Selucia

National news threads that host the key national news outlets for each of the game’s countries.

Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Aethan » Mon Jul 09, 2018 2:56 pm

Selucian unions say 10 million observed morning strike on Women's Day
Praetors of Insularia, Oriensos and Cor Patriae throw their weight behind action to demand an real end to inequality

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Thousands of Selucians collapsing the main road of the Insularian city of Victoria

In what has become a tradition since the government of In Marea-Civis Sinistram named the 9th of March as the national Women's Day, women across Selucia are taking part in a strike aimed at demanding effective equality between men and women. The leading unions said that 10 million people had followed the two-hour workplace walkouts throughout the morning.

According to a Metroscopia survey for this newspaper, 84% of Selucians feel that a feminist strike is justified.

“If we stop, so does the world” is the slogan of the strike, which is already being felt in healthcare, consumption, transportation and media organizations. There are also 270 street demonstrations planned throughout the day.

The walkout also received public support from Praetors of Insularia, Cor Patriae and Oriensos. Insularian Praetor Artemisia Oltra, wrote in social media “The goal has been achieved. It’s not just about demanding real equality, but about facing the need to change the relationship of the world and women. It is feminism. The world needs feminisms.”. Insularia was the first province of Selucia to declare salary breach for discrimination backgrounds illegal, under the government of Ares Zervas. It was later applied nationwide by the In Marea-Civis Sinistram national government.

Early on Thursday, there was a notable female absence on some radio stations. Prominent TV talk show hosts also backed the walkout.

Students protested at college campuses across Selucia. In the capital city of Auroria, hundreds marched at University of Auroria, where officials noted that “with the aim of maintaining the spirit of the March 9 feminist strike, no female employee will be assigned to cover essential services.”

While feminist groups have asked only women to stop working in order to underscore how their absence affects every aspect of everyday life, the unions were legally obliged to include both men and women in their call for strike action. The majority unions are supporting two-hour strikes, while smaller unions back a 24-hour stoppage.

Organizers say they are feeling overwhelmed by the show of support. “There was a need, and we have connected with it, and it is expanding on a daily basis,”, “We women are tired: we have a double working day, we don’t have the same pay or conditions, and caregiving falls to us. While technically it is illegal to do so, many places still pay less for the same job to women, and this has to stop now.”

“We cannot keep resigning ourselves to equality on paper, we want a structural transformation,” said Marilia Autiria, director of the feminist non-profit Sewo Fundation. Despite the laws, “we have maintained social patterns that prevent women from enjoying their rights.”

Minimum services are guaranteed in essential sectors such as education, where public school principals and other top officials have an obligation to report to work. In healthcare, services vary by the region, depending on whether there was an agreement between the unions and regional officials.

Professional groups of journalists, scholars, health workers, scientists, non-profit workers, athletes and lawyers have all produced manifestos demanding progress. “This is a wake-up call so all their talent and qualifications will be taken into account,” says Solina Tulio.

This is just the first step, say strike organizers. “We don’t see this as a one-day thing, but as a process,” notes Vulpia Cigata. “We are not going to stop here,” adds Prontia Minaralia. “This process makes us feel strong, and reinforces the idea that mobilizing is the way forward.”
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Polites » Mon Jul 16, 2018 9:12 am

Selucia Introduces Police Conscription and Restorative Justice
Police and lawyers protest against Republican bill

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Police protest in Assedo

July 4424 - This month the Republican Policing bill, introduced by Republican Party Senator Haider bin Talal al-Mutanabbi, passed with the support of two of the three governing parties and the abstention of the rest of the Senate. The new act introduces a thorough reform of the police forces, ostensibly based on three core Republican principles, namely mandatory national service, community policing, and restorative justice. The Republican Policing Act introduced conscription for police forces by adding law enforcement to the list of governmental branches to which Selucian citizens can be conscripted, based on their own preference and the manpower needs of the police and the Armed Forces, implemented community policing through the introduction of the requirement that all members of law enforcement forces be permanent residents of the locality in which they operate, and introduced "guided discretion" by allowing police a wide degree of discretion in dealing with crime within nationally-approved guidelines, with the purpose of increasing trust between the police and the local community and allowing law enforcement to build stronger ties that go beyond traditional incident-driven "911 policing". And lastly the bill introduced the principle of restorative justice as a complement to formal justice, empowering the police to organize and mediate face-to-face restorative justice conferences involving the offender, the victim, and people each of them trusts, with the goal of reaching a settlement that both parties may agree on and avoiding bringing the case to court. The idea of restorative justice, long promoted by Republican Senator al-Mutanabbi during his time in the Senate, his position as Minister of Justice between 4403 and 4411, and even during his brief mandate as Minister of Foreign Affairs (4415-4421), a policy continued by his successor in that office Hiroto Yukimura, is a form of justice distinct from both the just-deserts and the welfare models of justice, focusing instead on the victim and their interests, the idea being that formal justice fails to take the victim's views into account by focusing exclusively on the offender. Senator al-Mutanabbi has long been an advocate for criminal justice reform, being responsible for the repeated introduction, in 4400 and 4408, of judicial corporal punishment as a voluntary alternative to incarceration, the abolition of forced penal labor, and a failed proposal to legalize public executions, with the argument that, unlike executions carried out in private, they have an empirically-observed deterrent effect in their immediate aftermath. The Republican Policing law continues the Senator's abolitionist policies in his attempt to minimize if not entirely abolish incarceration as a judicial penalty.

