All news stories are submitted by participants in Ill Bethisad, all of whom are welcome to submit stories from their respective parts of Ill Bethisad. Submissions may be edited for clarity, language or style.
BBC World News, Central Europe Desk - WITA WARSINY, 20.12.2003
In a belated reaction to the success of democratic forces in the Belarusian
parliamentary elections held earlier this month, prime minister Jan Sacz has
expressed his deep satisfaction with the result. He told the press: "This is an
important moment, both for us and for Belarus. For centuries, the Belarusians
have never been able to fully participate in the historical process. Instead,
they were to follow the traces of foreign powers. But now it seems that finally
the Belarusians have managed to shake off their historical legacy, to claim
their legitimate part on the world scene." A letter of similar content was
delivered by the R.T.C.'s ambassador to Minsk, Tomasz Miszczuk, to the leader
of the victorious People's Renaissance Party, Uladzimir Kotau.
Foreign minister Olwarz Piniatyk is scheduled to pay an official visit to
Belarus in the first week of January, during which he will discuss all options
for future cooperation between our two countries with Kotau. Belarus'
relationship with the Baltic League will be on the agenda, too; it is expected
that Belarus will submit a formal application for candidate-membership within a
couple of months.
The lateness of the R.T.C.'s official reaction seems to be caused by twofactors: the general strike that lasted more than a week and affected both
the press and the diplomatic personnel, and the fact that the first
congratulatory letter to Kotau never reached its destination. Piniatyk said
that he will investigate the latter. Regarding the strike he said: "The right
to strike is a good thing. But when it means that a whole country is
dismembered for a whole week, perhaps we should allow ourselves to reconsider
its limits. This made us look like fools in the face of the whole world."
Sacz's statement was met with relief by the Union of Belarusians in the R.T.C. (ZBRDK). Deputy chairman Wiktar Bielahalawiec said: "Of course, we were
worried about our government's silence. We thought that perhaps not every
member of the government was happy with the new situation, or that the
government was simply too busy with its own problems to pay attention. Now we
know at least that it was just a matter of miscommunication."
Onute Staniszkiene, director of the Institute for International Relations of
the WiLASz, comments: "I agree with Sacz that this is an important first step.
But it won't be easy for Kotau. First of all, he will have to cope with a huge
anti-Western minority in parliament. For each reform he will try to carry out,
he will need to deliver a major fight, both with his opponents and with the
post-snorists who occupy key positions in every layer of political and
economical life. Secondly, the economy is in such a disastrous state, that
whatever reform - no matter how necessary - will cost him lots and lots of
support among the people. In other words, no matter how successful he will be,
there is always the danger of a return to old practices in case Kotau won't
survive the next elections. This is exactly what happened in Latvia. In short,
I think we need to provide Kotau with all the support we can give to him -
although full membership of the Baltic League surely is not an option. This is
exactly what I told Piniatyk, too."[JvS]
IBAP Dec, 19, 2003.
SALEM, LES PLAINES, NAL (IBAP) - The Martin County Commission has been told
by letter that two Sioux Falls people would like to start a new town that
would be renowned for its use of Kemrese Sign Language.
Marianne Lallemand and Rupert Grump of Sioux Falls made the request, saying
they would like to be the founders of the new town, which would be called
Laurent and would be seven miles southeast of Salem near the Louisiannan
border.
The goal is to break ground in the spring of 2005, Lallemand said Friday.
She said her family would buy land from several family farmers for the town
and that it could cost $500,000 to $1 million for about 640 acres of land.
Lallemand and Grump said the residents would not have to be deaf to live in
Laurent but would have to be able to use Kemrese or NAL Sign Language to
communicate.
It would be important for the town to be close to Sioux Falls and Mitchell,
Lallemand said.
"Location was a key factor in choosing Martin County as an option for the
new town," she said. "The proximity to Sioux Falls and Mitchell and to major
medical facilities, colleges and universities were all factors, but we do not
want to be a bedroom community."
The letter said they expected to build a four-block area with housing and
stores. About 40 families have expressed interest in moving to Laurent, and
reservations are being taken from a group of families willing and able to
move, according to the letter.
Martin County commissioners will put the matter on their agenda as soon as
a sign language interpreter can be found, officials in the county auditor's
office said.
The town would be named after Laurent Clerc, a French native who helped
pioneered Kemrese Sign language in the North American League in the early 19th
century.
Grump was living in Michigan in the early 1990s when he told his new mother-
in-law, Lallemand, of his dream to start a sign-language community. Both were
raised in families with genetic deafness. The Grump family started the quest
four years ago, and several months ago, a planning firm from Jacobia visited
Les Plaines to talk about the plans.
Grump, his wife and their four children are deaf and use sign language in
their home.[DH]
BBC World News - America Desk - 18 December, 2003 - Letter to the Editor originally published in Le Jour of St. Louis
December 18, 2003
Salt City, Deseret, Disputed Territory.
Dear Editor: Amidst the hovels of the impoverished people of Deseret stands
a little girl, blonde haired, blue-eyed, clutching the ragged remnants of a
doll. This picture is seared on the mind of those who've seen it, a sweet
child, with parents who would be law abiding citizens, if only a peace could
be secured. So state posters that have been plastered on any vertical
surfance in Los Angeles and San Diego.
The Coalition for a Deseret Condominium State has renewed its efforts with
the Alta Californian government to secure peace as an autonomous district.
Among the proposed tenets of the agreement are a promise to pay taxes to the
government in San Diego, and an oath of fealty by all Deseretans to support
and defend the Alta Californio government.
The CDC is hoping that with a new Presidente in power peace is
attainable. "We're hoping that all Deseretan children will have at least one
of their wishes granted; Peace for the coming year. Peace, and the promise of
growing up."
There has been no response from the Californio government at press time.[DH]
IBAP, 18 December, 2003 (28 Frimaire, CCXII)
Zarahemla, Nouvelle Cournouaille, Louisianne - Today at the Reed Smoot
Aerodrome President Jean-Francois Young and President Padrig Maughan held a
press conference to announce the end of military operations against Deseret
Zionist Movement.
"The DZM is no longer a concern of the Louisiannan people." President
Maughan said. "We have the greatest of thanks in our heart for the fine
pilots loaned to us from the Dalmatian Air Force."
The cermemony concluded with an award of the Louisiannan Fleur-de-Lys,
symbol of patriotic valor in combat, to the entire Dalmatian squadron. The
Dalmatans are expected to arrive home in time for Christmas on the 5th Nivôse
CCXII.[DH]
BBC World News Service, Russia Desk - 14 December, 2003 THE VOTE IS COUNTED! SO WHAT NOW?
MINSK - Yesterday, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission of the Republic
of Belarus, Sp. Alaksandar Mahyla, has announced the final official result of
last Sunday's vote which has decided the make-up of the Belarusian seim for the coming five years (see inset).
[INSET:] THE FINAL TALLY The PNA's victory was largely predicted by the polls, and they looked sure
to win after September's municipal elections in Maladzeczna. Sp. Kotau, the
party's leader, widely tipped to be the next prime minister, is quoted as
saying, 'This is a huge victory for democracy in Belarus. We will, as
promised, pursue a course aimed at integration into Europe, a stronger, freer
market economy and human rights in the country'.
The party, however, came just short of the 34 votes needed to form the
government by itself, and so it is likely to form an alliance. Analysts
predict that Sp. Kotau's next closest friends will be the Respublikanskaja
Partyja, whose leadership includes some of the more prominent figures in the
early eighties' collapse of the SNOR regime in the country - Sp. Abram
Ciurupa, a prosperous businessman and banker, former deputy prime minister in
1992-1994, and Sp. Nikalaj Czerpankiewicz, former governor of the Bransk
voblasc, known for his efficient market policies there, which were hailed as
one of the most successful economic projects in post-SNOR Eastern Europe. The
latter is widely acknowledged as the future minister of economy in Sp. Kotau's
parliament.
The Republicans, however, did rather worse than expected. Even the exit
polls suggested they might get from 12 to 16 votes, and polls from a fortnight
ago suggested up to 20 seats. Sp. Ciurupa, however, refrained from any
criticism. 'We do not believe there was any ballot-rigging or anything like
that. We had our observers on every single polling station in the country, and
the election was notably clean. I am even somewhat surprised', he said at a
press conference Friday.
Most of the votes for the Republicans came from Minsk, Smalensk, and
Bransk, the country's largest cities. Analysts see this as a positive
sign. 'It appears that a politically conscious middle class is emerging in
Belarus, and that is a good thing', an analyst at the Belarus-RTC Cooperation
Fund is quoted as saying.
One of the top items on the new government's agenda will be aspirant
membership to the Baltic League, and there definitely will be a strong
opposition to this move. Beside the PBD, which has retained a strong hold in
the seim (but lost the majority), it will most definitely be opposed by the
nationalist 'Radzima' bloc. It was created half a year before the election and
claims to be an 'enlightened nationalist' party. It is both strongly anti-
Russian and anti-European, and burst onto the scene quite unexpectedly. The
party's leader, Mr Rohazau, is known to have strong ambitions for foreign
minister post. He has served as Belarus' ambassador to the Federated Kingdom,
and is known for his strongly patriotic rhetoric. Together, the PBD and
Radzima can form a very strong anti-Western bloc.
Svabodnaja Belarus, the centrist bloc, is commonly seen as an important
factor in the seim. First, it might be influential in the case of a split
between the PNA and the Republican Party on one side and the PBD and Radzima
on the other. Its candidates are mainly experienced businessmen, economists
and lawyers, and they are seen as the right wing's[*] staff room for new laws.
[*] 'Right' in the sense 'economically libertarian'. The PBD and Radzima's
rhetoric is of course, far more to the right than PNA's, but somehow it is
difficult to call them right parties, as the readers have surely experienced -- Ed.
The independent candidates are mostly local activists who have not yet had
the opportunity to show themselves in politics. One exception is Sp. Paval
Vozhyk, elected in Klincy, who is a former deputy of Sp. Czerpankiewicz's who
left his administration in a row over municipal taxes.
Analysts hail the election results as positive for Belarus' democracy. Mr.
Rhigerdd Yniwr, the Federated Kingdom's ambassador to Minsk, commented, 'We
are seeing this as a huge step towards democracy and eventually European
integration for Belarus. Mr. Kotau is going to have a hard time with the
reactionist and revanchist forces still strong in the parliament, but I am
sure he will persevere and be successful, and I wish him the best of luck'.
No-one at the RTC's embassy in Minsk or the Baltic League Office in
Smalensk was available for comment so far. Sp.Kotau appeared to be somewhat
flummoxed by this, as he utilized the RTC and BL factor quite widely in his
campaign, and he has received encouragement from Belarusians in the RTC (if
not from the authorities). The Russian Consul in Smalensk only said that he
congratulated the Belarusians on the fact that they have had a free and
unproblematic election, and promised a longer statement would follow.
So, dear Readers, what course do you think will Belarus eventually take? Send in your thoughts to the editor (see address on cover), and we will
publish as many as we can next Sunday.[PI]
IBAP - 6, December, 2003 - 14th Frimaire, CCXII
Porc-Epines, Nouvelle Navarre, Louisianne - Today there was celebration
among the 350 inhabitants of Porc-Epine, the final town in the Navarran
attempt at modernization. Maria Rosa Garcia was priviledged to be the first
to make a telephone call, and she called her mother in four hundred-fifty
kilometer away Brest. The unhappy news for Navarrans is that CFL has
announced a re-scaling of the timetable for completion of rail-lines in the
province, due to a budget shortfall in the final quarter of last year.
Completion of TGV and Freight lines are now expected to be completed sometime
early in An 213.[DH]
WITA WARSINY -- 5 December, 2003 -- AKWIALA MARATHON
OLWARZYN (WSAP) -- The winner of an "akwiala marathon" in the Galician town of Olwarzyn has been unable to accept his prize, because he literally drank
himself to death. His five competitors ended up in hospital. When the winner tried to approach the jury table in order to pick up his prize, ten bottles of akwiala, he simply dropped dead where he was standing. The ministery of Justice is investigating whether the organisation of the contest can be prosecuted for manslaughter. It is unknown how many bottles the six tipplers had knocked back.[JvS]
LA VOZ DE LA NACION - Wednesday, 26/11/03 - HACIENDA OWNERS CHASED AWAY
CHARLOTTE AMALIE - Francisco Capistrano found his mother, Veronica, who was
a wheel-chair user, lying in a pool of blood. Her throat had been slit open.
The mother was the first victim at the family estate near Crab Island's
town of Hoppesby in the Cruzan Islands. That was last summer after the
referendum. Last September, Francisco found his father, David, in the estate's
sugar mill. He had been massacred by a steel pipe.
