Saridan

[journey.]

During the Ministry of Education, Culture and the Arts (MOKK) tour around the Saridan, government officials visited Ijkpieland and its capital city Woolloowilli, as a part of a new MOKK strategy to invest in regions and further improve the country's tourism and its image in the world. While there, the MOKK minister announced the first edition of the newly-founded music festival in Saridan, Seridjanse Sangfees (Saridani Song Festival) created to promote the local Saridani musical scene, export its music and popularize Saridan abroad. In addition to that, MOKK hopes that as the festival grows and gets bigger with each next edition, Sangfees will make host cities around the country grow together with it, bringing investments and more interest in local development.

The first edition which will be hosted in Woolloowilli's local Groot Teater, expects to host around 4000 people live in the theatre's hall. Saridani public broadcaster Seridjanse Radio- en Televisieomroep (SRT) will also broadcast all four nights of the festival live on its stations: SRT1 and Radio 1. According to the proposed format, there will be 24 entries, competing in four nights: the first two will be 12 artists each presenting their song for the first time live with an orchestra, and the third night is a night of nostalgia when artists sing songs of the past, be it international or Saridani hits, and final fourth night, when all 24 artists sing their songs yet again. To ensure fairness of results, Sangfees will include three types of votes: provincial juries, national televote and the press, with televote having the biggest impact on the results.

MOKK hopes Sangfees will be a big success and will be able to exist without even partial state funding, but even if not, the ministry is ready to support the festival, as long as there is popular support for it and the ministry itself sees a point in its existence.

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Qualification concludes ahead of 5422 T20 Cricket World Cup

[jamescfm]

Malivia secure first T20 World Cup triumph with victory over Vascania

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Minutes after midnight, the Saridani Elections Commission (SVK) announced that with more than 98% of the votes counted, the Saridan Labour Party (SAP) had secured near complete control of the legislature, the Provincial Landdrost races, the Provincial Legislature races and numerous other inner city races in a night set to go down as the watershed moment for Saridan. In a press statement released at 12:09 am, SVK Commissioner Pieter De Kock announced the SAP’s resounding win, noting that the party alongside numerous independents had seen broad success in the nation’s fifth (5th) super-election, overturning decades of conservative rule over the nation which began with the HSA following the collapse of the SAP in the early 5200s. The result amounts to a major rejection of the nation’s conservative establishment by voters who have supposedly become both disillusioned and exhausted with the rank incompetence, bigotry, anti-intellectualism and anti-leftist dogma which had come to define conservative discourse over the past century. At the head of this momentous victory is the leader of the SAP and State President-elect Dr Jaivyn Van Den Heever, a former engineer turned politician and long-time senator of the SAP for Kaap. Raised in the middle of a series of economic recessions, Van Den Heever is said to have been initially “radicalised” against the conservative establishment as they abandoned many working-class families such as his own to the throws of financial ruin. He became a senator for the SAP in 5414 after stepping down from a prestigious position at a Lourennais green engineering firm. His triumph in the election, according to him, was the culmination of decades of work. “Most certainly I have lost some friends and gained new ones along the way,” he once quipped. Campaigning on a platform of returning to an era of broad prosperity throughout the national economy, Van Den Heever proffered that Saridan should reclaim its position as a trailblazer on the seleyan continent. Speaking before wellwishers and supporters at the party’s headquarters in Koeistad, Van Den Heever stated that the resounding rejection of the conservative establishment represented a watershed moment for Saridan, pointing to the event as the moment the nation set its course firmly on capturing the dream of former State President Renier Geldenhuys of “that city, that nation upon a hill.” On the provincial level, the Landdrost-presumptive of Tasselstaat, Wian Langenhoven hailed the Tasselstaat Labour Party’s landslide victory as a striking indictment against the province’s previous ultra-conservative, ultra-hosian administrators, noting that the electorate had rejected bigotry, sexism and hate. “The people of Tasselstaat have spoken. They have rejected the bigotry, sexism and hate promoted by the previous conservative administration. They [the people] are aware of what is needed to rescue this province from the brink and they have rightfully placed us, at the helm of that effort. We will certainly not disappoint,” Landdrost Langenhoven proclaimed. Similar to Van Den Heever, Landdrost Langenhoven ran a campaign largely based on matters related to the economy, education and infrastructure, all of which were placed against the backdrop of the province's once-pioneering tech ambitions. According to the Landdrost, his administration had every intention of heralding a revival of the province’s once vibrant research and development-based economy, offering that leveraging the presence of legacy tertiary institutions as the province’s major competitive advantage against others. As with most political administrations, speculation is rife surrounding the President-elect’s cabinet, however, Campaign Communications Director Nelius Schmidt has stated that as the transition begins, more information will be released to the public.

