An End to Equality?
Referendum Ends Consociationalism
November 12, 3700
Consociationalism is history in Deltaria. A ballot initiative was voted on, on November 3 and saw 68.4% of Deltarians voting to end the controversial system which saw public positions divided strictly according to ethnic origin. The Commission itself was divided, with President Jozef Drobný opposing the referendum while a number of Commissioners supported it. The ballot initiative was initiated with 8.3 million signatures being collected (much more than the requisite 12.5% of the electorate) The voters backed another initiative which will see Commissioners and other federal posts being appointed proportionally but with a regional instead of ethnic basis. The two largest regions, Alazinder and Darali will get to pick 3 Commissioners each while the other three regions will get 2 each. Tiny ethnic minorities will have one reserved seat, rotated among them along with two Vice Commissioner posts.
Hearing of the result President Jozef Drobný submitted his resignation and that of the Commission to Tsesar Stefan X Sorin. As a consolation prize Dr. Drobný was ennobled with the title of Barón. The Tsesar invited the leadership of the DNZ Party to Cachtice Castle, to choose the next Commission. After consulting with constituent state Chief Ministers and parties, Boier Lascăr Manu, an Ushalandan noble and President of the Council of Ministers of Ushalande state was nominated as the new President of the Commission. He will be part of 5 new Commissioners who will join the reshuffled Commission in December.
Boier Manu
The National Council of Minorities has expressed 'grave concern' at the move and has announced that it will challenge the referendum in the Constitutional Court early next year. The Court is believed to have tired of such cases and threw out another case by the NCM in Doron Akigo where it challenged the fact the the Witenagemot (legislature)'s membership was all male and asked the Court to dissolve the legislative body and order the imposition of strict gender quotas before any other election could be held.