Artemis for Vice Delegate 2020

Oracle

The Disappointed Father
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TNP Nation
Oracle
Discord
Hyperion#1325
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"That's what I do: I drink and I know things." — Tyrion

As is tradition with previous campaigns, I like to let my Game of Thrones nerd self out. Thank you for indulging me in my moment. For those that do not know me, my name is Artemis and I am running for a second term as Vice Delegate of the North Pacific. I have been honored to serve in this position since September and it is my hope that I will have your support in continuing to serve for an additional four
months.



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Past Experience
Here is a short summary of my history and experience within the North Pacific. I have served as Speaker of the Regional Assembly from January 2019 through August 2019, and Deputy Speaker of the Regional Assembly from September 2018 through December 2018. I am a current member of the Security Council and have served since December of 2018. I have also previously served as Minister of Culture under Gladio, Deputy Minister of Culture, Executive Staff Member and an Election Commissioner.



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Summary of the Previous Term
In my September Campaign, which will be spoilered in the end, I discussed some fundamental aspects of the office that if elected I would work to achieve. These were goals that were met and some new goals were created. During the previous term, Weekly Updates were given regarding the Security Council and towards the end of the term, these updates were being published to our onsite community to keep members there informed about the status and activity of the Security Council. This is something that I am proud of and look forward to continuing to pursue. This past term we evaluated and made changes to the WADP program to improve and expand upon one of the best programs in the entirety of NS.



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Continuation of the Fundamentals
A key promise and obligation that I will continue to make as I have done so in previous campaigns and terms are promising to perform the fundamental duties of the office of Vice Delegate. Timely security checks for Citizenship Applications, monitoring the security of the region and providing oversight of the Security Council.



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Summary of Activites of the Security Council
This term I plan to expand on the Weekly Vice Delegate Update. This will include a broader summary of the discussion held within the chambers of the Security Council. These summaries will vary from week to week depending on the nature of discussion within the council.



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Cards and their Future
Cards are something that I freely admit was a weakness of mine at the start of this previous term. But I am seeing their potential and benefit for encouraging activity and participation in events and the WADP. This coming term, I would work with our Card Guild leadership on ways to improve the incentive for our cards program and create a close working relationship between the Vice Delegacy and the TNP Cards Guild.



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Endorsements
This is something that has bothered me over the past term. We have had quite a few discussions about the cause and possible solutions. So in conjunction with the Security Council, the Delegate, and the Ministry of Culture, I would like for us to host a region-wide endorsement event with a variety of awards and prizes for those who participate. If elected, I would like to see the average endorsement count of the Security Council reach 75% with the Delegate hitting an endorsement rating of 80%.




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In conclusion, thank you for reading my campaign for Vice Delegate. It truly has been a pleasure this past term to serve as your Vice Delegate and I hope that I will have the opportunity to continue to serve the region. I believe that I have shown I can reliably deliver what is required of the Vice Delegate and then some. With that, I hope that you will strongly consider me when casting your ballot in a few days for Vice Delegate. Happy New Year to everyone!

~Artemis

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"The big fish eat the little fish and I keep on paddling." — Varys
The wheels have turned and in the end were broken like none before. Pardon me while I continue to burn out my frustration regarding the final season of Game of Thrones. But in true election fashion, I have continued to keep a Game of Thrones quote to start my campaign.

True to my previous campaigns, I believe in promising the fundamentals of the office in which I am running. Often times this can be overlooked in a campaign and we look to see what the candidate is promising and forgetting to ask if they can do the basics. This not simply talking about just TNP elections or even NS elections. This is a concept I believe in for real life matters.

But this is NS and I am running for the Vice Delegacy of the North Pacfic and I am asking for your support in my bid for office.




Experience:

A little about my experience within the realm of TNP. I have served as the Speaker of the Regional Assembly since January 2019 till the end of this election. This was a position that I did not initially ever see myself occupying, but one that I have learned quite a bit from. One thing I felt that I was able to accomplish was bringing the office back to the basic functions of its duties. Evaluating aspects of what the office was doing and had previously done, I felt that it distracted from the core of its duties and worked to reduce those activities and focus on the fundamentals. I also have served as a member of the Security Council since December of 2018, offering me insight and experience with fellow Council members. Other positions that I have held in the region include Minister of Culture, Deputy Minister of Culture, Election Commissioner, Deputy Speaker, and staff member of various ministries.


