal system is effective and fair even if it is more seldom used than one might expect." He additionally states that he "would work hard to ensure that complaints are taken up and investigated quickly and effectively in a manner that respects and enforces the law as interpreted by the Court."

Results for the January General Elections
 
Missing a closing quote under Goy's section. As well, the links to various topics are inconsistent; some link to the second or third pages, for example. I suggest linking to the first page for each (so the links would end with "topic/XXXXXXX/1/"). Those are just what I spotted on a quick skim through.
 
Darcania:
Missing a closing quote under Goy's section. As well, the links to various topics are inconsistent; some link to the second or third pages, for example. I suggest linking to the first page for each (so the links would end with "topic/XXXXXXX/1/"). Those are just what I spotted on a quick skim through.
Thanks for the feedback, Darcania! :D
 
Not sure if I'm being overly picky, but referring to his 6-term (two years in total) tenure as Minister of Defence might be inaccurate since the last of those terms wasn't a full term, it followed Sasten's and Darc's times as MoD in the same four months. It might've been more like 22 months as MoD.
 
Malphe:
Not sure if I'm being overly picky, but referring to his 6-term (two years in total) tenure as Minister of Defence might be inaccurate since the last of those terms wasn't a full term, it followed Sasten's and Darc's times as MoD in the same four months. It might've been more like 22 months as MoD.
I'll cut the bracketed part out.
 
Okay, here's a fuller edit. Edits are put in with in/out tags, and any other feedback or notes are noted with the note tag.

Kasch:
This January election cycle, we witnessed historic and never-before-seen voter participation as four people won their respective elections, a few of them in uncontested fashion, and others in a final vote grab. But how did all of the action unfold before us?

On the 1st of January, the nomination and candidacy declaration period began.

Lord Ravenclaw, Gladio, Mall, and Falapatorius declared their candidacies for Delegate, Bootsie, Siwale, and McMasterdonia declared their candidacies for Vice Delegate, Darcania, and Clean Land declared their candidacies for Speaker, and HuAt and Goyanes declared their candidacies for Speaker of the Regional Assembly.
Lord Ravenclaw, Gladio, Mall, and Falapatorius declared their candidacies for Delegate; Bootsie, Siwale, and McMasterdonia declared their candidacies for Vice Delegate; Darcania and Clean Land declared their candidacies for Speaker; and HuAt and Goyanes declared their candidacies for Speaker of the Regional Assembly.[note]Fixes punctuation. Generally when you have lists within lists you need to have semicolons delineate the outer list so it doesn't get confusing. Also removed an extraneous comma.[/note]

Just two days later, campaigning began.

The race for Delegate was only ever going to be a two-horse race, although I wouldn't've been surprised if one of the other two pulled some considerable votes.

Lord Ravenclaw's Campaign for Delegate[note]General note that the links are inconsistent, so I'm changing them to point to the top of the first page so the campaign is front and center.[/note]

Lord Ravenclaw's campaign arrived under the 'Still Soaring' slogan, a nice addition to the campaign, in my opinion, for a player who has been through too much and has not received the credit where it is necessarily due for his contribution to the region and the community.

He details what the term Ravenocracy means, describing it as "An administration led by Lord Ravenclaw which emphasises a strong World Assembly Performance, a Strong Diplomatic Presence, a Robust and Flexible North Pacific Army alongside a vibrant internal culture and roleplay world."

He goes on to list a variety of facts about himself, and the things he has done, not necessarily within the North Pacific, but within the greater NS community itself. He nods at his crowning as co-King of the North Pacific as part of the Delegate Delirium event, mentions his ministership as Minister of Foreign Affairs for Osiris twice, The East Pacific, The South Pacific, The North Pacific twice, and The New Galactic Empire. He also mentions his service as Chief Justice in Osiris and TSP, and as Justice in TEP and Osiris twice. He finishes the list by citing his presidency over two successful court cases while a Judge in Osiris. One of which saw him "convict the infamous (Couper and Traitor to Osiris) Cormac for Treason against the State."

He remarks a string of other events during his NationStates career, including founding "the largest Discord Server in NationStates with over 1,100 members,"[note]It may be worth noting here that this refers to TNP's main server.[/note] his service on the Security Council, and the fact that he didn't coup Osiris.

