Kalistan

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FM updates Kalistan's Foreign Policy
"We are watching what is going on in Valruzia," said Sir Harney
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
February 25, 5706


FM Sir Thomas Harney interviewed at Annual Foreign Correspondents' Dinner

Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister, Sir Thomas Harney, who attended the Annual Foreign Correspondents' Dinner in Kaliburg sporting an eyepatch, discussed Kalistan's Foreign Policy. He touched on a number of flashpoints, including Kalistan's continued with with regional partners and the rise of a hypermilitarist bloc in the west.

Below are his brief comments:

(The Republic's) S(ylvester) U(vale): Sir Harney, it is a pleasure to meet you tonight.

(Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister, Sir) T(homas) H(arney): Well met, indeed.

SU: Let's get the first and most obvious question out of the way. Are you doing alright these days?

TH: Sure. Right as rain. Why do you ask?

SU: Well, did something happen to you eye?

TH: Oh, the eye patch? No, this is really more of a fashion choice. I thought it would be fun to wear one for a while.

SU: An eyepatch, Sir Harney?

TH: Yes, literally nobody else is wearing an eyepatch here tonight. Have you noticed that? But they all have tuxedos on, so I wanted to do something a little different.

SU: And you went with "eyepatch"?

TH: Yes, completely unexpected.

SU: I suppose one may not argue with that statement.

TH: I think I'll keep it. It's very distinctive.

SU: Alright. I will then start the actual interview with a question about Luthori.

TH: Yes, I had a feeling I would get this question.

SU: Your thoughts?

TH: Well Her Imperial Majesty's Ambassador, His Excellency Kerry Slaughter has obviously written and requested reasignment. The Empress is tempted to give His Excellency his request and let him return to Kalistan, but I've asked her to wait because we are having trouble finding someone else to fill his spot and she would like the Embassy to stay open. So I had to tell the Ambassador that he needed to wait in place until we can.

SU: The Ambassador wants to be reassigned because of a gem?

TH: A gem? What do you mean?

SU: The news that the Luthorians have opted to return one of their Yeudi gems to Yishelem. That's not why Ambassador Slaughter has asked for reassignment?

TH: No. Why would that matter?

SU: Then what is the reason?

TH: No, that's irrelevant, to anything really... The reason for Ambassador Slaughter wanting to leave Luthori is... well, you know...

SU: I'm afraid, Sir that if its not about the gem, then I do not know. I thought that was the reason.

TH: Look. I'm not going to create an international incident here. But I will just say that His Excellency happens to more than agree with, shall we say, the Egelian estimation of the mental acuity of the Luthorian Monarchy. He said he finds the discussions with the Emperor there to be tedious to the point of insult. I don't have any evidence to corroborate the Ambassador's feelings on the matter, having never personally spoken to the Emperor myself, but I will say, he is entitled to his own opinion on the matter, and if he does not feel like he can effectively represent the Empress to the court of the Orange Villains, due to, as he put it, audiences being a general offense to the senses, we really have a problem. Unfortunately that point of view is fairly common among people who do know, so it will be difficult to replace Ambassador Slaughter. It really has nothing to do with a shiny orange rock.

SU: Do you think this is part of the ramping up of tensions between the East and the West?

TH: I honestly think its really just personal. And its a shame because we were making progress for a while. We do like their music and hopefully all their musicians move to Kalistan so we can get the one benefit from association with them without having to put up with all the other bits.

SU: Moving on. What if the Empress' position on the developments in Valruzia.

TH: Well, as you know, Valruzia is a very important partner of Her Imperial Majesty, and the two nations have forged personal as well as strong diplomatic bonds over the course of Her Imperial Majesty's life. We are watching the situation there with Mr. Barela, and while Her Imperial Majesty does not want to make any comment on Mr. Barela's personal life, she is truly saddened that he was forced from office over personal choices he and his family have made. How a man or woman choose to form their family should have no bearing on whether they are capable administrators of a nation. She commends his grace in stepping down, said she appreciates the kindness his government has shown to our nation in our time of trouble (they were the only ones to offer us assistance, by the way,) and wishes him to know that he and his family always have a friend in Kaliburg.

SU: Does she have any comments on the rise of the new imperialist party in Valruzia?

TH: Her Imperial Majesty has said that this is purely an internal matter of Valruzia, and while she tentatively supports the development, it is still far too early to judge its effects, and therefore Kalistan doesn't want to appear to be influencing events there one way or the others. This is for Valruzia, and Valruzia alone to decided, and if they request assistance from Kalistan we will be the first in line to help.

SU: Does Her Imperial Majesty have any updates on the Egelian Conference?

TH: We are moving ahead on an agreement on intelligence sharing at the moment. We are waiting for a draft, but other than that we are still actively participating and enthusiastically cooperating with our neighbors. Hey-- I think they are about to restart the speeches, so I will beg your pardon, but I am needed back at the dias.

SU: Very well, thank you for your time, Sir Thomas.

TH: It was a pleasure.

@TheRepublic

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AYIC responds to Amudim
"Our Heritage is wherever we are," says Director Kaplan
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
May 12, 5706


Robert Kaplan at AYIC offices in Kaliburg

AYIC Director Robert Kaplan announced a major counter programming campaign this week designed to counter Amudim's propaganda surrounding the return of the Luthorian gem to Yishelem. "Amudim wants to set itself up as the only voice for Yeudis in the world," said Kaplan at AYIC HQ in Kaliburg. "But the Diaspora has a response: Our heritage is not the land or the gems. It is wherever we are. It is our traditions, our celebrations, our religious observances, and yes, our language. Our Heritage is wherever we are."

Kaplan said this was the theme of the advertising campaign that is meant to push back at the Amudim claim that just because they now possess 6 of the historical gems of Elior, it has claim over Yeudi Heritage. "We happen to know that they needed to reunite all eight of the Gems," explained Kaplan. "They have six of them now that Luthori has surrendered the Gem they were holding, but we also know there are 3 in Hutori? So, that's 9. It is suspected that someone slipped a fake gem to Amudim, which makes their celebration even more facetious. They know it, but they are going ahead with their celebration of possessing 6 of the, now I guess its 9 gems of Elior as if they have all 8. I don't know. But if they want to use that to promote some sort of eschatological myth, we will definitely refute that with facts."

Kaplan said that diaspora Yeudis were not in favor of Luthori surrendering its gem. "Their gem was entrusted to Luthori millennia ago. And they have kept the trust and the faith with their Yeudi population for this entire time. And then, remarkably they did an about face regarding that gem and sent it back to Amudim in a move that allows the Archaic Museum to claim that 5+1 Gems are enough." Kaplan said the sudden about face on the Luthorian gem is demonstration that all of the gems are likely cursed. "We know that the Hulanevek Gem, previously in Kalistan but now safely ensconced in Hutori, has a curse upon it that killed our male monarchs. We will see if that curse is lifted when William takes the throne. But it is also possible that a curse which is capable of putting the Luthorian Monarch into the control of someone in Amudim was invoked that caused them to suddenly switch positions on the continued possession of the gem, for no reason apparent or otherwise. What else could possibly explain the inexplicable move in Fort William?"

