Kalistan

[Doc]

Kalistani 5659 General Election Preview
Second Free Election Sees new Competition
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
December 18, 5658


6 Parties vie for Seats in National Assembly

As Kalistan heads into its second free election in the modern era, new challenges face the nascent democracy movement in Kalistan. The collapse of the Kalistani Democracy Forum, a movement that was about 10 years old when it collapsed due to ideological division and questions surrounding the group's finances, has led to some pro-democracy forces becoming more disenchanted with the glacial pace of governmental reform, and the formation of new, more radical parties. As we head into elections next spring, it is imperative that Kalistanis know who they are being asked to vote for. So the Republic has put together this handy guide for the main Parties who will be seeking votes to fill the 79 Seat National Assembly, Kalistan's lower House and main legislative body in the Empire.

Left Parties
Socialist National Party
Far Left- Nationalist
A new Party this election, this party formed in late 5657 and announced their intention to contest in the 5659 elections. Led by Manuel Suarez of Yoshimi, this Party represents the radical wing of the Socialist Party, and a large number of disaffected rank and file Socialists who are seeking a more aggressive stance on nationalization of the economy, promotion of Kalistani pre-eminence in the region, and greatly curtailing the power of the monarchy in favor of organized labor, found mainly in Kalistani Cities and industrial centers. Suarez, a long time labor organizer with the Suldanor Growers' Syndicate, has said "The time to fight for our own future, as people of this Nation is now. We believe in radical and direct democracy, and furthermore, an organized and militant Labor Movement is irresistible, if we can all get on the same page. It's time for us to let the oligarchs know that their time is up and it is time to share power." Not an explicitly anti-monarchist message, for certain, but one that appeals to militant labor.

Socialist Party of Kalistan
Far-Left Institutionalist
The venerable Socialist Party, who supports existing Kalistani Institutions, and has found much of its criticism of the Monarchy blunted in recent years due to its principled stance in support of the Empress' position on a number of important foreign affairs issues, actually suffered from the collapse of the Democracy Forum. Not only did it lose the driving motor of agitation from the left, but it has found itself outflanked by the new SNP. The Party continues to call for the placing of private industry into public ownership and reform for the monarchy, but its Leader, Deputy Gordon McConnell, of Dana continues to temper the calls for reform with a more moderate approach. "We have demonstrated that we can achieve modest gains while not dramatically upsetting the social order," said McConnell. "Where the Government need help, we have supplied key votes to ensure that the Empress' agenda goes through. Where reforms to proposals need to be made, we have provided key input. We may be in the minority now, but we will keep fighting for Kalistan's working class no matter what."

Social Democratic Party
Moderate Left- Internationalist
The Social Democratic Party began its life as a socially and politically liberal Party. It represents the main moderate force on the left, who believes that the Monarchy should remain in tact, but people should have access to more democracy both at the National and the local levels. Known for strong commitment for social equality and for promoting policies that mitigate the effects of economic inequality, the Internationalist SocDems have promoted greater cultural exchange with Kalistan's neighbors. It's Speaker, Monica Taylor from Addisjah, said this about Democracy's Forum's demise recently, "Well, Democracy Forum, which we more or less owe our existence to, had a lot of internal problems, but they also fought the fight to push reform from the streets. We can also make common cause with social democratic movements across Seleya, from countries like our friends in Gaduridos, or in Valruzia or Lodamun, for examples of how reform movements that aim at improving quality of life and reducing both economic and political inequality can be applied within our nation, even without Democracy Forum in Kalistan any longer."

Right Parties
Liberal Party of Kalistan
Moderate Right- Internationalist
Known primarily for its promotion of capitalism, the impetus of the Liberal Party's reform efforts has been to remove the state from the economy, promote fair trade, and reform the Monarchy without calling for its overthrow. A lot of the early proposals, which went nowhere during the first Term were directed at privatization and promoting what Party Leader and speaker Mike Kozynski said was "more economic freedom" meaning the freedom to invest, the freedom to promote private sector competition in sectors reserve for National Industry, and the right for owners to "reclaim" their "property" which he claims was unjustly handed to workers. "What we really need to focus on is small government, which keeps my neighbor out of my yard and my enemy out of my nation. That's the only real role of the Government, and the Empress can play a role in that or not, but she is not needed when it comes to making economic decisions, and our State's continued insistence on being a part of the economic decision making in this nation is hindering our trade, our growth and our prosperity in Kalistan. It's time for us to take our rights back." Its new Speaker, Marcia Brechtel, an avowed neoliberal and supporter of austerity in State Spending, is largely holding to the same message going into this upcoming election.

The Institutional Party of Kalistan
Conservative- Institutionalist
The venerable IPoK is fully expected to lose seats in the coming election, not because of anything necessarily that the Party did: In fact, most of the policies promoted by the Government under the leadership of Chancellor of the Empire Lady Jennifer Alvarez-Miller, who is expected to retain her position as the Head of the Institutional Party of Kalistan, are incredibly popular with huge swaths of the Voting Public. The Party is the staunchest supporter of the Monarchy and Kalistan's institutions, and its status as the Party of the Empress and its long incumbency all but guarantee that the Institutional Party retains a plurality in the coming elections. The long serving Chancellor said recently, "Having to run for office is a bit beneath anyone: We are asking people who don't have a lot of time to research candidates and positions to nonetheless cast the most important choice that they will make the entire years, and to do so in a way that will help our nation. Its not fair to the busy men and women in this nation, but what is important is that the people continue to vote for stability to hold off the forces of fascism brewing even here in Kalistan. So vote Institutional: We've fought fascism for decades and we know how to do it."

Patriotic League
Far-Right, Ultranationalist
This coming election's dark horses formed with the demise of Democracy Forum, as many people exiting out of that social movement, said that Kalistani's are looking the wrong way if they were considering liberal or socialist ideologies, but also that the Monarchy is so broken that Kalistan can no longer be taken seriously by the nations of the world. Party Leader Karl Wagner, who was active in the Vrassan Democracy Forum, said the time for "accommodation with the Liberals" had to be done, both at home and abroad. "We should realize that a nation is only as strong as its weakest member," said Wagner at a recent rally. "You have two choices at that point: Either lose or get rid of the weak members. I know which option the PL supports, and it sure as hell isn't surrender." He responded to questions concerning League fascist tendencies, Wagner said, very controversially, last month, "Look, I know its taboo to have any praise for a group like the Legion in Kundrati, but let me tell you something: They got things done. And if someone, anyone, even Kalistan, tried to stop them, well, they just ignored the opinion of the entire world, and continued to do what ever they wanted to do, and look, they got away with it all. This is the kind of attitude we need in this country: Where a militant movement is more than willing to sidestep even rules and laws, if need be, to get whatever is best for our nation, regardless of the consequences. Sometimes doing right in an unjust world is the only just thing." The group has very restrictive policies in mind for women, foreigners, and foreign nations who try to stand up to Kalistan: "To the degree that you disagree, you are wrong. We have no obligation to take into account the opinions of those who are wrong. Kalistan must dominate, both at home and abroad. We won't let what happened to the Legion in Kundrati happen to this nation."

All six parties have filed for elections across the nation, and have met the criteria for inclusion. We hope this Side by Side comparison helps you make your decision during the Spring General Elections.

@TheRepublic