NationStates Jolt Archive

After many years of rule under the Democratic Party, the Phanarian people are given an election that will decide the fates of politicans nationwide. It will be the first election that will be opened up to foreigners to involve themselves in. Foreign leaders, etc are free to give support (feel free to post questions for the candidates and please post who you are supporting) to those running for the title of Prime Minister of Phanar:

Name: Pierre Langille
Party: Democratic Party (incumbent)
Background: Former Businessman, Valedictorian of the University of Redwall, One of the wealthiest people of the Grand Duchy
Views: Supports capital punishment, desires the creation of a strong economy, vehemently opposes isolationism and seeks to improve conditions for all people. He is influenced by populist ideas and believes that it is his responsibility to help his people by any means necessary.

Name: Lucian Faulkner
Party: Nationalist Party
Background: Former Infantry Officer in the Grand Ducal Army, Honor Student of the University of Redwall, famous for his near xenophobic views.
Views: Supports capital punishment and the Phanarianization of the economy; believes that Phanarians should be given priority over foreigners and that limits on immigration should be strengthened and enforced. Despite such views, he does not believe in isolating the Grand Duchy from foreigners. Some members of his party dislike the idea of the Grand Ducal Family intermarrying with foreigners. Nationalists are considered to be on the far-right; they are strictly conservative and were once called "cultural puritans".

Name: Lindsay Gratwick
Party: Green Party
Background: Famous environmentalist whose crusade for the rights of animals and environmental protection have earned her plenty of fame. Became the leader of the Green Party in 2005.
Views: Supports the increase of funding for the environment and the enforcement of penalties on businesses whose practices harm the environment. She believes that foreign businesses must be made to not harm the Phanarian environment and she is quite supportive of diplomacy with other nations. Basically, she wants what's best for the environment and believes that foreign businesses should either respect Phanar's environment or basically leave.

Name: Adam Ravon
Party: Igovian Party
Background: Firebrand preacher whose lectures on the merits of Igovianism and the follies of Marxism have led to him obtaining fame in the left wing political scene.
Views: Supports the implementation of direct democracy, the abolishment of the monarchy and the nationalization of the economy. His party desires more connections with Igovian (and similarly minded) nations but believes that Phanarians are the ones who can truly lead the revolution.

Name: Leonard Salo
Party: Trotskyist Party
Background: Zealous Trotskyist who constantly denounces Maoism and other similar ideologies in the Communist school of thought as "weapons of the enemies of the proletariat".
Views: Supports the abolishment of the monarchy and the gradual disestablishment of capitalism in favor of communism. He is vehemently opposed to totalitarianism and pledges to bring democratic elements into his model for a communist Phanar. His party is considered to be liberal; but his party does support the maintenance of a healthy culture.

Name: Bernard Selman
Party: Unity Party
Background: Famous journalist who has written plenty of articles for the Redwall Times during his career of fifteen years; became involved in politics after seeing the failures of the previous government.
Views: The Unity Party believes in the promotion of democracy as the best form of government and the maintenance of the monarchy as a symbol of history. The Unity Party desires further cooperation with foreign nations and advocates giving more funding to the military and towards helping the lower class. He also seeks to maintain women's rights; seeing them as a "building block of society".

Debate I: Plans for the Future

When asked about their plans for the future, here is how each candidate responded:

Pierre Langille: "Phanarians must become more involved in the world; while we plant our feet in our native soil, our eyes must survey the vastness of this earth. I believe that internationalism is the key to success and that we must use it to unlock the box of prosperity."

Lucian Faulkner: "Phanarians must be the priority; we cannot spend too much money on accomodating foreigners. I do not believe in isolating ourselves from this world but I believe that, in any dealings with foreigners, that Phanar's interests must be enforced ruthlessly. The economy must be Phanarianized; Phanarians must lead."

Lindsay Gratwick: "The environment is the most important part of our nation; without it we would have no life. My plan for the future is to significantly increase funding for the environment and bring about reforms in the education system that will allow children to learn more about how to maintain a healthy environment."

Adam Ravon: "The people remain in the bondage of capitalist oppression and the gospel of Marxism will not help them at all. The words of Igo and other like minded leaders will enlighten our nation and put it on the straight path. My plan is to establish direct democracy, join Igovian alliances, and abolish the monarchy."

Leonard Salo: "The revisionist philosophies of Stalinism and Maoism have failed to bring about proper change in the world; creating degenerated workers' states wherever they arise. In fact, most people will say that all forms of communism, in some way, create such a state. Under Trotskyist administration, we shall abolish the monarcy, nationalize the economy and make our nation truly classless."

Bernald Selman: "The lower classes suffer from the shackles of poverty; bound by their misfortune to a horrid life in the slums. Their children are unable to fulfill their potential and may end up in questionable lives. Under my party, we shall fulfill the government's primary reason for existence: to responsibly govern the people. We shall help people of all classes in order to create a future for our people."

OOC: Other nations, etc can donate to candidates and pledge support; feel free to join in.

National Election Coverage

Political commentators are surprised to see that the Democratic and Igovian parties are tied in popular support after conducting an electoral survey; with anti-communist rhetoric being spouted from independent commercials aimed at weakening the Igovians by saying that a vote for Igovianism is a vote for the end of democracy. Trotskyist supporters held a rally in the town of Port Hope while Lindsay Gratwick held a fundraiser in the city of Redwall. Lucian Faulkner attempted to gain the support of Phanarian conservatives in a rally; in which he spoke about the need to "put Phanar first".