Restorative justice is the latest reform principle embraced by Senator al-Mutanabbi, with the support of his party and its coalition partners, with the aim of encouraging offenders to take responsibility for their actions and understand the harm that they've caused, to allow them to redeem themselves, and to offer victims a more active role in the administration of justice than through the formal court system. Most controversially, however, the Republican bill does not restrict restorative justice conferencing to a certain type of crime, meaning that, at least in theory, restorative justice conferences may be used for severe crimes like murder, homicide, or sexual abuse, while the bill requires that, should the conference end successfully, no further legal action may be taken. The only requirement on the conference is that the penalties it imposes on the offender may not exceed those that would be provided under the formal court system. On the other hand, the bill provides that, should at any point the conference fail, either because either party refuses to attend or because it does not reach a mutually acceptable resolution, the case will be referred to the formal court system. The logic behind this provision is that, by using both restorative and traditional justice practices in parallel, it will be much easier and cheaper for the state to impose penalties on offenders, given that, since the penalties to be introduced under the conferencing system have a maximum cap, the offender may have an incentive to cooperate in their own punishment under the conference, lest they potentially find themselves faced with a harsher penalty under the formal court system. As the bill's initiator explained it, "we will hurt you, and it will be cheap and easy for us because you will help us hurt you", guided by the idea that certainty of sanctions is a more powerful deterrent tool than severity of punishment. Additionally, because the new police forces are authorized to initiate community conferences even in cases of conflict where no crime has occurred, the hope is that the conferencing system will help uncover more widespread abuses and injustices than is possible under the formal judicial system.

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Republican Senator Haider bin Talal al-Mutanabbi has long been the face of Republican attempts at judicial reform

But needless to say not everyone is happy with the Republican-initiated police reform. There are fears that the conferencing system will quickly devolve into mob justice and the tyranny of the majority, circumventing due process principles embedded in the court system and potentially harming innocents. There are also critics who contend that, although restorative justice may be more effective in providing a resolution that is satisfactory to offenders, victims, and the community, restorative justice may trivialize crime, particularly men's violence against women, and it may put victims under pressure to forgive the offender for the sake of communal peace. Several critics of the new law allege that offenders, when faced with the possibility of lighter punishment under the conferencing system, will merely feign remorse and not modify their behavior or attitudes in the future, placing the victim at risk of further victimization. But the harshest criticism of the Republican Policing bill came from the professional justice sector. Law enforcement in particular, while welcoming the wide degree of discretion granted under the law, are deeply critical of the requirement that all police be locally-based, and more so of the introduction of conscription in the police forces, which they fear will drive down the wages for professional police officers and introduce a large number of untrained and unprofessional personnel into law enforcement. The government has responded to the criticism by arguing that police conscription will complement rather than replace professional law enforcement, similarly to how mandatory conscription into the Armed Forces has not abolished the standing army and the professional military, but rather increased their number with the addition of conscripts that are required to undergo regular training, and that the new police conscripts will also be required to undergo training under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior. The government's claims did little to assuage the fears of the police, however, and several protests of law enforcement members against the Republican Policing act are taking place in several large cities in Selucia. But the most angered by the new law are not the police, but the lawyers, who seem to have an even more legitimate grievance against the Policing Act due to the possibility that most criminal and civil suits will circumvent the courts entirely, rendering the professional practice of law practically irrelevant in most circumstances and ultimately threatening to leave most attorneys at law jobless. Thousands of barristers have initiated a strike against the legal aid cuts under the Republican Policing Act, refusing legal aid work in an attempt to force the government to reverse its justice reforms. However the government has so far refused to give in to the demands of the striking attorneys and remains committed to the thorough reform of the justice system implemented this month, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, chaired by Imperial Minister Faustinus Crispinus, has begun implementing the requirements of the act. Whether the fears regarding the potential abuses under the Republican Policing law are justified or not will become clear in the coming months and years, as the Republic's law enforcement system is set to shift towards informal justice.
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Polites » Tue Jul 17, 2018 8:23 am

Republicans Win Consulship
Republican candidate al-Mutanabbi sworn in as Consul of the People

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Haider bin Talal al-Mutanabbi on the Consular throne

