Kalistan

[Doc]

BandStand, Kalistan's biggest Alternative Band, to perform major concert in Luxon
Opening acts include Las Piedres Blumas and Ghost
Kaliburg, Ananto
November 15, 4766


Kaliburg duo BandStand organizes concert at Global Music Hall of Fame Arena set for July of 4767

The largest alternative rock band in Kalistan right now is a group based in Kaliburg known as BandStand. And in the spirit of the long running GanJam festival, BandStand has begun seeking sponsorship for a planned two day concert to be held at the Luxon GMHoF Arena next July.

"We should be just done recording our next album in June and knowing us, we'll be itching to get back on the road," said singer, keyboardist and guitarist Gail Black. "Eddie [Lincoln] and I are looking forward to the show, and its more our hope to reignite the concert scene in Kalistan than anything else." Lincoln is the percussionist and backup vocalist for the band, spending much of his time behind the trap kits

Both, though separately, Black and Lincoln emigrated to Kalistan in 4761 from the Holy Luthori Empire. In Kaliburg, they met at a club one night: "I think it was a show for a band which was sadly, quite underrated for its talent, the Frog Invaders," said Lincoln. "They were this punk band which mixed in this really funky jungle drum and electronica." Black and Lincoln hit it off immediately, finding kindred spirits in one another. "Like, I don't play the drums much at all," Black said in a heavy Luthori accent. "And I had to teach him to play the guitar. But we mesh. I think this is the challenge of a two person band."

Much of their live set is performed with a studio recorded bass line and fill in percussion playing behind them. But their recorded music is far from simple. "We like to keep the tunes bouncy, but the lyrics themselves, they have a bit of a political bent to them. Talking about society and what not," said Lincoln. "Its a weird juxtaposition, a kind of duality, you might say,"

Black stated, "We already have a couple bands on our ticket. We're gonna be playing again with Las Piedras Blumas and Ghost. Of course they will be there though, we're kind of like a little clique aren't we?" Black referred to the fact that these three bands, the last two of which are more local in their fanbase than BandStand, tour and play together frequently, often taking turns sitting in on each other's set. Music magazines in Kalistan have referred to them as "The Frog Clique" due to their mutual appreciation for the now defunct band "The Frog Invaders" and their similar sounds. Las Blumas Piedras tends to have a more hard rock sound to their music, though their lyricist, Franco Donna, tends to soften to their edge with his vocals which stick to higher registers, while Ghost tends to rely more heavily on Electronic and RF influences. Meanwhile, BandStand tends to have found a nice little spot in the middle, incorporating all of these influences in something which occasionally ventures into pop territory as often as it trips over into House.

The three bands will play at the GMHoF Arena. "The intention is to play for two days," said Lincoln. "We'll play a set each day, and the first day the Flowers will play on Day one and Ghost will open on Day 2." Lincoln said he and Black were inspired by reading stories about the GanJam, the last which was held in Kalistan more than 60 years ago. "We thought, we probably couldn't put nothing like that together, but we can make a start with just us and maybe get some more bands on the bill in the process. Naturally, this show won't be some big eclectic thing, like the old Jams were: we'd like to keep a coherent vision. But there are a few bands me and Gail reached out to so far, and we've got some interest generated."

Money is still an issue. Lincoln estimated that it would probably take more than 1 million KRB to put the show on. "We actually got a good gift, though. The Hall of Fame donated the use of the arena, so we got that locked down, at least," said Black. Both members of BandStand were optimistic about the show. "The money will come together, for sure. The more people who know about the show, the more people who will step up. Kalistan is a musical country. I know this is gonna happen." It is unclear whether ODEN, long a major sponsor of the GanJam, will sponsor this show.

Tickets for the show are expected to go on sale in April, and more than 15,000 will be available for the two day show, while another block of 6500 General Admission tickets will be available for the floor.

