NationStates Jolt Archive

From HBC Online
HBC.hts

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/3343/parliamentviewht5.jpg
Royal Senators will assemble in the 18th century Royal Palace
in Yespani to begin the Royal Conclave. The assembly will not
end until a new monarch has been elected.

Royal Conclave to Begin Tomorrow
Lord Rosecrans, Princess Anne, Prince Timothy all in the race

Tomorrow in the central valley city of Yespani Royal Senators will continue the tradition that has bound together Hamptonshire for over two millennia. The Royal Conclave will elect the first monarch to serve under the Constitutional Act of 2006. The new Constitution, drafted with the consent and assistance of the two main figures in the Conclave, radically alters the office that the future monarch will be entrusted with. The new Grand Archduchy will be ruled by a restrained monarch that while possessing formidable reserve powers, will no longer be as prominent a figure in the day to day politics of the nation as past sovereigns have been.

While ever member of the Royal Senate is eligible for election there are only three candidates who have attracted widespread support in the Senate. Lord Philip Rosecrans, Princess Anne and Prince Timothy Ell all have declared supporters in the race. Both Lord Rosecrans, the current transitional Head of State, and Prince Timothy, the former Pacitalian Prime Minister, have disavowed any reports that they seek to be elected. Both men have indicated their support for the 35 year-old Anne. For her part, aides say, the Princess firmly believes the Conclave will select Lord Rosecrans. "Anne will remain at her winter retreat in Gulfera (Pacitalia). She fully expects Philip to be elected on the first or second ballot," a member of the Royal Household told the HBC on condition on anonymity.

Prince Timothy also declined to travel to Yespani. From his home west of Mandragora, the former Pacitalian prime minister was appreciative of the support he had received from 29 of Hamptonshire's 300 Royal Senators. "I am glad to see that I have the confidence of so many senators. However, they should support a true-blooded Hamptonian, and they should support a true-blooded Hamptonian and the one who truly deserves the throne. I am not that person." The Prince was made a member of the Royal House nearly a year ago. There is some hesitation to name a former foreign Head of State as the Hamptonian monarch which makes the Prince's candidacy a long shot. However his daughter, Princess Fiorenza, is expected to some day be named an heir to the throne unless Prince Anne has her own children.

Lord Rosecrans will be at the Conclave as the ex officio Dean of the Royal Conclave. The Duke has served as the transitional Head of State since the arrest of the former Regent last year. Lord Rosecrans organized the main resistance to the Regent's reign and with fourteen Governors formed the United Provinces. Until the July elections, he was solely responsible for the governance of Hamptonshire and the Empire. Leaving Hampton Palace this morning for Yespani he briefly addressed assembled reporters, "I have served my nation to the best of my abilities and, I hope, I have guided Hamptonshire on the path of a secure future. However, I cannot in good faith seek to the Throne. I do not believe that I am suited to become the sovereign. More importantly," he added, "when we were all struggling to throw off the shackles of the Regency not one man, woman or child was doing so for my sake. They were fighting in the name of Reginald Leopold the Great and it should be a Pyotr-Hampton that succeeds him."

Despite repeated pleas over the past six months for Senators to support Princess Anne, current surveys show the Lord Protector with the support of 133 Senators (44%). In order to secure election a candidate must secure four fifths of the Conclave's 300 participants (240 votes). Lord Rosecrans enjoys the support of the center-right New Federalist Union and the more conservative members of the Independent Progressives. Princess Anne, a former member of the House of Representatives under the banner of the now defunct leftist New Frontier Party, has most center-left and social democratic Senators behind her but she will have a hard time reaching the 80% threshold. A self-identified pacifist, environmentalist and market liberal the Princess is to the left of the majority of the Senate.

The Royal Conclave is to begin at 8:00am HCST tomorrow with a blessing from Cardinal Walter Luther, Primate of Hamptonshire. After initial meetings voting will begin an hour later with additional balloting every two hours until 8:00pm. The procedure will repeat itself until the Senate has elected a new monarch. Senators will not be allowed to leave the Royal Palace grounds until the Conclave is completed.

From HBC Online
HBC.hts

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/9370/bat1375f2stoiberyl7.jpg
After twelve hours of voting the Royal Conclave failed to reach a decision.
At a brief press conference at the Royal Palace, Lord Rosecrans admitted
there is a growing rift in the Conclave between different factions.

