NationStates Jolt Archive

The Honourable Deputy Wan Bai-luo (Democratic Concordance-Zeng) moved that the Chamber of Deputies consider Resolution 1151, a proposed constitutional amendment. The amendment had three main provisions. Firstly, it would allow residents of the Confederal Sovereign Territory to elect one representative to the Chamber of Delegates. Secondly, it would create two new seats on the Confederal Council, heading an independent Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and an independent Department of Immigration and Multiculturalism. Both departments currently existed within the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources and of Justice respectively. Thirdly, the amendment would require all future amendments to be submitted to the voters only during national elections in order to prevent abuse or excessive use of the amendment process. The motion was seconded by the Honourable Deputy Sabu Cansai (Democratic Concordance-Farinor). The motion to consider the resolution passed without objection. The Honourable Deputy Cahana Edulbehram (Democratic Concordance-Farinor), President of the Chamber of Deputies, allowed an hour in favor of the proposal and an hour against. The hour in favor was to be controlled by Mr. Wan. She asked for anyone willing to speak against the proposal. The Honourable Deputy Wang Pang (Labour-Zeng) and the Honourable Deputy Aziza Barre (Liberal-Corral) both rose. Ms. Edulbehram granted Mr. Wang control of the time.

Mr. Wan argued that a seven member Confederal Council was not sufficient for a true concordance system in a political environment with nine major parties. He argued that a nine member Council would be able to contain a representative of every major party and thus reflect the political composition of the nation. So long as they maintained the principle of collegiality, this would allow them to function as a truly representative and non-partisan executive, subject to the democratic will of the people as expressed through their representatives in the Confederal Assembly, of course. He argued this point for about five minutes before yielding the balance of his time to Mr. Cansai. Mr. Cansai reserved the balance of his time to allow Mr. Wang to respond to Mr. Wan’s arguments.

Mr. Wang argued that this sort of concordance system would not be democratic. The composition of the Confederal Council would not change in response to elections and there would be no competition among parties for seats on the Council. It would also enshrine parties relatively unpopular with the voters but just barely qualifying as major parties to have a guaranteed seat on the highest executive body in the nation and a guaranteed presidency once every seven years. While the Confederal Assembly would remain democratic, this would remain cold comfort as long as the Confederal Council was organized in this way, designed to be both neutral and political at the same time. If Mr. Wan and his party wanted to place a collegial executive above party politics, they should make the Council strictly non-partisan and treat it as a civil service, rather than a political body. Mr. Wang yielded the balance of his time to Ms. Barre.

Ms. Barre argued that the Liberals would prefer to defeat the Federals, already suffering from the fiasco in Achi, and win a seat on the Council through honest and democratic means. She argued, as Mr. Wang had, that the proposed amendment was undemocratic and added that it removed political accountability from the individual members of the Confederal Council. Without ministerial responsibility, Ms. Barre claimed, the people had no reason to trust the Council and therefore had no reason to trust the important civil service and military infrastructure under the Council.

Ms. Barre yielded the balance of her time to the Honourable Deputy Saburo Sada (Liberal-Adoki). Mr. Cansai rose to respond to the comments of Mr. Wang and Ms. Barre, reminding them of the basic rationale behind the concordance system. Mr. Cansai argued that the sort of democracy Mr. Wang wanted, simple majority rule, was equally subject to tyrannical abuse as any other form of government, representing the naked dictatorship of the majority over the minority. There were a few shouts of shame from the Labour and Liberal benches and Mr. Cansai repeated his statement defiantly. He said that the beauty of the concordance system was exactly that aspect of it which Mr. Wang and Ms. Barre most despised. It did not place the government in the hands of whoever happened to have won the last election so that they might exercise arbitrary power over the losers but placed political power in the hands of the elected representatives of all of the people all of the time.

Ms. Sada rose to argue that n one was calling for simple majority rule. There were many protections for minorities in the Confederated Peoples taking the forms of guaranties of individual personal and social rights, the federal system, the rule of law, a culture of compromise and negotiation founded on an understanding of that which could not be compromised and the current concordance system. However, she argued, the Confederal people also needed to be able to make a real choice during elections. This choice would be abridged, or at least the political executive would be shielded from it, were the amendment to be passed.

