Kalistan

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Chancellor ends Factional Rule
"There is one and only one Institutional Party," said Lady Alvarez
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 20, 5711


Chancellor of the Empire Melanie Alvarez-McLinn reads out vote totals

In a fully expected legislative victory, the outspoken Orthodox Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Melanie Alvarez-McLinn, celebrated the end of heterodoxy within the Institutional Party. The bill, which ends recognition of separate factions in the National Assembly, follows very closely with the re-outlawing of factions in Institutional Party Conferences that passed earlier this summer. In this string of wins, Lady Alvarez completed the first, and possibly easiest of her administrative goals for this term.

"There is one and only one Institutional Party," said Alvarez on the floor of the National Assembly. "We have one and only one job. It is not to debate amongst ourselves over the direction of the country: that privilege lies with Her Imperial Majesty herself. Our job, as a Party is to fill the seats of this National Assembly, write policy that turns the Imperial Fiat into law, and to report back to the Empress what our constituents think. Yet the existence of factions permitted politics to enter into this body, moved us off of our explicit and sole function, and gave us a reason to think strategically about who has what power in this government, and how the can obtain more of it. Let's be clear here, folks. Kalistan is not a republic. We are in no way a democracy. And we certainly are not a liberal democracy. There is no room in this building, in this city, or in this Empire for that misguided and pernicious ideology, least of all within this Chamber of Deputies."

The bill, which passed over strong moderate and socialist opposition, officially stripped the factional designation from members of the Government and Deputies in the Assembly. "I understand that people will still meet in informal factions," said Alvarez. "Some habits are hard to break, but then our challenge becomes to mitigate the effects of factions. So included in this bill is the requirement that if a measure is identified as being based on Imperial Fiat, and has Government backing, it may pass on the floor without debate or amendment. Neutering the potential for collective opposition that can serve to scuttle bills will reduce the incentive to organize that sort of opposition in the first place."

Critics of the policy have called it a move to centralize legislative authority in the Government and to further weaken any independent base of power in the Legislature. Chancellor Alvarez appeared unfazed. "I have heard all the arguments against this measure and to be honest, it does not really matter. All legitimacy comes from the breath of the Sovereign. The National Assembly has the duty, the legal obligation, to focus on how that aspiration is enacted in policy. We are not here to debate whether Her Imperial Majesty's utterances are legitimate."

The measure passed 56-23, with solid Orthodox support. Every socialist voted against, as did nearly every moderate, but ultimately, their opposition to the bill was rendered irrelevant. Several deputies gathered after the vote to determine whether their next actions would be to resign, but ultimately, knowing that Orthodox Deputies would be appointed as their replacements, they decided to remain with the National Assembly, and complete their terms.

The Office of the Empress issued a statement, positing that this was a matter concerning organization of the National Assembly, and as such, the Empress would like to refrain from unduly influencing legislative affairs.

@TheRepublic