Beluzia

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'New Future' Coalition to take Office
The new coalition, comprising a wide range of ideologies, is set to pass its cabinet proposal soon.


Above: Presumptive Prime Minister Catherine Oaksworth

Beluzia's new government will take shape today as cabinet negotiations draw to a close. Dubbed the 'New Future Coalition', the new cabinet will involve members of the New Liberal Party, the Socialist Working Party, the Nationalist Party and the Stanton House. Echoing statements made by new President Christopher Rayworth in his inauguration speech, Sen. Catherine Oaksworth said in the Senate that the new coalition would deliver 'change'. This comes in response to the overwhelming performance of new and returning parties at the 4064 election, while established parties either suffered major loses or struggled to hold their ground.

Concerns have been raised, however, over the viability of such a 'big-tent' coalition. Some warning that some members might be trampled as larger parties take the reigns. Time will tell if the new coalition can hold firm.

Meanwhile, new President Christopher Rayworth affirmed his support for the new cabinet in a speech this morning, saying he was encouraged by the commitment to change in the New Future Coalition's announcement. He also praised what he described as a 'setting aside of political difference for the sake of the country' by the parties involved. The new cabinet would place NLP Leader Catherine Oaksworth as Prime Minister, once again bringing both the Office of President and Prime Minister under the control of the same party. This happened last election after then President Alex Booth and Prime Minister Finley Campbell of New Labour remained in office. Campbell will officially leave office when the New Future Coalition's cabinet is passed.


Above: NLP President Christopher Rayworth commended the new cabinet

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New primaries for KotP leadership

Here are the candidates in the 4067 KotP Primaries :

* CLARKE-VODECKO, Richard II
* MAYLORD, Jonathan VIII
* WINTERBOTTOM, Edric

As in the 4065 primaries, Richard Clarke-Vodecko II represented revolutionary socialism, while Jonathan Maylord VIII represented social-democracy. A new independent candidate, Edric Winterbottom rose, representing those who were tired of a few families controlling the party leadership.

Here were the results of the vote :
* Winterbottom 66.1%
* Clarke-Vodecko 20.5%
* Maylord 13.4%

Edric Winterbottom was named Party Leader and named Iris Locke Vice-Leader.

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Oaksworth to Remain as Prime Minister
The new 'Daybreak Coalition' has proposed a Cabinet which will see PM Catherine Oaksworth stay on at the head of the government


Above: A promotional graphic for the new coalition

The so-called 'Daybreak Coalition' of the New Liberal Party, the Stanton House and the Libertarian Party, will today instate their new Cabinet. The new Cabinet sees some senior Ministers return to their posts, but also sees many kicked out or step aside. Ministers from the Nationalist Party, which dissolved a few months ago, will be replaced, as well as members of the Socialist Working Party, who will not return to government with the Daybreak Coalition.
The new government now hold a 129-seat majority in the Federal Senate, and have the backing of President Christopher Rayworth. The Daybreak Coalition is expected to focus on liberalising the economy, civil liberties and political reform.

Remaining in the Cabinet
Prime Minister Catherine Oaksworth is the most notable of the remaining faces. Internal Affairs Minister Donald Jones of Stanton House and Justice Minister Jacob Quirrel of the NLP will also stay at the top table. Isabel Minford and Violet Rock will both remain, as Ministers for Infrastructure & Trasport and Food & Agriculture respectively.

Leaving the Cabinet
Ralphie Outterridge, the Nationalist Party Finance Minister, will be a widely missed face at the top table, having played a central role in the previous government's new economic direction. Other Nationalist Party Ministers leaving office include Jack McFloyd of Foreign Affairs, and Dione Patterson of Environment & Tourism.
Three SWP Minister will also leave the Cabinet today: Defence Minister Jack Dixon, Health & Social Services Minister Hugo Emerson and Education & Culture Minister Chloe Thompson.
Trade & Industry Minister John Bills will also be leaving his post, though the department will remain with the New Liberal Party. It is expected that NLP Finance Spokesperson Claire Murray may be handed the position.

