ReformedEndralon Wrote:Please see below for a few snippets of news from Kalistan

The Kalistani Football Championship Goes Live

September 5064

The Kalistani Football Championship (KFC) opened up with an exciting intra-Ananto clash between Kaliburg and Dahriel in the capital city. The K’s went ahead with a field goal before falling behind to two Dahriel touchdowns in the first and second quarters. However with home support the K’ eventually recovered and with three touchdowns romped home to a 24 point to 13. The university stadium was absolutely packed for the first game, which bodes well for the Kaliburg franchise which eventually hopes to have an 80,000 seater stadium built by 5070. KFC President Brett Gullivan in absolute tears at the start of the opening game and in a post-match press conference expressed how delighted he was that his dream had been realised.



Fast paced action from the University of Kaliburg stadium.

Government Passes New Budget, Significant Defence Cuts, Allegations of Historic Corruption

January 5065

The Finance Minister has passed a new budget, the first in over 40 years. Overall spending will drop slightly from 2.413 Trillion Kalistani Roubles (KRB) to 2.395 Trillion KRBs, however this masks significant changes in Ministry levels of spending. While Health, Education, Infrastructure and Justice will all see budget rises of at least 50 Billion KRBs, the Defence budget will see a cut of almost 320 Billion KRBs. Since 5021 the Defence budget has consumed over 13% of total GDP and the Finance Minister Dirk Moore has detailed that it was high time such scandalous spending was stopped. Although not discussed in the budget debate it has been suggested that there are significant allegations of corruption in the defence department going back to the 5021 budget and that in 44 years significant amounts may have been wasted in dubious expenditure, ponteitnally tainting every previous government that has operated with this bulbous Defence budget that accounts for over one third of total government spending.

Presidential Staff Announces Planning for Official Visit to Baltusia

February 5065

President Charitys outer office have discussed planning for an official visit to neighbouring Baltusia. It is believed that the President wishes to improve relations with Kalistans neighbour, nearly 185 years after a great crisis that soured relations between the two nations. President Charity has previously expressed her interest in building friendly relations with neighbouring nations to ensure peace and prosperity across northern Seleya. It is known that the President has cousins who still reside in neighbouring Ralston, and this has often been a target for opposition parties who have been critical of any expression of friendship towards Baltusia from the governing party.



President Charity at a press conference

Socialist Officer Corp Prepares to Resign Commissions to Protest “Radical” Reorganization of Military
Establishment of “Professional Standing Military” will move Republic toward bellicose stance internationally
Kaliburg, Ananto
February 8, 5065

ReformedEndralon Wrote:Long term Socialist Corruption in the Military Exposed

February 5065

It has been widely reported that a number of officers in the Kalistani military have resigned after long term corruption has been exposed. For 45 years the Armed Forces were provided with 13% of total Kalistani GDP, and yet with this money a small force of 95,000 active and reserve regular force personnel was maintained by previous governments. Although a number of defence purchases were completed during the four decades, this represents a poor return on the almost trillion roubles invested in the military every single year. The Socialist Party employed a militia of 1.4 million Partisans during this time, although it is more likely that the taxpayer funding the Socialist Party “employment” of this individuals. Although many officers, including members of the Socialist Regular Officers’ Association, have claimed this is as a result of “radical reorganisation”, it is more likely that many serving personnel are concerned that corruption will be exposed and have jumped before corruption investigations could be completed.



Burt Burret deliverered a key speech in Kaliburg

The Minister of Defence Bert Burret added the following;

Burt Burret Wrote:For too long the military of this country has been run as an adjunct to the Socialist Party. This country cannot function as a one party dictatorship and must move to professionalise its armed forces. The long term corruption that has been exposed by the finance ministry is an example of what happens when one political party becomes too dominant and uses the levers of power to cement its control of society. We need to move this country forwards so that it can function according to true Republican principles in which the military is politically neutral and not aligned to a single party. At a time of increased scrutiny in the role of the military in our society and greater holding to account of government spending, including a reduction in defence expenditure, it is questionable that the opposition would accuse the government of wanting to start wars. It is absolutely insane that Kalistan maintained one of the largest defence budgets in Terra for decades, while simultaneously maintaining one of the smallest armed forces in Terra.

he Defence Minister discussed that the bloated defence budget will continue to be tripped down through the rest of the decade if the current government remains in power and increasing efforts will be made to professionalise the armed forces.

