Kalistani Major History

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Selucian Foreign Minister Attempts to sway National Assembly
Act runs afoul of the Kalistani Espionage Act; Socialists call for Observance of the Law
Kaliburg, Ananto
April 5, 4434


Socialist Leader Reina-Rodriguez protests the speech of Selucian Foreign Minister Kondou,
who violated the Espionage Act in the National Assembly earlier this year.

The Selucian Foreign Minister, still in Kalistan while working on the Non-Aligned Movement Treaty violated the Kalistani Espionage Act in her speech before the National Assembly in March.  The bill under discussion, concerning whether or not to switch Kalistan's vote for Seat B on the Security Council was already being voted on when the Foreign Minister arrived at the chambers to speak illegally on the bill.

The Leader of the Socialist Party noticed that the nobody in the Majority appeared to care about such a flagrant violation of Kalistani Sovereignty that she stood and reminded the Government of the text of the Act, as well as the penalty for violation of the Act.  The text of the Kalistani Espionage Act, which has been in effect for more than a dozen centuries and is woven deeply into the fabric of Kalistan's National Assembly and concept of sovereignty, very clearly and unequivocally states:

The Government of Kalistan hereby declares that any and all Representatives of foreign governments, states, or peoples shall not be permitted to issue comment on legislation which is either in debate or in voting without explicit invitation by the Head of State, Head of Government, or Foreign Minister.

Only in such cases as permission is given will a representative from a foreign power be allowed to offer any comment. In such case, the comments will not be as an active participant in the debate, but only to provide such information or testimony as to help Kalistani legislators make a decision. If the representative advocates a position, he/she will be asked to leave the chambers.

Unsanctioned speech on the floor of the Assembly is interference by a foreign power with the legislative process of a sovereign state, and shall not be tolerated.

Any unsanctioned speech by foreign representatives on the floor of the Kalistani Assembly will be deemed "espionage" and will be subject to immediate arrest and detention, pending immediate deportation back to their home country, and the lodging of an official protest. Any member of the Assembly may, in the case of unsanctioned speech by a foreign representative, call the Sergeant At Arms of the Assembly to immediately remove the offender/s and sanction him/her/them in accord with the provisions of this law. The foreign minister shall, within the same month, lodge an official protest with the foreign agent's Government, and let it be known that their representative has been charged with espionage and will be immediately deported back to their country of origin. The foreign agent is then to be returned, without harm, to his/her/their country of origin.

Foreign Representatives will continue to be allowed to speak in the "Messages" section of the National Forum unmolested.

This act codifies longstanding Kalistani Tradition on foreign interference in Kalistani legislative debate.

The former Premier of the Republic sent a letter to the Foreign Minister, Luis Velasquez, insisting that he carry out the letter of the law.  According the Reina, the Foreign Minister responded that he has no intention of deporting the Selucian, choosing to refrain from expelling diplomats due to Selucia's partnership on the NAM treaty.

Reina was not satisfied. 

"I sent [Velasquez] a letter in response informing him that the letter of the law required it.  How a Minister of the Government can simply ignore the requirements of our law, and in response to espionage is simply beyond me.  I was under the impression that Kalistan was a nation of laws, not of whims and not of privilege.  When [former Premier] Al-Khali was in office, he resigned at the mere appearance of impropriety.  He has not, to this date, been found guilty or even charged with anything, by the way.  And now our Foreign Minister has informed me, in black and white that he has no intention of observing one of our most basic laws?!  This is outrageous!  Kondou is not a diplomat.  She surrendered that status when she spoke out on a matter before our Assembly from the Floor.  She has violated our laws and is therefore a criminal.  We call for the unbiased application of justice, and if the Government is not willing to observe Kalistani Law, we call for the President to convene the Constitutional Court so that we may try the notion that a Minister of the Government can simply ignore the law at will."

The Leader of the Opposition presented Velasquez' response to her letter to our Reporter at The Republic, and we can indeed verify that her characterization of it is as the Leader says, but we are obliged to not print it without permission from the Foreign Minister, as doing so would violate the confidentiality of Letters.