Hobrazia

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Mts'vane Environmental Group assesses proposed Zurmukht'i dam, deems it a "net benefit."

[Aquinas]

Ranganekary invites Hobrazia and Narikaton-Darnussa to talks at Seredeki House

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President Giorgadze to the international community: "Hobrazia's doors are open!"
September 4921

In an effort to bring more skilled labor to Hobrazia, President Giorgadze has announced a new program to incentivize foreigners moving to Hobrazia. Under the deal's terms, foreigners who spend at least half of the year residing in Hobrazia will receive a one-time direct payment from the government, which will scale in accordance with reported income and qualifications. "The idea is to combat brain drain and to bring in new ideas and talents," said Giorgadze at a press conference. "As Hobrazia continues to develop, we realize again and again how much we need experienced, skilled workers who can help strengthen a modern economy."

Some more conservative members of the national Parliament have objected to the program, calling it "wasteful spending" and expressing outrage that non-Hobrazians will be subsidized by taxpayer funds. Interior Minister Zviadi Beridze defended Giorgadze at a Parliamentary question hour, stating that the payouts would "pay for themselves" through "an infusion of new talent and labor."

While the offer is open to foreigners from across Terra, special preference will be given to citizens of CESU member states.

The program is far from Giorgadze's first attempt to encourage immigration. Last year, Giorgadze's administration subsidized the construction of luxury villas in Stormereti, which were sold at cost on the international market - with the condition that any buyers reside in Hobrazia for at least three months a year for as long as they owned the property. Wealthy business leaders and socialites from foreign nations jumped on the chance to buy low-cost real estate, and the villas have brought an economic boost to Stormereti businesses.

Although Hobrazia's tourist and vacation home market struggles to compete with more paradisaical nations like Kalistan, the government hopes that Hobrazia's relatively low cost of living and rapidly growing markets will be enticing to foreign individuals looking for new opportunities.



Anti-Hulstria demonstration in Astoria
September 4922

Hobrazian citizens are joining in on international condemnation of rising nationalism and aggression in the Dovani nation of Hulstria & Gao-Sato. This morning, a large protest outside the Hulstrian embassy in Astoria K'alak'i saw the presence of dozens of angry Hobrazians, who chanted anti-war slogans like "Justice for Seko" and "Peace on Terra." Lane Ketuh, a well-known Astorian activist, organized the protest through her new group "Friends of Sekoko," a non-profit aimed at bringing international attention to the issue.


Protestors gather to express their anger at the Hulstrian government

Although the Hobrazian government has not issued any formal statement on the growing crisis, the administration's response is expected to be firmly anti-Hulstrian. Pressure from citizen groups may force the government to take a stand on the issue soon.



Kormokovy Consolidated launches Terra's first "agricultural satellite"
September 4922

Hobrazian firm Kormokovy Consolidated, an agricultural equipment manufacturer and consultant group, has launched one of Hobrazia's first commercial satellites. Nicknamed "Simindi," the satellite will photograph agricultural fields as part of Kormokovy's new "SmartGrow" platform, which promises to provide farmers with AI-guided suggestions relating to potential crop issues, planting and harvesting schedules, and more. CEO Dune Hadipash has announced plans to integrate SmartGrow with existing equipment to partially automate planting, weeding, harvesting, and other farming activities.

Kormokovy plans to launch 5 more satellites in the next 3 years, which will enhance SmartGrow's capabilities and provide higher-resolution imagery. The firm is currently only offering SmartGrow services to Hobrazian farms, but promises that new satellites will allow the service to expand to the rest of Artania and even Seleya.



Government launches Defense Task Force, plans to double military by 4940
September 4922

President Abram Giorgadze has announced a new initiative to rapidly increase Hobrazia's military prowess. "In an increasingly uncertain world, we must be sure that we can defend ourselves," he said at a Parliamentary address. To assist with the expansion, Giorgadze announced the formation of the Hobrazian Defense Task Force, a commission of Hobrazian and Yingdalan military experts, defense industry specialists, and civilian leaders. The Task Force's goal will be to double Hobrazia's military capacity by 4940, with a specific emphasis on increasing the Land Force's manpower, building or purchasing new ships, developing air power, and ensuring that military equipment is up-to-date.

[jellybean]

Inside the Hobrazian Traditionalist Party
October 4924

For a quarter-century, the Hobrazian Traditionalist Party has held all national executive and legislative seats in Hobrazia. The Party's domination has continued to cast doubts on Hobrazia's status as a democracy: if political liberties are guaranteed, then why have no opposition parties come forward? Is it true - as some critics claim - that a conservative attitude toward civil liberties has effectively created an authoritarian regime?