The proposed amendment created some odd bedfellows. Although the Liberals and Labour initially argued against it, the strongest opposition over the next several weeks came from the Conservative Democrats and the Socialists. Both parties stressed the right of the voters to have a meaningful choice and both parties intended, as part of their platform, to attempt to move policy relatively far from the center, albeit in different directions. Correspondingly, both were opposed to the further strengthening of the concordance system which seemed to keep policy relatively stable and relatively centrist. Working together, the two parties defeated the proposal.

Democratic Concordance did eventually come up with a compromise proposal. The new amendment would provide for representation of the Confederal Sovereign Territory in the Chamber of Deputies according to the same rules which governed Member representation and established special elections to allow for the immediate representation of the Territory. It also limited any future constitutional amendments to the time of the general election.

Lambert Mably clasped his hands behind his back as he circled the conference room at Democratic Party headquarters. He was a bald, stocky man nearing sixty. His skin was jet black and what hair he had left just as completely white. His eyes were cold, the eyes of a hard man who’d led a hard life. They carefully scanned the two other occupants of the room. Edward Rigdale was quite relaxed. He was a white man, equally bald, with a rather composed expression. He looked quietly between the other two as though withholding judgment. Nancy Priest, on the other hand, was standing behind her chair, clutching the back of the chair defensively. Her normally maternal expression had turned to one of tension as her brown eyes warily moved from one man to the other. Her designer pantsuit seemed unusually ruffled and her hair was mussed. It was clear to anyone that she’d had a rough few days and wasn’t handling it well.

Rigdale spread his hands helplessly and began in a gentle tone, “Look, Nancy, it isn’t that we don’t appreciate all you’ve done for the party in its earliest stages but you’re facing a recall vote back in Hesperia. You don’t look likely to win. The party will need a new leader, a leader who can do better than that. It’s nothing personal but this is what’s best for the party. We don’t need a leadership fight. The party is too weak for that now, anyway. We don’t even have a seat on the Confederal Council and, if the people endorse the watered down Democratic Concordance amendment, we won’t get one unless we do much, much better in recalls, by-elections, the CST elections and the next general. That’s not the direction we’re headed in now. It would destroy the party if our sitting leader were to be recalled. We’d go the way of the Confederal Actionists in the next election.”

“A fighting party doesn’t abandon its leader in a fight,” Priest said. “We can turn things around in Hesperia. We can beat this thing. But I can’t win without the party’s support. If I resign the leadership, it would be seen as a surrender in Hesperia. We’d be sure to lose the seat. Is that what you want?”

Mably snorted loudly, his nostrils flaring visibly, “You’re lecturing me about the virtues of a fighting party? We have a rapidly deteriorating situation in Kaitan-Leagran which is likely to turn either into a civil war or a military dictatorship and we’re just going to pretend like nothing is happening. We have a foreign aid policy which does nothing to establish the anti-colonial stance which this country, more than most others, has every reason to adopt. Instead, we play nice with countries like Iesus Christi and Iansisle in order to gain some illusory benefit in the fight against trafficking in persons, never mind that the Iesians are some of the worst offenders in the world. We remain in the obsolete VERITAS pacts. A fighting party isn’t defined by fighting hard for a weak leader, asking party members and voters to stick by someone for purely organizational reasons while our base scatters to Democratic Concordance to our right or the Progressive Democrats to our left. A fighting party needs a fighting policy, one that takes a strong stance on the important issues of the day, one which rejects dogmatism of left, right and center and seeks to meet the real needs of the people, one which is inclusive of all Confederals and is thus sympathetic to the equal claims of all parts of the international community on our sympathy. We can’t ignore Iansislean imperialism and continue to ignore Knootian imperialism. We can’t implicitly sympathize with colonial European nations while offering vague and weak condemnations of a few excesses. We have to be ready and willing to deal with all people in the world on equal terms if we’re really dealing equitably with the perspectives of all people domestically. If it were up to me, I would start by fighting for a real restructuring of our foreign aid programs from mere technicalities to a principled investment in a better and a more just world.”

