Cildania

[RadicalGeo]

PLR sees best election result in 12 years


PLR Leader, Edera Galdes-Bajada (pictured), remained realistic on the party's election result.

Qart Qildar, Cildania - The Radical Labour Party has achieved its best election result since 5332 in the recent general election. The party won 44 seats and garnered 14.75% of the vote, a gain of 29 seats from the previous election which had been a record low for the party. The party was thought to have benefitted from the dissolution of the far-left UAKtP by Cildania’s courts.

The party saw a particular rise in support in its former longtime stronghold, the Principality of Gilzon, where it won 27 seats as well as the Governorship with Alfonsu Calamatta being elected to serve as Gilzons next Governor with an incredible 57.5% of the vote. It will be Mr. Calamatta’s first public office and many have already branded him as the face of the next generation for the PLR.

Speaking at the PLRs makeshift headquarters, leader Edera Galdes-Bajada wasn’t entirely celebratory with her statement, saying that “whilst this result is hugely positive for ourselves we must not forget the environment that this election was held in has been one of repression. The courts, with full support of the government, took the incredibly radical step of forcibly dissolving a political party. Our job, first and foremost, is to prevent further democratic backsliding in Cildania.”

Ms. Galdes-Bajada added, “whilst fighting on this front we must also continue to push our core values such as greater protections for our workers, expansion of women's rights, a fairer economy, protection of our nation's outstanding natural beauty and of course the ever-constant fight against corruption. We will fight our very hardest to protect our values.”

Despite the improved election performance the PLR has no plans to relocate its headquarters from its temporary base at the private residence of its Secretary-General, Għamos Terreni. Many figures inside the party believe it must still improve its financial position after years of declining donations.

Il-Gazzetta Radikali is property of Grupp Gazzetta, a private limited company.

[Wu Han]

PK Leader Sigismondo Falzon hospitalized following heart attack
Ramal, Cildania
2 August 5345

Constitutionalist Party (PK) leader Sigismondo Falzon, aged either 75 or 76, has been hospitalized at San Sascaria Hospital in Qart Qildar after suffering a major heart attack. According to a statement released by the Falzon family, Dep. Falzon remains under medically-induced coma after he went into cardiac arrest while exercising at his home early this morning. Constitutionalist Party figures and supporters alike have descended on the hospital where Dep. Falzon is under treatment to wish the long-time party leader a swift recovery. A spokesperson for the hospital refused request for comment on Dep. Falzon's condition, citing his right to medical privacy.

[TRA]

Beiteynu
Ashalon Bank BEIFG goes global

[jamescfm]

Guiliano Alagona to take a break from politics due to illness
     27 January 5346

Former Cildanian Prime Minister Guiliano Alagona has announced he will take a break from frontline politics in the coming months to recover from an undisclosed illness. Although he will remain a member of the Council of Deputies, Alagona has appointed his daughter Elena as interim leader of Alagona Faction. In a short statement published through his website, Alagona asked for his privacy to be respected while he recovered from a “serious medical condition”.

Guiliano Alagona has served as the leader of Alagona Faction since the party’s foundation in 5319. During that period, he has served as Prime Minister twice as well as Cildanian foreign minister. Alagona will celebrate his seventieth birthday later this year but he is known to be in good health for a man of his age. Last year, Alagona’s close friend and political ally Sigismondo Falzon suffered a serious heart attack.

L-ewwel24 is a television news channel and online news website owned and operated by the Alagona Group.

[journey.]

↪︎ Żaren Harrak (pictured) will lead the party. Photo: Noe Gonzi (Aġenzija Republika)

MLD 2.0: A new party on Cildanian political horizons
Previously, the Movement for Freedom and Democracy (MLD) was dissolved after corruption scandals. Today, its former members founded a formal successor: Alliance for Freedom and Equality (ALU), with anti-corruption as one of the main priorities
Reporting: Vestru Mirasole

Żaren Harrak, 49, a prominent member of the former Movement for Freedom and Democracy (MLD) party, has announced the foundation of the new party, technically succeeding the MLD. Alliance for Freedom and Equality (ALU) will become the new political force in Cildania, continuing the tradition of the republican movement in the country, emphasizing the fight for the equality of all citizens and the freedom of direct elections of the political representatives.