In the decade of Eduard Maisuradze's Provisional Presidency that was established after the overthrow of the Lichelian Fascist government, Hobrazia's status as democracy was indeed questionable. As the nation's stability is solidified and President Abram Giorgadze continues to affirm basic human rights and liberties, however, Hobrazian democracy has become a full reality. Democratic principles have been promoted especially strongly by Prime Minister Qeit Dagovy, who rose to power on the promise of equal treatment for religious and ethnic minorities.

Unlike multi-party democracies, Hobrazia has seen the rise of a caucus system in which caucuses compete with one another inside the Hobrazian Traditionalist Party. Tonight, we take a look at the Party's caucuses and ask whether the 4926 election might bring a political shakeup.


Hobrazia's electoral system

Under the terms of the Republican Constitution adopted after liberation, Hobrazia is divided into 33 Parliamentary districts. Voters in each district cast a vote for each of the four approved causes, and the winning caucus organization selects 3 Representatives to send to the national Parliament. The 100th and final member of Parliament is the Prime Minister, who is elected by the other 99 members. Should the Prime Minister already be a Representative, as was the case with the current Prime Minister, that Representative's home district will appoint a new Representative. The Prime Minister customarily does not participate in any caucus.


Hobrazia's 33 Parliamentary Districts as represented in the 4922 election.


The Caucuses

In the late 4900's, as tensions mounted over then-Prime Minister Elisabed Patarava's controversial and overt favoring of Hosianism, internal caucuses within the Hobrazian Traditionalist Party began to define themselves more clearly. At the time, most caucuses were centered around the "religious question" - which religion, if any, should be Hobrazia's national faith? In the final hour, Qeit Dagovy successfully overcame Patarava and was himself installed as Prime Minister. Dagovy's ascension effectively put the religious debate to bed, but divisions remained.

Today, the Traditionalist Party recognizes 4 caucuses:

• The Traditionalist Caucus - This is the faction of Eduard Maisuradze, the faction that most resembles the founding beliefs of the Traditionalist Party. Traditionalists tend to favor Hosianism, are skeptical of secularism and progressive civil liberties, and believe in a balance of free market and interventionist economic policies. Generally considered right-wing, the Traditionalists are moderate on the whole. In terms of foreign policy, Traditionalists favor more interventionist policies and have argued successfully for Hobrazia's membership in the Confederate Security Union and alliance with Endralon.
• The Worker's Party - Formerly the Zargundian Worker's Party, this caucus is the descendant of an anti-Fascist political organization that formerly fought against Licheli's regime and for Zargundian independence. When the Northern Council invaded Hobrazia, the Worker's Party disbanded and joined the Traditionalist Party - but former party activists have retained their identity as an independent political entity. Ideologically, the Worker's Party is pragmatic and focused on expanding resource development, a major industry in Zargundia. Members typically take a libertarian attitude to economic affairs, but are to the right of the Traditionalist Caucus socially. With the deeply Hosian Zargundians comprising the faction's largest constituency, the Worker's Party advocates strongly for the Hobrazian Orthodox Church.
• The Socialist Caucus - The Socialist Caucus advocates for left-wing economic policy, social progressivism, and neutrality on religion. Socialists tend to be more concentrated in cities and along the Hobrazian coast. Interior Minister Zviadi Beridze is a prominent Socialist, and is a likely candidate for Prime Minister should the Socialists ever take a Parliamentary majority. The Socialists are considered to be Hobrazia's "up-and-coming" political faction, and made gains against the Worker's Party in the last election.
• The Populist Caucus - The Traditionalist Party's newest and smallest faction, the Populists advocate for left-wing economic policies, moderate social progressivism, environmentalism, foreign non-interference, and pagan-friendly religious policies. Although Populists have attempted to form a coalition with the Socialists, their ideological bent is at odds with the Traditionalist Party's founding beliefs and they have struggled to find allies in Parliament.

The current composition of the Hobrazian Parliament. The blue dot represents Prime Minister Qeit Dagovy, who is unaffiliated.


The 4926 election

Although critics inside and outside the Republic have argued that the Traditionalist Party stifles political opposition, a more accurate assessment would be that the Party absorbs political opposition. By allowing space for competing caucuses within the Party and even adapting the country's electoral system, the Traditionalist Party has effectively become the organ of democracy in Hobrazia. Some dissenters, too far outside the mainstream to make progress within the Party, have continued to criticize the caucus system and allege that it only cements the Party's power. Although the caucus system is certainly flawed, it has preserved a degree of democracy within a one-party state.

The caucus system may be tested in the 4926 election. Analysts suggest that the Socialists are poised to make significant gains, and could even displace the Traditionalists as the largest faction. The Socialists' success or failure could hinge on how committed the Party's long-standing power brokers are to maintaining a multi-faction democracy. Could Traditionalists disrupt the system and stifle popular will to maintain power? Could Socialists change the future of Hobrazia? Or could the people of Hobrazia choose to maintain the Traditionalist majority?

