NationStates Jolt Archive

(OOC note: This thread is open to anyone who wants to comment on, influence or disrupt the upcoming Federation elections, as they see fit. I'm not going to post the actual election results until the end of January sometime, but this will give people plenty of time to jump in if they like. My only request is that you clear it with me before doing anything horribly disruptive.)

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The upcoming race for the top spots in Federation politics promises to be an interesting one. Dramatic splits and mergers of several parties have changed the political landscape dramatically from just three years ago.

- The Social Welfare and Justice Party of Aliri Margal underwent massive turmoil as a result of the Bariyan war. When party leaders, led by Shayla Garturban, supported the war as a means to "avenge" Margal's death, party rank-and-file responded by engineering their ouster from the party. The booted members promptly joined the Liberal Party.

- The Green Party, finding itself marginalized at the polls, merged with the Social Welfare and Justice Party to boost the chances of left-wing candidates. They named their new party the Margalite party, in honor of Aliri Margal.

- The New Altan Party and the Altan Conservative Union formally merged, to give right-wing candidates a better shot at winning.

- The Socialist Workers' Party and Communist Party merged to form the Altan Peoples' Party, in an attempt to shore up support among the Altan Steppes' tiny socialist/communist base.

- Regional Akamian and Altanari political parties merged with the major national parties. The Altanari Unity Party and the Akamian Alliance merged with the New Altan Party. The Royalist Party merged with the Liberal Party, and the Akamian Ascendance party merged with the Social Welfare and Justice Party. It is not yet clear how these mergers will affect the overall political landscape.

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The candidates

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New Altan Party - Jinella Agaranth for President; Jaresh Sikim for Vice-President

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Liberal Party - Alana Kasimira (incumbent) for President; Shayla Garturban (incumbent) for Vice-President

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Party of Believers - Haalan Askani for President; Bunan Khaybargan for Vice-President

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Margalite Party - Arman Sheker for President; Akiri Rainwater Baraseth for Vice-President

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Altan Peoples' Party - Hasin Margas for President; Mark Ramirez for Vice-President

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On the issues

International affairs

Agaranth/Sikim: Would keep the Federation in the WA, but would probably replace the current TFAS WA delegation with diplomats who advocate a more independent and sovereigntist approach than the current Jaris Krytellin-led delegation. Would withdraw the Federation from the Lavinium regional military and bar Federation soldiers from taking orders from non-TFAS commanders. Would promote increased military spending and advocate "regime change" for states deemed hostile or dangerous to Federation interests. Would favor expanding current military alliances and forming new ones.

Kasimira/Garturban: Would promote a "carrot and stick" approach to international relations; strong economic, defense and political alliances with friendly states, coupled with "progressively escalating" sanctions against unfriendly ones. Would keep the Federation in the WA with no delegation changes. Would keep the Federation in the Lavinium regional military, but would likely demand greater input as to its operation. Would also favor expanding current military alliances and forming new ones.

Sheker/Baraseth: Would withdraw the Federation from the World Assembly. Would end existing military alliances and withdraw from the Lavinium regional military, and would advocate a neutral and mostly isolationist course in foreign affairs.

Askani/Khaybargan: Favors isolationist policies, and would withdraw the Federation from all international activity, including the World Assembly. Would withdraw the Federation from regional bodies as well, and close the nation's borders.

Margas/Ramirez: Would withdraw from the World Assembly. Favors minimal interaction with other nations, other than establishing relations and alliances with nations "that hold a progressive and enlightened outlook". Would also align the Federation with socialist and communist states.

Defense

Agaranth/Sikim: Would increase defense spending by at least 10%, and would nationalize Federal Defense Corporation, barring it from selling weapons or technology to other nations. Would greatly increase spending on space-based weapons and would "consider" lifting the current ban on WMDs.

Kasimira/Garturban: In a change from previous policies, the Kasimira/Garturban ticket would favor maintaining current military spending, and would focus on expanding space-based capabilities. Would favor "principled intervention" in other states if "warranted". Would expand existing defenses against WMD attacks. Would continue its existing policy of sharing equipment, technology and training with friendly nations, and attempting to form alliances.

Sheker/Baraseth: Wants to cap defense spending at a maximum of 3% of GDP, and limit the Federation military to strictly local defense made up of "volunteer militia". Would not enter alliances with other nations.

