Jakanian delegation "Freezes" Sharba Negotiations
January 4336
HEP Supports "Grand Compromise" on Laicism Issue
Prime Minister Ahmet Arslan has directed his HEP to support the "ATA (Across The Aisle) Legislation" The legislation propose to de-recognise Ahmadism as the state religion while also taxing religious organsation's profits. While the bill actually secularises without any concessions for the religious, Arslan has branded it a "compromise" and throw his party behind it. Several leading party MPs have slammed the bill and deem it to be a concession too far to the secular opposition. Arslan's coalition partners in the JMP are opposed to the bill but Arslan is thought to be intent on quieting down the religious controversy in order to present a strong and united nation on the international scene. Jakania's confrontation with Kalopia continues to dominate its foreign policy and a new escalation seems to be on the cards.
Ambitious Military Modernisation Program Continues
President Ismail Tekin has declared "supreme satisfication" with the pace of the Jakanian military modernisation program and has certified the second phase of the five phase program to be completed. The program began in 4328 and armed with a healthy 36% increase in the military budget, has seen a considerable amount of progress and is on its 4348 target. The main objectives are increasing the size of the Land Forces, upgrading military equipment in general, with a special emphasis on the Air Force and an attempt at boosting the local arms industry. A second set of reforms involve re-organisation of central military administrative structure from the General Staff to the brigades. The general idea is to create a tighter, more cohesive command structure and cut out many duplicate and pointless positions within the hierarchy.