President Basri: "Put me in the ring"President Ayleen Basri (Birlik Hareketi) announces she will not seek third re-election, will run for National Assembly.1 February 4750⠀⠀
DORKUZ: In a nationally-televised address, President Ayleen Basri announced she will not seek a third re-election to the nation's highest office, opting instead to campaign on behalf of her party's list in 4751. The move comes after
legislation passed in the National Assembly with all-party support which alters the role of the Presidency, reforming the office's function.
⠀⠀Speaking to the nation, she implored the country's conservatives to solidify behind Birlik Hareketi in advance of the hotly contested 4851 General Election. It is widely anticipated that the parties to the President's left, namely the Demokratik Ittifak and Umut will cooperate closely in an electoral bid to kick Birlik out of government.
⠀⠀"Put me in the ring," Basri beseeched Jakania's Ahmadi majority. "We can't turn back the clock on our historic fight against leftist corruption. Government doesn't exist to
subsidize the lifestyles of filmmakers and other Alliance elites; it exists to serve the people!"
⠀⠀Speaking of filmmakers, President Basri criticized the privately-owned entertainment streaming service evFilm for allegedly "streaming liberal propaganda," with the release of a docuseries entitled "
Government of the Day." The documentary portrays Basri, Batuk and the Birlik government negatively and prominently features many interviews from Birlik detractors. Basri alluded to the
campaign finance laws which prohibit parties from receiving private donations, calling the link between firm and the opposition party "worthy of investigation," and suggesting that the is documentary an illegal "in-kind" contribution.
⠀⠀"It's not shocking that the media is aligning itself with the opposition," said Basri. "It's also not surprising that the Alliance requires third-party support just to remain relevant — but I won't abide any lawbreaking. The Alliance and evFilm don't have the right to override the rules of our democracy just less than a year before the Jakanian people get to vote."
⠀⠀President Basri took particular offence to a scene in the film wherein former Minister of Foreign Affairs Khaalid al-Hashmi explodes into an expletive-filled rage with regard to Premier Baran Batuk. Among many notable quotes, al-Hashmi describes Batuk as "a narcissistic, attention-seeking, self-serving swine," who would "sell his own children to slavery if it furthered his political ambitions."
⠀⠀"This is the psyche of those who attack our movement of common people," Basri declared. "The sort of people who fantasized about enslaving the Premier's children. It's sick, but it's who they are. It exposes far more about them than their media allies think."
⠀⠀Basri is expected to lead the parliamentary ticket with incumbent Premier Baran Batuk, who faces an uphill challenge from the emerging left-wing consensus. Basri declared that Birlik would stay "laser-focused" on "fighting crime," "bringing liberty to the market," and "building a proud, patriotic and Ahmadi Republic."
Mesul TV is a privately-owned television news channel broadcasting across Jakania and throughout Southern Majatra.