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OctagonandCrown — Thu, 17 May 2007 13:40:03 CDT

Dal Már Undecided On No Confidence Vote
Vitz Açafat
Editor
17 May 2007

The Republic's first Peculiarist government hangs in the balance today as MRP deputy, Txec Danhiel Dal Már, tries to choose whether or not to support Seneschal Eiric Börnatfiglheu in a vote of no confidence. As former deputy Andy Lowry reseigned from the chamber before casting a vote, Dal Már now possesses the deciding ballot, and a very tricky dilemma.
Both Dal Már and Börnatfiglheu have had difficulties in their private lives that have interfered with their governmental duties. In fact, Lowry's resignation may not be the last on in the Fifth Chamber of Deputies. "I am pondering a resignation. I have a lot on my plate right now," Dal Már told the O&C. A further resignation would leave Börnatfiglheu as the only remaining Peculiarist deputy until replacements are found - a position that would certainly force an end to his premiership regardless of the outcome of the vote of no confidence.

Dal Már has not resigned yet, though, and is taking time to think over his decision. "At this moment my mind is not made up," he explained. "The MRP leadership has failed miserably in implementing any sort of plan whatsoever and now has lost a party member to boot. However, the ZRT has not been an inspiring opposition. They promised to flood the CoD with their proposals if the MRP failed to implement their own. They have not. Neither party has done anything."

The Defencist caucus will certainly disagree with Dal Már's assessment. Whether or not they assume power in this chamber, however, rests on his decision. On this one occasion the party known for its strident opinions will have to find a way to woo a Peculiarist to get what it wants.

Lowry Resigns, Government Wobbles

Vitz Açafat
Editor
13 May 2007

Talossans were puzzled yesterday by a cryptic post left on Wittenberg by the Minister of Technology, Minister of Immigration, and Deputy of the Fifth Chamber of Deputies, Andy Lowry. Under the headline, "Lowry leaves the MRP," S:reu Lowry wrote only, "yep, true." Miestrâ Schivâ, speaker of the Chamber, made an official request for a full explanation, but none has yet been forthcoming. The O&C, however, has conducted an exclusive interview with the former Peculiarist deputy and can now explain to the nation the reasons behind this surprise move.

S:reu Lowry never intended to serve in the Chamber of Deputies. He allowed his name to be put third on the party list because he sincerely believed that this would be too low for him to be elected. Since the surprise Peculiarist victory, the new deputy has found the partisanship of debate not to his liking. Finally, in the last few days he decided he had had enough. " I left because I'm tired of party politics, basically," Lowry explained, "I shouldn't be there anyway, I'm no good at that kind of thing." While Lowry is clearly uncomfortable with his role as a legislator, he hopes to maintain his two portfolios subject to government approval. " I can do the tech and the immigration non-politically," he explained.

There has also been confusion over the future of Lowry's seat in the Chamber. Lowry thought that since he obtained his position by right of being a member of the winning party in the most recent election, resignation from that party would result in automatic resignation from the Chamber as well. It appears, though, that a separate resignation from the Chamber will be necessary before Lowry is free from his responsibilities as a legislator. Asked if he would participate in any vote of confidence in the government called before his departure was formalised, he said he would abstain.

There has been no comment from the Peculiarist leadership from within the Chamber. MRP founder Dieter N. Vercáriâ, however, has informed the O&C that if an MRP seat became vacant it would revert to the next in name on the party list: Distáin Üc Tärfâ. No doubt, the 'ring-tailed lemur' will bring a new liveliness to the debates on the floor, and a few groans from the opposition benches.

MRP Government 'Floats' Bond Bill
Vitz Açafat
Editor
29 April 2007

--STOP PRESS--
Minutes after this article was posted, the controversial 'Banden' proposal in the Finance bill was withdrawn.
--STOP PRESS--

Seneshal E.S. Börnatfiglheu caused a storm of controversy with the introduction of the first bill of the MRP administration to the Chamber of Deputies on the 27 April. The bill, known as the Financial Reform Bill 2007, is a codification of the duties and responsibilities of the Minister of Finance of the Republic. This portfolio has increased in prominence recently with the successful raising of government funds through 'voluntary taxation' in order to nationalise the Talossan web presence. Although this type of taxation, along with others, is addressed, a new power is described for the Finance Minister -- the issuance of sovereign government debt instruments. The introduction of section four of the bill begins, 'The purpose of Banden [bonds] is to create long term low interest loans from the public to the government to help fund its processes and projects.' The section goes on to describe the process for issuing and redeeming bonds in a straightforward fashion, however the reaction on the Chamber floor has been anything but straightforward.