He mentions that his NationStates career has "been built on adversity", additionally saying that "My career in NationStates has been built on adversity.[note]Redundant quote, already quoted earlier in the same sentence.[/note] Through hell and high water, I have weathered the never-ceasing squall from faction after faction across NationStates. I am still standing despite numerous attempts to drag me below the watery depths, I am still on my feet. The waves hold no fear for me, and I do not fear the storm. I am not finished yet. My story will be finished when I say it is and no one will take that decision away from me."

He showed us all that he has great and undying respect for his primary electoral rival, Gladio, by saying "my esteem and respect for Gladio has no bounds," he also says "I have found it, and to my very dear friend General Gladio, arguably the best Soldier, Officer, and Commander that The North Pacific will ever see, I wish him the best of luck. It is rare that I can compete with a friend or equal, and I shall cherish this opportunity to compete with a friend on an equal playing field."

For Communications:
Brend0g deserves a bottle of the finest spiced rum for his work, and the work of his staff this last term. He and Abc have undoubtedly shone as new Ministers, and they leave their respective ministries in strong positions. Going forward, the focus is on maintaining the momentum - including allowing Communications to better work with Foreign Affairs and the Roleplay World to provide a voice for our roleplayers and showcase our deep, and vibrant culture around NationStates. We are more than just a legislative and WA powerhouse, and Communications is the vessel that we will use to showcase what else we can offer to the World.

Something to think about:
  • Have you ever wondered what else Communications can do besides just publish The Northern Light and host the Northern Broadcast Service?
    I have. The potential is huge, and untapped.

For Culture:
I'll avoid giving too much fan service to McMasterdonia, but we have been reminded this last term why we shine; with SillyString's Holiday events and McMasterdonia bringing the Lennarts back which has been a lot of fun so far. On a Roleplay perspective, I have been working with my colleagues in Forum Administration and the Roleplay Moderators to greater facilitate the RMB Roleplayers and bring them into a welcoming environment within the community. I have been pleased to see those efforts bear fruit, and over the next four months I intend to continue working closely to facilitate closer ties, shared experiences and dialogue between the RMB and Forum Roleplaying Communities.

For Defence:
It has been an honour and a privilege to watch General Gladio in action since he returned to serve and command the North Pacific Armed Forces during my second term in July 2016. Whatever comes next for the NPAF, Gladio's leadership is a large part of why it truly is NationStates strongest and most dependable military force, and truly going forward with or without him, the NPAF should remember what he's taught them if they want to continue to progress to lofty perches yet untouched. The North Pacific Armed Forces are an essential vessel of our foreign policy, like with all Independent Regions. We've consistently seen new records be set, and we should aspire for bigger and greater things as well as expanding our horizons to find new potential partners as we maintain our already high standards.
Something to think about:
  • I'd like to see more of the Officers showcasing their skills on the field.
  • The NPA is somewhat isolated out of the necessity needs of security but it doesn't have to be that way.
  • I'd like to see more NPA Officers on Diplomatic Assignments across NS to help improve our overall information gathering capabilities.


  • For Foreign Affairs:
For Foreign Affairs:
Despite working in Diplomacy and foreign affairs for over five years here in NationStates and another five years elsewhere in other games - Travian being the primary, I am still experimenting with new methods and means to improve the standards of diplomatic education. I'm at the point where I am willing to try osmosis from a young age on new potentials, similar to the NS Issue on Super Soldiers. Why? Why not at this point? Angling forward with retention and training being a key-goal for the Ministry. It is also high time that we work on increasing the Senior Diplomats and training staff to ensure we're doing all we can internally. Senior Diplomats are meant to serve as front line officers, envoys and negotiators for our region, and we simply don't have enough. The aim by May would be to have increased the staff count to a manageable number with a suitable assessment to judge experience and skill. Outside, I will not shy away from being honest with the regions we have treaties or NAPs with. We should not be idle, nor unwilling to reassess relationships that are not working and at the same time, our strength relies on us seeking a varied network of alliances and agreements to maintain our security in trying times, allow the exchange of ideas and the mutually beneficial growth that comes from having solid friendships.
  • My stance on Lazarus
  • My foreign policy in a simple sentence: "My foreign policy is as it has always been: open-minded, with a focus on our existing strengths and a keen eye on where we can do better; we will not shy away from hard decisions as we take stock of what we have and what we need to improve upon and nor will we sit idly by on the world stage."