“We can have an extensive policy discussion within the party and an extensive dialogue with the voters after we defeat this recall,” Priest offered weakly. “We can come out of this stronger than we went in.”

Rigdale sighed lightly and shook his head, “Maybe we’ll see where we stand. You can go out of this with your head held high though. You can resign gracefully, have a by-election instead of a recall; let us run someone who can win in Hesperia. You’d remain a public figure. There wouldn’t be the shame of a defeat.”

Priest frowned deeply, stepping out from behind her chair and slumping down into it, “I just…I’m going to fight for my seat and I’m going to fight for the leadership of this party. It’s all I know how to do. I’ve spent my career in politics.”

“Then I will challenge you for the leadership,” Mably said. “The procedure is simple and, once you initiate it, quite speedy.” His gaze remained hard and rather unsympathetic.

Rigdale sighed and looked to his colleague, “I really wish you’d hold off on this for a few days, Lambert. Give her some time to think things over, maybe develop a strategy.”

“This party can’t afford that,” Mable said harshly.

Rigdale looked down briefly and then glanced back to Priest. He started to speak and then quieted. He’d worked with her a great deal and he knew perfectly well that he was signing her political death warrant, “I’m afraid that I’m with him. Between the two of us and our supporters in the party, I don’t think the outcome is in doubt.”

“If you try to defend your seat, we’ll have someone challenge you for the nomination there too,” Mably added. “We can’t let your politics of defeat sink the party in Hesperia.”

“Come on, that’s…” Priest started to protest but then she just went silent, putting her head in her hands and going almost completely limp. For the first time in her adult life, she started to cry.

Mably softened for just a moment as he looked at her. It was almost shocking to see a grown woman with a reputation for being tough sobbing like a little girl. Then he turned and walked towards the door. He paused and turned to see Rigdale approaching Priest. “Come on, Ed, let’s go,” he suggested.

“But…” Rigdale started.

“We did this. Nothing you say will make her happier about it,” Mably explained. Rigdale nodded slowly and followed his accomplice from the room. The Democratic Party would be theirs by the end of the week, for better or worse.

Legislation of Interest

Resolution: To restrict the construction and placement of cellular antennae masts in order to protect bird populations.
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Party
Current Status: Proposed
Major Parties in Support: None
Major Parties in Opposition: Conservative Democratic Party, Democratic Concordance, Federal Party, Liberal Party, Republican Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: Democratic Party, Socialist Party
Major Parties Undecided: Progressive Democratic Party, Labour Party

Resolution: To restrict the construction and placement of cellular antennae masts in order to protect bird populations.
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Party
Status in the Chamber: First Reading
Status in the Senate: None
Major Parties in Support: Democratic Party, Progressive Democratic Party
Major Parties in Opposition: Conservative Democratic Party, Democratic Concordance, Federal Party, Liberal Party, Republican Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: Democratic Party, Socialist Party, Labour Party
Major Parties Undecided: None

Resolution: To prohibit the Department of Infrastructure from funding further research of the possible health effects of cell phone use.
Sponsoring Party: Republican Party
Status in the Chamber: None
Status in the Senate: First Reading
Major Parties in Support: Republican Party, Liberal Party, Federal Party
Major Parties in Opposition: Democratic Concordance, Progressive Democratic Party, Democratic Party, Labour Party, Socialist Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: Conservative Democratic Party
Major Parties Undecided: None

Resolution: To restrict the construction and placement of cellular antennae masts in order to protect bird populations.
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Party
Status in the Chamber: Dead
Status in the Senate: None
Major Parties in Support: Democratic Party, Progressive Democratic Party
Major Parties in Opposition: Conservative Democratic Party, Democratic Concordance, Federal Party, Liberal Party, Republican Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: Democratic Party, Socialist Party, Labour Party
Major Parties Undecided: None

Resolution: To prohibit the Department of Infrastructure from funding further research of the possible health effects of cell phone use.
Sponsoring Party: Republican Party
Status in the Chamber: None
Status in the Senate: Dead
Major Parties in Support: Republican Party, Liberal Party, Federal Party
Major Parties in Opposition: Democratic Concordance, Progressive Democratic Party, Democratic Party, Labour Party, Socialist Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: Conservative Democratic Party
Major Parties Undecided: None