January 4425 - The Republican Party now celebrates the second best electoral result in its history. In the elections in November last year Republican candidate Haider bin Talal al-Mutanabbi emerged victorious in the second round of voting, defeating In Marea candidate Atria Avenarius by more than 6 percentage points, while the party managed to win 162 seats in the Senate, emerging as the second largest party and guaranteeing the continuation of the current center-left alliance formed of In Marea, the Imperial Party, and the Republican Party. The Republicans' massive increase in popularity managed to propel them from their former position as the smallest party in the Senate to just 42 seats behind In Marea, which held on to its position as the largest Senatorial faction. The Republican Party's electoral surge is the direct result of the Republican Policing Act of July last year, which introduced police conscription, community policing, and restorative justice as the guiding principles of law enforcement, complementing formal justice and moving towards lighter but more widespread sanctions. As the Republican Senator behind the introduction of the bill and the leader of the party's judicial reform efforts for the past two decades, Republican Party candidate Haider bin Talal al-Mutanabbi heavily emphasized the Policing Act as part of his campaign, which helped him woo both the strongly federalist electorate in Marestella, which enthusiastically supported the decentralization of police forces, and the blue-collar voters in Cor Patriae, as the Republican campaign focused on the community-building impact of the judicial reform on poorer rural communities. A key element in Republican electoral propaganda has been the fact that, although there are more white-collar criminals than blue-collar criminals deserving severe punishment in Selucia, as in any other society, attempts to impose deserved punishment on all who merit it will only be successful for blue-collar offenders while systematically failing with white-collar criminals, as the rich have more effective access to both litigation and alternative dispute resolution, while the poor do not. The Republican campaign stressed that, rather than try to impose stricter punishments on white-collar offenders, which is bound to fail due to the superior capacity of the rich to deploy counter-measures against deterrence, such as the infamous use of "vice-presidents responsible for going to jail" in large companies or "fall guys" in criminal organizations, the solution is to expand the methods of white-collar crime enforcement to blue-collar crimes. Whereas white-collar criminals have the possibility of having criminal proceedings dropped in exchange for compensation to victims and organizational reform, blue-collar offenders lack this privilege under formal justice. al-Mutanabbi's campaign emphasized the fact that under the candidate's flagship legislative proposal the Republic will provide a universal guarantee to rich and poor offenders alike of access to both the courts and restorative justice for any crime, no matter how severe. This proved to be a winning message for the Republican Party, energizing both the conservative poor and the Marestellan federalists, who jointly rallied behind al-Mutanabbi's judicial reform and rewarded him with Consulship.

Consul al-Mutanabbi announced that his first act as Consul of the People will be to attend the Non-Aligned Movement Formative Meeting in Kaliburg, Kalistan, to be joined by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hiroto Yukimura, who, when he held Consulship himself in 4413, negotiated Selucia's membership in the Kaliburg Trilateral Accord. Minister Yukimura has established close ties with the Kalistani government, a relationship the new administration is eager to continue as Selucia continues its attempt to establish a foreign policy independent from what many Selucians see as the failing Majatran Alliance and from the Northern Council, which the Republic continues to view with suspicion. Consul al-Mutanabbi urged the government and the Senate to support his foreign policy vision and endorse the Kaliburg negotiations and ratify the resulting treaty.
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Aethan » Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:32 pm

Upset in government because of international politics
Sources of the majority party in the government assure that the Caesar feels "defrauded" by the attitude of Factio Republicana regarding the "Non-Aligned Movement"

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Caesar Seia Nerva arriving to Kaliburg, Kalistan

Early this morning, the Selucian chief of the executive has landed in Kaliburg, Kalistan, after several hours of a flight prepared at the last minute, after the announcement of Consul al-Mutanabbi to attend the event of non-aligned nations accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hiroto Yukimura, of Factio Republicana. The announcement, which caught the rest of the government by surprise, generated several criticisms in In Marea-Civis Sinistram, the party of the current Caesar de Selucia, Seia Nerva.

The situation arising from these actions, without informing the head of government and taking the word at the meeting without knowing the official opinion of the government, have been felt very badly within the progressive party, and some sources have commented that, after hearing from it, Seia Nerva was very disappointed with the irresponsible performance of her government partners.

To In Marea-Civis Sinistram, which was already reluctant to sign the trilateral agreement with Kalistan, has not felt well this new approach to the nation, and less without prior consultation with one of the two visible heads of power in Selucia.

"It is incomprehensible that the Minister of Foreign Affairs has acted in such an irresponsible manner, without announcing his intentions to the government and speaking at a conference that therefore did not have the approval of the entire executive,"
said Artemisia Oltra, Praetor of Insularia and one of the most critical voices within the party with the coalition with Factio Republicana.

The aquamarine party, which fears, among other things, that under the facade of the "movement of non-aligned nations" ends up emerging nothing more than another economic alliance that endangers global stability and whose only interest is to confront the existing powers in Terra, as well as serving as a refuge for nations repudiated by the international community for discriminatory policies, has already announced that Seia Nerva would attend the presentation conference, although reluctantly so as not to increase the fissure in the executive.

"What Minister Yukimura has done has placed both Mrs. Nerva and the entire government of Selucia in a bind,"
said Atria Avenarius, party leader and former Consul.
"He has forced Seia to go to an event that does not arouse any special interest for our party, since Selucia has always been, without need of any organization, a neutral nation that has worked for the global interests of humanity, Otherwise, if she stays in Selucia, she would be disqualified as an authority figure by her own minister."


Sources close to the Caesar, which has refused to make any statements on arrival in the Kalistani capital, say she is "concerned about the attempts of Factio Republicana to move away from the traditionally allied Majatran nations of Selucia, in pursuit of new alliances with third nations like Kalistan ", and that she does not see this meeting" as an opportunity ", but rather as a" headache ".
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Polites » Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:17 pm

Republicans Lose by Winning
Republican Party gains most seats and enters opposition

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Republican co-leaders Haider bin Talal al-Mutanabbi and Iennifer Vinicia Opis commiserating their party's electoral triumph

