Solentia

[Sir Thomas Hill]

The Byrne Foundation’s Launch
A Charity of Corporate roots
The Independent’s John Bones reports

Today marked the birth of Solentia’s newest Charity, the Byrne Foundation. The Byrne Foundation is dedicated, so it’s PR staff tell us, to those suffering redundancy from nationalisation and to various other persecuted groups such as the religiously hated and cancer patients.

The Byrne Foundation is owned by a complex mix of heavily CMP-aligned figures. Jayne Asher-Byrne and her Husband William together own 25% of the charity-Federation. A further 40% is owned by the infamous Al-Aahil family; a Muslim dynasty of entrepreneurs and long-time owners and founders of Clockmaking firm “Benson and Barnett” and supermarket chain “Prince”. The remaining 35% of the shares are in the hands of the public.

Benson and Barnett ExO Rashid Al-Aahil bin Masoud bin Nabil al-misri, stated in a conference yesterday that his family was fully dedicated to treating the Byrne Foundation with the same quality of care that they show their other assets. Indeed, last year Prince employees began a points scheme whereby they could save up for company-provided cars in exchange for hours of work and positive feedback from the public.

Famous members of the Al-Aahil dynasty have included Nabil Al-Aahil, former Supreme President and Malik Al-Aahil former CMP leader.

The Byrne Foundation is starting it’s life with a fundraising night with proceeds going to research into Autism and Special Educational Needs.

[meritocracy]

Supreme President Visits Zardugal

Coming out of a long isolation is news enough, but for Solentia to admit its past practices have been mistaken may be going to far for some citizens of the South Majatran republic. A great deal of public debate centers on the head of state's address to the nation of Zardugal after exiting the presidential airliner.

"Greetings people of the most serene federation of Zardugal.

"I am Octavian Belisarius, Supreme President of Solentia, Head of House Belisarius, and rightful Duke of Nicoma and other realms. I, along with Foreign Minister Hazel McMurdo arrive with good tidings of peace and friendship from your Majatran neighbor.

"We see in your nation, a chance for Solentia to develop a co-prosperity zone. We realize our nation has been wrongfully isolationist in the past. Now we take measures to correct it henceforth. I ask the Director-General and the members of the National Directorate if they would be of interest to a free trade agreement between our nations.

"We eagerly await your reply and return visit. "

The president's use of his Ducal title inherited from his family's Quznarian history was likewise a shot across the bow to oppoonents of his peerage bill still under vote at the time of his leaving for Zardugal. Belisarius sidestepped the matter by giving himself right to use it by exective decree, a power many argue he does not constitutionally have.

Further causing tumult is his party's decision to pursue admission into the Axis, and submittals of the Axis treaties before the Senate, both of which are expected to fail.


Duke and Supreme President Octavian Belisarius, with his Concubine Nadja Hwati at the Zardugal visit.

[meritocracy]

Erection

In other news the Solentian Space recently brought out it's Peerless V rocket to Launch Complex Alpha as part of it's first exploration mission as a member of the International Space Agency. The liquid fueled rocket was erected on the pad and it's five solid strap-on boosters were attached vertically. The odd arrangement is done to prevent accidental discharge of the delicate solid rockets during the roll out to the pad. Each booster produces over 500kN of thrust. The liquid core state is not ignited until the vehicle has penetrated 100,000 meters altitude.

[Sir Thomas Hill]

Conservative resignation
The Independent’s John Bones reports



Avis Myryth has resigned her post as Shadow Interior Secretary this news service has learned. The 65 year old CMP veteran cited a need to spend more time with her family. The move comes as Party Leader and Supreme President Göran Räsänen pledges to restore the CMP’s ties with the Orthodox Catholic and Holy Traditionalist Churches. Mrs. Myryth, a staunch anti-theist, was involved in removing the formal dedication clause from the Party’s Constitution 30 years ago.

When asked about the connection between the event and her resignation, she said; “I am retiring from politics to spend more time with my family. It isn’t just Catholics that do that and I think the Supreme President needs to remember that.”

Catholic party members such as William Asher, husband of former Party Leader Jayne Asher-Byrne, and Eoghan Duffy have stepped up pressure on Mr. Räsänen to use his position as Supreme President to advocate religious change and traditionalism. Thus far, Räsänen has avoiding making such calls however it is expected that if he doesn’t pacify and appease the Religious Right, he may face removal.

