Estimats cüncitaxhiens!
The Free Democrats of Talossa would like to invite all citizens to an Open Discussion:
Where To Now for the Organic Law?
(https://wiki.talossa.com/images/7/70/FreeDemsLogo2018.jpeg)
Contrary to what some have said - we have had a democratic debate on the monarchy. The democratic debate on the monarchy has gone on for literally years. You can trace it back to the Ranked Choice Referendum (https://wiki.talossa.com/January_2021_Midterm_Referendum) of January 2021, or even before then, to the Proclamation Crisis (https://wiki.talossa.com/Law_talk:47RZ28_The_OrgLaw_AMENDMENT_(Provincial_Government)_BILL_1_of_2015) of May 2015. Holy crap, almost exactly 9 years. And after all that time, we have finally reached a *real* historic compromise - which includes a commitment of King John to abdicate.
What can I say, except you're welcome. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79DijItQXMM) Nah, seriously - I acknowledge the hard work and sincere efforts to reach a compromise of Brenéir Tzaracomprada and Baron Alexandreu Davinescu as well as most of the TNC legislative caucus, who helped this over the last hurdle. But I'm still going to claim that none of this would have happened the Free Democrats and our predecessor parties doing the hard work keeping the issue alive, through dark times and election defeats, over most of a decade. And some of those complaining now actively opposed this ongoing political struggle - apparently out of personal animus.
Now. What is the next step?
The first point to be made is that Talossan Republicanism is not done yet. The roots of Talossan Republicanism are almost as old as the roots of the monarchy. Did not King Ben himself flirt several times with being President Ben? Was there not a Provisional Peculiar Republic of Talossa in 1987, before most citizens were even born? It ain't going away. But the argument needs to be made again from first principles, once the complicating factor - King John's political interference turning into apathy - is gone. Republicans now need to convince the nation that even a good, active King - which, schi Allà en volt, we will have within the year - is inferior to an elected head of State; or that a good, active King will inevitably turn into a King Ben or a King John if not subject to public opinion. That job is yet to come, and we need a recomposition of Republican opinion over that time. It's not going to come through political abstention and complaining about others' hard work.
But there are so many other things to discuss apart from the monarchy! It doesn't matter if you're a High Tory or a Red Radical, Talossa needs to discuss, at the very least:
Reforms to the Legislature: Unicameralism? A Mixed-Member Proportional System?
Reforms to the Provincial System: Mergers? Depowering, or at least a change in relationship with the Kingdom government? Even abolition (we have the cantonal system underlying all of that, never forget)?
Reforms to the Civil Service/Chancery: should we be expanding the "non-political admin" parts of the Government? Or abolishing them and giving all power back to the electeds?
The political powers, if any, of the King? (as long as we have one)
I should point out that the FreeDems have no "party line" on any of these issues. We are as keen to debate with each other as we are to debate with all sections of opinion!
In the coming election, the Free Democrats of Talossa will prioritise three issues, and one of them is: encouraging wide and open debate about further Organic Law reforms. If we can reach a compromise on the Monarchy mess, why can't we reach a compromise on other reforms which will make Talossa work better, with less pointless bureaucracy and fewer never-filled offices and never-enacted laws?
(The other two issues are: we need a big FreeDem delegation in the Ziu to make sure the next King will be non-political; and what does the TNC stand for, or even do? Topics for another thread.)
And as always, if you want to help open this debate up, feel free to just jump in this thread; or, preferably, join the Free Democrats of Talossa, the party that opens up debate, the party that gets things done.