But that was not the end of the family's grief. Francisco's 32-year-old
brother, Luis, couldn't live with what had happened. He got a terrible
depression and killed himself three weeks later.
Every day, Francisco fears that he will be the next victim and that his
four children will be fatherless. In his pocket he always carries a small
revolver.
"It's small enough that nobody can see it. If it was visible, then I'll
just be exposing myself to attacks. It's small enough that I can hide it with
my hand in my pocket."
Being an Antilleano-Castellano [Floridian, Cuban, Hispaniolan, or Porto
Rican] in the Cruzan Islands has become increasing dangerous. Since the
refendum, 72 Antilleano-Castellanos have been killed in connection with
attacks on haciendas.
The hacienda-owners are fleeing their haciendas and are moving to San Juan,
Porto Rico. Francisco and his family no longer live on the family estate. They
too moved to San Juan while their cattle grass on their cane fields turning
fallow. Every weekend Francisco commutes to Crab Island to check on the
estate. "But it's really not worth it anymore. The fencing gets stolen, and I
lose a cow every week from theft."
One often hears from these hacienda-owners that these attacks are
politically motivated, and that the Antilleano-Castellanos are being forced
out of their lands in the Cruzan Islands. Such a theory has not been supported
by the Cruzan government or in its official investigation that has recently
been concluded. According to that report, 98% of the attacks are not
politically motivated.
The hacienda owners dismiss the results of the official investigation as
rubbish. "If the attackers are just burglars, then why are they so brutal? All
that murder? All that torture? All those rapes? And most of all, why only
Castellanos?" asks Francisco. We believe that there's more than just criminal
motives behind these attacks. I'm thinking in terms of hatred and the question
of land-ownership."
Jaep Smith Johansen, head of the official investigation, says that that the
Antilleano-Castillanos are "overdramatizing". He adds, "If there was so much
hatred for those Kakerlaks, then why is it that there are native Cruzans still
working for them, faithfully I might add, in their estates while they
themselves hide in San Juan?"
Francisco does not agree. "Its clear now that those Cruzados have become
more bold after the referendum. I think they aim to have all the land here in
this province Scandinavian or Cruzado-owned. And they are using the
homesteading plan as the means to do it."
After the Cruzan Islands purchased their independence in 1937 from the SR,
the Cruzan government started dismantling the old plantation system of large
estates by introducing a system of smaller homesteads. However, the plan was
suddenly interrupted in 1947 when Florida invaded the islands. The old system
was reintroduced where rich Antilleano-Castellano hacienda owners took over
the remaining estates and bought out the homesteaders.
Now, with increased Cruzan independence from Florida, the homesteading plan
has been reintroduced. The Cruzan government now has the right of first
purchase whenever an estate is for sale. Estates purchased by the Cruzan
government are divided into smaller portions which are then sold as homesteads
where native Cruzado citizens have the right of first purchase, Scandinavians
second, and other Antilleanos third.
The homesteading plan is a sympathetic one. It allows many native Cruzados
to own land that they otherwise would not be able to afford when the estates
happen to be sold. Yet the attacks means that only estates that have been
owned by Antilleano-Castelleanos are being sold and apportioned as homesteads.
To date, Scandinavian owned estates have not been affected. But then, there
are only three of them; Annasly, La Grangje, and Lille La Grangje - all in
Saint Croix.
Tomorrow, Francisco will be selling his family's estate for merely 100
Rigsdaler Specie to the Cruzan government. The government real estate agents
say that it's not worth more because there has been two murders in the estate
and that it has been seriously neglected.[KJ]
IBAP - 24 November, 2003 - Fairfax & Loudoun Counties of Virginia, NAL, Suffer Health Crisis
ALEXANDRIA - Health officials have rescinded the warning that was issued last week, having contained the crisis. Those who have been found to be
actively infected are hospitalized, and many more are being medicated as a
preventative measure. Testing is ongoing.[DH]
IBAP - 18 November, 2003
FAIRFAX, Virginia (NAL) - Provincal health officials announced today that an outbreak of Tuberculosis has been officially recognized in County Loudoun and County Fairfax. League Authorities are cautioning residents of Ter Mair and Pennsylvaania to get tested if they suspect contact with those infected. Travel to and from the affected counties is now officially restricted. Health authorities have refused to add any more comment.[DH]
IBAP - 28 Oct, 2003 (5 Brumaire, CCXII)
First President Young and the Council were all surprised this morning
as they left their respective Paris-sur-Mizouri residences; finding
the tires of their vehicles had been removed and replaced with Cinder
Blocks.
"We're not sure how this happened," said Remy de Chamois, Press Relations
Officer for Council Security (SC). "It is very strange. All of our security videos show the various garages to be untampered with. We're uncertain as to why the vandals only removed the front tires of the vehicles. It truly makes
very little sense. If they performed this action to accomplish some political objective, none of us have any clue as to what it is."
All members of the Council are reported to be safe and secure. There
are no leads at press time. [DH]
RIGETS TIDENDE - Thursday, 16/10/03
JUNIOR EUROVIDERE SONG CONTEST A SUCCESS
GJØTEBORG - Croatia's talented little pianist, going by the name of Dino,
won the first ever Junior Eurovidere Song Contest, which was held yesterday in
the Gjøteborg, Hovedstadsområdet.
Dino, with his song "Ti si moja prva ljubav" (You are my one and only),
received 134 points in the competition; a narrow victory over Castille y Leon
with 125 points, followed by England with 118 points.
The 11-year-old wrote his song about finding the girl of his dreams and
performed it in front of a live audience of 8,000 people at Gjøteborg's Royal
Theatre.
Dino and all the other children were aged between 8 and 15. Strict rules
have been implemented in the contest aimed at preventing the exploitation of
these young talents. The children must among other things have written the
songs themselves, must sing in their respective mother tongues, and follow a
strict dress code.
Sixteen countries participated in the event; Greece, Croatia, Cyprus,
Belarus, Latvia, Dalmatia, The Republic of the Two Crowns, Norway, Castille y
Leon, Romania, Batavia, England, Denmark, Sweden, Malta, and Oldenburg. Many
other countries wanted to join the contest. However, sixteen was deemed to be
a reasonable number for the junior panel of judges to handle.
The contest was broadcast live via wireless and hosted by Rigets Radio - the Scandinavian Broadcasting Company. Next year's Junior
Eurovidere Song Contest will be held in Castreleon, Kemr, in the Federated
Kingdoms, on 20 November, 2004. It will be broadcasted and hosted by the BBC
and Telefisiwn Comroig. Unlike the adult Song Contest, the victorious country
does not have the automatic right to stage the show the following year. The
organizers of the junior Contest and RR wanted to make sure that the new host
had the means to broadcast throughout Europe. So the right to stage the
following year's show is decided in advance, upon request of any of the
following year's participating countries.[KJ]
RIGETS TIDENDE - Thursday, 16/10/03 - THE EMPRESS'S LAST VOYAGE
MOSKVA -- Empress Dagmar, or Czarina Maria Fjodorovna, as the Russians call the Danish born princess, will finally be returning home to
Russia. The coffin with her earthly remains have since 1928 been
located inside a sarcofage in Roskilde Cathedral. But the sarcofage,
which is owned by the Danish Royal House, will not be following her on
her last trip to St. Petersburg. A ship of the Royal Scandinavian Navy
will in August 2004 escort the princess's coffin to Saint Petersburg,
where she will be reunited with her husband, Czar Alexander III, in
Peter-Paul Cathedral. The reburial will take place on the 138th
anniversary of the then 19-year-old Danish princess's arrival to Saint
Petersburg to be wedded to the then to be Czar of Russia.
Queen Margrethe has sent a letter to Russia's President, Igor
Arenskij, stating that she will not stand in the way of the reburial.
But she stressed the importance that the process be done with the
utmost respect. The Queen's letter is a reply to Arenskij's letter
dated the 8th of August 2002 requesting the reburial. Foreign Minister
Bernsdorff handed the Queen's letter to Russia's new ambassador to the
SR, Dmitrij Rjurikov.
The original request for the reburial of empress comes the Romanov
princely family, to which the Czar's family belongs. The 83-year-old
Romanov, Prince Nicholas Romanov, and his brother, Prince Dimitri
Romanov, who both live in Denmark, took the initiative a few years ago
for the reburial. Their request in 2001 to President Arenskij recieved
a positive response both in the Kremlin and in the Danish Royal House.
"We know that it was Empress Dagmar's own wish," says Prince Dimitri
Romanov. He participated in the reburial of the murdered Czar-family.
"A wife ought to be with her husband. It was therefore a very
difficult day for me. Empress Dagmar was the only member of the family
who was not reburied and reunited with her family. Now it's going to
happen, and it is very very important for us," Dimitri adds. He
intends to be present in the reburial.
The Russian-Orthodox Church-in-exile in Copenhagen is not happy about
the whole affair.
"The time is not ripe," says the church's priest, Father Sergei, to
Rigets Tidende. The church is of the opinion that the reburial ought
to be Empress Dagmar's own personal wish, but also stresses that such
a wish is not written in her will, her journals, or memoires. "We
simply do not know what she really wanted," he adds. Empress Dagmar's
presence in Denmark is believed to be the foundation for the Church's
existence in the SR.
On the other hand, the reburial can be interpreted as having a huge
symbolic meaning for the new Russia, which, after the SNOR regime's
collapse, is trying to reconnect and shed light upon the 500-year
dynastic relations between the European and Russian princely houses.[KJ]
RIGETS TIDENDE - Tuesday, 14/10/03 - MARKET DISCRIMINATION IN THE CRUZAN ISLANDS
CHARLOTTE AMALIE -- The Cruzan newspaper, Skt. Croix Avis, reports that discrimination is increasing in the Cruzan Islands as the native populations are increasingly discriminating against Castillian Floridian businesses in favour of SR nationals (both Cruzan or non-Cruzan) or Lesser Antillean businesses.
The discrimination appears to be well organized and is aimed by the native Cruzan population to let market forces drive Castillian Floridians out of the islands. The fact that the Cruzan Islands forms a small closely knit society, where everybody generally knows who is who, has meant that it has been very easy for the Cruzans themselves to identify who is or is not a Castillian Floridian.
Businesses in the Cruzan Islands owned by Castillian Floridians have seen their sales drop drastically in recent weeks as the natives boycott their establishments. Many Castillian Floridians have had to sell their businesses at lower prices to SR nationals, or to Lesser Antilleans. Even larger companies are involved. For instance, transportation concessions that were once runned by Floridian companies, have now been sold to Scandinavian companies. Castillian Floridians are simply not willing to risk investing in the Cruzan Islands, fearing that they will not cash in.
However, it is obvious that the descrimination is aimed at Castillian Floridians only. SR nationals and Lesser Antilleans are welcome to invest in the islands. They often benefit from the lower prices that the fleeing Castillian Floridians are forced to sell. Once the ownership of a business establishment changes to an SR national (Cruzan or non-Cruzan) or a Lesser Antillean, word spreads fast in the small society such as the Cruzan Islands, and the establishment has no problem making a profit.
A few other islands of the Lesser Antilles that have become Condominiums between Florida and their former Colonizers, and who have historically been animus against Floridian rule, have begun to follow the Cruzans in discriminating against Castillian Floridians.
The Cruzan government refuses to get involved in the discrimatory practices of the native Cruzans, and calls it "market forces". Miami is enraged. However, not much can be done from their side. Porto Ricans have tried a similar discriminatory move against lesser Antillean businesses in San Juan, but with very little success. Unlike in the towns of the Cruzan and Lesser Antillean Islands, it is much easier to remain anonymous in a city as big as San Juan.[KJ]
IBAP: 13.10.2003 (22 Vendemiare, CCXII) Voile, Nouvelle Cournouaille, Louisianne
President Jean-Francois Young and President Padrig Maughan stood today in the town square of Voile, one of the principal cities in the newly-acquired western territory.
In a press release, Young and Maughan announced the plan to build several world class ski resorts to rival the resorts of the French and Lombardine Alps. The planned resorts are to carry the names of Tremble, Voile, Babeurre sur Tremble, Montagnes de Tremble, Breckenridge, Montagne de Cuivre, Monarque, and Eldora. These ventures will be a joint venture between the Louisiannan and Nouvelle Cournouaille governments with business interests in the area. These
ski resorts will more than double the ski resorts that already exist in the area.
Tremble and Voile are slated to open for next ski season, while Monarque's slated opening will not be for another three years, pending the political situation in Tejas. Others will open in the neighbourhood of Tremble and Voile as economical viability is assured.
The financial outlook of these resorts is expected to gross in the millions of ecus once established, according to analysts. The Louisiannan Tourist Bureau is already planning an advertizing push for next summer to bring in the visitors to the resorts.