Weekly Updates:

As Vice Delegate, I will continue the weekly updates of the Security Council activity that Sil Dorsett and Pallaith performed. This was in my opinion an incredible way for members of the region to see what members of the Security Council were being active and engaged through Endo-Tarting. As part of the updates, I intend to do a spotlight on a member of the council who could use a boost on endorsements and run an alternating campaign of dispatches and telegrams. I would like to explore reserving a section on the WFE for this spotlighted SC member.


WADP:

Information provided from the WADP Survey will prove invaluable in evaluating the effectiveness of the program and areas that can be improved upon. This is something that I plan to work with members of the Security Council, the Delegate, and r3n on taking the information provided and turning that into improvements for the WADP.


Citizenship Checks:

@Sil Dorsett put it best 8 months ago when he said “I don’t believe any check should be treated as just running through the motions.” I will freely admit there were a few cases during my Speakership that I felt I was just running through the motions. The Vice Delegate check is quite different from the Speaker’s. The Vice Delegate has traditionally only had 3 days to determine if an individual is a threat to the region. Today that has been increased to 7 days. This allows for more time for any issues to be raised about an application. I would make sure to take input from the Security Council in situations where I wanted a second opinion on an application. Additionally I would welcome the Security Council to speak up on an application if they feel that person needs to be looked at more.




In conclusion, I would like to thank you all for your support during my two terms as Speaker. I hope to have shown you that I am prepared to take on the office of the Vice Delegate and that I have the ability to do it to the level expected here in the North Pacific. I encourage you all to ask questions, provide feedback, and continue to participate in these elections and after. I have learned quite a lot during my term as Speaker and serving on the Security Council and I hope that I will be able to continue learning as your next Vice Delegate.


Valar morghulis, Valar Dohaeris,

~Artemis






~This had was sponsored by the PAC for Keeping TNP Secure~
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This term I plan to expand on the Weekly Vice Delegate Update. This will include a broader summary of the discussion held within the chambers of the Security Council. These summaries will vary from week to week depending on the nature of discussion within the council.

Are there any plans for the summary to include some sort of activity tracker of the Security Council? For example who participated in the discussion vrs not present?
 
Are there any plans for the summary to include some sort of activity tracker of the Security Council? For example who participated in the discussion vrs not present?
Yes, this is something that is in consideration for the expanded summary of discussions. To maintain the confidentiality of discussions, it would simply indicate which Councillors participated in the discussion and not on their stance.

Do you have any ideas for improving the WADP in respect to Cards?
As it currently stands, cards are gifted to the top-10 winners of the three WADP categories. Cards are also given out in two separate daily lotteries, one based on endorsements and one based on WA voting. Earlier this year, a keeper's chances to win increased for every 250 endorsements given by 1. But recently we moved forward with changing this probability to winning to increase for every single endorsement that was given. This was done with the hope to encourage regular endotarting. I wanted to give a brief rundown of how cards work with WADP for those who do not know.

I have had a few ideas this past term that I have been thinking through and have not discussed yet. One idea is to increase a Keeper's odds of winning based on their involvement within TNP. Through service in various positions such as Executive Staff, Election Commission, etc.. a keeper's name would be put into the lottery. So a Keeper that has endorsed 600 nations, serves in the Executive Staff and is an Election Commissioner would see their chances increase of winning the lottery. This way we can further encourage our Keepers to become further involved in the region.

Another idea related to cards is adjusting the probability of which season WADP Champions and top-10 winners will pull. The exact split for this, I would work with members of the Card Guild to gain a better understanding of the value and rarity for each season. So WADP champions would have a higher probability of pulling a more valuable season of the legendary card, while the top-10 winners would have a lower probability of pulling the more valuable season of cards.

Naturally, to implement these ideas will require work with r3n to flesh out the details and cooperation with the Cards Guild to gain their insight into the card community.

Looks really promising. Naturally, you have my vote :P
Thank you for the support Loh! I truly appreciate it.

Looks promising.
Thank you :)
 
Thank you for your answers.