Within hours, the leader of the opposition, Dp Inxheneu Crovâ, had commented that, 'the issuing of any sort of security by the Republic is not only inefficient, but a hair-raising risk for an unincorporated entity and potentially a violation of securities regulations in the United States and elsewhere.' In a following post Crovâ provided a link to United States security laws that would require the Republic to register with the US Securities Exchange Commission before issuing debt. He continued, 'Does the Seneschal want to gamble with our national reputation and with a very real and personal risk of liability for each and every citizen of this country for the sake of an unnecessary piece of bureaucratic inflation?'

So far the Peculiarist defence of its legislation has been timid. The Seneshal has so far only manged one rebuttal post, in which he said, 'if it is in contravention of macronational law, such provisions will be immediately canned.' No other MRP deputies, or any other government figure, has commented on the bill, raising speculation that the 'bonds' were not expected to be greeted with such controversy.

Despite the lack of official comment, the O&C has managed to gather more information about the origins of this bill from unnamed sources close to the government. The bill is believed to have been composed by the current Minister of Finance, Txec Ereufighleu, and the Distain, Üc Tärfâ. The provision for 'Banden' was meant to be a dormant provision in the law until such time as such an instrument became useful. We have it on good authority that there are no intentions to issue any debt securities in the foreseeable future.

If this account proves to be accurate, opposition deputies will have many questions for S:eru Börnaftighleu over the coming days. How they are answered will perhaps be a defining moment in the first MRP administration, now one-third through its elected term.

Peculiarist Government Pursues 'Old Hat' Policy
Vitz Açafat
Editor
15 April 2007
After several quiet weeks on Wittenberg, Seneschal Börnatfiglheu has announced that the Peculiarist government has been developing policies behind the scenes. "We do look comatose, dont [sic] we?" Börnatfiglheu said in a post on 13 April, "But actually, we've been working semi-feverishly, as best we can, on our projects, trying to get them nice and shiny for presentation." The Seneschal went on to outline three projects his cabinet has been preparing for the Talossan people: a self-governing L'Icastola, a 'virtual Haxh,' and, in what was described as an 'old hat' idea, government issued ID cards. Other than that these ideas were being discussed, no details of the progress the government had made was described.

This was the first post by the Seneschal since 25 March. In a further post he hinted at personal issues interfering with his duties. There has been, however, a general silence among most of the Peculiarist notables since Easter. The main exception so far has been Minister of Culture, Ián Txaglh, who formally recalled the L'Icastolâ. He called on all Talossan citizens interested in El Gelþ to gather in the L'Icastolâ forum to chose a new leader and to formally assume a status independent from the government.

The general lack of Peculiarist activity, though, has provoked several pointed comments from the Defencist opposition. Miestrâ Schivâ noted recently, "These people whine and whine about how the nasty opposition are mean to them, but when we take a few days off, we come back to a ghost town." So far there have been no public complaints from the general citizenry, but it does seem likely that the MRP has passed through its 'honeymoon' period in office in relative silence.

Seneschal Börnatfiglheu Names Cabinet Amid Web Security Crisis
Vitz Açafat
Editor
23 March 2007