In a related press release, CFL and Air Louisianne have both announced development plans for transportation to these two cities to take in a part of the tourist trade.[DH]
BBC World News, Coburg 10.09.2003
The elections for the Lessinisch Lower Senate were held today. Senator-President Michael Pfaber, of the Thuringian Social-Democratic Union(TSDU) is expected to retain his premiership, but there is certainly a potential for it to be lost to the Lessinisch National Leader, Yajob Coffu.
Indeed, his Lesinix Nacional Partae(LNP) has steadily been growing in polls, holding, at the last count, 30% of the vote.
If the LNP were to win, though they would not have complete control of the Lower Senate, they would be able to form a coalition with the other, smaller nationalist parties, and declare an election to the Thuringian Parliament, the Tag.
According to the Treaty on Thuringian Union, the constitution of Thuringia, any member state may withdraw from the Union if the majority of their Deputies in the Tag support such an act. Another unique feature of the Thuringian constitution is that legally, a member state may call an election of its deputies at any time, as well as the General Election every 5 years.
All this means the Lessinischland could withdraw unilaterally from the Thuringian Union.
Michael Kaufmann, Consul of Lessinischland from 1968-1971, and Senator-President from 1971 to 1985, now a well respected Upper Senator, said "We feel all our work in the sixties and seventies to bring about a new union in Thuringia is about to be undone. We are quite nervous about the results of these elections".
Indeed, a constitution for an independant Lessinischland has already been written, by the Lesinix Nacional Partae's Commision on the Future of Lessinischland.[JW]
The Star - 8 October, 2003 - Delighted Rail Fans Converge on Baltimore
GEORGETOWN -- Rail fans and history buffs were astounded last month to learn that the famous Rail Zeppelin is to make its new home in Baltimores Railway Museum, and that several short trips are planned for enthusiasts.
The rail zeppelin, developed by Dr. Franz Kruckenberg in prewar Germany, set a rail speed record on 21 June, 1931, maintaining an average speed of 142.9 mph over a 6.25 mi stretch of track between Karstadt and Dergenthin. The
Germans never put the rail zeppelin into production, citing the dangers of using an open propeller in crowded stations. The record was at last beaten on 21 February, 1954 by the French.
During the War, Kemrese forces captured the rail zeppelin in its engine house and brought it to Britain for study. Initially, Defense Ministry officials thought it might serve as a prototype rapid troop transport, and two were produced in Kemr. With the increasing electrification of rail lines throughought Britain and America, and with the War drawing to a close, the rail zeppelin was quietly forgotten by all but a few historians of rail history.
A recent clearing of the Ministrys holdings brought out warehouses full of captured German war materiel, including early aeroplanes, advanced zeppelin engines, and lorries full of what most people would call "old rubbish". A wealthy American, John Sweeney, a self avowed "collector of oddities" purchased several lots at auction, to the amusement of MOD officials, and had them shipped to his home in rural Ter Mair. Last month he stunned the B&A Historical Society by donating the rail zeppelin to their museum.
The public opening of the rail zeppelin exhibit opens Saturday 11 October, 2003. The rail zeppelin in 1930, approaching Hannover:
RIGETS TIDENDE - Friday, 10 October, 2003 - MARK YOUR CALENDERS FOR MAY 14, 2004
KJØBENHAVN (COPENHAGEN) - On this particular Friday, the whole
Commonwealth will come to a standstill. Crown Prince Frederik will be marrying Mary Donaldson in Copenhagen Cathedral, the Kjøbenhavns Domkirke.
The Crown Prince loves to surprise everyone, and he is doing it again. Contrary to what everyone believed, and contrary to tradition, the wedding is not going to take place in the Royal's "parish church", Holmens Kirke. Frederik and Mary are ditching tradition to be wedded in the much larger Kjøbenhavns Domkirke.
But before the wedding takes place, Mary will have to convert to the Lutheran Evangelic faith as prescribed by law. On that occassion, she will also change her name to a more Lutheran sounding name. From English Mary Elizabeth, to Lutheran Marie Lisbeth.
Meanwhile, the couple have begun their tour of the Commonwealth to recieve their ovation in each member nation. The first leg of their tour takes them by the royal train through Gjøteborg, Norway, Sapme, Finland, Sweden, and back to Denmark. The second leg takes them, again by train, through Rygen, and the Duchies Schleswig, Holstein, and Oldenburg. The next three legs will be made by flying fuselage. The third leg takes them to the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland. The fourth leg takes them to the Cruzan Islands, Gjebaland, and
Gadangmeland. Final leg takes them to Tranquebar, Frederiksnagore, the Andaman Islands, the Nicobar Islands, Tenasserim, Monland, and Tjingtav. Check your local newspapers for the exact dates of when the couple will be in your area.[KJ]
RIGETS TIDENDE - Thursday, 09 October, 2003.
WILD ABOUT MARY; by Lisbeth Lumby Kajsdatter
COPENHAGEN -- People celebrated in the Amalienborg Slotsplads, the
square at the Amalienborg palace complex, while we waited to wave our hands and yell hooray to the newly engaged couple. But we did not get a real kiss.
"No, Mom, I couldn't see if she had tears in her eyes," said a young girl in her mobile phone while she left Amalienborg Slotsplads together with thirty thousand others at 12:10 yesterday.
Eight minutes was what the Danes and tourists from the whole world got to view the sight of two young people in love that waved from the balcony to the sea of red and white flags below. But a kiss on the lips was not made despite the demands from the crowd.
"In the hand? Can't he do better than that?" Snorted a young girl, Rebecca, immediately after she had yelled, "Mary! Mary! Mary!" together with everyone else.
Karina Wilhelm Håkansdatter and daughter, Rebecca, were already at the
square 8:00 yesterday morning. They had arrived in their Christiania-bike [a three wheeled bike with a passenger and luggage compartment in front, ed.] which was decorated with the red and white Dannebrog flag [SR flag, ed.]. Except for the press corp, they were among the first in the square.
"We wanted to be sure that we got a good spot," Karina Wilhelm Håkansdatter told us. She's a nurse and only had to meet at work much later on a night shift, while her daughter simply ditched school for the day.
"We are very fond of the monarchy. We're always here on the Queen's birthday," Karina told us.
Other early birds were also a flock of Chinese tourists, who took numerous photos of each other in the square and of the royal guards in their red gala uniforms.
"We are here to visit Hetvotjeng and join in it's 50th year celebration as a Chinese colony in Scandinavia. But it's great that while we are here, there is also celebration in Copenhagen because of the engagement," Wei Lee, one of the Chinese tourists, told us.
By 10:30, waves of nannies with their nursery and kindergarden children came into the square. All of the children were dressed up as little princes and princesses. All carried little paper Dannebrogs. All had slips of paper with the address and telephone number of their respective institutions taped thoroughly on their clothes. It was impressive how the nannies maneouvred their flock through the ever growing sea of people.
A steady stream of flowers and cakes was carried to the gate of the residential palace, but a steady stream of rain fell on the people as well. The Copenhagen tourist office served coffee, softdrinks, and kranse cake to the people. "Now I can at least say that I have had coffee at Amalienborg," said one man to his wife.
Many street vendors took advantage of the special day. Some sold paper flags. Others sold t-shirts with Mary's picture printed on them. Others, like Hr. Lirekassekurt, provided the musical entertainment with his barrel organ.
By 11:30, it began to rain hard, frustrating the people waiting in the square. But that was only a short scare, for Hr. Lirekassekurt's music was then outplayed by the approaching marching band of the royal guards. Behind them came a column of royal guard replacements, marching in their characteristic formation - three, three, space, three, three, space, three, three...
The guards proceeded with the changing of the guards. By 11:45, all the guards were changed. The band and the old guards marched up to the residential palace and paused there. Then the people were allowed to fill the square, which had otherwise been kept open by friendly police officers so that the guards could do their maneuvers.
12:00, the rain stops, the sun comes out. The balcony doors fly open at the residential palace. The newly engaged royal couple comes out to wave at the people below.
"Mary! Mary! Mary!" people yelled. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" the people demanded, while waving Dannebrog flags and yelling, "Hooray!"
Eight minutes later, and after the royal couple came forward on the balcony four times, it's over. Those who were extraordinarily patient saw the royal couple leave in their limousine at 12:32 for Fredensborg Palace where a press conference awaits them.
STUFF QUEENS ARE MADE OF; by Olav Hergel Rasmussen
COPENHAGEN -- Did Mary Elizabeth Donaldson pass the most limelighted
examination of the Scandinavian language that any person has ever gone through? Yes! Do they love each other? Yes! Is she made of the stuff that Queens are made of? Definitely!
It's possible that they have told her that it was going to be overwhelming. Or that her first few years of living in Denmark and Oldenburg has prepared her for what awaits her. That the Chamberlain, Crown Prince Frederik, Princess Alexandra, and the other royals have prepared her as best as anyone could prepare a future Crown Princess.
But nothing could have fully prepared Mary Elizabeth Donaldson for the view that met her when she walked into the Garden Hall of Fredensborg Palace to what is perhaps the Commonwealth's most limelighted pressconference ever. Even the Crown Prince, who has afterall been to a lot of pressconferences, could not help but laugh when the photographers battled for the best picture. While
she stood there, with her father holding her right hand and the Crown Prince her left, it was clear that she was nervous.
But despite her nervosity, it was clear to everyone present that the question they all had yesterday needed no answer. All they needed was their own eyes to see. And no answer was more effective than what she delivered as she simply stood there, quietly, tall, slim, and nervously smiling between the two men of her life. Mary Elizabeth Donaldson is a classic beauty. Prettier in real life than in the photos. Or as Crown Prince Frederik tried to summize later about his bride to be: "It's hard to put words to something this lovely."
But what was much more than this public catwalk for the people of the
Commonwealth was yesterday's event the largest examination in spoken Scandinavian that any human has ever gone through. There were 300 journalists, there were television cameras all over the place, and sitting in front of the television sets were families throughout the Commonwealth watching and ready to judge her. Does she speak Scandinavian well enough? Is she just as good as
Princess Alexandra was when she spoke for the first time to the public? This was quite some initiation she had to go through, and with millions ready to
judge her. It was precisely for this reason that she started with these words in Danish:
"Good day! I would like to say a few words before we start. I'm very happy to be in Denmark. Today is a very exciting day, so I'm sure you can understand that I'm a little bit nervous. I have read that I can speak Scandinavian fluently. Thanks! But, unfortunately, that is not quite true. It's important for me to become really good in speaking Scandinavian, and I look forward to speaking fluently. If you ask questions in Scandinavian, it would help a lot if you speak slowly, ..."
To which she quickly switches to her mother tongue, English:
"...however, there will be some questions that I will feel much happier expressing myself in English. So therefore, I will do so. Tak!"
Everyone then clapped! The atmosphere become much more relaxed, and throughout the next half hour, she proved time and again that she wasn't quite fluent in the Scandinavian language, but that she, with 100% certainty, will become fluent.
Many probably thought in that half hour the couple were interviewed by the press, "Take her by the hand, Prince Frederik!" Not only for her sake. For even though it was clear that Mary need the support of Frederik, it was also clear that Frederik needed Mary. Sure, it was Mary that was asked most of the questions, but she gradually took over, and it was as if her first meeting with the press fell to her more naturally than it did for the Crown Prince.
But even though press conferences have never been the Crown Prince Frederik's cup of tea, and even though, when he is face to face with the public, he hides his warm smiles behind awkward comments, love still pierced through the awkwardness. There was no doubt to yesterday's crucial question. When he was asked how it was to finally be open about his love and show his feelings the world, he answered with an obvious pride about the woman he had by his side:
"It's a fantastically big joy, a great joy for me. It actually goes beyond what I have expected. One tries, of course, to comprehend the events that have passed. But I have to admit that this is something quite special, and something very very big. It's difficult to put in words. It's something that is elevated to something high."
To which Mary added in Danish: "Overwhelming! It's also overwhelming for me. That I have to admit. It's fantastic to be open about it. It's exciting. It's many things."
But amidst all these questions of love and how they met, the couple has also revealed something else about themselves. They were not willing to tell everything.
The Crown Prince has in exclusive interviews revealed more about himself than most other royals, but he still has limits about this openness, and it is apparent that his limits are the couple's limits. Together they have their secrets, they have their private history together, and even though they have their royal duties to the Commonwealth, they also have a private life that
other families within the Commonwealth will never have excess to. It is this ability to place limits that has, among other things, meant that the Crown Prince could live his own life, and is was this ability they demonstrated
yesterday.
When asked how the Crown Prince proposed, Mary answered, "We would prefer to keep that to ourselves."
"It did not vary much from how one normally does it," the Crown Prince added.