[Doc]

Dulnerstaad Naval Center nearing completion
Multiyear project enters its final phases
Dulnerstaad, Ananto
December 12, 4766


Dulnerstaad Naval Center puts final touches on Mainside

The naval construction at Dulnerstaad is well into its final phases, as the base plans an official opening in February of next year. Construction engineers have been working since 4759 on the project, which included the arduous task of deepening the ancient port, constructing new jetties and seawalls, and drilling pylon foundations for the base's more than 100 buildings and structures. The town has already seen a boom in population ahead of the planned opening, with large scale Lourennaise immigration as well as movement from other parts of Kalistan to this formerly sleepy corner of Ananto. The Dulnerstaad Naval Center is expected to host a visiting Lourennaise fleet, as well as a new Kalistani Fleet charged with patrol on the Northern Limit.

"Well, the changes have been noticeable," said local fisherman Lucius Filbert, in a thick local bough. "We expected that the activity would affect the fishery nearby and it sure has, but luckily, our new fishing port up the coast there allows us to capitalize on that change." When asked if the development of the new base and the influx of new people has affected the culture of the area, Filbert was less sure. "I suppose. The Lourennes who come up tend to like their houses just so and such. The town really has grown to accommodate them and we welcome them, but they are still probably a little weird around us."

For the base's part, it will house hundreds of active duty sailors, from two navies. Acting Naval Viceminister Donna Hernandez said, "It was not so much of a challenge to build quarters to Lourenne's specifications. Seems naval men and women worldwide understand what a BEQ is. But when we put contracts out for food vendors last year, there were several which cater to the Lourennaise cuisine who successfully competed with Kalistani sellers, and to compromise, we had to add a food court addition to the PX, so we could cater to the differing tastes."

The base features dozens of barracks buildings, mostly in the Kalistani section. "We designated an area of the base as the International Quarter," said Hernandez, "so that the people we host can conduct their own affairs according to their own customs. Naturally, there is not effort on base to prevent fraternization between Kalistani regulars and visiting foreign troops, and the gates will be staffed by MPs of both the Kalistani Regular force as well as visiting nations, to prevent any miscommunication or delay. But for the most part, we've created more or less a mini command HQ zone for foreign navies to occupy and conduct all their own affairs without Kalistani interference and vice versa, with official liaison offices for all nations to use while in port."

Importantly, the base does not feature any aircraft facilities. "If a navy wishes to bring aircraft here, they have to do so onboard a carrier. This base is designed to specialize in naval warfare specifically, but we are close enough to air strips so that naval air can fly in and out of there to do combined arms exercises." The base also does not include a maneuver area for Marine activity, though a strip of coast to Dulnerstaad's east has been obtained for naval gunfure to be used in conjunction with the base. "The Gunrange, renamed Mount Edwards Naval Gunfire range, features a small bivouac area and spotting/FO facilities, as well as a variety of terrains. There is no civilian infrastructure in that area, and the environmental impact of its location will be minimal."

The base features refueling and refitting facilities, a drydock facility for repairs, several sub pens, and harbors for ships of varying sizes and displacement, from coast patrol cutters to aircraft carriers. "The blue ocean facilities and the sharp continental shelf drop off in the area have made this an ideal spot for this base," added Hernandez.

The Minister of Defense, Honarario Sanchez, is expected to be on hand for official opening in January. There is no timeline for the arrival of the first ships, but personnel from Kalistan's 1st Fleet have already taken up residence in the Base and in the community.

[Doc]

KRTVN to be reorganized as Not-For-Profit Media Cooperative
Subscriber based, Government subsidized but independently controlled
Kaliburg, Ananto
February 1, 4767


Broadcast room from station 98.2 KARS, soon to be converted to KRTVN Channel 1

The Republican Government announced sweeping changes which will end commercial broadcast and telecast in Kalistan once more. The KRTVN Reorganization Act was recently moved to a vote in the National Assembly, and once passed, it will fully re-socialize the airwaves in Kalistan.

"We feel its necessary to return the Public's property back to them," said Premier Bennots of the move. "For far too long, the Government has recognized the license monopoly held by major corporate interests who were acting for the benefit of their shareholders, and not for the benefit of the Republic. So now, we have demonstrated that private monopoly of the airwaves is no longer tennable in Kalistan."