Seneschal Eiric Börnatfiglheu announced his new Peculiarist cabinet during his Speech of the Incoming Government today. Despite the recent shock of a Peculiarist victory in the national election, continuity was the order of the day as several key positions were left unchanged from the ZRT administration. Important posts were distributed among MRP stalwarts, however. Txec Danihél dal Már was appointed as Foreign Minister, and recent immigrant Ián Txaglh was handed the culture portfolio. Andy Lowry was retained as Technology Minister but bagged the Immigration top-spot as well. The Seneschal summed his program, saying, 'The government for the 5th Chamber of Deputies seeks to generate stable infrastructure and growth as a base for other needs and desires.'
There has been no grace period for the new government, however, as fears over the security of the Republic's web presence surfaced before the cabinet had even been officially named. The Wittenberg fora of the Republic were offline for several hours on the 21st of March, and new posts were not possible for several hours more after the Witt reappeared. The ZRT opposition quickly raised the issue in the Chamber of Deputies, calling the outage 'near-catastrophic.' Although the outage was short, it has provoked a wide-ranging discussion within the Republic about web security and the finalisation of the nationalisation of the entire national web presence. To facilitate any needed changes, ZRT deputy Inxheneu Crovâ has introduced a bill to the Chamber that would allow Technology minister Andy Lowry to switch the national domains to a new, hopefully more reliable, supplier. Indications are that this bill will pass without objection.
Perhaps more important than the technical issues is the new style of politics that seems to have taken root within the Republic. The ZRT 'intend mercilessly hold the Government to account,' according to D:nâ Túischac'h Miestrâ Schivâ, and have demonstrated this intent very clearly over the webspace issue. Speaking exclusively to this paper, Seneschal Börnatfiglheu denied that the tough line taken by the Defencists had caused his government to react more quickly than it would have otherwise. 'We realized how serious this could become without their help,' he said. Börnatfiglheu continued, saying, 'It needs to be taken care of, and quickly. In that I agree with my esteemed opposition. But they do seem to like talking about it, dont [sic] they?' All indications are that the Seneschal had better get used to it.

Cabinet of the MRP Government:
Seneschal: Eiric Börnatfiglheu
Minister of Technology and Information: Andrew Lowry
Minister of Finance: Txec Ereufighleu
Minister of Immigration: Andrew Lowry
Minister of Culture: Ián Txaglh
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Txec Danihél dal Már
Distain: Üc Tärfâ

MRP SWEEP TO POWER IN SHOCK ELECTION VICTORY !!
Vitz Açafat
Editor
19 March 2007

The Movement of Republican Peculiarism upset all election predictions last night by winning three of the five seats in the incoming 5th Chamber of Deputies. Although pleased, even the MRP leadership was taken aback by their strong showing in the national vote. 'I'm stunned,' said D.N. Vercáriâ, President of the Republic and MRP founder, in a short, two-word post following the official announcement. Indeed, prominent MRP leaders had predicted to this reporter in the days before the election, that the movement would win only one or two seats. The MRP surpassed even their own optimistic predictions, however, to take control of the Chamber and gain the right to form the next Talossan government.

ZRT deputies were understandably perplexed. After a series of government successes, including the nationalisation of the Republic's web presence, most pundits were expecting a mandate for continued Defensist rule. Swallowing disappointment, though, the Defensists are already planning for opposition. 'The ZRT does not intend on going away,' said outgoing Senechal, Inxheneu Crovâ. 'We will be a vigorous and active opposition, just as we were a dynamic and active government. The people have spoken-they desired a change, but our responsibility remains the same.' Newly elected speaker, Miestâ Schivâ, has announced that the ZRT will take an aggressive stance in the Chamber, saying, 'We announce our intention of introducing legislation to enact the Defencist programme, in the confident knowledge that the Peculiarists agree with most of it anyway.'

The election results were not only surprising, but historic in their own right. This was the first time since the founding of the Republic that a sitting government has been cast out by the electorate. In fact, as Schivâ, pointed out in a recent post, only four times in all of Talossan history has a ruling party failed to carry an election it contested. This, plus the smooth transition of power from ruling party to opposition, shows a level of political maturity and sophistication seldom seen in other micronations.

The election procedures themselves were praised by all parties. Secretary of State, Jay Shorten, managed the technicalities with competence and flair. Republic citizens logged onto the Wittenberg at midnight GMT to follow his results thread. The voting results were spaced out as each district reported its ballots, bringing an element of suspense that was enjoyed by all. The secret email balloting system that Shorten pioneered worked seamlessly, and there was only one, small mathematical error in the complicated calculations that followed. 'Oh well, it’s a story for the Octagon and Crown,' Shorten quipped.

Turnout hit a healthy 75% with 21 of 28 eligible voters taking part. It has been revealed that half of the final voters voted within the first two days of the campaign, with a flurry of votes coming in on the last day. A full week passed during the middle of the campaign with no votes cast at all.

