Estimadas és estimats amici, citaxhiens da Talossa!
I hope this letter finds you well in these strange and uncertain times. Let's cut to the chase:
Please vote for the FREE DEMOCRATS OF TALOSSA in the election for the 57th Cosa, which starts on March 15th (this Tuesday).
I have come out of "semi-retirement" to be the Free Democrats' candidate for Seneschál, should we win this election. This would be my fourth term in office. I'm looking forward to resuming the challenge of leadership in our ImagiNation.
The Free Democrats have a few core themes on which we are running in this election. The one I want to discuss in this email is our old favourite: bringing the Monarchy under democratic control.
King John has almost entirely given up on Talossa. He doesn't even log into Wittenberg for weeks or even months at a time. He ignores the elected Government, and when he does perform official functions, he does to at the urging of unelected "cronies", to whom – he has explicitly admitted – he gives honours and favours precisely because they support his unaccountable Royal powers.
In our current system, there is absolutely nothing anyone can do about this. But the obvious alternative – a Republican system – does not have the overwhelming support needed to surmount a Royal veto and change the constitution. This is why Free Democrats have been trying for ages for a historic compromise.
A bill was passed by the last Cosa that would allow Talossa's legislature to call a "vote of confidence" on the King every 7 years, and to replace him if he is found to lack that confidence. You can see the full details here: https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=848.0. Of course, the King vetoed it. So we need a 2/3 majority in the new Cosa to even allow it to come to a referendum, not even to enact it.
Talossa's constitution makes it extremely difficult to change the law over the King's veto. This might be the only chance we have to bring King John into a position where he has to justify himself to the nation. If you are a Talossan of Republican sympathies – you need to make sure this law happens. If you are a Monarchist Talossan, but you want an active King, who rules for the whole nation, rather than for a group of "favourites", you need to make sure this law happens.
And the most straightforward way to make sure this law happens is to vote Free Democrats in the upcoming Cosa elections. Any questions?
I look forward to telling you more about the Free Democrat programme and team in a future letter. Please vote FreeDems, and vote as soon as you can.
Resteu voastra per ar ImagiNaziun,
Miestra Schiva
Party Secretary, Free Democrats of Talossa