Askani/Khaybargan: Wants to drastically cut military and police spending, channeling the money to social programs and religious entities. Would bar the Federation from entering alliances with other nations, or from sending forces into foreign conflicts.

Margas/Ramirez: Would reduce military spending to 5% of GDP, and would end the requirement that all citizens fulfill a year of national service upon reaching age 18, or upon becoming citizens. Would favor a large military, but one equipped with "basic, serviceable" weapons. Would lift the ban on WMDs. Opposed to entering "entangling alliances" with other nations.

The economy and trade

Agaranth/Sikim: Favors cutting taxes on the commercial and industrial sectors, and eliminating most regulations concerning those sectors. Wants to fund "incubators" to increase the Federation's competitiveness in science, technology and manufacturing. Favors free trade policies and wants to sign free trade agreements with as many nations as possible. Is opposed to tax cuts.

Kasimira/Garturban: Would expand the "Altan Commercial Support Fund" to help failing industries or businesses. Favors a minimum wage hike. Would oppose tax cuts for all except the bottom 10% income bracket. Would also fund "incubators" to increase competitiveness in key industries, and ensure a strong basic economic foundation. Also would provide government funding to accelerate the development and expansion of industries in which the Federation is currently outproduced by foreign competitors.

Sheker/Baraseth: Opposed to free trade and would cancel all existing free trade agreements. Favors protectionist policies. Would enact comprehensive environmental regulation and require all businesses to undergo "environmental impact audits" yearly. Would increase regulation on workers' rights and would raise the minimum wage. Favors tax cuts for all but the top 10% income bracket.

Askani/Khaybargan: Favors free trade, and would end all regulation whatsoever over the economy or businesses. Would eliminate the minimum wage. Would oppose tax cuts and instead call for most taxes to be eliminated. Would allow citizens to donate part of their yearly income to the Solar Pantheonic Church as a "tax-deductible donation" and lower their tax burden.

Margas/Ramirez: Would cancel all free trade agreements and enact protectionist legislation, including high tariffs for foreign competitors in "vital" industries. Would raise the minimum wage 5% yearly for five years. Would cut taxes for all but the top 5% income bracket; would seize the assets of the top 5% and redistribute them to the lowest 5%.

National "hot button" issues

Agaranth/Sikim: Favors continuing the Altan state's strong support for GLBT rights, including marriage. Would maintain the national ban on the death penalty. Would continue to allow the sale, use and production of recreational drugs (along with their taxation by the government). Wants to maintain separation of church and state, and continue to allow free practice of worship. Would review the Federation's open immigration policy, and favors increased oversight for the nation's Safe Haven Program for people fleeing violence, repressive regimes or economic collapse, limiting sharply the number of people granted citizenship under the program.

Kasimira/Garturban: Favors continued GLBT rights including marriage. Would maintain the ban on the death penalty. Would maintain current laws allowing recreational drugs. Would maintain the national open immigration policy and increase funding for the Safe Haven Program, but would advocate "increased oversight". Wants to maintain separation of church and state, and continue allowing all religions "equal footing".

Sheker/Baraseth: Favors continued GLBT rights including marriage. Would allow abortion without restriction and maintain the ban on the death penalty. Would allow "natural" recreational drugs and would end taxation of the recreational drug industry. Would sharply limit immigration to prevent further "encroachment" on natural spaces by urban areas. Wants to pass laws mandating that religious entities be barred from participation in politics.

Askani/Khaybargan: Favors continued GLBT rights, but would only allow "civil unions", reserving marriage for heterosexual couples. Would ban all alcohol and recreational drugs except those deemed "sacramental" or otherwise integral to religious activities. Would reinstate the death penalty for some crimes, such as murder. Would end almost all immigration, including the Safe Haven Program. Wants to restore the "preeminent place" that the Solar Pantheonic Church once held in national governments.

Margas/Ramirez: Would maintain continued GLBT rights including marriage. Would allow abortion without restriction. Would allow drug use, sales and production without restriction, but would require the recreational drug industry to give up 10% of its profits to fund drug rehabilitation and treatment programs, in addition to the usual taxes. Would maintain the ban on the death penalty. Would allow immigration without restriction. Would sharply restrict the role religion plays in the nation.

