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Saridan - Zanz - 25-08-2024
http://forum.particracy.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=4320
RE: Saridan - Rogue - 11-08-2025
![[Image: 3ih5tpL.png]](https://i.imgur.com/3ih5tpL.png)
Koeistad - The Saridanese Nationalistiese Party (SNP for short) has won a suprise victory in this election, having risen in popularity following consecutive failures by the Federalist government, the party has managed to capture a absolute majority in the Volksraad. The incumbent "Federal Party" lost its previous majority and has captured second place, with minor parties like the Progressives and Social Democrats dividing the spoils. SNP leader Andries Pienaar congratulated supporters at the party its celebration party and announced a "new era" for the federal republic. The SNP had been a political force for 3 years now, having a breakthrough after their candidate won the Pietersburg mayoral election last year. Since then it has benefitted from the Federal party its demise, capturing voters from both the left and right.
Pienaar himself ran on a platform of renewal, promising a agenda of nationalism, economic liberalization and strengthened defense. The SNP has since been classified as a nationalist party with left-leaning economic policies and a right-leaning set of social policies. One important point for the party was defense. While the country has been running a surplus thanks to Federal Party cuts, the defense sphere was one of the hardest hit by these cuts. With instability elsewhere on the continent, specifically Rildanor, and refugees from these areas entering the country, defense suddenly became a "hot topic". The SNP has promised to significantly invest in all security branches, combined by a set of liberalizing economic reforms. "We need growth and defense, we can do it, im sure of it, but we need leaders with vision and determination to make it work" said Pienaar. The party also advocates for political reform, seeking to make the Volksraad more important and the Minister-president more influential. They also seek to reform the Volksraad, introducing a system of mixed-member elections where half of seats is elected through single-member districts and the other half through proportional representation. This way the SNP seeks to strengthen the influence of local communities and provinces on federal decisionmaking.
State President Amelia Smit (Progressive) has announced that she will appoint Pienaar as Minister-President and invite him to form a government. Smit herself was elected 4 years ago on a joint Progressive-Social Democrat ticket, also riding the anti Federalist wave. In just one year time she will face potential reelection, with the Pienaar government now forced to work with her for the first year of this term.
![[Image: splGalC.png]](https://i.imgur.com/splGalC.png)
The election results, with the SNP capturing 84 of the 150 seats
RE: Saridan - Rogue - 13-08-2025
![[Image: 1flNdoJ.png]](https://i.imgur.com/1flNdoJ.png)
Koeistad - The government of Minister-President Pienaar has announced a comprehensive plan to revitalize Saridan's ailing military industry as well as reform the Armed Forces. As part of the plan, the government will be investing nearly 38 billion in the next 10 years towards the modernization and expansion of all branches of the military. Combined with this investment is a gradual increase of the annual defense budget, with the country aiming to spend 4% of GDP on defense by the end of the decade. Additional the Saridan Defense Force will face reforms aimed at managing the expected growth in size. The Air Force is to be renamed into the Air Defense Force and face a reform of its training methods. Additional money will be freed up to centralize training for all branches of the military. The new "Central Field Training" or CFT will be responsible for training throughout the armed forces, with several new military academies to serve as training grounds for officers and other high ranking personell. Examples include the planned "Pietersburg Naval Academy" and the "Sonskaap Air Defense Academy" which will serve as the main training ground for the navy and airforce respectively.
The army will maintain its structure of divisions but expand on them, hoping to field at least four Pantserdivisies (currently two) and add a additional mobile infantry division, which will be solemnly focussed on mastering infantry combat. This expansion will result in the Army growing to 100.000 active soldiers, with around 20.000 active soldiers in each division. This excludes its special forces and air assault brigades.
The SDF will also change its doctrine, stepping away from "total defense" and adopting the doctrine masterminded by Saridani general Roben Vorster, unironically called the "Vorster doctrine". Under the Vorster doctrine, the armed forces combine a detterent doctrine with a defensive doctrine. Under the Vorster doctrine the SDF will "focus on defense but deter when necessary". This in practive means that while defense of Saridan's territorial integrity is still the ultimate goal, the SDF will also be allowed and sometimes obligated to resort to deterence, using for example pre-emptive strikes or targetted operations to prevent adverseries from threatening Saridan in the future. While this is a clear step away from total defense, it still makes defense the ultimate goal. By adopting this doctrine, the government hopes to make the SDF more responsive to outside threats.
