Kanjor

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Le Gardien: UR Fronts "." for Presidential Candidate, Wins

Postby van Rijn » Tue Jun 23, 2009 1:17 pm

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"Well Chuffed." Ridenour's period becomes Presidential Head of State


In a bold statement of protest, the Union Royale ran a period (full-stop) as its candidate for top post in the government and won. Initial reports indicated that this was a technical fault, but UR Chair and former Premier Minister Ridenour clarified his party's intent to protest the passage of the "New Nation" Act.
"This sends a loud and clear message to the parties that voted to dismantle the monarchy in the last legislative session. The PRT and the PSN do not realize how cherished these beloved institutions are. That period represents our unfailing committment-- no mater what the communists put on the agenda-- to the people of Kanjor and to The House of Orleans-Vasser. Naturally we are well chuffed that this has worked out the way it has."

Ridenour said in a press release.

The UR gained 32% of the vote in the first round of Presidential elections, enough to advance to the second round where it beat out cheif rival, communist Parti Révolutionnaire des Travailleurs with 58% for the top spot.

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Home Secretary Prescott speaking at a press conference

In an exclusive interview with Le Gardien sat down with Secretary for Internal Affairs, Robert Prescott (UR), who oversaw the voting process to speak about the election and the "." debacle.

LG: Mr. Secretary, you seem to be ecstatic with the results and the voter turn out.
Sec. Prescott: "Over 80% of Kanjor came out to vote. 80 per cent! That's incredible! This is a great day for democracy."
LG: But what about the fact that now, technically, Kanjor's Head of State is a period?
Sec. Prescott:"Clearly, a punctuation mark cannot perform the duties of a Head of State. Mr. Ridenour will become de facto President and Ms. d'Angouleme will lead the coalition government."
LG: Is that legal, if not unethical?
Sec. Prescott: To run a period as a candidate? or the shifting of the positions?
LG: Both.
Sec. Prescott: Well the "." is purely symbolic. It symbolizes the temporary end of the monarchy and that no one should rightfully fill that spot except Albert III. There is nothing in our constitution or bylaws that prevents us from doing what we've done.
LG: There has been some derision within your party. Some party members say that this was "unprofessional" and "irresponsible." How do you address those charges?
Sec Prescott: Well, everyone is entitled to their beliefs! We had to send a message, and that's what we've done. Protests generally don't make people happy. We wish we didn't feel so compelled to do this either, but it was the most effective, and clever if I might add, way to get our point across.
LG: Thank you Mr. Secretary.
Sec. Prescott: Anytime.
Last edited by van Rijn on Tue Jul 28, 2009 4:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Kanjoran Time

Postby Calum S » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:40 pm

Le Gardien: After plummeting to the lowest pollings ever, the PRT has finished with its former high-flyer

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Michelle Armoir, former Premier and key ally of second Party Chairman Brigitte Bovary, was heralded in her inception as Party Chairman back in the 11th Party Congress as both a high-flyer and popular choice.

Unlike Bovary, Armoir had earned her position in the party, and was not annointed by a predecessor. She had wracked up considerable experience within the Politburo, serving as both Prefect of the Standing Committee and First Secretary of the Regions, before running for Party Chairman.

Modest and dignified, Armoir was popular amongst the party's grassroots for her moderate opinions, her beliefs firmly rooted in orthodox Betrandism, yet lacking the extremist language or behaviour Betrand employed. Her victory in the competition for Party Chairman was expected, firmly beating her closest rival, liberal Eva Trieste, by a margin of 42.6% to 37.4%.

Armoir promised to appeal to the party's core electorate, and not compromise the party's position in the polls, while reaching out to the new supporters her predecessor Yannick Thomas had attracted. However, while she enjoyed the experience and quiet charisma, her leadership abilities were lacking.

The Juche (or Conservative) wing of the Party, had felt isolated from the party's Politburo for too long, and were not impressed by Armoir's moderate credentials. They elected fire-brand nationalist and stauch conservative Fanch Triomphe to the influential positon of Chairman of the Party Defence Bureau, effectively giving him command of the party's militia. Triomphe had long sought higher power within the party, and from this position, he mounted considerable opposition to the soft-spoken Armoir.

After two election defeats, and rising tension with both the party's extreme right and the liberals, Armoir has finally been cast aside in an unforseen alliance between the Conservatives and the Liberals. Armoir is the first Party Chairman to be defeated in a Party Congress election, defeated by the Alliance's compromise candidate of fresh-faced Dominique Villepin.