ReformedEndralon Wrote:Kalistan aims to go big in livestock

March 5065

Did you know that until November 5064 it was forbidden to kill animals in Kalistan? Although fishing remained legal, the domestic killing of livestock had been illegal for a number of years, although meat was a popular import. But the government, with a nod to its support base in rural areas, passed legislation that was even supported by the Socialist Party. This will potentially open up new job opportunities and will lead to a renewal of the use of more marginal land in hillier and mountainous areas of the country that can now be used for grass reared cattle and sheep. This will also have the added benefit of cutting down on the costly and environmentally unfriendly importing of freezer ships containing meat from all over Terra.



Within a few years much of this meat counter will contain Kalistani produce

Government financial support

The Kalistan Party also announced a further 30 Billion Kalistan Roubles for Agriculture in its budget passed in January 5065, with the Agriculture Minister Julia Peters stating that this was to assist the transformation of Kalistani agriculture. Although the dairy industry had remained, now cattle, sheep and pigs can all be reared once more. The Kalistani government also amended laws on farm sizes which has encouraged foreign investment and migration from nations with important agricultural sectors such as Mordusia and Baltusia. The subject matter expertise will come in useful in Kalistan where agriculture has typically been geared towards the production of cereals and crops associated with the Kalistani drug industry.



Encouragement of sheep farming has led to Eliza Daily migrating from Mordusia with her Mordusian white sheep

Socialist Party acknowledges charges of corruption
Agrees to Internal investigation
Kaliburg, Ananto
March 18, 5065


Party Speaker Diego Perry addresses the major Corruption Scandal before angry Socialist Deputies at SP HQ in downtown Kaliburg yesterday

Quote:"We flatly deny that the Socialist Party had anything to do with siphoning off nearly a trillion Rubles a year for forty five years. The Government has offered us no evidence whatsoever that the Party nor the Militia received a cent of that money. In addition, my office has compiled records and receipts of all militia-related transactions, and have entered them into the public record. Careful scrutiny of these records will reveal that the militia has been operating on a budget comprised entirely of Party Donations, and has not received a cent of public money from anywhere in the National Budget. We hope that these records, which include all dates, times and amounts, as well as all banking information and expense Ledgers, will clear the Militia of any wrong doing. We have submitted these records to the Finance Minister for investigation, and believe firmly that the militia will be entirely exonerated following their audit of our records.

"As for the more troubling aspect of the Minister's charges, that Regular Officers, specifically those affiliated with the Socialist Party of Kalistan were somehow involved in Corruption, let me just say this: There have indeed been some irregularities within the budget which lead Party leadership to conclude that an internal investigation is at least warranted. Whether this demonstrates that nothing at all occurred on the side of malfeasance, up to and including corruption and straight out misappropriation and theft of public funds, we are prepared to accept the results of this investigation and act on them, in cooperation with the Justice Minister to the fullest extent of the law. Let me reiterate: Corruption within the ranks of the Socialist Party will not be tolerated, and if there is any indication that Socialists who have enjoyed the public's trust have been corrupt, may God have mercy on them, because this Party will not."

Liberal Fascists of Deth release Speak Vrassan or Die on KMI
Record prompts immediate backlash from Parental Groups
Kaliburg, Ananto
May 1, 5065


LFoD, the mock Thrash band from Eveari, release a record not to be taken seriously

ReformedEndralon Wrote:

Vrassa City Football Team Clinch Inaugural Championship Title

May 5065

The final day of the first Kalistani Football Championship (KFC) has ended with Vrassa clinching the title by dint of a superior points scored against points conceded, after both Vrassa and Eshar finishes with twenty five wins in the 38 match season. At the start of the final round of games six teams had a chance of claiming the championship title, demonstrating the competitive nature of the league fostered by restrictions on maximum player salaries, transfers between clubs and a pre-season draft that fairly distributed emerging talent.



Vrassa Captain Giuseppe Mbeppe hold back his emotions after the final quarter finishes and Vrassa clinch the title.

