NationStates Jolt Archive

Amerikanski Pravda

"Only the Best Popular News."

Los Angeles, the Politburo- Today, major changes are emerging in the Politburo as our Glorious Comrade Premier announced a new set of changes that would make New Dornalia more democratic, and accessible to the People.

"The unicameral Politburo has served the needs of the Workers and Peasants for all these years. But, rapid territorial expansion and an influx of new persons of different ethnic groups and ideologies has rendered it troubled with issues over just who does it represent, and how it handles its ever-increasing workload.

To make this body more responsive to the Workers, I have proposed the Popular Representation Reform Act. This Act, if passed, will create a new house of the Politburo called the Secretariat, that will be an Upper House, with membership fixed at 2 representatives per Soviet Socialist Republic but popularly elected like the Politburo. The branches will have the power to override the veto of the Premier by a combined 2/3rds vote. Also, the Politburo itself as a legislative branch will be renamed the People's Congress.

The Communist Party, meanwhile, will aslo be changed to accept the existing realities. The Ideological Factions Recognition Act will make it so those members of the Party who share a common set of ideas and policies and wish to nominate and campaign for public office can do so within the Party network. After all, the Party itself has taken on new members who are of diverse opinions and personalities. To accomidate a True Dictatorship of the Proletariat, one must give these members a voice.

I will put up the issue to a national Plebescite soon. Copies of the proposed acts are available in all government offices. Read them, and vote wisely."

OOC: Basically, this turns the Politburo into a body akin to the RL UK Parliament or the Japanese Diet (without the sluggishness). Also, the IFRA effectively enables the creation of seperate parties, though they are merely framed as political factions under a Big Tent at this time.

Preparations for the National Plebescite are on the way, with copies of the bills able to be read by all citizens on the HoloNet.

Reportedly, suggestions are being gathered from the people to improve the bills, which mainly deal with adding anti-discrimination provisions and limiting how much and where can the new "Ideological Factions" acquire campaign funds. However, overall, the public has been receptive to the bill.

In the legislature, however, MacIntyre's reforms have reportedly been denounced by several Orthodox Arm (OOC: These are orthodox Marxist-Leninists who oppose MacIntyreist Reforms) and Radical Arm (OOC: Maoist) politicians for "being too borgeouis liberal, and dangerous to stability," and by several newer politicians who voiced concern they would not be reformative enough. Still, a majority of the dominant Progressive Arm (OOC: MacIntyre's group) of the NDCP and a number of newer Party members said they would support the Reforms.

Elections have been set for three weeks from now.

Today, the debate over the Reforms has increased. It seems that the People have actually taken charge, with angry mass mailings to those Politburo Deputies who have protested the bill.

Pythogria applauds this reform. This system works well.

I applaud the Pythogrians for their support.

-Premier MacIntyre

OOC: Using Fluid Time:

IC:

One Week Later-

After debate in the Politburo, the Anti-Discrimination Act has been added to the bills package. Originally authored by the Coalition for Understanding, the primary minority representation group, it calls mainly for a guarantee of due process and equal protection under the laws for all New Dornalian citizens regardless of background. Other important provisions also call for criminalization of hate crimes and sexual harassment, further support of affirmative action, pay equity, an end to discrimination in schools, etc.

The bill has entered the Premier's desk and the Politburo Legal Committee, which will review the bill and make edits as necessary.

This new bill has met yet another storm of opposition, this time not only from the usual Orthodox forces who have decried this as "yet more pandering to a special interest," but also several right-wing groups who have claimed it will upend the social order. In addition, many citizens are divided on this new bill, with the population split down the middle and aggressive campaigning beginning on both sides.

OOC: What is proposed is a mix of the RL US 13th-15th Amendments and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, basically, along with the results of several US Supreme Court Cases in the 1950's-1970's.

OOC - So it's (in terms of the political controversy sparked) your ERA? Nice...

OOC - So it's (in terms of the political controversy sparked) your ERA? Nice...

OOC- Thanks.

OOC: Fluid Time again.

IC:

Two Weeks Later-

The results are in for the elections-the national plebescite has shown the people applaud the reforms directly. Thus, the Ideological Factions Recognition Act and the Popular Representation Reform Act have entered into law, by the majority of the people. One notable addition was the authorization of intiatives and referendums in local and sector-wide elections, and in national elections under special circumstances authorized by the Supreme Worker's Tribunal.

However, the Anti-Discrimination Bill was severely contested, narrowly passing with 53% of the vote-a razor-thin margin that ultimately had to be approved by the Supreme Worker's Tribunal, who reviewed the election results after charges of tampering and certified the results were "clean."

"This is a major step for New Dornalia. The People have a voice now," said MacIntyre in a public address.

However, an unexpected situation has occurred. To fill the Secretariat, a new round of by-elections has been authorized, and for the first time, a major faction of businessmen, liberal democratic socialists, and conservatives has entered the race. Known as the Democratic Coalition, it calls for liberalized pro-business measures, more individual rights, and the ultimate transition to a fully capitalist state. They are expected to challenge the Progressive Arm (now known as the National Popular Progressive Coalition), which is known for espousing moderated, democratic socialism already, though with a more leftist bent

.

With by-elections scheduled for two weeks from now, the DC has already launched an opening salvo on the Progressives in a series of attack ads and boosting its own program. Meanwhile, the Progressives have likewise responded in kind, and MacIntyre himself along with other Progressives known as the Faithful have begun to travel around New Dornalia to make speeches on behalf of Progressive candidates and Progressive programs.

A startling result is that in the polls, the once threatening Orthodox Arm has ignomiously fallen to fourth place, with the Coalition for Minority Rights, a newly formed assembly of Catgirl/Elven/Alien parties in Europe and North America, taking third place status in the polls.

The Secretariat By-elections today have produced the expected result. With 600 seats up for grabs in the Secretariat, the Progressives took the majority of seats (350), the DC took a large percentage of the opposition seats (200), enabling them to mount a formidable challenge to any of MacIntyre's policies. The People's Coalition (Orthodox Arm) has gained only sixteen seats, and the Coalition for Minority Rights gained 134 seats.

"This is a stunning day for democracy. The people have a voice, they have used it, and now, we can truly begin change," said Minority Whip Tim Johnson(Ontario-DC).

This has produced a situation with a Politburo dominated by the Progressives, but the Progressives forced to share power in the Secretariat.