Under the plan, to be executed by the Federal Ministry of Defense, the government will pump a large amount of the reserved billions into the state-owned Deronda defense company. With its subsidiaries, focussed on all kinds of weapons from tanks to naval systems and beyond, Deronda was once the backbone of Saridan's military industry. With renewed focus, the government hopes to make Deronda the foundation on which a new SDF is built. One of the first projects has already been announced, with Deronda Aerospace to modernize the existing fleet of "Cheetah G" multirole aircraft and procure at least 20 more of these new "Cheetah G-E" jets, which feature additional electronic warfare capabilities and improve on weapon systems, aircraft handling and fuel capacity compared to the older Cheetah G.
Lastly, for future projects, the government has formed the "Commission for Air and Ground Equipment" or CAGE, a new procurement office to be headed by a presidentially appointed chairman. The new office will be fully responsible for defense procurement, from maintaining a up to date account on the military inventories to working with the SDF in ordering, approving and vetting defense procurement and purchases. With this move, the government seeks to move decisionmaking on these decisions from politics to actual soldiers in the field. Every year CAGE will receive a set budget, determined by the Volksraad's national defense commission and the ministry, and may use said budget for procurement and purchases for the Army and Air Defense Force. Naval procurement will remain under the government's jurisdiction, as naval projects are of larger scale and could potentially have more impact on the budget.
All this is part of the government its plan to revitalize national defense and make Saridan a important regional player. The costs of these changes and investments worry economists, with the government to use debt spending to achieve its military ambitions, which could strain state finances in the long run.
RE: Saridan - Rogue - 13-08-2025
![[Image: Cn2YhPx.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/Cn2YhPx.jpeg)
Klipberg - In the capital city of Kaap "snacking" is the new norm. Busy schedules, simple lifestyles and simply a hunger for good food have made fast food more popular over the years. What inevitably further causes the increase in popularity is a decrease in household income, as "snacking" at fast food chains is affordable for every day families trying to make ends meet. One of the most popular chains at the moment of writing this article is "Happie!", literally "Snack!" in Luthorian. The chain started in Klipberg some 7 years ago but has since expanded to every province and now has over 120 locations nationwide. They sell burgers, fried chicken, shakes and fries amongst other delicacies for rather affordable prices. Last year, the chain sold nearly 400 million worth of food, making 40 million in profit. Happie! CEO Annabelle Plessis also announced that the chain seeks to expand to nearly 500 locations by the end of 5666 (marking the 10th anniversary of the company). Her dream is to expand the chain abroad, but so far that possibility hasnt presented itself.
The succes of Happie! isnt unique, but its scale is. Across the country small "snack bars" have opened and have seen local succes, also selling fast food at a smaller scale. These small stores are leaving their mark on communities and allowing locals to buy affordable meals where it would normally not be possible at restaurants. What this move towards fastfood also shows however is the worsened financial situations of many families throughout the country. Socioligist Christiaan de Jager from the University of Koeistad notes that household income has decreased by nearly 25% in the last 20 years, as the economy has shrunk and jobs have been lost. The new SNP government's push on defense might bring some of those jobs back, but it will not be enough to grow household income in the long run. To make a real change the government will need a long term economic agenda capable of delivering growth and rising living standards. So far the Pienaar government has yet to provide such a plan.
While fast food is a solution for many, it is a solution of desperation, not free will. A opportunity for companies in the sector to grow, but a necessity for families trying to make ends meet.
RE: Saridan - Rogue - 13-08-2025
![[Image: W7piCTT.png]](https://i.imgur.com/W7piCTT.png)
Kensington, D.P. - State President Amelia Smit visited the Seleyan nation of Lodamun in the last three days, concluding her visit this afternoon. On arrival she was met by President William Stedman of Lodamun, who proceeded to welcome Smit as the two stood on the airfield on which she arrived to hold a joint press conference on what to expect from the visit. Both exchanged their hopes and expectations that the visit will result in strengthened ties. After the press conference the two were escorted to their motorcade as Smit was transported to the luxurious Kensington Capital Hotel in downtown Kensington.
