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DispatchAccountDiplomacy

by The aukumnia times. . 154 reads.

The Aukumnia Times | Issue II





  • The Fall of the POTL and the New Guard[here]

  • The Founder's Trial[here]

  • Reforms and Elections in the Pacifics[here]

  • The First Minister and the Separation of Power: On the relationship between the FM and the Senate[here]

  • Plurality and Democracy[here]


The Fall of the POTL and the New Guard
Written by Anonymous, edited by Xadrya

Earlier this month, Pridelands of the Lion, or POTL, disbanded, ending the reign of a short-lasting but revolutionary party. Following the dissolution of the POTL, many parties began to fill in the hole it left in Aukumnian politics. From the Democratic Vanguard Party, to the Aurelian Reformist Party, suddenly we now have many new and revolutionary competitors in the arena of politics.

While POTL was rather short-lasting, and didn’t accomplish many of the goals it set out to achieve, it did make some very important accomplishments in the realm of Aukumnian politics. One of the main goals, as stated by the Chairman and Founder of the party, Floshton,”There was a defacto two party system prior to POTL... I wanted to prove a minor party could achieve something if it put in effort by gaining seats and passing legislation. We did that and more by gaining a supermajority. Now people know.. if there is an idea to rally behind, people will join the cause... if its just plain and simple copy paste, no one will care. Which is why change was the key concept of POTL, having constant new ideas was what was gonna keep it going.”

Whether it was due to Floshton’s ambitions, or some other source, it is very clear that the politics of Aukumnia has seen a resurgence in activity and ambition. New leaders have risen across the region, from Aurelian wonderland, the Founder of ARP, to Mount aukum, Founder of Valtrad, each of whom have brought something new to the political arena.

These new parties are often characterised by a desire for change, as opposed to the highly status quo Collective Freedom Party. They desire a resurgence in community efforts, more ambitious integration policy, and movement away from Aukumnia's harsh predecessors. Whereas many prior parties had view points that opted towards change, few parties produced a tangible and real policy to bring what they wanted, unlike the new parties.

Historically, three parties dominated the scene. They were the original founding parties, known as the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP), Conservative Party (CP), and the Collective Freedom Party (CFP). Only one of these parties remains, the rest consumed by POTL. By disrupting these old and inactive parties, POTL gave way for something new. Rather than politics that was set up by the State itself, it gave rise to new parties devised, created, and managed by the Common Citizens and their ideals. These new parties, as stated prior, have more tangible and real policy, rather than abstract view points without any applicable basis.

But as these parties rise, an old party fades into seeming obscurity. The CFP, while maintaining the highest membership, has seen a massive decline in activity and prominence within the region. The newest parties, ARP and DVP, both dominate the Legislature and, as has historically been the case, all parties, outside of CFP, are heavily opposed to CFP and its ideals. This leading to CFP being heavily targeted and blocked from achieving many of its goals. The increasing level of controversy surrounding CFP's Chairman, Jeb, has also heavily contributed to this decline.

However, there is still a chance for CFP to make a rise once more.

Under the right leadership, the CFP may become a prominent and dominant party, once again. What kills a party most often is stagnation, empty words, and a lack of tangible policy; So many believe that with a revision of CFP's ideals and a movement in a direction more similar to the parties of new, CFP may be able to salvage what it lost.

So as the region drifts towards a more pluralistic form of politics, and as the parties and politicians of old give way to the ideas of new, the people of Aukumnia look towards a bright future.

A New Aukumnia?
Written by Anonymous, revised by Xadrya

In a historically unprecedented collusion, many of the various parties in Aukumnia have rallied behind a new governmental system. The system was proposed earlier this month by Prozera, the Chairman of Valtrad and a very controversial figure. In a historical move, suddenly the once rivaled leaders of CFP and Valtrad, Jeb and Prozera, respectively, are now working together to produce a new, improved, and more competitive system for Aukumnia.

The binding document of this system, in place of our current Constitution, is known as The Twelve Tables, a name borrowed from the old Twelve Tables of Roman History. Each table, replacing a 'section', covers a different area of the government. The first four tables, which focus on Justice and Public Law, can be edited in the same manner that legislation is passed in the current system. However, in the latter eight tables, they require the full amendment process we see under our current system. They focus on government structure and regional jurisdiction. Although, one of the most revolutionary aspects of this new system is the Public Law.