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     Demokratiese Volksbeweging Promises The Impossible
     February 26th, 5448

With the results for the 5447 Saridan Volksraad election now officially confirmed, the Demokratiese Volksbeweging, under the leadership of Siya van der Merwe, has emerged as the clear victor. The Demokratiese Volksbeweging, a democratic socialist party, managed to achieve a historical victory, securing an almost unanimous vote from the electorate, only losing a tiny percentage of voters to small regional parties. This unanimity among voters resulted in the Demokratiese Volksbeweging winning an astonishing 135 seats in the Volksraad, giving them full control over the legislature. However, many have speculated that this overwhelming victory of the Demokratiese Volksbeweging was simply the result of the incredibly low voter turnout, which stood at a mere 15% of all eligible voters. These extremely low levels of voter participation show the widespread loss of faith in politics and the overall democratic process among the Saridanian population. Nevertheless, Siya van der Merwe, chairwoman of the Demokratiese Volksbeweging, reiterated her dedication to the people of Saridan and promised to resolve the underlying causes of this loss in faith.

The Demokratiese Volksbeweging stated that they view capitalism as the root of all evil and inequality, including the country's long history with Apartheid. They reaffirmed their intentions to transition to a socialist mode of production through gradual reforms, instead of with revolutionary means. They further clarified that this will be done by the implementation of a long series of reforms to combat the effects of capitalism and prepare the country's economy for socialism, whilst also not disrupting the Saridanian economy and its fundamental societal structures. Logically so, van der Merwe introduced the Union Empowerment Act following the Volksbeweging's electoral landslide, which will greatly increase the power of unions and thus also notably increase the workers' control over the economy. The bill will also encourage the formation of Democratic Workers' Councils through several new subsidies and sizable tax exemptions. The Demokratiese Volksbeweging also revealed some of their future plans to stimulate the economy, for example by potentially nationalization of key sectors of the economy, including the agricultural sector.

Siya van der Merwe promised that she and the Demokratiese Volksbeweging will do everything in their power to solve the horrible issues that have been plaguing the Saridan population. She said that they will rid the country of capitalism for once and forever, thus simultaneously bringing about a more just and equal society. "Hope is not lost yet, we will not rest until every man, woman and animal in this country is free. No more oppression, inequality or discrimination." she declared during her victory speech in Koeistad, the capital of Saridan.

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     Staatsolie Gasmaatskappy Announces Expansion
     December 13, 5448

Staatsolie Gasmaatskappy a state-owned oil and gas enterprise, announced that they have recently began the construction of multiple new oil and gas platforms within the Saridan Exclusive Economic Zone in the Southern Ocean. The enterprise had been temporarily restricted after the fire of 5410 and the government has only recently lifted most of these restriction, allowing the company to resume regular operations. The loosening of restrictions was accompanied by a significant boost in funding to help the enterprise recover and stimulate the Saridanian economy. Arno Van Dyk, the current CEO of Staatsolie GMK, stated that the funds were utilized for the construction the new oil and gas platforms in the Southern Ocean and will provide for many opportunities for the local and Saridanian economies as a whole. The platforms are expected to reach completion somewhere around August 5452 and will start operating a few months after completion. The extracted resources will primarily be used to reduce Saridan's dependence on external energy sources, thus greatly increasing the nation's energy independence whilst reducing the nations vulnerability to fluctuations in global oil and gas prices. State President of the Republic Siya van der Merwe asserted that while the construction of these platforms might be contradictory to their environmental friendly policies, it will provide for such a substantial economic boost that the country can invest even more funds into environmentally friendly energy sources, ultimately leading to a more sustainable future for Saridan and its people. She also stated that these platforms will create many job opportunities, potentially providing employment for several thousands of Saridanians and will also considerably contribute to the nation's economic growth. The extracted resources will be transported to facilities located in the province of Sint Pietereiland for further processing, refining, and eventual distribution to mainly local markets. Staatsolie GMK is currently also in the process of constructing a large network of pipelines and infrastructure to further stimulate the sale and transportation of these resources throughout the nation. This includes the development of a network of gas stations across the nation's provinces to meet the energy needs of communities and increase access to fuel for vehicles and other applications, which will be especially beneficial to the more rural and remote regions of Saridan.

