Kalistan

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Rumors of Kundrati Involvement in Election made Public
"People Correctly Rejected Kundrati Interference" says Empress
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 10, 5956


Her Imperial Majesty Discusses PL Reports in the National Assembly

Her Imperial Majesty addressed the National Assembly this week on the topic of election integrity in light of the recent public revelations that the PL is under investigation for receiving material support from Kundrati agents in Baltusia. "This is what we had long suspected, and now a multi-partisan investigation reveals at least some credence to that allegation," said Her Imperial Majesty, in the National Assembly in Kaliburg. "Kalistan dodged a bullet in this election as the People of our Empire correctly rejected Kundrati Interference, but 5659 was a test run for foreign destabilization efforts. Next time, they may not be so blatently obvious."

The investigation was launched by leaders of the five seated Parties in late March, who agreed to cooperate to investigate the upstart Patriot League and its secretive leader, Karl Wagner of Vrassa City. While Wagner had a long history with the Vrassan Democracy Forum, his now ex wife showed up in Kaliburg in late March with damning documents stolen from Wagner that showed he had received several large contributions during 5658 in the run up to the elections. Wagner was also involved in the collapse of the Democracy Forum, leading calls of corruption against the leadership of the forum within the Vrassan group and demanding investigations. Wagner's ex wife, Kathy Smith, claimed that in October of 5657, he suddenly was able to pay off several of his outstanding debts, though he had not taken more work at his job or appeared to have any additional sources of income.

The report alleges that Mr. Wagner accepted money from several foreign sources, including a group known as Seleyans for Peace, which has been widely discredited as a front organization designed to lobby Northern Seleyan Governments for changes of policy toward Artania generally and Kundrati specifically. Seleyans for Peace has since been tied to the Kundrati Government. Most of the other organizations appear to have been pop up civil service organizations which are operating in Kalistan, including the Kalistani Hosian Businessmen's association, which also provides funds for the Liberal Party, and Young Republic, a quasi militant right wing organization that openly calls for significant constitutional reform around the monarchy. Both organizations are known to be locally operated and funded, and are not illegal.

"The funds are believed to provide the seed money for the PL as an organization and as a campaign," concluded the report, "and if Mr. Wagner was not part of a larger conspiracy, at the very least he was being used as a patsy for several anti-monarchist organizations, including those which are pro-fascist and aim at a Legion style 'democratic coup' in Kalistan similar to the method used by the Kundrati Legion to abolish all political freedom in Kundrati." The bank records revealed that the Seleyans for Peace were the largest single contributors to Mr. Wagner's campaign and individuals suspected of foreign ties sat on the Patriot League's steering committee, which was charged with creating messaging around the Party's platforms. In addition, Mr. Wagner's ex-wife provided evidence of several trips over 5658 to Baltusia taken by Wagner, though Wagner himself claimed that these trips were for pleasure and a desire to see the country.

The allegations were enough to cause the five seat-holding Parties, who were briefed on the initial facts of the case to launch an investigation that concluded at the end of July and was released to the public earlier this month. The investigation revealed strong circumstantial evidence of direct involvement in Kalistani elections by foreign agents, most notably from Kundrati, but no smoking gun style evidence. "We have no transcripts of communications between Mr. Wagner and Kundrati Agents," said Her Imperial Majesty's Minister of Internal Affairs Katherine Sorenson. "We attempted to obtain evidence from IBSI, but they informed us that they do not surveil Kalistani Citizens, and so they were no help either. But there are lots of arrows that point in that direction, and I think most of us are convinced that Kundrati in fact did meddle in our elections in an attempt to both discredit Kalistan and to remove the Monarchy." The Report was fully declassified and published online and most people support the investigation as well as its findings.

The biggest dissenters are members of the Liberal Party who have long stood for a different orientation toward the rest of the world. "Our fear is that this report will be used to clamp down on democracy in Kalistan," said Liberal Deputy and Party Spokeswoman Marcia Brechtel. "We have fought hard to demonstrate that democracy is a viable alternative to fiat rule, and we are still fighting. There is no physical evidence that Mr. Wagner colluded with anyone directly, and while some of the decisions of Mr. Wagner's Party are regretable, nonetheless, this will be painted as evidence that an open system is easily corrupted, when Her Imperial Majesty herself said that the People were the bulwark against that sort of corruption. We don't want this to be a stain on the democracy movement, nor do we want it to be a setback in our push for more open markets with everyone, including Kundrati."

Others actually did challenge the openness of Kalistan's system that allowed this sort of interference to happen in the first place. "Yes, its true that our system is one where foreign agents can interfere," said SNP spokesman Manuel Suarez. "We've got some hard choices ahead to protect the integrity of our elections. While the wall against fascist 'democratic coups' preferred by enemies of humanity like the Kundrati Government held in Kalistan, repeated attacks on several fronts could theoretically overwhelm the ramparts and lead to collapse of the Kalistani Polity itself. And so it might behoove all of us to make some peace with the Empress, if for nothing else, than to assure that fascism is held at bay and pushed entirely out of Seleya, and into the sea where it can drown and die forever, as it deserves."

The Empress for her part has ordered her Minister of Justice to begin formal indictment procedures on Mr. Wagner and several top PL leaders for both association with fascists and for violating the Anti-Fascist Law. "These allegations reveal a reasonable suspicion of Mr. Wagner and his associates in the PL," said Her Imperial Majesty in the National Assembly. "If there is enough evidence to sustain an allegation at trial, we will get that result from the grand jury. If not, we suppose Mr. Wagner shall go free. Either way, this question deserves a day in our courts, and so we have ordered our Justice Minister to begin these grand jury proceedings in accord with the rule of Law. Mr. Wagner has not been found guilty of any crime and is still considered innocent until a court of law has determined otherwise, and as such shall not be unduly hindered by our State in any fashion until such time as he shall be required in Court to answer the State's inquiries surrounding this matter. He is expected to appear before all courts upon his own recognizance. Such is our will, and as such, remains unquestionable."

The Chancellor of the Empire will convene a five party panel to look at elections integrity and efforts that can be taken to safeguard Kalistani elections from foreign interference.

@TheRepublic