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Beluzia Leaves the Artanian Union
After just a 10-year return to the AU, the Senate now passes legislation to reverse that decision


^ Sen. Gregory Muttonson, Foreign Affairs Spokesperson for the New Liberal Party, proposed the withdrawal Bill

The Federal Senate has passed legislation removing Beluzia from the Artanian Union. This comes just a decade after New Labour Foreign Affairs Minister Bradley Harrison hailed Beluzia's re-entry into the Union as 'a victory'. In August 4059, Beluzia ratified the AU treaty and officially resumed membership of the Artanian Union. Opposition surely came, but it was dulled and powerless. 540-141, the Federal Senate accepted the decision. It is a testament to how Beluzian politics has shifted in just 10 years, that today the Senate voted to withdraw from the Union with similar magnitude: 486-183.

At the time, the largest party in the Senate was the now defunct New Labour party, the party of President Booth, Prime Minister Campbell, and of course Foreign Minister Harrison. They backed the proposals, and were joined by the Beluz Progressive Democratic Party, the Stanton House and the (also now defunct) Imperial Alliance. Combined they successfully made up the two-thirds majority required to take Beluzia into the Union. The Libertarian Party was the sole opposition in the House, with 141 Libertarian Senators being the only ones to vote against the ratification of the AU treaty. Nevertheless, Gregory Muttonson, not a Senator at the time but merely a humble party spokesperson with no previous elected office, spoke out against the decision, warning the AU "represents an existential threat to the sovereignty of our Government and our Senate".

Today, a very different story was told. Joining Gregory Muttonson's party in voting to pull Beluzia out of the AU was the Libertarian Party, now no longer the Senate's sole opposition to the AU; the Stanton House and the BPDP, reversing their previous positions; the Social-Liberal Party, who were in 4059 undecided on the AU question, but have since voted to oppose it; and the Knights of the People, Senators of which reminded listeners of times when Beluzia had been banned from the AU. Only the Socialist Working Party voted to stay, with it's 183 Senators voting against the proposal to withdraw.

It is unclear, however, if this is Beluzia's final dealings with the Artanian Union. Beluzia has been in and out of the AU a number of times, and now political fludity has brought us into and out of it again in less than 10 years flat, it is a wonder if we will ever truly stay in or out.

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Wilkins Defeats Johnson in Primaries

(Left) The balloons dropping at the end of Wilkins' address to the convention in Port Tackstov (Right) Wilkins addressing the convention
With the votes tallied and the balloons dropped on the convention floor, Sen Rand Wilkins, now in his mid 60s, managed to defeat William Johnson. It was a close primary, similar to the last time the two fought it out, but wins in Bailon and Iker Ado by comfortable margins with a landslide in Negunia managed to do it.

"What is our progressive movement about? I't is about pushing forward in worker's rights and environmental protections,' you may think. However, that is just the surface. Progressivism is about planning for the future. It's about the dream of a better tomorrow. It's about the idea that our future can be bright for all of us. This coalition certainly does not believe it. They'd rather have the future bright for those at the top. This coalition has hurt the poor's ability to dream for a better future, to look forward to tomorrow. Why do that? So you can shave tax dollars off of the rich? So that a business does not have to pay as much in taxes? Give me a break! We will restore our hard working emergency worker's right to strike, raise the minimum wage, raise the bottom tax bracket to a minimum of 2,500 not 1,000, and make the rich pay their fair share!"

That was an excerpt from his convention speech, slamming the coalition and outlining the progressive agenda. He announced his PM candidate is Bennie Carter, with Johnson back on the foreign ministry position and Nash in the interior.
Results

Bailon: Wilkins 55% Johnson 45%
Iker Ado: Wilkins 53% Johnson 48%
Negunia: Wilkins 62% Johnson 38%
Iliathar: Johnson 60% Wilkins 39%
Parlos Decina: Johnson 52% Wilkins 48%

However, the foreign policy platform is relatively unchanged. Party delegates had to come to a compromise, with the Iliathar delegation threatening to bring Wilkins' PM candidate to a vote. "In the best interests of both party unity and a progressive senatorial team we had to leave the foreign policy platform as is and only got minor concessions on immigration" Wilkins commented on the issue. He is now looking on to the campaign trail.

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Daybreak Coalition Demolished in Elections, Carter Proclaims "Victory for the Progressive Movement"

Sen Carter with Sen Vemon Wallace, Defense Minister for the SLP, at the SLP's presidential campaign headquarters in Colbert City, Negunia

Colbert City- The SLP seems pretty happy tonight, with high hopes becoming high spirits as the results came in. With the Daybreak Coalition in complete collapse, the NLP losing over 100 seats and Stanton losing 80, SLP leadership is now looking to push through new, left wing programs. Coalition negotiations are already underway, according to rumors. Carter commented

Tonight, while we may have not reach 100 seats, is still a victory for us. The people of this nation are tired of conservative policy. Tonight, the people decided to bring back the progressives and push our nation forward. Ladies and Gentleman, the progressive movement has won tonight.