Meanwhile, the citizens still eagerly await to hear from their new leaders what shape the incoming government will take. It is not clear yet if the unexpected victory will find the MRP unprepared to take the reigns of power. After such a strong showing the the recent poll, however, the Peculiarists can expect a honeymoon period from the electorate. The MRP will face new challenges in government before too long, though, and may not find them all to its liking. The ZRT is already planning for the 6th Chamber elections, and worries have surfaced that the Republic will start the sort of endless election cycle that plague some macronations. If so, newly elected MRP Delegate, Andy Lowry, will not be happy. 'Elections really harsh my mellow, maaaaan.'

Results for the election of the 5th Chamber of Deputies:
Union for Talossan Progress 2
Movement of Republican Peculiarism 10
Els Zefençadéirs dàl Repúblicâ Talossán 8
Blue Wave Party 1

Elected members of the 5th Chamber of Deputies:
1. Eiric S. Börnatfighleu (MRP)
2. Diarmuid Crovâ (ZRT)
3. Txec Danihél dal Már (MRP)
4. Miestrâ Schivâ (ZRT)
5. Andy Lowry (MRP)

Republic Nationalisation of Webspace deemed 'Historic Triumph!'
13 March 2007
The citizens of the Republic made history recently by successfully raising the funds to 'purchase' the national webspace from a private citizen. The domain names, including talossa.com, talossa.net and talossaonline.com, will now become official Republic property, giving the state a more secure web presence. The domain names had been previosly owned by M.P. Furxheir who had owned them since his stint as webmaster for Ben Madison in pre-revolutionary Talossa. They have been used by the Republic ever since its founding, but no offical change in ownership had taken place. Not content to have the nation relying on one private citizen for its web presence, the recent 4th Chamber of Deputies decided to swing into action.

El Proxhet del Finançù (Naziunáliçaziun Telaragñheascâ) dallas 2006/III was proposed in December. This gave the Minister of Finance, Txec Ereufighleu, the authority to set up a PayPal account for the Republic, also to be overseen by the President D.N. Vercáriâ, and the Seneschal, Inxheneu Crovâ. Citizens would be allowed to contribute between US$10.00 and $US20.00, anonymously, to raise the needed funds of US$89.90. The executive order went out to the people asking for contributions on 16 February, and the total amount had been raised by 26 February.

Minister of Culture, Miestrâ Schivâ, reacted, 'As of today, Talossa's webpresence is democratically self-funding and therefore truly nationalised.' She went on to praise the ruling ZRT, ' A victory for the policy of the Crovâ government, if I do say so myself.' Seneshal Crovâ said, 'This is a real tribute to the maturity of our governing institutions, as well as to the leadership of the ZRT (if I say so myself ;-)).' The government made the process as transparent as possible, the other parties made constructive suggestions, and Txec did a fine job in organising the practicalities of it all.'

Although the cheers were loudest from the ZRT camp the 'nationalisation' involved prominent members of at least three parties (also including President Vercáriâ of the MRP and Minister Txec of the UTP), the Minister of Technology, Andy Lowry, as well as several unknown contributers from the general population. Perhaps Ián B. Anglatzarâ summed it up best when he said, 'it was a blasted success!'

Election Fever Sweeps the Republic as Style Trumps Substance
8 March 2007

After a few quiet days on the Republican Wittenburg, partisan debate has swung into high gear. At last count one thread had reached over 30 posts in less than 24 hours. Although there are four parties participating in the coming Chamber of Deputies poll, the political debate is taking place chiefly between Miestrâ Schivâ's Els Zefençadéirs dal Repúblicâ Talossán (ZRT or the Defencists) and D.N. Vercáriâ's El Movamáintch Repúblicán për Pecüliárismeu (MRP or the Peculiarists).

There have been several exchanges between the President and the Minister of Culture. Generally President Vercáriâ accuses the ZRT of being too serious or disciplined, following which Minister Schivâ accuses the MRP of never doing anything but talking about doing things. It was therefore a surprise to many of the Republic's citizens to hear Schivâ say in a recent post, 'the difference between Defencism and Peculiarism is a matter of emphasis, or style.' Perhaps more surprising is the fact that no one came forward from the Peculiarist ranks to challenge this statment. Since most recent statements by the ZRT leader are usually followed by a trail of MRP rebuttals, this has given the impression to the Republican citizenry that the MRP tacitly agrees with this statment.

