NationStates Jolt Archive

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Your World, Your News

Good evening, Alice Parker here at the HBC news desk in Seaburg. Today the election season officially ended at sun down. After a brisk forty days of hard campaigning the election has finally come to a close. Provinces all across the Grand Duchy have already certified their election results.


Nationalistisk Republikaner Folkeparti: 323 seats GAIN + 97
Popular Party: 230 seats GAIN + 28
Central Coalition: 63 seats LOSS - 59
Independent Progressives: 22 seats GAIN + 4
New Frontier Party: 12 seats LOSS - 70


It's interesting to note the NARP is only three seats short of having the 50% plus one seat majority needed to unilaterally control the Royal House of Representatives. Narp will have to work with one of the other parties to help secure the Speakership. While Prime Minister Olendorf and Senator Allenby publicly stated they expected a fully NARP majority in the House, I am sure they are more than happy with these results.

Aside from the massive gains made tonight by the Nationalistisk Republikaner Folkeparti, the Popular Party also made substanial gains. Current exit polls have them doing especially well in districts previously held by the New Frontier. The Independent Progressives also had a modest gain for the night, mostly from newly redrawn districts in Harrkona.

The Central Coalition and New Frontier Party have been nearly gutted tonight, losing a combined total of one hundred and twenty-nine seats. The long slide of both parties looks to be continuing on, and HBC political analysts would not be surprised if the Unity Coalition dies before the week is through.

We'll bring you victory and concession speeches from the party leaders throughout the night as well as full coverage once the House comes back to session and starts the process of selection a new Speaker of the House.

Candidates for Speaker of the Royal House of Representatives


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NAME: Jacob Astor
OCCUPATION: Member of Royal Congress, Representative- Portshire; Secretary-General, Popular Party; three time Speaker of the RHR
AFFILIATION: Popular Party
EXPERIENCE: Congressman Astor has served in the Royal Congress for the past twenty-five years, and has held the office of Speaker of the RHR for twelve of those years. Mister Astor is a very capable politican and administrator known for his efforts to reach out to moderates on all sides of the aisle.


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NAME: Jules Reinard
OCCUPATION: Member of Royal Congress, Representative- Kinderbrooke; Chairman, House Appropriations Committee; President, NARP Congressional Caucus
AFFILIATION: Nationalistisk Republikaner Folkeparti
EXPERIENCE: Mister Reinard has served in the Royal Congress for eighteen years, a four year stint as a Royal Senator and then the past fourteen years in the House. While personally genteel and affable, politically Congressman Reinard is a coiled viper. He is a fierce nationalist and has no tolerance for those that run contrary to his beliefs. Mr. Reinard is a very close friend and associate of Senator Bernard Allenby.


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NAME: Steven Paulson
OCCUPATION: Member of Royal Congress, Representative- Antietam West; Chairman, House Welfare and Education Committee; Deputy Party Secretary, New Frontier; former Party Secretary of the defunct Labor Party.
AFFILIATION: New Frontier
EXPERIENCE: Congressman Paulson has served in the House for the past thirty years. Mister Paulson is a true leftist. He lead the socialist Labor Party for a decade until he merged it with the center-left Union Democrats to form the New Frontier Party. Mr. Paulson has always been an extremist and such has been largely left out of the main leadership circles of NF. However, with the party's crushing defeat in the Special Election nearly all NF moderates within the House have been pushed out of office leaving Congressman Paulson as the most senior member of the New Frontier House Delegation.


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NAME: Mateus Moraes
OCCUPATION: Member of Royal Congress, Representative- Harrkona; Chairman, House Government Oversight Committee; Deputy Chairman, Independent Progressive Party
AFFILIATION: Independent Progressives
EXPERIENCE: Former three term Governor of Northern Harrkona Province. Co-founder of the Independent Progressive Party. He was a political mentor of Congressman Jacob Astor during Astor's early political career. He is widely considered an older, more mature version of Congressman Astor. Mister Moraes is regarded nationally as the elder statesman of libertarian politics in Hamptonshire.


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NAME: Alice McBride
OCCUPATION: Education, Science, and Development Minister; Member of Royal Congress, Representative- Capital Cities District; President, Capital City University
AFFILIATION: Central Coalition
EXPERIENCE: First term member of the RHR. Ms McBride has served as the Education, Science, and Development Minister for the past five years. This Special Election marks her first attempt to gain elected office. She is being put forth as the Central Coalition's candidate for Speaker because experience in the Federal government as well as her status as a well known, and relatively well-liked, national figure.

OOC: Elections? Bah!