As the daybreak coalition leaves as a shell of its status it held yesterday, progressive leaders across the have nothing but joy at the results. Wilkins congratulated the new president in his concession speech and said "I hope that we may get along well and push back against this recent period of regression".

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Rayworth Humiliated with Crushing Defeat
Sitting President Christopher Rayworth was unable to progress to the second round of voting


^ Rayworth, visibly crest-fallen as the results of the first round were announced

Christopher Rayworth of the New Liberal Party failed to gain re-election to the Presidency after crushing results in the first round of voting. Rayworth finished third, behind the SPA's Luuk Voncken and the Libertarian Hiroshi Tanakabe, with only 12.48% of first-preference votes. Sources close to him say they were confident Rayworth would win in a run-off with any of his likely rivals, but making it into the second round turned out to be more difficult than hoped.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Catherine Oaksworth has admitted she will not be attempting to gain the office again, after Senate elections which proved damning for the Daybreak Coalition. A statement from her office reads "It is a great shame, but it does not seem possible I shall return. I lead Beluzia out of dark times, and this term was a time for rebuilding, for investment and for reaping the rewards of getting the public finances in order. I will now not be able to oversee the completion of that work."

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York is New NLP Presidential Nominee
Kyle York has been elected the NLP's new nominee for president after early primaries were called by leader Murray


^ Kyle York had been a party Whip for the Federalist faction under Leader Oaksworth

The New Liberal Party concluded early primaries this week with the announcement of their new presidential nominee, Kyle York. Mr York will replace Christopher Rayworth, who won two elections as president of Beluzia, but was defeated in December last year.
York won considerable victories in Iliathar and Parlos Decina, collecting 40.5% of the vote, to place him ahead of his rival Jacob Quirrel on 40.3%. 19.2% voted for candidates who withdrew from the race prior to its conclusion. Quirrel was the favourite to win at the start of the contest, with higher name recognition and better public approval ratings that any of his rivals. Early on, he capitalised on his involvement in scrapping the Death Penalty and regionalising Beluzian courts. However, as the contest dragged forward, York began picking up speed, especially from younger, more progressive-leaning voters in the party. In the end, Quirrel was outpaced by only 4600 votes.

Nonetheless, party leader Murray has announced her approval for the election of Mr York, encouraging the party to unite behind his nomination. Jacob Quirrel will continue in his role as Justice Spokesperson for the party, a position he was reappointed to after originally being given the job under Oaksworth.
Before entering the running, Kyle York had been a whip for the Federalist faction of the NLP. He has not, however, ever held a prominent frontbench position like his rival. This has lead some pundits to suggest he is too inexperienced for the job, while others counter that nor did Christopher Rayworth, who won two elections. In response, York promises to bring 'energy' to his campaign for the presidency.

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Foreign Minister Johnson Condemns Coup in Keymon

Johnson leaving his press meeting while being hounded by reporters

Fort Thorne- In a press conference today, Sen William Johnson has condemned the coup of the government in Keymon by the ACP and Albert Hesse. This is what he had to say.

The situation in Keymon is unacceptable by any means. A democratically elected government was violently overturned a few months ago, and in those few months, President Hesse has taken extremist action that anyone concerned with civil liberties would find disturbing and unacceptable. This government is suppressing the civil liberties of its citizens, establishing curfews, threatening to kill political opponents, and killing opposition members in the name of what they call freedom and stability. This government is doing the opposite. Keymon is going down a dictatorial path just to ban 3 parties and has caused a full scale civil war. We call on the international community to not stand for the actions of this regime. We also call for the president to lift the bans on parties in Keymon, end the violence, and hold fair and free elections with all parties on the ballot. The administration hopes a diplomatic solution can be reached as soon as possible.