Your opponent has brought up a cards-related idea. What are your thoughts on their idea?

If a Security Councillor comes across information that a citizen may be working to undermine TNP's government, how should they act? Who should be told? Does respecting someone's innocence until proven guilty come into play with limiting the spread of the information to other government officials?

How important is honesty for members of the Security Council?

What is the biggest way that a Vice Delegate seeking to undermine TNP can abuse their position? How do we address that?

What should be the top four values of the Security Council?
 
What has been the most difficult aspect of serving as Vice Delegate?

Do you view the Vice Delegacy as a stepping stone to the Delegacy? Why/Why not?

If a Security Councillor openly lies to the regional assembly about the internal activity of another Security Councillor or any other matter before the Regional Assembly, such as feigning approval of an SC applicant when in reality they were strongly against that applicant in private, would you consider it your duty to inform the regional assembly that they were being deceived and lied to by that Security Councillor? Why or why not?

Would you remove any of the current Security Council for inactivity or incompetence if it was up to you to decide who should serve on the body?
 
Do you support Greitbert’s fight against false information?

We still don’t know who this anonymous tip is! :rant:How can I trust that this tip isn’t a tip from Govindia to try and undermine our great Flemingovian republic?
 
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Your opponent has brought up a cards-related idea. What are your thoughts on their idea?
I find the idea of a cross-regional event to be interesting. I would like to address something that Robespierre brought up regarding keepers who endotart more frequently. He would like to see nations who endorse more frequently and to a higher degree to have higher odds to see increased odds. This is something that has already been implemented during my term as Vice Delegate. A keeper's chances of winning increase for every single endorsement that they give. So it pays off for those nations to continuously endorse. As stated in the previous question asked, I am looking for ways to further increase odds beyond just endorsements such as getting more Keepers involved with government and rewarding participation in other community activities.

If a Security Councillor comes across information that a citizen may be working to undermine TNP's government, how should they act? Who should be told?
Does respecting someone's innocence until proven guilty come into play with limiting the spread of the information to other government officials?

If a Security Councillor comes across information that a citizen may be working to undermine TNP's government, this information would need to be shared with the Vice Delegate and the Security Council. From there, we would investigate the information provided to ascertain its authenticity and severity. At that point depending on the conclusion of this information, as Vice Delegate I would inform the Attorney General of the Council's findings and it would be at their discretion to move forward with a criminal prosecution.

Does respecting someone's innocence until proven guilty come into play with limiting the spread of the information to other government officials?
An individual is innocent until proven guilty. When bringing up information about possible malicious intent, we would want to make sure that information is authentic. We are being informed of a possible risk. It is not our position to put someone on trial. Guilt or innocence can only be determined by the Courts.

How important is honesty for members of the Security Council?
Honesty is quite important to be a member of the Security Council. As a body, we must be able to have frank and honest conversations when discussing matters. We need to be able to see what everyone's opinions are and not have to worry about any alternative motive from one of our members.

What is the biggest way that a Vice Delegate seeking to undermine TNP can abuse their position? How do we address that?
The Vice Delegacy, in general, has quite a bit of influence. They hold the 2nd highest number of endorsements, (typically) are involved with the Executive Council, and are generally seen as a pillar of trust in the community. They are the successor to Delegate in the event of resignation, recall, or other events that removes the Delegate. Ultimately the biggest threat is undermining established institutions, such as the Delegacy and the Security Council. Hypothetically speaking, I would work to ensure that many of the influential members of the SC would not intervene or work towards their removal from the SC. I would further work to reduce the influence and endorsements of members of the Security Council and further build a gap in endorsements and influence. Then I would turn my attention to the delegacy. And work from there.

We currently already handle this by not giving the VD border control authority. We also have an active Security Council that has thought through situations of this nature and keep an eye on things.

What should be the top four values of the Security Council?
Honesty, Respect, Diligence, and Loyalty
 
What has been the most difficult aspect of serving as Vice Delegate?

Every position I have served in has had some difficulty. Learning the ropes of each position, applying those lessons into action, and making hard decisions is something anyone will face in an elected or appointed position.

For me, the Vice Delegacy presented a unique situation of balancing accountability to the citizenship and the confidentiality of the Security Council. This is something that matters in both areas and is being worked on.