Home Affairs:
I am fortunate to be able to watch poetry in motion as the Home Affairs staff shine brightest under the gaze of the Executive Council. It has been truly refreshing to witness the Ministry's recruiters and mentors work. Long have they been an inspiration to me when it comes to teaching Diplomats, and I still have a long, unrealised dream of having Home Affairs lead the way with revitalisation of a central training scheme for the Executive Staff. Going forward, working with Ministry Officials I will assess the feasibility of such a program and how best the Ministry can be supported in its crucial role.

A key area I want to talk about is refinement. I'm seeing concerns that there are too many Telegrams being sent and it's worth a discussion about. We don't want to drown our residents with messages so we should endeavour to find a happy balance.

For the World Assembly:
WALL has started to become something serious for us. The last two terms under Pallaith have seen WALL start to become an integral part of our World Assembly and Foreign Policy plan. It may be a tad delayed given the age of the Organisation but it is a welcomed change that has the potential to benefit us greatly. Key aims in this area will be to ensure the WA Ministry is appropriately staffed and that momentum is kept up as we continue to work with our WALL colleagues. Sil Dorsett deserves many accolades for his work in ensuring our WA Ministry is ready to meet whatever comes next as he takes a well deserved holiday.








[note]I'm not sure it's the best idea to copy such large portions of his campaign here, nor Gladio's. For one their campaign topics are linked, and for two we have character limits to worry about if an article goes on for so long.[/note]
Gladio's Campaign for Delegate

Gladio's campaign reverted to a more simple, but bold slogan, with 'Progress and Results'. Right at the beginning of his campaign, he told many of us what we had wanted to hear for a long time. It is not promises or the plans for progress, but real progress and real results.

He began his campaign in a similar way to Lord Ravenclaw, mentioning his history with the region, referring to his 6-term (two years in total) tenure as Minister of Defence under various Delegates, his extremely impressive NPA record of 200 missions, and his work in the Deputy Minister of Defence and Chief of Staff positions.

He did deferdigress[note]I think this would be a better choice of word here.[/note] from his work in the MoD, saying that "Aside from the Ministry of Defense, a few years ago I was also a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where I served as an ambassador In several regions, I am also a member of Communications where I have written 3 articles for The Northern Lights and as of recently I have been an active member of Home Affairs where I have helped out with recruitment and have reached the rank of Expert."

Defence:
The main priority for Defense In this term will be to train The NPA Officers so that we can have strong and capable leaders that will lead our army In the the next few years. Maintaining a large and active army Is vital so that we can protect our allies and our Interests abroad. For this reason The NPA will continue to conduct regular training operations so that we can Improve our skill and capability while at the same time we will also work with all of our allies by conducting joint-operations with them. If elected Delegate I plan to continue our one-military policy so that we can ensure that our army Is 100% based on home-grown talent and loyal to TNP! Another thing that I would like to see Is to spread awareness of the NPA and its operations on gameside by posting dispatches with reports on successfully completed operations.
Foreign Affairs:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Is a very Important part of TNP. Under my delegacy, I will make sure that the ministry Is active and that all of our embassies are staffed with active and competent ambassadors. As a region, we have diplomatic relations with regions with different ideologies from raiders, defenders, Imperialists, neutrals and Independents. If elected Delegate I plan to maintain our stance as an Independent region and will work to strengthen and foster our relations with all of our allies primarily through Defense where we will organize joint-military missions with all of our allies. The Ministry of Communications will also play a vital role in TNL Issues so that we can keep our embassies active.
Communications:
I am impressed with the work that the Ministry of Communications has done for the past two terms and the number of TNL Issues that they've managed to release. If elected Delegate my main priority for the Ministry of Communications would be to continue to consistently release at least one TNL Issue every month. I believe that we have some really excellent writers working In this ministry and we should use their talent to turn TNL Into a quality newspaper.
Home Affairs:
The Ministry of Home Affairs plays a very Important role when It comes to recruiting new members and Integrating them Into our community. If we want our government ministries to be active and fully staffed and to work properly and efficently we will need an active HA. I don't have any plans for drastic changes In this ministry, I think the system that It has now and the way It works Is fine and If elected Delegate I will make sure that HA remains active throught the entire term by regularly sending out recruitment lists and we will try to bring In as many new people from gameside as possible, mentor them and encourage them to get Involved In our executive staff.
Culture:
Culture Is a ministry where I lack experience so for that reason I will have to rely on the next Minister of Culture and the rest of the staff In this ministry to ensure that It continues to run smoothly and actively.
WA Affairs:
TNP Is the largest region In the game and because of that we also have a very large pool of WA nations along with our membership In WALL gives us considerable Influence In the WA. I am Impressed by the work this ministry has done over the past two terms and under my delegacy this ministry will continue to run smoothly and will remain active.
Mall's Campaign for Delegate