When asked when the proposal occured, the Crown Prince answered, "Fortunately, that's a debated question in the media. So we would like to keep that to ourselves."
Many have said that no institution can withstand the pressure exerted on the Monarchy, and that such a pressure could in that way become the death of the monarchy. Amidst all the joy, all the love, all the questions that was asked yesterday, it seemed like the Crown Prince and Mary were perfectly aware of this danger. If we know everything, then there is nothing left. Even the monarchy.
"Try to describe Mary," the Crown Prince was asked, but he said that it sounded like a question in a job application form, and that such a question was innapropriate for someone as beautiful.
But Mary Donaldson said a bit more about her future husband: "He is humourous, intelligent, warm. Everyone, who meets him, feels that there is something special about him."
Nobody, who was present yesterday, was in doubt that Mary Donaldson, like Princess Alexandra, was born with the princess-gene in her. But while Princess Alexandra dropped from the sky and became princess from day one, the future Princess Mary is made of a different, more shy, but also more mysterious stuff. Open and descrete at the same time. Sweet, smiling, confident, and quite obviously a talented, adult woman, who knows what she is getting into. It's obvious she has contemplated the fact that her life is going to change. But just as a managing director takes over a company, or a football trainer takes over a new team, she did not come with golden promises about what she
intends to do as princess or queen.
"There's a lot that I'm passionately interested in, but what my greatest role will be, I do not know. A lot needs to be discussed and considered, and it has to be tackled strategically. So I don't intend to discuss this here in this forum today, for it will be something that will evolve as I get acquainted with my new role."
She is also aware that there will be things that she no longer will be able to do. But she thinks she will manage.
"There will probably be things I will miss doing along the way, and where I will realize that I perhaps should not do some things. But I believe that one will find ways of doing the same things, just a little differently. But the royals here in Denmark do quite normal things. One can actually do things quite normally here, and I suspect the same is true in the rest of the commonwealth."
She did not hide the fact that she has grown quite fond of Denmark, Oldenburg, and the Commonwealth.
"Oldenburg and Denmark are warm countries, where one feels very welcomed. Both are very beautiful, and both have quite a lot of everything. The people are great. I have found some wonderful friends both here and in Oldenburg, who have supported me a lot. I'm hoping to get to know the other countries of the
Commonwealth just as intimately. For me the best thing about the Commonwealth is that all countries are near the water. Being near the water is great."
Near the end of the half-hour long press conference, and when it dawned on the photographers that they still have not taken that kiss, which would look so great in the world's front page, the press corp began shouting, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"
Both Frederik and Mary felt the pressure in the same way they felt it in Amalienborg, when they earlier that day stood out on the balcony to recieve their ovation from the Danish population. But there are limits for what one should do for the press. And as Frederik said, "There should also be something left for the wedding."
They could have kissen each other, but it was clear that they did not have the stomach for it. Somehow, that would have exceeded their limits. Instead, the Prince took his future bride by the hand and kissed it for the press photographers. That was better than nothing, but it was not quite enough.
On the other hand, this was proof that the Crown Prince and the Commonwealth's future Queen where the ones that set the limits.
And, taken into consideration that yesterday's press conference was the premier on what is to be a lifelong relationship between a prince, his princess, and the press, then a handkiss was precisely the right compromise. In one way or another, limitations on what the press can see of the royals' private life is essential. The Crown Prince and his Princess provided just that.[KJ]
RADIO TRANSCRIPT 4043: WRW1, Political Unrest in Belarus; 7 October, 2003.
[music] Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, it is 14:05. This "The World In An Hour", I am Waldemar Fiorarz.
[...]
The leader of the opposition in Belarus, Uladzimir Kotau, is under heavy attack from his political opponents. On a press conference last week, shortly after his victory in the municipal elections in Maladzeczna, he announced radical economic and political reforms in case his party, the PNA, would win the general elections next December. This has caused serious unrest among Belarus' post-snorist leadership, and the riots that preceded the elections in Maladzeczna seem to have set the tone for the upcoming election campaign.
About the situation in Belarus, I will speak with Mrs. Onute Staniszkiene, director of the Institute for International Relations of the Academy of Sciences, who is known as the RTC's chief expert on post-snorist societies.
Q - Professor, you have keenly followed the developments in Belarus. Are you
surprised about the recent political unrest in our eastern neighbour?
A - Not at all. As a matter of fact, I'm rather surprised that it hasn't happened much earlier. You see, Mr. Fiorarz, this is more than an ideological
difference between two political parties: it is a fundamental difference in
self-designation of a whole nation. At one side, you can find those who are
proud of belonging to the Great Russian Nation and of sharing its common
heritage, while the other half consider themselves Europeans and believe
European civilisation ends at the Belarussian-Russian border. This difference
has existed throughout the whole history of Belarus, and it is deeply hidden in
the collective subconsciousness of the Belarussians. Unfortunately, there is no
way of reconciliating these two.
Q - You mean, a reconciliation between the PNA and Uladzimir Kotau on one hand and the post-snorist PBD on the other?
A - Yes. Mr. Kotau's speech was not only about democracy, market economy, open borders, and the usual stuff... What he also said, literally, is this. I quote: "Historically, Belarus has always been more of a European nation than a Slavic one". What he actually meant, implicitly, is that the 70 years of snorism were nothing less than a period of Russian occupation. Now, you might still wonder what all the fuss is about. The thing is, with this sentence Kotau openly confessed himself to the "Europeans", which in the eyes of many is simply "not done". It's a touchy subject, really. Besides, what he does in fact is criminalising his political opponents, including the current Belarussian government.
Q - So that explains the poisonous comment by a PBD spokesman, who called it
"ironic that Mr. Kotau has proclaimed his un-Slavicness in a Slavic language."
A - Indeed, and unfortunately, this view is still common in Belarus. In my
opinion, Slavicness as a connecting factor between peoples might have worked in
the 19th century, but now is hopelessly old-fashioned. We have political
realities to cope with. Look at ourselves: the Veneds and the Lithuanians are
deeply interconnected; what sense would it make to blow up the RTC, for no
other reason than that the Veneds feel closer to the Kemrese or the Portuguese
simply because their ancestors once shared a common language? And what is
worse: in reality, such pan-Slavic philosophies result merely in the blind
following of Russia. Needless to say, with Russia's current situation such a
policy could seriously jeopardise the stability of the region.
Q - You consider the PBD a threat to stability?
A - Not as such. Mind you, Belarus differs from other post-snorist states in
several ways. Unlike most other countries, Belarus had a strong native snorist
movement. Other snorist regimes were brutally imposed, but the Belarussian
regime has always enjoyed much popular support. Besides, more than any other
country in the region, Belarus has a long history of being a Russian satellite.
In other words, no matter who wins the elections in December, snorism will
remain a factor in Belarussian politics anyway. Whether that is a bad thing or
not depends largely on those who take predominance. You know, not every snorist
is an ideological hardliner like Mr. Piatrauski: especially in cycles around
president Szuszkewycz, you can also find moderated people. In fact, some of the
most avid reformers are post-snorists. Don't forget, that the most competent
and experienced people often have a long history of service under SNOR rule.
Q - Professor, what is your opinion about the words of the Russian ambassador in Belarus, Mr. Zotov, who gently reminded the Belarussians of their dependence on Russia?
A - Nothing to worry about as such. I think Mr. Zotov only said explicitly what we have already known for a long time: that Russia will do anything within its possibilities to prevent Belarus from floating away towards the West. But what really matters is: what áre those possibilities? As long as the Russian Federation is not even certain in its own very existence, what can it possibly do to effectively control its neighbours? On the other hand, the fact that Zotov could say something like that in public without being kicked out of the country only proves that to some degree his point is valid.
Q - In the meantime, Mr. Kotau seems to be looking for support from the RTC. Do you think our government will provide that?
A - To be honest, I have no idea what kind of support he expects, apart from
our sympathy. Surely Mr. Kotau is clever enough to understand that we cannot
give him any guarantees for membership of the Baltic League. At present, with
an economy that lies in ruins and a country that is near bankruptcy, Belarus is
in no condition to join the League.
Q - You don't think the shock therapy Kotau proposes will help?
A - No no, I'm quite sure it wíll help. After all, it is what will serve
Belarus best on the long term. The question is only: can he succeed? Look what
happens in Latvia: snorism never enjoyed much sympathy among the Latvians, the
economy was in a far better state when Latvia broke away from the snorist bloc,
and in general Talmanis' reforms have undoubtedly been successful. And yet,
they elected their former dictator Alksnis as their new prime minister, who is
now very busy turning back the clock. Let me tell you, Mr. Fiorarz, In Belarus
the situation is much worse than in Latvia. It will take at least ten years for
the results of such a policy to become visible, and at least two generations
for Belarus to become a healthy economy. Now, I really don't expect the
population will be thát patient.
Q - There are also those who advocate a third way: the restoration of the RTC as it existed before the First Great War, which would mean the merger of
Belarus and the RTC. This view is not only held by certain politicians in
Belarus, our own KRN [Confederation for an Independent Republic, ed.] shares
it, too.
A - With all due respect to Mr. Kramar [leader of the KRN, ed.], I believe the restoration of the old RTC is not an option anymore. We live in the 21th
century, and history moves on, with us of without us. Instead of focusing on
the past, we'd better move on with it.
Q - One last question, professor. What do you expect will happen in the next
two months, before the elections? And what is your prognosis for the elections?
A - Well, of course I cannot look into the future. I just hope the political
unrest won't get out of hand. As for the elections, I think Kotau and the PNA
stand a fairly good chance, which would be good both for us and for Belarus.
But much can happen in the meantime. Be sure that I will follow the developments in Belarus with much interest.[JvS]
4 October, 2003; PNA UNDER FIRE, SEEKS RTC SPPORT
MINSK -- The leader of the People's Renaissance Party (PNA - Partyja Narodnaha Adradzhennia), Sp. Uladzimir Kotau, is fervently criticized by his political opponents, and seeks to secure support from the RTC.
Criticisms came after Sp. Kotau's speeches in the wake of the win in the municipal elections in Maladzeczna last week, where Uladzimir Kolas (PNA) received a narrowly sufficient 51,3% vote to defeat the pro-SNOR's PBD candidate Uladzimir Czarnych, who only gathered 46,5% of the vote. The PNA has also literally overwhelmed the town's seim, grabbing 23 of the 50 seats. Sp. Kotau did not hesitate to refer to this election, seen by many as a crucial rehearsal before December's' general election, as to 'a historic win'.
During a press conference held right after the Maladzeczna results were officially announced, Sp. Kotau said, 'This is a landmark event in the modern history of Belarus. It shows that integration into Europe, a free, open society and a market economy with strong welfare and open borders are what the nation chooses, not a flashback to SNORist times.'
'Our party's main concern now is integrating Belarus into Europe. Historically, Belarus has always been more of a European nation than a Slavic one', he said, apparently referring to what is seen by many as centuries-old 'occupation' by Russia.
Membership in the Baltic League was declared the PNA's strategic aim at the party conference earlier this year.
These comments have sparked a number of stinging remarks from many parts of Belarus' political milieu. One of the first persons to comment was the Ambassador of Russia, Sp. Vladimir Zotov, 'Russia doesn't have a problem with Belarus strengthening its ties with the West, as long as they do not forget what strong ties exist between the Russian and Belarusian economies'.
An analyst as the Belarus-RTC Cooperation Fund is quoted as saying, 'These comments [by the Russian ambassador] serve to remind how dependent Belarusian economy is on the economic structure of SNORist times. Call it blackmail if you wish, but nevertheless the words do contain a useful reminder to some eager patriots. Belarus will not want to severe its ties with Russia, especially if it wants to become an important East-West transfer point'.
A spokesman for the PBD, The People's Welfare Party, has also denounced Sp.Kotau's comments. 'It is ironic', Sp. Alaksandar Piatrouski said, 'that Sp. Kotau has proclaimed his un-Slavicness in a Slavic language, Belarusian. Ties with Russia do exist, historically as well as contemporarily, and it would be folly to deny them'.
Criticism has also been aired from the left, from the ZBS - Zwiaz Bielaruskich Sacyjalistau (Union of Belarusian Socialists). 'Belarus needs integration into Europe, that is true', a spokesman said, 'but shock therapy is not something which will do good for the Belarusian people. Look at Latvia - the reforms have succeeded in giving Latvia a market economy, but have failed to ensure prosperity for the Latvian people. Our party would prefer the prosperity, even if that means forsaking the market'.