It is unknown who will replace Ms. Myryth as the Shadow Interior Secretary however candidates suggested in rumour include William Asher, the present Shadow Education Secretary and Arron MacMagnus, the Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary.

Shadow Religion and Spirituality Secretary Rev.Dr. Colin Rubans (Bishop of Alya) condemned the move as "mixing politics and religion too heavily. The Supreme President and members of this party can be whatever faith they like, we have never discriminated on religious ground and Mrs. Myryth is proving the arrogance of Atheism."

[SenorNoPants]

Liberal Leadership Takes Power in FIP
After struggling to identify its ideology of choice, the party has rebounded from former sloth

A Solvernment News Network! Report

RHEGIUM - Revolution, sloth, and chaos. Three words used by newly anointed Federal Independent Party President Gerald Léffreau to describe the latest years within the unpredictable party.

As of this month, the Federal Independent Party has taken a series of daring reformations within itself, completely overhauling leadership and policy. The party that has struggled to accept a single ideology over the past 370 years is now making once again another attempt to embrace a particular movement. Its movement of choice: radical liberalism.

This is not the first time that the party has moved to the furthest reaches of the leftist spectrum, however, it is the first time it has done so in years. While the party has typically held strong liberal values, especially among its Supreme Presidents (who have nearly always been nominated by the party's lively liberal wing), the party has in the latter years tended to make shocking reverses in policy that would put most conservatives to shame. Recently, the party has voted socially conservative to support traditionalist blue collar families, while remaining economically pseudo-socialist. Despite the party's display of conflicting policy, it has remained extraordinarily successful and has landed itself in the Supreme Presidency in a landslide number of times.


The FIP convention proved a victory for party leftists

But this has led to internal conflicts and proven disastrous in the past few legislative elections in which party Senators fought for their lives to be reelected. Leadership in the party has remained nearly invisible and sloth has become a deadly sin of the party. A party that once prided itself on putting the peoples' tax dollars to work best had become like its lazy opposition. Change is promised now though by a new team assembled and elected by party members as of yesterday.

New leadership includes former Supreme President Gerald Léffreau as Party President, former Fuwan Governor Toby Selias as Party Chairman, Fuwan Senator Alec Rinarin as Party Minority Leader, and Orame Senator Jack Kucik as Party Senate Speaker. Referred to as the "Dream Team" by some membership within the party, the crew is wildly popular and energetic for change. FIP Senator George Denair called the new team "the most bi-partisan, progressive, and active bunch of leaders" in his lifetime. Whether this description of the freshly elected leadership is true will be discovered in the upcoming months.

In his acceptance address as the party's new President, Mr. Léffreau described the party's most recent years of vivid socialist revolution, horrid sloth, and political chaos as three identities that shall forever identify the party positively and negatively.

"Despite wide support and criticism from a variety of forces throughout the past few decades, the party's path has been one that cannot continue. Energetic revolution at one moment and then lifeless sloth at another have all but left the party in chaos, leaving it leaderless and confused. Now the era of bipolar politics in this party is officially over, and so long as this progressive movement lives on, it will never resurge again" announced Mr. Léffreau to ear-splitting cheers and applause. "We have a past to put behind us, and over my dead body shall this past ever return!"

The question of how the party shall go about business, however, is seemingly yet to be determined.

"All I can say is the party is going to be more receptive to opposition and its debate and hopefully will attempt to work as bi-partisanly as possible. It has always been a goal of the Federal Independent Party to embody bi-partisanship in its fullest form. That's how the party began and will continue to carry on as" said newly elected Party Chairman Toby Selias. "We challenge our opposition to work with us on the most delicate and controversial issues we hate each other for. That's a pretty blunt way to put it, but that's how the new leadership wants to work. We want to be approachable, reasonable, but blunt and accomplished. No more stagnation and sloth."

[SenorNoPants]

Xzarin Catholic Church Refuses Association With Other Churches
Solentia's largest organized religion denounces moves to integrate it into national politics

A Solvernment News Network! Report

RHEGIUM - The heated religion debate just got hotter.