KFC President Brett Gullivan presented the Championship trophy to the captain of the Vrassa team. After the presentation Brett Gullivan declared the first Championship “an absolute success”. Although ticket sales had been patchy for some of the franchises, he was looking forward to negotiating a mixed package of TV deals with domestic networks, and a possible offer for a foreign TV network to buy the rights to show some games. Revenues raised will be distributed to the different franchises to provide important revenue for those clubs that are seeking to begin building new stadiums. However, some teams had already discussed that they have cancelled plans to create new infrastructure, preferring to stick with shared stadiums with university sports teams.

First Arrests in Defence Corruption Probe

June 5065

After three months of investigations the Ministry of Justice have announced the first arrests of current and former military personnel following allegations of corruption. Although no senior officers are believe to have been involved, it has been reported that a number of officers involved in capability development, arms procurements and defence contracting have been caught up in the arrests.



Unarmed Police prepare to raid a suspects home.

The Justice Minister, Albrecht Harris, when asked for comment tersely briefed that “investigations were ongoing and enough evidence had been collated to indicate some serving and former members of the Kalistani Armed Forces may have broken the law”. When pushed for further details the Minister reminded journalists that it was a hallmark of Kalistani law that everyone was innocent until proven guilty and that further comment would jeopardise a fair trial in front of a jury.

ReformedEndralon Wrote:

President of the Restorationist Church of Eliyahu and Latter Day Hosians Endorses Move of Church Headquarters to Kalistan

August 5065

After a month-long Conference of the leadership of the Restorationist Church of Eliyahu and Latter Day Hosians (often referred to as just Latter Day Hosians (LDH)), the President of the governing body has signed off on a proposal to relocate the Headquarters of the Church from Ralston in Baltusia to Vrassa in Kalistan. This follows a miraculous vision experienced by a member of the LDH in 5062 in which she saw Eliyahu returning to Terra in the city of Vrassa, precipitating a thousand year reign of Eliyahu on earth. President Thomas Wainwright has been the senior member of the Latter Day Hosians for fifteen years and the 95 year old is a highly influential figure. Under the terms of the resolution the Church will aim to relocate much of its leadership to Kalistan, encourage the use of its significant investment portfolio to invest in Kalistan, and encourage communicants to make the spiritual migration.



President Wainwright after signing the resolution to move the HQ of the Church to Kalistan

Latter Day Hosianism in Baltusia

Latter Day Hosianism has historically been centred in Baltusia, and estimates are that the Church has between 1.5-2 million members in the country. The Church was founded by Absalom Wilson in the 4730's in Baltusia following a visitation by the Angel Zophiel and Latter Day Hosians use both the Hosian Bible and Book of Zophiel (hence why the Church is often referred to as the Zophiel Churc). The Church often faced discrimination, being treated as a cult through the 4800’s and despite a legalisation of polygamy of 4908, it was subsequently banned later in the century, a ban that has remained in effect ever since. Latter Day Hosians were prominent in the historic Republican Party which dominated Baltusian politics through the 4900’s, even electing the Latter Day Hosian James Adams to the Presidency in 4920, who was the first President in Baltusian history to have two First Ladies.

LDH Move to Kalistan

Critics of the Church have suggested that motivations other than “visions” are behind the move. It has been commented that the recent legalisation of polygamy, and the opening of agricultural opportunities in Kalistan have also led to a number of LDH investments in land, particularly in western Kalistani regions bordering Baltusia. The LDH community in Baltusia has historically been associated with agriculture, with many members historically living in geographically concentrated numbers, sharing land and tools. Although a cultural census has not been completed in Kalistan for a while, with Kalistans open borders and the presence of the LDH across the border in Baltusia it has been estimated that there may already be anywhere between 100-200,000 members of the LDH spread across the country. It is not known how many Latter Day Hosians might migrate to Kalistani in the future, but the Church already has four adherents within the governing Kalistan Party, and these members have influenced policies favourable to the Church including previously mentioned legalisation and recognition of polygamy.

Internal Investigation reveals gross corruption among Socialist Officers
Party Leadership resigns in Disgrace
Kaliburg Ananto
October 17, 5065


Interim Party Leader Annie Bjorksdattir addresses SP Internal Investigation results

Annie Bjorksdattir becomes New Party Speaker
Young leader hopes to return Party to Majority
Kaliburg Ananto
October 1, 5067


Annie Bjorksdattir of Luxon becomes Speaker of the Minority