Quote:"We have celebrated the election results for a couple of weeks now, but during this time, I have been discussing my departure from office with the Leadership of my Party.  I have advised them of 2 things:  First, I will not seek, nor will I accept, another term as President of the Republic.  6 years is enough for me personally and professionally, and it is time I return to my family before my kids grow up and get too old for me to be a good father.  Second:  I have asked the SP to not field another candidate for office in elections in three years.  I think it is important to give someone else with a different way of seeing the world the chance to govern.  We will weigh our endorsement carefully, of course, but the recently good relations we have had with the Labor Party under Premier of the Republic Curti put a fairly large thumb on the scales.  The Labor Party would be our first choice, if they were interested in the Job, and when the time comes, we will do what we can to help if it is them.  We expect to continue to work with the Prime Minister, and the SP has said they will support his agenda, keeping the SP's agenda in mind as well so that we may continue to represent our constituency."

Quote:"We are moving forward on ODEN.  With the Left Government, we will be able to protect  the things which are important to Kalistan's working people.  This is something new for all of us, and I think the President, in deciding to retire, is setting a good precedent, to show the Republic that a multi-Party system CAN work in Kalistan, and that there is room for opposition, even ideological opposition, at the table.  If Kalistan elects a President from a new Party in three years, one that three years before now, only just gained their first seats in the Assembly, think of the message that sends in support of Kalistani Democracy.  This is an opportunity like we have never had before, and the SP should embrace it."

Quote:Q[uestioner]: Good evening Miss Bonucci, let's get straight into the big questions. Do you agree with the Premier that there are 'regressive and fascist operators' in Kalistan?

B[onucci]: Yes. Yes, I genuinely do believe that. I'm not in the business of being vague or ambiguous though so let me be clear: in my view, the Conservative Independence Party behaves in an oppressive and totalitarian manner. All you have to do is look at their recent military plan: they want to bring back land mines, nuclear weaponry, biological weaponry and chemical weaponry. These are weapons which don't simply kill people, they cause generations upon generations of people to experience physical and mental scarring. How can we not rally against this kind of behaviour? It is contrary to everything which Kalistan has stood for in Terra for decades.

Q: Do you have any comment on their 'better democracy' bill?

B: Of course. The idea that members of the National Assembly should be paid considerably more than the average citizen, it's pure cronyism. The Labour Party made clear that we wouldn't accept the increased pay although we're optimistic it won't get to this point because we are urging our friends in the Socialist Party parties to vote against it. That's not the point, though, we can't allow this kind of behaviour to pass by without scrutiny. There are countless other bills that we could point to: the ones relating to tobacco, to drug regulation, to pornography, to public display of affection, I could go on! I won't though instead I'll encourage anybody reading this to evaluate these bills for themselves and reach their own conclusions.

Q: What about their opposition to the 'Commitment to the Republic Act'?

B: It just shows that they can't be trusted. They don't even want our nation to exist! It is tantamount to treason in my mind. No amount of name changes and new leaders can cover up the fact that ultimately they were formed as the Ananto National Party with their primary goal being the destruction of the United Republic of Kalistan. They even claimed that Labour voters supported this idea! Any Labour Party supporter I've met would take that as personally insulting.

Q: Okay, I think we've covered the CIP enough now. How about the other big party in Kalistan right now: the Socialist Party? You mentioned them as your friends; what do you make of claims that your coalition is undemocratic?

B: Frankly, I think it's utter balderdash. If you look at the raw figures, the combination of our two parties now represents a vast majority of the electorate so whilst some parties may want early elections, it won't happen. We understand their frustration, it wasn't long ago the Labour Party itself was in a similar position but Kalistan has had enough turmoil over the past few years and it is about time we focused on policy. We're starting to do that now and it would be stupid to set back the clock by calling an election, we understand the unique circumstances with the KLP collapsing but this shouldn't distract us from our own parties.

Q: On the matter of policy: the Labour Party recently tabled a plan to nationalise the agricultural sector, what do you make of the opposition to this?

B: Unfortunately for the Kalistani public, they have been deprived of any real criticism of this plan so far. It's a shame because we know this bill isn't perfect- and that's why we are holding off on voting so that we can talk through some of the finer details- but most of the opposition has been petty and illogical. Hopefully, the debate will enhance and the plan can be examined so that it may be executed perfectly but this doesn't seem likely at the moment.