IC:

HAH! Elections?! You make me laugh, you boot-scrapings of the earth. The strong rule with absolute force. Voting is for the weak and unmanly.

--Saul Hudson the Illuminator, Emperor of Freudotopia

*bump*

Official Statement, Royal Congress of Hamptonshire
Office of the President of the Royal Congress

This Office, in accordance with its duties as listed in the Basic Law, does at this time recognize the election of Mister Jules Reinard, MRC as Speaker of the Royal House of Representatives. Mister Reinard, with three hundred and twenty seven votes, has been duly selected by his fellow Representatives to serve as Speaker until such time as that House, or this Office, loses confidence in his leadership.

Mister Reinard will be installed as Speaker immediately so that this Office may begin to coordinate both Houses of the Royal Congress to deliver to the Citizens of Hamptonshire those measures necessary to ensure good and proper governance. It is the hope of this Office that with a clear majority Mister Reinard will be able to effectively and efficiently guide bills through the RHR without the unneccessary partisan politics that have up to now plagued the Royal House of Representatives.

May God Bless the Grand Duchy of Hamptonshire.


Senator Bernard Allenby
President of the Royal Congress
Grand Duchy of Hamptonshire

Covert Ops teams made copies of all the materials - from the propaganda used in the elections to the speeches made and commentaries to the election coverage itself.

All of this found it's way into the hands of Nasiri Yasassin, some indirectly to the hands and minds of his staff, some to him personally.

His report to the Sultan included a few brief notes, including:

"... it is evident NARP will be working with the NFP, if for no other reason, then they are able to give NARP what they want - control - and at a very small overall price. It is equally probable while a few crumbs may fall to NFP, they are in no position to pose serious opposition to NARP. As such, political balkanization is sure to follow."

"...do not believe at this time a full turnaround of Hamptonshire mindset for the public, it is obvious from the rhetoric there has been a turn in the political arena. It is yet to be seen whether this is for the better, or the worse."

"... have not seen a decrease nor an increase in trade between our colonies, and no increase or decrease in trade between our nations. Given the atmosphere, we are unsure whether this is to be seen as troubling or reassuring. Certainly, NARP poses a large opportunity to our business interests; we must, therefore, wonder as to the possible costs and goals of what could become our opposition..."

Even before the announcement was made assuring NARP of their candidate's victory to Speaker, VSA had placed dozens of orders and trade contracts before Hamptonshire's armament companies.

A hedge bet - but Vastiva was good at those. Particularly in potentially difficult times.

--Downtown Wessex, Penthouse of Senator Richard Keeler--

The air was filled with anxiety and anger. Not more than a week ago the thoughts that were being seriously considered in this room would have been laughable. The New Frontier Party, Hamptonshire's only left-leaning mainstream political organization, had always been a committed partner of the Central Coalition. It wasn't a perfect relationship, some of the idealistic plans of the New Frontier were completely rejected by the centrists, but the union provided the party with legitimization.

Now the landscape had radically, and irreparably, changed. While some of the more idealistic and starry eyed members of the party didn't like the center pull of the Unity Coalition, senior members and the party's elected officials tolerated their status as the "little brother". Time and again their calls for civil service and education reform were stonewalled, but they always stood by their coalition partners. When the CC wanted more money for defense programs and less for the National Disability Insurance Agency, it was Governor Koines and Senator Keeler who spent countless hours bringing the necessary votes to close the deal. With the rise of NARP, the Popular Party, and the upstart Independent Progressives the position of the New Frontier became even more precarious; it was now the smallest party in the nation. Gradually, more and more members came to resent their status as "second class" legislators. They were being taken for granted, the Central Coalition always assumed that New Frontier would be there like a faithful pet. Unfortunately, the CC pulled the leash one to many times...


"Are you serious?" Governor Maxwell asked, his voice tinged with high emotion. "You would destroy the only worthwhile opposition force, for what?"

Governor Koines, the Party Secretary of New Frontier, slammed his fist on the large conference table. He looked Maxwell right in the eyes, he began to speak loudly enough to carry throughout the eight thousand square foot penthouse. "Goddamn it James, we can't take this crap anymore. We have to stand for our beliefs. If we turn tail and run to Flint with hat in hand, what's going to happen? WE WILL CEASE TO BE A PARTY!"

Norman Koines was normally a jovial man but now his anger rose to the surface. For too long he allowed the party to be stepped on, now he was standing up for what he believed in.

