Jacobean Cildania (5321 - 5369)

[Wu Han]

Il-Veritá Iebsa (The Hard Truth) is a far-right online news site known for pushing conspiracy theories. It has close ties to Ilarju Rizzo, the prominent neo-fascist leader of the Order.

Depares Defects! Titan of the Right joins Order of Saint Sebastian
Former leader of the One Flag makes big changes by switching parties and converting to Hosianism.

29 June, 5325 - Since October last year it has been quiet around the "disgraced" One Flag leader Denzilee Depares. After his passionate and emotional speech against the guardian of corruption, Cabiria Ahummid, who would rather cripple our nation than protect it, the titan of the right was ousted and betrayed by his own party members. Benaglia twisted a knife in the heart of his close associate, one of the greatest betrayals of the last hundred years in our great country. Yet this could not stop Depares, behind the scenes he has been busy at work in assessing his future, reflecting upon his mistakes. Instead of forming his own party he accepted the invitation of Ilarju Rizzo to meet and the two formed an unlikely bond. The former Education Minister and the Leader of the Order share similar thoughts and Rizzo has come out to the press in full support of the outburst of the "disgraced" Depares. "The man speaks from his heart, this is just a witch hunt against everyone that doesn't walk the politically correct line of woke witches like Ahummid. It's clear she only asked that stupid question to provoke him. Never provoke a strong-willed and determined man! The wrath she invoked, she deserved."

For weeks it was thought impossible for Depares to join the Order of Saint Sebastian - the far-right movement does not allow Ahmadi members - yet only a week before his press conference Depares announced on social media that he had abandoned the Ahmadi scripture and embraced the Hosian faith instead. The ex-minister did this rather cheekily by posting a picture with a bottle of wine with the caption that he could "finally enjoy the good stuff". Major leaders of the Ahmadi faith denounced the conversion, with some questioning Depares' mental health in recent weeks. Supporters have applauded the move, with Deputy Leader Valentinu Pizzuto (Order of Saint Sebastian) commenting that "it's only good he has abandoned that sick religion, plus I saw him in the pub so many times already - think he always drank." The latter statement was denied by Depares' team.

At the press conference Depares announced he would play a major role in the campaign for the next election. "It is time we clean up Qart Qildar, I was there, I have seen it all. The rats are running this country and it is time we scare them out!" It is expected that Depares will play the part of a "running mate" with Rizzo taking the main stage. After the press conference Ilarju Rizzo commented that Depares would make an excellent minister "once we run the country".

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Originally posted by Kubrick on 01 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Despott wins BW leadership
10 July 5325

Giudice falls short as Depares loyalists rally behind Despott in second round

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Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Yan Despott has defeated Minister of Defence Margerita Giudice after a tense leadership election that resulted in a second round of voting. Using an electoral system in which party members make up half of the total and elected party officials the other half, he triumphed by a margin of more than 10 points despite prior expectations of a close Giudice victory. The results were announced at a convention hall in Tanegżart, Aheblun. The runner-up congratulated Despott and pledged to work alongside him to 'rebuild' trust after a difficult year for the party. Despott's speech emphasised unity and holding on to the party's 5321 electoral success.

Despott is a very wealthy man with a long history in Aheblun's tobacco sector. He is an ethnic Hebilean but a strong Hosian who has combined pluralistic and religious rhetoric in his campaign. He also ran on a platform of decentralisation and devolution, a key issue for Cildania's ethnic minorities. Despott has weaknesses, however, as he has variously been accused of ties to organised crime and the pre-5319 dictatorship. Some have accused him of only entering politics after the restoration of democracy to protect his own economic interests - though Despott points to his long history of philanthropy as evidence he is a man of the people.

With former leader Denzilee Depares now defected to the Order of Saint Sebastian, the party's hard right faction rallied around a close friend of Depares, Ġann Calafato. He defended Depares and even attacked Giudice for being too moderate. Despite winning over those still loyal to Depares, Calafato made no inroads with Hebileans or moderates who lined up behind Despott and Giudice respectively. He won 25% of the vote in the first round, while Giudice won 40% and Despott 35%. His voters overwhelmingly backed Despott in the second round, leading to Giudice being overtaken despite her strong first round performance. As the results were being announced, Despott remained calm while Giudice and Calafto looked uncomfortable about being so close to one another.