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Deltaria, Kundrati, Selucia and Saridan agree to TAMS agreement

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     Saridanese Government Approves Joint Naval Base Construction
     December 12th, 5449

The Saridanese government has approved the construction of a joint naval base to be situated in Skatbaai on Sint Pietereiland. During a press conference, Ajani Oosthuizen, the current Saridanese Minister of Defence, stated that this decision was the result of several difficult and extensive discussions between Saridan and the participating nations of Deltaria, Kundrati and Selucia. She also revealed that the Deltarian government will be providing the 37 million required for the construction and will also be compensating the Saridanese government with an additional 500 million on an annual basis to cover the lease costs for the involved countries. Oosthuizen also reiterated that whilst Deltaria, Kundrati and Selucia will be allowed to station their vessels and personnel at the base and operate from the facillity, the Saridanese government will maintain complete sovereignty and control over the naval base. The proposed naval base is expected to be capable of stationing around 35 to 40 vessels, including several aircraft carriers from the nations of Deltaria and Kundrati. The construction will significantly bolster the regions maritime security by easing the combatting of piracy in both the South Ocean and Artanian Sea, whilst still allowing for the preservation of Selucian neutrality, and protection of this neutrality by Deltaria and Kundrati. Foreign Affairs Minister Wilona van der Westhuizen asserted that, besides the obvious economic benefits from the deal, it also paves the way for further cooperation between the four countries. She further stated that the Saridanese government is extremely grateful for Deltaria's generosity. With the construction of the naval base nearing completion, the Saridanese government has revealed their ambitious plans to strengthen the Saridanese navy, including the potential commissioning of several new ships for its naval force.

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     Saridanese Government Initiates Agricultural Collectivization
     July 4th, 5451

The Saridanese government announced that it will initiate the partial collectivization of the nation's agricultural sector. This decision, which was announced only a few hours after the passing of the Agricultural Collectivization Act in the Volksaad, marks the beginning of the Demokratiese Volksbeweging's economic agenda for the country. The Agricultural Collectivization Acts blends a mix of collective farming with the preservation of a reasonable amount of private ownership. It authorized the nationalization and collectivization of farms that produce crops that are of vital interest to the nation, whilst still leaving a big part of the sector to the private sector as not to upset the economic balance. However, these private farms will be encouraged to voluntarily unite into larger agricultural collectives, in which smaller farms can work together to collectively manage land, recourses and production. This way of farming seeks to increase the efficiency of the nation's agricultural sector through the idea of the economy of scale. One of the key details of these collectives is that the farmers will retain complete control and ownership over their land and their practices, as well as the fact that all farmers have the possibility of leaving these collectives when desired or even required. Daniël de Jager, incumbent Minister of Food and Agriculture, stated that the primary intention of this bill is to significantly boost agricultural efficiency and ensure food security for the Saridanese population.

The Saridanese government also stated their intentions of further nationalization and clarified that it plans to eventually completely collectivize the Saridanese agricultural sector. It also revealed their plans for the complete nationalization of the nations healthcare system, which is expected to take place after the upcoming elections. Furthermore, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture also announced the creation of the Eenheidsboerderijnetwerk (EBN), also called the Unity Farming Network, which is meant to be an overarching body responsible for overseeing, managing and coordinating all nationalized collectives that produce vital crops. The EBN will oversee the initial establishment of several larger nationalized farming cooperatives in key agricultural regions, which will function as the foundation of this new system. Additionally, the EBN will also offer financial support and guidance to privately cooperatives to ensure their continued existence and help streamline their operations. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture reiterated that the this model is organized in such a way that it will promote collectivization, whilst still preserving a significant amount of regional autonomy.

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Saridan Farmers protest Against controversial Agricultural Reforms