What followed was three packed days where President Stedman accompanied State President Smit on a tour of the capital and Lodamese countryside, talking to citizens, businessmen and other people of interest. On the last day, State President Smit was invited to a state dinner at Whitehall, where both leaders and their delegations toasted on each other. Overall, the visit was very well received by both sides, as there was clear chemistry between Stedman and Smit.
The visit was concluded today with the signing of a sweeping trade agreement hailed by both leaders as a new chapter in bilateral relations. Under the deal, Lodamun will lift tariffs on any manufactured goods from Saridan and open new investment channels for Saridan’s shipping industry, while Saridan will reduce duties on Lodamun’s agricultural exports and share expertise in renewable energy technology. The agreement is expected to increase trade flows between the two nations by 25% over the next five years and foster closer economic and political cooperation.
During the concluding press conference in the garden of Whitehall State President Smit called the deal:
Quote:A true change of pace for our two countries and the continent as a whole. With this deal, we not only open up our countries to economic opportunity, but also towards a strong bond between people's. We hope this bond continues to flourish and our relationship will continue to grow in the coming years
The State President then shook the hand of President Stedman before entering Saridan's national plane back to Koeistad. The visit marks a new and fruitfull relationship between the two nations that might mean more for the continent as a whole later down the line.
RE: Saridan - Rogue - 14-08-2025
![[Image: ogSfZg0.png]](https://i.imgur.com/ogSfZg0.png)
Koeistad - Despite a massive lead for the SNP in every parliamentary poll, incumbent State President Amelia Smit has managed to defeat SNP challenger Yaro de Klerk to be re-elected as head of state. In the first round, five candidates faced off with Smit and de Klerk both managing to qualify for a final second round of voting. After all the ballots were counted, State President Smit was re-elected with 52.2% of the vote, defeating de Klerk with a 4.4% gap. Smit once again ran on a joint Progressive-Social Democratic ticket, which had helped her into office the first time around. Her platform of relative pragmatism, combined with classic social democratic talking points managed to pull many moderates into her coalition. Her successes on the global stage only helped her chances at victory, with even the SNP and de Klerk not attacking her directly during the campaign, as Smit's personal approval rating sits at nearly 75%.
This victory is somewhat of a suprise, as the SNP and government of Minister-President Pienaar are riding sky high in any other poll besides that of president, showing that Smit her personal popularity is the likely cause for her victory. What the victory has also shown is that the Progressives and social democrats can win if they put their mind to it, with results showing that hadnt the two parties joint forces, Smit would have lost by 3%. With Social Democrats popular in Sint Pietereiland, where Smit won nearly 60% of the vote, and progressives doing relatively well in Kaap.
Her victory has sparked further debate within both the Progressives and Social Democrats on a potential formal merge, with party leaders so far holding back on any such moves. Smit thanked her supporters for a "extraordinary" result, promising to continue her "pragmatic approach" on the global stage and using her presidential powers to "defend fundamental human rights for Saridan and its citizens."
![[Image: FZ5gkqE.png]](https://i.imgur.com/FZ5gkqE.png)
RE: Saridan - Rogue - 15-08-2025
![[Image: 2T2weTN.png]](https://i.imgur.com/2T2weTN.png)
Woolloowilli - State President Smit, Minister-President Pienaar and Foreign Minister Jiwabiddy met their Mordusian counterparts today in a special state visit in which Mordusian officials visited the Ijkpieland capital of Woolloowilli. The visit, lasting the entire day, saw the Mordusian PM, Smit, Pienaar and Juwabiddy visit the parliament building of the province, meeting with Ikpi lawmakers ahead of a much anticipated visit to the Saridan-Mordusia border. Once at the border, all those attending made their way to the "Ikpi National Border Crossing", the largest border crossing between the two states. In a joyous ceremony, attended by leaders from the Ikpi community and delegations from both countries, the Minister-President and State President as well as the Mordusian PM signed the "Woolloowilli Treaty". The treaty binds the two countries towards harmonising visa policies, creating "slow speed" border crossings, allow those close to the border to cross it at unnofficial crossings and, in the long term, allow complete freedom for citizens of both countries to travel between one another without the need for visa controls and border checkpoints.