Earlier today, the Xzarin Catholic Church denounced moves by the Conservative and Morality Party to give the state rights to absorb the salaries and expenses of ministers and to veto the appointment of church approved clergy. The Church voiced great displeasure and discontent in being associated with two other Solentian churches which it says represents a fraction of the Solentians. Furthermore, the Church expressed great anger in being included in legislation regarding a move to combine church and state, something the Xzarin Catholic Church has opposed since the move by Fr. George Bailen to establish a secular state and disband the Church's political party.

Xzarin Catholic Church officials met yesterday to develop a reaction to the latest religious politics taking place in Halion. The result: a condemnation of the proposed legislation currently being considered by the Senate and a public refusal to be associated with the Holy Traditionalist Catholic Church and Orthodox Catholic Church in any written or expressed form. Xzarin Consulate Elective Frederick Di'Homberto spoke to reporters on behalf of the Xzarin Consulate Magisterium, the Church's legislative authority.

"We in no way, shape, or form condone the recent statements and legislation associating the Xzarin Catholic Church with the two other churches. Our dogma and ideologies are completely different in most every way and as a Church that supports secularism in governmental affairs, we do not accept the current legislation in the Senate as responsible nor practical. This Church shall provide its own services under its own regulations without the state intervening" said Consulate Elective Di'Homberto to reporters. "We as a church have always resented political parties attempting to nationalize religion or amalgamate churches for a self-serving purpose. We shall continue to preach our doctrine to Solentians as our own, sovereign church and shall not allow the state to regulate our services to Solentians who seek them."

The Church has stated that it is offended that the frontrunners pushing the bill known as the "Catholicism Act" claim to be the primary churches in Solentia when realistically it serves the largest segment of the populace. Through national research (officiated by the all branches of the government in 2722) and data, 86% of Solentians belong to the Xzarin Catholic Church. Eleven percent are Atheist or undeclared while only 2% registered as Orthodox Catholic. A mere 1% called categorized under "Other".

As of the moment, it would appear the battle for more religious affiliation with the state is succeeding, but only time can tell how long a behemoth like the Xzarin Catholic Church needs to reverse such.

[Sir Thomas Hill]

Catholic Church condemns Xzarin Catholic Church

Nicholas Cardinal Gardiner, leading Catholic Cardinal in Solentia has called on the Xzarin Catholic Church and CCP to end their “policies of inciting religious hatred and creating a split society”.

He accused the leadership of the Xzarin Catholic Church of creating needless divides in the Christian communities of Solentia and the CCP of acting in a highly “unchristian and immoral way”.

“By clashing with the Catholic Church and Holy Traditionalist Church over this issue, the Xzarin Catholic Church risks creating two Solentias.” He said. “The CCP is a hateful and childish party who must be stopped before they bring an end to our peaceful ways in Solentia. We cannot do that if the Christian Groups are all fighting amongst themselves. This is exactly what they want. Division.”

He called for all Churches to stand their ground against the CCP, who he said were too “politically motivated”. “The FIP and CMP have always been moved and driven by their beliefs, ideologies, faiths, and morals, the CCP are not. They are politicians first, and humans second. We cannot let people like that Govern this nation.”

Cardinal Gardiner is at the top of a list produced by the media to potentially replace Göran Räsänen as CMP leader upon his resignation. Mr Räsänen’s team however, remain adamant that Räsänen shall not be stepping down before the next election.

[SenorNoPants]

Supreme President Selias Proposes United Cabinet
Cabinet would include all parties and promote legislative unity

A Solvernment News Network! Report

HALION - Federal Independent Party Senators drafted and presented legislation for Supreme President Toby Selias' cabinet selection early this morning. The cabinet comes as a promise for bi-partisanship and legislative unity in a time of political suffocation in the Senate.

The Supreme President announced his cabinet selection at the same time FIP Senators presented language for the bill in the Senate, noting that every party in the Senate is inclusive in the proposal. Each party is given three seats, with the exception of the Federalist Party, a very small party with little experience in Solentian politics. Supreme President Selias informed the media that it was his intention to seat every party present in the Senate and include their voice in national matters.

"If citizens voted for them in July, then that means something. I have never believed that a party should be excluded should they hold weight in the Senate, even if it is only one elected Senator. We cannot stifle opposing opinions, we must counter it and balance ours with theirs to make the perfect happy-medium. Only in the case of a party being unwilling to negotiate can we exclude another represented party" said the Supreme President to reporters.