April 4427 - Anyone visiting the headquarters of the Republican Party in August last year would be excused if they believed that the elections that month were an absolute failure for the party. Although the Republicans emerged as the largest party in the Senate, won the Praetorship in three out of five Provinces, and had their candidate Haider bin Talal al-Mutanabbi renew his Consular mandate, the atmosphere at the Republican headquarters in the Selucian capital of Auroria was anything but celebratory. Instead of seeing their electoral triumph as the validation of their long efforts to dominate legislative and executive policies in the Republic, the party's leadership instead saw the August results as at best a Pyrrhic victory and at worst one of the most thorough defeats in the party's 60 year history. And this is not because of ingratitude towards the voters who propelled the party to its largest vote share. Instead, Republican leadership sees this electoral victory as creating more problems for the party than it creates opportunities. Unlike the other two remaining parties in Selucia, the Republican Party is primarily an ideological party, for which winning elections or introducing policies matters far less than principle. Republicans are committed to a comprehensive set of beliefs, that is a modern revival of ancient Republicanism adapted to the circumstances of globalization, industrialization, urbanization, and multi-culturalism, and is less interested in policy preferences, material incentives, or even winning elections. In fact, because of its strategic positioning between the traditional left- and right-wing parties of Selucia, the Republican Party has a better chance of actively shaping Selucian politics and society if it performs poorly in elections, allowing it to play kingmaker between left and right and guaranteeing Republican participation in government in coalition with parties from either side of the aisle. For the past 57 years since the party first joined government the Republicans have only been in opposition for a total of fourteen years, and for the past six decades whether Selucia was to be governed by the left or the right was ultimately up to the Republican Party itself to decide.

However, the recent collapse of all right-wing parties in Selucia has destroyed this balance of power and forced the Republican Party to abandon its position as the pivot party as the August elections granted the Republicans monopoly over the Selucian right wing. Instead of celebrating this new-found monopoly however the Republicans are distraught and desperate. Not expecting this massive increase in the vote share the Republicans did not field experienced candidates in most districts that they now won, to say nothing of the numerous local council seats the party is now forced to fill with either inexperienced candidates or former Rexist or Aurorian politicians, which will not only loosen the partisan link between the party leadership and local officials, but will also threaten the delicate balance between the different ideological camps within the party itself. For decades the party has maintained a fragile internal peace between its Hosian Democratic, Monarchist, Socialist, and Green wings, even as its two co-leaders represented the two most ascendant factions at any one point. The sudden influx of former Rexists into the party, with weak institutional or ideological ties to any faction and a natural orientation towards the more conservative Imperial Republican camp, threatens to shift the entire party to the right and lead to an abandonment of its principled stance in favor of traditional electoral politicking. The Republican old guard are appalled by this and accused the old leadership of the party of not doing enough to prevent the party's electoral victory. In a hastily assembled General Congress the old guard successfully moved for the replacement of the former co-leaders of the party Rebecca Clodia Pastor and Adeodatus Nymphidius and instead elected current Consul Haider bin Talal al-Mutanabbi and Republican Senatrix Iennifer Vinicia Opis as the party's new joint leaders. Consul al-Mutanabbi is a representative of the Social faction of the party and Senatrix Scato represents its Green faction. The party leadership hopes that, by electing two of the most left-leaning Republican leaders to co-chairpersonship, the most right-leaning voters in the Republic will be discouraged from voting for the party and the newly-elected right-wing Republican Senators will be forced to break away from the party and establish their own Senatorial faction. But until or whether that happens, the two co-chairpersons lack the power of disciplining all new legislators elected on their ticket, and as the Republican leadership moves left the party's backbenchers will surely move to the right.

The fears of the Republican old guard appear to have been more than justified, as in March this year the Republican Party lost its position in government and the former grand coalition between In Marea, the Republican Party, and the Imperial Party was replaced by a center-left In Marea-Imperial government. This spells bad news not only for Republican prospects for future governance, but may also jeopardize Selucian membership in the future Non-Aligned Movement. The new Foreign Minister, Megara Kondou, hails from In Marea, a party traditionally committed to human rights interventionism and historically albeit reluctantly tied to Selucian membership in the Majatran Alliance and strong ties to Istalia, one of the Great Powers of Terra. Although Consul al-Mutanabbi returned to Kaliburg to continue negotiations regarding Selucian membership in the Non-Aligned Movement, it does not appear likely that the Foreign Ministry will continue to endorse these negotiations or propose the ratification of the resulting treaty.
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Aethan » Sun Jul 22, 2018 1:43 pm

The IUVIM consolidate their power within the Government
The youth branch of IMCS manages to place in the government members related to them

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Megara Kondou, Calavia Silo, Zera Veli, Aegeus Zografos, Vesnia Draco, Salonia Linus and Yalena Petrou

Despite having lost the most voted party label in the last elections, and therefore, the presidency of the Senate, IMCS has managed to form a government together with Factio Imperialis, relegating the most voted party, Factio Republicana, to the opposition.

However, with this loss of power, the secretary general of the party and current Caesar of Selucia, Seia Nerva, has been forced to give in to the most left-wing party, which includes the IUVIM (Iuventus In Marea) and the Praetor of Insularia since 4378, Artemisia Oltra.

In this way, and with the complete renovation of the government cabinet, of the seven positions that In Marea has obtained (the five remaining have gone to Factio Imperialis), three have gone to this faction of the party: Defence (Calavia Silo) , Justice (Zera Veli) and Trade and Industry (Yalena Petrou).

Despite the fact that Seia Nerva has managed to maintain her affinity in the other relevant positions (Foreign Affairs, Health, Education and Science), the war for power in the party between the two factions is increasingly evident, and the the loss of the first position in the last general elections has accentuated it.



With the collapse of the two parties on the right (Rexist Party and Populi Unionis Rerum Novarum) in less than two years, all those votes have gone to Factio Republicana, which has seen its positions have drastically veered to the right.