The Public Law under this new system sees a level of definition unprecedented in Aukumnian history. Whereas, the prior Code of Law had been heavily controversial due to its generality and lack of set punishments, the current system places more of an emphasis on highly-defined laws with a set range of punishments. However, some fear that under the Justice System that this Public Law is paired with, convictions could become far more political than prior.

Under the new Justice System proposed by the Twelve Tables, instead of a set of Justices, a trial is overseen by a Praetor, who is a high-ranking Senator. The Praetor, in conjunction with a Jury that is appointed from among the Common Citizens of Aukumnia, form the overseeing body of the trial. Following the trial a verdict of "Guilty" or "Not Guilty" is voted on by the Jury. Depending on the verdict, the Praetor chooses a punishment and the case is dismissed. From there, the verdict can be challenged by any Citizen and brought forward to the College of Praetors, which is a Committee of all six Praetors in the Senate.

One of the main concerns many have with the system, is the Senate. Many argue that the new system practically destroys separation of powers. Under the Senate exists the Executive Branch, the Consul and his appointed executive positions; The Judicial Branch, with the College of Praetors; And the Legislative Branch, under the collective entity of the Senate. Almost all members of government also serve as Senators. The Senate is ranked via the Cursus Honorum, which Senators may move up through internal elections. However, as a collective entity the Senate doesn't function that differently from the current Legislature. At the head of the Senate, much like the current Speaker/First Minister, sits the Consuls.

One of the very different aspects of the proposed system is the Consulate. Instead of having a single Head of Government, there are two, which switch power four times a month and switch out every two months. They both have the power to veto, but they also have the power to veto each other's vetoes. They appoint all executive positions, such as the Regional Scribe or the Head Diplomat, and they are fully responsible for maintaining the Senate, its conduct, and its voting and debate schedule. Many concerns in the past have been risen on the rather backseat position that Head of Government in Aukumnia is often forced to take due to its lack of real power, and under this new system many believe that issue would be fixed with a more relevant Head of Government.

In place of the Constabulary, this proposed system puts into place the College of Pontiffs. They, historically, were a religious body, but in this system they are given a new role. Not only do they enforce the rules, tying in with their historical role of enforcing morality, but they also oversee events and celebrations. Instead of being appointed, the Head of the College of Pontiffs, known as the Pontifex Maximus, is actually elected in a public election. The Pontifex Maximus is responsible for appointing new Pontiffs, but they must be approved by the current College of Pontiffs to fully pass through. However, many concerns have been risen regarding the lack of separation between the Senate and College of Pontiffs, several arguing that this could lead to dangerous corruption.

However, as this system garners massive support, so does the opposition grow. Many criticise this system as having a huge potential for corruption. From the high politicisation of the justice system, to the incredible lack of separation between the College of Pontiffs and Senate, many raise concerns that people are only pushing for a system like this so they can manipulate it to their own benefit. The curators of the system have yet to publicly address these concerns.

The Founder's Trial
Written by Aurelian wonderland, edited by Xadrya

On the occasion of having crossed 6 months since being founded, a crucial event took place in the region. Within the span of a single day, the founder, Xadrya, was impeached, later pardoned by the new founder, who promptly abdicated, making Xadrya the founder again, so immediately declared his intent on abdicating, which brought us back to square one. The event is of crucial importance to the region, as it sets a precedent, with regards to legal cases. Hence, it is all the more important to break it down.

It all started with a trial.

Ar, through Prozera, charged Xadrya, the Founder, with abuse of power on two grounds, for not conducting elections as dictated by the law, and for dissolving the chamber unconstitutionally. The basic argument arose from the discovery that earlier legislation stated that elections must be held on the 2nd Saturday of every month, which was not followed due to his own negligence. So, on discovery of this, he promptly dissolved the chamber and was about to set the elections in motion. However, Ar had other plans.

Xadrya, in the court, argued on the lines of lack of intent for personal gain, and instead pled that it was mostly due to negligence than anything else. Furthermore, for the dissolution, he claimed it was constitutional as the dissolving of the chamber before elections is the law. He claimed it was not using of emergency powers, but very well within the norms. The debate between the two sides were comprehensive, albeit not too intense or conflictual in nature. The two parties posed their stance well and let the court decide on it.

