March 4492Selucian leader invited to meet Vanuku's opposition activistsDnma Mardoh has been the chairwoman of the opposition group, the Socialist Association, ever since her husband, Hkinor, was imprisoned for illegal trade union activities. Her organisation is essentially shut out from electoral politics, since the law only allows officially approved parties to compete, and restricts the electorate to the wealthy elite. However, over the last few years, the Socialist Association has increased its profile, particularly amongst working-class Vanukeans.
In recent months, the Socialist Association has become more astute, targeting its appeal not only to Vanukeans, but to influential opinion-shapers on the international stage, trying to increase global political pressure on Vanuku to liberalise its rigid political regime. In this vein, Mardoh has responded to the
announcement that Selucia's leader, Panegyris Priscian, is set to visit Vanuku by publicly urging him to to "make sure he doesn't just meet regime people and pro-regime people when he comes here" and that "if Priscian really wants to get a feel for what is going on in Vanuku at the moment, he needs to meet people from outside the establishment".
Most controversially, she has asked Priscian to request to meet her husband in prison, where he is currently a year into a 6 year prison sentence. Any such request would be likely to embarrass the government, and it is by no means certain it would be granted.
Husn Vrkz-Krlmék, who leads the officially-tolerated opposition in Vanuku, the Ahmadi Alliance, is also keen to meet the Selucian leader during his tour. Vrkz-Krlmék is seen as a proponent of incremental liberalisation of the regime, although he has also always been cautious not to get too far on the wrong side of the Prefect, Duke Kspar Nohsrmko Zhtál, and the King, Wrntukai VI. He has stated he feels it would be "unhelpful" for the Selucian leader to attempt to meet individuals associated with the Socialist Association during his visit, although privately, he is hoping Priscian will engage in some "quiet diplomacy" in order to try to persuade the Prefect of the benefits of modest reform.
Business leader praises "efficiency of authoritarian, business-friendly type governments"Lahm Jezküst, the Chief Executive of the Jezküst chain of retail supermarkets, has praised the government for its
plans to switch Vanuku over to nuclear power. "When I look at situations like this, it reminds me how, in some ways, we are so lucky that Vanuku is not a full democracy", he said. He continued:
In a democracy, a government would never be able to make a decision like this, because there would be so much opposition from the environmentalists, the political lobbyists, the liberal do-gooders, the vested interests in the other energy industries, and all the rest of it. But here in Vanuku, we have got a government which is able to make a decision, and make the right decision - and make it just like that, at a snap of the fingers. This is what I really like about this government, and what I admire so much about Duke Kspar Nohsrmko Zhtál. This is a guy who can get things done.
I would say this is a large part of the reason why Vanuku is such an economic success story, and why this country is a much more business-friendly environment than the traditional democracies. Like Istalia, for example, which my company largely pulled out of about 10 years ago. There is a great deal to be said for the efficiency of authoritarian, business-friendly type governments.
These comments have been heavily criticised by labour rights, civil rights and democracy campaigners.
Husn Vrkz-Krlmék, the Ahmadi Alliance leader, has commented:
In our view, a moderate liberalising of the regime would not make the government any less friendly. If anything, allowing the government to be held to account more would likely result in better decision-making, and I think we would all find that would be to the advantage of business.
Vrkz-Krlmék urges workers to "engage with the new institutions"Having seen his
Trade Union Act torpedoed by the governing New Royal Front Party, Ahmadi Alliance leader Vrkz-Krlmék appears to have won a small compromise in persuading the government to at least
permit the establishment of specially state-authorised trade unions. Amongst labour rights activists, there is widespread cynicism about the proposal, as these trade unions will not even be permitted the right to strike, and the suspicion is that the government will use its authority to prevent trade unionists from running their organisations independently and electing their own officials.
Vrkz-Krlmék. however, has urged workers to "see this as an opportunity and as a stepping stone to greater things" and called on them to "engage with the new institutions".