For Calafato and other hardliners, the results suggest they have lost their grip over the party. Even though moderate Giudice was defeated, she clearly has significant appeal within the party when she had become a fringe centrist figure under Depares. There is a strong possibility of further defections to the Order of Saint Sebastian as the BW struggles in the polls and the Order gains ground.

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Il Bandiera Indipendenti is a political and current affairs newspaper aligned with the Bandiera Waħda movement in Cildania. It has a religious, conservative and pro-Hebilean editorial stance.

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Originally posted by Pragma on 01 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Election 5326: BW & PLR largest parties, but smaller parties hold the power
2 July 5326

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After a bitterly fought election involving six different parties, One Flag (Gziri acronym: BW) has once again emerged the largest party with the PLR in second place. The FA and PK lost ground while the new parties made strong first impressions. The GtP had particular strength in the north while the Order of Saint Sebastian (Gziri acronym: OtSB) surged to third place with a strong performance in small conservative towns.

Though the two hard-right parties, One Flag (BW) and the Order (OtSB), got a combined 48.5% of the vote and 146 of 300 seats, it seems that the remaining parties are likely to unite against them. Added to the BW and OtSB's mutual dislike over the Depares saga, it seems like a grand coalition will scupper both parties' governing prospects. For the OtSB this is a good first result regardless, but for the BW it will be a painful stretch on the opposition benches. Yan Despott held the vote up decently, however, so another leadership change seems unlikely at this point.

Results breakdown:

In the north-western region of Kinaan, the BW triumphed yet again with 47% of the vote. Rural, predominantly Hebilean communities voted strongly for the BW - the only party led by an ethnic Hebilean. The region's significant Selucian minority, centred around the city of Velieres, swung unexpectedly to the moderate GtP at the expense of the PLR who slumped to 11% of the vote in the area. No other party received more than 7% of the vote.

In Aheblun principality - the country's most eastern region - the BW also got 47% of the vote. Once again, the region's large Hebilean community swung heavily for Yan Despott while coastal cities split more evenly. The PLR and PK both saw significant falls in their vote-share while the Alagona Faction consolidated the moderate and liberal vote in urban and coastal environments like Santa Aleksandra. The GtP did not appear on the ballot in this region while the OtSB got just 8% of the vote.

Gilzon retained its progressive reputation as the PLR once again stormed to a heavy victory while conservative parties struggled. It is the region north of Aqildar and east of Kinaan. The GtP got an impressive 17% of the vote to come second, underscoring their strength along the northern coast. The BW's vote halved while the PK's vote completely collapsed. The OtSB got 13% of the vote, concentrated around the south-east of the region.

In Jilrit, where only the BW and FA had ran in the last election, there was a significant fracturing of the vote. The right-wing electorate fractured along ethnic lines as Hebilean conservatives voted for One Flag and Gziri-speaking conservatives voted for the Order. Similarly, the centre and left which had backed the FA in 5321 split along economic lines. Wealthier coastal towns remained true to the FA while less advantaged urban areas moved into the PLR's column. The GtP once again was not present on the ballot while the PK could only manage to get one of their candidates elected across the south-western principality.

Aqildar, the great central province of Cildania where the capital of Qart Qildar is situated, had some of the most bizarre results of all. The Order stormed to victory with 37% of the vote, winning over many of the conservative voters who had supported the PK in 5321. The PK's vote fell from 46% to 14% and their partners the FA also lost some ground in the area. PLR consolidated their vote, being the largest party in the capital. The GtP did not run once again, while the BW struggled in an area with very few ethnic Hebileans.

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Illum Kinaan is a news agency based in the Kinaan region of Cildania. It covers both local and national current events.

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Originally posted by Pragma on 03 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Il-Veritá Iebsa (The Hard Truth) is a far-right online news site known for pushing conspiracy theories. It has close ties to Ilarju Rizzo, the prominent neo-fascist leader of the Order.

RIZZO WINS BIG! Cartel of liberal parties side line Order out of spite!
"To ignore us is a great disrespect to democracy - but they will do it nonetheless" says running mate Despares

2 July, 5326 - A long and tumultuous night has ended in Cildanian politics and there are only two winners: oligarch Piscopo has won a handful of seats and the hard-fought campaign of Rizzo and Despares has ceased complete control of Aqildar while running a close second in Jilrit. The Order of Saint Sebastian now holds 51 seats in the Council of Deputies thanks to the combined efforts of Rizzo and Despares. The former minister and leader of One Flag was visibly elated at the result. "I'm extremely pleased, we've been working very hard to show these housewives how much better we are. The results speak for themselves, all parties except that old paedophile Piscopo and ourselves won seats. The greatest criminals in the Council, the little AgK alliance, has been punished by the voter. With good reason! My former party, demolished as well. Only the largest because most people haven't gotten their heads out of their ass yet." When asked about the next step Depares shrugged. "You know, to ignore us would be a great disrespect to democracy but that's not going to stop these clowns. They will do it nonetheless."