The treaty was specifically designed for a phased process in which the countries would gradually move towards complete freedom of movement. Expectations on reaching that goal range between 10 to 15 years. Additionally the treaty is free for anyone to sign with approval from all signatory states, allowing other nations to join the "Woolloowilli Zone" as it is already being called. After the signing ceremony, the levers of the Ikpi National Border Crossing were symbolically lifted after which the first cars were allowed to cross the border without stopping or having their visa's checked. This treaty is not just seen as a step towards lasting cooperation between the two states, it is also expected to boost trade. More importantly, it is seen as a important step towards allowing the Ikpi people from Saridan and Mordusia to travel to eachother without restrictions, hopefully boosting and solidifying their presence in the region.
Besides the treaty, the two countries have also agreed to work together in protecting and supporting Ikpi culture and self determination. Minister-President Pienaar noted that "for our countries to succeed, the Ikpi people need to succeed. No true patriot can truly claim that they care about their country if they do not take care of its original inhabitants." The two countries have signed a memorandum towards this goal, aimed at investing millions in joint educational and cultural programs.
Lastly, as both nations have started remilitarization on their own terms, the defense ministries of Saridan and Mordusia have agreed on working together on the development on a new frigate, to be jointly developed and be procured in both Saridanese and Mordusian shipyards. Saridan's state defense company Deronda has been contracted to lead development of the frigate for the Saridanese side, with its subsidiary Deronda Maritime Systems to take the lead. The eventual design is to be supported by both Mordusia and Saridan before procurement is to start. Today two neighbours celebrate a renewed and powerfull relationship. Showing that unity within (southern) seleya is certainly possible as long as nations cooperate and respect one another.
RE: Saridan - Rogue - 17-08-2025
![[Image: UFkUSyI.png]](https://i.imgur.com/UFkUSyI.png)
Koeistad - After months of negotiations and nearly two years since the last election, the SNP government has managed to pass its long awaited political reforms seen as key to its domestic agenda. While initially a much larger bill, the Ministry of Home Affairs was forced to change key aspects of it as not just oppossition politicians resisted parts of the bill, but also some SNP lawmakers saw it as to extreme. Under the original proposal, a system of mixed-member proportional representation was to be adopted and the role of the president significantly reduced. Under pressure of lawmakers, those two changes have been reverted.
The end bill, officially named the "Government Action and Transparancy Act" or GATA, changes the setup of government. The most notable change is a change to the naming of ministries and offices. Ministries will now be called Departments, with the head of every department called a "secretary". The minister-president will be named the "State Secretary" and the cabinet the "State Cabinet". Besides these symbolic changes the offices will also be more equall, with the special status of the premiership changed as to make the State Secretary primarily a chairman of cabinet, rather then a all ecompassing figure that can also dictate policy on each department. Individual secretaries are expected to be able to wield more power on their own departments, hopefully improving government efficiency. The State Secretary him or herself will continue to be appointed by the State President, but is now expected to be appointed based on the latest election result, thus giving the president less freedom in their choice for State Secretary.
The Volksraad will continue to be elected through proportional representation but will lose its 5% electoral treshold. This will likely cause smaller parties to gain seats easier, and will make larger parties less likely to obtain a absolute majority. Lastly the State President's powers will largely remain the same, with the exception of his or her powers on appointing the head of government being slightly weakened. These changes, though minor at first glance, are expected to create a better balance between the different branches. Additionally the changes should make elections fairer, as the Electoral Commision has also been reformed in GATA and will no longer be politically appointed, but instead be randomly selected from the bureaucracy every 4 years. The Electoral Commission will also receive additional funding which they will need to be using for setting up a website that tracks election data, with the commission now being required to publish electoral data in a anonymous way to make elections more transparant.
Earlier calls for increasing the number of members in the Volksraad have not been honoured, with the current number of 150 members to be maintained. With the reforms passing the State President will have to sign them into law, something she has pledged to do in the coming week. Political developments are also continuing, as State President Smit's own Progressive Party is now in formal talks with the Social Democrats to form a joint list for the next Volksraad election. If succesfull, this will likely bolster the left in the next election and potentially harm SNP chances at maintaining their majority.