Resolution: To officially condemn Iansisle for its treatment of Gallaga
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Party
Status in the Chamber: First Reading
Status in the Senate: None
Major Parties in Support: Democratic Party, Liberal Party, Conservative Democratic Party, Socialist Party, Labour Party
Major Parties in Opposition: Democratic Concordance, Federal Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: None
Major Parties Undecided: Republican Party, Conservative Democratic Party

Resolution: To officially condemn Iansisle for its treatment of Gallaga
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Party
Status in the Chamber: Second Reading
Status in the Senate: None
Major Parties in Support: Democratic Party, Liberal Party, Conservative Democratic Party, Socialist Party, Labour Party
Major Parties in Opposition: Democratic Concordance, Federal Party, Republican Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: Conservative Democratic Party
Major Parties Undecided: None

Resolution: To provide Confederal funding for a patient navigator program to help create a preventive health environment, identify serious diseases early and assist patients so identified in navigating Member, private, Confederal and in some circumstances foreigh health providers to best obtain early and effective treatment
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Party
Status in the Chamber: None
Status in the Senate: First Reading
Major Parties in Support: Democratic Party, Progressive Democratic Party, Labour Party, Socialist Party
Major Parties in Opposition: Republican Party, Federal Party, Liberal Party
Major Parties Allowing of Conscience Vote: None
Major Parties Undecided: Democratic Concordance, Conservative Democratic Party

Resolution: To officially condemn Iansisle for its treatment of Gallaga
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Party
Status in the Chamber: Third Reading
Status in the Senate: None
Major Parties in Support: Democratic Party, Liberal Party, Conservative Democratic Party, Socialist Party, Labour Party
Major Parties in Opposition: Democratic Concordance, Federal Party, Republican Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: Conservative Democratic Party
Major Parties Undecided: None

Resolution: To provide Confederal funding for a patient navigator program to help create a preventive health environment, identify serious diseases early and assist patients so identified in navigating Member, private, Confederal and in some circumstances foreigh health providers to best obtain early and effective treatment
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Party
Status in the Chamber: None
Status in the Senate: Second Reading
Major Parties in Support: Democratic Party, Progressive Democratic Party, Labour Party, Socialist Party, Democratic Concordance
Major Parties in Opposition: Republican Party, Federal Party, Liberal Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: Conservative Democratic Party
Major Parties Undecided: None

Resolution: To provide a guaranteed right to a safe, legal abortion throughout the Confederated Peoples
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Party
Status in the Chamber: First Reading
Status in the Senate: None
Major Parties in Support: Democratic Party, Liberal Party
Major Parties in Opposition: Federal Party, Republican Party, Conservative Democratic Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: Democratic Concordance, Progressive Democratic Party, Labour Party
Major Parties Undecided: Socialist Party

Resolution: To officially condemn Iansisle for its treatment of Gallaga
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Party
Status in the Chamber: Passed
Status in the Senate: First Reading
Major Parties in Support: Democratic Party, Liberal Party, Conservative Democratic Party, Socialist Party, Labour Party
Major Parties in Opposition: Democratic Concordance, Federal Party, Republican Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: Conservative Democratic Party
Major Parties Undecided: None

Resolution: To provide Confederal funding for a patient navigator program to help create a preventive health environment, identify serious diseases early and assist patients so identified in navigating Member, private, Confederal and in some circumstances foreigh health providers to best obtain early and effective treatment
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Party
Status in the Chamber: None
Status in the Senate: Third Reading
Major Parties in Support: Democratic Party, Progressive Democratic Party, Labour Party, Socialist Party, Democratic Concordance
Major Parties in Opposition: Republican Party, Federal Party, Liberal Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: Conservative Democratic Party
Major Parties Undecided: None

Resolution: To provide a guaranteed right to a safe, legal abortion throughout the Confederated Peoples
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Party
Status in the Chamber: Second Reading
Status in the Senate: None
Major Parties in Support: Democratic Party, Liberal Party, Socialist Party
Major Parties in Opposition: Federal Party, Republican Party, Conservative Democratic Party
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: Democratic Concordance, Progressive Democratic Party, Labour Party
Major Parties Undecided: None

