Callista October General Election Coverage

The October General Election, despite being two months away, is already proving to be one of the most interesting and perhaps contentious general elections in our History. With the incumbent Prime Minister, Baloo Kingdom, announcing he will not seek another term, and the dissolution of the Constitutional Tsarist Party, this election seeks to be a breath of new life for a new generation of aspiring candidates. Good evening, this is Plus Nova Imperii, and today begins my coverage of the October General Election. Week by week I'll report on all events relating to the Election and Callistan Politics, and as we get closer to the election I'll be interviewing candidates and other major figures as we get their perspective on this historic election.

Week 1 - The Impeachment of Baloo and a New Generation

The Election season truly began on July 26th, when Chief Prosecutor, Galactic Powers, filed a case against Prime Minister Baloo Kingdom for violation of citizenship and election fraud. To quote Galactic Powers "[a]ccording to two anonymous sources whose reliability I have confirmed, King of the Ratfolk, a Callistan citizen, CTEd in the beginning of July. The nation was then revived on the day before the July Election, and added to the citizenship list within the 24 hour period as specified by §9.8.i of the Constitution of Callista." Head Justice Mushroom Gorge found Baloo Kingdom guilty, and the Prime Minister was temporarily suspended from office, with a special election to elect a new Prime Minister to be held that Friday. This began, what many believe, is the closest Callista has ever come to collapse. Baloo's Lieutenant, Acting Prime Minister Komahina, announced that the ruling was politically biased, and resigned in protest alongside Minister of Roleplay, North Goguryeo. Head Justice Mushroom Gorge became Acting Prime Minister, and Komahina soon began arguing for secession from Callista and the reformation of the Vincence Empire. Baloo however, personally intervened and managed to prevent Komahina from leaving, promising that the Tsar, Sorianora, would look over the case. When Sorianora arrived the following morning, he overturned the Head Justice's ruling, and Baloo, Komahina, and North Goguryeo were reinstated to their positions. The Special Election was canceled, and Baloo confirmed he would not run for another term in October. Despite the return to the status quo, the event has permanently shaken up Callistan politics. That same day, I announced the dissolution of the Constitutional Tsarist Party and my endorsement of the newly created Populist Party. With five candidates, many of them fresh faces or new political parties, the October Election symbolizes a new age in Callistan politics.

Komahina, otherwise known as Haruhi Japan, is the incumbent Lieutenant Prime Minister and the nominee for the Baloominati. Komahina will likely have a strong chance of winning the election due to the established support of the Baloominati, and will likely campaign off of public support for the Baloo administration, the status quo, and Baloo's personal popularity. Minister of Roleplay, North Goguryeo, was confirmed by Komahina as his Lieutenant Prime Minister Candidate, although Minister of Foreign Affairs, Allertania, also expressed interest in serving as LPM. It should be noted however that Komahina did argue for secession from Callista if Baloo was not reinstated, and that scandal could be used as a major point of attack by the opposition. Komahina and the Baloominati itself could also be labeled as the "establishment" by anti-establishment groups such as the PPC.

When it was presumed a special election would take place, Mushroom Gorge announced the creation of the Populist Party of Callista, a splinter group from the Baloominati, with longtime member Arisyan as his running mate. The PPC campaigns on an anti-establishment platform, calling for new faces in the Callista administration. Most significantly, the PPC calls for the reorganization of the Callistan bureaucracy, including the abolishment of the Ministry of Recruitment, and the merging of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Internal Affairs into one, the Ministry of Regional Affairs. The PPC gained traction when I endorsed it during my announcement of the dissolution of the CTP. The PPC is expected to be the major contender in the election, due to its support for a smaller government, interregionalism, and support among prominent Callistan figures.

In the immediate aftermath of Baloo's suspension, Rhenzern, a longtime member of Callista, announced he would run for Callista as an independent candidate. Initially, North Goguryeo would be his running mate, but also soon left the ticket and reaffirmed his support for the Baloominati. Despite a lack of an LPM Candidate, Rhenzern has received support from a relative newcomer, PositiveRoleplayer, who formed The Independents for Rhenzern Committee. Rhenzern also received encouragement from Galactic Powers when he announced his bid. Rhernzern's platform seems to be a criticism of the establishment and political parties in general, supporting similar views to the populists such as bias in the Head Justice elections.

Minister of Recruitment, TheCarpathianMountains, was initially a member of the CTP but left the party, citing his support for Baloo during his trial and suspension. He formed PRO Callista, and in the aftermath of the CTP's dissolution, received support from Caesar von Bingen. PRO Callista argues for a continuation of the status quo but is more focused on opposing corruption and preventing politicians from gaining too much power. Caesar von Bingen, a former Chief Prosecutor, was announced as the nominee for Prime Minister, with TheCarpathianMountains as its running mate.

