NationStates Jolt Archive

((OOC: The poll is not necessarily reflective of the election results. I haven't decided yet how much or how little I will rely on the poll. I might simply say the results of the poll are the results of the election, I might enter them into a system, or I might leave them as a simple poll. However, until something is posted IC, the poll is just an OOC poll about players' personal preferences. The fact that you can vote for more than one person on the poll DOES NOT mean that Marlund voters can vote for more than one person. I had someone make that mistake once in a previous election thread.))

Christian Democratic Party

Established: 2005
Economic ideology: Regulated capitalism
Social ideology: Moralism
Party leader: Garek Baatz
Economic issues: Lower taxes, cut regulation
Social issues: Ban interracial marriage, recriminalize sodomy, weaken anti-sex discrimination laws, ban birth control, increase penalties for abortion, increase penalties for euthanasia, increase penalties for prostitution
Foreign policy: More independence from the Entente

Social Democratic Party

Established: 2005
Economic ideology: Social democratic
Social ideology: Liberal
Party leader: Nicole Pajonk
Economic issues: Work place protection, land reform
Social issues: Adult basic literacy, increse educational funding, for racial integration, for women's equality
Foreign policy: Strongly pro-Entente

Democratic Party

Established: 2005
Economic ideology: Semi-feudalism, land monopolies, agrarian ultra-capitalism
Social ideology: White supremacy
Party leader: Roman Haas
Economic issues: Agricultural subsidies, primogeniture, entailing of estates
Social issues: Ban interracial marriage, make sodomy a capital offense, ban women's property ownership
Foreign policy: Anti-Entente

Popular People's Party

Established: 2005
Economic ideology: Heavily regulated capitalism
Social ideology: Moderate conservatism, family values
Party leader: Baalhaan Cook
Economic issues: Busting up monopolies, land reform, inheritance taxes
Social issues: Affirmative action, adult literacy
Foreign policy: Pro-Entente, pro-Tanah Burung

Farmer Labor Party

Established: 2005
Economic ideology: Social democratic
Social ideology: Moderate liberalism
Party leader: Puzur-Amurri Wheeler
Economic issues: Land reform, increased workplace protection
Social issues: Equal pay and employment opportunities for women
Foreign policy: Pro-Entente

Pan-African People's Revolutionary Party

Established: 2005
Economic ideology: Socialism
Social ideology: Nationalism, feminism
Party leader: Farid Habtamu (formerly Macar Locksmith)
Economic issues: Welfare, labor protection
Social issues: Adult literacy, right to bear arms, affirmative action
Foreign policy: Pro-CACE, pro-Tanah Burung, pro-Africa

OOC: Sorry. Hate them all. No liberal party, and the social democrats are pro-Panto. No vote from me therefore. I do have parties that I despise more than others, though.

Lutherstadt, Marlund

Aert Maart was an election observer for the Resurgent Dream. He had come here optimistic, hoping to see a new burgeoning democracy, full of hope. The longer he spent in Marlund, the less hope he had for it. In what civilized country were people like the Democrats able to get up and say the things they said and still expect to get votes? What decent man would vote for them? If the PAPRP was more understandable as a reaction to centuries of oppression, he nonetheless couldn't consider its politics anything but silly.

Maart, of course, wished that the Social Democrats would win. They supported the Entente and, correspondingly, supported the Resurgent Dream. Still, the idea that his country was entering into a closer and closer relationship with Marlund truly terrified him.

He looked down. The sidewalk he was walking on was cracked. The sidewalks in Lutherstadt were always cracked and ugly. Maybe some party could run on a slogan of decent roads? He'd complained about what it was like to try and drive in Marlund in countless letters home to his husband. Not that he mentioned he had one to anyone here. He knew he should but he wasn't that brave.

Gay marriage might be the law of the land in the Resurgent Dream. It might have been the law of the land for years in Lavenrunz and Knootoss. It was at least part of the debate in every civilized country. Even in Pantocratoria, it had been introduced into Parliament, even if it hadn't past. Here...here the gay rights organizations were fighting a rather desperate fight to stop the right from making gay love literally illegal. "Some democracy...."

"Pardon me?" The smiling, if rather overweight woman, looked over at Aert.

"Oh, I didn't say anything, ma'am. I was just...talking to myself." He shrugged slightly, heading back to International Election Headquarters.

[OOC: Well, the Democratic Party sounds fun, except for...
ban women's property ownership
which is quite silly.

Oh well, no party is perfect. :p ]

OOC

[OOC: Well, the Democratic Party sounds fun, except for...

ban women's property ownership

which is quite silly.

Oh well, no party is perfect. :p ]
You know they're white supremacists right?