Leader Rizzo himself held a passionate and emotional victory speech. "To all my brothers, my legionnaires, my trusted warriors - this is what we worked for all these years! To the brothers we lost I say: it is my greatest sorrow you are not here but from Heaven above you gaze upon our victory. To all of you still here: my deepest thanks to your efforts, your sacrifice. We will show these elites that this country is done! Done with the schemes, done with the corruption, we will clean the house and take out all elements that are out to destroy or weaken our nation." Rizzo continued by thanking Depares for his monumental effort. "You have found a home in the Order, I am proud to call you my friend." Depares was then awarded the Blood Medal, a honorary award given to members of the Order that have done exemplary things for the movement. Socialists call the reward 'controversial' because it used to be given to those that defended Rizzo from anarchist and communist attacks, hence the name Blood Medal.

In a second press conference Rizzo elaborated on the statements made by Depares earlier that day. "He is right, we are not invited to any talks. The Great Betrayal of Democracy is happening as we stand right here." With a dramatic point towards the halls of parliament the Leader emphasized the true evil of the politics of this country. "They scheme to keep their jobs, their corrupt little jobs. It's one big conspiracy, the socialists, that senile billionaire, the two parties that might as well be one party, it's a disgrace. Today they betrayed every voter besides the few rich ones that finance their efforts. You know who I mean." The Order of Saint Sebastian vows to be the "fiercest opposition this nation has ever seen" in the coming months and will jump upon any opportunity to "see this satanic cabinet fall and burn" according to spokesperson Karmenu Querci - wife of convicted heroin dealer Zeppi Querci.

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Originally posted by Kubrick on 03 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Cautious optimism about Cildania’s transition to democracy
16 September 5326

Domestic and international analysts have suggested there is cause for cautious optimism about the success of the democratic transition in Cildania. Earlier this year, the country held only its second multi-party election of the century. For the past five years, Cildania has been governed by a national government composed of all four major political parties.

Prior to this year’s elections, concerns had been raised about the durability of democratic systems in the country. The emergence of the far-right Order of Saint Sebastian catalysed the issue. The election proceeded without any serious problems though. Voter turnout was exceptionally high in comparison to established democracies.

In the aftermath of the elections, negotiations are ongoing to form a four-party coalition government led by Guiliano Alagona. As a former union official, Alagona is perceived to be a compromise figure between the Radical Labour Party and their smaller, centrist coalition partners. For the past five years, he has served as foreign minister in the national government.

Plenty of problems remain in Cildania though. For the country’s two largest ethnic minority communities, there are still significant institutional barriers. One Flag has sought to provide a political voice for Hebilean communities but they remain underrepresented in national politics. Meanwhile Cildanian Yeudis are still subject to racist rhetoric in parts of mainstream society.

Democracy is not only elections either. Cildania’s judicial system is still dominated by figures associated with the Franġisku regime. Even more concerning is the extensive power held by organised crime. Corruption allegations are levelled at almost every national political figure. Even the incoming Prime Minister Guiliano Alagona was accused of having links to the Biancardi crime family during his time as a union leader.

In combination, these factors present a complex picture. No doubt the embrace of democracy has been remarkably swift. Rapid political change of any kind has the potential to be problematic though. Not for many years will it be possible to make a balanced judgement about the progress made in the past decade.

Majatran Eye is a broadsheet newspaper available throughout Majatra focusing on international economic and political affairs

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Originally posted by Jamescfm on 04 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Cildanian FM in Dokuz for State Visit
3 March 5327

Cildanian Foreign Minister Wenzu Mirasuli was received by his counterpart Alev Denktaş in Dokuz this afternoon. Two ministers shook hands and made brief statements before proceeding to a closed-door meeting. Ms Denktaş was hopeful that the state visit will mark the beginning of a friendship and cooperation between two countries.