"It is obvious that we could not continue in the government with them"
said Seia Nerva, who was already upset according to official sources after the performance of Hiroto Yukimura in Kalistan "
we had formed a marriage of convenience, which suited the country, to avoid that both the Rexist Party and Populi Unionis Rerum Novarum came to power, but now, with the collapse of both and all their voters taking refuge in Factio Republicana, it was impossible for us to remain in coalition with them. "


Party sources have already warned, however, that In Marea-Civis Sinistram is not the only party that presents internal division these days, as Factio Republicana shows a clear confrontation between its leadership, which advocates more centrist and pragmatic positions, and its Senators, more heels to the right.
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Polites » Thu Jul 26, 2018 12:00 pm

Istalian President in Selucia
President of Istalia Aghar Yassen in emergency visit at Auroria

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Consul al-Mutanabbi and representatives of the Senate receiving the Istalian delegation

April 4429 - As part of a broad reassessment of Selucia's foreign policy and treaty obligations, the Selucian Senate debated the Republic's withdrawal from a number of treaties that are either de facto or de iure defunct or were seen by many Senators, particularly those affiliated with the Republican Party, as tying Selucian foreign policy too closely to the interests of other nations. One treaty under debate was the three century old Treaty of friendship and cooperation between the Repubblica Istaliana and the Regnum de Selucia, establishing close bilateral ties between Selucia and Istalia. On the face of it the treaty does not impose any significant burden on either party and does not commit Selucia or Istalia to a particular foreign policy, pledging only to increase trade and reduce barriers for travel between the two nations and requiring the two parties to assist each other in case of war or natural disasters. However the Foreign Affairs Minister at the time, Republican Hiroto Yukimura, argued that Article IX of the treaty has an ambiguous meaning. The article states that "both nations agree to financially support their diplomatic and military staff on foreign soil", which most likely is a specific reference to the security and diplomatic staff attached to the two nations' embassies on the other's territory, as outlined in Article VIII of the Treaty. But former Minister Yukimura argued that, due to the article's ambiguity, it could conceivably be argued to commit the two nations to financially support each other's military and diplomatic staff on the territory of third parties, an interpretation he and many Republican Senators found objectionable. Although the proposal to withdraw from the treaty only received the support of little over a half of Republican legislators, with the remainder joining the current coalition in opposing the motion, the attempted withdrawal and the rhetoric behind it caused much concern in Romula. The President of Istalia Aghar Yassen reached out to the Selucian head of state requiring an explanation. Thankfully Consul Haider bin Talal al-Mutanabbi defused the tensions and the conversation between the two heads of state was reported as being cordial and friendly, and the Istalian President offered to visit Selucia to discuss the issues that led to the brief moment of tension. President Yassen arrived in Auroria this month and met with Consul al-Mutanabbi in an emergency visit. In their joint press conference the two Majatran heads of state emphasized their mutual commitment to maintaining the bonds of friendship and trade between the two nations, and Consul al-Mutanabbi guaranteed that Selucia would for the time being remain party to the bilateral treaty, and no attempt to repudiate Selucian membership would be made until both nations agree on a new treaty. The official visit and the Consul's promise let the two nations' diplomatic staff breathe a sigh of relief. But the Consul's actions may have jeopardized his political position within the Republican Party, which following the last Senatorial elections has largely monopolized the right-wing and far-right vote, leading to the election of many Senators on the Republican ticket with weak institutional or ideological ties to the party. Throughout the current legislative term the party leadership, which includes Consul al-Mutanabbi, has faced a growing backbenchers' revolt which Princeps Senatus Iennifer Vinicia Opis has been struggling to contain. The Republican backbenchers accuse the Consul of betraying Selucia's foreign policy interests and of "kowtowing to the hegemonic designs of an imperialist nation". In an attempt at regaining control over the party and preventing its shift to the right Republican leadership is considering punitive measures against its backbenchers. It is possible that the warm reception granted to the Istalian president is designed not only to maintain close ties to one of Selucia's oldest friends, but also to signal to the more isolationist and anti-Istalian backbenchers that they do not control the party and that their views are not welcome by the leadership. Whether this will lead to a leadership challenge to al-Mutanabbi and Opis or to the defection of the new Senators to the re-founded Rexist Party will become apparent after next year's elections.

"Black Thursday" Hits Selucia
Financial crisis affects Selucian economy

August 4429 - The Majatran financial crisis known as Black Thursday, caused by the Istalian stock market crash in the aftermath of uncertainty regarding Istalia's position towards the different Majatran supranational organizations has finally hit the Selucian economy. Economic growth is expected to slow to 1.3% by the end of the year, and the Auroria Stock Exchange halted trading for a full day on June 7 after a 10% drop the previous day. Many of the largest Selucian banks have reported losses. ILQ Bank, a joint stock company owned by cooperative banks reported a loss of SEN 1 billion for 4429 as a consequence of high risk investments, and PagusBank, Selucia's largest farming cooperative bank, lost 4.3 billion Nikan on investments and securitized products. The bank had continued to buy toxic assets while other banks disclosed losses, because the assets were cheap and the managers underestimated the severity of the crisis. PagusBank is owned by 29 million farmers and fishers through their producer cooperatives, and although the bank is still able to guarantee a return on the members' assets it is not able to pay a dividend this year, which will put pressure on a largely unprofitable farming sector. As the financial crisis worsens, Selucia's banking sector will have to face increased loan delinquency and diminishing deposits as members' incomes begin to decline.