The First Poster in AYIC's new Campaign. The Redn printed here translates to "Our Heritage is Wherever We are"

Kaplan has called on Yeudis to be wary of any display of the gems in Yishelem. "We strongly advise the diaspora to avoid legitimating the claims of the Yishelem group and the Archaic Museum," warned Kaplan. "I am calling on all Kalistani Yeudis to boycott all invitations to visit the gems. Even though there are only 5 genuine gems and one false one, due to three verified gems being in Hutori, on display, we argue that visiting them will validate Yishelem's claims over the loyalty of diaspora Yeudis, which we flat out reject. We also call on all diaspora Yeudis in Valruzia, Hutori, Luthori, Kundrati, Narikaton, Vanuku, Selucia and Zardugal, and anywhere else they happen to live, to boycott the display, and to contact the Yishelem museum to inform them that our heritage is not their passion play."

Kaplan said he intends to communicate with diaspora Yeudis to see if there is any international interest in a Diaspora conference to begin coordinating with communities. "We would like to stand against the homeland group," said Kaplan, "but I would also be remiss if I didn't note that I am also interested in discovering whether there is interest in expanding our Redn language programs abroad, to give diaspora Yeudis a common cant that transcends our national cultural identities and allows us to identify one another while abroad. It is important for cultural development, and I think we could make a case for the world's Yeudis in at least beginning to revive the language in other countries as well."

@TheRepublic

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House Ananto comments on Valruzian Monarchy
History provides valuable lessons, says Lady Ananto-McKinley
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 4, 5706


Lady Christina Ananto discusses Valruzian politics at House Ananto in Kaliburg

Lady Christina Ananto-McKinley, speaking for House Ananto, offered some thoughts on the public initiative in Valruzia which could alter the national constitution in favor of a monarchy. She gave the comments during an interview that was initially to discuss the need to demolish the ancient Ananto Estate in Eveari because of structural damage from last years major earthquake.

"In Valruzia, democracy is not very old, and so it is still very dynamic," she said. "I don't necessarily mean that as a bad thing: There is still lots of opportunity for it to experiment with regime types and government arrangements for it to find what does fit well for the people and for the state. The national system is on a solid foundation, and is not in danger of returning to the tyranny that preceded this system as a result of this experimentation, so it might be the best time of all to consider alternative arrangements of the structure before institutional conservatism sets in for the nation and it becomes encased in stone."

Lady Ananto-McKinley said that the Empress was watching the developments in Valruzia very closely and was very enthusiastic that the people of the nation are willing to even consider establishing a hereditary monarchy for the nation. "I'm not sure Her Imperial Majesty would necessarily pick the Nowiks as her choice for monarch" said Lady Ananto-McKinley, with a laugh. "She doesn't have anything against the Nowiks, but she would prefer someone more conservative, someone like her friend Lady Pawlik. That aside, as she watches the developments, there are a couple of things she has noticed with the developments that she hopes the Valruzians will simply take into account, and she has written them in a personal communique to Lady Pawlik to share with the Government of Valruzia as they proceed."

Some of the points in the letter concern the elevation of a family into monarchy. "Most nations will insist that their monarchs have some sort of historical claim on the right to rule. They go for royalty of a foreign potentate. You saw this, for example, in Kizenia, where they adopted the foreign monarch of Egelion as their own King. That was convenient for Kizenia to do this: they didn't have to find their own king, but had a ready made one in the Egelians, and of course the Egelian King would accept because why wouldn't he? That's one way of doing it, but Kalistan represented another way: The Institutional Party picked one of their own, who had substantial resources to personally capitalize the monarchy as if it were a privately held corporation, and then granted him their own legitimacy, to imbue in him, and subsequently his heirs, the right to rule. Fredrick Guerra was not noble-born--At the time, all the old titles had been destroyed for more than 1000 years. But the National Assembly, in a legislative process, converted the role of President into the role of Emperor. And they also passed a law making that hereditarily transferrable. And thus we were able to create the right to rule out of legislative action. This could be a choice they would make."

Lady Ananto-McKinley also said that the Empress noted some pitfalls that Valruzia should be well-advised to look out for. "If a vibrant multi party, this is one thing, but the power of the monarch will necessarily be limited then by the political infighting among the nation's democrats. In this sense, the monarch would have to be a figure head, subject to the expectations of democratic institutions. Because the people would naturally expect to have a say in legislation through their respective factions. If you want to imbue more power within the monarchy, to get closer to a Kalistani situation, you will necessarily have to limit competing sources of legitimacy. Kalistan is one extreme of this spectrum and the Institutional Party's correct role is that of policy implementation. Someone like Luthori is the other pole, where the Emperor merely accedes to the will of parliament and doesn't even really control his own agenda. They have a thriving multi-party democracy which just happens to have a crown on top of it. Valruzia will likely prefer to have something in between, and likely closer to Luthori's model than Kalistan's."

Lady Ananto-McKinley said that the Empress doesn't see how adopting a monarchical structure, even if only nominally will reduce either democracy or tarnish the reputation of Szymon Nowik. "Her Imperial Majesty believes that democratic government can thrive even in situations where the affairs of State remains the province of one person. In reality, Presidential systems like Valruzia already have that to a degree, they just happen to change their head of state more often than your standard Monarchy. We remember that Mr. Nowik fought against tyranny and for democracy in Valruzia. In Her Imperial Majesty's opinion, one of the best ways to prevent tyranny is to close off the avenues that open the way to tyrants. Keeping one family as the monarchs, regardless of the composition of the government provides an important institutional backstop that can be used to underwrite and guarantee the democracy in the nation, which in her opinion honors the legacy of Mr. Nowik rather than negating it. It functions as a living constitution for the people while denying those who seek to use democracy in practice as a weapon against democracy in ideology, as those with dictatorial and demagogic tendencies often do in liberal nations."

Ultimately, Lady Ananto-McKinley reiterated that Her Imperial Majesty believes the choice is up to the people of Valruzia one way or another. "Adopting a monarch would likely greatly improve Kalistan's relations with Valruzia of course, due to regime convergence," said Lady Ananto-McKinley. "But our relations are very close even without a monarch there in Valruzia. Our Empress greatly admires the Valruzians and feels honored to be friendly with them. She also still practices her Valruzian and believes she has achieved a certain fluency in the language after more than 10 years of study and working with her long time private language tutor, the Valruzian Ms. Jadwiga Woźniak. I don't think the result, whichever way it comes out, will diminish our nation's feeling toward Valruzia. But I do think Her Imperial Majesty hopes that in whatever decision the people arrive at, it is peacefully accepted so that Valruzia's stability is maintained." She said the Empress continues to observe and is excited to see how things turn out in Valruzia.