On the other hand, an enthusiastic comment came from Kouna (Kaunas), where the headquarters of the ZBRDK - Zwiaz Bielarusau Respubliky Dwoch Karonau - is situated. 'Membership in the Baltic League for Belarus would be a momentous event in the life of the Belarusian people, as it will mean effective reunification after more that eight centuries of separation', commented Wiktar Bielahalawiec, Deputy Head of the ZBDRK, 'We call on everyone committed to this aim in Belarus to vote for Sp. Kotau and his party in December'.
No-one at either the RTC's embassy in Minsk or at the Consulate General in Smalensk was available for comment.
The parliamentary election is due December 7th. The elected parliament will afterwards vote on who should become the president.[PI]
WITA WARSINY - 4 October, 2003
NEW GOVERNMENT IN LATVIA; by Marek Pietrzyn
RIGA -- Latvia's former junta leader Viktors Alksnis, winner of the
parliamentary elections last August, has announced that the formation of a new
government has come to a conclusion. Presumably queen Valentina will take the
oath from the new ministers next Monday. The new government is a coalition of
three parties: Alksnis' own People's Movement for the Kingdom (TKK), the
conservative Agrarian Union (ZS), and the joint caucus of the Latvian National
Party (LNP) and the Christian-Democratic Union (KDS).
Immediately after the elections, Alksnis had announced a quick formation that would not take more than a month, but finally he needed no less than fifty-one days. "This is not the first promise that Alksnis broke, and probably not the last one either", commented opposition leader Osvalds Talmanis. In the meantime, nobody knows exactly why it took Alksnis so long. Analysts offer different explanations: either the ZS made higher demands than Alksnis was prepared to meet, or the LNP-KDS simply used the fact, that DKK and ZS together had only 50 seats - not enough for a parliamentary majority - to make the negotiations harder than Alksnis had anticipated.
Nevertheless, Alksnis has all reasons to be satisfied: his own TKK will provide eight out of seventeen ministers, including Alksnis himself as prime minister and most of the so-called "power ministers" (interior, defense, justice, finance). The leaders of the other two coalition parties, Raivis Spons (ZS) and Austris Evers (LNP-KDS), become minister of foreign affairs and social affairs respectively. Particularly remarkable are the appointments of Peteris Petersons, former attorney-general during the years under snorist rule, as minister of justice, and of ex-junta member general Tarivaldis Rosenbergs as minister of defense.[JvS]
RIGETS TIDENDE - GJØTEBORG, HOVEDSTADSOMRÅDET 25 September, 2003
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE LORD CHAMBERLAIN
The Office of the Chamberlain announces that Her Majesty, the Queen, in the Rigsråd (Council of the Realm) that is scheduled to take place at 10 O'clock on Wednesday the 8th of October 2003 in the Residence Palace of Amalienborg, intends to give Her consent that His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, marry the consultant, Miss Mary Elizabeth Donaldson.
ROYAL WEDDING THIS SPRING
It's over with all the guessing. It has finally happened. The Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson is making their three year long love affair official. Although everybody had an inkling of what was going to happen, the Royal House still mannaged to surprise us all.
Queen Margrethe and Chancellor Viggo Bonde Mortensen will declare, in a Rigsråd that is to take place this 8th of October, their acceptance of Mary's engagement with Crown Prince Frederik, and a three year long love affair will thereby be turned into a state affair. The couple will thereafter recieve the people's ovation at the Amalienborg Slotsplads. From there, they will also make a tour of the Rigsfælleskab, visiting every state, to recieve the people's ovation around the Rigsfælleskab.
The wedding is expected to take place this May. The chamberlain is keeping the exact date of the wedding a secret. One thing is for sure, it will be the most internationally media-covered one to date. It's not everyday that a commoner from the southern hemisphere marries into European royalty. The people in Mary's hometown of Hobart, in the island of Tasmania, are thrilled - to say the least.
CRUZAN "NO" TO THE PESO
Another sovereignty issue has been resolved in the Cruzan Islands when the Cruzans voted "no" to Florida's proposal to replace the Guinea-West Indian system of dalers, bits, and styvers, with the Floridian system of pesos and soles.
The result of the referendum yesterday showed an overwhelming 67% "no" to the proposal versus only a 30% "yes".
The result is seen as a triumph for Cruzan sovereignty by the Konservative Cruzan government. As one Konservative MP Anna de Bojnes Kajsdatter puts it, "The yes vote to the Floridian Plan was a farce. It was a classic case of voluntary compulsion. We were forced to vote yes to the Floridian Plan. But this referendum over the currency is different. Our currency is the one piece of sovereignty that those kakerlakers in Miami cannot take from us. It is
the one thing that is still ours."
The Rigsfælleskab's College of the Exchequer will therefore continue to work closely with the Cruzan Ministry of Finance.[KJ]
Hammond, St. Onge, Louisianne. 23 September 2003 (6 Sans-Culottide, CCXI).
IBAP -- A training mission today went awry over Louisianne resulting in the crash and destruction of the Spretu fighter. At press time the Lousianne Air Force (AAL) has not yet disclosed the status of the pilot and training officer.
L'Armée de L'Air Louisiannaise affirms that the crash was, according to the telemetry recieved due to error of the pilot who was training to fly the Spretu. There is no reason to suspect neither foul play, nor the workmanship of the Spretu fighter.
The PR Officer indicated that it is likely that because of an error by the trainee the plane went out of control, and the Training Officer who was aboard to ensure a safe flight was unable to correct the error.
Paris-sur-Mizouri, Osage, Louisianne.
IBAP -- For the first action of the new year, the Council announced today an offer to purchase approximatley 1,000 km^2 of mountainous Tejan territory for the price of 10 million écus (at the current exchange rate of 1 écu 44.83/g/silver). While the projected use is not yet publicly declared
pending negotiations, many suyspect this as a bid to give the Deseret Mormons a safe haven. Others view it simply as a measure to pacify the border dispute that's brooded for years. Negotiations are currently underway between Her Majesty and the Council.[DH]
THE STAR, Castre Geory, Ter Mair (Georgetown, Maryland); 20 September 2003.
American Bureau of Oceanic and Atmospheric Studies Preparations Pay Off.
As furacano # 9 passes over the Georgetown area late Thurday the night, skirting by the Capital region, local authorities are left picking up the
pieces. Data from Bureau aerostats stationed along the eastern coast, in conjunction with information collected by Floridian storm trackers, allowed prognosticators to project the track of the cyclone as it approached the American coast the week last.
Less sure was the projected track of furacano # 9 after reaching land. Bureau scientists using the latest computers and software hazarded a guess
that the storm might track anywhere from the van Lustbader / Christina river valley in the east - taking it straight over the Capital - to the mighty Appalachians in the midlands. As it turned out, the storm passed a ways west of here leaving Georgetown and Baltimore at its eastern edge. As of today, Saturday, the storm is reported to be over Ontario.
Even so, the Powtomack river river flooded lowlying portions of Georgetown and Alexandria. Portions of the latter city, particularly lower King Street, are prone to flooding at the best of times and the rains brought by the furacano made Alexandria look more like Venice. Georgetown fared better as it stands upon higher ground; students at the medical college and patients at the hospital had an excellent view of the river and the approaching storm.
The town of Shaw, just to our east, fared a little worse, as it lies abreast the Wellington Swamp and lies under several feet of water.
Naturally, aerodromes were shut fast and railways severely restricted or cancelled service in the southeastern third of the country. Alleghany Power, who supplies much of Maryland and Pennsylvaania with electricity, states that
repair work could take a fortnight, as many trees became entangled in the lines. The Powtomack and Susquehanna Sanitation Comission state that the sewer system locally is in sound shape, but water in portions of northern Virginia had to be cut off due to lack of power to the pumps.
All in all, the Bureau was able to warn residents of the southeast in plenty of time for those who desired to make good their escape. It is unknown
how many persons shall have perished in this furacano, but estimates are currently in the low 100s. The Bureau estimates that more than one million customers are left without electricity and that dammages in the region could be as many as two million pounds. Insurance companies and government loans are expected to cover the costs of clearing the mess.[PB]
Toulouse, Osage, 15 September, 2003 (28 Fructidor CCXI).
(IBAP) -- In response to the upcoming Sans-Culottides, another shipment of produce and grain for the ailing Tejans, as well as clothing is now ready. This large convoy was collected in large part by the humanitarian services of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The final collation of goods will be completed on the Second
Sans-Culottide in celebration of Labor, and will be delivered for the day
of Noble Actions, the 3rd Sans-Culottide.[DH]
Le Caillou, St. Louis, Louisianne, 15 September, 2003 (28 Fructidor, CCXI).
(IBAP) -- Pierre Chamois, PR Director of RepubliCom announced today that in honor of the 1 Sans-Culottide a launch of a telecommunications test-satellite will be launched. This symbol of genius is based upon current
aerostat-based telecommunications systems that have been modified. It is
expected that RepubliCom and CNEL scientists will learn a great deal from
this test-satellite, and will open a bright future untroubled by earthly
weather.[DH]
Paris-sur-Mizouri, 15 September, 2003 (28 Fructidor CCXI).
(IBAP) -- President Jean-François Young, accompanied by the
six Provincial Presidents announced today their joy at the upcoming national festival. "It is a happy day for all Louisiannans, knowing that our friends and
family of Baie de Biloxi and Mobile are able to celebrate these days with us. It's also a very enjoyable year for many, as this year we have a special sixth Sans-Culottide, dedicated to the Revolution, to our freedom, and to a blossoming future!"
This year's Sans-Culottide Events were enumerated in a press release on
Sunday. For the non-Louisiannans, we remind that the types of events for the Sans-Culottides are dedicated to the following ideals: 1) Genius, 2) Labor, 3) Noble Actions, 4) Awards, 5) Opinion, and this year's sixth day is both dedicated to the Revolution as well as to the Intellectual Saturnalia. IBAP expects an inundation of libelous press releases from Louisianne on this day of Freedom-of-Speech pushed to the extreme.
Look for our report on the Genius Sans-Culottide on 19 September, 2003,
or 2 Sans-Culottide CCXI.
EL REINO HOY, Santa Fé, 14 September, 2003:
A New American Country? -- Though Her Majesty has many things to attend to, one of the first official proclamations makes good on a promise made earlier this year to grant the lands known as the "Disputed Territory" to the Mormons of Deseret for a homeland. The official government statement indicates that the grant was made in recognition for the role the Deseret freedom fighters played in ousting the
regime of the Dictator, Jorge Bush.
The land grant is to take effect on September 30 of this year. Neither Alta California nor Deseret leaders have made an official response as of yet, though it is expected that A-C will react with some outrage. Her Majesty indicated that the land claims of Alta California are bogus and the people of Deseret deserve some reward for their valorous actions.
Concerns over the defense of Deseret are moot, as Tejas has no means as of yet to defend its own territory, to say nothing of putting off the claims of Alta-California on the so called "Disputed Territory".[PB]
14 September, 2003: VIOLENCE BREAKS OUT IN MALLADZECZNA AS TWO RALLIES MEET MID-TOWN
MALLADZECZNA -- Violence swept across downtown Malladzeczna as two
rallies clashed over the upcoming municipal election.
The People's Renaissance Party - Partyja Narodnaha Adrodzhennia - staged a rally in support of Zmicer Kollas, the candidate for town mayor, and the PNA's list of candidates for the town's seim. They received leave from the town's authorities, according to Spadar[1] Kollas, and maintained perfect discipline as they marched down the city's main street, Wilnanski Prashpekt to Ploszcza Niezaleznasci, where the rally was to take place. "We behaved perfectly well, and had all the necessary papers signed by the mayor herself, Spadarynia[1] Szauczenka" - says Sp. Kollas. When the rally arrived at the central square, they found their way barred by policemen and the square occupied by the pro-SNORist Belarusian Well-Being Party (Partyja Bielaruskaha Dabrobytu).
"This was really ridiculous" - comments Sp. Kollas. - "The policemen gave
no reasons, and when we showed them the papers, they replied that they had orders". The PNA's leaders were shown a paper signed by Sp-nia Szauczenka again, which allotted the square to the PBD at the very same time.
Malladzeczna, formerly a town in central Belarus but now on the very western border, is the country's western gate and a key transport centre on a
region-wide scale, as it channels goods from Russia to the RTC and further on to Europe. No wonder that control over the town's economy is a matter of not only political prestige, but also very real power. So the passions boiled in no time.
The PNA's rally quickly turned into a protest. Sp. Kolas's supporters started to move towards the square disregarding the policemen. They were met by mustard gas and water guns, and then ('Quite unexpectedly', according to Sp. Kollas) by a hail of stones and empty bottles, apparently from behind the barrier, as several people taking part in the PBD meeting joined the hunt.
The red-striped flags with the Pahonya quickly foundered in the disintegrating melée as people started to run for their lives. A number of PNA supporters (mostly students) decided to hold out, however, and mounted a counter attack, smashing hiding behind cars and causing the rivals to break the shop windows in vain attempts to hit them as they charged against the assailants.