Villepin, a liberal hawk, attacked Armoir's unwillingness to compromise and co-operate with the other parties as reason for the PRT's decline and lack of success in achieving communism. Villepin, as Chairman, has promised a re-assessment of the PRT's stance towards various parties, and has indicated an embrace of co-operation,if it would help communism succeed.

"Villepin is a new kind of PRT politician," says Mirabel Saffoir, new Prefect of the Standing Committee and moderate conservative. "[Yannick] Thomas was an innovator, and took a whole new look at our agenda, but Villepin may prove to be just as boundary-pushing. He is young, liberal yet not without a reverence for traditional PRT values. His approach to achieving communism 'by any means necessary' is a new style, placing reality above ideals."
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Re: Kanjoran Time

Postby Calum S » Mon Jul 20, 2009 11:15 pm

L'Heraut: Villepin signals "dramatic shift" in PRT policy

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In a serious rebuff to conservatives who supported his candidacy for Party Chairman, Dominique Villepin, liberal reformer of the party swept to the party leadership last year has signalled a "dramatic shift" in PRT policy over social affairs.

Addressing the Congress of National Students, Villepin spoke of his commitment to a liberal social agenda, such as ending all authoritarian police measures and condoning a more ethical approach to crime-fighting.

"For too long the PRT has pandered to aging authoritarians who wish to see police powers abused for their own gain", Villepin told the Congress. "Instead we should be ensuring we are protecting the individual rights of the working-classes. While we are united in our common struggle against inequality, we are all individuals, and should be treated as thus. We must never compromise these inalienable rights, for they underpin the success of the Revolution".

Believed to be a compromise candidate in an unheard-of alliance between liberals and conservatives to oust moderates in the Politburo during the 13th Party Congress elections last year, Villepin's speech will come as a surprising break from the settlement agreed by both wings of the party.

Fanch Triomphe, First Secretary of the Regions and leading hardline conservative in the party, condemned Villepin's speech as "damaging to our core electorate and a betrayal of what he promised to achieve as Party Chairman... he can be assured that the real party's grassroots will judge how successful his change of heart has been at the next Party Congress elections."
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Re: Kanjoran Time

Postby Calum S » Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:56 pm

Le Gardien: Villepin holds on to top job as Conservative putsch is defeated

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Struggling Party Chairman of the Parti Révolutionnaire des Travailleurs, Dominique Villepin, survived the Party Congressional elections that take place every 5 years, despite failing to improve the party's electoral figures at the Etat-Generaux elections.

Ushered into the position of Party Chairman five years ago as a fresh-blood candidate standing against the increasingly geriatric Politburo overseen by aging incumbent Michelle Armoir, Villepin held out the olive branch to conservatives who felt isolated under the moderate Armoir. Initially promising to strike a central balance between the interests of the party's liberal intelligentsia and the more working-class conservatives, Villepin broke with this aim last year when he promised a "dramatic shift" in policy to the liberal-left.

Villepin's election plans for this year were therefore not only gauged towards a General Election, but surviving the party's 5-year Congressional elections as well, although the two are mostly interlinked. With conservatives such as Fanch Triomphe and Elaine Trudeau, two hardline right-wingers, plotting against him from within the Politburo, many believed Villepin's fate lay in how vindicated his "dramatic shift" proved to be in the general election.

However, when the PRT lost 7 seats, it was widely believed the liberal alliance of Villepin, and his left-wing General Secretary Nikki St. Therese, were doomed in the face of an angry conservative putsch.

"We were ready to take him down, for betraying his word and the party," explains Juche-radical and conservative Michel Coutillard. "What we had not banked on was the moderates supporting their slayer."

Indeed the moderates, whom Villepin had successfully ousted in the last Congress, rallied to his defence, fearing persecution and further isolation within the party under a vitriolic and belligerant Fanch Triomphe. Also, moderate conservatives, such as new First Secretary Pierre Vascoin, had been taken in by Villepin's reformist agenda and insistence that the party needed to evolve in order to remain relevant.