Q: There's still some time yet but what about the next elections, how do you see the Labour Party performing?

B: I'm confident that we have a real chance to do well. The dissolution of the KLP and the decision by President Bennots- who might I add has served Kalistan superbly- not to run again really opens up the race. We'll be campaigning extremely hard and, with any luck, we should be able to increase our seats and enter back into government. We certainly aren't taking anything for granted though because many of the new parties could be extremely alluring to those who feel that the current system doesn't work for them. We want to say to people, "Look we understand Kalistan isn't perfect but we are doing everything we can to help it get there".

Q: Can you offer any details on the rumoured confidential meeting Premier Curti had with trade union leaders?

B: No, not at this time. I can tell you that Mr Curti will be running for President however and that he will be seeking support and endorsement from a variety of sources, including trade unions.

Q: Okay well thank you very much for your time Miss Bonucci and good luck next January!

B: It has been my pleasure, don't you worry we'll keep the red flag flying!

Quote:I have immensely enjoyed my time in the role thus far and I am hopeful this will continue. I contacted my counterparts in both Indrala and Trigunia as I believed that our nation needed close allies to cooperate and work with on a long-term scale. Both nations were overwhelmingly supportive and I know that the Kalistani people will be similarly inviting and welcoming. These are relations from which everybody stands to benefit and ones which I intend to promote as a priority during my term.

Quote:As we approached the middle of town, where the rally was meant to finish up, we spotted a large group of people coming in the opposite direction. Then we heard a loud bang- which we thought was gunfire- and at that point everybody just panicked and fled in all directions. Some people went towards the other crowd, picking up stones, bricks, you know anything they could grab a hold of. Luckily the People's Army arrived shortly afterwards so the thugs couldn't do much damage to us but that is what they are: thugs! We had kids around us you know, why would you want to hurt people like that?

Quote:The President condemns all violence around Kalistan however the events in Suldanor are particularly distressing as they appear to have been motivated by political extremism and targetting innocent, unarmed civilians. However, he would like to praise the work of the People's Army in restoring law and order quickly and efficiently in a far from ideal scenario.

Quote:Kalistan was an amazing experience, seeing all of the culture was definitely the highlight of the trip. I thank the Kalistani Government and particularly the Labour Party for their cooperation with the trip.

Quote:First of all, I'd like to extend a welcome to everybody gathered here today. It's fantastic to see that support for the Labour Party continues to grow, even in times when it has almost become dangerous to attend party events as a result of terrorism by those who oppose us. It's absolutely crucial that we don't allow these radicals to disrupt our lives or damage our resolve, after all, that is their ultimate goal: to frighten us into submission. I believe that Labour Party supporters are stronger than that- though- and that we will eventually overcome this extremism.

Over the past five years, I have done everything in my power to move Kalistan forward. The two cabinets I created during my time were ground-breakingly diverse whilst maintaining the efficiency and stability that a single-party government can provide. I'd be wrong to stand before you and tell you that everything went perfectly because it didn't. We had problems seating the court, we missed the SPoK during their disappearance and the recent attacks on Labour Party events have been shocking, in spite of all this, I'm proud of my two terms. My coalition governments have fought against the restrictions of civil liberties that the Conservative Independence Party continues to push on this nation.

However, like all good things, my time as President is coming to end. When Victor Bennots announced he would not be running for a third term, I admired his decision. I thought that if I was in that situation myself, I would struggle to step back from the role of President but when you are actually in the position it is very, very different. The best thing for Kalistan is a new President, somebody who can energise the country and continue the work that I began and the best thing for the Labour Party is to have their leader back in the National Assembly to guide them in this turbulent period. Furthermore, as leader of my party, I have made the decision that not only will I not stand for President but nobody in my party will.

Following further in the footsteps of my Socialist friends, I will take time of the coming months to endorse and support another party's Presidential nominee. Although I cannot confirm anything at this moment, if the Socialist Party do field a candidate then it would likely be her or him. This shouldn't be seen as me taking a step back from front-line politics- not by any means. I will continue to lead my party and hope to return to my previous role as Premier so if anything I'm getting back into the action so to speak!

The Labour Party will fight on and we will ensure that the Red Flag continues to fly across Kalistan!