Previously, the Movement for Freedom and Democracy leadership and highest officials have been accused of corruption while in government. Despite denying the accusations, a big chunk of the members proceeded to leave the party, putting Ġilju Vassallo, then-spokesperson of MLD and the Prime Minister, in a tremendously tough situation. Soon, Vassalo would announce her resignation as the Prime Minister, two months after officially dissolving the party, thus ending the story of the Movement. Soon, the UAKtP would get banned under the controversial “Ban on Anti-Democratic Parties”, yet again creating a vacuum on the left, leaving Radical Labour Party (PLR) as the sole left-wing representation. That made Żaren Harrak and other former MLD politicians unite together yet again.

While presenting the party and its members, Harrak ensured that ALU will be focusing much more on the anti-corruption issues, citing an unwillingness to repeat the same mistakes. "The left is fragile enough in this country to put it under a higher risk of getting totally eradicated by corruption scandals. We need clean and transparent people, who can fight against the far-right and present a better and stable future", said Harrak.

Repubblika is an independent newspaper in Cildania, affiliated with republican movement.

[Kubrick]

24/7 News is a popular outlet for quick and short bits about the latest news in Cildania, it leans towards the populist side of politics.


Agents of the Anti-Fraud Task Force during the arrest of Kristofru Calafato (64) the accountant of several high profile politicians, with former Prime Minister Alagona being named as one of his clients.

ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE IN EFFECT AS CORRUPT OFFICIALS ARE ARRESTED ACROSS THE NATION

17 August 5347 - Ministers Mosè Eradi and Dumniku Zammit-Barca of Internal Affairs and Justice have presented a new organization within the Cildanian state: the Anti-Fraud Task Force. After several years of preparation the unit is now ready to tackle corruption across Cildania. The task force consists of agents recruited from several different government organizations. Zammit-Barca: "We wanted the best of the best, we recruited from the Sacred Band, the tax office, Internal Affairs, the National Police, the Army, we even took on hackers to help us uncover vital information." Minister Zammit-Barca sits at the head of the unit and servers as its figurehead. For security concerns all members of the task force are anonymous, intelligence has shown that organized crime within Cildania is looking to destabilize the newly formed unit. So far the system of anonymity has worked.

Shortly after the formation of the unit the researchers of the task force uncovered large amounts of tax fraud, corruption, and other illegal practices amongst the elite of Cildania. The Ministry of Justice wasted no time in issuing arrest orders. Several local government functionaries have been arrested on counts of bribery and fraud. An interesting arrest was that of Kristofru Calafato, the 64-year old accountant of former Prime Minister Alagona. Due to his mysterious illness the former PM was unable to comment on the situation but sources close to Alagona have confirmed Calafato was involved in the Alagona family finances. Whether Alagona was aware of the fraudulent activities of his accountant is unknown. Calafato will stand trial for embezzlement, tax fraud, lying to government officials, and bribery.

A masked spokesperson of the Anti-Fraud Task Force also confirmed that an individual associated with Deputy Falzon was arrested the night before. "We can confirm mr. Falzon was a client of this arrested official but so far we have no evidence incriminating the Deputy." Deputy Falzon was also unavailable for comment, citing his prolonged illness as the cause. The AFTF refused to comment whether they were investigating Falzon, but Minister Zammit-Barca allured to the fact at a press conference: "There is no immunity, not even in the highest circles."

COALITION FALLS OVER BEITEYNU-CILDANIA AGREEMENT: OtSB AND GtP WALK OUT!

22 September 5347 - Earlier today the government coalition collapsed after Prime Minister Azzarà refused to budge on the Beiteynu-Cildania agreement. The proposed alliance between Beiteynu and Cildania has been a sensitive talking point within the coalition since its formation. Both the GtP and the OtSB have called the agreement unacceptable. OtSB leader and current Minister of Justice Zammit-Barca is a fierce critic of Beiteynu as are many more in his party. Governor Zakkarija Lagriscti of Kinaan, one of the most successful OtSB politicians, has stated several times he believes Beiteynu is openly interfering with Cildania's democracy: "I have seen enough evidence to see foreign meddling by Beiteynu and I believe they are involved in organized crime too." Calls on the governor to retract his statements were ignored, with the beliefs resonating amongst OtSB supporters as Lagriscti has never polled higher in Kinaan.