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The prospects: President/Vice-President

Entering the 2010 race, the Kasimira/Garturban ticket is seen by many as the prohibitive favorite. Riding a wave of domestic popularity after the Bariyan war, Alana Kasimira is seen as a strong and decisive leader who isn't afraid to make tough decisions. Her presidency has, once and for all, destroyed the previous image of the Liberal Party as being "soft" on defense and national security, which Altani view as paramount issues. She has also managed to spend just enough on education and social welfare to keep her party's left-wing base happy. The rising tax rate and government spending, coupled with budget woes, represent Kasimira's Achilles heel. Another potential problem is Garturban, who is gaffe-prone and not known for a restrained tongue.

If anyone has a chance to pull off an upset, the Agaranth/Sikim ticket is most poised to do so. Jinella Agaranth still commands a fanatically loyal and large following, particularly among traditional Altani and right-wing voters. She also has a commanding political base among her fellow Akamians, although that base has been chipped away somewhat by Kasimira, who has capitalized on the fact that Akamians by and large are more liberal than other Altani. Agaranth is expected to focus on rising spending and social programs, hoping to depict Kasimira as a tax-and-spend liberal. Agaranth will also argue that Kasimira's tenure has been bad for the Altani economy, and for the Federation's relations and image abroad. Agaranth will also likely play the Margalite Party and Peoples' Party against the Liberal Party as much as possible, hoping to siphon just enough votes away from Kasimira to manage a win. Agaranth's Achilles heel, like Kasimira's, is her VP candidate. Jaresh Sikim brings much-needed far-right votes to her ticket, but also brings a reputation as an extreme nationalist, and he's a verbose gaffe machine like Garturban.

It's difficult to see a path to victory for the other tickets, but they'll give it a shot anyway.

The Sheker/Baraseth ticket will most likely campaign on an anti-war platform that is heavy on social spending, with corresponding cuts in military and police spending. They will also argue strongly that the Kasimira presidency has hurt the Altan economy and image, and call for increased spending to boost economic development, innovation and growth. They will also argue that Kasimira broke promises to take a less aggressive approach to foreign relations, as well as promises to end free trade agreements, boost regulations on business and the environment, cap defense spending, and prevent a ban on abortion. The two candidates themselves may be their best selling point: both Sheker and Baraseth are handsome, charismatic politicians who are capable of building support if they get enough attention from the media.

The Askani/Khaybargan ticket will most likely reiterate its previous platform, with the addition of opposing war spending and advocating defense cuts. The two ultra-religious candidates will gain support from devout Solar Pantheonics, but little from anyone else.

The Margas/Ramirez ticket will most likely rehash its previous platform as well, although it will moderate its anti-religion stance to try to gain support from voters. They are also expected to denounce the "police state" they claim the Federation is becoming, and demand massive cuts in defense and police spending. While socialism/communism are despised in the Altan Steppes, their anti-police state stance could gain support among people wary of the Federation government's growing power.

The prospects: Congress

The New Altan Party and the Liberal Party, invigorated by mergers with smaller rivals, are expected to scrap it out again for the lions' share of seats in Congress. The other three parties will probably continue to serve as swing votes, but in a diminished role.

The prospects: Constituent state/county/municipal elections

In Altanar, the Liberal Party is expected to retain a narrow lead over the NAP and other parties. In Akamia, the reverse is likely, as the NAP will likely continue to confound Liberal Party attempts to make inroads on Jinella Agaranth's home turf. Argalia is expected to be a tossup.

Shots across the bow

Selected quotes from the acceptance speeches of the candidates for the Federation presidential elections:

Alana Kasimira, Liberal Party: "My opponents, and my critics, will no doubt claim that I haven't kept my promises, that I've said one thing and done another, or that I've been weak as a leader. Nothing could be further from the truth. Being a leader doesn't mean that you blindly follow a set dogma no matter what, or that you never change your stance even when the evidence insists that you do so. Being a leader means being flexible and capable of adjusting to the challenges that leading a great nation invariably thrusts at you. Being a leader means looking at all possiblities and then making a decision that benefits as many people as possible - and being able to make that decision quickly, and not waver once the right course has made itself apparent. I have not been able to do everything I wanted to do when I first became President, and I'll be the first to admit that. But when the time for decision struck, I have made the best decision for our nation, time and again. When we needed to set the foundations for our new Federation, I guided our nation forward into stability and order. When we needed to balance our need to educate and care for our people with the need to defend our nation and secure our streets, I made the decisions that had to be made, and found the balance that would best serve our people. When our desire for peace was challenged by the need to combat the scourge of terrorism that threatened not only us, but this entire region, I made the tough decisions that needed to be made. My opponents will claim that their blind adherence to dogma, no matter what, is what a leader is made of. But our people know better. I've shown the ability to make decisions and balance competing needs that a truly great nation demands, and I will continue to show that leadership as your President."