Do you view the Vice Delegacy as a stepping stone to the Delegacy? Why/Why not?

Simply put, no. The functions of the Vice Delegacy almost entirely focus at a high level on Regional Security, WADP, Endorsements, and Citizenship Checks. The Delegacy generally has little involvement in those areas. Does it look nice on paper to have Vice Delegate when running for the Delegacy? Yes. But I would say that the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Minister of Defense would be stepping stones into the Delegacy.

I will answer your two remain questions shortly.
 
If a Security Councillor comes across information that a citizen may be working to undermine TNP's government, this information would need to be shared with the Vice Delegate and the Security Council. From there, we would investigate the information provided to ascertain its authenticity and severity. At that point depending on the conclusion of this information, as Vice Delegate I would inform the Attorney General of the Council's findings and it would be at their discretion to move forward with a criminal prosecution.
Should this information be shared with the Delegate?

Honesty is quite important to be a member of the Security Council. As a body, we must be able to have frank and honest conversations when discussing matters. We need to be able to see what everyone's opinions are and not have to worry about any alternative motive from one of our members.
Does this extend to being honest with the region and the members of it?
 
If a Security Councillor openly lies to the regional assembly about the internal activity of another Security Councillor or any other matter before the Regional Assembly, such as feigning approval of an SC applicant when in reality they were strongly against that applicant in private, would you consider it your duty to inform the regional assembly that they were being deceived and lied to by that Security Councillor? Why or why not?

This is an interesting question and has led me to think hard about a response. As we well know discussion held in the private chambers of the Security Council are confidential. Members of the Council are allowed to disclose their own comments made in chambers. Your hypothetical scenario covers a Security Council member essentially lying about what another member said. If I was to inform the Regional Assembly to that lie, I would be violating the confidentiality of the Security Council. If I was to stay silent, I would be allowing a member of the Council to deceive the Regional Assembly. But there are a few methods to address this. First, I would ask permission from the member who is being lied about to make a statement that would in fact out their position on the discussion. From our current members, I believe that most if not all would be amendable to this or at this point already objected to the offender's remarks. Then I would make a statement informing the Regional Assembly of the false nature of the information provided and provide what was truly said within the council.

In the event that individual did not want to disclose their comments, I would issue a more generic statement that would address that comments made by the member were in fact false and in violation of Security Council Procedure.

Would you remove any of the current Security Council for inactivity or incompetence if it was up to you to decide who should serve on the body?
In situations that would demand it, I would remove a security councilor for inactivity or incompetence. This would not be something done lightly nor would it be done without working with that individual member. Members are nominated by the Council and approved by the Regional Assembly for a reason. They have shown to be individuals who are dedicated and willing to continue to serve the North Pacific. If that power was hypothetically in my hands, it would not be one used lightly.

Do you support Greitbert’s fight against false information?
I support the dissemination of facts, truth, and integrity in our press.

We still don’t know who this anonymous tip is! :rant:How can I trust that this tip isn’t a tip from Govindia to try and undermine our great Flemingovian republic?
Ah yes, the Anonymous Tip. As a devout follower of the Flemingovian faith coupled with my reverence for the power of the Floof, any donations from the Anonymous Tip will be given to charity.

Should this information be shared with the Delegate?
The Delegate will be informed. This previous term, I invited the Delegate to partake in Security Council discussions. This is something that is not uncommon and happens frequently for Delegates who are not members of the Security Council. That being said, I fully expect the Delegate to respect discussions held within the chambers and to not relay any information shared within the body.

Does this extend to being honest with the region and the members of it?
Yes, I believe that Security Councillors can and should be honest with the region and its members. Without honesty, how can the Security Council be trusted to protect the security of the region. But I would like to add that there are limitations on to the extent that they can share with the region. They are allowed to share their own remarks from within chambers and offer their own opinion. But they cannot disclose conversations with other members of the council without permission.
 
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Should the Security Council be subject to FOI?
If the Security Council was made subject to the FOIA I would like to see some changes.

I think that we could find a more established procedure for disclosure outside of FOIA for Security Council threads. My thought on this is that threads that are over two years in age will have a summary of the contents released, who participated in the discussion, and an outcome for said discussion. Upon request from the Regional Assembly, the Security Council would then release the full thread for public view.