Government watchers were left scratching their heads while searching for a catalyst for this move. The Premier put these questions to rest. "There is nothing these stations did, specifically. We are just setting right what the Liberals put wrong. Perhaps if for-profit media wasn't so devoid of content, the people in Kalistan would actually have some reason to listen to their radios and watch their televisions. As it is right now, its lowest common denominator stuff..."

The move by the Government includes reorganizing the eleven major television broadcasters in the Republic, as well as socializing control of most radio stations in Kaliburg and across the Mainland. Explicitly excluded from this act are internet and partisan media, as well, presumably print journalism. The act enforces a not-for-profit model on the Radio-Television network, while at the same time, forbidding Government influence or input into content. Instead, it charges those who subscribe to the Network to elect an Ombudsman, whose responsibility it is to ensure that the stations in the Cooperative produce and broadcast quality content, as well as observing the letter of the law.

The Cooperative is forbidden from running commercial advertisement, but may sell underwriting spots which do not include calls to action to business and industry, as well as conduct pledge drives among members of the Cooperative. The Republican Government has pledged in this act to cover all budgetary shortfalls from the Ministry of Culture's budget. "That ministry will be adequately funded," said the Premier.

The last time the Republic has a socialized cooperative running its media, support among the population for the network was very high, often times reaching comfortably into the mid 90s. But since media was privatized, and the KRTVN was reduced to a simple educational channel, support for the broadcast media has plummetted. People turned to internet streaming for content. The Premier is optimistic that the relaunch will increase support for the Network once more. "Finally, people will not only have excellent programming to watch and listen to, but they will also have a direct and tangible say in what that content is, through the Ombudsman program. We look forward to great things again from this Network."

The reorganization has already received a unanimous vote from the Socialist Party, and will pass into law. Meanwhile, the conversion will continue into the summer and will likely be completed by early fall of this year.

[Doc]

Kalistan takes receipt of several weapons systems
Deltaria and Lourenne provide valuable assistance to the Republic
Dulnerstaad, Ananto
July 8, 4767


Two Deltarian MiG-31 Interceptors, without unit or national insignia, arrive in Eshar this month

Ongoing military assistance to Kalistan from Deltaria was complimented by the dispatch of several destroyers and dozens of naval engineers from the Kingdom. About half of the invoice to Deltaria has been filled to date, totaling 3.4 Bn KRB so far, with the remaining 3.3 Bn KRB worth of equipment due by the end of next year. Accompanying the arrival of 6 (of 10) Tu-142 reconnaissance planes, 32 (of 75) SU-25 close air attack jets, and 28 (of 60) Mig-31 Interceptor craft supplied to Kalistan under Deltaria's "Aerial Protection Deal" comes dozens of Deltarian military advisors and trainers, who will be hosted at Fort Bjorn AFB, in Eshar Oduaray, and who will coordinate with Kalistan's newly reformed Regular Air Force in learning how to use these weapons, and develop tactical operations plans commensurate with the Kalistani Defensive Doctrine.

Meanwhile, Lourenne, in its efforts to continue increasing security in the region, have delivered six destroyers to Kalistan, three anti submarine and three anti-aircraft, which will form the core of the newly reconstituted Kalistani Regular Navy. The total purchase amounts to just ver 12 Bn KRB. "The Goal," said Defense Minister Honorario Sanchez, "Is to both begin reconstructing the Kalistani Navy around these destroyers, which will provide a significant regional deterrent, while additionally provide our neighbors increased security as well. Our problems in the past centered on rearmament in Kalistan causing our neighbors to misread our actions and escalate a crisis into existence. The way we are doing this now, cooperating with Lourenne, will resolve the primary historical situation, while allowing Kalistan to become a partner in the security of the Northern Anantonese Ocean."

The Defense Minister welcomed the arrival of the advance elements of the Lourennaise Fleet which will be hosted at the new Dulnerstaad Naval Center in Ananto. "The people of Dulnerstaad, as well as District Governor Josephina Scott and myself turned out to greet the new arrivals, who will commence setting up the International Quarter for the arrival of the main fleet," said Sanchez. Also in attendance were more than three hundred recent Lourennais immigrants who are steadily building an enclave in Dulnerstaad. "It was wonderful to see our countrymen once more," said Jacques Gagnon, who settled in Ananto three years. "This is very exciting."