"We share a common approach regarding Majatran geopolitics and it is my government's intention to further cooperate on issues pertaining to the continent. We also want to utilise Jakanian oil to the benefit of both countries, I am hopeful that our discussions with Mr Mirasuli will result in an agreement. The other important agenda is combating crime, Jakania and Cildania had their fair share of struggles concerning it. We want to share our experience on counter terrorism and seek new ways to tackling crime collectively."

Mr Mirasuli made the following statement:

"Cildania and Jakania are two countries with a vested interest in Majatran stability. The government in Dokuz understands the challenges that we face, dealing with international crime, as well as the threat of political violence. Both countries know that regional cooperation is important but we both recognise the risk of cooperation becoming coercion, when it happens on the terms of the most powerful countries. I am looking forward to meeting the Prime Minister and the President to discuss these issues in the coming days."

It is expected that the Jakania-Cildania Treaty of Cooperation and Friendship which dates back to 4900s will be re-ratified alongside the Diplomacy Accord of Jakania. Establishing a new joint taskforce for combating crime is also on the agenda. Mr Mirasuli will meet the Prime Minister and the President before departing for Cildania. Next few days will be marked with busy diplomacy traffic.

Mukavemet was founded in 4900 by Zafer Yıldırım and functioned as the major newspaper of the National Progress movement during the Ahmadi Revolutionary period.

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Originally posted by gokustan in the "Jakania" thread, and linked to Cildania, on 04 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

EXCLUSIVE: PLR deputies express frustration at right-wing leanings of their governing coalition partners

Qart Qildar, Cildania - According to sources close to Il-Gazzetta Radikali, backbench deputies of the Radical Labour Party have privately expressed their frustrations over the right-wing leanings, both economically and socially, of their governing coalition partners, in particular the Constitutionalist Party. There are some murmurings that this could threaten to bring down the leadership of Franġisku Namur.

The passing of the recent Protection of Life Act has triggered a widespread anger among the Radical Labour Party's members & its delegation in the Council of Deputies with members calling it a "slap in the face of the hard work the Cildanian women's rights movement, which the PLR has strongly supported, has put in over recent years". The law was proposed and passed with the support of members of the Constitutionalist Party, a fellow member of the governing coalition, leading to some members of the PLR feeling that the party should re-think its position within the cabinet.

The Protection of Life Act was the latest in a series of laws that have restricted women's rights in Cildania with the rather ironically named Ending the Exploitation of Women Act, also proposed by the Constitutionalist Party and even supported by the Alagona Faction, ending the nationwide legalisation of prostitution and making surrogacy illegal, taking away women's autonomy over their own bodies. Furthermore, the passing of the Bandit-Free Streets Act with the support of 3 governing parties has been seen by many in the party as a move towards the forming of a police state in Cildania.

At a meeting of the Radical Labour Party's delegation to the Council of Deputies many asked why the party's leader, Franġisku Namur, hasn't done more to oppose the passing of these laws. Mikela Azzilla, one of the PLR's more outspoken deputies, even accused the leader of "totally betraying everything this party has ever stood for for the sake of being involved in the governing coalition" and branded her colleagues serving in the cabinet as a "complete disgrace". She has been viewed as a major potential challenger to Namur and there are some sources suggesting that she may have the backing of a large enough portion of her colleagues to do so.

Il-Gazzetta Radikali is property of Grupp Gazzetta, a private limited company.

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Originally posted by RadicalGeo on 05 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

21 April 5327
Antiyeudish acts rose in wake of 5326 election
White paper published by Beiteynu watchdog highlights troubling trends

➥ Acts of violence motivated by antiyeudism grew in the post-election period

Qart Qildar: In its yearly Report on Antiyeudism in Majatra, the Yishelem-based watchdog Center for Yeudi Safety highlighted a disturbing upward trend in acts of antiyeudish violence in calendar year 5326 which the report attributes "in significant part to normalization of antiyeudish rhetoric by recently empowered political parties" like the Order of Saint Sebastian.

Though the CYS report still attributes a relatively small number of assaults in Cildania directly to antiyeudish sentiment, Cildanian violent crime experts suspect the true number is larger, and particularly so when allowing for assaults where antiyeudism is a contributing rather than the primary factor in a violent crime, which the Report requires.

Acts of vandalism, either against Yeudi-owned private property or, much more commonly, against synagogues, rose by roughly 33% in 5326. The Report notes specifically that of the 190 individual instances of vandalism it noted throughout the year, 98 occurred in the period after the July election, with July and August alone seeing 34 instances of vandalism.

