Utaristan

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Treaty of Imoryi signed; Xsampa, Utaristan and Bianjie draw closer diplomatically.

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Istalia alongside Utaristan to support the "Megaproject"

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Numerous figures within the Eset Alaq administration implicated in corruption scandal

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Cise, Utaristan | 18. 11. 5673

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Minister of Economy Yunis Fayziyev in front of the National Assembly

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In a breaking revelation, local investigative journal Cise Watch published a series of sound clips, incrimminating several figures within the Eset Alaq Administration and the Social Democratic Labour Party, namely Minister of Finance Karim Vahidov, Minister of Economy Yunis Fayziyev, and several others. In the sound clips important representatives of powerful Utaristani corporations, such as UtariHealth, Utaristan Transport Corporation, and Surat Toshmatov Print, have described various agreements between government officials and the companies, bribing them for concessions, such as prioritising Surat Toshmatov Print when buying textbooks for schools, or promising not to investigate working conditions within Utaristan Transport Corporation workplaces. In return the oficials have gained large sums of cash, sometimes numbering up to 9 600 000 Utaristani Sum, or 800 000 Xsampan People's Tangka.

According to the current evidence, President Eset Alaq, has no knowledge of these dealings, but despite this, his popularity has rapidly gone down, especially since his refusal to comment on the situation. President Alaq has been president of Utaristan for past 24 years, which has earned him the derogatory nickname "Eternal President". He was most recently reelected in 5669 with margin of 3,8%, lowest ever in his tenure as president. Like Alaq, the Social Democratic Labour Party has been the "natural governing party" for last 25 years, always reaching more then 35% of the vote, and forming government with it's close ally Dovani and Communist Party of Utaristan, which is sometimes reduced to mere "satellite" of the SDLP. In the 5669 elections the SDLP and DCPU have barely formed majority, having 203 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly. Through the years SDLP and it's coalition have been accused of rigging the elections in their favour, however these claims have never been proven, and were even disproven by indepedent journalist several times.

Ministers Vahidov and Fayziyev have not given official comments yet, however they have stated to expect official statement soon.

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Article authored by Alim Navai

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Split in the government as ministers refuse to resign

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Cise, Utaristan | 11. 12. 5673

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Palace of Heroes, seat of the President and the Council of Ministers

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The Social Democratic Labour Party and its leader and President of Utaristan Eset Alaq continue to find themselves in worse and worse situations as the Vahidov-Fayziyev Affair threatens to split the coalition between the SDLP and its close ally, Dovani, and the Communist Party of Utaristan. In a recent press conference, the Minister of Economy Yunis Fayziyev and Minister of Finance Karim Vahidov, who have found themselves amid accusations of great corruption, refuted these allegations, accusing the opposition parties, primarily the Liberal Democratic Party and the Ahmadi Democratic Party of Utaristan, SDLP's main rivals, of fabricating the evidence. The companies involved in the affair have also refuted any guilt but have remained otherwise silent.

Eset Alaq has so far remained silent on the affair, a move that has not increased anyone's confidence, especially not the one of Eset Alaq's governmental ally DCPU. In a controversial move, the DCPU has threatened to leave the government if Ministers Vahidov and Fayziyev are not recalled or do not resign. If Eset Alaq refuses to recall the ministers, there is a possibility that Utaristan would see its first minority government. Such a situation would be unprecedented and could spark a constitutional crisis. Since Utaristan is a presidential republic, there is no motion of no confidence to recall the government. There, however, is the option of impeachment of the president, but the opposition would need to gather 2/3rds of the 400 seats in the National Assembly. Since such a prospect seems improbable, it's possible the government will find itself unable to pass any laws until the upcoming elections in March of next year.

In the face of such crisis within the government, more and more people turn to the opposition. According to the latest polls, the strongest opposition parties, LDP and ADPU, hover around 25% each, while SDLP polls around 21% and DCPU polls around 23%. This is the first time these parties consistently poll better than the SDLP. Worryingly, the affair has seen a rise in the popularity of ethno-nationalist parties like the Homeland Party for Ashkerstan and the Hulstrian and Hosian Party. There are even worries that with the growing radicalisation and discontent, some of the radical elements of the HPA or HHP, who might have kept weapons stockpiles from the Utaristani Spring for 5 decades, now might commit an act of terrorism.

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Read more articles related to the Vahidov-Fayziyev Affair:
Numerous figures within the Eset Alaq administration implicated in corruption scandal | 18. 11. 5673

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Article authored by Alim Navai