Alaksandar Kraczkouski, who was one of those defenders, told the ShN: "They shot stones at us, and at one time I feared it would be bullets. The end came quite suddenly, and I'm glad it did."
The end did come, and in a rather unexpected fashion. Sp. Uladzimir Czarnych, the PBD's local leader and mayor candidate, rushed in front of the affray and shouted to stop. He was obviously shocked and refused to give any comment. His spokesman, Anton Alaksandrau, later told the journalists: "This was not part of any concerted actions on behalf of the PBD. We even fear this could be a provocation." Sp. Kollas said in reply: "I do hope it was not instigated by the PBD's political agenda. This was a very dangerous affair, and definitely puts a slur on Belarus's reputation in the eyes of the whole world. Whoever did it was trying to destabilize the situation before the elections."
Michas Nikalajeu, an analyst in the Belarus-RTC Cooperation Fund (Fond
Supracounictva Belarusi dy Respubliki Dvoch Karonau), said: "This really is in line with the PBD's strongly anti-Western policy, but they wouldn't want to lose face. This might be a provocation from the more radical pro-SNORist elements who are worried by the slowly rising trust for the West and especially for the RTC."
The elections are to take place on September 28th. According to the polls, Sp. Ko³as can get from 34 to 36 per cent of the votes, while Sp. Czarnych is trailing by only three per cent.[PI]
[1] -- Spadar and Spadarynia correspond to Monsieur and Madame.
Baie de Mobile, Principautés Lointains (PL), 13 September 2003 (26 Fructidor, CCXI).
(IBAP) -- The last of the rubble was cleared today from the former site of the colonial administrative center. The building was destroyed in bombing attacks over the past 20 years. While the building will be modified on the interior, the exterior façade will be rebuilt to appear as it has looked during prior centuries. Groundbreaking services are expected to begin on the 1 Vendémiaire, CCXII.[DH]
Lille, France, 12 September, 2003 (25 Fructidor, CCXI).
(IBAP) -- Today Jean-Pierre Jeunet announced the launch of his latest film: a war-story centered around the events of the Great War. He has agreed to be financed by Studios Saint-Julien. Release date is currently undecided pending a filming schedule.[DH]
Zaräémlà, Nouvelle Cournouaille, 12 September 2003 (25 Fructidor, CCXI).
By: Harold Kohler, IBAP, Nouvelle Cournouaille.
(IBAP) -- Appearing before a crowd of television reporters the Louisiannan Army escorted the last of the Zion Freedom Movement to Gendarmerie waggons to be taken to trial for their part in the destructive terrorist acts
against the state. Already, Alta California is clamoring for extradition.
President Padrig Maughan, Provincial President of Nouvelle Cournouaille
issued a public statement of thanks to Dalmatia, stating, "(that) without the support of the Spretu fighters that were originally loaned and later bought from the Dalmatian people, we would have been much longer under a threat from these evil people."
President Maughan went on to speak about negotiations to purchase a tract
of land from Tejas, but avered that no details could be divulged at this time, but that negotiations were ongoing.
In related news, the Deseret Freedom Fighters have renewed their pleas for a semi-autonomous state to the Alta Californio goverment, with as yet no response from San Diego.[DH]
BBC World News Service - 10 September, 2003.
DIVISIVE TENSION IN MOGHUL REGARDING THE SOUTH
Herat -- For the last five years, the southernmost portion of the Moghul National Realm has been in the grip of a number of warlords - warlords of religion, ideology, and economics. The only thing that these warlords can agree upon is that they do not want to be governed by the central government in Herat.
The southern region of Moghul, possessing all of the seacoast, ironically also harbors a greater number of SNORists than does the north and center of the country. Monarchists are often quick to lay blame upon the SNORists for the rift that is growing between the south and the rest of Moghul.
In an effort to display the fact that the central government is
required, Her Majesty Queen Gohar IV retracted professional soldiers and
professional police from the restive area, stating that she will
return them once the rebels conceede that the south belongs within
the Moghul National Realm.
"What she's doing is very risky," says analyst Mohammad Yates. "If the rebels don't surrender within a few more years, her actions could potentially sow neglect, thus growing a crop of hatred against the absent National forces."
Some people in the south, however, don't seem to require an absence of professionals to dislike the monarchy; they cite religion instead. In a nation where Hindus are fighting a political tooth-and-nail battle to aquire seats in the Councils, the cry of religion is often the quickest way to a conflict.
"My father was a Batavian mariner," says Hind native Jacobus, who asked that his last name not be given, "and I have lived my entire life in the Hind. Under the Baburid regime, neither he nor I have any more rights than do a Sikh. But here, in the Hind, we have the same rights as everyone else!"
Rights that sometimes are quick to vanish, as often happens when sectarian disputes turn bloody. It is things such as this that the Baburid Dynasty points to when their neighbors ask if and when the Hind will be granted the right to split away from Moghul. Says a retired former spokesman for the Crown, Mehmet El-Jinn, "When the states of northern India left the arms of Moghul, it was with the ability to rule themselves; without descending into the chaos of the mobs that rule the southern region of Moghul," refusing to refer to the area as 'Hind'.
While the Moghul authorities have as yet been unable to present the international community with concrete links between the Hind sepratists and other countries, they do have suspicions.
When asked his opinion, the director of the Bureau for Regional Affairs
within the Turkestani Foreign Ministery, Nariman Haqimzade, said:
"A very dangerous game queen Gohar is playing. Withdrawing army and police from
a region in turmoil instead of pacifying it is not exactly what would seem like
a logical choice. She might lose control over the region. And what happens
after these warlords have taken over? Hind will irreversibly drift away from
the MNR, and their virus will spread quickly over the rest of the country. No,
this decision jeopardises the stability of the region in a very dangerous way;
in my opinion the queen ought to deal with those separatists once and foregood,
like we did with warlords like Kadressin and Buzur-Bey when there was similar
unrest within the Tajik province."[ROD/JvS]
THE DAILY OREGONIAN: Sunday, 24 August, 2003
KAMLUPS (TK'AMLUPS), OREGON - Fully one third of the population of the city of Kalawuna (Q'alawuna) - thirty thousand people - have been evacuated from their homes as the conflagration that has been raging for days in the region entered the city limits today. Thus far, the fire has consumed a recently-built subdivision. The inferno, which was ignited by a lightning strike, is one of nearly 900 fires raging in Oregon at this time. Firefighting crews have been brought in from all over country, from cities as distant as Cranbrook and Castreleon Alki. Talks are under way to bring in fire fighters from Alta California; but the government of that country is concerned that their fire fighters are too weary from fighting fires in California this year. [MP]
OMNIPRESSE, Quebec City, New France: Friday 22 August 2003
Chevalier de Charest (PDNF), leader of the Intendant's Council, stunned
neighbouring North American government officials yesterday by releasing a statement saying that New France would pass legislation reinstating the so-called "Shining Hearthland" policy.
This policy, dormant for decades, is based on the premise that as the
hearthland of French culture in North America, the Intendancy has a responsability towards its prodigal countrymen. In the past, this has
taken the form of promoting French cultural events and social clubs (such as the Ste-Jeanne-D'arc Societies) outside the borders of New France.
In the same statement, he repeatedly stated his promise to other governments that this policy would in no way interfere with their sovereign rights and all activities would be properly cleared with local autorities first.
Members of the opposition PPL party immediatly decried the reinstatment of the policy as a smokescreen for the terrible state of the economy since its election and as a futile propaganda exercise.
Though welcomed by some abroad, a few groups in republican parts of
the continent have decried the monarchist leaning of these events in the past.
No members of the Louisiana General Delegation were available for comment at the time of publication, however.[MP]
ILL GWG; Llangothri - Thursday, 21 August 2003
NO AÞROFA FOR MENYN, SAYS GOVERNOR
The Rheithur for Menyn, Mr Cenydd mab Llawreint, has come under fire from
nationalistic forces on Menyn once again as he has for the second time in a row denied that the Island's authorities are going to fund the creation of the Institute of Menyn, or Aþrofa an Fenyn, as eager patriots have already christened it. During the journalist packed press conference yesterday morning at the town hall, mab Llawreint read out the text of the press release, notwithstanding the protesters who unfurled a huge banner bearing the words Taw an Fenen y hjaiþ, taw an Fenen y henef - "Menyn has a language, Menyn has a soul".
"The status of the Manoeg language is not the focus of the Island's government at the present time," said mab Llawreint. "It has never been, and I do not think it shall ever be. After all, Manoeg is quickly becoming superfluous as a means of communication. People are moving to the towns in ever larger numbers. This trend seems poised to continue; and it is our main objective to develop Menyn into a province with a level of economic development on par with such provinces as Termorgan and Lla Ferch. Manoeg is not what we think important for this, and the nationalistic and chauvinistic
trends encouraged by some organisations are absolutely incompatible with the prosperous future we envision for the Island. And even their patriotic mantras
can't avoid borrowing from Brithenig!" - he exclaimed, pointing at the word enef, soul.
These comments have sparked serious concerns all over the province.
Mr. Rhaifun Clig, Chairman of Plaid en Boffyl, the second largest party
in the Dâli'n Ynys, the Island's parliament, made the following comment:
"The provincial government has once again shown its blatant disregard for the Island's needs, its heritage and civil stability. We do hope that this policy will not continue for any considerable period of time, and we are planning a campaign to attract the attention of the people of Kemr to the plight of Manoeg". He added, however, that the party was not planning any acts of civil disobedience. "We have influential friends in Castreleon, and we are not going to upset the stability on the Island," he affirmed.
Plaid en Boffyl is a mildly right-wing party with strong patriotic rhetoric, aiming at more political, economic and cultural freedom for Menyn, including provisions for an elected rheithur and for more influence of Dâli'n Ynys over local policies.
The Rheithur's comments also caused concerns among the Protestants of Menyn, who are seen as the traditional stronghold of Manoeg. The Rev. Erchyl Yddaer, Bishop of Clonguchlain and Bangor Fychan, issued a press release, where he, inter alia, said: "The right and freedom to use the Manoeg language have been of the last few privileges of our Church on Menyn. The comments made by the Rheithur are undermining the future not only of the Manoeg language, but also of the Protestant congregations on Man, not to mention the fact
that they are made in a spirit which any Christian must be ashamed of".
The Cambrian Rite Abbatial Bishop of Llangothri, Nigol Yniwr, agreed with the Rev. Yddaer, saying: "We are afraid that the comments made by Mr. mab Llawreint can be seen as putting more pressure on the Christian and especially the Protestant communities of the Island. The Catholic Church can not agree
with such statements".
Dr Cwn. Ffyl. Carol Rhedun, of An Yscaul Hjaiþ, Llangothri, said the patriots were overreacting. "The position of Manoeg is as strong as ever, and there is no threat to the language whatsoever. It is true that the social structure of the Island is changing, with a precipitate rise in the urban population, but the use of Manoeg is only gaining currency". He further added: "It is, of course, sad that our Yscaul will not be incorporated into a projected Aþrofa, where complex studies of the language, history, culture, and
folkways of the people of Menyn could be carried out".
Mr Rhedun also pointed out: "Menyn has a heritage as rich as any Kemrese
province, even richer than some. We do need to raise awareness of that fact in Kemr. Kemrese educators and scholars should follow the example of their Irish colleagues. An Yscaul already has an exchange agreement with Coláiste na Tríonóide at Dublinn. Readings in Manoeg culture and language are organized on an annual basis there. Kemrese authorities, on the other hand, appear to pay little heed to the culture of one of the very few remaining Celtic nations. I do not expect Mr mab Llawreint to know that enef is not a Brithenig loan, but a native Manoeg word, borrowed from Latin, and met in 8th century
glosses; but still a course in Manoeg studies would doubtless do some people good".[PI]
LA VOZ de los CRUZADOS, Charlotte Amalie: 15 August 2003
FROM: RIGETS TIDENDE, 12.08.2003
The Cruzan High Court has ruled that the results of the Referendum was
indeed a "yes".
Some, however, have claimed that the ruling is a purely political move in order to secure peace in the region.
FROM: RIGETS TIDENDE, 14.08.2003
The Cruzan election results for the Cruzan Parliament show: 19 seats for the Conservatives and 16 seats for the Liberals. The Rigsombudsman has given the Charter of the Cruzan Islands to the new PM.