@TheRepublic

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Her Imperial Majesty starts formal divorce from Gaduridos
Negotiations with Viceroy begin to end formal imperial relationship
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
December 12, 5706


Her Imperial Majesty calls eventual split "extremely hurtful"

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto signed the proclamation today which began a process to formally and legally separate Kalistan and Ananto from Gaduridos and grant the central Seleyan nation independence. The decision came after long negotiations with the Viceroy of Gaduridos, Her Excellency the Marquess Marisol Paz Alvarez-Navarro over the future of the relationship. During the negotiations, the Viceroy informed the Empress that the nation of Gaduridos was essentially defunct, a mere caretaker government having been in place for decades. "The nation is so fully inert that we weren't even allowed to bring Gaduris to Kalistan to participate with us in the coming Olympics. The only things happening in Gaduridos at the moment are happening at the Kalistani Naval base in Bentasur," said the Viceroy."

The Empress herself addressed the matter. "For years, Kalistan has tried to do what it could to keep the nation afloat through its investments, through offering the nation stability and security, and through welcoming Gaduridos to participate in everything with Kalistan as equals. In every instance, with exception to the Viceroy, Gaduridos has shown no interest in any aspect of Imperial Participation or contribution to the notion of a joint society. They have not held regular elections in decades, it is impossible to say even who is in charge in the nation, and we are not allowed through our relationships to exert any sort of influence in the country, even though we are, by treaty, the nation's imperial sovereign. This is an extremely hurtful relationship both to Kalistan and to Gaduridos, and it is our fear that as long as we remain, Gaduridos will never get its act together and be the nation we always believed it could be. Henceforth, Kalistan will withdraw from Gaduridos and wish it well. We fear, however that it will become yet another Baltusia--A nation with a lot of promise that nobody did anything with and anyone who wanted to was simply prohibited from doing even the least for, let alone with."

With that, Her Imperial Majesty signed the official proclamation setting the separation and independence date for Gaduridos at April 6, 5709, which would give Viceroy Alvarez-Navarro a decade of tenure. According to the proclamation, Bentasur Naval Base will be dismantled and the land will return to Gaduridos as empty land. The Third Regular Navy will return to Kalistan, ending Kalistan's naval mission in Gaduridos. "Kalistan cannot sell the base to another nation, because we do not even have enough influence in the Government to make an agreement that they will be bound to honor when we are gone," said Lady Alvarez-Navarro. "It would be an agreement made under false pretenses at that point." When asked if this will leave Gaduridos defenseless, the Marquess said "Gaduridos is defenseless as it is: Kalistan has managed their security for more than a century while they never bothered to set up a national defense force themselves. When Kalistan leaves, Gaduridos will be on its own."

Other major investments will also be withdrawn at this time. "Kalistan and House Ananto all have significant investments in Gaduridos, in major sectors including the auto industry, the steel industry, the coffee and agricultural sectors, shipping and trade, and all of these will be pulled because when the Empire is no longer in place to protect those interests, we can no longer guarantee their safety," said Lady Alvarez. "It is unknown how many hundreds of billions of Imperial Rubles Kalistan has invested in Gaduridos--It is believed that Kalistani interests have invested more than ₭1 trillion Imperial Rubles in Gaduridos since 5570, but only a withdrawal of all Kalistani capital in the nation will prevent the anarchy from seizing it and making it a total loss to the Empire and to House Ananto." Much of the investment is sunk in Gaduridos and cannot be recoverable, but What can be recovered will be sold off at fire-sale prices to the small investing class in Gaduridos, and Lady Alvarez-Navarro thinks that Kalistan will recover at least 70 percent of its total investments in the nation, but what it doesn't make back will be written completely off and left abandoned. Nothing will be sold to foreigners from outside Gaduridos.

The news of the separation preceded the actual signing of the proclamation. The Gaduri Alvarez's who are the remnant of the 4th Dynasty who settled in Marlingantos and mainland Gaduridos have begun selling their real estate. "Pensábamos que el imperio duraría para siempre," said Antonio Alvarez-Guttierez, direct descendant of Duke Mark Ananto, who still lives near Vespiano, "así que echamos raíces aquí en Gaduridos. Ahora esta situación ya no parece sostenible. El Imperio no puede gobernar su territorio, y los gadurios tampoco lo gobernarán, así que, al igual que Su Majestad Imperial, nosotros también daremos por perdidas nuestras inversiones y regresaremos a Kalistan."

Alvarez-Gutierrez said that the capital flight from Gaduridos will devastate the local economy, but without a local government aid will not be coming to Gaduridos. "¿Qué podemos hacer?" asked Mr. Alvarez-Gutierrez. "No hay nadie en Ciudad de Gaduri que pueda recibir ayuda extranjera, en caso de que llegara alguna. En definitiva, fue una decisión abandonar a los gaduridos. Su Majestad Imperial hizo todo lo posible para mantener a esta nación a flote, pero al final, fue como si una fuerza imprevista se empeñara en la ruina de Gaduridos, y así finalmente están obteniendo lo que han deseado todo este tiempo: que Kalistan se retire de Gaduridos." Mr. Guttierez says he and his family intend to relocate to either Suldanor or Athosia temporarily, and will be withdrawing their life savings of several million Imperial Rubles out of Gaduri banks on the way out of the nation.

The split will ultimately be catastrophic but final. "Her Imperial Majesty cannot be expected to continue this relationship which does not allow her to even fulfill her obligations to the nation under the articles of Empire," said the Viceroy. "Under the articles, for example, which competent Government in Gaduridos signed at the time, the Empress was supposed to name Heads of Government in constituent nations. She was never allowed to do that, in the entire time Gaduridos belonged to the Empire. She has been forbidden to engage in trade negotiations on behalf of Gaduridos, or represent Gaduridos internationally as sovereign of the Empire, nor has she been permitted to enforce absolute legal equality of all citizens across the Empire, nor has Gaduridos ever contributed a single ship or soldier to an Imperial Defense Force, and etc. The Articles of Empire have been essentially moribund for decades, even though Gaduridos signed them, because Kalistan has been disallowed from enforcing them."

Once the last withdrawal of Kalistani armed forces occurs in 5709, and the last Kalistan capitalized enterprise is sold off, the Imperial Standard, which has flown over Gaduridos since the mid 5570s will finally be lowered one last time. And Gaduridos will be on its own, while the Anantonese Empire ceases to exist in any meaningful form.