Resolution: To end the Confederal presence and withdraw the "provisional claim" on the five unihabited islands in the Gulf of Vasconia occuppied by Confederal troops during the recent Gulf crisis
Sponsoring Party: Democratic Concordance
Status in the Chamber: First Reading
Status in the Senate: None
Major Parties in Support: Democratic Concordance, Democratic Party, Conservative Democratic Party, Socialist Party, Federal Party, Labour Party, Liberal Party
Major Parties in Opposition: None
Major Parties Allowing a Freedom of Conscience Vote: None
Major Parties Undecided: Progressive Democratic Party, Republican Party

recorded on IanCorp Wireless National (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=538961) and distributed to news outlets around the world

"Fellow Assemblymen, the President of the Republic!" said the speaker of the Iansislean National Assembly. Applauding politely, he yielded the central podium to Nicodemo Ranalte. The two-hundred-and-fifty man Assembly gave Ranalte an almost belligerent round of applause.

"Thank you, Mr Speaker," said Ranalte. He cleared his throat. Cameras could be heard clicking in the background.

"As many of you are no doubt aware, there has been a resolution passed in the lower house of the Confederated Peoples which contains an official reprimand of this government for its treatment of Gallaga."

Unlike earlier in the Revolution, when any given sentence was bound to cause outbursts of cheers or hisses, the Assembly seemed to be behaving itself in a somewhat respectable manner. There were only a few scattered cries of indignation.

"My government has been silent on this to date as it was not believed that the Confederal government would be so reckless as to endanger the good relations between our two states on a largely meaningless gesture.

"As our friends in the Confederal government may or may not be aware, there is currently as massive undertaking by my government (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=534459), in co-operation with the Gallagan National Congress, to withdraw the Iansislean political and military presence from the subcontinent. One must remember, however, that we are dealing with an area of several million square miles and nearly three hundred million people. Both Mr de Fenne, my Governor-General, and Mr Dhawan, the leader of the Congress, have assured me that this process will be neither painless, short, nor easy.

"Therefore, I cannot stress enough how ill-timed this Confederal move is. Iansisle desires nothing more than a peaceful withdrawal from Gallaga in as timely a manner as possible. However, interference from a foreign power at this crucial state would inflame passions on both sides, Gallagan and Shieldian, and could lead to chaos and anarchy rather than the orderly, non-violent decolonization which is so richly desired by both my government and the Congress. An independent Gallaga formed in hatred and disaster could not be part of the post-colonization plans for an international economic federation which has been proposed by Mr Dhawan himself and would be vulnerable to the imperialist powers who have fewer scruples than this great republic.

"It is with a heavy heart that I must firmly declare that the passage of this bill would severely damage relations between the Gull Flag Republic and the Confederated Peoples. With every fiber of my being that I plead the Confederal senate to reject this ludicrous proposal. I beg of you: give peace a chance. My withdrawal plan is working; give it time to do the job properly. If you do not, the entire fate of the Gallagan subcontinent may hang in the balance.

"Thank you very much. Long live the Revolution! God save Iansisle, and -- perhaps more importantly -- may God bless the Confederated Peoples! Good night."

*cheers and applause*

A few hours after President Ranalte’s speech, the Senate voted to indefinitely suspend debate on the bill pending further developments. Those responsible for suspending debate cited several primary objections to passing the bill at this time. Specifically, they were concerned about the failure of the Chamber to seek input from Iansisle’s diplomatic mission when considering the bill, the need to give the current process a chance to work, the low-level of engagement with Iansisle and the questionable nature of the Confederal Assembly’s right to issue official pronouncements about foreign affairs.

President Kairis, after meeting with the rest of the Confederal Council, asked to address the diplomatic corps. She spoke on a variety of topics, from problems in the Gulf of Laneria to climate change. However, near the end of her remarks, the President mentioned both the Chamber resolution and Ranalte’s speech, both of which, she said, involved a basic misunderstanding of the Confederal Constitution. Confederal foreign policy was the province of the Confederal Council through their authorized agents in the Confederal Department of Foreign Affairs. The Confederal Assembly could only ratify, reject or repeal treaties and then only with a supermajority of both houses. No other political body, no matter how august, could address a foreign power or the international community in the name of the Confederated Peoples. In official statement that they might make in their own name was just that and should not be mistaken for the position of the Confederated Peoples, which was supportive of the current process.