"We compromised when we voted for the Defense Appropriations Bills." Koines continued speaking in pensioned tones, "Senator Flint looked be square in the eyes and told me that there weren't going to be any surprises, that it was all kosher. Now that was a load of crap. We've been taking this for decades. Enough is enough."

Senator Keeler, who was playing the good cop to Koines' bad, poured himself a glass of whiskey and walked over to Governor Maxwell. With cup in one hand and Maxwell's shoulder in the other, Keeler addressed all of the nine gathered leaders of his party.

"Now we all know deep inside that Norman is right. We've been taking this for years, the Speaker election is just the straw that broke the camel's back and we aren't the only ones that think that. It was four votes from the Central Coalition that put Reinard in office. They deserted Paulson and turned their backs on Astor. We may fundamentally disagree with Astor but at least, for the love of God, we can work with him. Reinard is just going to shoot us in the back the first chance he gets.

There is only one action that we can rightfully take. It might not be very attractive to everyone in the room but for the sake of our party, for the sake of the Goddamn nation, we have to take it."

The room immediately erupted into passionate debate. Each of the nine people represented a different faction within the party. After six hours of intense debate six of the nine sided with breaking the Unity Coalition. Governor Maxwell and Acting Finance Minister Bluebridge, both representing two of the more conservative wings of the party, were holding out, trying to argue against breaking the union. The last man, Congressman Steven Paulson, voiced no opinion. He represented the socialist faction of the party, the true leftists. With New Frontier's smashing at the last election he became the leader of the NF in the House. He would engage in conversation if directly spoken to, but for the entire day he quietly observed the debate, neither side knowing his true intentions.

The discussions carried on throughout the night and into the morning. Finally Governor Koines had to bring the motion to a final vote, he was due to meet Senator Flint (Party Secretary of the CC and Secretary-General of the Unity Coalition) in the capital in four hours.

"Alright," Koines said as he slouched over the table, "I have to see Flint in four hours. I need a clear dictate from you. We can pass this with only six votes but I want unanimity."

In short succession the six pro-splitters voted "Yea". Koines then came to Governor Maxwell.

"Well, what's it going to be James?"

"I still think this is a mistake but it looks like you're bent on splitting the coalition. If I hold out then I risk splitting the party even more, I won't do that. I vote yes...under duress."

All eyes turned on Minister Bluebridge. He began to open his mouth but promptly closed it again. He meekly shook his head up and down in agreement.

Focus now shifted on the middle aged man with all the fire and moxy of a twenty year old. A broad smile came across his face as he began to address his fellow party leaders. "Looks like I get the final word. I'll vote yes, but on one condition."

Koines shifted his weight, he didn't like where this was going but he nodded. He wanted to know the Congressman's price.

"I'll vote yes and become the most vocal supporter of this enterprise if, and only if, we work to find an 'accomodation' with NARP. I'm not talking about forming a Coalition...merely an understanding."

The room fell silent. No one expected something so radical, Maxwell was about to chastise Paulson when Koines began to speak.

"Alright. You'll have what you want."

"WHAT THE HELL!?!?" Maxwell yelled. Instead of responding Koines just straightened his tie and walked toward the door. Maxwell picked up a small book and threw it at the Governor hitting him in the back.

Without stopping Koines walked to the door. As he passed out of sight into the hallway, he said rather offhandedly. "I have a meeting with Flint. You wanna talk, be my guest, but I have a message to deliver."

The United Kingdom congratulates their friends in the Grand Duchy of Hamptonshire for their continued commitment to the principles of democracy. I offer the personal congratulations of Prime Minister Tetley and his entire cabinet to the Nationalistisk Republikaner Folkeparti on their electoral victory. It is the hope of this government that our two nations can continue to grow the relationship presented to our two nations by our common bond in the New Alliance Treaty Organization.

Emily Deveraux
Minister of Foreign Affairs

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Nationalistisk Republikaner Folkeparti
We are the majority, We are the people, We shall not be silenced


Press Release

We are supremely pleased to have the congratulations and support of a nation as fine and strong as Azazia. Narp extends its warmest thanks to Prime Minister Tetley, his Cabinet, and the citizens of the United Kingdom. The Nationalistisk Republikaner Folkeparti is dedicated to the strengthen of Hamptonshire through the reinforcement of established international treaty organizations. Our commitment is first and foremost to Hamptonians but immediately after that lays our dedication to our true friends and allies.

We are the majority, We are the people, We shall not be silenced


In Friendship and Brotherhood,

Senator Bernard Allenby
Executive Chairman, Nationalistisk Republikaner Folkeparti
President of the Royal Congress
Grand Duchy of Hamptonshire