June 4304Southern Voice is a left-leaning daily print publication distributed nation-wide, focusing predominantly on political, cultural and economic events in Shu, Han and Southern AnleAbove: Kwan speaks to market vendors on the last day of the campaign in Yincheng, JiaozhiOff Life Support: Kwan Leads Lotus Party to First PlaceStory by Pan Heng, 29 June 4304BEIZHOU, Jiaozhi -- People rush in and out of the 28th story suite in the Beizhou Convention Centre Hotel. Discretely tucked into one corner, Kwan Zhiyong sits with her eyes fixed on the television. With one leg crossed over the other, Kwan appears poised and calm on the small leather couch, even occasionally telling a joke or two to one of her aids. However, if you watched close enough, you could pick up a sense of nervousness behind her eyes. Hopeful optimism.
The Lotus Party has faced a losing streak since 4290, falling to third place and staying there. Until tonight.
The Chancellory results came in first, as always, at 10:00 pm. The room fell silent as aids took a break from whirring all over the room to gather around the sitting area and watch the television in silence. Kwan Zhiyong's sister, Kwan Zhifeng, held her hand, but it seems this was more for her own nerves than that of the party leader's. When it was announced that the Grand Chancellor had been re-elected, the room broke out into light applause, noting that Kwan's result at 46% was the highest in 10 years for a Lotus Party candidate. People nodded approvingly at one another and then to Kwan, who stood to give a small wave, and a few words:
Of course, it's not the result we all hoped for, but the night isn't over until every vote is counted, alright? Thank you all for your hard work this evening! Let's keep going, just a while longer, okay?
Speaking with organizers and aids in the room, there wasn't much shock. No one really expected the popular two-term Grand Chancellor to lose his job, especially in light of the National Awakening Party's full endorsement. As such, the loss didn't curb the enthusiasm of the room very much.
Kwan ran a very robust and ambitious campaign, despite it only lasting a month. Kwan ran from coast to coast to coast to coast, popping up in a new city almost every day. Those close to her said that despite her aggressive campaign agenda, Kwan never seemed lethargic. Her campaign manager, Wang Yahui said that once while mid-flight between Taixi and Lanbao, he had asked the leader if she ever gets tired. According to Wang, Kwan replied to him: "There's no time to rest when your countrymen are counting on you."
As legislative results began to pour in, the energy in the room buzzed with excitement. As the results came in for northern Indrala, Wang walked to Kwan from the other side of the room. "So, Manager Wang, which speech will it be?" Kwan asked, with a mischevious look in her eyes. With a chuckle, Wang replied, "I think you know." With that, the two walked into the other room of the hotel suite, along with a small number of other aids.
Kwan would reemerge around 11:30pm, to the jubilant cheers of everyone gathered in the room. Since she left, the results for southern Indrala came in and confirmed what by then was expected: the Lotus Party had again become the largest party in the National Conference. Kwan spoke to the room:
Well friends, it looks like it's been a good night for our movement!
She hugged a few close staff and volunteers as she took her seat once again on the couch, looking over the script one last time with her assistant and her sister. At one point, Kwan looked up at the television, which was tracking a large balloon make its way through the crowd just downstairs at the Lotus Party election night event. She turned to those around her:
Looks like they're excited. How long should we keep them waiting?
"Not much longer," Wang said, "twenty minutes." That interaction wiped the smile off of Kwan's face. Suddenly, you could see that the weight of the evening had stuck the Lotus Party leader.
At 12:00am, Wang ended a phone call with organizers downstairs to walk over to Kwan. "Leader Kwan, they're ready for you. It's time." With a deep breath, she stood up and declared to the room, "Well folks, this is it," and with that, Kwan Zhiyong left to speak to the nation.
As Kwan took the stage, balloons fell from the ceiling and pink confetti shot out of cannons over the crowd. Kwan waved for a while as she stood at the podium. The crowd's thunderous chanting prevented her from beginning her speech for nearly fourty seconds. When she did begin, she said:
Well friends, Indralans were asked a simple question today. When asked whether they were content with the status quo, Indralans from every corner of this country have shouted out an emphatic "no!"
The crowd erupted in celebration, with nearly a thousand Fifth Republic flags being waved with a frenzied energy throughout the room. She began her speech by thanking her friends, family, volunteers and voters. Then she continued:
As I traveled this country this past month, I met people who had received crucial healthcare services under the National Health Insurance Corporation. I met women who were able to go back to work following the Public Childcare Program. I met students who were the first members of their family to ever attend university, made possible by the Indralan Scholarship Fund. Thus, as I traveled this country, I reflected on just how much the democratic left has brought to the social and political culture of Indrala. How much my role-model, Chancellor Huang brought to our country. This small victory tonight is built on the shoulders of so many giants.
During her speech, Kwan decried the "laissez-faire, don't-care" policies of the past decade, and declared that the elimination of childhood poverty should be the first goal for lawmakers in the National Conference. She also noted that despite becoming the largest party, the Lotus Party did not form government:
Friends, it would be naive to not reflect on the situation we find ourselves in. Of course, Grand Chancellor Zhang and his party have remained in power. However, I will make it abundantly clear to the government that things are going to be working a little differently in Tian'an!
Needless to say, the speech was well received by the supporters in the room.