NationStates Jolt Archive

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From HBC Online
HBC.hts

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Cyptran Premier Leonzio Sciacchitano (CSL) waves to supporters as he leaves
the New Calabria State House. His two-year term as the state's
Proveditore, or Governor, will begin next month.

Sciacchitano to pull double duty
Right-wing Premier to become chief executive of second-largest Cyptran state

The Christian Social League won a resounding victory in the Cyptran state of New Calabria seeing the Dominion's controversial Premier elected as the state's chief executive. Leonzio Sciacchitano beat incumbent Liberal Democrat Nicolau Coelho by a margin of 59 to 37 percent of the state's popular vote. Mr. Sciacchitano announced during his victory speech that he intends to nominate Giovanni Voltolino for the office of Lieutenant Proveditore. Mr. Voltolino has said that he will run the state's day-to-day affairs with the Premier providing "philosophical leadership [and having] final authority."

From HBC Online
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Richard Mendelssohn won a plurality of votes cast in the West Portshire
Gubernatorial race. The populist former three time Congress member
and High Court jurist will be the first non-aligned politician to serve
as Governor of the second-most populated province in Hamptonshire.

Surprise Result in Portshire
Non-Aligned Mendelssohn breaks IP hold

In the closest of electoral contests so far during this electoral season, the Independent Progressives today lost the gubernatorial election in their ideological homeland for the first time in forty-eight years. With all votes certified by the Federal Elections Office non-aligned candidate Richard Mendelssohn bested Portshire Senior Deputy Mayor Halvor Møller (IP) by a mere 397 votes out of 42,720,324 cast. Despite efforts by popular outgoing Governor Michael Ingram, the electorate seemed divided about the current legacy of the long ruling Independent Progressives.

Mr. Møller's campaign was plagued by miscalculations and missteps including an early pledge, quickly retracted, to close chronically underperforming primary schools. A University of Portshire exit poll found that fifty-three percent of voters named education as their highest priority with a majority of those voters with a "negative or strongly negative" opinion of the IP-candidate. Mr. Mendelssohn was able to capitalize on the opportunity presenting an education plan indexing per pupil spending at inflation plus three percent each year for the next decade. Despite criticisms of his plan, especially a lack of a clear source of additional funding, a majority of polled voters approved of the proposal.

In contrast to the razor thin margin of defeat in the executive race, the Progressives and their Portshire Liberals allies increased their representation in both chambers of the West Portshire Provincial Legislature. The Green Party also so gains, with a minor loss in the Senate coming to the conservative New Federalists. The conservative opposition was badly mauled in the House of Delegates losing over a third of the seats they held in the previous session. The wins by the Greens, IP and Liberals pushed the social democratic Labor-Democratic Reformists out of the Senate entirely. The LDR is to be reduced to a mere two seats in the House. It will be seen what, if any, impact the West Portshire election will have on the upcoming Harrkona Regional Elections early next week.

Province of West Portshire

West Portshire Gubernatorial Race

Popular Vote Total Turnout - 42,720,324 [91% turnout rate]
Richard Mendelssohn (Non-Aligned)* - 12,374,892 [28.967%]
Halvor Møller (Independent Progressives) - 12,374,495 [28.966%]
Hjørdis Löfgren (Green Party of Portshire) - 10,633,089 [24.890%]
Michelle Pelley-Spurling (Portshire Liberals) - 7,008,697 [16.406%]
Nolan Whittemore (Non-Aligned)** - 329,151 [0.770%]
NOTE: Outgoing Governor Michael Ingram (Independent Progressives) did not seek re-election. *- Endorsed by New Federalist Union. **- Endorsed by Labor-Democratic Reformists

West Portshire Provincial Legislature

Senate [75 seats]
Independent Progressives - 41 Gain +2
New Federalist Union - 15 Loss -1
Portshire Liberals - 9 No Change
Green Party of Portshire - 8 Gain +1
Non-affiliated/Other - 2 Loss -2

House of Delegates [225 seats]
Independent Progressives - 130 Gain +14
Portshire Liberals - 37 Gain +5
New Federalist Union - 28 Loss -15
Green Party of Portshire - 21 Gain +12
Labor-Democratic Reformists - 2 Loss -17
Non-affiliated/Other - 7 Gain +1

From HBC Online
HBC.hts

HIRAM The Empress Honors Willinkian King
State Visit Continues

At a ceremony inside the Hamptonian Ambassador's residence this morning Anne I ennobled King Charles II. The Willinkian Sovereign was given the abeyant peerage the Duke of Easlyn and its associated subsidiary titles. The Empress told the King that it was in recognition of his, "dedication to civility, peace, and the Hampto-Willinkian alliance." She then invited the King to, at his leisure, visit Hamptonshire and participate in a meeting of the Council of Dukes. It is only the second time in modern history that a foreign leader has been accorded such an honor.

The King was also awarded the honorific title of Prince of Hamptonshire in recognition of his efforts to "further the strong and permanent relationship between the Hamptonian and Willinkian people." The Empress is four days into her three week tour of the country which includes an address to the Willinkian Parliament and visits to all twelve of the nation's Regions.