@TheRepublic

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Empire faces major Legislative Revolt
Nationalist-Moderate Coalition say they will not provide votes for Gaduri Independence
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
February 1, 5607


Chancellor Reginald Hanson talks with reporters following most significant legislative revolt in centuries

The 5707 elections which were held in January returned a legislative result which was largely unchanged from the previous election, with one key difference. The Nationalist faction of the Institutional Party of Kalistan picked up three seats from the Socialists, one in Odufaray and two in Suldanor, to retake the outright legislative majority. This result was seen as a popular reaction against Her Imperial Majesty's decision to begin decoupling Kalistan from Gaduridos, a program she set in motion last fall, Voters, especially in places with higher concentration of those descended from Gaduridos, turned out in large enough numbers to tip the scales for the Nationalists, who ran throughout December on the platform of doing whatever was possible to keep Gaduridos. Nationalist faction leader Martina Ontiveros stated, "Gaduridos is Anantonese. It is an integral constituent nation of the Anantonese Empire. And we the people of this Empire have a right to insist that the Empress keep what is rightfully hers. We are tired of seeing our Empire take losses from nations we have supported, and in fact, carried for more than 100 years. It's insulting and humiliating to me as a Kalistani and as a subject of our Empress."

When the National Assembly was finally gaveled back earlier this week, in the first session following the election, where the new Legislators were seated, the first order of business was to begin the legal separation between Kalistan and Gaduridos. The Chancellor of the Empire, Lord Reginald Hanson, put a proposal to declare the Articles of Empire defunct and nullified. This drew an immediate reaction from the Nationalists who took the floor to criticize the move. The Chancellor fought to retain order in the Assembly, as members felt empowered to use parliamentary procedure to delay votes and to appeal various rulings of the Chancellor. Eventually the question was called in an attempt to end debate on the measure, and in voting, the measure to declare the Articles of Empire defunct was defeated 46-30 with three Deputies abstaining. Most of the no votes came from the Nationalists, while they were joined by several very outspoken Moderates and two socialists.

Also placed on the floor were:

• An omnibus bill to end direct financial assistance to Gaduridos, which failed narrowly by 35-39, with 5 Socialists abstaining,
  
• A measure to end economic integration programs with Gaduridos, which only narrowly passed by a vote of 40-35, with four abstaining,
  
• A proclamation declaring Gaduridos a fundamentally independent nation and formally abolishing the Anantonese Empire, which failed by 36-41 with two abstentions, and
  
• A move to establish normal travel requirements on travel to and from Gaduridos, which failed comfortably with 31-45, with three abstaining.
  

The legislative debates around these bills were all very acrimonious, and the Chancellor was forced to recess several times to allow the Assembly to cool down. At one point, one Nationalist Deputy said "Neither I nor my nationalist colleagues, nor some of our Moderate friends as well, will never supply votes for Gaduri independence! The Chancellor is going to have to find them elsewhere." This comment produced stong vocal opposition that erupted into a shouting match on the floor and yet another recess.

Those bills, which were more or less administrative or symbolic, faced extremely difficult debates and rage-inducing votes. But none was more controversial than the bill to decommission Bentasur, a measure which has been very strongly criticized in the National Press. Nationalist Deputy and faction spokeswoman Janet Flores of Yoshimi spoke against the bill from the floor. "Mr. Chancellor, if you please, I come from a military family. My father was stationed at Bentasur with the Third Fleet for 5 years when I was a child. The base is a point of pride and national honor for my family and for my friends' family. Closing it will weaken our Nation, not even our Empire, but our nation. It will close our eyes on half the world and open the Southern Flank to exploitation by any threats that care to take advantage of our weakness for their own horrific gain. How can we be negotiating for regional security in Altea if we take our hands off the wheel in Bentasur? If we close that base, which is essential to our national security, how can we ever credibly commit to any security program ever again? I ask only rhetorical questions: I'm really here to say that no Nationalist will ever give Her Imperial Majesty to close that base, Imperial fiat or no. If she wants to do it, she will still do it, but over our objection."

Speaking for a group of moderates that had been siding with the Nationalists the entire session, Deputy Jeffrey Mullins of Eshar said, "Our job as Deputies is to put Her Imperial Majesty's Imperial Fiat into policy. This is obviously what this bill does- However, we also do have a responsibility to represent our constituents to Her Imperial Majesty. And my constituents, the ones who sent me here to speak for them, to a person said the closure of Bentasur is a dangerous and not well thought out policy. The other ones are what they are, and at least one of them is not a hill I personally am willing to die on, especially with regard to divestment--I am not here to protect shareholder returns. But the proposal to close Bentasur is a mistake. It is bad judgment, on the part of Her Imperial Majesty, and it makes our nation less safe. We need to maintain the status quo in some places, because while keeping Gaduridos tied to Kalistan may be keeping a sinking ship tied to our nation, some of the policies we have maintained there are actually essential for our national interest. Bentasur is one of those policies. The 3rd Regular Fleet conducts not only defensive patrols, but is literally the only active navy operating in the central Anantonese Ocean at this moment. it conducts rescues, it helps perform scientific research. It does contraband interdiction, and all of this is above and beyond its military mission. I would even go so far as to say Bentasur itself is critical as an existential matter: without it, Fortress Kalistan does not makes sense."

The Chancellor nonetheless succeeded in closing debate on the bill and moving it to a vote, where it failed in a stunning rebuke to the Chancellor 15-83, with one abstention, with the yes votes coming from pacifists among the Socialists. Chancellor of the Empire Hanson said, in an interview following the defeat "Well, I have to say the votes this week have been rather stunning to me. Her Imperial Majesty is watching and we are discussing next steps given the reluctance of the National Assembly to move her agenda through the Legislature. The vote on Bentasur is the most problematic. Because Institutional Party members are often the most loyal and follow the Empress' word as if were holy scripture. So for them to reject this bill with this margin suggests it is certainly something Her Imperial Majesty will want to look at again--if there is this level of anger among Institutional Party members, that cuts across all factions, there can be no doubt that that feeling is magnified in the society at large. This entire divorce with Gaduridos is perhaps the most unpopular set of policies Her Imperial Majesty has ever put forward during her more than a decade on the throne."

Chancellor of the Empire Hanson said he would be in talks with Her Imperial Majesty for the rest of the week, and sometime next week intends to take up the policies again. "I can't imagine a significant change of attitude in the near term. We will have to get leaders of the factions together and come up with some alternatives that can pass before we approach Her Imperial Majesty on them, but I need to first get a read from the Empress on where she wants to go next, like if she intends to bypass the National Assembly all together. That is only very rarely done, and we have to be wary of establishing that precedent."

The failure of these bills in the National Assembly has not halted sales of Kalistani assets in Gaduridos, though there was a hesitation in the KalSiE over the decline of Gaduri Securities and futures traded in Kaliburg as the market appears to have bottomed out for the time being. The dismantling of Bentasur, which has not fully begun yet, and the proposed redeployment of the Third Regular Fleet has been put on pause while the Chancellor confers with Her Imperial Majesty.

A public poll of preferences around Gaduridos is scheduled for next month.

