Kalistan

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Chancellor announces formalization of Institutional Party rule on Caucuses
"I think that we have quite enough pluralism in this country," says Chancellor
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 2, 5696


Lady Ericka Donahue answers questions following contentious Caucus Vote

The Institutional Party has agreed to permit the formation of three identified caucuses within the Party. "This represents a major change in the direction of our Party, and could possibly open the door for more democracy to creep its way in through the cracks," said Lady Ericka Donahue, who is not only the Chancellor of the Empire, but also the Institutional Party's Chairperson. While there is significantly more democracy within the Institutional Party than in the National Assembly, the Party has frequently accepted dictation from the Party's Chair. In this instance, however, the adoption of the caucus rule within the Institutional Party is over the Chancellor's objections. Donahue, who is known for her staunchly orthodox positions within the Institutional Party and her often vocal commitment to single Party government argued that the rule as stated could undermine unified leadership and make it more difficult for the National Assembly to do its only job, which is turn Imperial Fiat into National Policy.

"Well, there is some pressure for the Party to innovate," said the Chancellor, "and this particular effort got a major assist by the Empress, but as I took it, she meant that we should encourage different viewpoints within the National Assembly, not within our own Party." She attributes the movement to permit caucuses within the Party to "a handful of rogue moderates who believe democracy is a good thing, and it is something that should be increased rather than decreased." The Chancellor lamented the ideological heterodoxy within the Institutional Party, given a recent law that was passed to allow for Deputies to identify their factional alignments, and her new Government proposal that contains open moderates alongside traditional Nationalists, and even a person who identifies as a socialist. "I think that we have quite enough pluralism in this country," she scoffed to reporters. "For that we have our Empress to thank."

The Chancellor dismissed questions about if this vote signifies that she has lost control of her Party, and said she is not worried about losing her position as Chairwoman for the Institutional Party. "I serve at the pleasure of the Empress," said Lady Donahue. "If she is not pleased with me, she may dismiss me for any or no reason at all. I have always understood, that my tenure is until she tells me otherwise. That's not really the issue." The real problem, said Lady Donahue is that now she will need to put up with organized factions endlessly debating over minutia, rather than solving problems. "Very quickly this will lead to gridlock and the sort of endless procedural nonsense that democracies are so well known for," she said. "Especially if factions are not willing to work together. Soon there will be fighting over who has what offices, who sits where in the Chamber. Democracy is such a horrible idea, on every single level. And here we are, embracing it. Have we learned nothing from just looking at the democracies around us? They are procedurally all ridiculous circuses. And we want to be like that?"

The measures, which provide Institutional Acknowledgement of the Nationalist Caucus, the Moderate Caucus and the Socialist Caucus, have also reaffirmed their support for the Single Party Law. "It is clear that on 90% of all issues, we will agree with one another," said new Moderate Caucus leader Ryan Ansel, a member of the National Central Committee of the Institutional Party. "On the core policies of support for the Crown, international neutrality, and all the other major issues, we are all right there. We wouldn't be Institutionalists if we didn't support those things. But the Socialists may, and actually do have different priorities than I do, and why shouldn't they be able to organize to perhaps soften the nationalist bent of the hard right wing? Kalistan is so much more than just the orthodox Institutional Party Line on everything."

The measure to permit formal caucuses was amended before it was passed to provide for only recognized caucuses within the Party. "Obviously there will never be a liberal caucus," said Ansel, "or a fascist caucus. But there is room for other caucuses who want to represent specific viewpoints that aren't covered by the main three here. The Institutional Party needs to be more inclusive if we, among the non-orthodox, are ever going to get to see our candidates make it onto the ballot and into the Legislature." The Chancellor, as well as much of the Party's leadership, voted against the resolution in the Party meeting, and found their position being outvoted 260-147.

The vote is significant because the Party itself approves all candidate slates for elections, and since most Deputies run unopposed, the Party's choice is almost always the winner of the elections (a few independents who did not initially threaten the Party's candidate have historically made it onto the ballot, but on at least three occasions, the independent squeaked out a win over the Institutionalist and were seated in the Chamber of Deputies.) This new Caucus rule will not only provide a greater measure of internal democracy in the Institutional Party on policy questions and direction, but also requires the National Leadership to place at least two names, from different caucuses if possible, from their respective constituencies on all ballots across Kalistan Proper. The exception of Ananto was made in the rule, and the only place pluralist elections will be held is in Kaliburg-Port Davon Free City.

@TheNational