Lourenne and both the Kalistani Government and various Kalistani corporations will begin work on completing the rest of the eventual 4 Fleets which will form the Regular Navy. Steel for additional ships is already running at the Sulari Steelmill, tied to the National Foundry, and more is expected. The steel and other materials will be shipped to the National Shipyards at Kaliburg, and the Bozo River National Shipyards to begin being built into frigates, corvettes, and submarines. Recently graduated Naval Engineers, who participated in the new Naval Engineering course through Kaliburg Polytechnic, will begin working directly with Lourennaise engineers. The cooperation will bring much needed technical expertise to Kalistan, and represents one of the facets in the deepening cooperative relationship between the two Anantonese nations.

An extended stay for Lourennaise Naval, engineering, and labor personnel bodes well for increased Lourennaise immigration to Kalistan, and Kalistan has offered all new Lourennaise arrivals the opportunity to apply for dual citizenship in both the Republic and the Kingdom.

[Doc]

BandStand Rocks the Global Music Hall of Fame
Agrees to play Lodamun with Las Piedres Blumas and Ghost
Luxon, Ananto
July 20, 4767


BandStand, the top Alternative Band in Kalistan, plays two sold out shows in Luxon

Aiming to reignite the Festival culture in Kalistan, BandStand began last year organizing a two night show at Luxon's Global Music Hall of Fame Arena. The effort paid off, with the venue selling out both nights. Opening for BandStand on Friday night was Las Piedres Blumas, who played two sets, one acoustic, and the second electronic. And on Saturday, Ghost opened up for BandStand, but a local band, named Luxon, joined the bill at the last moment. Luxon was heavily electronic, and harkened back to the early days of electronica in Kalistan, with noticeable hip hop elements in their music. Luxon utilized two singers, Georges Eagleton and Marcia Gomez, who harmonized with one another on many of the songs.

"It was such a fantastic show," said BandStand lead singer Gail Black. "The crowd was with us, just feeding us energy, the entire time. Doing two major shows back to back like this can be exhausting, but I don't think I felt tired one second, until we played the last song. Then, they wanted two encores..."

On Friday Night, BandStand played songs from their first album. "These was kind of an opportunity to introduce thousands to the music we made before we got famous," said Drummer Eddie Lincoln. "Most of that stuff was pretty experimental, as we were trying to really find our sound." The first album, "Far from Here" was barely noticed, and as a result, sold only a few thousand copies at shows, and is today completely out of print. "I imagine there will be a lot of people looking for copies now," said lincoln with a laugh.

On Saturday, the band played both singles and deep cuts off their next two massive albums, "Frog Clique" and "Disco for the Deaf." "We had to play some for the fans, but we snuck a few new ones in here and there," said Black with a smile. "I was really surprised at how well the fans took to the song 'Blackwater'. This was the first time we played that song for people, and the audience went wild!"

Fellow Frog Clique members Las Piedres Blumas and Ghost also provided excellent shows for the crowd. Las Piedreas Blumas' frontman Chris Flores, said, "I don't think we ever played for more than a few hundred people, and I heard there were like 17000 here for our show. Half the time I had to turn my monitors up because I couldn't hear the guitars over the roar!" This concert represents the first time both bands played before a national audience, and Ghost singer Dua Joseph said "Well, naturally, we're thrilled to be on the bill with BandStand. They really have helped us so much in our career and Gail especially, she put all this together." Fans were very impressed with Ghosts' electronica set, which featured house elements combined with hard rock.


Las Piedres Blumas opened the show for BandStand on Friday Night with a hard Rocking second set

The funding for the show was uncertain for several months. "We weren't sure if we were going to raise enough money to even put the show on," said Black. "We wanted to keep the tickets reasonable, and set a max price at K12 for seats and K15 for the floor, and the venue was free, so we basically just had to pay for the crew and the lights and the sound and all that... But still, in May we were still short, even though we volunteered to do the show for free. Then ODEN stepped in to provide funding to meet the budget, though they made it clear this wasn't an ODEN show for some reason." Lincoln opined, "I think they were just being generous. The ODEN guy said the organization was not in the concert business anymore, but ODEN has been closely tied to the music scene traditionally, so they were happy to just help out."