However, the Selucian economy has a number of features that make it particularly resilient in times of crisis. In spite of the losses incurred by several large banks, no bank or credit union has yet required government recapitalization. In a series of reforms introduced since the 4380s the Selucian economy has adopted a cooperative model, whereby most industries and businesses are run by member-owned corporations, complemented by government-mandated monopolies in certain sectors and state-owned monopoly over the defense industry. Although the reform was highly controversial at the time, seen as responsible for a decline in Selucian economic growth and the cooperatives seen as less capable of raising capital, cooperatives have a number of advantages that make them particularly suitable during economic crises. As opposed to banks, savings and credit cooperatives tend to not freeze credit, have lower increases in interest rates, and are overall more stable due to their strong risk-aversion, making them an attractive alternative to traditional banks in times of economic turmoil. Because cooperative banks are owned by their members and not driven by profits or shareholder interests they have largely avoided riskier loans, and the greater scrutiny imposed by local credit unions over the decisions of their central institutions has resulted in more risk aversion, since any loan they offer to their members is another member's money. As a result Selucia's savings and credit cooperatives have not been significantly impacted by Black Thursday. They continue to have high liquidity and stable financing, and so far no credit union has required government recapitalization, although a number have benefited from recapitalization plans with the intention of retaining a growth rate in their lending in order to cope with the risky environment. Savings and credit cooperatives have also been more capable of reaching the poor. Roughly half of members live below the national poverty line, and since they also include higher income members they are able to provide affordable financial services to members while keeping costs low. This is a result of the membership structure of cooperative banking which incentivizes financial behavior distinct from that of traditional banks. In cooperative banks members, including both savers and borrowers, use the cooperative to recycle money from those that have it to those that need it without anyone outside gaining a profit. Savings and credit cooperatives are member-owned and member-controlled, meaning that the purposes of the cooperatives are aligned to those of the members, resulting in risk-aversion and higher trustworthiness. The most important aspect of banking cooperatives that makes them uniquely suited to lessen the impact of the crisis is that they can continue trading without the need for government bail-outs, providing an alternative to policies in other nations focused on increased public regulation of private banks. And it is not just savings and credit cooperatives that fare comparatively better during the current crisis. Selucia's entire cooperative economy has significant advantages during uncertain times, as cooperatives have a much higher survival rate than investor-owned businesses, can use member capital instead of bank borrowing to expand their businesses, and they can concentrate on employment creation, employee buyouts and rescues, lowering the cost of food and other essentials, and increasing the productivity of the members' businesses.

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Princeps Senatus Iennifer Vinicia Opis introducing her financial reform proposal to the Senate

Not long after the crisis started in Istalia the Senate introduced an additional reform that its proponents argue will be even more effective at combating the effects of the crisis in Selucia. The Vinician Law on the Central Bank, introduced by Princeps Senatus Iennifer Vinicia Opis and expected to pass next month, is a radical and heterodox reform of the Selucian monetary system by introducing the concept of "Sovereign Money", which will nationalize all money in the Republic under the Central Bank. In short, the proposal will convert commercial bank deposits into Central Bank liabilities and will temporarily replace the gap on commercial banks' balance sheets with Central Bank loans, and commercial banks will as a consequence no longer be able to create money when providing loans. The creation of money and the granting of loans will then become distinct activities, and the former will become the exclusive privilege of the Central Bank, which will be the only institution permitted to create money, not only banknotes and coins but also electronic money and "interbank money". This reform will effectively abolish fractional reserve banking, the universal form of banking Terra-wide, and banks will only be able to lend money they administer in savings accounts or borrow it from the Central Bank. The bill also requires the Central Bank to implement "helicopter money" by transferring funds directly to provincial and municipal governments and even individual citizens. The proposal, its supporters argue, will make the financial system safer and less risk-prone, by centralizing the creation of money under the democratically-elected and accountable but institutionally independent Central Bank. But the proposal has many detractors, including the Governor of the Central Bank himself, who argued against experimenting with untried systems during a financial crisis, and that the Central Bank would lose its ability to carry out an independent monetary policy and will be subject to political pressure. The supporters of the reform counter by arguing that the Central Bank would in fact gain a wider degree of independence than under the current system, and that the decision to raise or lower interest rates, the main power of the Central Bank under the current system, is in itself a political decision and subject to political pressure. The long term consequences of this reform are difficult to predict, but it is likely that the reform would add an additional layer of uncertainty during already uncertain times.
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Aethan » Sun Jul 29, 2018 3:55 pm

End of cycle in In Marea-Civis Sinistram
The departure of Atria Avenarius and the advanced age of two of its most visible faces shows the change that is coming in the aquamarine party

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The new Leader of In Marea-Civis Sinistram, Amatia Scipio, at the press conference following her election

The news a few months ago that Atria Avenarius left the leadership of In Marea-Civis Sinistram "for personal reasons" (among others, she has participated in eleven elections for head of state and have been elected only once, despite having reached the second round in all the occasions) raised all type of movements to know who could be her possible successor. Now, after the announcement of the final results, the former secretary of the IUVIM, Amatia Scipio, takes the reins of the party, defeating the rest of her rivals with a percentage of 64.36%. The integration of a new face from the always powerful IUVIM, the youth of the aquamarine party, has led Selucia's political scientists to foresee that a great "turn to the left" of the party is approaching, which will be accentuated, probably "after the retirements of Seia Nerva and Artemisia Oltra ", general secretary of the party and Insularia, respectively.