If the 'style' of the incoming goverment is the main issue of this CoD campaign, this has not stopped the ZRT from adopting several new platform planks. The most notable of these are a 'new' declaration of independence, and a revamp of local goverment and the Senats. Meanwhile, the MRP platform calls for the government to stop pursuing closer ties with the Kingdom in the hopes that a closer relationship will build up from the 'grassroots' of the private citizenry. They also endorse the UTP 'plus one' program. The Union for Talossan Progress (UTP) is most notable for this program, which encourages each Talossan citizen to find one like-minded friend to apply for citizenship. Finally, Gödafrïeu Válcadác’h's Blue Wave Party (BWP) is fielding its only member as a candidate. The only policy named in its manifesto is 'political reunification of the sundered Talossan peoples,' which is a goal also endorsed in one form or another by the other three parties.

Party manifesto links:

Union for Talossan Progress
Moverment for Republican Peculiarism
Blue Wave Party
Els Zefençadéirs dal Repúblicâ Talossán

Talossa's Hometown Newspaper

OctagonandCrown — Fri, 11 May 2007 17:46:31 CDT

Welcome to the Octagon & Crown
Beneveneschti à La Vuitsidátx és la Coronâ

New to the O&C? Click here for an introduction.

Seven-hundred and Fifty Readers!

9 May 2007

There has been a marked increase in our 'circulation' recently. We are now averaging 110-120 hits a week. This is a significant increase over the 80-90 hits we were getting a month ago. Efforts are being made to increase our profile on the net, but all this improvement is despite not showing up in a Google search under 'Talossa.' So, thanks everyone!

P.S. We still do not have any links from any official Talossan sites. They would be much appreciated!

Terms of Endearment
A quick note on terminology is appropriate at this juncture. I am sure everyone can appreciate that writing a newspaper for two states who hold mutually exclusive views of the world is a bit tricky. It is not just a matter of deciding to be 'fair,' although fairness is a goal. Here are the ground rules for articles in place from now:

1) Articles in 'the Octagon' will be written in a Republican world view.

2) Articles in 'the Crown' will be written in a Royalist world view.

3) Inter-Talossan news will try to take a neutral stance.

4) The Açafat Interviews, and of course, editorials and letters, will reflect the viewpoint of the author.

As an addendum to the above, individuals will be given their title throughout. So, King John would be called King John in an article in the Octagon. None of the above rules would, of course, apply to quotes. Quotes will be just that.

A Neutral Forum?
It has been suggested, from more than one source, that the O&C provide a message board that would be a neutral territory between the two Talossas. A neutral forum would be an interesting idea, but after much deliberation, the O&C has decided not to set up such a message board for the time being. There are two reasons for this: time spent moderating such a forum, which would certainly be necessary, would detract from the time spent on this newspaper, and, although we are loathe to admit it, message boards are a large part of our respective national identities. Creating a third major message board at this juncture might possibly undermine one or both of the other boards, or create some third entity. We are not up to covering three Talossas! For the time being, this sort of decision is best left to the two governments to make themselves.

Please Contribute!
Every Talossan or whatever stripe is encouraged to send his or her contribution to our email address at octagonandcrown at yahoo dot co dot uk. Just to help everyone along, here is the sort of contribution that we need most:

1) An article about a news story that is not easily discernible from reading either of the main Wittenberg boards. Hopefully these articles would include quotations, ideally from a source other than a public board (this is not always easy and is not absolutely necessary, just a bonus).

2) A synopsis of an especially important post or a very complicated thread of posts from either Wittenberg. Quotations here are essential.

3) A letter to the editor that is in response to any of the news coverage or editorials in the O&C. These may be edited for length.

4) A longer piece of opinion that is independent of any previously published article. This would ideally cover a subject not regularly discussed in the Wittenbergs.

5) Anonymous tips, whispered comments, or whatever you want to tell us but do not want quoted. As long as you are clear that you are speaking off the record to us, we won't quote you.