Following the show, BandStand announced that they have been invited to play in Lodamun, by Lodamese anarchists who made it to the show at the Hall of Fame. "Its a little weird," said Black, "but a representative of the Communes approached us after the first show and asked us if we would bring our music to Lodamun."

"They've heard of us in Lodamun. That's pretty wild," said Lincoln. BandStand agreed to play Oreans, Lodamun in September provided they could bring both Las Piedres Blumas and Ghost with them. "We also asked Luxon to join us, but I think they said they had other commitments on the date, but they would be happy to play with us again when we return to Kalistan."

"We'll wow them with our new stuff," said Black. "Also, me and Eddie were talking about making a road documentary about our trip. I think that would be a lot of fun."

The success of the Luxon show bodes well for the return of large, multi-day festivals to Kalistan, and perhaps, someday, we will see a return of the GanJam to Kalistani venues.

[ChengherRares1]

Lodamese anarchists prepare for concert, the Communes join ODEN

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Premier Bennots vows to attend Funeral for Queen of Lourenne
Nationalists raise a ruckus over "kowtowing" to foreign monarchs
Kaliburg, Ananto
November 15, 4767


Premier attempts to justify attendance at Queen's funeral

The Premier of the Republic, Joaquin Bennots-Hernandez acknowledged the passing of Lourenne's Queen and Kalistan's titular head of State, Queen Isabella III, as well as Crown Prince Phillip in a brief statement before an assembled press.

"We read today of the tragic passing of the Queen and Prince Phillip in a car accident as they were on their way to visit Keymon. The entire nation of Kalistan and I would express our condolences for the loss of this Great Lady, who has served Kalistan as Head of State for going on nine years now. It is with deep sorrow in my heart that I... I accepted an invitation from the Governor General to the funeral. I will travel to Eroncourt and then attend the funeral with Foreign Minister Uxue Etxeberri and several other members of my government. We will have other announcements in the near future, but for right now, it is a time for our two nations to mourn the loss of the Queen, under whose benevolent rule, Kalistan has achieved a degree of stability and progress we could only have dreamed of 10 years ago. I will not be taking questions just now, but I wished to mark the occasion."

As the Premier began to leave the press room, a small group of journalists associated with the nominally leftist-nationalist journal "Forward" shouted questions at the Premier. One journalist was heard to say "Why are you kowtowing to a foreign power like this?" This question caught the Premier, who returned to the mic and forcefully engaged the journalist. "That question is just ridiculous," the Premier answered. "The Queen was a very kind woman, and the notion that Kalistan is traveling to Lourenne to somehow prostrate ourselves before the new monarch is so ridiculous as to not merit more of an answer than this." He then left the podium for good.


A Demonstrator tells everyone what she thinks of the Premier

Following the end of the press conference, reporters went outside to find a small group, not exceeding more than 50 people protesting the announcement, which had been carried live on KRTVN 1. Some carried signs that said "Freedom for Kalistan" and "Kalistan Accepts no Foreign rule" but others held posters depicting the Premier with the words "Fat Slob" written under it and another called him a "crypto-Bootlicker." The protest lasted for about 20 minutes, and the crowd was orderly, but left of their own accord. Only a few protestors were seen talking to reporters, and they identified themselves as Nationalists who were for the most part, ready to move on from Lourenne's governance.

[Doc]

Kalistan relaunches the Indica-Class Submarine
Receives final installment of Deltarian Aircraft
Kaliburg, Ananto
November 17, 4768


Kalistan's Indica-Class sub design dates from the 4430s

A new Indica Class Submarine hasn't been built in Kalistan for more than 330 years, but the Republic is back in the submarine game. Four years ago, the Ministry of Defense began redrafting the blueprints for the most recent addition to the Kalistani submarine arsenal, and got a large boost from both the graduation of two successive classes of Naval Engineers, as well as the refiring of the Shipyards at both Kaliburg and Bozo River.