It was at least part of the debate in every civilized country. Even in Pantocratoria, it had been introduced into Parliament, even if it hadn't past.

Actually, what was up for debate was civil marriage, ie marriage performed by the state rather than by the Church, which would've implicitly allowed gay marriage as a result of the United Nations resolutions on the topic.

OOC: Sorry. Hate them all. No liberal party, and the social democrats are pro-Panto. No vote from me therefore. I do have parties that I despise more than others, though.
By your logic, and as per our Skype conversations, I would've thought you'd have voted for the anti-Panto reactionaries just to "send a message" to the social democrats. :P

OOC: fine fine… I’ll write something decent then.
IC:

Coverage of the Marlund elections was very minimal in the Dutch Democratic Republic. There was the occasional appearance of an "expert" on KNN World News who would reduce the the elections to a battle between pro-Entente socialists versus reactionary conservatives opposing the Pantocratorian/Danaan joint occupation. Neither side really roused the enthusiasm of the Knootian television network pundits, with any sentiments expressed ranging from haughty distaste for the primitive reactionaries and a strong distrust of the socialists – especially those with pro-CACE sentiments.

With these elections there was a risk, many experts and policymakers in the Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministry considered, that Marlund would either elect a populist left-wing anti-Knootian administration which would pander to the sentiments prevalent in Tanah Burung and Pantocratoria, or else a reactionary government which would inevitably lead to problems with the Entente.

Most foreign policy experts asked to advise the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence did nto give the issue any sort of priority: Marlund was after all far away and politically and economically insignificant. At best, she represented the prospect of Pantocratoria and the Danaan getting a bloody nose in a neo-colonial adventure; an experience they thought might help them understand their own difficult position in Knootian Colombia. However, behind the façade of a passive Knootian interest in Marlund, other forces were also at work. The reports of the brutality of the Pantocratorian occupation forces had rung clearly in the ears of the more progressive young people swept into power with the Daatman administrations electoral victory, and some of the more ambitious greens and liberals looked with an eager eye at the negotiations in Upper Virginia, pondering the possibilities of a more active role of the Peace Corps of the Knootian Defence Force in Marlund and beyond...

But all that was just intellectual play, for now, and Femke Vologdov merely sent out a positive message out into the world, stressing the importance of free, open and democratic elections in Marlund and expressing a hope that the Marlunders would use their opportunity to vote to choose for peace and prosperity.

OOC
You know they're white supremacists right?


[OOC: Being "white" or "black" or "midnight blue with red tiles" supremacists is not at all bad in Taraskovyan eyes. But discriminating against women is silly in the eyes of a society where traditionally the strongest (regardless of being men or women) had the last word.

Now, the Pan-Africans are also supremacist/nationalists. However, the PARPR is Socialist, the Democrats are Capitalist. Taraskovyans are Capitalists, hence go Democrats!

And why go with the crazy nationalists? For fun! I remind you that GDT has such parties as the Apathy Party and the National Party for Universal Happiness in its Parliament. But that choice is because GDT will not be intervening into the matter ICly. But if it absolutely has to, then it would be *gasp* the SDP that would get its favours. The only party that makes sense and is not silly.

Oh, and I only figured out now that the poll was to be based on personal OOC preferences, but I've voted from the Uni library after two hours of family law lectures... so my brains were fu-... messed up. ;) ]

Utrecht, Corral, the Resurgent Dream

Christyntje Saal was a nineteen year old political science student at Utrecht College. She was the kind of girl no one much noticed, neither pretty enough to stand out nor plain enough to be mocked. She did well in her classes but she did so quietly, rarely speaking in the classroom. She had been raised fluent in English and Dutch and was currently trying to learn French. It was a tiring life and she was starting to wish she had more time for friends and maybe boys.

Alexander Maart was a computer geek. There was really no other way to put it. He was majoring in computer science. He spent most of his free time playing computer games like Continent of Conflict and Blood Noon. He was friendly but socially awkward and had never before had a girlfriend.

Benedikt Cadmus was handsome as handsome could be, athletic, dashing, courteous, captain of the football team, and a man who had all the women he could want. He was a mediocre, though not a horrible, student. He did, however, seem perpetually bored in an academic setting.

The three students were lounging on a couch in Alexander's apartment, even though they barely knew each other and were hardly friends. They had an assignment to do together, a report to write on the KNN coverage of the Marlund elections for their comparative politics class.

"I think Vologdov is really sexy for a lady her age." Benedikt said with a sly grin.

"Oh, get your mind out of the gutter and pay attention!" Christyntje said, throwing a handful of popcorn at the attractive boy.