We have had one press release actually, from a political party hoping to get coverage for their cause. This is really appreciated. Although we will not just reprint the part line we receive, it is helpful to get a idea for a story from any source.

Thanks to all of our readers. Let's see how fast we can get to 1000 hits!

Vitz Açafat
Editor

Praise for the Octagon & Crown:

"I read what you had up already, and I'm pretty impressed. Best of luck with O&C as time passes." -King John of Talossa

"This is exactly what the Republic and Kingdom both need. Please make sure you keep this up for at least the next year." - Miestrâ Schivâ

"This is actually not only relevant and newsworthy, but well-written. Good job."
- Alexander Davis

Don't know about Talossa?
Explore and join in on the pages linked below:

Republic of Talossa Homepage
Republican Wittenberg
Kingdom of Talossa Homepage
Royalist Wittenberg

Inter-Talossa News

OctagonandCrown — Sat, 05 May 2007 18:24:35 CDT

El Glheþ Enthusiasts To Organise Across Talossan Divide

5 May 2007
By Vitz Açafat
Editor
Talossans in the Regipäts and the Republicá have both been busy over the past few weeks, reviving the dormant organisations of their respective nations that oversee the Talossan language - El Glheþ. Worries have surfaced, however, that this linguistic revival will cause a schism into competing dialects, someday making speech and writing incomprehensible to citizens of a rival Talossa.

Ián Txaglh, having recently been appointed Minister of Culture, began reassembling L'Icastolâ, the linguistic academy of the Republic, on April 6th. After a delay in which the rules for doing this properly were discussed, five Republic citizens expressed interest joining and unanimously nominated Miestrâ Schivâ as their leader. By Republic law, once L'Icastolâ has formally installed its own leader it will become an organisation independent of the government. Txaglh, who still is overseeing the organisation until Schivâ's appointment becomes official, says one of his goals is, "to initiate work on etymological dictionary of talossan and orthography reform, which will deconstruct the diacritics mayhem which makes talossan distinct but difficult to type and look too cheap." He also said he has been, "surprised by rather low level interest" among the citizenry.

In the Kingdom, Quedéir Castiglhâ started the revival just over a week ago when he asked his fellow citizens if he was the sole remaining member of La Comità për l'Útzil del Glhetg. Soon after realising he was, in fact, he appealed to King John to become CUG patron, and enlisted the support of Seneschal Lord Hooligan, and Ladintsch Naziunál C.M. Siervicul. Speaking of the agenda of the Comitá, Siervicul said, "I would expect the discussions going on now to result in an Arestadâ sooner or later."

It has also come to light that Txaglh and Siervicul have begun preliminary discussions to establish a inter-Talossan language group, as described in the agreement between the two nations in 2006. Although details of the agenda of this "federation" are still incomplete, there has been discussion of inviting Sir Tomás Gariçéir to act as a "neutral third party."

Despite the recent signs of co-operation, there are still fears that the two resurgent organisations will adopt conflicting reforms for their respective populations. King John has recently introduced in depth spelling reforms in the CUG forum - reforms that it cannot be assumed will be accepted by L'Icastolâ. This may not upset all Talossan enthusiasts. Lord Hooligan, who has gone on record as favourable to a "dialects" forming, said recently, "The CÙG and the Icastola are separate and so they may, for all I know, choose to go their own way with the language. I doubt that the language as spoken my the members of either will diverge too much, though." This relaxed attitude towards linguistic diversity will worry many, especially in the Republic. Republic Seneshal E.S. Börnatfiglheu condemned the idea, saying, "Divergence and the development of dialects should be inhibited at all costs...If the two Talossan states work on nothing else together, we owe it to the language to keep it whole and the same throughout Talossa."

Another sign of cultural co-operation appeared recently in a statement to the Chamber of Deputies by Seneshal Börnatfiglheu. Outlining the legislative program for his ruling MRP government for the remainder of the legislative sitting, Börnatfiglheu revealed plans to, "look into getting the Talossapedia updated. Talossa (both of them) needs a unified information source, nomenclature, and lexicon. This government will look into collaboration with individuals from the Regipats to help make Talossapedia a wiki for all Talossans." Upon hearing the proposal, Lord Hooligan reacted positively. No doubt, this spirit of co-operation will please citizens all across Greater Talossa. Although both initiatives are in the early stages, progress in inter-Talossan cultural exchange appears to have begun in earnest.