[jellybean]

PM Qeit Dagovy to Endralonian models: "Repent!"
October 4925

Prime Minister Qeit Dagovy caused a stir this weekend during a routine business trip to Hugamest, Endralon. Dagovy's staff put in an order with a modeling and talent agency for several dozen female models to attend an event. When they arrived, the 30-some women were actually treated to a lecture on the dangers of abandoning faith and "living a hedonistic lifestyle." For over an hour, Dagovy pontificated on Endralon's increasingly hedonistic and atheistic atmosphere, which he then compared to the virtues of "traditional living." The Prime Minister encouraged attendees to visit a local Hosian church, and even offered to personally pay for a plane ticket and three months of rent should any of the women choose to move to Hobrazia, "where you can see the fruits of living a modest, faithful life." It is unknown whether any models chose to take the offer.

All models were "well compensated" for their time.


"Listen, you will not be young forever! You must repent of your wanton lifestyle!"



Ministry of Tourism plans to build more villas in Storemereti
October 4925

Following the success of the Hobrazian villa program, Tourism Minister Kathryn Atanashvili announced plans to build 20 more luxury villas in coastal Stormereti. Construction was finished last year on an additional ten villas, which were sold at a significant profit to the wealthy across Terra - including billionaires such as Gyula Reti and members of the Sárközy family, all of the Directorial Republic of Endralon. Each villa contains an expansive mansion and outdoor facilities, and were built as part of an ongoing effort to attract talent to Hobrazia and infuse foreign cash into the local economy.



Hobrazian Parliament debates environmental protections
October 4925

The Hobrazian Parliament is debating reducing the country's fairly restrictive environmental protection laws. While environmentalists have criticized the Hobrazian government's reliance on natural resource development, critics have called environmental protections "stifling" for industry. "Our logging and fishing industries have suffered at the hands of over-zealous environmentalists, who care more for 'nature' than for the well-being of their fellow man," said Representative Gündüz Khalilov (Zargundia). Khalilov is at the forefront of a new movement to incentivize new development, and has recently proposed a bill to do away with most of the nation's environmental laws. While Khalilov and his compatriots hope such measures will help boost economic development, others are not so sure: "We cannot rob our children of a future for a simple payday," rebutted Representative Sawise Erokovy (Deltaria).

Khalilov's Industry Protection Act is expected to be voted on following the 4926 elections.



Unemployment rises in latest economic report
October 4925

As Hobrazia's economy modernizes, some Hobrazians have been caught in a so-called "skills trap:" overqualified for basic jobs, they are not able to secure a position in the competitive skilled job market. Unemployment has traditionally been low in Hobrazia, but the most recent quarter reported a slight increase of about 1.2% in unemployment. Industry Minsiter Medea Chkonia reassured the public that "the government is taking this issue seriously," and will do more to invest in advanced industries.

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Hobrazia enters the Terran Food Festival

Construction begins on the Zurmukht'i dam

[jellybean]

HobbyBrick urges consumers to avoid Malivian knockoffs

Dear loyal HobbyBrick customers,

It has come to our attention that a Malivian company, "MaliCube," is attempting to emulate - badly! - authentic HobbyBirck products. (Some have said that MaliCube is in fact attempting to steal BoroCube products - very wrong! HobbyBrick was first)

Dear customers, please stay away from MaliCube toys. They are made with toxic plastics that is unsuitable for children to play with. Only authentic HobbyBricks can be trusted. Do not give any money or attention to these pirates!

Do not worry - I plan to sue these despicable MaliCube producers as soon as possible. In truth, I am not even attempting to protect my own profits, but I am simply looking out for my loyal customers. i hope you will join me by boycotting any MaliCube toys. Together, we can keep our children safe and end the menace of piracy and theft!

Sincerely,
Tiqe Kadyzhevy
CEO & Founder, HobbyBrick

[journey.]

September 5057:
Hobrazian Times, Astoria: Aghordzineba! took over Hobrazia, reviving Hobrazian democracy, as it promised. A! leader and current Minister-President Tamar Tavkhelidze pointed out in her interviews, that Hobrazia needs "new and fresh look" on it's beliefs. "Conservatism is not a thing, that could move our country further and further. We stuck in time, being isolated from other world. We need change, and we will bring it", - said Tavkhelidze to Hobrazian Times.

A!'s plans to bring progressive reforms, taking different countries as examples. Party already delivered Constitutional Amendments, that transformed Hobrazia into parliamentary republic, with Minister-President as head of government, and President as head of state, and Commander-in-Chief of Hobrazian Army.

Now, A!'s agenda is to work on and vote on various economical and social reforms, that will ensure further opening of country to the world. Tavkhelidze, as a member of democratic socalist fraction of party, ensured voters, that "she will work harder and harder for workers, and their rights"

Look further into Hobrazia's life with Hobrazian Times. Ambrosi Gedevanishvili, journalist for HT.

[Drako211]

[Drako211]