"While I am a conservative at heart, and fear that too much reform can lead to undermining the very principles of communism, what Triomphe and his allies were offering was not substantial enough to warrant betrayal of our Party Chairman," explains Prefect Mirabel Saffoir, who refused to resign from the Politburo despite her conservative allegiance. "I think that beneath the tags conservative, liberal and moderate, there is a schism in the party that is binary: between those who see reform as the way forward, and those who wish to cling onto the past."
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Re: Kanjoran Time

Postby Gracchus » Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:54 pm

L'Héraut: Orléaniste Leader Dies in Office

Atyr, Sovalt, Kanjor
22 February 2791

Abbé Joseph Saint-Martin, Secrétaire général of the Mouvement Orléaniste de Kanjor, was rushed to Atyr Medical mid-morning after suffering what doctors believed to have been a brain aneurism. Saint-Martin, an Orthodox Catholic priest, was enjoying an early lunch with several other clergymen when he reportedly felt ill, citing lightheadedness. He retired to the restroom where he was found several minutes later lying unconcious on the floor. He was rushed to hospital and was declared dead upon arrival at around 1130.

Saint-Martin was the mastermind behind the resturcture and refocusing of the monarchist Christian democratic movement in Kanjor. His staunch Monarchist feelings seemed to have developed after the forced ouster of HRH Queen Louise-Elisabeth in 2740 and the ensuing threats on her life thereafter. Many close to him report that Saint-Martin was extremely upset by the violence towards the monarchy and the Royal Family; one person in particular claimed that Saint-Martin prayed, refused to eat and wept for days.

His newly found monarchism and because of his religious upbringing, Saint-Martin joined the ranks of the Orthodox Catholic Church and soon after began his political career at the age of 28 in 2748. Saint-Martin joined the ranks of the Parti démocrate-chrétien de Kanjor (PDC) that same year as a community organizer within the party's Communauté des paroissiens (Community of Parishioners). He quickly rose through the ranks and within 6 years had risen to the Secretary-General position within the party after its leadership was arrested by the rulling Parti Révolutionnaire des Travailleurs (PRT). Working clandestinely, Saint-Martin dropped the Christian democratic element of the Party and remolded it into the short-lived Parti Rexiste National de Kanjor, espousing very right-wing currents as well as the basic monarchism. When asked about the change, Saint-Martin voiced that "it took oppression and arrest to turn us radical. It is a bit ironic. What the PRT tried to do was eliminate us as a threat, and what they did instead was mobilize the most threatening element of the PDC."

When the party collapsed in early 2758, Saint-Martin filed for transfer to Ville de Saints and worked at the Church's administrative center for the next fifteen years. He returned upon invitation of a close friend and found a calling as the head priest of a small countryside church in his native Sovalt. Within five years, he had met with old contacts, forged new ones and began rebuilding the PDC into a grassroots organization, rather than a specified party. Using the movement, Saint-Martin decided to change the focus of the party from a mostly Christian democratic entity into an Monarchist movement with Integralist leanings. When Saint-Martin was asked what the movement was attempting to achieve, he answered: "The focus of our movement is to restore the Monarchy. After that happens, we'll move on to something else."

Since the formal reintroduction of the Mouvement Orléaniste de Kanjor in 2784, it has consistently hold either the presidency or the presidency and the plurality position in the Estates-General. However, he always focused the movement by saying that it would not last forever and their victories needed to be demonstrations of the will of the people for the return of the Monarchy.

Joseph Saint-Martin was 71 years old. He was outlived by his wife Collette, sons Georges and Albert, and daughter Louise-Elisabeth. His eldest son Georges, who is also an Orthodox Catholic priest, has taken over the Secretary-Genearl position within the Mouvement Orléaniste for now. it remains to be seen whether the Mouvement will triumph again without its leader. But Mouvement spokesman remain optimistic stating that with the Secretary-General retaining the well known name of his father, there is a good chance that the Mouvement will continue its successes.
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Re: Kanjoran Time

Postby van Rijn » Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:43 pm

Le Heraut: Union Royale Blasts Orléaniste Cabinet Proposal, Stance on Devolution

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Party Leader Guillaume Ridenour (UR) shown here with candidate Trade & Industry Minister Nwabudike Bonnet(UR)

The Mouvement Orléaniste de Kanjor (MO) cabinet proposal for national unity is already showing cracks after Union Royale leaders deemed the proposal "inadequate" and "unfair."

Speaking at a royalist rally in Atyr last week, Foreign Secretary, Katherine d'Angoulême (UR) said that the proposal represents a step backwards for the Royal Cause:
The MO's decision to include the PRT in its latest cabinet at the expense of Pro-Monarchist parties is quite simply unfair. At such a critical moment in our history, this is at best an inadequate response to the challenges we face as Monarchists in the États-Généraux.

The PRT, the second largest party by seats, has complained that it has not been given a fair share of responsibilities in the proposed cabinet given its size.