@TheRepublic

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Empress Dissolves National Assembly
Protests are planned in Sulari, Yoshimi and Eshar
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
May 16, 5707


Her Imperial Majesty proclaims National Assembly nullified over refusal to vote for AE dissolution

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto today dissolved the National Assembly over the body's refusal to support legislation around dissolution of the Anantonese Empire. The Chancellor of the Empire, Lord Reginald Hanson officially declared an impasse earlier this month as negotiations with hardlined Nationalists had broken down in an extremely acrimonious climate of name calling, accusations and counter accusations and walk outs. The Chancellor of Empire formally reported that the Legislature was derelict in its duties and recommended immediate dissolution and new elections, and the Empress has apparently agreed.

Below is the text of Her Imperial Majesty's speech, which was delivered across all news networks from Cliff House this afternoon

Today we take an unprecedented step in the history of our Nation. We declare the National Assembly to be dissolved, and we shall govern directly through our Government until such time as we are able to hold new elections to select a less rebellious legislative body. We do this upon our own authority as the fiat sovereign of the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan, and as such, our word is law and is unchallengeable. It was our will that our imperial relationship with Gaduridos be officially and completely severed. We expressed that will to our Chancellor who communicated it to our Legislature, who themselves felt that it was within their province to disregard our very simple instructions. As a result, we have sent them home to their constituencies and have order our Chancellor to hold new elections within a year.

And we will make it clear, once and for all time, should anyone be confused about the matter. Kalistan is not a democracy, nor are we a republic. We expect, and shall have a legislature who fulfills their single and solitary function, which is to develop policy in support of our fiat. Or we will have none at all. The expectation that legislators can and should be able to correct the will of the Sovereign has been tolerated entirely too long and we have had more than enough of it. The next National Assembly will comply with the instructions that are provided them by our Chancellor, or they too will be replaced.

The measures which have already passed, namely the disintegration with Gaduridos on economic grounds and the compromise over Bentasur will pass into law. The other measures which the mutinous Deputies successfully blocked with democratic procedure will be fiated into law and practice, as they cannot wait for democrats to debate endlessly, only to delay votes and disapprove of when a vote is finally called. These measures include a formal dissolution of the Imperial Bonds between Gaduridos and Kalistan, an abrogation and nullification of the Articles of Empire, the abolition of the office of Viceroy, the formal divestment of all Kalistani interests in Gaduridos, except at the Naval Base of Bentasur where the Third Fleet will continue to be stationed indefinitely, the end of defense and intelligence operations on Marlingantos, and the abolition of all direct and indirect aid or assistance to any Gaduri economic sectors, to the Government of Gaduridos, or to the people of Gaduridos. We have received no communications from the Government of Gaduridos concerning these measures, and our current representative there has noted that she has not been contacted either.

In parting, it will be important to separate the emotion and the heartache of the failed potential of Gaduridos from the fact that Kalistan must continue without it. The Empire of Ananto and Kalistan is a reality, the relationship between Kalistan and Gaduridos has been a fiction on all but name only for decades, and not for lack of trying, with no meaningful communication from them to our Nation the entire time. The failure of our imperial enterprise is no doubt a joy to some in Terra, but the longer we retain even nominal sovereignty over Gaduridos, the worse it is for Kalistan, and as the Empress of Ananto and Kalistan, we must put our own people first, regardless of what happens in and to Gaduridos. We have tried to keep it afloat for a very long time, but we have finally decided that we must cut our losses there before we are dragged down with it.

Let us say this: Gaduridos is a case of a truly missed opportunity. It is also an example of the corrosive nature of anarchy and democracy. The nation was always insistent on maintaining its democratic constitution and we permitted that in exchange for their coordination of their foreign policy with us. And now we see the Gaduris would rather not have a government at all than have prosperity and security under the Empire. So to give them what they apparently want, we are leaving them to their own devices. If someone ever gets organized there to provide them with sound government, they will have a massive mess to clean up from these decades of abject neglect that democracy has authored in that nation. Our own petulant deputies, and those who will be elected to replace them, will do well to learn this lesson, as will all the people of our nation. Democracy and self-government is the road to disaster--it is only a matter of time for those who hold the pretense of self-government before they are brought to ruin by those who claim to speak for them without any actually power to do so.

We would say we will wish Gaduridos luck, but in fact, it will be far better for Kalistan if we just wish that nation farewell. We expect the Anantonese Empire to pass into history on July 1st of this year, and complete delinking of our two governments to be completed within the month.

The Empress' words were stern, they were cold, and they were autocratic. In delivering this speech, rehearsed and directly into the camera, she left no ambiguity about where she stood on a number of topic, most especially among those who may have imagined that there is any independent legitimacy outside of the the person of Her Imperial Majesty. Many observers also noted something else however: Her stern tone betrayed a very deep sadness and bitterness at the loss of Gaduridos.

"The way she spoke about Gaduridos was a cover for the deep grief she, and much of this nation feels about the loss of Gaduridos," said Political commentator Seth Martinez. "Her words suggested that she is not letting Gaduridos go. instead, Gaduridos had been taken away from her by a force she is incapable of influencing in any way, and she is utterly powerless to stop it. There is a measure of resentment in her speech, like she feels cheated and wronged. She spoke of Gaduridos almost like one would speak of a fiancé who jilted her at the alter. We noticed how, in her delivery of what we have called 'Gaduridos' death sentence' she was fighting back tears, but wanted to present determination and finality to the split. People close to the Empress have said publicly that her grief over the loss of that nation was very deep, and it is made even worse knowing that it was a choice that was almost entirely out of her control, but was made out of necessity of protecting Kalistan. Her emotions around the matter seem genuine and are probably compounded by the fact that she is expecting her third child in early September. That mix of loss and more than a bit of resentment must be very powerful indeed to produce a reaction like this."

Nationalists in Suldanor and Odufaray are not so sympathetic. "In dissolving the National Assembly, The Empress has negated the voice of the people of this Empire," said Jean Ronson of Sulari. "I voted the way I wanted to vote. I voted for the person who I thought would represent me to the National Assembly. And Her Imperial Majesty decided that because she didn't like how my representative cast his votes, than I don't get a voice. This is a widescale disenfranchisement of the population and we the people feel powerless to do anything about it." Others expressed concern for their relatives in Gaduridos. "What is going to happen to those poor people in Gaduridos?" asked Hugo Delgado, of Yoshimi. "My tio, a campesino still lives there. He grew coffee his entire life. What is he and his family supposed to do now? This country benefitted for decades from that country, and now we're just going to abandon it and let it collapse? Just so Kalistanis can get out before they lose everything? That doesn't seem fair at all."