Mall posted six promises in his campaign:
  • Once elected I will call upon every major raider org to endorse me for weeks to boost my influence,
  • I will use every legal method available to me to reduce the endo counts of other nations in the region,
  • I will appoint JAL to the position of Minister of Defense,
  • I will appoint Regional Officers who are loyal to me who will aid in the coming purge,
  • Once my term is nearing its end I will ban as many nations as I can while flying my shark flag over the region,
  • If it becomes clear that I cannot hold the region any longer I will eject enough WAs and myself to TRR, thereby conquering the Fratt infested hellhole.
Whether Mall is really serious or not is a question still dividing the North Pacific to this day.

Falaptorius' Campaign for Delegate

Falapatorius also posted a campaign, but, as Mall also did, failed to match the detail and thought that Lord Ravenclaw and Gladio put into their campaigns.

Falapatorius noted his 4+ year citizenship within TNP, his positions as Deputy AG and AG, his military experiences with the Order of the Grey Wardens and the Dragon Knights of Aenaroth, his knowledge of administrative controls and TNP law, his hesitance to make any major changes to the governance of the government, and his unwillingness to coup the region.

McMasterdonia's Campaign for Vice Delegate

McMasterdonia makes reference to his plethora of contributions to the community right off the bat, listing his five-times elected Delegate, one-time elected Vice Delegate, his many ministerial appointments (with one as Deputy Minister), and his commitment to the Security Council since 2013.

He then mentions his satisfaction with his work as Minister of Culture, stating that he was "was delighted to be appointed Minister for Culture in his [Pallaith's] government," and believes he "led a very successful Ministry during this period." He then reaffirms his capability to hold the position due to his activity as a Security Councillor.

McMasterdonia includes his goals if elected Vice Delegate, the first being to expand and improve upon the efforts of the TNP for #1 endorsement competition, by launching the second edition for this year.

His second goal was to improve SC engagement with the RMB. From the campaign: "I believe that improving our engagement and activities on the RMB is of vital importance." The three ways McMasterdonia believed he'd achieve engagement goals were first to run RMB Trivia, second to hold themed days or weeks on the RMB sponsored by a Security Councillor, and featuringfeature[note]Parallelism, so that all the elements of a list follow a single format[/note] a "Security Councillor of the Week" on the WFE/RMB.

Siwale's Campaign for Vice Delegate

Siwale did not write a long-winded introduction or a history of his NationStates career, but simply and plainly about his enjoyment in the position over the last four months and his goals and hopes for another term as Vice Delegate. As it would be laborious and unnecessary to commentate on each of his detailed spoilered aims, I have included them here for more convenient reading.[note]I don't like this approach. Surely we can summarize the major goals at least and note that the rest are linked above?[/note]

The Security Council:
The Security Council has grown over these past few months, with 11 current members. While I would like to see some members become more active in SC business and the rest of the TNP community, I am confident that the Security Council is collectively capable of responding quickly and effectively to any regional security concerns.

Seeing the Security Council in action has only boosted my confidence. The event that really sticks out this term was the Delegate unendorsement campaign about a month ago. The Council and I responded to the threat within minutes of the harmful TG going out and were able to control the narrowing endorsement gap between the Delegate and myself. This was done through mass TGs and frequent postings on the RMB, Forum, and Discord to help spread awareness that the original TG was a fraud. This event not only allowed the region to see the Security Council hard at work, but also taught me the value of having a decent sized endorsement gap between the Delegate and the Vice Delegate. I have since increased the endorsement buffer between myself and the Delegate to discourage an event like this from happening again.

It has been a pleasure working with this experienced group of individuals and I look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts in the upcoming term, if elected. I try to include the Security Council in all pertinent decisions and encourage all members of the Council to voice their opinions before any decisions are made. All members of the team have something they can bring to the table and I welcome any and all feedback.
Endorsement Counts:
The North Pacific has seen a tremendous rise in endorsement counts since September. This can be attributed to the increasing WA population as well as a number of initiatives taken throughout this past term. Through the implementation of a number of different strategies, I was able to see what methods worked better than others for raising endorsement levels.