Republican reaction to King John's election Mixed
17 March 2007
Vitz Açafat
Editor

President D.N. Vercáriâ of the Republic offered heartfelt congratulations to His Majesty, King John, of the Regipäts yesterday in an open letter issued from the presidential residence in Chapelle Mère, Cézembre, on the occasion of the King's ascension to his throne. Expressing a goodwill between the two office-holders unimaginable in the days of King Robert I, President Vercáriâ wrote, 'I wish you all the best for your regency. May yours be the luck and the wisdom and the patience that it takes to carry the lifelong, noble burden of a crown. Long may you live.' Emphasising the common heritage of the two Talossan states, he continued, 'In diversity, we're sharing the same passion for an adventure that began in 1979, for a dream that escaped from the realm of mere phantasy [sic]. Let's do our best to keep this dream alive. Long live Talossa!' Perhaps the most significant feature of the short missal, however, was the greeting, in which the staunchly Republican president respectfully addressed King John as, 'Your Majesty.'

Despite the warm words issuing from the presidential residence, further reaction across the Republic was muted. This perhaps reflected the certainty of King John's election since the ratification vote was announced several weeks ago. The lack of opposition, or secret ballots produced a poll that was a forgone conclusion from the outset.

The Octagon & Crown has managed to solicit reactions from two Republic notables, however. Speaking in her private capacity as editor of Qator Itrìns, Miestrâ Schivâ summed up the mood of many in the Republic when she said, 'I heartily congratulate the esteemed s:reu John Woolley on being installed, democratically and constitutionally, as Head of State of the Kingdom of Talossa. I hope to hear soon on what the new Royal Government will do to reach out to those of us who yearn for Talossan unity, but who still shudder to bend the knee before a crowned head.' More ambivalently, the straight-talking founding parent of the Republican Revolution, Chirisch dal Navâ, was quoted saying, 'I'm sure the Kingdom is quite happy with their choice of monarch, but I see no value in a monarchy at all. I leave it to the citizens of the Kingdom to find whatever worth there is to be had. Personally, I believe the Kingdom cannot thrive under that system of government for very long. I wish them well.'

Laissez-faire king not worried about new Republican Declaration
11 March 2007

Echoing the famous 'if you exist, you exist' foreign policy of former Penguinean Protector, Evan Gallagher, upcoming Regipäts monarch, Sir John Woolley, was unconcerned by reports that the ZRT plan to issue a second Declaration of Independence of the Republic. The 'unashamedly nationalist' ZRT has made renewing the Declaration a central part of its campaign manifesto. This will, according to the manifesto, situate the Republic, 'once and for all as a beacon of freedom, equality and solidarity in micronationalism, rejecting all assertions, tacit or otherwise, that we are an illegitimate expression of Talossanity.' The manifesto continues, saying that this declaration would be aimed at not just the Kingdom, but also the United States of America and the French Republic.
Rather than interpreting this as a belligerent stance, however, Sir John was unconcerned. In one of his last political statements before he ascends the throne of the Kingdom, Sir John said, 'Of course the Republic is independent and separate from the Kingdom. Who doubts it? But if someone feels like redeclaring it, I guess that's fine with me.' While on the surface this attitude bodes well for future peace among the Talossan peoples, it also casts doubts on future progress on closer inter-Talossan relations.
Further developments, though, may test the new king's patience with his Republican cousins. Some candidates for the upcoming 5th Chamber of Deputies in the Republic, have mentioned laying claim to all of historic Talossa, not just the four southern provinces that broke away to found the Republic. Would this act provoke an angry response from the Royalist camp? Only time will tell.

Talossan states issue conflicting maps
10 March 2007

Despite the increasingly cordial relationship between the governments of the Talossan Republic and Kingdom, the issue of competing territorial claims has yet to be addressed. This was underscored recently when each state independently issued national maps that contradict each other in important ways.

