Requirements:
1) agree with our 50 word statement for this election, and preferably with the major themes of the Party Program;
2) pledge to participate in the Free Democrats caucus in the 60th Cosa and vote according to its line;
3) not be annoyed when pestered by the Party Whip to vote on every Clark.

Enquiries to the Party President (me) or Secretary (@Antaglha Xhenerös Somelieir).

PARTY REGISTRATION

* Free Democrats of Talossa (FreeDems)

* 50 word statement: Free Democrats have achieved our goal of monarchy reform. But let's keep going! We need a new King who's non-political and a wider discussion of Talossa's constitution. The outgoing government have fought each other and gone inactive - FreeDems will bring back experienced, competent, and open government. FreeDems Get Things Done!

* Party Leader: @Miestră Schivă, UrN

* Candidate list (incomplete, more names to be added):

1. @Miestră Schivă, UrN
2. @Antaglha Xhenerös Somelieir
3. @Bentxamì Puntmasleu
4. @Marcel Eðo Pairescu Tafial, UrGP
5. ...?

* Party platform URL: https://wiki.talossa.com/Free_Democrats_of_Talossa#Party_Policy

Statements on the referendums to come.

I don't think you have to update for previous years - TalossaWiki's version control will preserve previous versions of that page

Estimat Túischac'h, I rise to deliver a question to the Seneschal.

Given that El Lexhatx D.1.5 states:

QuoteThe Seneschal shall maintain a public list of all of the positions described in Titles C[r 8] and D[r 7] of el Lexhatx along with any subordinate positions that might be created. The list shall include the incumbent of any filled position as well as indicate vacant positions. When the list is updated, the old version shall be publicly archived along with the dates for which it was effective.

And that the version of this list currently available on TalossaWiki is a whole Cosa term (and two Sensechais) out of date;

Has the Government set up a new "Seneschal's List" anywhere else which I am unaware of? I ask because the Opposition wanted to raise some accountability questions to the Cabinet but for some reason couldn't remember who they were.

Has anyone read both Terry Pratchett's Small Gods and Harry Turtledove's Between the Rivers and would be interesting into putting them both into dialogue with Gnosticism and Julian Jaynes' "bicameral mind theories?

Estimat Túischac'h, I rise to deliver a question to the Minister of Immigration @þerxh Sant-Enogat.

Can the Minister please provide:

1) the number of citizenship applications that have been received over his term in office?
2) the number of grants of citizenship that have been given over his term in office, with if possible the names of those new citizens?

Quote from: Bentxamì Puntmasleu on May 15, 2024, 03:40:56 PMI think maybe the "strange physics" ascribed to Besźel and Ul Qoma doesn't actually exist but that people (residents, foreigners, and even Breach) act like, and mostly genuinely believe, they do. What do you think?

... isn't that 100% obvious from the text? Are you reading it in some weird translation? Because it's pretty obvious there are no "strange physics", the two-cities-in-one is just a shared cultural delusion.

NOMINATION

Name: Miestră Schivă

Affiliation: Free Democrats of Talossa / Fiovan Republicans

50 words: Fiova is unique among Talossa's provinces for its directly democratic constitution where all citizens have equal rights to govern. So why are Fiovans not getting involved? Are we going to let Vuode and Cézembre make us look weak? ANSWER NO! We might as well merge if we don't get active.

Quote from: Bråneu Excelsio on May 09, 2024, 01:02:13 PM1. Nominations for the Praisidïeu (Title III Sections 1-2) will open on May 9, 2024 and will close 10 days week after that, on January 19.

???

Quote from: Bråneu Excelsio on April 18, 2024, 09:28:42 PMI do.

Probably time to get the machinery in operation for the Praisidieu election?

Quote from: codename_chels on May 05, 2024, 11:36:00 PMI'm wondering if there's a labor union of some sort? If people are given roles in this world, are there worker's rights and protections?

I think I'd better start by correcting a possible misconception. This isn't a "world", this isn't an RPG; it's a real community of people which just so happens to organise itself in the form of a small kingdom in North America.

Secondly: there was a Talossan Workers' Party at one point with the mission you describe, but it was kind of ephemeral.

Thirdly: there is only one "employer" of any size, that being the Royal Civil Service (every other activity would best be described as "self-employed"), and honestly I think if you want to be a labor organiser you should talk to royal civil servants about what their needs are.

¡Els Travaleirs Industrals del Mundeu viennent! ¡Entrez ad ár Viens Uniun Grült!

2003: Intransigent monarchist and even at that stage, inveterate party-jumper. See G. Valcádac'h, A Nation Sundered, pp. 42 onwards. Bonus quote: "THE KING SHOULD REMOVE YOUR HEAD OFF THE TOP OF YOUR BODY"

2013: Intransigent Republican. Quits the then-ZRT because we weren't Republican enough (actually because we got tired of his unreliability on Cosă votes and his continuous demands)

2022: Joins the TNC on a platform of defending the monarchy (against the FreeDem's THE KING MUST GO campaign):

Quote from: mximo on December 03, 2022, 02:30:42 PMNo party is really republican anymore and as a democrat I note that the population by referendum said no to a republic.

2024: After the TNC comes to a consensus with the Free Democrats on monarchical reform...

Quote from: mximo on May 03, 2024, 11:25:52 PMWhy not hold an election to find a new king or queen? Why not consulted? Do we really need a king? Isn't it time for a debate? And you, Mr. Absent King, couldn't you just abdicate and finally give us some fresh air?

I demand a democratic debate on the future of the monarchy. Besides, don't we have an election starting? We've been living without a king for years, and we're doing just fine

Meanwhile, this is what I said 18 months ago:

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on December 02, 2022, 07:32:46 PMColonel Carbonèl's record of political inconsistency and controversial statements is absolutely a fair point to raise if the TNC think an alliance with him is something that will attract, rather than repel, votes.

A theme that the Free Democrats will certainly be raising in the upcoming election is: what exactly does the TNC stand for these days?

Yeah, I would agree that civil servants would make better proofreaders than elected officials. And it's been Free Democrat policy for ages to massively expand the civil service - because people keep saying they want ways to contribute to Talossa which are non-political. But for some reason, people don't volunteer, or give up quickly, and it falls back on the electeds.

But the other good function of the CRL has been to stop people Hoppering bills, the debate (if any) dies down, and when everyone's forgotten about it, it gets Clarked without warning and it doesn't get proper scrutiny. And it's doing fine in that regard.

Given the discussion, I am perhaps minded to put up a clarifying amendment that the CRL can recommend that a bill be reconsidered before Clarking if it has changed so much that in their opinion, it hasn't got a proper Hopper debate.

I've put it in the Database myself, Mr SoS. Alea jacta est.

Last minute question, sorry to be a jerk. I would like to Clark this with the words "(or, if female, Queen)" removed from Section 1. Two reasons:

- I'm kind of nostalgic for the ancient Talossan precedent whereby "King" is a gender-neutral term. (I'd honestly kind of like to start a new one whereby the King's consort is called the Queen regardless of gender :D )
- It's a friendly gesture to any Talossans now or in the future who might not identify as either male nor female.