Kalistan

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Kalistani News in Brief: Some Institutional Deputies call for end of Single Party Government
The Crew releases new Album; Investments in Vrassa Housing Stock
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
March 5, 5639


Addisjah's The Crew releases debut LP Vrassa Youth Brigade on LCR

Some Institutional Deputies call for end of Single Party Government
"It's strange that we can monitor elections in other nations and yet our own elections don't really offer anyone a real choice," said Deputy Tamara Donaldson, of Springfield, Odufaray. "Kalistan should end One Party Rule, and usher democracy in at the National Level." Donaldson said she represents a small but growing faction within the Institutional Party who thinks that the days of Single Party rule in Kalistan should be at their end. "People demand democracy and would like to have a choice at the polls."

Donaldson is indeed a representative of a small faction: Her motion to reconsider the Single Party Law in Kalistan received a second on the floor, for the purposes of debate, but received no other votes. Donaldson vowed to continue to fight for liberty. "But what does it mean to offer people a choice when the only reason the National Assembly exists is to create policy that enacts Her Imperial Majesty's Policies?" asked Deputy Raymond Anselmo of Reynoldia. "What difference does it make if there is one Party or fifty, if our job is the same? Do you really think conducting elections under fraudulent conditions, such as the Deputy is suggesting, is really better than the elections we have now, where people pick who they think their best voice is for their constituency? At least our elections are honest and free of political tricks and corruption."

Donaldson said she will form a Liberal Caucus, and attempt to campaign in Kalistan until her caucus has enough votes to overturn the Single Party Law. "I will fight for genuine democracy in this Nation!" Meanwhile polls show that support for democracy is holding at a historical level of about 12% with most of the people responding thinking that either liberal democracy is a waste of time or is a scam played by elites to make people think they have power when in fact they have none. Most respondents call Kalistan's system "far more honest" than well known democracies in Artania and Dovani.

The Crew releases new LP on LCR
The Addisjah hardcore punk band The Crew, released their debut LP on LCR. The album, called Vrassa Youth Brigade has already drawn some attention for its political and social content. "This album pulls no punches," said The Crew's lead singer Alphonse "Al B" Barbero, from Addisjah. "We came up in the Addisjah skinhead scene, we call for revolution, and we're straight edge. We believe in unity, we believe in our scene and we stand with our friends. We're here to represent Hardcore."

Barbero is the son of Istalian immigrant Giuseppe Barbero, who moved to Kalistan with his then infant son, and enlisted in the Kalistani Regular Navy to build a future for his family. Seaman Giuseppe Barbero was killed in the Artanian Sea Campaign and was awared the Naval Medal of Valor posthumously, which Al Barbero still displays proudly in his apartment. "I was basically a bastard cause my father was killed by fascists and my mom, she was working all the time, you know, it was tough. My Crew were there for me--they are all I have left now."

"We are making music for our friends," said bassist Malik O'Neil. "We're a very tight groups of guys and girls, and yes, women are welcome at our shows. In fact, they mix it up in the pit just as hard as the guys, and they're in our Crew as well. Connie and Marlene (Wagner, two sisters from Addisjah and who are well known among the skinhead scene in Addisjah) even sing on the record!" Barbero says everyone is welcomed at The Crew Shows, "...everyone except Fascists and racists. They are definitely not welcomed." This accepting attitude which is common among punks and skins in Kalistan, has earned The Crew a dedicated fanbase of thousands among the Addisjah music scene and then the attention of veteran punk label LCR in Sulari, who invited the hardcore band to Sulari to record their debut LP.

"We were kind of worried the label was going to ask us to clean up our lyrics a bit," said Barbero. "Like, we have this song called 'Time for Revolution.' But they were really cool. They said we could do whatever we wanted, so we did Time for Revolution, and a bunch of our straight edge stuff, and songs about unity in the scene. The record sounds dope as F, you know what I mean?" Barbero says with label support, "Time for Revolution" is already spinning on M1 and the video is in medium rotation on M7's punk show "The Alleyway." He also said that this summer, The Crew is going to open for the Ska band and FOMAT Contestants The Rudies during their summer tour. "We're gonna be repping Revolution, we're gonna be repping Skinhead, we're gonna be repping Str8 Edge, and we're gonna be repping Hardcore! It's gonna be awesome!"

You can watch the Video "Time for Revolution" from The Crew's new LP Vrassa Youth Brigade, released on LCR right here.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGrAcfmix04]

New Investments in Vrassan Housing Stock take shape
The Vrassan Duchy and National Government are teaming together to address creeping housing insecurity in Vrassa, especially in cities like Vrassa Free City, Senvias, Port Swedes and Addisjah. "An area study shows that Vrassa is at near capacity for housing in the Duchy" said Kathy Ridenour from the non-profit thinktank Vrassa Housing Matters. "The result is that a sudden influx of population will strain the housing stock, and even though housing is a matter for the public sector, a lack of available housing prevents many people who may want to move from doing so. We want to see the government take this issue seriously before it becomes a crisis that we need to deal with on defense."

Ridenour says there is a credible commitment from the Duchy and National Governments to build up to 65,000 new units Duchy wide in the next ten years. "80% of these units will be in our cities," said Ridenour. "This is where the potential for housing insecurity is greatest, and where building more houses will have a greater impact on the population." Crucially also, there is money allocated for rural building as well. "The remaining 20% will be available for grants for rural families and individuals to either rehab their current homes, or build new ones on personal property outside of our cities." The money was earmarked specifically for rural building, because rural areas are often overlooked outside of large scale infrastructure programs.

"Over all, these funds will make a huge difference in the quality of lives for so many people in Vrassa!" said an enthusiastic Ridenour. "Its about time the National Government got serious about some of the very real problems here." Building across the Duchy will begin in May as sites for new construction have already been selected.

@TheRepublic