The proposal does not come as a surprise to many. On the campaign trail, Mr. Selias promised a bi-partisan Administration and a approachable Senate should the party sweep into power. Citizens handed the Supreme President a victory, along with putting his party as the largest in the Senate, on the expectation that he would fulfill that promise.

"Voting is currently taking place in the Senate on the cabinet proposal" said FIP Majority Leader Alec Rinarin. "All we can wait for now is the other three parties to do their part and vote it in power."

[Sir Thomas Hill]

Conservative Leader William Asher and wife die

CMP Leader and Supreme Presidential Candidate William Asher, 62, and his wife, former CMP Leader Jayne Asher-Byrne, 65, have died whilst out walking.
It is believed that Mr.Asher was taken ill while the couple were walking near the summit of Snowdon Mount in Nukeya, at around 3pm this afternoon, the Police have announced.

A coastguard helicopter was on route when they lost radio contact with Lady Asher-Byrne, who, it was later revealed, suffered a heart attack in a moment of panic in fear for her husband’s life. The coastguard carried the couple to a local hospital however Ms. Asher-Byrne is said to have died on route, and Mr. Asher was unable to be saved. He is thought to have had undiscovered heart problems.
Following Mr Asher's death, former friends and colleagues paid tribute to them.


William Asher and Jayne Asher-Byrne, loyal Conservatives and Catholics.

Former CMP Leader Dyllain Kennedy said they were "an outstanding, extraordinary talents", in a statement released by the Party’s HQ.
The Acting Conservative Leader and former Supreme President Göran Räsänen said: "They are a very great loss. They were a loving and caring pair who made an immense contribution to our political life."
Deputy Leader Allyain Davos said: "Nukeyan, Solentian and international politics have lost a good and gifted couple."

Keen walkers
Coastguard-Nukeya Assistant controller John Morton said the centre had received a call about a "collapsed male walker".

"He was given CPR by his wife with instructions over the telephone from ambulance control staff nearby."
It is understood the pair, who has have three adult sons, arrived at hospital at 4pm, about 60 minutes after both of them collapsed and Mr. Asher was declared dead within moments of arriving.

It was more than three hours before police confirmed the deaths, as it is believed family members were being informed.
Following the deaths, a report will be prepared for the families and Judiciary, as is usual in such circumstances.

Charity Work
The pair were hailed 20 years ago for the establishment of the Byrne Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping numerous initiatives across the board and is a loyal CMP supporter and donating body.
Holy Traditionalist Church Leader Cardinal-Prince Colin II (Rev.Dr. Colin Rubens) has been asked by oldest son Stephen to conduct funeral services we understand.
Acting Leader Göran Räsänen has said that a Leadership contest “may take some time as very few will be willing to take on the role in the footsteps of such a great man as Bill.” The Chairmanship of the Byrne Foundation passes collectively to sons Stephen Byrne (31), Andrew Asher-Byrne (25) and Lewis Asher (18).

[meritocracy]

Meritocratic Caucus Threatens to Defend Peerage System Militarily

Terrawire:
In the ongoing dispute with the Rinarin Supreme Presidency over the aristrocracy, Senate Warden Sarah, Duchess Belisarius, addressed the nation today:

"Good evening fellow citizens.

I am Sarah, the Senate Warden and head of the Belisarius Family. The Supreme President in conjunction with others have intended to ignore the provisions of established law, and thus disestablish systems incorporated into recognizing family achievements.

It is a slippery slope from this into abrogating the rights of all familes, of legacy, and at last human rights. In short, Alec Rinarin has turned to tyranny. We are a nation of laws. We do not have the option as leaders of ignoring those laws. We take oaths of office as a commitment to our brothers and sisters in this nation, and to the fate of our very immortal souls.

Before God, I swear that I will continue to uphold my duty, but I also will not, as a person of principle, allow tyranny to flourish.

We are a republic of laws, not men. We are a democracy, not an oligarchy that attempts to discern the law to their greatest gain on their own ideological whim. If that be the case then there can be no doubt that democracies can exist only by the threat of force against would be oppressors.

The Meritocrats will have no further relations with this presidency. We will continue to perform our duties within cabinet, but we will work directly with the Senate. If the FIP continues in this ill-winded direction, it will meet blood and disaster. I pray that does not take place. "

The Meritocracy Party has been building up a paramiltiary force "Meritocratic Peace Brigade" for the last two years.