So, now the ball was in their court. The court took over three days before announcing the final result. The reason for that was inactivity by Magistrate Jefferson, who had been forced to go away due to personal issues. The court, in a historic judgement, while termed the dissolution as redundant, it termed the negligence as guilty of impeachment and called for the same. However, interestingly, the court tried to make a distinction between the Founder and the CAE, which is not present in the constitution.

Interpreting the announcement, the Founder, Xadrya declared Floshton, another prominent member of the region, as his successor. Floshton on succeeding him pardoned Xadrya, as his first act, and promptly abdicated, and declared Xadrya as his own successor. So, in a swift move, the position came back to him with no repercussions. Or so everyone thought.

Xadrya personally felt doing such a thing would set a poor precedent and instead decided to abdicate and let Floshton succeed him as the Founder. Instead, as a result, he was nominated by the First Minister to be the next Minister of Interior, and was approved by the Chamber shortly after.

The incident is crucial for the region from a legal perspective for two reasons. While legally, the founder can be impeached, it had never been done so. Hence, this affirms the region's commitment to the laws, by impeaching the founder with the proper proceedings. It affirms the supremacy of laws above all else. However, it also sheds light on a key loophole through which the founder can sneak back into power.

Such instances are key for the region to evolve further as it provides a new scenario for the region to cope with, and evolve, during the process. Currently, the region is under the rule of Floshton. It is to be seen how his rule will turn out.



Reforms and Elections in the Pacifics
Written by Aurelian wonderland, revised by Xadrya

The past few weeks have been particularly eventful in the GCRs, and more specifically, the feeder regions. The South Pacific, The North Pacific, and the Pacific had their elections within this month, and at the time of writing this article, The East Pacific was voting on their next delegate. Meanwhile, the recently elected delegate of the West Pacific was also in the process of bringing in reforms in the region and so forth.

The South Pacific elections concluded a little over two weeks ago, and so, is quite fresh. The delegate, Erinor, had previously served as the delegate of the region, and despite wishing to serve longer, had resigned due to infighting. However, this time around, came back with renewed enthusiasm, and ran against Beepee, who was a fresh new face who had shot up to popularity in the region. The new administration brings in a lot of hope and potential as Erinor is a more NS based player, and so, could boost the RMB participation, among other things.

The North Pacific had their elections almost a month ago, and elected Palliath as their delegate. Palliath had been their delegate previously as well, and had served his term. This time around however, he campaigned on the premise of being more bold in their approach, with a plan for the future of the region. He won the elections by beating out Mad Jack, a former delegate of Osiris, and gained over fifty percent of the total votes.

The Pacific has always been in the center of controversies one after another thanks to the controversial steps taken by the NPO, who administer the region. This time around, however, the delegate seeks to bring in some reforms in the shape of a revised Charter of the NPO, which seeks to democratise the region and improve NPO’s image home and abroad. However, will they actually take steps to implement them and how effective are they going to be, is yet to be seen.

The East Pacific is currently in their voting period. The primary contenders for the spot include Davelands, Fedele and Wonder Woman, among others. Fedele is the current delegate who’ll be seeking re-elections, and is having a tough contest with the other candidates. Davelands was the former delegate of TWP who has been rather active and influential in TEP as well. Wonder Woman was the former minister and is a core part of the region. The contest seems rather tight, with the elections being quite important for the future of TEP.

Finally, the West Pacific had their elections a while back, however, currently are in a very crucial phase in their administration. The delegate has sought to roll out a number of changes in the region, through a number of reforms. These changes include a revamp of the theme and introduction of a House of Peers, among other things. The changes are being introduced with the intent of keeping things fresh in the region. However, they arent free of criticisms, as many parties are opposing these changes, claiming it will hurt the very character of TWP. It is to be seen what way TWP will end up going.

So, all in all, the last few weeks have been eventful in the feeder regions. The Pacifics are engaged in reforms and elections, which will surely impact a lot of UCRs as well, and not just the GCRs. Apart from these democratic contestations, the inter-regional front has been rather quiet.


Democracy is much more than simply elections. Common discourses on democracy tends to take three distinct streams - representative, participative and utopian ideas like deliberative democracy and so on. Participative democracy, in real life, is not ideal in countries with large population. In NS itself, however, it is quite easily possible. The region as a whole could elect a leader, who could operate with his cabinet, and he could be removed/withdrawn by a simple referendum vote. Legislations and court proceedings could be done through public votes. Hence, it is not as difficult to implement as it is in real life. Nonetheless, just like real life, representative democracy turns out to be the most preferred choice.