The ongoing controversy around the end of the Anantonese Empire has already caused a number of peaceful protests and counter protests in Sulari and in Kaliburg. Support for keeping the Empire in tact remains high in all quarters of the nation, and was demonstrated by a 26,000 person march to the National Assembly and assembly held on the National Mall to call on the Empress to reconsider cutting Gaduridos off. "We, Subjects of Her Imperial Majesty Our Empress, beg her to keep what rightfully belongs to her, to protect ALL of her subjects as she promised she would, and to not let Gaduridos go under any circumstances." The Empress answered the petition the next day by dissolving the National Assembly, much to the shock of many of the protestors. Counter protestors however called Her Imperial Majesty's separation from Gaduridos "legitimate, given Gaduridos' unwillingness to be interacted with on any level," while others had signs asking "Who needs Gaduridos?" and "Free Gaduridos." Interviews of protestors on various sides demonstrates that the issue cuts across ideological lines, with the most isolationist Nationalists finding themselves at odds with Nationalists who absolutely wish for the Anantonese Empire to continue, while Socialists are more generally supportive of the spilt and Moderates are ambivalent.

Major Protests are scheduled in Sulari, Yoshimi and Eshar for the rest of the month, to let the Empress know that the loudest people, at least, do not support the national divorce from Gaduridos. Kaliburg and Port Swedes are expected to join the protest movement, though likely in smaller contingents in June. Many voting advocates will also join the protests to demand a more robust Legislature for Kalistan. "One which cannot, for example be dissolved by the breath of an Empress," said one activist in Sulari.

@TheRepublic

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Kalistan erupts into Protests, as Capital remains Peaceful
"Her Imperial Majesty Calls for Peace," says Chancellor
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 15, 5707


More than 4500 people gather at National Assembly to call for new elections at peaceful Protest in Kaliburg

Promised demonstrations in Sulari, Yoshimi, Eshar, Senvias, Port Swedes and Vrassa were held earlier this week as citizens infuriated by Her Imperial Majesty's dissolution of the National Assembly took to the streets. Local law enforcement were quickly overwhelmed in Sulari and were forced to retreat to police barracks as angry protestors fanned out across Downtown Sulari, breaking into stores and starting fires. The outpouring of anger was attributed to the deeply unpopular action taken by Her Imperial Majesty around the separation of Kalistan and Gaduridos. Lord Mayor Jose Betancourt requested assistance from the Ducal Government, who activated the Duchy's militia to help restore order in the city. Following the night of rioting, more than 250 people had been arrested, and there were 673 reported injuries, many of them not serious, but at least 12 protestors were hospitalized, and 6 militia members were also admitted with non-life threatening injuries.

"In Kalistan, we have the right to protest government action," said Grand Duke Miguel Alvarez-Winters, who also holds the hereditary title of Duke of Suldanor. "We do not have the right to riot and take or destroy other people's property, to hurt people, or to commit arson. While most of our protestors remained peaceful last night, a hand full of republican agitators were responsible for much of the looting and arson, and we assure you, we are working with Lord Mayor Betancourt to find those who committed these crimes and bring them to Her Imperial Majesty's Justice in court." Sulari was the location of Kalistan's worst violence this week, but in protests and clashes in other cities, more than 70 arrests were made and there were 16 total injuries, including one death of a little girl in Yoshimi who suffered injuries during a high speed chase between police and a fleeing protestor, and later died from her injuries.

"There are people in these protests with legitimate petitions for Her Imperial Majesty's Government," said the Chancellor of the Empire, Count Reginald Hanson. "But unfortunately a number of troublemakers are using these protests as cover for their violent activities, and it is quite difficult to sort out the two groups from one another until the violent people break off and go out and commit their violence. As a result, protestors are going to see a lot of cops who are on the lookout for these miscreants."

The Chancellor spoke to protestors who showed up the the National Assembly in downtown Kaliburg to make their voices heard. After speaking with protest captains, the Chancellor was welcomed to address the more than 4500 Kaliburg Citizens assembled. "Her Imperial Majesty calls for peace, both here and in Kalistan," said the Chancellor. "And I assure you, in speaking with her just today, she wanted me to communicate that she is very impressed with the way the people of this town have managed this affair for themselves. Captains and the Police have been in constant contact, and protest leaders have policed their own members well to prevent some of the very legitimate anger and concerns you all have from turning to violence and destruction." He added that her Imperial Majesty has asked the Chancellor to set up meetings with Kaliburg's civil society leaders to come up with a plan to hold new elections so that the faith of the people may be restored.

"That's just a bunch of bullsh*t," said protester Nadia Jones of Yoshimi. "She is going to meet with Kaliburg civil society, but is she going to meet with anyone who actually matters? Here in Suldanor, a huge number of people have relatives or friends in Gaduridos. We're practically all part gaduriano. Is she going to meet with any of us to see what our problem is? No, She's just silencing us and ignoring our concerns, and now the militia is called in--some people are fed up and we aren't going to take it anymore." Jones is not necessarily wrong: A new poll released on June 1 showed that the Empress has dipped below 55% popularity for the first time in her career, as people are deeply angered that she sidestepped the National Assembly to force through the separation with Gaduridos and the abolition of the Empire. "We have a voice too, and her getting rid of the National Assembly so she can just do whatever she wants is tyranny. It completely ignores the voices of the majority who certainly oppose the end of the Empire."

But Jones also cited a frequent talking point of the protest movement: That the protestors are the majority, and opposition to the separation of Gaduridos was a majority position. Nationally, not more than 250,000 have joined protests from its high point on May 28th, in a nation of 98 million. And the same poll that showed a shrinking popularity for the Empress also showed that only 27% of the population are in favor of keeping the Empire at all costs, while another 32 percent are in favor of some modification to the Articles of Empire, but not a complete split. When this math was pointed out to Jones, she responded, "A majority in the National Assembly. It was a majority that stopped this agenda." The Empress dissolved the National Assembly in May. "I'm just going to vote for the same person again when there are new elections, and then we'll have a majority again."

It is highly unlikely that Her Imperial Majesty will allow new elections before the Gaduri matter is fully settled. Protestors swear they will be out in the streets again tonight, "and the next night and the next night" said Jones, "until we get what we want, until we force her to restore our Legislature and take back this Gaduridos thing." Ducal and Local authorities are gearing up for another night of violence, and are meanwhile making an attempt to calm crowds and provide incentives to peaceful lawful protest.

In related news, the protests and national turmoil has put downward pressure on the KalSiE, as the index lost more than 7% overnight, triggering a large sell off this morning, before the index rebounded ever so slightly just before closing. The Stock Market is down on the year more than 3%, and compounded with the discounts suffered in divestment thus far, large and small investors are taking a beating. The downward slide is likely to continue until the failure to recover anticipated profits from now divested enterprises in Gadurios works its way through the market.

@TheRepublic

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Anantonese Empire spoken out of existence
Kalistanis mourn as event goes unacknowledged around the world
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
September 1, 5707


Vigil attendees mourn in silence as clock strikes midnight and Anantonese Empire ceases to exist

As of 12:00:01 am, Kaliburg time on September 1, 5707, the Anantonese Empire, which used to formally unite Lodamun, Kalistan and Gaduridos ceased to be. According to Imperial Proclamation, at that second, the last formal ties to Gaduridos were officially severed and the southern nation was granted independence, whether it wanted it or not.

