Kalistan

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Kalistani News in Brief:  Minor Princess Steps into Society;
Alvarez-McLinn Convicted in Kaliburg, removed from office; Orthodox nominees surge in polls ahead of next month's election
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
December 20, 5723


Her Highness, Minor Princess Victoria-Monica Miriam Ananto-Rosenfeld, at Cliff House in Kaliburg

Minor Princess Steps into Society
Her Highness, the Minor Princess Victoria-Monica Miriam Ananto-Rosenfeld has made her debut in Kaliburg Society at the Fall Debutante's Ball.  She was accompanied by her classmate, Master Roger Vonberg of Wilson, Kaliburg to the ball.  Following her debut, she assumes a more public profile, which will be managed until her 18th Birthday by House Ananto, including a social calendar, opportunities to be photographed and interviewed in the press, and an identity separate from her brothers and sisters.

"16 is the traditional age where the Royal Family considers childhood to be over and when the next generation begins preparing for adulthood," said Lady Christina Ananto-McKinley, who oversees House Ananto for the Empress.  "Other families will allow their children to debut as early as 14, but the Anantos wait until 16, because of their desire to shelter their kids a little longer from the demands of living life in public.  The Minor Princess was in no real hurry to debut, but I think peer pressure got the better of her, and now that she's finally out in society, she is slowly finding her way, with the House's help.  We all went through the process, but the Minor Princess herself is more interested in school than she is in dating or being out in public, so the transition will be more gradual for her.  Whatever happens, we will help her stay safe as she begins to explore her world as a public person, and navigate the challenges that come with being named Ananto.

The Minor Princess said she already has a very busy social calendar, including extracurricular activities, and doesn't think she has a lot of time for dating.  She participates in the School Theater and Music programs, and hopes that her stepping into society will give her the opportunity to meet people in the Kaliburg Theater scene, where she would like to try out to become a member of either the cast or crew of a production before leaving High School.

Alvarez-McLinn Convicted in Kaliburg, removed from office
The now Former Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Melanie Alvarez-McLinn has been convicted of 14 of 22 counts of Criminal Exploitation by the Court in the Free City of Kaliburg-Port Davon.  The case was initially referred to the National Court, but Her Imperial Majesty's Minister of Justice opted for recusal in the case to avoid the appearance of favoritism or impropriety, and sent it back to the City Court to try under city laws.  Kaliburg then tried Alvarez-McLinn for the charges upon which she was indicted.  At her arraignment, the disgraced former Chancellor pled nolo contendere to the charges, and after being advised that that would be treated as an admission of guilt, was judged to be guilty on 14 of the charges.  The last eight of the charges were dismissed by the judge because they did not technically fit the definition of "exploitation of another person" as they involved the former Chancellor directly.  The Nolo Contendere plea on the part of Alvarez-McLinn allowed her to admit guilt but avoid the public trial which would have laid out all the evidence against her, allowing her to avoid public humiliation, and protecting the identities and reputations of the victims in the case.

Following the No Contest plea, the City of Kaliburg gave the maximum sentence allowable to the former Chancellor, sentencing Alvarez-McLinn to a period of 4 years of National Service, to be overseen by the local court, because Kaliburg-Port Davon cannot direct imprisonment at King's Rock for a violation of Free City Laws.  She is also required to pay restitution of more than 7 million Imperial Rubles to her victims, and when her National Service is completed, she will not be allowed to maintain a home in Kaliburg.  Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto then stripped her of her Title as Chancellor of the Empire, and of her County of Lucid.  She is barred permanently from serving in a position of public trust again.  She retains her position in the Order of the Gray Smoke for life, and upon completion of her sentence and following restitution, is entitled to use the title Lady and rejoin the peerage, due to her life peerage, despite not having a title.  She will most likely be provided with a Baronetcy sinecure which will allow her to maintain something of a lifestyle.

Some of Alvarez-McLinn's opponents claimed that the Chancellor's behavior was well known to many in High Government for a long time, and something changed which caused the Government to take the claims seriously.  Many public reports hinted that the former Chancellor had been involved in lurid activities out of her home.  But it seems that something changed within the last year which opened the floodgates and lifted whatever immunity Alvarez-McLinn had previously enjoyed.  From there it was a short time before she was finally arrested and charged with crimes dating back ten years.  The Empress, who has opened Playa de Paz in Athosia two weeks early and is now out of the country, has signaled her approval of the verdict and the sentence and opted to not otherwise intervene in the case.  House Ananto issued a formal statement on the conviction:  "Today, justice is done on behalf of Ms. Alvarez' victims, and restitution will be made."

Alvarez-McLinn now rejoins the conscript ranks of the National Service Program and is expected to be placed in a position which does not require hard labor, given her age.  She will remain in National Service until she is 47.  At least six women and three men who were named in the criminal complaints issued court briefs on behalf of Alvarez-McLinn, saying they willingly participated with the former Chancellor and would have done so even if money had not been part of the matter.  The Justice for the City said that this was not enough to exonerate the defendant, and that the City had an interest in maintaining a regulatory regime over legal commercial operations, including sex work.  The city said they are continuing their investigation into whether others in Alvarez-McLinn's immediate circle knew about the crimes and did not come forward.

Orthodox nominees surge in polls ahead of next month's election
The last public opinion poll of the year shows that in most races where there is a choice between a Nationalist incumbent and an Orthodox challenger, the Orthodox candidate enjoys a 5-7 point lead going into the General Election after the New Year.  This is good news for Orthodox candidates as they seek to make a comeback onto the national stage.  "We're looking at the possibility of Orthodox candidates picking up about 26 seats in the general elections," said analyst Katie Rivers, of Kaliburg Polytechnic, who was responsible for the December Poll.  "The conviction of the former Chancellor on Prostitution charges adds just more wind to the Orthodox sails, who have spent the last half a year calling for a new voice in Kaliburg and a new direction for Kalistani Policy."

Also under threat are several members who hold seats in Her Imperial Majesty's Government.  Though the Chancellor is selected by the Empress, they make selection of Deputies who are elevated to Government.  While it is usually assumed that they will keep their seats over time, they can be voted out of office and therefore removed from the Government.  This time around, several members of the Government are faced with uphill fights to keep their seats in the National Assembly as well as the Government, and their alliances with the now disgraced former Chancellor is suddenly a liability,

"Lots of Nationalists are facing a backlash by the voters, and this time, the Empress is not even in the country to go to bat for the Nationalists," said Rivers.  "She has long had a strained and uncomfortable relationship with the hard nationalists who were operating as a clique with Lady Alvarez-McLinn.  And now, in one fell swoop, the intractable Alvarez-McLinn is permanently out of the picture, and her allies are suddenly uncovered.  And Orthodox candidates smell blood in the water."

The election, which is expected to be bitterly, if civilly contested over the next two weeks, is likely to decide who will replace former Chancellor Alvarez-McLinn at the helm of the National Government, and will likely have an impact that lasts for a generation.  If the Orthodox members somehow gain a majority, this will allow the Empress to select an Orthodox faction member as her next Chancellor.  "She will likely do so too," said Rivers.  "The Empress is widely viewed as more naturally inclined to support an Orthodox point of view, and regularly butted heads with the firebrands among the Nationalists.  If she truly is the moderate reformer that many believe her to be, and Orthodox victory could allow her to reorient the entire society in a very short time.  And its clear, especially following Alvarez' conviction that the people are ready for a change in direction."

The General Elections are scheduled for January 4, 5724, and the day has been declared a National Holiday for the purpose voting.

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