The biggest event to bolster our endorsement counts collectively as a region was the TNP for #1 event. This event was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the Security Council and was a tremendous success. During this event, TNP exchanged over 70,000 more endorsements and became the #1 ranked region in the world for endorsements (even if only for a short period of time). After seeing the success of this event, I would like to organize another endorsement campaign for this upcoming term. This event would mainly focus on raising endorsement counts of the Security Council as opposed to the entire region. The higher the endorsement counts of our Security Councillors, the more secure TNP is from external threats.

Besides TNP for #1, the Security Council and I have been working to increase endorsement counts of all members of the Security Council. This has been through monthly publications of the WADP Awards, endotarting, and manual telegraming. The combination of all three has proven to be quite effective. All members of the SC are back to being over 800 endorsements and the Delegate is up to 1150 endorsements which is a dramatic difference when compared to endo counts from September.

I plan to continue these methods in the next term. I will continue to publish WADP on the last day of every month (as long as there are no technical issues with the spreadsheet) and continue to encourage all members of the Security Council to endotart whenever possible. The only alteration I plan to make involves increasing the frequency of manual TGs I send out. I have found that reaching out to nations individually opens up a valuable line of communication between them and the Vice Delegate. It allows me to address any questions and concerns they may have and encourage them to become a Keeper of the North. A lot of times, nations are unaware of the value of endorsing the Security Council or are unsure of how to endorse. This is an excellent place for the Vice Delegate to step in and help educate these nations.
Citizenship Security Checks:
It has always been a priority of mine to process citizenship applications as quickly as possible without jeopardizing accuracy. As a previous Minister of Home Affairs, I know just how vital a quick turnaround time with applications is to member retention on the forums. A quick processing time also gives the Vice Delegate ample amount of time to consult with the Security Council regarding any questionable applications.

This term, I managed to remain on top of citizenship applications by frequently checking the application thread throughout each day. All applications were processed within 24 hours and most a lot sooner than that (some in five minutes or less). For this upcoming term, I do not plan to change my method of approach to these applications and promise to remain on top of them at all times.
SC Disclosure:
The private section of the Security Council forum is set up this way for a reason. It houses a crucial workroom for the Security Council where sensitive information can be safely exchanged and ideas thoroughly expressed. This forum is filled with not only classified information, but also opinions and statements from Councillors which were never intended to reach the public eye. Security Councillors post in the private areas of the forum with the expectation that these posts will remain private. I respect this privacy and feel the Council operates better when its members are free to post without the potential pressure to censor their thoughts. Therefore, the release of any private threads should only be done with explicit consent from the Security Council.

While the large majority of Security Council threads are not suitable to be publicly release, there are some threads which do not necessarily need to remain hidden. I am currently in the process of sorting through War Room threads to find matters which the Council and I feel are safe to disclose. This term, I have released seven private threads with the Security Council's permission. Upon completion of this project, any additional threads that the Security Council agrees to the release will be moved to the public Security Council Archive.
Legal Changes:
I am always looking for ways to clarify the laws that encompass regional security. This term, I focused on two changes to the Legal Code: the Citizenship Security Evaluations Amendment and the Security Council Suspensions Amendment (currently in formal debate). I also proposed a new Line of Succession to better reflect activity and experience among Security Council members. While I have no specific plans for legal changes in this upcoming term, I am prepared to propose any changes that I or the Security Council deem necessary.
Bootsie's Campaign for Vice Delegate

One interesting thing about the Vice Delegate election was that every candidate had already served in the position at least once before. McMasterdonia was the first of the group to serve as Vice Delegate, Bootsie was the second, and Siwale was the last.

Bootsie kept his campaign tidy and to the point, initially touching upon his favourable opinion of the position, claiming that "security is something I find dear to The North Pacific, and through my service as a Security Councillor, I've been able to make sure TNP is secure and that there are no threats to TNP."

Bootsie propounded optimistic endorsement acquirement objectives for the Security Council, the Vice Delegate, and the Delegate, summarily directed to the theme weeks moreover featured in other campaigns.

Bootsie alluded to a general improvement in the endorsement acquirement rates of all World Assembly nations in the region, congratulating the World Assembly Development Program on their "great job with improving WA involvement", but stated that "we can really work to improve endorsements further." He aimed to achieve this objective through consistency in releasing WADP updates and utilizing the Regional Message Board.