Tens of thousands gathered in Kaliburg overnight for a very somber vigil to mourn the death of what was once the greatest Empire in Terra as it passed away into history. The Anantonese Empire, at its height legally united the international affairs of half of Northern Seleya under the Crown in Kaliburg, and was the largest multi national state on the face of the planet. Over time, Lodamun, intent on pursuing foreign policy independent of Kaliburg first broke away, but Gaduridos remained loyal for another sixty-six years. The last public elections held in Gaduridos happened in 5663, but after that, Gaduridos went silent. And after doing what it could for the next 45 years to try to keep the nation afloat, Kalistan finally decided to stop trying to save a relationship that had become gangrenous. Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto decided to cut ties late last year, and the decision, which was wildly unpopular and led to some violence earlier this summer, has now carried through. A similar vigil was peacefully held in downtown Sulari last evening.

"Kalistan did not need to do this," said Brad Carruthers, who, along with more than 35,000 marched to the National Assembly in silence to mourn the loss of the Empire. "Her Imperial Majesty did not have to do this. I understand what she said, her reasoning: She believes that keeping Gaduridos without being formally able to do anything with it, given its unwillingness to govern itself, is only a net negative for Kalistan. I get the argument. But this is an existential crisis for the people of this nation. We grew up with the Empire. Gaduridos was our brother. And we weren't ready to say goodbye yet. She did that for us when we didn't want her to. And now they have nothing."

The March went from the Kaliburg Annual Meetinghouse to the National Mall where the people arrived at about 11:30. There were speeches begging Her Imperial Majesty for a last moment reprieve for Gaduridos. "Rescind the proclamation, please!" asked one speaker. "Empire or no, this is a moment of deep sorrow for us all. A lot of us have family there: for more than a century, we have been united as Anantonese People. We have friends there, we have lovers there. We have nieces and nephews and aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters there. And now, through no fault of our own, there is this wedge between us. An independent Gaduridos is an estranged Gaduridos, and the end of the Empire immediately makes our two people foreigners to one another. Its not right. It should not have happened. The Empress can still undo it. It's not too late."

But as the clocks in downtown Kaliburg chimed Midnight, there was no word from the National Assembly, which, having yet to be reconvened, was silent and dark, nor from Cliff House. House Ananto said that the Empress, who is preparing to go into the hospital to deliver her third child within the next couple of weeks, was at home, and went to bed early as she remains on light duty until the child is born. After midnight, the crowd remained silent for 133 seconds, or one second for each year of the Empire. Some people were seen crying as the history of the event hit them. Many were simply resigned.

The Chancellor of the Empire appeared on TV-1, where he discussed with various pundits, the causes and implications of the end of the Anantonese Empire. But he summed it up with a concise and accurate evaluation of the legacy of the Anantonese Empire for all of Terra:

"For more than the life of any living human on Terra, the Anantonese Empire stood as a symbol of peace, unity and stability, not only in Northern Seleya, but in the world. Throughout that time, it was dismissed, critiqued or outright despised by many in the world. But it was an accomplishment which has inspired others.

"At one time, after the Canrille Empire collapsed into oblivion, the Anantonese Empire was the bedrock foundation of security and stability in this region. And at one point, our Empire was THE Empire in Terra. Now we are in an age of Empires, all of which were founded after the Anantonese Empire was founded. This is something that we can be proud of because it is our example that nations follow. Even those who pretend to be democratic.

"We all grieve as a nation, and I assure you, nobody feels this loss more than Her Imperial Majesty, on a very deep and personal level. But as she must keep her chin up and move forward, so must we all. We can celebrate, eventually, what we accomplished as a nation and as a continent. Even if nobody else in the entire world even notes its passing, all that matters is that we do: that we honor our history and that we keep it alive. Because as Kalistanis, our history is really the most important history of all."

The Chancellor concluded his discussion shortly before midnight by stating, "At the end of the day, the loss that we all feel is common, for those who demanded we keep the Empire, and those who knew why we had to end it. Its the same grief, and that grief unites us as a people. We may take as long as we need to grieve, and each of us will grieve in their own way, but ultimately we are going to have to pick ourselves up again as a nation, dust ourselves off, and get back to the work of government. Therefore, I can announce that this afternoon, Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress has authorized me to call for new elections, to be held nationwide on January 1, 5708. She wanted to make it clear that she does not intend to bar anyone who served in the dismissed National Assembly from running for office, but makes it clear that, with the exceptions that she made for Bentasur, her policy stands as it was proclaimed. The Anantonese Empire is over, and any revival of this particular political configuration will be forbidden by Imperial Fiat. So its time for our Deputies to go back to work."

The Chancellor also noted that all titles relating to the Anantonese Empire will be formally vacated and destroyed as of today, though all Imperial titles and all crownlands titles will be maintained, including Queen of Vintalli, Duchess of Athosia, and Queen of Andalay. The flag will also need to be altered, and a commission will be convened to decide what to do about our nation's currency.

The Anantonese Empire is dead. Long live the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan.

@TheRepublic

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Finance Minister Eyes a switch in Currency
"Need to redesign gives us an opportunity," says Minister Berry
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
December 3rd, 5707


Dr. Roger Berry, Her Imperial Majesty's Finance Minister raises topic of changing Currency

At a monetary conference hosted by Her Imperial Majesty's Finance Minister ostensibly to begin the discussions of redesign of the Currency following the abolition of the Anantonese Empire, the Finance Minister Dr. Roger Berry raised a possibility of ditching the Ruble all together.

"Kalistan has had the Ruble for a very long time," said Dr. Berry, "but really it makes no sense for us to have a currency that is associated with Rodshyan speaking nations. It is certainly one of the lesser used currency names, and it really has nothing to do with Kalistani or Anantionese Culture. Perhaps it may be time to consider changing it." The proposal, while unexpected at the conference, was not unwelcomed, and it engendered a number of follow up questions by those attending.

What would switching involve?

"As Kalistan's currency is completely fiat currency, it would involve issuing new notes and recalling the old. The value of that currency is set by the central banking Authority, the Imperial Bank, who could determine an exchange rate of old currency for new, which would probably be at 1:1 for all Kalistani Nationals to maintain faith in the value of the currency and not encourage inflationary or speculative practices by the private sector."

And what of foreign investors:

"Kalistan tracks and carefully controls its monetary expatriation," the finance minister responded. "We happen to know that while the value of the Kalistani currency is exceptionally stable over long periods of time, roughly equaling specie due to very strict monetary supply and use policies as well as a strong discouragement against saving surplus money and a obsessively maintained annual surplus, foreigners do not tend to invest in Kalistani currency. The Tel Bira index which Kalistan was just finally listed in, only gives our currency an A+, while those with expansive and much more fluid, and therefore volatile markets, receive significantly higher grades. Assuming their criteria for evaluation is objective, we can agree that Kalistan, while maintaining its value and protecting against inflationary pressure better than specie, nonetheless has a less attractive international market prospect than some currency which is based on some other sort of criteria than currency controls, and so consequently, we don't frequently see many foreign investors holding Kalistani Imperial Rubles at this point. This actually suggests that now is a far more favorable climate to make a switch. Fewer foreigners would be affected, and the discount could be much closer to zero than it would be if we had to scrape up hundreds of billions overseas to trade it out for the new currency."