Apologies for the delay. I thought I had answered this question :)
 
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My understanding is that the Council has been working to introduce a disclosure regime for some time, will the Council's Rules be revised in this coming term to provide for a disclosure regime? Will you support such a regime being introduced?

At the moment, the Council's Rules presently protect the comments of members and former members from disclosure in a like manner. Part of the rationale that has regularly been put forward for the near absolute secrecy that characterises the Council's business is the need to prevent members from being negatively impacted by the need to express forthright views, but if a member of the Council were to be recalled or convicted of a crime with the sanction of removal from office, should their comments merit the same protection from such as a member who left the Council in good standing?
 
My understanding is that the Council has been working to introduce a disclosure regime for some time, will the Council's Rules be revised in this coming term to provide for a disclosure regime? Will you support such a regime being introduced?
Yes, if elected I plan to place a vote before the Security Council regarding some form of disclosure for older threads and a mechanism to handle new threads moving forward.

At the moment, the Council's Rules presently protect the comments of members and former members from disclosure in a like manner. Part of the rationale that has regularly been put forward for the near absolute secrecy that characterises the Council's business is the need to prevent members from being negatively impacted by the need to express forthright views, but if a member of the Council were to be recalled or convicted of a crime with the sanction of removal from office, should their comments merit the same protection from such as a member who left the Council in good standing?

Currently as written, the Security Council Procedures dictate the following:
Article 9: Disclosure
1. Individual members of the Council may disclose their own statements from the private areas of the Security Council subforum and discord channels.
2. Statements which include the remarks of other members, or former members, of the Council must have the agreement of all involved parties prior to disclosure.
Legally, in my opinion, the removed member's comments are protected under this clause. I believe that their comments should still be held to the standard of other members because at the time those comments were made that member was part of the Security Council.
 
As VD, explain in as much detail as you'd like on how you would coup. Then, explain how you would prevent this from happening.

The Vice Delegate has it's own separate tasks from the Delegate. If ever you were to become Acting Delegate due to whatever reason, would you prioritize your own duties as VD or the duties of Acting Delegate?

How involved will you be with the Executive Council? Usually, the Delegate is the one that manages them, and gives them tasks. Will you also do this, as VD? Sort of like a deputy Delegate, if you will? Can you give specifics?

Say that you disagree with your Delegate about the appointment of an Executive Councilor. What will you do?

We are all human, and as such are subject to forces beyond our control. Do you have a contingency plan if you were ever to disappear (like how Deropia disappeared) to ensure that TNP can maintain itself until a new VD is elected?

You have mentioned that, contrary to popular belief, the Vice Delegate and the Delegate have quite different jobs. However, the Vice Delegate is also required to step up as an Acting Delegate if ever the Delegate is unable to continue doing their obligations. Wouldn't you say that this makes the Vice Delegate unfit to act as Delegate?

I think you mean oversight?
 
As VD, explain in as much detail as you'd like on how you would coup. Then, explain how you would prevent this from happening.

This is something that I have thought on for some time and how TNP can prevent this from happening. The first step to coup TNP is erode the publics' trust in institutions. This would include the Delegacy, the Security Council, the NPA, the Courts, the Constitution, etc.. It would be important to convince the members of the region to be fearful of the establishment and institutions. It would be important to amplify situations that would call into question the loyalty of specific holders of offices and members of note and influence.

But a successful coup can not be done alone, I would work to bring members of the Security Council to my side. Especially those who wield considerable influence. From there, members who are resistant I would work to isolate and call into question their loyalty to TNP. I would further isolate the Delegate from being involved with the Security Council and use the body's influence to portray the administration as full of power-hungry individuals who seek to glorify themselves at the expense of members of the region.

I would work to build rapport with the NPA, building connections with members of the High Command and the officers of the NPA. I would encourage them to question the motives of the Delegate and the Minister of Defense and seek to find meaning in their orders. From there gaining their support to mobilize the NPA would be quite crucial. Furthermore building relations with regions that disagree with the Delegate's current stance would be crucial to involve them in the successful coup to recognize the new government.