The Unity Party has gathered much support among low income families after Bernard Salo spoke about his party's plans to provide more access to education for the children of low income families. He also spoke about the need for political parties regardless of ideology to consider the needs of people who are "not as fortunate as we are" and says that poverty in Phanar should be fought (as a priority) instead of poverty in other nations.

To: The Campaign of Bernard Salo, Unity Party
From: The Liberty Party of The Atreidond Islands
Re: Campaign Funding

The Liberty Party of The Atreidond Islands hopes that the Unity Party will accept a gift of $15 Million in order to help furthur the campaign of Bernard Salo.

-The Liberty Party of The Atreidond Islands

Needless to say, the Igovians in Phanar receive a storm of interest from Soviet India, even though Graeme Igo himself has often spoken of the follies of multi-party democracy and few have tended to hold out much hope for Igovian Parties in foreign elections. Still, since the Igovians in this case plan to implement direct democracy after their victory, many Beddgelens are inclined to see them as the real deal.

Soviet envoys are dispatched to investigate the possibility of aiding the Igovian campaign directly, be it through official funding from the Soviet Commune and League of Communists or some more covert means. When freedom is the aim, "low" is not a term that many Igovians consider applicable to their actions...

To: The Campaign of Bernard Salo, Unity Party
From: The Liberty Party of The Atreidond Islands
Re: Campaign Funding

The Liberty Party of The Atreidond Islands hopes that the Unity Party will accept a gift of $15 Million in order to help furthur the campaign of Bernard Salo.

-The Liberty Party of The Atreidond Islands

From: The Campaign of Bernard Selman (Liberty Party)
To: The Liberty Party of the Atreidond Islands
Re: Campaign Funding

The generous gift of the Liberty Party is accepted; we are thankful for the support of the Liberty Party and its members in our quest to become the ruling patty of Phanar. Thank you for your gift.

Needless to say, the Igovians in Phanar receive a storm of interest from Soviet India, even though Graeme Igo himself has often spoken of the follies of multi-party democracy and few have tended to hold out much hope for Igovian Parties in foreign elections. Still, since the Igovians in this case plan to implement direct democracy after their victory, many Beddgelens are inclined to see them as the real deal.

Soviet envoys are dispatched to investigate the possibility of aiding the Igovian campaign directly, be it through official funding from the Soviet Commune and League of Communists or some more covert means. When freedom is the aim, "low" is not a term that many Igovians consider applicable to their actions...

The Igovian Party has been in contact with Soviet enjoys; beseeching them for support in their campaign such as giving them official funding. They clarify their platform; sending a copy of it to Graeme Igo himself. In it, he would find that they are committed to a nonviolent revolution (OOC: like Gandhi) and believe in establishing full Igovianism; eventually becoming members in any Igovian alliances.

The Igovian Party leader, Adam Ravon, is considering sending a representative of the Igovian Party to the meeting in Calcutta in order to strengthen connections with fellow Igovians and like minded individuals.

National Election Coverage
The Democratic Party has taken the lead in popular support; and the Igovian Party has found itself tied with the Unity Party after another survey was taken. The Trotskyist and Green Parties have been trying to find more support while Lucian Faulkner appeals to Phanarian conservatives in his recent spree of commercials. Lindsay Gratwick, in a speech to fellow environmentalists, said that even if she does not win the election, she and her party will strive to make sure that the "winners take good care of the environment."

Bernard Selman, leader of the Unity Party, visited an orphanage in the city of Redwall and met with low income families along the way. His support is resting among the ranks of such families; they see him as their friend. Pierre Langille met with supporters in the city of Whitestone where he spoke about the need to "revolutionize Phanar; to bring it closer to the world."

From the desk of Tarren Zerdoff, translated by Cole Miner I.

'We have sent a donation of 50,000 oil drums to each candidate that does not intend to remove the *monarchy*.'

From the desk of Tarren Zerdoff, translated by Cole Miner I.

'We have sent a donation of 50,000 oil drums to each candidate that does not intend to remove the *monarchy*.'

Pierre Langille, Lindsay Gratwick, Lucian Faulkner and Bernard Salo thank Tarren Zerdoff for the donations.

OOC: Only the Trotskyists and Igovians want to abolish the monarchy; the others will probably keep it intact.

National Election Coverage
The Democratic Party has achieved victory in the current election; defeating the other parties and claiming a majority government. Pierre Langille spoke to multitudes of cheering supporters while the leaders of the other parties promised their supporters that they would continue to work for them. Lindsay Gratwick reaffirmed her environmentalist stance and promised that she would pressure Pierre's government to maintain good environmental practices; Bernard Selman declared that his party would pressure the Democrats to maintain adequate support for the poor of the nation. Igovian leader, Adam Ravon, pledged himself to the continuation of working for a nonviolent reformation of Phanar and Trotskyist leader, Leonard Salo spoke about the need to secure workers' rights.

Political commentators have said that Pierre will have to watch the Igovian and Unity parties as they now have significant influence in the democratic process. No one really expected the Igovians to make such progress but the new question is whether or not they can not only maintain their current levels of support but also become the next leaders of Phanar in the next election. Pierre Langille is expected to be sworn in as the Prime Minister around next week; it is said that he will retain all of his cabinet ministers but it is unknown if that is his plan.

OOC: The election is over; the Democratic Party has won. Thank you to all who took the time to vote, etc.