Finally, Bootsie referenced his tenures as Speaker and Vice Delegate to reaffirm his capability in dealing with security checks and cited his willingness to ask his fellow Security Councillors for double-checks if he happened to be unsure about someone.[note]This continued use of "Bootsie verbed" to start each paragraph gets very difficult to read through... a rewrite may be necessary here.[/note]

Darcania's Campaign for Speaker

Darcania presented his platform in splendid fashion, tracing his goals and aims through creative and beautifully crafted haiku verses. He mentions his qualifications, failings, objectives, and additional plans all in one neat haiku![note]What, no summary for me? It was still a serious campaign with serious statements that can be summarized for a news article.[/note]

No campaign can be located for his running rival, Clean Land.[note]It would probably be easier just to say that he didn't post any campaign. It would also avoid the use of the passive voice.[/note]

Goyanes' Campaign for Attorney General

Goyanes kept their platform candid and direct. They cited their work under several AGs such as Ashatwe and Darcania. Goyanes revealed plans to work on the "matryoshka doll of R4R's between the special election and the present moment," "making TNP Law (and associated Legalese) more understandable and accessible to the general community by the creation of a Legal Guide," "continuing a quick and effective response to legal complaints" and "continuing legal advice services to members of the government."

HuAt's Campaign for Attorney General

HuAt divulged early in his platform that he had "taken some time off from NS in the past year or so in order to focus on RL and college," but was becoming "involved again in the past months", so he thought it appropriate to continue his legal career in TNP by running for AG. He cited his involvement in the Court as Assistant Attorney General under PaulWallLibertarian42, and his role as lead investigator in [Criminal] Complaint:[note]The case is just Falapatorius v. Flemingovia, no need to keep the topic tags.[/note] Falapatorious[note]Watch your spelling[/note] v. Flemingovia.

He then states that "as Attorney General I would like to appoint deputies that are new and eager to learn about the TNP legal system along with others who are more experienced in the proceedings. I believe that our legal system is effective and fair even if it is more seldom used than one might expect." He additionally states that he "would work hard to ensure that complaints are taken up and investigated quickly and effectively in a manner that respects and enforces the law as interpreted by the Court."

Results for the January General Elections








I think that's all the gripes I have with this article. Very well-written otherwise.
 
Malphe:
Not sure if I'm being overly picky, but referring to his 6-term (two years in total) tenure as Minister of Defence might be inaccurate since the last of those terms wasn't a full term, it followed Sasten's and Darc's times as MoD in the same four months. It might've been more like 22 months as MoD.
Correction, It Is 6 full terms not Including the previous one (Pallaith's first term as Delegate) when Darc resigned and I was appointed MoD during the last month and continued to serve a full 4 months during Pallaith's second term.
 
I've expanded upon Darcania's edits and worked from his draft. I think the spoilered sections add too much information. It was at around 5000 words and it is now at 900 words, which is perhaps still a little too long, but manageable. I've summarised the results for each office at the end of each section, which I think wraps it up nicely.

This January election cycle, we witnessed historic and never-before-seen voter participation as four people won their respective elections. Lord Ravenclaw, Gladio, Mall, and Falapatorius declared their candidacies for Delegate; Bootsie, Siwale, and McMasterdonia declared their candidacies for Vice Delegate; Darcania and Clean Land declared their candidacies for Speaker; and HuAt and Goyanes declared their candidacies for Attorney General.

The Race for the Delegacy

Lord Ravenclaw's campaign arrived under the 'Still Soaring' slogan, and campaigned on his prior record of service in the North Pacific and other regions to deliver on a comprehensive platform which emphasised a strong World Assembly performance, a strong diplomatic presence, a robust and flexible North Pacific Army alongside a vibrant internal culture and roleplay world.

Gladio's campaign reverted to a more simple, but bold slogan, with 'Progress and Results'. He campaigned on his strong record of service as a long-serving Minister of Defence, his impressive history of more than 200 NPA missions, his work as a contributing author to The Northern Lights, to the Diplomatic Corps, and his significant contribution to recruitment and retention efforts through his participation in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Mall, a perennial candidate for the Delegacy formulated his campaign around six core promises. These included boosting his influence with the support of major raider organisations, using legal methods to reduce the endo counts of other TNP nations, appointing former TNP rogue Delegate JAL as Minister of Defence, purging the region of dissidents, and finally that should it be apparent that he would lose the Delegacy, he would eject himself and a collection of WA nations to conquer ‘the Fratt infested hellhole’.