After two years in construction, the first new Indica-Class submarine, with modern radar and upgraded weapons systems has rolled off the lines.

Master Chief Georgia Chavez, who heads the Kaliburg National Shipyards said, of the new submarine: "The new updates were primarily in bringing component schematics into the modern era. Significant advances in micro-technology have occurred since the 4300s which allowed us to shrink the electronic components, and therefore increase their power. We've also been able to make several improvements to the fuel cell propulsion technology, that, while not necessarily improving the capabilities of the ship, have nonetheless increased space for storage. As a result, we can store two additional to torpedoes and have increased crew living space to something a little more modern than what existed in older designs."

As before, the submarine runs on an electric engine powered by hydrogen fuel cells, which allows for almost completely silent running as speeds up to 13 knots. It possesses six forward facing torpedo tubes, and can achieve up to 20 knots submerged. Its compliment has been increased from 27 to 30 sailors, which includes 5 officers. The additional sailors will operate a new advanced targeting system which allows the sub to track multiple targets over longer distances than the previous computer allowed. It also has a mount for fixed AAM launchers, to be employed when the ship is surfaced, but does not possess any ship to shore weapons systems. This brings the ship more in line with modern standard submarine technology. The advanced computer was developed by KalMD under a grant from the Ministry of Defense.

A brand new boat, the KRS-76, rolled off the line in Kaliburg last week and took her maiden voyage from the National Ship Yard to the Northern Limit, where it rendezvoused with several converted trawlers that are serving patrol duty there while Kalistan builds permanent patrol ships to replace them. Kalistan intends to build a total of 16 subs, including 7 more Indica-class boats, as well as 3 Sativa-Class and 4 Victor Class submarines, which were built on designs of submarines sold to Kalistan by Vanuku in the 4400s. Both ship designs will include the new targeting computer technology, and the diesel-electric powerplants will also undergo modernization.

In other news: the remainder of the shipment of aircraft from Deltaria, sold under Deltaria's Aerial Protection Deal, has finally arrived, and the balance of the total due has been paid. The last installment of aircraft brings Kalistan up to a total of 10 Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance planes, 75 Su-25 close-air, multpurpose attack jets, and 60 MiG-35 Interceptor jets. To this base, Kalistan will look for additional suppliers of mobile cavalry/troop transport helicopters, and will contract with AeroKal to produce more than 3 dozen lightly armored patrol jets. The Defense Ministry explained that it had the option to buy attack helicopters from Deltaria under the Deal, but opted not to, given that the mission of Kalistan's airforce is defense of the Homeland and adjacent seas.

Advanced training of Kalistani pilots, as well as ground crews has already produced a new crop of aviators capable of flying the Deltarian equipment, though Deltarian advisors remain in country to oversee the deployment of the remaining aircraft, as well as to continue to work with Kalistan to develop aerial tactics.

[Doc]

Kalistan's 6 year exploration for Bauxite meets successful end
Geologists uncover commercially promising source for Bauxite Ore in Neveras
Maridon, Neveras
January 12, 4770


Outcropping of "high quality" bauxite ore offers promise for aluminum future in Kalistan

A long dream of the Republic has been to acquire a reliable source of bauxite ore, from which aluminum may be refined. A fairly common ore, found in a reddish rock, has eluded Kalistani geological surveyors thus far, for centuries. But last week, a group of geologists associated with Neveras District University in Neveras City, Neveras, and under contract with The Neveras Ferromineral Mining Corporation, and funded by the Ministry of Trade and Industry discovered a commercially viable deposit of bauxite in the uplands of the District south of Maridon.

"It wasn't exactly under our noses," said geologist Gina Hamilton, leader of the exploration team for the last two years. "We must have gone through this area fifteen times and never saw this spot. But speaking with locals in the area, especially those who lived near Vilbin, they suggested a promising location on this very mountain, which they refer to as Dog Hill, but is officially just referred to "274 Peak" on account of its elevation. The owner of the land was contacted and took us out to see this spot where a beautiful specimen of high grade bauxite ore rock was sticking straight out of the hillside."