RE: Saridan - Rogue - 17-08-2025
![[Image: muObRhR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/muObRhR.png)
Pietersburg - The Department of Infrastructure and Transport celebrated last night when the Volksraad approved a package of nearly 5 billion in infrastructure improvements. Saridan's infrastructure has long been failing in several key aspects, largely thanks to a confusing system of local, provincial and federal roads. Secretary Gizelda du Preez took office a year ago promising to change the fate of Saridani infrastructure, with the backing of the Pienaar government. The past year she had designed a plan to significantly improve the situation on the ground. With her "one dollar, two side" initiative, she now seeks to improve both Federal and Provincial infrastructure. Under the initiative, every Saridani Dollar spend on federal infrastructure will see another dollar transfered to the provinces in order to improve infrastructure. Additionally, all federal resources will be available for provinces as well, delivering them free expertise to expand and improve their provincial infrastructure.
The 5 billion package was needed to modernize and improve the Pietersburg International Airport, as well as construct a new federal "coastal highway" seeking to improve connectivity between mainland coastal cities and towns. The funding for this package caused uproar and delays, as the Volksraad was unwilling to commit billions in funding for both defense and infrastructure. Secretary du Preez sat down with her colleague, the secretary of foreign affairs, Ruan Cilliere, to discuss the potential for foreign investment in these projects. After several meetings, Cilliere announced that the Dual Republic of Narikaton and Darnussia has committed nearly 3 billion in investments, combined with 5 billion in interest free loans totalling 8 billion. In exchange for the investments the Dual Republic will receive a minority share in both the Pietersburg and Kaap naval ports.
With the 8 billion pledged, Secretary du Preez convinced the Volksraad to pay ahead the initial 5 billion needed to launch the projects, with money from the Dual Republic expected to enter the country later. The additional 3 billion will be diverted to the provinces as a initial payment, with the Volksraad deciding on another 2 billion in funding under the "one dollar, two side" initiative of du Preez. Not only will Saridan forge a closer economic partnership with the Dual Republic under this deal, it will also mean a significant improvement of infrastructure in the country. The modernized Pietersburg International Airport is expected to see a increase in traffic of up to 55%, as well as gaining additional freight capacity which will improve logistics in the province. The coastal highway project will likely improve connectivity and economic cooperation between regions and lastly the billions in funding for provinces is expected to significantly improve many provincial railways and roads which have long been notorious for their poor quality.
du Preez thanked lawmakers for their support and promised that her department would "work day and night to make sure these funds are invested efficiently and deliver a more connected Saridan for all our citizens."
RE: Saridan - Rogue - 23-08-2025
![[Image: d3Vmu1G.png]](https://i.imgur.com/d3Vmu1G.png)
Koeistad - After months of preparation the capital of Koeistad turned festive today as the long awaited military parade organized by the Department of National Defense showcased some of its newest hardware to the public. For the last 3 years, backed by billions in funding, the SDF has been modernizing and expanding on all fronts. From a order of additional modernized Cheetah G multirole aircraft to a joint project on the development of a new frigate with Mordusia, the military and all affiliated partners have been busy.
Primarily on display today were ground vehicles, with the primary vehicle gaining attention being the new "Groot Olifant" main battle tank. The tank, in development by Deronda Dynamics, was ordered by the Department of National Defense in order to fullfill the need that the SDF has for its own main battle tank to be used in large scale conflict, primarily for defense. Deronda Dynamics had been working on the design of the tank prior to the SNP government taking power, but development accelerated after additional funding was released. One prototype has been build, which was on display during the parade. The tank featured a modern turret, reworked weapons systems, a upgraded engine, a new thermal and commander sight and modernized communication systems compared to the older tanks within Saridan. The tank has so far been tested in multiple environments with promising results. The DND is currently working out the details on ordering a batch of the Groot Olifant, working with SDF command and Commission for Air and Ground Equipment in determining a suitable package. Current estimates on the final order range between 200 to 300 of these indigenous MBT's.
Besides the Groot Olifant there were several other pieces of equipment on display, with the well known "Rooikat" armoured reconnaissance vehicles also taking part. The Rooikat has also been modernized by Deronda Dynamics, receiving a upgrade to its turret and weapon systems as well as gaining new commander sights. These upgrades have made the vehicle better capable at providing anti-tank support. All current 250 Rooikat's in SDF service will be gradually modernized to the new Rooikat 5600 variant.
The parade was received well by the population and military enthusiasts alike, showing in real time how additional tax dollars are giving the SDF a much needed boost in enhancing their capabilities.