FROM: RIGETS TIDENDE, 18.08.2003
After long negotiations with the Floridian government, the proposed plan to resolve the plight of the former privateering companies has been modified to Florida's acceptance. Existing concessions for transportation and shipping to and from the Cruzan Islands will not be cancelled. But with the end of the conflict between Florida and the SR, new concessions are available connecting the Cruzan Islands with other SR states. Former SR privateering companies will
have the right of first refusal in choosing routes before other companies. Remaining concessions will then be offered to other interested companies.[KJ]
WITA WARSINY, 14 August 2003
LATVIA TURNS BACK THE CLOCK by Latvia correspondent, Marek Pietrzyn
RIGA – Yesterday's parliamentary elections in Latvia seem to have caused a major political earthquake. With 98.9 % of the votes counted, it has become clear that the ultra-right People's Movement for the Kingdom (TKK), led
by ex-general Viktors Alksnis, has become the undisputed winner of the elections: the party of the former junta leader will be represented by 29
deputies in the Saeima (out of 100), 24 more than its current five. The voter
turnout was remarkably high: 83.4 %.
The three parties that support the centre-left coalition government of prime
minister Osvalds Talmanis lose both their majority and more than half of their
seats: Talmanis's own Democratic Alliance (DA), falls down from 31 to 15 seats,
the Social Democratic LSDDP of foreign minister Inese Pauksta from 21 to 10
seats, and the Maris Straubergs's Latvian People's Front (LTF) from 13 to 4
seats. This means that – even with the hypothetic support of Arturs Blums's Latvian Green Party and Boris Pugo's communist LKSP – it will be impossible for
Talmanis to form another majority government; Talmanis has literally been smashed away.
Last night at 2:20, Talmanis acknowledged his dramatic defeat in a short speech that was broadcast live on TV. He congratulated Alksnis with his victory and wished him success with the formation of a new government. Alksnis himself was celebrating his success with his supporters at the time; later that night, he announced a quick formation. "I expect my government will be ready within a month," he said, and added: "I wish Mr. Talmanis equally much luck in the opposition."
The most likely candidates for participation in Alksnis's government will be the conservative Agrarian Union (ZS), that grew from 15 to 21 seats, the new
Latvian National Party, a group led by former minister Austris Evers that recently split off from the DA (4 seats), and possibly the small Baltic Romuva
Party (4 seats). Asked about his plans, ZS leader Raivis Spons, formerly one of
Alksnis's fiercest opponents, told the press that he keeps all options pen: "We
won't exclude anybody. Let's see first what Mr. Alksnis can offer us, and then
we will see what we can offer him."
Another remarkable change in Latvia's political landscape is the dramatic loss of the Latvian People's Front. Little is left, it seems, of the fame it
acquired when it guided Latvia's transformation from a military dictatorship
into a democracy in the late eighties - when it had over half a million members
- and the early 1990s. LTF leader and poet Maris Straubergs commented: "Perhaps
it is time for us to realise that the years for mass movements like ours have
past. Latvia is a democracy now, and needs political parties instead of broad
popular fronts. We have done our best, and let us be grateful that we have been
allowed to contribute positively to Latvia's history. We may not be happy with
the result of these elections, but we should not forget that it has been our
job to ensure that they could take place in the first place. I just hope that
Mr. Alksnis will not turn the clock back." One hour later, Straubergs announced
his retirement from politics.
Boris Pugo, the leader of the communist LKSP who spent more than half his life in exile in the CSDS, has mixed feelings about the elections. While he is
satisfied with the fact that the LKSP won three seats and is represented by
eight deputies now, Pugo is also worried about the future: "Latvia is not ready
for communism yet, but that moment will come, I assure you. In the mean time, I
just hope I won't have to leave the country again." Asked about his plans for
the near future, Pugo replied: "Do you expect me to represent the people, or
should I start packing already?"
The Latvian elections were not only a defeat for the government, but also for the polls. During the last few weeks before the elections, they were unanimous in their prognosis, that the elections would be a neck-to-neck race between Talmanis and the right; no one ever guessed the extent of Alksnis's unexpected success.
What explains the sudden popularity of the former tyrant, who ruled Latvia
during the years 1987-1989 as Russia's last SNORist vassal? Analysts say that
the main cause of the "rightist revolution" is the economy. While Talmanis's restructuring of the Latvian economy has been widely acclaimed by the rest of
the world, the population itself has experienced mostly the pains of it in the
form of massive unemployment and poverty. As a result, the people got frustrated with its newly acquired freedom, and started to blame the new leaders. Numerous corruption scandals in government circles made it worse for
Talmanis, and although his own abilities are beyond any doubt, his reputation
of being a womaniser has cost him some support among the more conservative voters too.
Alksnis, on the other hand, knows perfectly well how to mobilise popular
discontent. In his junta years he became known for fighting all kinds of
corruption within the regime, and now, during the last few months before the
elections, he successfully convinced the voters that Latvia's democratically
elected but corrupt leaders, supported by foreign powers, should be held
responsible for all Latvia's problems. What doubtlessly works in his advantage
too is that many people have come to believe that life was better under SNORist
rule.
This latter point of view is often accompanied by a reassessment of his role as Latvia's last dictator. When Alksnis assumed the leadership over Latvia's bankrupted regime at the age of 37, he depicted himself as the lesser of many evils. "If we do not do something about the situation now," he reasoned, "people will take up arms and pour into the streets, and this will not be a military coup but a popular coup." In other words, instead of being an ordinary dictator, Alksnis was the hero who had prevented a popular upheaval, that would undoubtedly have been followed by a Russian invasion. Besides, wasn't it Alksnis who had started negotiations with the Latvian Popular Front and allowed several democratic reforms?
Nobody can predict exactly what impact the elections will have on the
cooperation within the framework of the Baltic League. Alksnis has repeatedly
accused the R.T.C., Scandinavia, and the Baltic League of not keeping their
promises and exploiting Latvia instead. "If they won't help us out of our
misery, they should not be surprised if we turn our back to them at last," he
said. "Instead of concentrating on countries that just follow their own
interests, I believe we should focus more on the possibilities of a closer
cooperation with Russia."
In a first reaction to the election results, prime minister Jan Sacz [of the
RTC, ed.] said that he does not expect Latvia to change its course so drastically: "I think we ought to restrain ourselves from worrying prematurely.
Even Alksnis knows the value of our cooperation, and he will think twice before
breaking with us. After all, there is a difference between the propaganda you
usually hear before an election, and governing a country."
Estonia's prime minister Urmas Piip only said: "Let's just wait and see", and refused any further comments. Only the Bulgarian president Yordan Hristov
seemed content with the election result. He sent Alksnis official congratulations and called this "a wonderful day in the history of the friendship between our two peoples".
Later this morning, Talmanis will visit queen Valentina to officially require his dismissal. After the queen has approved his resignation, she will probably put Alksnis in charge of the formation of a new government.
The Composition of the Saeima, after 13.08.2003:
TKK - People's Movement for the Kingdom; 29 (+24) WITA WARSINY, 13 August 2003
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN LATVIA: by Latvia correspondent, Marek Pietrzyn
Today, 1.6 million Latvian voters have the opportunity to choose a new
parliament. The main theme of the elections are: will the centre-left government of prime minister Osvalds Talmanis once more receive the confidence
of the people in carrying out its economic reforms, or will Latvia make a switch to the right?
Recent polls incidicate, that the three parties that support Talmanis will lose their comfortable majority of 65 out of 100 deputies in the Saeima, the Latvian parliament. According to the same polls, Talmanis's own Democratic Alliance, currently represented by 31 deputies, can this time count on only 20 deputies, 25 at most, while he social-democratic LSDDP and the Latvian People's Front are bound to loose as well. However, the campaigns have been been unusually hot and hard this year, and much can change during the last few days before an election. Today's most important question for the Latvians remains: will Talmanis be able to form a new government on the basis of today's elections, be it by adding one or two smaller parties to the coalition?
Talmanis's main political opponent is the conservative Agrarian Union (ZS), led by former finance minister and current opposition leader Raivis Spons. The
polls give the ZS a good chance to become the biggest party in the Saeima. Much
depends, however, on the success of another party, the ultra-right People's
Movement for the Kingdom (TKK). Since its foundation in 1993, the post-SNORist
TKK has been a small and insignificant party, with currently only five seats in
the Saeima. Two years ago, however, former junta leader Viktors Alksnis assumed
the leadership of the TKK, after the ten years during which he was forbidden to
exercise any political function had passed. From that moment on, much has changed in Latvia. While the economic situation grew worse and worse for the
population, the government responsible for it fell from one affair into another, and all Alksnis had to do was to eloquently feed the fertile soil of
nostalgia for a better past. Alksnis's star has been rising ever since, and the
polls indicate that today's elections will bring TKK at 15 to 20 seats, which,
by any standard, will make the TKK a major political factor. It remains unlikely though, that the TKK will take part in the next government, as neither
Talmanis nor Spons would compromise themselves with a cooperation with the post-SNORists.
The final results will probably be known during the night.[JvS]
RIGETS TIDENDE - GJØTEBORG, HOVEDSTADSOMRÅDET 06/08/03
TRIAL OVER REFERENDUM RESULTS JUSTIFIED BY CRUZAN HIGH COURT
The Cruzan High Court yesterday has ruled after the preliminary hearing that the case brought forward by several prominent no-voters of last week's referendum is justified.
The results of the referendum showed a 52.7% acceptance to the Floridian Plan. However, questions were raised on whether accepting the resulting "no" was constitutional or not. According to the Cruzan Constitution, any changes in sovereignty need to by accepted by a 75% majority vote in a referendum where at least 50% of the voting population have voted. Thus, the question to the
Cruzan High Court was whether or not the referendum was about changes in sovereignty.
The Floridian advocates argue that the referendum was not about changes of sovereignty. Their arguement is that the Cruzan Islands was already both a Floridian and Scandinavian territory - Floridian by annexation and Scandinavian by not recognizing this annexation. The referendum only confirmed this.
The Cruzan advocates, on the other hand, argue that the referendum was indeed over a change of sovereignty. Their argument is that, according to the Floridian Plan, the Cruzan Islands will change from a Floridian territory to a Floridian "condominium" province - thereby changing the sovereignty status of the islands to a more integrated part of Florida.
The trial itself is dated for next Monday, 11/08/03.[KJ]
RIGETS TIDENDE - GJØTEBORG, HOVEDSTADSOMRÅDET 02/08/03
FALSE FIRES IN FREDERIKSTED
Earlier reports of fires breaking out in Frederiksted after the conclusion of the referendum in the night of the 30th of July turned out to be false. At least as far as the severity is concerned. The Frederiksted Fire Department reports that it was not started by vandalists. Apparently, a restaurant owner had forgotten to keep an eye on his stove. "As with everyone in my restaurant, I was more preoccuppied with listening to the radio," says Ulrig Whim Jansen, the owner and chef at the Restaurant Fiskergade. "I had completely forgotten that I had been preparing some fried fish and bananas."
The fire went out of control and spread to nearby buildings. Some distraught "no" voters took this as a sign to begin a riot. Fortunately
the fire was quickly put under control by the fire department.
FLAG RAISING CEREMONY IN CHARLOTTE AMALIE
In front of the Groenhus, the Cruzan Parliamentary building, three flagpoles had been erected; two short ones on either side of a taller one. Yesterday morning, on the parade ground in front of the building, there were three formations of troops as well; SR's Prinsens Frikorps in the left side, Florida's troops on the right side, and the Cruzan Gendarme in the middle with its own band of musicians. Just behind the flagpoles were Governor Rivera and his staff.
Skt.Thomas bay was filled with spectating boats. But most of the general population gathered along strandgade between Fort Christian and the parade ground to witness the ceremony. The best vantage point was on the top of Fort Christian's tower, and this where our photographer at the scene took this photo:
[photo]
At eight o'clock sharp, the drum roll began and three members from each troop formation stepped forward and marched to their respective flagpoles. The three members from the Floridian formation carried the Floridian flag, the ones from the Frikorps carried the swallow-tailed Dannebrog, and those from the Gendarme carried the swallow-tailed Cruzan flag. When the flags were tied to their cords, the band began to play the Cruzan national anthem, "Die
Maagdeneelande sie March", and the flags were raised in unison.
After the anthem was played, the royal yacht, the Dannebrog, appeared from behind Hassel Island in Skt.Thomas Bay. On board was Queen Margrethe II. It saluted by firing its guns and then dipping its flag. The shore along the Groenhus, lined with old Danish cannons, answered by firing back and the three flags were dipped.
Officer's whistles could then be heard at the Dannebrog as Queen Margrethe II and her staff boarded the royal dinghy. Governor Rivera then proceeded down the King's Wharf with his staff to meet the Queen. When the dinghy docked and the Queen stepped onto the wharf, officer's whistles were blown again. As the Queen greeted Governor Rivera, he bowed respectfully and then handed to her the
Charter for the Cruzan Islands. They then proceeded back to the parade ground to inspect thetroops together.