Falapatorius campaigned on his more than four years of citizenship in the North Pacific, his service in the Attorney General's office and his military experience with various external organisations. He expressed a hesitance to make any major changes and his unwillingness to overthrow the legitimate government.

Gladio won the election for Delegate with 58 votes (56.86%) to Lord Ravenclaw’s 40 votes, (39.22), Mall’s 4 votes (3.92%), and 5 abstentions.

The Race for the Vice Delegacy

One interesting thing about the Vice Delegate election was that every candidate had already served in the position at least once before. McMasterdonia was the first of the group to serve as Vice Delegate, Bootsie was the second, and Siwale was the last.

McMasterdonia’s campaign focused on his prior service and contributions to the community as Delegate, Vice Delegate, Security Councillor, and in various Cabinet roles including as Minister of Culture during Pallaith’s second term. He expressed his goals if elected Vice Delegate, the first being to expand and improve upon the efforts of the TNP for #1 endorsement competition, expanding SC engagement with the RMB through in-game activities, including SC hosted theme weeks, games and activities.

Siwale, campaigned on a highly successful term for the Security Council and for himself as the Vice Delegate. His goals included growing the high level of activity within the Security Council and the endorsement count of all WA nations, the prompt processing of citizenship applications, pragmatic disclosure of SC discussions, and pursuing necessary legal reform as appropriate.

Bootsie campaigned on his belief in the importance of the security of the North Pacific, and his involvement in the Security Council in eliminating all threats to The North Pacific. He campaigned on his prior service to the region in various roles, and that his commitment and activity level would ensure that security checks were performed promptly, and that endorsement counts would improve across the region.

Siwale won the election for Vice Delegate with 49 votes (50.52%) to McMasterdonia’s 41 votes (42.27%), Bootsie’s 7 votes (7.22%), and 10 abstentions.

The Race for Speaker

Darcania presented his platform in splendid fashion, tracing his goals and aims through creative and beautifully crafted haiku verses. He outlined his plans to develop: a chrome extension to make Admin and Speaker checks more efficient and accurate; a cog for the Discord bot to allow members to claim nations and be automatically masked; a counting sheet for the citizens registry; and a small utility script in the Citizens registry to generate an admin request based on the sheet to move and delete rows automatically.

Clean Land, the other candidate in this race did not post a campaign and voted for Darcania in the election.

Darcania won the election for Speaker with 98 votes (98%) to Clean Land’s 2 votes (2%), and 7 abstentions.

The Race for Attorney General

Goyanes, the incumbent Attorney General campaigned on his prior service and goals to work on the ongoing R4Rs before the Court, on making TNP Law more understandable and accessible to the community, maintaining a quick and effective response to legal complaints, and continuing to provide excellent legal advice to members of the Government.

HuAt campaigned based on his prior experience in the Court as Assistant Attorney General under PaulWallLibertarian42, and his role as lead investigator in Falapatorius v. Flemingovia. HuAt promised to be fair and impartial in all legal decisions and to focus on the facts of all cases and complaints an investigation and trial ensues.

Goyannes won the election for Attorney General with 80 votes (95.24%), to HuAt’s 4 votes (4.76%), and 23 abstentions.
 
I've never felt so relieved that someone has cut my article down so much :P

Thanks to everyone who has helped edit this so far :D
 
Lord Ravenclaw, Gladio, Mall, and Falapatorius declared their candidacies for Delegate, Bootsie, Siwale, and McMasterdonia declared their candidacies for Vice Delegate, Darcania, and Clean Land declared their candidacies for Speaker, and HuAt and Goyanes declared their candidacies for Speaker of the Regional Assembly Attorney General.
 
NS Code for Release
Code:
[img]http://z2.ifrm.com/10711/28/0/p1090380/tnl_pol.png[/img][SIZE=150] The January General Election[/size]

[align=right][i]by Kasch (with contributions from McMasterdonia, Darcania, Artemis, Gladio, and Malphe), Minister of Communications[/i][/align]

This January election cycle, we witnessed historic and never-before-seen voter participation as four people won their respective elections. Lord Ravenclaw, Gladio, Mall, and Falapatorius declared their candidacies for Delegate; Bootsie, Siwale, and McMasterdonia declared their candidacies for Vice Delegate; Darcania and Clean Land declared their candidacies for Speaker, and HuAt and Goyanes declared their candidacies for Attorney General.