First Day a Bust
Six inconclusive ballots point to a potentially turbulent Conclave

The first day of the Royal Conclave came and went without a decision as to the future Hamptonian monarch. After a half dozen ballots no candidate received the requisite four-fifths support of the Senators present. At a short press conference as the Senators left the Assembly Hall for their private bedrooms in the Palace, Lord Rosecrans spoke to reporters. "We had a productive day. Many Senators have very strong feelings about the election, as I feel they should. I hope that we can wrap this up promptly but there is still a wide gulf between some members."

According to law and tradition aside from the Dean, Conclave participants are prohibited from outside contact and communication. It is unknown what today's ballot results were though most analysts believe Lord Rosecrans is taking most of the votes. "The Duke probably spiked at about fifty percent today," Professor William Paulson from the Royal Academic Institute says, "but he is not close to pulling eighty percent. Anne and Timothy are still very much factors in this race."

The last Royal Conclave, held in 1938, lasted only seven hours. Prince Leopold, who would take the regnal name Reginald Leopold, was selected on the third ballot. The 1918 and 1899 Conclaves both only required a single polling of the participants. The last time that a Royal Conclave failed to reach a decision on the first day was the three day long, 17 ballot 1874 Conclave that eventually selected Grand Duke Christian VIII. In Obsidia Chancellor Hayek is preparing for the possibility of an election lasting a week or longer. With the Royal Senate sequestered in Yespani and the Chamber of Representatives still in its Winter Recess, the Federal Council will be the lone legislative body during the Conclave period.

Royal Conclave Quick Facts:

First Royal Conclave (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/List_of_Hamptonian_Grand_Dukes): 1004 CE
Shortest Conclaves: 1 Ballot - 1918, 1899, 1763, 1703, 1579, 1508, 1203, 1004
Longest Conclaves: 419 Ballots - 1616; 204 Ballots - 1169; 183 Ballots - 1840


Voting will resume tomorrow at 8:00am. Princess Anne is scheduled to give a short interview to HBC 1 to be broadcast tomorrow afternoon.

[Bump for the night]

[OOC: Taggity-tag....a future post shall come Hamptonshire, don't worry.]

Transcript of an interview with Princess Anne from HBC 1's The NewsHour with Pieter Brinkerhoff program

Brinkerhoff: For the first time in sixty-nine years the Royal Senate is meeting at the Royal Palace of Yespani to elect a new monarch. Under the new instrument of government, the Constitutional Act, 2006, the political climate the next sovereign will be fundamentally different from what previous rulers have enjoyed. A popularly elected head of government and a fully federalized Empire will provide direct checks upon monarchial power while the office of the monarch itself will be largely removed from the day to day politics of the United Realms. However, the Throne is still the most powerful and important position in the land. Tonight we have for you from her winter home in Pacitalia Princess Anne, the Head of the Royal Household. Her Royal Highness is a former legislator and served as Minister of Domestic Affairs under the Lord Protector's pre-Constitution Triumvirate Government. Your Highness, welcome to the program. As one of the three contenders for the Throne, what do you feel the future of the monarchy will be?

The Princess: The Throne will still be the central element of the Hamptonian government and the focal point of our culture. Whoever is elected and anointed monarch will still have an insurmountable burden placed upon their shoulders but, for the first time, there will be other national figures to share the misery and rejoice in the triumphs.

Brinkerhoff: Do you support the Constitutional Act and its curbs upon royal authority?

The Princess: Well, let us make it clear: royal authority is not being curbed. The Constitutional Act is merely putting to paper the traditions and popular conventions that Grand Dukes have followed for hundreds of years. Executive, legislative and judicial authority still flow from the Throne and the people.

Brinkerhoff: That may be true, Your Highness, but the Act does severely limit what the monarch can and cannot do. The Chancellor and Royal Senate now have the same practical daily powers as the sovereign. Do you believe that is a good thing? Yes or no.

The Princess: I believe democracy and liberty are always right and proper. As I have said tonight and have said since May, I wholeheartedly support the Act. All of it.