That evening, Senator Fagan Ramsay (PD-FI) met with the President for over an hour. After the meeting, the President requested a meeting with the ambassador to discuss specific ways to increase contact and understanding at all levels. She also asked the ambassadors of Knootoss, Pantocratoria and Xirnium for their opinions on the matter, meeting treaty requirements for consultation.

The next day, a few Deputies loudly opposed the decisions of the Senate and the Confederal Council but most of them knew how to lose gracefully, especially when there was little to be gained politically through persistence.

The message which returned from Henry August's mission to President Kairis's office was short but receptive and warm. It would prize the chance to discuss the Quit Gallaga program and intimated that President Ranalte had sent a brief missive for President Kairis's eyes only. It further stipulated that the Gull Flag Republic was welcoming foreign oversight and aide in the decolonization of Gallaga, even if the brief conference with Alcona and Hubris and Walmington on Sea had been a failure.

When the ambassador arrived, he was ushered directly into the President's office. Kairis stood as he entered and stepped out from behind her desk to offer her hand, "Thank you for coming. I found your message rather heartening. I definitely think that we might be able to become more positively involved with one another, particularly over the matter of Gallaga."

Henry August took the offered hand and shook it. His missing left arm had been tactfully hidden by stuffing the sleeve with straw and tying it inside a jacket pocket.

"Thank you for receiving me, Madam President. I do hope you'll forgive the level of rhetoric that President Ranalte used, but you must understand how dear to his heart the Quit is. He sent this letter for you."

August produced a short note. It also thanked Kairis for her support and apologized for the mistake on the functioning of Confederal procedure. It also made mention of the difficulties Iansisle was having with the Quit Gallaga program, in particular stubborn resistance from the "Nushies" -- white Iansislean settlers living in Gallaga -- and asked for Confederal help in the decolonization procedure.

Kairis returned the shake and took the note. She then took a seat behind her desk, gesturing to one of the chairs directly across from her desk. "Please, have a seat, ambassador."

The President briefly scanned the note from Ranalte before folding it neatly and placing it on her desk. She smiled slightly as she took a moment to reflect. "I believe we are agreed in principle. However, there is the matter of exactly what form our assistance might take. We are willing to provide the Gallagans, like any other young democracy, with teachers, doctors, medical supplies, help with infrastructure, election observers, military and police training, civil service expertise and the like but I get the feeling that your government is looking for something...less technical...in nature."

August took the seat offered to him with a bow.

"It is the opinion of the Gallaga Office," he started, referring to the Directorship in charge of Gallagan affairs, "that two main problems face a new independent state. The first of course is that Iansisle does not have the power to satisfy the most virulent of the nationalists.

"A good part of what may be considered Gallaga -- here I refer to that portion, formerly Calarcan and now under the control of the Federated Klatchian Coast in southern Gallaga, as well as Walmingtonian Ceyloba -- lies outside our borders. An independent Gallaga would be balanced between consolidating what we can give them and a new irredentism which may derail Shieldo-Gallagan relations and make the new state an international pariah.

"Secondly, we are concerned about those white settlers in Gallaga who are opposed to any change in the status quo. We would love to compensate them for any changes and offer them a chance to move back to the Shield, but as you are no doubt aware, we are in the midst of an economic crisis and simply cannot afford to. We don't want to follow the precedent of Waynesia." Here August referred to a Walmingtonian colony where, in lieu of accepting a native majority, the minority white settlers revolted and set up an apartheid government.

"President Ranalte was hoping that the Confederated People may be able to help us put diplomatic pressure on the Klatch and Great Walmington to quit Gallaga as well, thus saving us from future instability in the region, as well as placate the more violent of the Nushies."

"What sort of diplomatic pressure? I've barely even heard of those nations. We certainly don't have any substantive relations with them at the present time. We aren't in a position to apply any more pressure than you are. We could, of course, give you aid to fund the repatriation of the settlers," Kairis said, frowning slightly.