"They don't draw much of a distinction between social democrats and socialists, or between conservatives and fascists." Alexander commented, trying to do the assignment.

"Well, they barely have political debate in Knootoss." Benedikt said. "They probably just overreact to anything outside their little consensus."

"I wish everyone here would vote Liberal too." Christyntje responded. "Karamanlis was on the way to big breakthroughs in foreign policy, a Rawlsian rennaissance, if you will."

"Oh, the Knootians didn't really want one." Alexander said. "And the bloody Pantos definitely hated the idea."

"I think Minerva Karamanlis is hot too." Benedikt said, half jokingly. Christyntje hit him with a pillow.

Marlund: It just gets stranger and stranger every day. One really has to wonder about the wisdom of the rate at which the invaders of Marlund have chosen to implement a move towards democracy. While it is my firm belief that democracy is by far one of the better forms of government for humans, it is not something that has no flaws. Unfortunately, when one seeks to protect the happiness and rights of the citizenry of a nation, where the majority still hold views that would imperil those rights, it is not a good system – a tyranny elected by majority can be as tyrannical as one imposed by revolutionary action.

The mistreatment of ‘sodomites’ – usually a moniker for ‘homosexuals,’ rarely are these laws used to prosecute ‘heterosexual’ couples – is of course, one of the more common irrational fears of humans, though I’ve never been quite able to figure out why it’s quite so popular (if you know, do tell me) human prejudices. Another one that seems to still be popular in Marlund’s political discourse is the oppression of human ‘races’ especially ‘black’ humans. Just about everyone knows how foolish this is, so I shan’t elaborate on why I consider it to be folly.

To return to the point, and the topic of the wisdom of this move towards democracy in Marlund, I can only say that I believe that the degree of knowledge among the ordinary citizenry required to elect a government wisely, to found a fair, just, stable and compassionate government, is not yet present in Marlund. However, the pressures that have made the occupying forces and the provisional government decide to implement such elections are understandable, and it is my fervent wish that the people of Marlund prove me wrong, and elect a sensible government that will reject the abusive extremes proposed by the likes of the Democrats and the Christian Democratic Party.

All that said, these elections have given me something new – it’s the first time I’ve found myself favouring a ‘farmers’ party for a long time

- Mephet'ran
Posted on the C’tani based “International Politics and Democracy” forum, using a verified identity.

OOC: It appears I have accidentally voted for the Democratic Party instead of the Social Democratic Party. Since there is no way to change this, mark my OOC vote as for the Social Democratic Party, not the Democratic Party.

Damned similarly-named political parties.

((OOC: Alright. I figured out what I'll use the poll for too. I'm going to blend the OOC poll with some pre-determined base numbers to get the final numbers. It'll problem come out to the right of the poll since a country that was a fundamentalist theocracy until a few years ago is probably a lot more conservative than the NS player base.))

Beyke, Marlund

Puzur-Amurri Wheeler smiled slightly as he buttoned his shirt. "So you're sure that it was the Emperor who posted that?"

"It's verified." Jobst Lackenbach, his campaign manager, confirmed, looking up from where he sat on the bed. "What would you like to do about it, sir? It certainly boosts our international respectability but I don't think we should draw attention to it during the elections. It'll make us look like the foreign party, not to mention it might allow the Democrats to bring non-human sentience into the campaign when..."

"When it's hard enough getting people in this country to be decent with other races of human beings. I know. The most socially radical thing on our agenda is women's equality. We're not really doing anything about a lot of important issues." Wheeler groused.

"One thing at a time, sir." Lackenbach counselled. "We can't move from where Marlund was to a fully modern state all at once."

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, don't draw attention to it for now. I found it rather nice though. Now, when is this rally I have to get to?" Wheeler asked.

"We really need to be walking out the door as soon as your wife gets back from the restroom, sir." Lackenbach said, standing. "Remember, folks here do have memories, so don't mention the Entente much and, when you do, draw emphasis away from Pantocratoria and towards the Resurgent Dream and Excalbia. Bitter feelings towards the Pantos here..."

Christian Democratic Party-51 seats
Social Democratic Party-42 seats
Democratic Party-6 seats
Popular People's Party-11 seats
Farmer Labor Party-11 seats
Pan-African People's Revolutionary Party-11 seats
Independents-6 seats

Out of a total of 138 seats

Sirs.

We applaud and thank God for the victory given to the Christian faithful….the moral teachings of Christ must be enforced, and uphold throughout the world if we are ever to know peace….we pray unceasingly for the day when our world will know the peace that only Christ brings.
Yet, we feel concern over the theology that would ban interracial marriage. Christ has redeem all equally by his blood, we are equal under the glory of the kingship of Christ…. to deny this denies the work of our Lords passion and the majesty of his sacrifice. What greater sin is there than sinning against the hope and triumph of our Lords blood?

“Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one bread”

In hope of a better world.
Matthew Iesus
Informal Letter to Christian Democratic party

OOC: Sorry. Hate them all. No liberal party, ...
Now you know how I feel whenever you have an election.

Garek Baatz frowned as he looked down at the letter from Matthew Iesus, almost incredulous. "A lesson on racial harmony from the leader of the Reich...Pot, kettle..."

"I know. I know." responded Genoveva Moeller, one of his secretaties. "Still, you should probably send back some kind of polite reply, no?"

"What do I have in common with a Papist theocrat?" Baatz groused. "Just because the party is...Oh, alright!"

Matthew Iesus,

It is quite refreshing to be addressed by a fellow leader not as a politician but as a Christian. However, I do not see that much could be gained for Christ through the radical social changes which you propose. Many of the leaders of the Christian Democratic Party were first leaders of the abolitionist movement at a time when that movement was illegal. We have suffered fire, dungeon, and sword for Christ and, as they hated Him, the powers of the old slavemaster regime hated us for His name's sake. Now, with the help of staunch foreign allies, we have crushed slavery and genocide in Marlund forever. We do not mean to rest on our laurels. However, we also do not mean to permanently alienate the people of Marlund through radical and ill-thought out social changes, through attempts to impose any ideology or theology on the people without regard for the real social, political, economic, and racial situation.

Sincerely,
Garek Baatz

(Excerpted from a post at the "Government Systems" subforum of the online forums of the International Herald Tribune.)

[...]

The election of the Christian Democratic Party in the state of Marlund highlights this argument [that democracies require a basis in the rule of law and sentient rights to function properly] rather excellently. The Christian Democratic and Democratic parties- whose platforms mock the ideal behind the formation of democracies with policies that strip Marlundian citizens of fundamental sentient rights- are the result of the formation of a democracy without a fundamental understanding of sentient rights. Although it is certainly expected that any nation will have radicals and fundamentalists, their popularity can only be attributed to this lack of understanding, as has been the case of fundamentalists throughout.

[...]

The platform of the Christian Democrats- to ban interracial marriage (a proposal not seen since the ancient and dark eras of lynching so many centuries ago), recriminalize sodomy and weaken anti-discrimination laws (a clear attack on the homosexual population of Marlund, as Emperor Mephet'ran has pointed out (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10334791&postcount=9)), and ban birth control- does not represent a step back for this nation, but rather a leap backwards by several decades, if not centuries. The Democratic party goes further and wishes to instate the death penalty for homosexuality and ban women's rights- but this in itself is not a far cry from the policies of the Christian Democratic government.

[...]

On a side note regarding the Marlundian election, we- the Division of State of the United Solaris Federation of Tiburon- finds the positions of the CDP and DP reprehensible, backwards, and completely opposite to the interests of the Tiburonese nation. We do not see prospects for dialogue with this nation likely in the near future, and can only hope for the next elections to instate a more rational party in power.

If there are elections next time at all.

-Sakura Akanimara,
Minister of State,
The United Solaris Federation of Tiburon

Cabinet Room, Parliament Building, Tarana

"Why do we keep picking up the opinions of important world leaders through internet forums?" Dawn Caddow, the Minister for Education, asked with slight sarcasm.

"Because they keep posting them there." Intelligence Minister Giuseppe Pacelli said dryly.

"The problem, friends, is twofold." Labor Minister Catherine Orlov began. "These criticisms are absolutely right and there's absolutely nothing we can do about them. You can't force people to be free..."

"The Menelmacari do." Federal Minister Abraham Goldfarb pointed out.

"Yeah, well..." sniped Urban Development Minister George Loukakis, who wasn't particularly found of that allied power (a possible reason for his not having a portfolio anywhere near foreign relations).

"It's just plain not acceptable." insisted Justice Minister Beatrice Wake. "I'm not sure how we came to have this idea that the Christian Democrats' policies are just a step backward for democracy, that we can move forward later."

"Well, democracy develops in stages..." Commerce Minister Leget Caddick started.

"No." Wake cut him off. "Nations move towards democracy in stages, true. But people excluded from democracy don't have it. The idea that nations can be democratic without universal suffrage...it's an idea taught early in our schools. Students learn about ancient Athens as one of the first democracies. And yet what democracy existed for the wo..."

"We've heard this before." Caddow said.

Wake shrugged. "My point is, when a country nation adheres policies like those of the Christian Democrats, democracy isn't just weakened or tarnished for everyone; rather, democracy doesn't exist at all for women or for homosexuals."