Brinkerhoff: Recent polls show that Lord Rosecrans has plurality support among the voting populace to become Grand Archduke. Why do you think that you, a direct bloodline member of the Royal House and adopted daughter of Reginald Leopold the Great, don't have greater public support?

The Princess: Lord Rosecrans has done more for our nation and its people than any other person living today. He is a patriot and a statesman. I would be honored to have him as my lord and sovereign. I do not know what the Conclave's results will be, but I fully expect the Duke's long period of exemplary service and dedication to be reflected in the ballot totals.

Brinkerhoff: Your Highness, I asked why you think you don't enjoy as much popular support as the Duke. Do you feel your minority political beliefs but you at odds with most Hamptonians?

The Princess: My political beliefs may only be publicly embraced by a minority within the United Realms, but I believe they are supported by the vast majority of Hamptonians and Imperials alike. I am an environmentalist but the difference between Dr. Hayek and me on this issue is question of degree and not substance. I am a pacifist because I believe that peace is the natural state of nature; I am no way a defeatist or a coward. I believe in a socially responsible market and government, not in socialism. I do not nor will I ever hide my core political beliefs.

Brinkerhoff: Changing gears a bit, the Royal Conclave concluded yet another full day of balloting without reaching a conclusion. Do you believe that this points to a widening gulf and a hardening of opinions between factions in the Senate?

The Princess: As you can image, the election of a monarch is perhaps the most important decision these men and women will make in their entire lives. Even though the Throne is now bound by the Act, if you can even call it 'bound', the future of us as a people and nation hangs in the balance. Divisiveness is not something I hope for, but I do wish that the Senators exhaust every opportunity for debate and discussion. There must be no question in the minds when they reach their final decision.

Brinkerhoff: Let us assume, for the sake of argument, that you are elected Grand Archduchess. Chancellor Hayek and a group of Federal Councilors and Senators come up to you. They say that one of the Dominions wants additional devolved powers and the Sandrin SAR wants Dominion-status. What do you do?

The Princess: With all due respect, I do not care much for hypothetical situations Mr. Brinkerhoff.

Brinkerhoff: Fair enough. Let me rephrase the question. Do you support a tighter or looser association between the Dominions and the government in the Capital Cities?

The Princess: I support the current status of relations between Dominions and the Federal Government. Of course as time progressions and the conditions of the Dominions and United Realms as a whole change, that relationship should be reevaluated. Power should be located at the lowest level that responsibility and practically allow. I currently support further devolution of education regulatory authority to Dominion governments but I do not see shifting security policy away from the Federal Government.

Brinkerhoff: What of the question of Sandrin in particular and other Semi-Autonomous Regions in general. Is SAR status a stepping stone to Dominionhood?

The Princess: The Sandrin situation is something that should be discussed between the Federal and Regional Governments. Both sides have valid points but I do believe that Sandrin belongs in Hamptonshire. The current ten Dominions all have a history of independence under Hamptonian imperial authority. Sandrin has always been a direct part of Hamptonshire. There is no history of independence or distinctiveness outside of Hamptonshire. However, the Sandrin people are a unique group within Hamptonshire. I think Sandrin should be granted additional powers but remain a SAR. As for Semi-Autonomous Regions in general, they are not necessarily a stepping stone to Dominion-status but that does not mean such a situation will never present itself in the future. We have to be open to progress in all things.

Brinkerhoff: Your Highness, it seems that we are out of time. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us tonight.

The Princess: It has been a pleasure, Pieter. Thank you.

[Bump in advance of a post to come later]

BREAKING NEWS From HBC Online
HBC.hts

Royal Conclave Reaches Decision
New sovereign to be revealed later tonight

Early today, on the sixth day of the Royal Conclave, the Senate finally elected the United Realms' future monarch Lord Rosecrans announced this evening. After the successful vote on the day's second ballot Princess Anne and Prince Timothy were both summoned to Yespani from Pacitalia. The Lord Protector said that the Royal Senate wished for the three candidates to be present before the results of the Conclave were revealed. Chancellor Hayek and members of the Senior Cabinet were informed of the results this afternoon and have begun the preparations for the Royal arrival in the Capital Cities.

The press conference publicly announcing the Conclave's results is scheduled for 10:30pm HCST.

[Official Announcment HERE (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=12231156#post12231156)]