How do we prevent something like this from happening? First, we need to elect a Vice Delegate who can be trusted and understands the values of TNP. Furthermore, we nominate and approve members of the Security Council who have a proven record of loyalty to a secure TNP.

The Vice Delegate has it's own separate tasks from the Delegate. If ever you were to become Acting Delegate due to whatever reason, would you prioritize your own duties as VD or the duties of Acting Delegate?
If I was to become Acting Delegate, the Vice Delegacy would be vacated per LC 5.2.13. Therefore, my only duties will be that of the Acting Delegacy.

How involved will you be with the Executive Council? Usually, the Delegate is the one that manages them, and gives them tasks. Will you also do this, as VD? Sort of like a deputy Delegate, if you will? Can you give specifics?
The Vice Delegate does not serve as a member of the Executive Council. They are traditionally invited by the Delegate to sit in on meetings and to have a voice. This traditionally happens to keep the Vice Delegate informed of the workings of the Executive Council in the event they are to become the Acting Delegate. In order for me as Vice Delegate to issue tasks, I would have to be empowered to do so by the Delegate and those tasks would fall in line with their election mandate and be based on previous discussions held within the body or throughout the executive branch.

Say that you disagree with your Delegate about the appointment of an Executive Councilor. What will you do?
I will voice my concerns to the Delegate in private. Who they appoint to their cabinet is ultimately their decision, but if I do have a concern about an individual the delegate will be hearing from me. At the start of the term, McMasterdonia and I did have a discussion about their cabinet picks.

We are all human, and as such are subject to forces beyond our control. Do you have a contingency plan if you were ever to disappear (like how Deropia disappeared) to ensure that TNP can maintain itself until a new VD is elected?
Yes, and this is something that I have actually done this previous term. The Vice Delegate can appoint an Acting Chair during absences. I did so for a planned absence for surgery in November.

I will attest that in the event something beyond my control affects my ability to perform the job of Vice Delegate, I will resign. This is something that I have done in the past during my term as Minister of Culture. Real Life events were dragging me away from the job, so instead of causing lackluster activity in the Ministry, I offered my resignation. I will make it a point to not leave the region in a situation with an official in limbo.

You have mentioned that, contrary to popular belief, the Vice Delegate and the Delegate have quite different jobs. However, the Vice Delegate is also required to step up as an Acting Delegate if ever the Delegate is unable to continue doing their obligations. Wouldn't you say that this makes the Vice Delegate unfit to act as Delegate?
The duties of the Acting Delegate are to hold the delegacy (due to a vacancy) until the next election, which is either a special election or the next general election in the event there are less than two weeks left in the term. I firmly believe that it is not the Vice delegate's position to institute any policy changes and should consult heavily with the Executive Council until a new Delegate is elected. The primary concern is to secure the In-Game delegacy and provide a stable government to the region.

I think you mean oversight?
Indeed.
 
I gave Robespierre this question, so I guess to be fair I would ask a similar question.

Naysayers of our current system comment that the Vice-Delegate is effectively a political office for the elite group of people known as the Security Councillors. Being a member of the SC yourself, address this criticism and suggest how you might address this issue of the VD position being seen as an extension of the SC.
 
Furthermore, we nominate and approve members of the Security Council who have a proven record of loyalty to a secure TNP.
Do you mean to imply that we should only nominate and approve SC members for VD?
 
Naysayers of our current system comment that the Vice-Delegate is effectively a political office for the elite group of people known as the Security Councillors. Being a member of the SC yourself, address this criticism and suggest how you might address this issue of the VD position being seen as an extension of the SC.
First, I myself have not seen the comments about the Vice Delegate being a political office only for "elite" people known as Security Councillors. I think that is a fundamentally flawed statement. Being a member of the Security Council does lend experience to the security functions of the Vice Delegate. The Vice Delegate chairs the Security Council so it is seen as an extension of the Security Council by virtue of its position. It is the public face of the Council.

Do you mean to imply that we should only nominate and approve SC members for VD?
If you are asking if only Security Council members should be elected as Vice Delegate, the answer is no. My answer is that the region should evaluate candidates for Vice Delegate and make a decision based on trust and past experiences, and what the candidate has to offer to the region. We have had excellent Vice Delegates who were not members of the Security Council at the time, such as Siwale.
 
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