This is a turn for Sen Johnson, who, until now, refused to comment on the issue. He has now raised questions on how far the administration will go towards finding a resolution to the situation in Keymon. With SLP primaries starting soon, some think that a pacifist wing can rise to challenge WIlkins, who as come out in favor of the department's decision. Shadow Education Minister Tommy Randall has said

This is not our issue. Yes the government is doing terrible acts, but I feel that we should just not take such a hard stance on the issue. It brings us closer to boots on the ground, something we must not do.

Some pundits feel that, if the country continues down this path, some strict isolationists may manage to pick up steam. While it may not rise with Wilkins in charge of the party, it could rise as the party's foreign policy team tries to work towards a more active Beluzia in foreign affairs.

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SLP Holds Convention, Wilkins Wins Unopposed

OOC: Yes I know the images are actual cancer, I have the drawing ability of a drunk 5 year old. Still better than some on deviantart however

August 5th 4074, Colbert City, Negunia: The SLP has finally wrapped up their convention after Wilkins gave his address to the convention. The whole affair started off rough when some isolationist super-delegates led by Tommy Randall tried to force a provision onto the platform saying that the SLP supports neutrality in the Keymon conflict. It was easily shot down, not getting beyond a voice vote, but the move showed some division in the party. However, when the nominating ballots began on day 2, any signs of division were just not present. Negunia, Wilkins' home state, put him over the top of the majority threshold. At that instant the entire room was brimming with energy, many in the crowd chanting "Wilkins". The high profile speaker on day 2 was Sen Bennie Carter, who fired up the crowd with his talk of "continuing a policy that works and will continue to work for all Beluzians". Speakers on day 3 included Sen Jim Richards, grandson of the late president Dick Richards, and Sen Issac Nash, who said

We have seen nothing but austerity since the late '50s. It is not an acceptable economic policy to keep cutting programs when we are already in a comfortable surplus. We need to bring back the infrastructure spending that the libertarians took away. We need to insure that our scientists, our foreign policy makers, and our environmental department are all in decent shape and have adequate funding to function and over my dead body will we cut more!

Johnson spoke about foreign policy on day 1, saying

We are living in turbulent times. Our military needs to be ready to respond not just to our threats, but to the threats to democracy abroad. We need diplomacy now more than ever and we need to keep Beluzia strong. It is time we get ourselves into the world stage. Now, this party will still protect Beluzian jobs for Beluzians and will fight for greater protections for our businesses. However, when we see threats, we must act immediately and we must work to spread democracy. I know Mr. Wilkins will do just that.

The big bang was on day 4, when both Former President Sydney Bush and the nominee, Rand Wilkins, spoke. We have a bit of Wilkins' speech here.

Good evening Negunia. Tonight, I will gladly accept the nomination to be the presidential nominee for the Social Liberal Party. Tonight we stand at a crossroads once again. The progressive movement has done a lot in the last 4 years, but we can do more. However, we can go back to the disastrous economic policies of the center and the right, or we can continue what's working. The economy is growing and income inequality is going down. Workers' rights are being restored, and the supreme court was reestablished as the main high court of the land. We can continue this newly energized progressive movement and policy, or we can go back to the 4 years where the poor suffered the main tax burden and big business was favored over the needs of our workers. It is time for us to take back the national spotlight and make the SLP a dominant party in politics. After nearly 30 years, it is time to have an SLP president. We need to secure democracy abroad, and the SLP will work to have the situation in Keymon resolved through peaceful means. We must bring ourselves as a new and a large player on the world stage. Terra will know us as peacemakers and the spreaders of workers rights and democracy. We must work to protect the rights we restored to our poorest citizens and we must expand our budgets, bringing new jobs and more economic growth. A Rand Wilkins presidency will bring all of that into Beluzia and ensure that it stays that way. . .

This nation is a great nation. However, it can be a better nation. We can become the bastion of liberties and the bastion of workers' rights. We can work hard and we can expand workers' rights and people's democratic rights abroad. Even if we lose, tonight will mark a new era for the SLP. The SLP will endure in the long run, for as the fires of liberty and equality still burn we will be the champions of personal freedom and equality of opportunity.

That speech managed to fire up that crowd in a way that made day 2's spectacle look like a minor gathering of friends. That line right there ended the speech on a high note. Balloons dropped as music of Negunia blasted the convention hall. The pomp was a spectacular site to behold. Now, however, the celebration ends and the grit of the campaign begins. It promises to be another long few months as the election campaign heats up. Ad buys have already begun, according to some sources, as the SLP looks to make '74 the year of the golden bird.