Landslide victory for the AllianceApril 4, 3360Alliance supporters gather outside the HQWith a clear majority for the Alliance of Liberals and Progressives in every prefecture except for the Morata Valley, the Society of Patriots can now clearly read the writing on the wall: their government has been routed from office in one of the most impressive landslide victories in Tukarese political history. For the Society, once controlling two-thirds of the seats in the National Assembly, it was a long fall from grace as voters deserted them in droves. For the Alliance, on the other hand, it was a victory without parallel, as the newly founded coalition of different interests and ideologies, united in pursuit of freedom, rose against all expectations from the tentative legality granted by the previous government to being in government itself.
This incredible victory was totally unexpected, with most political pundits predicting that the Alliance would win around one-third of the seats, maybe two-fifths on the good day. Within an hour of the polls closing at 7:30, the result was fairly evident. By 8:43, the Magura Broadcasting Network had the audacity to announce unequivocally that the Alliance had won the election by a significant amount. By 9:15, all the major news networks had broadcast their agreement.
Those in the Alliance heaquarters in Sangon were in a state of excitement and jubilation. Luciano Manoel Gadanha Hortencio appeared before the gathered supporters at 9:39 to wild cheering and applause, and gave his victory speech.
President-elect Gadanha Hortencio speaks to supportersToday, the people have spoken. There can be no remaining doubt that the people of Tukarali have endorsed our message of freedom and liberty. Just less than five years ago, I spoke to you, just a few miles from this place, announcing to this good nation that the forces of freedom had united together in pursuit of their common goals. We promised on that day, and we promised in the months prior to this election, that we would bring freedom, prosperity of strength of Tukarali. We have earned your trust today, and we fully intend to fulfil the solemn pledges that we have made to you.
This victory has been incredible and uplifting. It's almost dizzying to think that just several years ago, we had no voice. The freedom-loving people of this nation were silent - and, as it has turned out - the silent majority. We are now at the height of success, with the support of the vast majority of the Tukarese nation.
This Alliance, though young, has been born through the fusion of ideas. We believe that we are all entitled to certain rights inherent to all; we believe that we are all equal and should be treated accordingly. We believe that through their labour and effort, Tukarali was built by the Tukarese people more than it was build by the government, and that therefore the best path to wealth is through private enterprise, yet we believe also that those that cannot cope on their own should be supported by their compassionate fellow citizens of Tukarali. We believe that Tukarali must be strong and willing to engage with other nations. That is our vision for our great nation, which we are proud to proclaim, and which we intend to deliver.
We are humbled that you have placed your trust in us. It shall be a sacred covenant. The trust of the people of Tukarali will always be valued by us; we will wear it with dignity and integrity as a badge of pride. Fear not, for we will not betray you; instead, we will seek to serve you. We thank you for this incredible opportunity to shape the future of our great nation for the next six years. This is a chance we very much treasure.
With this momentous day we bring to Tukarali new hope. The cries of those that want to be free, those that want to be lifted out of poverty, those that want the promise of Tukarali to be fulfilled, have today been answered. This is a new epoch for our nation, an emancipation from the shackles of the past. We advance with optimism, unity and solidarity into the future which will bring with it freedom and development.
Perhaps there are those in this nation that doubt us, those who support I have not. The road to freedom and prosperity is long and hard. There will be many obstacles. But to the doubters, the cynical ones who do not truly believe in their country, I say to you, the greatest obstacle of all is the belief that progress cannot be achieved. We must put aside all conflicts and work whole-heartedly towards our goal of a better and brighter nation for us all. It will require the exertion of all of us, these are common challenges, and will bring common benefits if we together surmount them. Let us resolve to co-operate across party lines, across religious and ethnic lines, to build this nation from its present state to the greatest country in the world. Nothing can be done without the people's will to accomplish it.
Tukarali has been through many challenges before. We have suffered blows and knocks. We have suffered setbacks. Yet we have never fallen; we have always remained strong and resolute whatever fate, or our enemies, can throw at us. That is the nature of this nation's people: they are resilient and strong. In this time, where so much, where our history and our identity, hangs in the balance, we must muster that strength and make our nation great.
I would not speak today without expressing my profound gratitude to those that contributed to our amazing victory. To those that distributed leafteds at street corners or knocked on door after door, thank you. To those that gave a little bit of money to support our campaign, thank you. To our able campaign staff and my colleagues in the Alliance leadership, thank you. It has been a privilege to work with you. Finally, and most importantly, we owe an immense debt of gratitude to those that gave us their support in this election. Thank you very much for voting for us. That cross against our name signified your trust, and we do not take it lightly.
I must mention also the Society of Patriots. They are of course our political opponents, but we have to thank them for their gracious acts in the past half-decade. We remain committed to the ideas of bipartisanship and co-operation. We do not believe in quarrelling for the sake of it. We will not create conflicts where there are none, or engage in vindictive and ultimately futile finger-pointing. We believe in finding common ground, and working towards it for the good of Tukarali. President Malagar has done a lot for his country, building roads and infrastructure. We intend to continue with these policies. I must also thank General Rao, our former Defence Minister. He fought a brave election campaign to the last, and he is an able commander and statesman who has been serving his country for longer than I have.
Tonight is a night of celebration, of popping corks and flowing bubbly, of confetti and balloons. The joy can only last for a night. Tomorrow we will get to work. Tommorrow we will roll up our sleeves, and tirelessly toil to achieve our ambition to create a better nation for us all. We, as your elected representatives, and I, as your new President, will always be committed not to serving ourselves or our agendas, but rendering service to the people of Tukarali.
This is not a personal victory, or a political victory. It is a Tukarese victory, for it marks the beginning of a new era of prosperity and liberation for this entire nation. From today, new opportunities will arise. We have come thus far. We cannot turn back now. We must pursue our ambitions and dreams, and we must never give up. We must never, ever, cease to go forwards in the name of inexorable progress to lift up this nation to the highest point of Terra. We shall one day be the freest, wealthiest and strongest nation in the world. Today we have taken the first steps. This is our moment, and we cannot waste it. One day, in many years time, our grandchildren's children will look back at us and say that we built a truly great Tukarali.
When asked about his new job, Gadanha Hortencio confessed to being nervous, but stated that he felt ready to tackle the challenges of the Presidency:
It's a big job. Of course I have butterflies in my stomach. I don't think that anyone has been perfectly calm when they got elected to the Presidency. But still, I'm proud to have accomplished this, and I'm very thankful to the people of Tukarali for supporting me. And yes, I have quite a bit of political experience, and I'm confident that I will be able to deliver on my election promises and do my job, even if there are difficulties.
Tomorrow morning, Gadanha Hortencio will be inaugurated on the front steps of the National Assembly.
The National Assembly in Sangon