The redish brown specimen was tested and revealed to be a high aluminum content rock, verifying the supposition. From there, the geological team took core samples from several areas around the outcropping, and discovered that beneath the thin layer of overburden lay an estimated 76 million metric tonnes of the ore.

"This is a substantial find," said Hamilton. "We rushed the results back to the Republican Government in Kaliburg, who are currently in negotiations to purchase the land and place it in public trust. Discovering this particular deposit also gives us some idea of the chemical composition of the bauxite that is in this area, and allows us to go back over the ground out here and potentially find more by looking for chemical signatures."

Hamilton said, once the land transfer is settled, she and her team will continue to several more promising sites which were overlooked before and continue exploration. "It's kind of like a detective, finding clues, and gradually the puzzle comes into view," Hamilton said, clearly excited about the potential for finding more of the ore. The Dog Hill deposit will be exploited by Neveras Ferromineral, and a new public entity is expected to take its place in the near future. The new bauxite supplies allows Kalistan to restart its old aluminum refinery operations which produced significant amounts of aluminum earlier in this century for the Republic.

[Doc]

Hundreds gather to Petition Government in Kaliburg
Nationalists and Brethrenists Request for change in Relationship with Lourenne
Kaliburg, Ananto
July 4, 4770


Nationalists joined with anti-militarists to request action of Liberation

A completely peaceful protest was held in downtown Kaliburg and was attended by more than 1000 demonstrators. The message of the protest was singular: "It is time to wish Lourenne well and return sovereignty to Kalistan." The protest was attended by both Nationalists, who have made peace with the Socialist Party and participated in recent elections as well as members of the Brethrenist faction which has dominated the Socialist Party for the last ten years.

"We have generally benefited from Lourenne's presence here in Kalistan. They've brought security and stability to Kalistan, which was needed to get us back on their feet," said one young protestor, "but I think its time to say 'bonjour, mes amis,' and invite them to return Kalistan's independence."

The protest was notably joined by several prominent socialist politicians, including the Mayor of Kaliburg, Anthony Wayne, who is the clerk of the influential Kaliburg Monthly Meeting, and 15 Socialist Deputies from across the Republic. Recent commentary in the Press supporting full independence has treaded a fine line between conciliation and reasonable argument, arguing that an independent Kalistan could unleash the full potential of the Republic, and could continue to provide the Canrillaise Empire a reliable ally in the Northern Anantonese Ocean.

"I hear what they are saying," said Foreign Minister Uxue Etxeberri. "I am quite impressed, personally, with the restraint exhibited so far by those who are calling for a change of status between the Republic and the Crown" She noted that most comments were clear that there was no objection to the condition of Kalistan's existence under the Lourennaise crown, but the initial cause of Lourenne's occupation no longer exist, and Kalistan is progressing both economically and in terms of security.

The protest included both a rally at Revolution Plaza before the National Assembly, an then a march to the Office of the Governor General, where protest leaders presented a petition signed by 25,000 Kalistanis from across the Republic asking for consideration of the cause of Change of Status. At presstime, the Governor General did not provide any comment on the protest or the petition, but foreign Minister Etxeberri sounded an optimistic note. "We had the occasion to discuss Kalistan's status with the Crown when we visited Eroncourt for the Queen's Funeral. From my impression, they were open to discussing the status of Kalistan, sooner, I believe, rather than later."

The Foreign Minister underscored her confidence that a peaceful change in status was not only possible, but likely in the near future. The messaging coming from the Government on this matter have gone a long way to ensure the peacefulness and lawfulness of the protests to date, as the people seem to share the FM's confidence. Another major contribution to the peace surrounding these protests is the recent joining of the movement by Brethrenists, who insist that the movement remain pacifistic and non-confrontational. As a result, the protests, of which the latest one was the largest, have adopted more of an air of a party and celebration rather than civil disorder.

The movement is expected to grow while the question remains unresolved.