Harassment of Cildanian Yeudis saw a higher reported incidence than any time since the Franġisku era, with an increase of nearly one in four relative to the prior year.

The Report steers shy of directly placing blame for this influx on any party in particular, but Cildanian Yeudi leaders seized on the Report to specifically critique the Order of Saint Sebastian, whose leader Ilarju Rizzo is widely understood to hold antiyeudish beliefs. Rabbi Ġakobb Hosegħa of Qart Qildar noted that "OTSB" markings and symbols were a frequent theme of vandalism observed in Cildania's south, and that Rizzo's frequent use of terms such as 'elites' and implication of conspiracy among Cildania's financial class constitute dog whistling.

Il-Ġurnal is a broadsheet daily newspaper in Cildania, owned by the Magro Family. The newspaper has a 'moderate' editorial bent.

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Originally posted by Zanz on 06 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Homosexuality Decriminalised After Despott U-Turn
10 February 5328

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In a surprising turn of events, the right-wing One Flag party has submitted a bill to the Council of Deputies that would remove the unenforced law against homosexual relations. The law was briefly scuppered entirely after the return of multi-party democracy but was reintroduced in party through the efforts of Denzilee Depares. As a compromise, the laws were not enforced very stringently under Benaglia and are now completely unenforced under the Alagona-led coalition. BW deputies have either voted for or abstained, with all other parties besides the Order of Saint Sebastian supporting the bill. The Constitutionalist Party are also though to be split on the proposal.

That One Flag would be the party spearheading its repeal is a sign of the steps Yan Despott has been taking to 'de-toxify' the image of the party. With only the Order of Saint Sebastian to their right, One Flag lacks natural allies if the wish to return to government despite their solid base of support from Hebileans and other rural conservatives. By dropping opposition to the most basic of LGBT rights, Despott has distanced himself significantly from Depares's aggressive anti-gay rhetoric. Much of One Flag's attention since entering opposition has been on devolving agricultural policy further, to varying levels of success. Despott has also condemned anti-Yeudi sentiment in a recent speech to party organisers in Aheblun. There is increasingly discussion within the party of introducing another resolution to the Council of Deputies explicitly denouncing violence against Yeudis.

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Illum Kinaan is a news agency based in the Kinaan region of Cildania. It covers both local and national current events.

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Originally posted by Pragma on 06 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

13 March 5328
Yeudi leaders "cautiously support" efforts in Council to address antiyeudish trends
Bills to condemn antiyeudish violence, mandate proactive policing, and join international treaties recognizing racial equality are "good first steps"

Qart Qildar: Rabbi Ġakobb Hosegħa has been a particularly busy man in the period since the Order of Saint Sebastian (OtSB) won 51 seats in the Council of Deputies. Alongside maintaining his duties as rabbi
of a large synagogue in Qart Qildar, the Rav has more and more played a role in the national spotlight as a leading advocate for the protection of Cildanian Yeudis from a rise in antiyeudish violence since the OtSB shock.

Il-Ġurnal spoke with the Rav in the garden of the temple Shaarei Shomayim, where he told us he had just completed a day of counseling sessions and was preparing to travel to the Council of Deputies tomorrow where he will join other Yeudi leaders in lobbying for the passage of several bills in debate in the Council.

"There is some small hope that the situation will improve quite quickly," he told us. "There is commitment at least from some in the Council to formally recognize racial equality, as well as to better police antiyeudish violence. These are good first steps. There is also an effort, even from those who have historically been questionable allies for Cildanian Yeudis, to condemn antiyeudish violence." Asked if by this he meant Bandiera Waħda (BW), whose history with the Yeudi community is very fraught, the Rav only smiled.

Rav Hosegħa's demurring response to the question, however, was not necessarily representative of other views in the Yeudi community. Rabbi Danjel Pisani of Torah V’Avodah, a large Orthodox synagogue in western Qart Qildar, harbors doubts about the apparent BW about-face.

"You'll forgive me if I am reluctant to place my hopes in the hands of those who claim we must engage in 'understanding and dialogue' with antiyeudish criminals. It is not enough, and our people will bleed in the name of the right to OtSB 'free speech."

Il-Ġurnal is a broadsheet daily newspaper in Cildania, owned by the Magro Family. The newspaper has a 'moderate' editorial bent.

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Originally posted by Zanz on 07 Jul 2023.