It is unclear whether or not the Union Royale will join the proposed cabinet--Ridenour has hinted at shying away from being a part of the ruling coalition in protest. In the new government the UR would exchange its traditional government post in Education and Culture for Trade and Industry-- a cabinet-level position it has never fielded a minister for.

Nwabudike Bonnet (UR), Shadow Secretary for Trade and Industry felt that given their experience, the PRT would have been a better fit for the position but that the Union Royale would rise to any challenge.

However, the PRT's inclusion in the cabinet is not the only source of contention:

Compounding the issue is a slew of pending devolution legislation introduced to the house by the MO. Elisabeth Richlieu (UR), Schools Secretary has gone on the record stating,
We are not sure why the MO wastes the time of the États-Généraux with these ridiculous devolution bills which it knows to have no chance of passing.

in reference to a measure put to vote that would devolve all education responsibilities to the local governments. The future of the proposed cabinet remains unclear but the UR's formal response is expected within the next month.
Last edited by van Rijn on Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Kanjoran Time

Postby Calum S » Fri Jul 31, 2009 7:05 pm

Les Temps Economiques: PRT First Secretary Vascoin calls unprecedented early Congress after disastrous election

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Pierre Vascoin, PRT First Secretary

After months of planning and plotting, Pierre Vascoin, third-in-command of the PRT and First Secretary of the Regions, has called an unprecedented early Party Congress after faith in Party Chairman Dominique Villepin collapsed following a disastrous election last year. Seen as a reformist conservative in the party, with greater faith in the free-market than many of his peers, the loss of Vascoin's support was seen as the final straw which led to Villepin's fall.

After faith in their Chairman fell apart, conservatives and right-wingers spoke in secret about a plot to oust Villepin by demanding an unprecedented early Congress. However, without the support of a member of the Politburo, who all appeared loyal to Villepin, their effort seemed doomed.

Therefore, when Vascoin came out attacking Villepin in an interview with Grève Rouge, conservatives recognised their chance and actively courted Vascoin to put a petition to the Regional Directors, the regional party heads. Generally conservatives are elected to regional positions of power, and therefore the Directors unanimously called for an early Congress vote. With the petition in hand, Vascoin called on Villepin to redeem his mandate by facing a vote at an early Congress or threatened to resign from the Politburo.

Under immense pressure, Villepin conceded to an early Congress vote, and was devastatingly defeated. Facing off against hard-right rival and nemesis, Fanch Triomphe, his former First Secretary, and new face Laurent Barre, a reformist conservative and key ally of Vascoin. Surprisingly, Barre received the endorsement of the majority of conservatives and moderates at Vascoin's recommendation, and defeated his heavy-weight rivals.

"The party has been put off course by Villepin," Barre exclaimed. "I will return to our core beliefs, without moving backwards. We must learn from our mistakes, re-assess what is successful, and continue in our mission to establish communism in Kanjor."
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Re: Kanjoran Time

Postby van Rijn » Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:06 pm

Le Gardien: UR Calls No-Confidence Vote, Withdraws from Coalition

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Ridenour (UR) paitently awaits the results of the no-confidence motion.


The Parti de l'Union Royale has again withdrawn from a Révolutionnaire des Travailleurs (PRT) lead coalition amid ideological differences. The party congress announced the split earlier this afternoon and has since resigned all of its MP's from the cabinet.

This leaves the key Ministerial positions of Defense and Foreign Affairs vacant along with the posts for Science and Technology and Environment.

Party leader Guillaume Ridenour (UR) says he plans to bring a motion of no confidence to the floor of the États-Généraux against the PRT and Elaine Trudeau's administration-- a move political analysts are calling a huge gamble.
The PRT is the largest party by far in terms of seats in the EG, and without the support of the Alliance pour la Démocratie and the Union Conservatrice this is a huge risk and could spell the end of Ridenour's leadership and the UR's credibility in Kanjor's political scene. It should be very interesting to see how everything pans out.


There is no word yet as to who would lead the reformed cabinet and initial reports indicate only moderate support for the measure.

Critics and insiders speculate the one alternative reason for the split is Ridenour's dissatisfaction with being the junior partner in the cabinet: Royalist parties have taken a beating in the polls over the past several elections, losing out to the communist PRT and left-wing AD.