The essence of representative democracy is electing representatives to rule you on behalf of yourselves. As all citizens cannot rule over themselves, instead, they collectively decide on individuals to rule over them. And as a result there are a number of institutions in a democracy, and all the institutions have their own roles and functions to perform. A key challenge in this respect is to separate power between all these institutions. I will not go into depth about all the institutions, but rather focus on two - the relationship between the executive and the legislative.

Both the institutions are integral to the region. They simply cannot be done away with. Naturally, hence, it is vital for there to be a balance between the two institutions, in order to achieve optimal functioning, while providing space for both the institutions. Currently, the set up is dominated by the Chamber.

An important distinction must be made whenever comparing these two institutions. The First Minister is directly elected while the Chamber is indirectly elected. Elections for the Chamber are done on party lines. So, the voters may/may not know of who are the representatives they are going to be represented by in the Chamber. So, it is often purely a matter of party loyalty and ideologies, than anything else. The First Minister elections on the other hand have a whole new dimension to themselves, as a directly elected body.

Elections for the First Minister is based on a simple first past the post system. Hence, here, there are a set of clear candidates, who are elected and hence, work for the citizens. The one who the citizens vote is the one who represents them. Meanwhile, in the Chamber, the citizens vote for a party, unsure of who specifically will end up representing them. So, the argument that the Chamber is true representatives of the people and deserves more powers is unjustified. In contrast, true warriors of liberty and freedoms would argue for more power under the First Minister, who is a directly elected institution.

However, do not get me wrong, I am merely providing an argument against those who would argue for centralisation of powers at the hands of the Chamber. Centralization of power, be it under the First Minister or the Chamber, is bound to be destructive. This is where the separation of power aspect of the democracy comes into play.

Every institution has their own jurisdiction. The Chamber deals with creating of laws, the Cabinet deals with the enforcement of laws, and the Judiciary deals with the interpreting of laws. These lines are quite clearly drawn when it comes to the Judiciary. The Judiciary doesn’t create laws or anything, neither does it interfere in cabinet’s duties like managing foreign affairs, or moderation, or recording, and so on. However, the Chamber on the other hand does.

The role of the First Minster in the region is quite limited currently. Despite being the “Head of the Government”, his primary responsibility of nominating his cabinet is heavily monitored by the Chamber. It depends purely on the whims of the Chamber if the First Minister’s preferred cabinet is selected or not. So, essentially, Chamber is the one nominating the cabinet. After that, the cabinet functions quite autonomously, as replacements and the like also go through the Chamber. It gives the impression that the cabinet members are more answerable to the Chamber than to the First Minister himself, who is constitutionally, placed at the top.

This begs the question, what is the role of the First Minister then? Instead of the cabinet, his role is to propose bills and mediate in the Chamber. This is, to put it bluntly, quite an unprecedented move, wherein, instead of giving control over his own institution, he is being involved in a completely different institution. This simply cuts through the separation of powers principles that the constitution seems to be so intent on.

So, the solution is quite simple. The two institutions need to recede back to their own arenas and function there. The First Minister should be given greater control over the cabinet, while the Chambers must not be overseen by the First Minister, but an internally elected Speaker. Such a move would make a more clearer line between the powers and responsibilities of the three institutions, and hence, further consolidate the democracy in the region..

Plurality and Democracy
Written by Aurelian wonderland, edited by Xadrya

The essence of democracy is quite well put forward by the famous words of Lincoln, “A government of the people, by the people, and for the people”. It is much more than simply elections. It is a free and fair political contestation, where, albeit only in theory, all citizens have an equal chance at power, and so, in essence, rule over themselves through their elected representatives.

In democracies where proportional representation is practiced, parties dominate the primary political agents, and the legislative branch is typically quite diverse, usually a multi party system. However, that may not always be the case. There are often times when a single party or just two parties end up dominating the legislation. Such a scenario can lead to undemocratic situations, wherein the party uses its dominance to further their political gains, at the cost of political aspirations of the citizens.

Dominance of a single party in the legislation is almost always undemocratic, no matter what the ideology of the party is. It turns the legislation into a instrument at the hands of a group of political elites, as they further strengthen their own ideological beliefs, while isolating the ideologies that are not congruent to theirs. By doing so, they also further solidify their own position, by projecting their own ideology as the best one, and so on. It will lead to a feeling of alienation among those who are tilted towards other ideologies and so on.

