reprinted from
IZQUIERDA- The Voice of the Kalistani Left
Socialists Stupidly Vote Themselves Out of Power
"Clerical Election" leads to loss of Majority for first time in 28 Years
Kaliburg, Ananto
May 7, 4432
Premier of the Republic Watches the vote come in in March's "Clerical Election" with dread
Rightism is once more on the march in Kalistan as the New Liberal Alliance declares common cause with the Centrist Southwark Movement. The "Clerical Election of 4433" has turned into an utter disaster for the Socialist Party of Kalistan, and will likely lead to the Socialist Party being utterly removed from any office of power, consigned for the near term to the deep minority.
It all began with the Socialist Party deciding to hold an early election for March 4433 for the singular purpose of putting the Republic back onto its normal election calendar following a long period of stability and Prosperity, as well as a bit of scandal under Socialist Administration. The Socialists called for a snap election, 9 months early, and decided to continue its endorsement of the NLA's candidate for office, Dr. Adrian Maslow for the purpose of adherence to the Principle of Divided Government. Leaving aside that the President consistently refused to include any NLA shadow ministers in the Government, the SP looked for no significant change in the Assembly makeup during this election.
Following the announcement for the announcement of early elections, and the support of Socialist Deputies, against their better judgement, the SP sat back and waited for elections in 7 days. Instead of a reaffirmation of the Status Quo, a Center Right Party, the Southwark Movement, who had not even been organized before the proposal was made, declared their intention to run for office throughout the Republic, and ended up stripping the SP of more than half their seats. The NLA also picked up more than 60 seats from the SP, due to the ongoing scandal around former Premier Al-Khali.
The election disaster was compounded by a flat out slap in the face, as returning President Adrian Maslow then named a Government which entirely excluded the Socialist Party from any sort of voice. Despite the fact that is was the Socialist Party's endorsement which put him into office, this move by the NLA suggests that they see this election as their chance to move the Government Kalistan dramatically to the Right.
The Premier of the Republic was nonplussed by the gauche and ballsy proposal made by the NLA's President: "Que la chinga!" was her comment to IZQUIERDA staff reporter Heath Jones. "Maslow has some cojones. It seems that my path was not to preside over a Kalistan which kept the Right at Bay, but a Kalistan which has lost its pinche mente!"
While the election results were surprising, a more troubling fact is illustrated by the results of the "Clerical Election." Kalistan is swirling with rightist Parties, who have all inexplicably arrived in Kalistan with a firm and expressed commitment to capitalism. Said the Premier: "The Left has held power for nearly 3 decades in Kalistan. And we are rewarded for our excellent administration, for our rebuilding of the Nation's military from nothing but decades of neglect, for our placing Kalistan on a solid footing under the principles of the Dual Economy from more than a century of free floating capitalism and hardship for the People, and our restoration of Kalistan to a central role in International Affairs from its place in 4400 as a backwater which was made fun of or ignored by Great powers in the Region, we are rewarded for our effort by the rise of half a dozen right wing Parties, all fighting with one another to see who will undo Kalistan's success quickest, and a population of Kalistan who are more inexplicably attracted to shiny new things than they are to proven success and expertise."
The Premier declared that the Socialist Party will not forget Maslow gutpunch following the 4433 election.
"We understand why they refused to help the SP govern Kalistan for nearly 6 years. It was so they could kick the SP to the curb with no sentimentality. Understood, and message received. Despite our efforts to get them to join us, they now own the Government, and they will receive the same courtesy from us as we showed them. Though, given Maslow's attitude toward Government, it is unlikely that we will ever get their endorsement for the Presidency. We won't expect it. They can expect no votes from the Socialist Party, unless they move socialist bills. The Socialist Party now returns to the Opposition for the first time in an awful long time, and we will only, from this day work with Leftists. I am a member of the Brethren Faith, and will respectfully listen to them. And you shall not hear more foul language from me toward them. But I do not anticipate us working with the NLA, on anything."
With that, the Premier awaits her fate, as presumptive Leader of the Opposition. "We still have work to do. Our Naval modernization program is kicking into high gear, we are supposed to still be working with the Non-Aligned Movement, and we are still working to expand ODEN. All of these programs are now in jeopardy as the Socialist Party will soon find itself jettisoned without so much as an attempt at a turn over. We will continue to attempt to work on those projects from the Minority, but without any sort of authority now, it is difficult for me to believe that those who have refused to this date to participate will suddenly start participating now that they have all the power. So it is likely that Kalistan is headed for yet another period of stagnation."
On news of the loss of the Socialist Party, National Industrial stocks took a significant hit. National stocks were down on average of 35% over the last couple months, with years of slow steady gains wiped out by uncertainty over what the new National policy will be. Particularly hard hit is KALNAFERCO and KALNAPECO, which have lost 40 percent off its high in February of 4433, down from 72.35 KRB and 65.03 KRB respectively to 39.72 KRB and 37.70 KRB respectively. KALNAMOCO and KALMILINCO have fared better, and the Republican Bank, the most conservative of all Nationalized Industries remained virtually unchanged since the election.
The Premier of the Republic just shook her head: "Sometimes I just don't understand the thought processes of these voters." The Socialist Party has begun to prepare to leave the Government, and focus now moves from the National Assembly to the ancient SP HQ in downtown Kaliburg.