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Jinella Agaranth, New Altan Party: "I'm going to say something I never thought I'd say - Alana Kasimira has been a good president."

(boos from the crowd)

"No, really, she has been. But good isn't good enough. In times where we need leadership, all we've gotten from her is half measures. When we were on the verge of victory against terrorists in BariyaKhem, she stopped and agreed to 'peace talks'. When we had a chance to end the weakness-inducing stigma of a welfare state, she only went halfway by trying to combine her failed liberal ideas with our ideas that work. When we had a chance to assert ourselves on the international stage, she instead took her cues from other nations' leaders and went along with every half-baked scheme they proposed. Yes, Alana Kasimira has been a good President. But in times like these, with the challenges the Federation faces, good just isn't good enough. It is times like this that demand greatness. And I am ready, and capable, of being the great leader and President that the Federation needs."

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Haalan Askani, Party of Believers: "By the grace of the Gods, I am ennobled by the support of my fellow believers and followers of the True Faith. Together, we will end the secularist rampage that the godless heathen Kasimira and her modernist supporters have forced upon our beloved Altan Steppes. We will restore the traditional values and the faith which sustained our great nation, and our ancestors, since before the recorded memory of time. We will be empowered by restored morality, faith and nobility to lead the Altan Steppes into a golden age. We will restore our peoples' faith in themselves and their strength, and end the abomination of depending on government for survival. We will stop the dilution of our great culture by foreign ways and foreign faiths. Under our leadership, the Altan Steppes will shine brightly as the greatest light in all of Lavinium. So shall it be written, so shall it be done, by the grace of the Pantheon and the most holy."

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Arman Sheker, Margalite Party: "People ask us why we stopped being part of the Liberal Party coalition. I like to say it's because we made a mistake, we thought the people of the Altan Steppes had elected Alana Kasimira in the last election and not Jinella Agaranth. Somehow, we got a warlike, aggressive President even though we voted for the exact opposite. Somehow, we got a President who kept funnelling the wealth of our nation into a massive police/military/industrial complex, even though we voted for the opposite. Somehow, we got a President who spit on the concept of protecting our environment or our workers, even though we voted for the opposite. Somehow, we got a President who has attacked our neighbors and alienated this entire region against us, even though we voted for the opposite. Somehow, we got a President who has kept the stranglehold of so-called free trade on our people, even though we didn't vote for that. We ended up with a President who allowed abortion to be banned, even though we didn't vote for that either. We must've just made a mistake when we pressed that button that said 'Kasimira' in the voting booth - or maybe we made the mistake of trusting a liar. We made the mistake of believing Alana Kasimira when she told us what we wanted to hear - but in this election, we won't make that mistake again."

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Hasin Margas, Peoples' Party: "We live in interesting times, my friends. We live in a police state that cloaks itself in the trappings of representative democracy, while it destroys neighboring states and deports people who it finds undesirable. We have a Federation that promotes the ideals of freedom and peace, while blithely marching down the road to fascism and violence. We find ourselves led by a 'Liberal' President who cuts services to our most unfortunate, while exporting weapons and war to the entire region. We find ourselves led by 'Liberal' politicians who take womens' right to choose away and make handshake deals with right-wing scumbags in the dark corners of Congress to keep themselves in power and promote a so-called 'centrist' agenda which is really just conservatism lite. Ladies and gentlemen, our leaders have truly taken us into Bizarro world, where up is down, black is white, failure is success, and we're all just screwed. But the time is coming for us to rise up against the sham democracy we've been given, and the power of the people will soon make itself known."

(OOC: I haven't had time to post much to this thread, so I'm just going to wrap it up at this point.)

Kasimira, center-left parties dominate elections

NATASCORA - In an anticlimactic end to a long campaign, President Alana Kasimira cruised to an easy victory in her re-election bid today.

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Winning just over 60% of the vote, President Kasimira won more votes than all of her other opponents combined. Political observers called the dominating performance "unprecedented" in Altani politics.

"Most politicians in our history would be content with any majority at all, given how factionalized our politics has been up to now," political commentator Garin Satar said. "To put forth such a performance, where she trounced the right-wing parties that have traditionally held such strong sway in our country, is a real accomplishment."