[b]The Race for the Delegacy[/b]

Lord Ravenclaw's campaign arrived under the 'Still Soaring' slogan, and campaigned on his prior record of service in the North Pacific and other regions to deliver on a comprehensive platform which emphasised a strong World Assembly performance, a strong diplomatic presence, a robust and flexible North Pacific Army alongside a vibrant internal culture and roleplay world.

Gladio's campaign reverted to a more simple, but bold slogan, with 'Progress and Results'. He campaigned on his strong record of service as a long-serving Minister of Defence, his impressive history of more than 200 NPA missions, his work as a contributing author to The Northern Lights, to the Diplomatic Corps, and his significant contribution to recruitment and retention efforts through his participation in the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

Mall, a perennial candidate for the Delegacy formulated his campaign around six core promises. These included boosting his influence with the support of major raider organisations, using legal methods to reduce the endo counts of other TNP nations, appointing former TNP rogue Delegate JAL as Minister of Defence, purging the region of dissidents, and finally that should it be apparent that he would lose the Delegacy, he would eject himself and a collection of WA nations to conquer ‘the Fratt infested hellhole’. 

Falapatorius campaigned on his more than four years of citizenship in the North Pacific, his service in the Attorney General's office and his military experience with various external organisations. He expressed a hesitance to make any major changes and his unwillingness to overthrow the legitimate government.

Gladio won the election for Delegate with 58 votes (56.86%) to Lord Ravenclaw’s 40 votes, (39.22), Mall’s 4 votes (3.92%), and 5 abstentions. 

[b]The Race for the Vice Delegacy[/b]

One interesting thing about the Vice Delegate election was that every candidate had already served in the position at least once before. McMasterdonia was the first of the group to serve as Vice Delegate, Bootsie was the second, and Siwale was the last.

McMasterdonia’s campaign focused on his prior service and contributions to the community as Delegate, Vice Delegate, Security Councillor, and in various Cabinet roles including as Minister of Culture during Pallaith’s second term. He expressed his goals if elected Vice Delegate, the first being to expand and improve upon the efforts of the TNP for #1 endorsement competition, expanding SC engagement with the RMB through in-game activities, including SC hosted theme weeks, games and activities.

Siwale, campaigned on a highly successful term for the Security Council and for himself as the Vice Delegate. His goals included growing the high level of activity within the Security Council and the endorsement count of all WA nations, the prompt processing of citizenship applications, pragmatic disclosure of SC discussions, and pursuing necessary legal reform as appropriate. 

Bootsie campaigned on his belief in the importance of the security of the North Pacific, and his involvement in the Security Council in eliminating all threats to The North Pacific. He campaigned on his prior service to the region in various roles, and that his commitment and activity level would ensure that security checks were performed promptly, and that endorsement counts would improve across the region.

Siwale won the election for Vice Delegate with 49 votes (50.52%) to McMasterdonia’s 41 votes (42.27%), Bootsie’s 7 votes (7.22%), and 10 abstentions. 

[b]The Race for Speaker[/b]

Darcania presented his platform in splendid fashion, tracing his goals and aims through creative and beautifully crafted haiku verses. He outlined his plans to develop: a chrome extension to make Admin and Speaker checks more efficient and accurate; a cog for the Discord bot to allow members to claim nations and be automatically masked; a counting sheet for the citizens registry; and a small utility script in the Citizens registry to generate an admin request based on the sheet to move and delete rows automatically. 

Clean Land, the other candidate in this race did not post a campaign and voted for Darcania in the election. 

Darcania won the election for Speaker with 98 votes (98%) to Clean Land’s 2 votes (2%), and 7 abstentions.

[b]The Race for Attorney General[/b]

Goyanes, the incumbent Attorney General campaigned on his prior service and goals to work on the ongoing R4Rs before the Court, on making TNP Law more understandable and accessible to the community, maintaining a quick and effective response to legal complaints, and continuing to provide excellent legal advice to members of the Government. 

HuAt campaigned based on his prior experience in the Court as Assistant Attorney General under PaulWallLibertarian42, and his role as lead investigator in Falapatorius v. Flemingovia. HuAt promised to be fair and impartial in all legal decisions and to focus on the facts of all cases and complaints an investigation and trial ensues. 

Goyannes won the election for Attorney General with 80 votes (95.24%), to HuAt’s 4 votes (4.76%), and 23 abstentions.
[hr]
 
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