Finally, there is the National Restoration of Callista, another party that split off from the Baloominati. The Great Hiatus, the current Minister of Internal Affairs and NRC's founder has announced a bid in the General Election, although without a running mate so far. NRC was founded on a Corporatist and Apolitical platform, calling for the creation of the Callistan Guard. The Guard, as the NRC platform states, would be RMB moderators who the MoIA would appoint to moderate the RMB and enforce its rules. NRC also believes in allowing triple posting, allowing the MoRP to appoint RP Moderators without the consent of the PM, and abolishing the MoR. Most interestingly, NRC believes the position of Tsarevich should be abolished in favor of a succession line, going from Tsar to PM, to LPM, to MoIA, and so forth. NRC's platform also calls for Callista to be reorganized as the Callistan Corporation, with the Tsar becoming CEO. Whether this is a joke or serious is remain to be seen.

Week 2 - The Rhenzern Campaign, Five Candidates, and Nihilism

Week two was largely uneventful regarding the election, especially compared to last week. However, perhaps the most important development was the creation of Rhenzern's campaign platform. Published by ThePositiveRoleplayer, Rhenzern's running mate, the bulletin primarily focused on political reform and opposition to party politics. Similarly to the Populists, the campaign openly called for Head Justice and Roleplay Minister elections to be non-partisan, but the platform also advocated for the establishment of a term limit system. This system would have the Prime Minister, and presumably, other offices, serve two terms in a row, but then they have to take a one-term break before being allowed to serve in that office again. The campaign also called for "People's Rule," a plan that would connect the Callistan government to its people by establishing a weekly political forum, as well as merging the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the Ministry of Roleplay. Despite its anti-establishment and apolitical messaging, the Rhenzern Independent Campaign has resonated with some members of the political establishment, including Baloo Kingdom, who has openly called the campaign his second favorite party.

This week was marked by the establishment of the National Nihilist Society of Callista. A joke party founded by Boilanzandia, the NNSC advocates in their platform for not running against the Baloominati, grilling, and splitting the anti-baloominati votes. Meanwhile, The Great Hiatus, the Prime Minister candidate for the NRC, announced that long-time member Zebruski would be his running mate. This announcement has finally confirmed that five candidates will take place in the general election unless anyone drops out. Currently, the General Election looks like this:

Komahina / North Goguryeo (Baloominati)
Mushroom Gorge / Arisyan (Populist)
Rhenzern / PositiveRoleplayer (Independent)
Caesar von Bingen / TheCarpathianMountains (PRO Callista)
The Great Hiatus / Zebruski (National Restoration of Callista)

Week 3 - We are so Back! Featuring Special Interview with Galactic Powers

After a few week's hiatus, the Election coverage is back. Callista has experienced a political shock with the arrival of Untecna, a roleplayer from the Institute of Cellulose who founded his own political party upon arrival, known as People's Action Party, as well as the return of Yazakhastan, who founded a new front for his "Church of True," known as Callista Per Callistani. The NRC has made a pact with the Populists, Pro Callista is in talks with Prime Minister Baloo, and Chief Prosecutor Galactic Powers, otherwise known as Dominioan, has been interviewed by myself. The interview, conducted in a discord chat between myself and Dom, has been published below.

Rome: You served as Baloo's Lieutenant Prime Minister but were replaced in the recent election cycle by Komahina. Why?

Dom: That was due to, at the time, me having potential conflicts of interest with other projects and irl stuff. I accepted the CP position because I thought it would be simpler, but…we all saw how that went.

Rome: Interesting. What is your opinion on the current size of the Callistan Government? Most political parties have come forward and argued that various Ministries should be abolished, such as the Ministry of Recruitment, or merged, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs with Foreign Affairs.

Dom: I hate the current state of Callistan politics to be honest. Too many parties, too many ROs. Its all so bureaucratic. I don’t have any specific solutions but something needs to be done.

Rome: If I'm honest, I agree. Everything feels oversaturated. Going back to the Baloominati and Komahina, would you support someone else to challenge the LPM in a primary?

Dom: I would support Baloo. [I'm] a serious believer that Baloo is the best politician we’ve ever had. Outside of possibly Barlyy in some terms. I know he won’t, but I would support it.

Rome: Would you vote for the Baloominati in the General Election if Komahina was at the top of the ticket?

Dom: I can’t say right now. I’d maybe be able to give a response after the first debates.

Rome: Do you want to run or be appointed to any other position in the Callistan Government? Continue being Chief Prosecutor, running for Head Justice, or something else?

Dom: I would be happy being appointed to any position that the admin finds me fit for, but I won’t be asking for anything. I’d assume if Nooo stays HJ id remain as CP, so no intent to run there.

Rome: You've been very critical about the changes on the World Factbook Entry, with Goverbeef, Rules and Laws, the motto, etc. You've said that it's the first thing newcomers see in our region, so we should keep it normal. How do you think that has impacted Callista?

Dom: I don’t think it’s really impacted us in a huge manner. I just hate the unprofessional atmosphere of it all. All of these jokes, all of these memes in the wfe, it’s all just letting people mess with official things. What’s next? Messing with dispatches? It’s all too far.