What would the new currency be called?

"We would need to convene another meeting that was not about how to replace the words 'Anantonese Empire' with some other phrase, but possibly complete redesign of the currency all together. I think we would want somethings. We would want the currency to be visually interesting, more like art with vibrant colors, than a functional bureaucratic paper which screams 'means of exchange!' in all caps. We'd want it to look distinctive, with personalities and images that represent Kalistan, and Kalistan only on them. We'd also want them to look unique: in the entire world, much of the currency looks like generic bank notes and all kinds of effort are put into avoiding counterfeit with like overlays and watermarks and magnetic strips and so forth. We will have all of those things too, but I think they would have to fit into the art work rather than stand out from it, so the things we need to protect our monetary sovereignty do not distract from the note itself. As for names we could pick anything, pound, reale, dollar and franc are all local options. Peso would be another one, which I would personally prefer because it ties much closer to our Suldanoran Culture than Ruble. And Valruzia uses the Peso. Ultimately, Her Imperial Majesty will make a decision on what the currency will be called."

Will the new National Assembly have a role in this discussion?

"Of course: They will be doing most of this work for Her Imperial Majesty when they reconvene next month."

Does Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress support a new currency?

"She does. She was noting during the discussions around the end of the Anantonese Empire that our currency also features a number of famous Kalistani Republicans, and while she appreciates our history, Kalistan has not been a republic for a very long time, and consequently, she would like to see money that reflects more of what our nation is about. She was set on keeping Nicolette The Great on the 100 note. That was her only request when we spoke, so whatever happens, Nicolette will remain on the largest denomination we will issue."

How do you imagine the process of redesign will take place?

"I will want to employ artists mostly. We'll have numismatists lined up and some cryptographers who have some interesting ideas about serial numbers. The redesign, when it happens will be a relatively large project and if we do change the currency, that will add an additional layer onto the while process. It will definitely be a multi year project."

Will there be roadblocks or challenges to adoption to the new currency whenever it happens?

"Not in Kalistan, abroad there may be some issues. We will cross those bridges when we get to them."

The Finance Minister concluded by saying that the redesign is in its very earliest stages, and whether it remains the Ruble or switches to something else, "Kalistan is still a few years away from being ready to exchange our old currency for new."

@TheRepublic

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Kalistani News in Brief: Voters return Nationalist Majority
Empress returns to work after maternity leave; Government continues discussions on Currency
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
February 1, 5708


Nationalists return to the Majority with a new attitude and get to work immediatly

Voters return Nationalist Majority
In January 5708, new National Elections were held to seat a new National Assembly. In the election, voters once again return a Nationalist majority to the Assembly, with Nationalists picking up 2 seats from the Moderates over their previous seat count, leaving the factional count at 43 (54.4%) Nationalist Deputies, 26 (32.9%) Moderates, and 10 (12.7%) Socialists. A nationalist policy agenda is sure to follow, but it is likely to be tampered by a number of factors, especially a notable lack of firebrands who dominated the pre-dismissal assembly.

"We had a lot of the militant faction that led to the dismissal refuse to return to office out of disgust," said Chancellor of the Empire, Lord Reginald Hanson, in a brief interview. "Many of them could not have imagined that Her Imperial Majesty would dissolve the legislature and they clearly thought they held all the cards and could force action from her. By appealing to democratic norms. So they called her bluff, and they found out that she remains who she is: The Empress may be a reformer at heart, but she is nothing if she is not an autocrat. At least one of the nationalists told me personally that this legislature is not an vehicle for reform and he has decided to not waste his time trying to make it into one."

A properly chastened National Assembly has taken up the task of postal reform as its second order of business. Its first following a duly administered loyalty oath or affirmation, was a unanimous ratification of the Imperial Proclamation ending the Anantonese Empire and all subsequent acts taken in the interim by Her Imperial Majesty's Government pursuant to the Imperial Proclamation.

Empress returns to work after Maternity Leave
On September 14 of last year, Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto and His Highness, the Prince Consort Elliot Rosenfeld welcomed Her Highness Victoria-Monica Miriam Ananto-Rosenfeld to Kalistan. The child was born at 2:04 pm in Kaliburg, and spent the first couple weeks in the NICU due to difficulty with breathing. The Empress remained in hospital the entire period and then after two weeks, doctors felt confident that the infant was breathing well enough on her own that she could be sent home.

"The Minor Princess was born with neo-natal pneumonia due to a bacterial infection that was passed from mother to child," said Lady Christina Ananto-McKinley speaking for the Royal House. "The Empress spent the last six weeks of her pregnancy on bed rest, due to an early labor scare, and in the process contracted a bacterial pneumonia which her system easily fought off, but not before the Minor Princess had been exposed. As a result, the baby was born in an emergency situation and in distress, and intervention was begun immediately. A strong course of antibiotics got the little one's immune system jumpstarted and by two weeks the issue had cleared and both mom and baby returned home."

Since then, the Empress has been on Maternity leave, and on January 27th, did her first full day back at work, though she is working primarily from Cliff House until May. "We expect that the Minor Princess' troubles are over and we wish to formally welcome her to the world." The birth of the Minor Princess makes three children for the Royal couple, and it is uncertain whether the Empress and the Prince Consort will have another one in the future.

Government Continues Discussion on Currency
An important measure was passed through the government and ratified by the National Assembly this week which aims at formally ditching the Ruble in favor of an Imperial Peso. "The Peso is much more appropriate as a monetary denomination in Seleya," said Her Imperial Majesty's Finance Minister, Dr. Roger Berry last week in Kaliburg. "Kalistan has a strong Egelian language component across the entire nation, and the Peso makes far more sense here than the Ruble, which has been the name of the Kalistani currency since time immemorial. We are not sure when or why the ancient Kalistanis randomly selected the Delic currency name for Kalistan, but its days are now officially numbered in Kalistan."

The Peso, which is derived from the Egelian word for "weight" signifying an eighth of an ounce of pure silver. "We obviously will not do that any more: In Kalistan our fiat currency will set one Imperial Peso as the standard unit of currency, and denominate from there. Fractions of a peso will remain known as cents, while denominations larger than a peso will be units of pesos. The Government has decided that this was a perfect time to redenominate and have been authorized to begin creating a new Imperial Peso for the Empire."

Following the announcement of the new currency, Investors asked about the minting of silver coins denominated in Pesos. Dr. Berry was non committal at the time, but said it is unlikely, because Her Imperial Majesty does not want the fiat currency to be confused or linked to specie. "If we can find some way to pull it off, that will still be a discussion for the future," said the Finance Minister.

@TheRepublic