Against the direct wishes of both the GtP and OtSB ministers the Minister of Foreign Affairs Botrys Meilaq (BW), upon alleged insistence of PM Azzarà, brought the treaty of cooperation and mutual defence between Beiteynu and Cildania to the Council. After that both the FtS and BW voted in favour, finding support amongst the opposition members of the AgK. Zammit-Barca previously warned Azzarà he would walk out of the coalition if the alliance was accepted, but the slippery PM called his bluff. A few hours after the vote both the OtSB and the GtP announced their departure from the coalition, with all ministers of these parties resigning.

The coalition collapse has also caused the end of the iK electoral alliance, The Community was a cooperation between BW and GtP. After the BW chose to support the alliance it seemed that the GtP had enough of the unstable marriage. For now it seems that the AgK and the Fishermen are trying to avoid new elections, forging a coalition in cooperation with BW.

[jamescfm]

Guiliano Alagona returns as leader of Alagona Faction following illness
Qart Qildar, Cildania
24 September 5347

Guiliano Alagona has announced that he will return to frontline politics following a period of illness. Earlier today, he issued a short statement confirming that he had made a full recovery from an undisclosed serious health condition. In the statement, he thanked his constituents and party colleagues for their support over the past twenty months. Alagona reserved special thanks for his daughter Elena, who has served as the party’s interim leader during his period of illness. The development arrives amid a period of fresh political instability in Cildania, after the relationship between the governing coalition broke down earlier this month.

[Zanz]

Fish Hook said to be "very excited" for rumored Adiore state visit

[TRA]

Beiteynu
Cildanian alliance to herald increased stability for the Majatran Sea

[Reximus]

Ilħna | "Voices"
"Your Source for Cildanian News"


People's Choice Deputies "Furious at Betrayal of Cildania by Corrupt Elites"
April 5348


Nunzio Piscopo on the ropes within his family's party and forced to make concessions

QART QILDAR -- With the recent decision by the Azzará government to enter into a treaty with Beiteynu, a backbench rebellion of People's Choice Deputies have decided that they are underrepresented at the national negotiating table and began to enact reforms within the party. Many view the treaty as irresponsibly handing control of defense, intelligence and international relations over to Beiteynu in a threat to Cildanian sovereignty, and yet it was apparently negotiated while GtP was in government. In fact, Nunzio Piscopo, the leader of the party, served in the high-ranking position of Minister of Finance in the Second Azzará cabinet.

This did not sit well with a number of GtP backbenchers who felt that the scion of the Piscopo clan and inheritor of the party from his father, party founder Redentur Piscopo, did too little too late to prevent the entangling agreement. Led by Marco Pisanti, a Deputy from Jilrit (and a close ally of two-term Jilrit Governor, Claire Tortell), a series of reforms were introduced to the parliamentary party for consideration - the first of which being none other than an immediate withdrawal from the Cabinet. This was quickly agreed to by Nunzio Piscopo, Sebastjan Pellicano, and Katerin Stefanin - the three People's Choice ministers in the second Azzará cabinet - in an effort to put out the fire. Additionally, the alliance with One Flag, iK, was abruptly discontinued and an effort for fresh elections was put forward.

These significant actions did not quench the desire for reform from Pisanti and other backbench deputies, however. A battle of press briefings then occurred between the "Old Guard" camp (seen as loyal to Nunzio) and a younger batch of GtP voices. "As I see it, we have a leadership that has sold out the values of Cildania first that Redentur Piscopo fought so hard for," said Pisanti. Firing back, Pellicano said, "This upstart movement, which really just wants to to unseat our leadership, is a disaster waiting to happen."

Nonetheless, the Old Guard made another concession: the introduction of the International Disentanglement Act (5348), done under the name of Nunzio Piscopo. Now, rumors have it that Piscopo's political future as leader of GtP hangs in the balance on the unlikely passage of that bill. According to a parliamentary source granted anonymity, "The votes are there to oust the leader if he cannot deliver for our party and our people."

While never before tested, People's Choice does have a mechanism for removing a leader under its bylaws. One individual who is certainly watching closely is Claire Tortell, the governor of Jilrit. With the disbandment of the iK electoral alliance, her future in Jilrit is much more fraught with electoral challenges. Rumors suggest that she may be considering moving to the Chamber of Deputies in Qart Qildar following the next general election.