Rome: For my final question, what do you think of the Constitution" Do you think our standard of implementing amendments rather than creating Regional Laws has hurt Callista's legal and administrative system?

Dom: This is something that is really an unfortunate consequence of us not having any actual method of passing bills according to the Constitution, all we have is amendments to make laws. This would be something I’d like to fix in the future. It’s really hurting us because it’s just cluttering the document.

Week 4 - The Establishment cowers in defeat

It's early in the afternoon, but we can now predict that the People's Coalition of Callista has won the October 2023 General Election. The H Corporation and Arisyan have just been elected Prime Minister and Lieutenant Prime Minister in a historic landslide against Baloominati Candidates Komahina and North Goguryeo, with a final result of 14 votes for the Coalition, 4 votes for the Baloominati, and 3 Votes for PRO Callista candidates, Caesar von Bingen and TheCarpathianMountains. We now go to an interview between myself and the newly elected Prime Minister of Callista. We will move on to further election analysis and what this means for Callista in the coming days.

Rome: Congratulations, Mr. Prime Minister. You have achieved what few have done. You have unseated the Baloominati establishment with a final result of 14 to 4 to 3. How do you feel now that you have assumed the office of Prime Minister?

H Corp: I am surprised of how far I've got considering I started from the bottom and rose up all the way to this position, proud of myself and the coalition for all the hard work done in the campaigning to make this possible, and excited for what the future will bring us now that I am in this position.

Rome: What specific piece of legislation, goal, or policy are you personally most excited about, and tell our readers how it will impact Callista?

H Corp: Out of all my goals or policies that I have proposed, I have a special space for this one in particular which is the one that kickstarted my campaign for PM which is the merge between the MoIA and the CP. The new cabinet position which will come out of this merge will be named Minister of Domestic Affairs whose role is to take care of regional happenings such as enforcing RMB rules and the constitution, protecting the rights of the citizens, their right to privacy when filing impeachment cases, and give warnings based of the warning system which is another policy currently in the making as we speak

Rome: You are the first candidate, to my knowledge, who won the election in a multi-party coalition. How did the dynamics of a coalition affect your decision-making and how did it impact your campaign?

H Corp: It affected the way I wanted to improve this region, some of my ideas were scrapped, even the meme parts of it which included making Sori the president of Callista, people started to take that one seriously and it made me realize that we essentially remove the uniqueness of the region and what makes it stand out. I was an extreme isolationist when the election started and after I joined the coalition I started to see interregional relationships in a different way, to make Callista better, it also made me make compromises with the other members of the coalition and come with a proper and strong campaign.

To make it short, it change from a meme candidacy to a more serious one

Rome: On to the future, do you see Rhenzern and myself winning our respective elections in the coming days, and do you see yourself running for a second term, whether if you and NRC are a member of the Coalition or not?

H Corp: I trust that you are going to perform very well in the elections, as for myself right now I don't see myself running for a second term as of this moment since there are other things me and Arisyan have to focus right now before even thinking of running for a second term

Rome: Interesting. You've been very critical about the changes on the World Factbook Entry, with Goverbeef, Rules and Laws, the motto, etc. Dominoan once said that it's the first thing newcomers see in our region, so we should keep it normal. How do you think that has impacted Callista?

H Corp: I agree with what Dom has said about the WFE, and I think it shows the lack of seriousness in the WFE which its purpose is to give quick run down about what the region is about, so messing with the links, the names, etc won't say any good things of the region. It impacts Callista by making the region look like an unserious region outside of Callista

Rome: You have said that you started NRC as an isolationist but have since moderated into an interregionalist. How do you want to approach Callista's foreign policy and especially it's embassy policy?

H Corp: I wanted to approach Callista's foreign policy by making good relationships with active regions, active regions will surely boost up the activity of the RMB and the reach of Callista interregionally which I have recently been doing with one of the regions by the time this interview is over. Regarding the embassies there was a bit of an issue between Baloo and Sori about the importance of certain regions and I kind of agree, Callista needs to have connections with regions that have a lot more to offer to us and vice-versa because right now Callista is strongly dependant on IOC relations. There needs to be some change on that matter

Rome: Now, I understand you would want Rhenzern to direct our current administration's Roleplay policy, but since Roleplay is generally the most important part of RMB activity, how do you as Prime Minister, want to grow and incentivize Roleplay?

H Corp: As an ex-RPer myself the best way to incentivize RP is by advertising it in our own region and outside of it, this will generate interaction between residents and foreigners and will make the region grow alongside the RP. Something I have noticed recently is the theme Callista normally goes when it comes to RP which is Alt-history based, which makes the RP a lot more unique and appealing for many people, I think keeping this theme will make the RP more popular

Rome: Alright.

Well, thank you for the interview, sorry for the delays. If you want to add anything at the end, now is the time.

H Corp: Thank you for interviewing me, I have nothing else to add