Atria Avenarius, known for her temperance and moderation in matters of State, will be replaced in this way by a candidate to Head of State who has positioned herself with the most reactionary left-wing opinions of party members, and who in her youth as leader of the IUVIM on numerous occasions asked for a firm hand with the conservative parties of the nation.

On the other hand, the advanced ages of Seia Nerva (78) and Artemisia Oltra (85) make that in the match the pools begin to move to find their possible substitutes.

The person who replaces Seia Nerva will inherit many chances to become the next Caesar of Selucia, if the current government coalition with Factio Imperialis is kept, and therefore, there is where the IUVIM want to exert more influence to place a candidate related to them. Members of the team of Seia Nerva have commented with this newspaper that one of the reasons why Seia Nerva is holding on to the leadership is to wait for the waters to calm down a little before her successor has to be chosen.

Artemisia Oltra, Praetor of Insularia since 4378 uninterruptedly, has broken all the political records in the region, and is among the most valued national political leaders, both for their progressive positions on most issues and for her negotiating attitude, although she has been part of the hard core of criticism of the management of Seia Nerva as Secretary General. Although she sounded numerous times as her possible substitute, the truth is that, given her advanced age, there is little chance of that happening now. The region of Insularia, traditional stronghold of In Marea-Civis Sinistram, normally wants the leaders elected by the party (Ares Zervas, Zenon Gogolas and Artemisia Oltra), but all of them have prudentially distanced themselves from the IUVIM during their governments. A choice of a member who is close to them could jeopardize the party's leadership in Insularia and, therefore, its national victory.

With this scenario, the party faces one of the most convulsive periods of its recent history.
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Aethan » Tue Jul 31, 2018 11:03 pm

Selucia announces the government's plans on foreign affairs for this legislature
Among other issues, it raises a rapprochement to Majatra and an officially neutral position

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Minister of Foreign Affairs, Megara Kondou, at a press conference in Kalistan

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and spokesperson of the coalition government of In Marea-Civis Sinistram and Factio Imperialis, Megara Kondou, announced today through a press conference in Kalistan, where she is negotiating the details of the Non-Aligned Movement, the government's plans on foreign affairs, which will be based on three main axes: a return to relations with Majatra, cooled after the Selexit and the subsequent opposition of some national parties; the creation of the new international movement for an alliance between neutral nations; and the intention to convince the last five nations still to ratify the Selucian Official Diplomatic Treaty to do so.

"For us,"
the minister said,
"it is important to maintain healthy and fruitful relations with the rest of the nations, both Majatra and the rest of Terra. For this reason, and although we will not join the newly created Majatran Union of Nations, at least for the moment, we intend to sign the Treaty to become an observer member, and in this way, to be aware of the issues that occur in our continent, for which we thank for the collaboration and disposition of Factio Republicana, and we hope, of our government partners, because we already know the opposite position of the Novus Partis Rexisti. Also, and after long and necessary talks, we have managed to negotiate a good draft on which the future movement of non-aligned countries is based, which , hopefully, it will serve to reaffirm the absolute neutrality of our nation, and as a third point, I will personally initiate conversations in the name of the government of the nation with the five nations that still fail to sign our Selucian Official Diplomatic Treaty - Lodamun, Kanjor, Luthori, Hobrazia and Narikaton - to convince them to do so, and in this way, end a project that started In Marea-Civis Sinistram when it was in the Consulship at 4249 by the hand of Consul Arria Ivmarus, having managed to establish good relations officially with all the nations of Terra. "


Selucia will formally regulate its Supreme Court
Conversations between the Government and the main opposition party have concluded with a final draft

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Minister of Justice, Zera Veli, thanking the deputies of Factio Republicana for their collaboration

Three centuries after its creation by Ethan Megalos and Kyrian Aetius Flavius ​​(In Marea Possumus Facere, predecessor of In Marea-Civis Sinistram) after the overthrow of the Factio Conservative dictatorship, and its subsequent establishment by Athena Scudo with a fixed number of seven members, the Supreme Court of Selucia now faces its most profound renewal, with the official creation of a regulation to follow, created after long conversations between the government of In Marea-Civis Sinistram and Factio Imperialis and the leader party of the opposition, Factio Republicana.

"Factio Republicana discovered some fundamental errors in the creation and constitution of our Supreme Court, and as a State party, it is our duty to repair it."

Even though they made an attempt on their own to regulate the Tribunal, it failed due to lack of consensus. However now, after the talks we have held, we have created a regulation that will leave both the citizens and ourselves happy, "
the Minister of Justice, Zera Veli, said at a press conference.

With the new Law of the Supreme Court (http://classic.particracy.net/viewbill. ... lid=576710) proposed by Senatrix Vinicia failed to gain the favour of the Senators, the Ministry of Justice hereby officially announces a new law applying some of the points already explained, to open a debate:

Should this bill pass the Supreme Court's composition and powers will be modified along the following lines:

I. The Supreme Court of Selucia (Iudicium Maximum) is established as the supreme court and ultimate appellate court in the Republic of Selucia.

II. The Supreme Court shall consist of the Iudex Maximus (Supreme Judge) of Selucia and six Iudices Superiores (Superior Judges).