Satar said that Kasimira's "image of leadership" during incidents such as the Bariyan conflict and the war with the Holy Empire boosted her candidacy and relieved old fears that the Liberal Party was too soft on defense issues. Satar also said that the failed candidacy of Arman Sheker, who dropped out of the race, helped Kasimira as well by undercutting Jinella Agaranth.

"Jinella Agaranth's strongest base of support has traditionally been among her fellow Akamians. But Jinella, and her party, are a lot more right-wing than most Akamians are comfortable with. When Arman Sheker began competing with her for the Akamian vote, most Akamians went with him, because his ideology is more compatible with theirs. Sheker basically handed a big chunk of the Akamian vote to Kasimira when he dropped out and endorsed her, and that hurt Agaranth too badly for her to recover," Satar said.

In her victory speech, Kasimira pledged to work with other parties and political leaders "to continue to refine and improve the great experiment in equality and freedom that the Federation represents". Kasimira also said that she would utilize what she called "a clear mandate from the Altani people" to ensure that the Federation "continues to be the preeminent democracy and leading state of our great region".

"Under our leadership, the Federation has held together when many said it was doomed to fail. We have grown and progressed, bringing stability and prosperity to our people after many years of hardship. We have emerged as a guarantor of justice and regional stability against terrorists and tyrants, and have stood as a beacon of freedom and hope for many people fleeing from other lands. This is what we have accomplished in just a few short years, and in the years to come, we will continue to provide the leadership that the Altani people demand," Kasimira told a cheering crowd of supporters in her hometown of Kyrinia.

In Celavan, Agaranth gave a short concession speech, thanking her supporters. Agaranth congratulated Kasimira on her victory, but warned that her party would continue to be "the loyal opposition that moderates the excesses of liberal leadership".

Agaranth's party, in combination with other parties, has managed to do that well in the past. But in this year's Congressional elections, center-left parties rode Kasimira's coattails to victory, which may make the opposition's job much harder for the next three years.

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The New Altan Party remains the largest party in Congress, winning 145 seats due to a strong performance in Argalia. However, the newly formed Margalite Party won a stunning 86 seats, beating both the Liberal Party and New Altan Party in Akamia. Coupled with the 109 seats the Liberal Party picked up, the center-left bloc in Congress controls a total of 211 seats if the Peoples' Party allies with the Margalites and the Liberals.

"They may be the largest party in Congress still, but it's a useless title," Satar said of the NAP. "Even if the NAP, the Party of Believers and the independents all vote together, the center-left parties still control two more votes than the right-wing parties," Satar said. "And that's assuming the independents all swing to the right, which is highly unlikely. Ultimately, parties friendly to the President's agenda are firmly in control of Congress. The best the right will be able to hope for is to swing enough votes to try to slow the steamroller down sometimes," Satar said.

LP/Margalites cement control of Congress

In the first flexing of their muscles as the new leaders of Congress, the Liberal/Margalite/Peoples' Party coalition has booted some of its New Altan Party/Believers' rivals from key Congressional leadership positions.

The New Altan Party has been stripped of its control of the Budget, Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Finance committees, reducing its leadership to a few minor committees. The biggest coup came when Jinella Agaranth (NAP-Nara) was ousted from her position as chair of the Committee on National Defense. Agaranth was replaced by freshman Congressman and former presidential rival Arman Sheker (MP-Nalioka). Agaranth's ouster by a freshman who has never held a political position before sparked outrage from NAP and Believer Congresspeople. "The leftist coalition in control of Congress, and the Kasimira administration, have put politics over the national interest and our defense needs by appointing a rank amateur like Sheker over an experienced and knowledgeable leader like Jinella Agaranth," Congressman Adil Sohaila (NAP-Shisheli) accused. "If this is the kind of behavior we can expect from the leftist parties and the President, they'd better be ready for one hell of a rough ride for the next three years," Sohaila added.

The new Congressional Majority Leader, Lydia Cervantes-Beibitzhan (LP-Ael Khalas), dismissed Sohaila's remarks. "It's not uncommon for the majority party to name its members to head up committees; my colleague conveniently forgets that the New Altan Party stacked the leadership positions with their members when they controlled the first Congress. They're trying to manufacture a scandal over nothing, because they have nothing else to talk about," Cervantes-Beibitzhan said.