This is a key debate within the understanding of democracy in the contemporary era. The principle is the “rule by the people”, but the question then arises, is it “all” the people, or just “majority” of the people. While in theory, it is supposed to be a rule of all the people, in practice, it is very much the rule of the majority over the minority. Such things are painfully evident in electoral systems with First Past the Post System. In contrast, Proportional Representation gives a more fairer and democratic picture.

Simply being elected by the people does not give a party free reign to do whatsoever it desires. The legislation is not accountable merely to its voters, but to all the citizens of the region, for its policies do not affect only its voters, but every citizen of the region. This is why it is important for consensus building to be practised. It is key to the progress that the political parties settle their differences and find a mutual ground to work on, and seek to bridge gaps, than to widen it.

This is where a form of acceptable one party dominance comes in. The only case in which it is accepted is when the party is a centrist umbrella or a big tent party. Such a party is characterized by having members from all the ideologies, and having a flexible and accomodative system. In such a case, often factions emerge within the grand party. Hence, the party attains the nature of a coalition, than a party, with several factions within it.

Hence, the best thing for a democracy is for multiple parties, with their own ideologies, competing on equal grounds, and having legislative chamber that is diverse and not dominated by a single party. Such a pluralistic form of the branch would not only be more representative, but more importantly, it would bring a lot of diverse views and ideas to the table, which would greatly enhance the quality of debates and the legislations as a whole.

So, currently, as the region continues to evolve, it is perhaps more democratic than ever, with a number of parties contesting elections, and participation steadily growing. If there is any complaints, it would be that the more right wing ideologies are not represented in the Chamber as much as leftist ideologies are. However, as newer parties are emerging, that could very well change. The state of democracy and politics in the region does seem quite positive at the moment.

What It Means to be Aukumnian
Written by Republius, edited by Xadrya

In all my days in Aukumnia, I have seen much. While I am by no means an old or wise man, I certainly think I have some thoughts on what it means to be Aukumnian.

Of course, this statement is almost paradoxical. To be Aukumnia means something different to each individual, and that is perhaps one of the best things about this wonderful region we call home. Every single Aukumnian has the inalienable right to be whomever they like, whenever they like, however they like, and nobody can do anything to stop them. This is probably one of the only core beliefs one can identify over every individual's interpretation. This is also why I went and asked a handfull of Aukumnians what they thought it ment to be Aukumnian.

The first person I asked was, naturally, our (Former) Founder Xadrya. When asked "What do you think it means to be Aukumnian" he quickly went on to state that he thought that Aukumnia hadn't quite developed its own identity yet, however he listed off the following ideals as something he wishes to see as the Aukumnian identity in the future. Firstly, Aukumnians should be resolvant, and "willing to drop conflicts and able to move on past petty differences" in the interests of the success of the region. He also said that we Aukumnians should be "able and willing to be mature/serious when the time comes but also able to have fun in the community" while also being "accepting of others, independent of their past and beliefs." In conjuction with that, he recognized Aukumnia as "open and welcome to new members, striving to make them feel as much a member of the community as people."

Next, I asked new citizen and DVP Chairman Retiva who said something quite to the contrary. Opening with "Personally I don't think there's a strong distinction to being Aukumnian yet", he goes on to state that "there's not much I can say about what I think it means to be Aukumnian." He recognized the importance of politics and, to a lesser degree, roleplay, but did not feel that there is a "strong community identity" the people can "unite under" at this moment in time. However, he felt that would change in the coming months.

According to Senator South carolinian republic "To be Aukumnian is to love the region. You're from Aukumnia and you love the place. To be Aukumnian is to be accepting, fun-loving, cooperative. These aspects of life, to me, manifest in the region and its people." He finished by stating "I think we're still soul-searching, but we'll find it soon if we keep at our place."

After him, I asked Senator Izimash. He simply said "Somone who is part of the region Aukumnia," that they participate in the region, respect its laws, and shared values with others, whatever they may be. According to him, the values of Aukumnia are "Honestly, hard to describe."

Like I said, every Aukumnian has their own belief as to what being an Aukumnian entails, and that is the beauty of this region. It is important to remember, however, that the most important interpretation of what it means to be an Aukumnian, is the one you, dear reader, believe to be true.


Designed by Xadrya, producted, written, and edited by Aurelian wonderland, Xadrya, Republius and Prozera. Any comments, suggestions, or criticisms may be directed towards Xadrya

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