Afterwards, the Queen and Rivera toured Charlotte Amalie in an open
four-wheeled calash pulled by two horses. The calash stopped quite often as children wanted to hand both Rivera and the Queen flowers. The tour ended at the Governor's official residence - Cathrineberg Palace.
At the palace's balcony, the Queen and Rivera each gave their speech to the public. Both had positive hopes for the future. The Queen mentioned that she was "honoured to have Dannebrog fly in the West Indies once again".
CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS IN THE CRUZAN ISLANDS
The Cruzan refendum over the Floridian plan is over, but that does not mean the issue over Cruzan sovereignty is. the Cruzan Constitution requires any changes of sovereignty to be approved in a referendum with a 75% yes vote and with more than 50% voter-turnout. In the recent referendum, the voter-turnout was indeed way above 50%. But the yes votes were were only just barely 53%. The
question is, was the referendum also about a change in sovereignty?
If the High Court rules that the referendum was also about sovereignty
issues, then the 53% of yes-votes is not enough according to the constitution and the official result of the referendum is a "no". This would place a wedge to the Floridian Plan unless some compromise is reached between Miami and Charlotte Amalie.
The Floridian government has so far regarded sovereignty issues as irrelevant to the referendum. In its view, the referendum was about acceptance of the Plan only, with sovereignty issues completely irrelevant. With this viewpoint, they regard the results of the refendum as a "yes" and have thus allowed SR forces to begin occupying various installations on the islands.
A group of prominent "no" voters led by Mikael Jacksen don't agree, however. They intend to take it to the Cruzan High Court on Monday. "It's important to follow our Constitution to the letter," Mikael Jacksen told us the day after the referendum. "Besides, one cannot ignore the 47 percent that have voted against the Plan. No matter what the 53% says, almost half of the voting
population are still against it."
FORMER PRIVATEERS STILL IN TROUBLE
The plight of the former privateering companies is still unresolved. The SR government has been working on a plan that will allow the former privateering companies to return to transport and shipping and granting them monopoly rights over all transport and shipping to and from the Cruzan islands. This plan, however, has not been well received by Florida.
Florida is particularly against the idea of allowing former combatants that were harassing their shipping to ply their waters still at the expense of local shipping.
"It's basically up to Florida," said Employment Minister Stenfeldt yesterday. "If Florida does not agree to the plan, then we are left with two options; we could start issuing privateering licenses again, or we could completely ignore the plight of the former privateers. Problem with the former is that we don't have any other global conflicts we can send the privateers to. Also, I doubt Florida would like that we begin issuing privateering licenses
again. On the other hand, ignoring the plight of the former privateers is problematic, and we cannot allow hundreds of people to lose their jobs at the cost of the state.
"The proposed plan over what to do with the former privateers has been
modified - hopefully, to Florida's liking. I have modified it so that it now states that the proposed monopoly rights will only last for a period of ten years. Afterwhich, all companies are free to compete over transport and shipping to and from the Cruzan Islands."[KJ]
ILL SUL - Health Update - 01-08-2003
ESCA, Dûnein - It was reported in the most recent Journal of the Royal College of Physicians that the hospital deaths of several people in Kemr could be prevented in each year if physicians "thought outside the box" more in treating patients who complain of extraordinary symptoms.
Take the story of Mrs Ff. as one recent example.
Mrs Ff arrived at the emergency department of Mercy of Heaven Hospital in the city last year complaining of a pain in her left side; as stated by her relatives, she was otherwise healthy and had never engaged the services of a physician. While in the waiting room, she began complaining of the pain's sharpness and she also felt nauseated. Doctors sent her home with pain
medications and a referral to see a specialist to look into the possibility of a clogged bowel. The next day Mrs Ff. was in considerably worse shape and returned to the Hospital with a fever and sever pain in her left side. The junior doctors that attended her still considered her condition a likely case of bowel obstruction and sent her home again with stronger medicines. On the third day, Mrs Ff. passed out and was brought in by ambulance. The doctors attending her scheduled her for surgery the next day, but were otherwise at a loss to explain the sudden change. Before surgery time, Mrs Ff was found comatose and near death; and her doctors scrambled to figure out what the cause of the new symptoms were. She died that afternoon.
The coronoer's report returned with a most curious verdict: death via acute infection due to ruptured appendix. Her doctors glanced over the report and dismissed it, because, they reasoned, if her appendix had ruptured she would have come to them with the symptoms of appendicitis: lower right side abdominal pain, nausea, fever. Her case didn't follow the pattern, so her condition was never properly evaluated.
Upon further investigation, it turns out that Mrs Ff. (and two other patients who died in Kemrese hospital last year, though unrelated cases) was
post mortemly diagnosed with situs inversus, a rare congenital condition in which the internal organs are reversed: the heart often points to the right rather than the left; the large lobe of the liver and the gall bladder are on the left rather than the right. Also, the appendix is on the left side rather than the right.
Most doctors in recent decades have had to cram much more education into the same few years of training than their elders had to do. The result is that Kemrese medical programmes are often "streamlined" in an effort to produce properly trained physicians in short order. It seems that this cooky cutter approach to medicine is not the best route to take. Dr. Costentin Armeur of St.
Blase's Medical College in Esca states: "Care needs to be taken to cover a wider range of abnormalities. The human body is a wonderful thing; but in the modern period of advanced medicines and practices, we rarely see deformed or diseased individuals the way our forebears did. Abortions remove many congenital anomalies; medicines and therapeutic techniques often treat anomalies and diseases that were once commonplace. The case of Mrs Ff. is singular in that she had a true anomaly, though not one that made her unhealthy. The narrow range of modern training that sometimes glosses over the 'trivia' of conditions like hers is costing our country a life or two each year; and the problem is as bad or worse elsewhere in the world."
The solutions are many, though often involve extended training or post-educational internships where doctors can delve more deeply into the anomalous and strange. Dr. Armeur stated that even medical school students need to become more acquinted with the oddities of their chosen profession. "There are hundreds of diseases, syndromes and conditions - like Mrs Ff's situs inversus - that students and junior doctors never hear of or only barely receive a mention in the texts. At the very least, we should be training our junior doctors to think outside the box more. Do not rely on seives and charts to diagnose
patients - they may be useful tools, but the art of diagnosis requires more than plugging numbers into an equation."[PB]
LA VOZ DE LA NACION - 31-07-2003
LA HABANA - What to do with all the Pirates? With the cessation of tensions between the SR and the Republic, the SR have ordered the disbanding of their privateer fleets that have harassed Floridian shipping. In cooperation with this
order, the Navy and Air Forces of Florida have ordered a similar stand-down to our privateering fleets.
It now falls to the Navies of the two countries to decide what should be done with captured privateer crews, many of whom are neither Floridian nor Scandinavian. As of this morning, all Scandinavian born prisoners of war are being transported to Charlotte Amalie in the Cruzans, where they will be returned to Scandinavian defense forces custody. Other foreign nationals are to be detained per Code of Military Justice for further processing.
***
Intimations that the disbanded privateer crews are to form the basis for the shipping companies that will connect Florida and Scandinavia have not been well received in Government circles. Trade Minister Julietta Cisneros-Matamoros
vociferously stated Florida's position on the matter: "We did not treat with Scandinavia so that their crews, who yesterday were pirates harassing our shipping can today become respectable shippers who tomorrow will compete with our shipping. It is our hope, and that of Sr Rivera of the Cruzans, that local shipping companies will not be forced out of business by the planned monopoly the Scandinavians are planning to give their former privateers. The way Florida sees it, they lined their pockets at our expense - and that was fair. There was conflict between our countries. But now things are
different - and it looks like they will still line their pockets at our expense!" The future opening of trade between the Cruzans and Scandinavia and her territories could mean expanded opportunities for reviving the stagnating Cruzan shipping industry.[PB]
CRUZANOS HOY! - 31-07-2003 - "La Votación es ... Sí"!!
CHARLOTTE AMALIE - Floridian Governor Rivera welcomed the news of the Referndum results with a smile that has taken years off his recently anxious face. Speaking informally from the portico of the Palacio Verde: "This is the
culmination and fulfilment of many long years of work here in the Cruzan Islands. It is well known that I bought the governorship of these Islands in 1959, when I was a 33 year old junior Congressman from Miami district 6 in Florida. I fell in love instantly with this land, though I was not Governor between 1962 and 1969, and have long tried to improve the lot dealt the Cruzados
by the annexation of 1946. The very nature of my office prevented me from initiating a sweeping reform of local government - I could not change the charter I was granted and could not offer the people the say they deserved in their own affairs. In recent years, though many in the foreign press have maligned him on account of his brother's misdeeds, our President has matured in
his office and has raised the bar we should expect of Florida's national destiny. We should no longer be simple conquerors, scouring away the foreign devil from our territory. Rather, we should offer an enlightened approach to
government, and work in tandem with the foreigners who still have influence amongst the Provinces of our nation. If only Sr Bush had been President in 1959, rather than El Caudillo. Much needless violence could have been avoided - but that is all ancient history!
"Now, we have the future to plan and put into effect. For my part, my work here is done. As of Friday 15 August, 2003 I shall retire from my post as Governor. I have called for an election set for that date in which all of us, my fellow Cruzados, will choose a democratically elected Governor, or Prime Minister, and other government officials. Until such time as the new PM can be installed, I have selected my capable deputy, Frederik Calvo to manage the interim affairs of this office. It shall then be my honour and greatest pleasure to retire here and be no more than Sr Rivera, Cruzado.
"But in the mean time, I understand that Queen Margarita is comming for a visit, and it shall fall to me to hand her the Charter, this fancy piece of paper that gives me Miami's authority over these Islands. By this act, it should be made clear to those of you who have not understood what happened here these last weeks. I understand that the Charter will then be passed to the new PM, as a sign that the elected Ministers of these Islands act of their own
authority."
Several locals noted the recent riots and fires started in response to the Referendum. Rivera activated the Island's defense forces in response and the riots have been curtailed. Newly arriving Frikorps troops, which will relieve most of the Floridian Army troops stationed in the Islands, will assume custody of the miscreants.[PB]
LA VOZ DE LA NACION, 31-07-2003
MIAMI - At last the Cruzan Referendum votes are totaled up and the answer is a resounding YES, if by a slim margin. With this vote, President Bush's "Caribbean Plan" can take its full effect at last, which is the cause for much celebration in Miami this morning. "Now - and with our Scandinavian partners - we will be able to move forward with the work of refurbishing the Cruzans after half a century of official neglect. Rather than constant conflict with Scandinavia over sovereignty issues, our two countries will take equal responsibility for the defense and well being of the newest (official) Province." So spoke Interior Minister Margarita Vásquez at the press confrence at the Presidential Palace this morning.
Foreign Minister Xavier Zavalos is quick to reaffirm Florida's position with respect to the Cruzan Islands: "The Republic, in its desire to respect the traditions of the Cruzados, has chosen to grant the people of the Cruzans the
right to determine their immediate future. The Republic is _not_ abandoning the Province to foreign powers, as some in the media have suggested. We will continue to have a governmental and military presence in the Islands. According to the Plan, a liaison office will be created in Charlotte Amalie which will
coordinate efforts of Cruzan, Floridian and Scandinavian interests as necessary. While the principal land defense of the Islands will fall to the Frikorps, who will occupy various installations in the Islands over the next two
weeks; Floridian troops (mostly Cruzados themselves) will be based in two installations on the two principal islands. In addition, it will be Florida's obligation and honor to continue sea and air defense, in coordination with the
Scandinavian air forces and navy."
Bush, currently travelling in the NAL, sent a congratulatory message to the Cruzan people this morning: "You have embarqued on a new journey, a journey in which you will determine the course taken by your land. We will be ever at your side; we shall help you up when you fall and defend your backs. We shall no longer be your masters; rather we shall be your brothers."[PB]
PNA (People's Renaissance Party) -- 31 votes
Radzima (Motherland) -- 14 votes
PBD (Belarusian Well-Being Party) -- 22 votes
Svabodnaja Bielarus (Free Belarus) -- 12 votes
Respublikanskaja Partyja (The Republicans) -- 9 votes
Independent Candidates -- 12 votes
ZS - Agrarian Union 21 (+ 4)
DA - Democratic Alliance 15 (-16)
LSDDP - Latvian Social-Democratic Labour Party 10 (-11)
LKSP - Latvian Communist Workers' Party 8 (+ 3)
LTF - Latvian People's Front 4 (- 9)
BRP - Baltic Romuva Party 4 (+ 1)
LZP - Latvian Green Party 3 ( = )
LNP - Latvian National Party 4 (+ 4)
KDS - Christian-Democratic Union 2 ( = )[JvS]