With the dissolution of the Orleanist Movement, the UR is the only decidedly pro-monarchist party and as such has assumed leadership for that cause.
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Re: Kanjoran Time

Postby Calum S » Sat Aug 29, 2009 2:38 pm

Grève Rouge: PRT Party Chairman Barre dies in office; First Secretary Vascoin ushered in as Chairman

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Laurent Barre, Chairman of the PRT, dies aged 76

78- year old Chairman of the PRT, Laurent Barre, was announced dead today after recurring heart problems finally claimed his life. His wife, Madame Barre, explained that the recent campaigning for the presidential election had damaged his health irreperably, and his public appearances had become increasingly scarce.

A reformist conservative within the PRT, Barre was ushered to the position of Chairman after ousting unpopular liberal Chairman Dominique Villepin. Barre's tenure as Chairman saw the PRT return to the position of largest party, and while he remained popular with conservatives and moderates within the party, his wider electoral appeal prevented him from ever seizing the Presidency and also witnessed a gradual decline in the PRT's seat share.

"He was a unifier, not a divider," explains Frances Ellion, liberal Chairman of the Party Defence Bureau. "While [Dominique] Villepin had polarised opinion within the party, Barre appealed to most sections of the party. He was a conservative at heart, yet he was flexible and willing to listen. He wasn't a moderate, as he never sought the centre ground, but he was comfortable working alongside liberals as much as he was with fellow conservatives."

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Pierre Vascoin, First Secretary, has been nominated as his successor in an Emergency Congress

Party Constitution declares that if a member of the Politburo dies, an Emergency Congress must be called. Many believed that the election for Party Chairman would be fought between General Secretary and Premier Ministre Elaine Trudeau, who had the experience and right-wing appeal to launch a powerful candidacy, and Pierre Vascoin, the reformist conservative many believed responsible for Barre's election as Chairman in the first place.

While many felt at first Trudeau's experience in the Politburo gave her an edge over Vascoin, the scandal surrounding the Motion of No Confidence under her watch as Premier Ministre made her position untenable, and she refused to stand for Chairman or re-election in the Politburo.

At the Congress, Vascoin announced, "We have survived adversity before, and this is the case again. We will survive. We will not be coerced. We will serve Kanjor as we have always known how to. The PRT is the party that delivers: universal healthcare, universal university education, universal telephone access, universal prescriptions, a burgeoning nationalised economy - these are all the achievements the PRT can be proud of, as we were the ones who spearheaded them. Who else has a record as strong as ours?"

A funeral is to be held for all parties in the États-Généraux.
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Re: Kanjoran Time

Postby Calum S » Sat Aug 29, 2009 7:19 pm

Le Gardien: UR fails to topple PRT as new coalition is formed

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Elaine Trudeau, Premier Ministre (PRT), steps down amid confidence crisis

Attempts by UR Party Leader, Guillaume Ridenour, to topple the PRT in favour of a new coalition excluding the communists have failed after they were unable to persuade le Alliance pour la Démocratie to vote against their allies.

Much of Ridenour's political reputation rested on this protest, and while he was successful in attracting the support of the Union Conservatrice and the Parti Socialiste National, the leftist AD decided to stand alongside their PRT allies.

Some critics, such as Prof. Madeleine Bernard, Director of Political Studies at L'université d'Education Nationale, believe that recently-appointed Chairman Pierre Vascoin (PRT) was shrewd in offering the position of Premier Ministre to Jean Baptiste Hann (AD).

"Hann is popular with liberal intellectuals, and is seen as trust-worthy. Elaine Trudeau was disgraced by the confidence crisis, and her position was untenable. By offering the position to someone such as Hann, the new coalition appears both competent and honest. Had the AD joined Ridenour's side, the PRT would seem politically isolated; now Ridenour seems nothing but a trouble-maker, siding with fringe parties such as the Parti Socialiste National, rather than building bridges from across the political spectrum."

Ridenour's threats of an early election now appear quashed, giving the PRT breathing space to launch their fight-back against the newly-resurgent Monarchists. Vascoin, a reformist conservative and pragmatist, has a reputation for spotting opportunities, and some feel that he will use the UR's betrayal to cast the Monarchists as undermining the survival of the Republic.

"The new coalition appeals to all across the spectrum," explains Frances Ellion (PRT), General Secretary and Foreign Minister. "The AD is the party of the liberal middle-classes, while the PRT appeals to a more conservative, working-class voter base. Together the two parties represent the vast majority of Kanjorien citizens; what the UR represents is the old Ancien Regime, the aristocrats and super-rich, those who would seek to restore the Monarch and deny Kanjor of the equality this Gouvernment has strove to achieve."
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