III. The Iudex Maximus is appointed by the Ministry of Justice.

IV. Each Praetor as selected by the largest party within each Province shall appoint one Iudex Superior.

V. The Leader of the Opposition as determined by the largest party not in government shall appoint one Iudex Superior.

VI. All Supreme Court justices serve a single non-renewable twenty year term. Should any justice retire or become incapacitated while in office the empty seat shall be filled according to the criteria of Articles III, IV, and V of this Law.

VII. Recognizing that all sovereignty in Selucia belongs to the People which it exercises through its representatives in the Senate, the Supreme Court shall not have the power to overturn any primary legislation passed by the Senate, but it may issue a declaration of incompatibility as outlined in Article IX.

VIII. The Supreme Court shall have the power to overturn secondary legislation, that is executive orders, acts of provincial or municipal assemblies, and acts of regional executives, if such acts are deemed ultra vires to the powers constitutionally granted to these bodies, or if such acts violate the primary legislation of the Republic.

IX. The Supreme Court shall have the power to determine whether primary or secondary legislation contradicts constitutional principles of the Republic or violates the obligations undertaken by the Republic by treaty. The Supreme Court may overturn secondary legislation it deems incompatible with the Constitution or international treaties. If the Supreme Court finds that primary legislation is incompatible with the Constitution or international treaties it may issue a declaration of incompatibility. When the Supreme Court issues a declaration of incompatibility regarding primary legislation, the Senate will be required to either amend it in light of the Court's declaration or reaffirm it and reject the Court's reasoning.

X. Any Senator has the power to appeal to the Supreme Court if they believe an item of secondary legislation is ultra vires or if they believe primary or secondary legislation is incompatible with the Constitution or international treaties.

XI. The Supreme Court shall have the power to judge any Consul or former Consul of the nation.

XII. The current Supreme Court justices shall continue their mandate until the provisions of this Law shall take effect.

XIII. Any member of the Supreme Court shall be removed by a majority of 2/3 of the votes in the Senate, and shall receive the approval of the Iudex Maximus. If the one to be removed is the Iudex Maximus, the affirmative vote of at least 2 Iudex is required.

XIV. If no member is appointed by the legal forms in a period of 5 years after the vacancy of the previous judge, the Ministry of Justice shall be responsible of the new appointment.

XV. As this Law introduces a change in the constitutional structure of the Republic it requires a constitutional majority in the Senate.

Zera Veli
Minister of Justice
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Re: Ephemeris Seluciana (Selucian Daily)

Postby Aethan » Fri Aug 03, 2018 12:34 am

Keys to understanding the reform of the Selucian Supreme Court
Although some jurists say that the new regulation "politicizes the institution", from the government they defend that "a judge is always a judge."

Image
Minister of Justice, Zera Veli, defending the reform in the Senate

Now that Factio Imperialis has guaranteed its support to the reform of the Supreme Court of Selucia proposed by In Marea-Civis Sinistram and Factio Republicana, the ribbon of 2/3 of the votes of the senators has been exceeded and therefore, most likely is that the new rule comes into force as of October 4433. But what aspects will modify the new regulations in relation to the previous one?

In the first place, although the Supreme Court of Selucia was established by Kyrian Aetius Flavius ​​and Ethan Megalos after defeating the Factio Conservative dictatorship in 4100, and later Athena Scudo would fix the number of judges in 7, no official regulation governed the operation of the institution, which was simply granted the supreme authority of the judiciary.

This legal loophole, discovered by Factio Republicana at the beginning of this century, led its leaders to propose the creation of a new law, which did not pass the parliamentary cut by not reaping enough support. However, this proposal served as the basis for the Minister of Justice, Zera Veli, of In Marea-Civis Sinistram, to decide to take action on the matter and try to amend that legal loophole.

Now, with the new law drafted, entitled "Lex Velia de Iudicio Maximo" (Velian Law of the Supreme Court), which has the support of the senators of In Marea-Civis Sinistram (236), Factio Republicana (196) and Factio Imperialis (148), and although the official position of Novus Partis Rexisti (170 senators) is still unknown, the current votes already exceed the 2/3 necessary for the approval of the new law (500 senators of 750).

The main point of difference is that the judges of the Supreme Court will no longer have to go through a vote in the Senate previously proposed by the Minister of Justice after consulting with all the political groups. With the new law, the seven seats (which remain fixed) are distributed as follows: the position of Supreme Judge (Iudex Maximus), will be occupied by that person personally chosen by the Minister of Justice at the time. Five of the other seats will be occupied by people chosen by the Praetors of the five provinces of Selucia, and the seventh seat will be occupied by a person chosen by the leader of the opposition or, failing that, by the Princeps Senatus (Leader of the Chamber ). This change, nevertheless, is the one that more suspicions has awakened between different associations of judges, who fear that in this way "an important institution is politicized", to which the justice minister has responded that "we must trust in the most absolute neutrality of our judicial institutions and of course, of their representatives, even if they tend to be more or less from one ideology or the other. "

Another major change involves the length of their service period. Previously, the elected judges served for life, until they chose to retire or die. With the new law, all of them will serve during a non-renewable period of 20 years, at which time the representatives of the time of the positions set forth above will be responsible for electing the new judges.

The rest of the changes are minor, especially in relation to the jurisdiction attributed to the Supreme Court, diminishing its judicial power in favor of the Senate, "representation of the citizen's will", in the words of the leaders of Factio Republicana.

Although there is still time until October, the pools to see who will be the judges of this new Court have already begun, in a process that is always mediatic.
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