"Or blacks." Culture Minister Sarah Sacker, who was her self an African-Danaan, added.

"Or blacks." Wake granted.

"You're all missing something very obvious." Viscountess Kairis, the Foreign Minister and former Prime Minister pointed out. "Look at the actual numbers from the election."

Prime Minister Scott shifted through the papers in front of him, looking at the numbers carefully. "Despite the Christian Democratic plurality, it is possible for the SDP to form a Government. Possible. Still, they'd have to win over the PPP, who, while saints compared to the Christian Democrats, are still conservatives by any definition. AND five of the six independents too."

"I have people who can lean on people." Kairis said. "We can make it happen."

"Not through anything dirty, I hope?" Defense Minister Hannah Weidenseld probed.

"Just talking." Kairis replied. "The right words in the right ears can do wonders..."

"Alright. Let's try it." Scott said.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, New Rome

Demetrios Raoul sat in his office, sucking on a cigarette while he read through his ministerial correspondence, occasionally making notes, when his intercom buzzed and his secretary's voice piped through.

"Minister, there is a Monsieur Yannis Heraklios from the Imperial Foreign Intelligence Service here, he says it is most urgent that he speak with you at once." she said in French.

"Err... send him in." Raoul frowned, putting his correspondence aside and out of view. He wasn't expecting a meeting with anybody from the IFIS, but then again, he usually didn't.

A tall man with slowly greying hair and a rough, weatherbeaten olive complexion wearing a dark suit and carrying a black leather suitcase entered Raoul's office. Raoul guessed by his name that he was a native Greek speaker, and so greeted him in Greek.

"Mr Heraklios, please, sit down." he said, indicating the chair across from his desk.

"Thankyou, Minister." Heraklios replied, and sat down. He opened his briefcase, and produced from within a dossier in a sealed red folder. "I have some alarming intelligence, Minister, and I thought you should be informed immediately."

"Alarming intelligence about what?" Raoul enquired, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray on his desk quickly.

"A prominent politician in Marlund, Minister." he answered, handing Raoul the dossier.

Raoul frowned and nodded gravely, before breaking the seal on the folder and scanning the first few pages within. The subject of the dossier was Garek Baatz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Party in Marlund. Raoul's eyes widened and his mouth slowly gaped open.

"This... this is... where did you get this?" Raoul asked.

"I didn't quite hear that question, Minister. Are you sure you asked it?" Heraklios replied, giving Raoul a meaningful look.

"What do you mean?" Raoul frowned.

"In my experience in the intelligence services, there are some things which a Minister is better off not knowing. After all, he may be asked in Parliament..." Heraklios continued.

"I... b..." Raoul stammered, finding himself wordless for once.

"Did you ask a question, Minister?"

"Uhh... no, I suppose I didn't." Raoul nodded as he flicked through the dossier again. "This is incredible... is it true?"

"I'm sorry Minister, I didn't quite catch that?" Heraklios frowned and replied in a tone which indicated that he'd wish the Foreign Minister would just shut up and take the dossier without asking any more question.

"Oh..." Raoul mumbled. He reached for another cigarette and lit it up. "I suppose... I was just clearing my throat. Thankyou, Mr Heraklios."

"Of course, Minister." the operative replied, rising to his feet. His next remark was laced with suggestion. "I trust that you'll see this information isn't leaked to the press... after all... it could be devastating to the man who could very well be leading Marlund's first democratically elected government."

"Erm..." Raoul grunted, taken aback. This was a most unique meeting, and he wondered if he was reading between the lines correctly. Eventually he nodded. "Of course."

"Thank you, Minister." Heraklios nodded, before retrieving his suitcase and leaving the room.

Raoul spent a few more moments sucking on his cigarette and reading the dossier before he got up and made his way over to the liquor cabinet, where he poured himself a double scotch. He drank it straight and poured himself another, before settling back down at his table. He pressed the intercom.

"Maria, get me Pierre Helios, our ambassador to Marlund..." he said.

"The Menelmacari do." Federal Minister Abraham Goldfarb pointed out.

OOC: They do? Well, aside from not doing much of anything, when'd they do this? Menelmacar seems to have no problem with 'benevolent' autocracies whatsoever, in my experience.

OOC: It wasn't a comment on foreign policy for the most part. Menelmacar has individual freedoms but no meaningful control over their own government, at least not last time I checked, Mephet'ran might have merged in some of the more democratic C'tani institutions when the countries merged. Hence Menelmacar makes its own people be free. But, Siri does have those protectorates in the Congo and the Middle East that she made free too. Anyway, IC post coming soon.