The University of Taloassa (Regipäts, not to be confused with the dormant University of Talossa in the Repúlicá) issued an impressive looking colour map showing the traditional boundaries of the Kingdom in mainland Talossa on 26 January. No mention of the Republic is in this map, however, as the secession of the four provinces of Florenciâ, Maritiimi, Maricopa, and Pórt Maxhestic in 2004 has never been recognised by the Regipäts government. These four provinces have now been 'rebuilt' within the Kingdom, so despite the thaw in relations between the two Talossas the Kingdom still claims historical Talossa in its entirety.

A few weeks later on 18 February, Miestrâ Shivâ posted a satellite map of the greater Talossa area with the four provinces of the Republic superimposed. This lead to a discussion about the exact land claims in the Constitution of the Republic, and in the process it emerged that the Republic's territorial claims had not been previously understood by the wider citizenry. While the Republic makes no claim on the norther provinces it believes to have abandoned after the Revolution of 2004, it 'annexed' much of the surrounding area during the initial stages of the Republic. In effect, the map of the Republic resembles a doughnut with the northern provinces still held by the Kingdom making up a small enclave within Republican territory. It is expected that this anomaly will be addressed early in the upcoming 5th Chamber of Deputies.

Further muddying the waters, the ZRT has announced plans during the current campaign to issue a new Declaration of Independence, with hints that the Republic will soon include all of historical Talossa and the additional claims made in 2004. This would mean that both Talossa's claim all of the traditional boundaries of Talossa, with the Republic claiming four or five times the original area as well.

So far there has been no discussion about resolving the conflicting land claims on the Royal Wittenburg, however, it is hard to imagine the two Talossas will ever establish a lasting peace until this issue is resolved.

Links to the maps discussed above:
University of Talossa (Reg) map of Talossa
Miestrâ Schiva's 18 Feb post
Current Repuplican territory

An Octagonal Point of View

OctagonandCrown — Wed, 02 May 2007 17:48:27 CDT

Competition is Good!
2 May 2007
by Vitz Açafat
Editor

Adam Smith, the father of capitalism, once wrote, "Monopoly...is a great enemy to good management." When s:reu Smith wrote these words it was probably a controversial statement, or at least far from the truism it appears to us moderns to be. But, despite the apparent comfort with which homo modernus embraces competition in most endeavors, there has been scant little of it in Talossa's history. This is not because we are all totalitarians or socialists (although historically our population has had a liberal sprinkling of both). It is just a sad fact of Talossan life that all institutions are always under threat of collapsing from apathy, and there is rarely enough collective will to maintain competing institutions. Even in the realm of politics, parities come and go with disturbing regularity and governments are more likely to collapse than get pushed out by a rival.

And yet, for almost three years now, Talossa has managed to support two governments. That they are both well established, perhaps even thriving, and both doggedly Talossan, is no mean achievement. The Kingdom has shaken off a tyrant and moved towards true, stable democracy. The Republic, despite a quiet few weeks, remains a community of vigorous debate and has nationalised its webspace. Both communities are proud of their achievements, and rightfully so. Would these achievements be as substantial without the 'other Talossa' looming over our shoulders? I say not.

Our respective Talossas are much like adolescent boys both chasing the same girl. We know that if we do not behave, keep up appearances, and shower regularly we will lose out to the other suitor. It is the elephant in the middle of the room that no one talks about, but nobody in the Republic wants to look bad in front of the Kingdom, and no one in the Kingdom wants to look bad in front of the Republic. We never can quite relax, at least not for very long, and we certainly can't be careless. Take a look around the rest of the micronational community, and then thank your lucky stars!

'Unity' is the battle-cry, though, of almost all Talossan political parties, whether Republican or Royalist. Is this a mistake? Should we be clamouring for more of the status quo? I say not. The fact that Talossa is a divided nation is perhaps the most interesting thing about Talossa, maybe the most interesting situation among all micronations. Most 'bathtub' states try their hand at diplomacy as soon as they've designed their flag and downloaded a national anthem. This often means designing the logo of a new intermicronational organisation, writing a new constitution for the same, and then facing the same apathetic boredom that they thought diplomacy would save them from. They just don't have anything to be diplomatic about. Talossa, for good or for bad, faces a huge diplomatic challenge. Maybe we will someday unite, maybe not, but either way we have to rub along without upsetting each other too much. That is a real diplomatic challenge. It is such a good one, in fact, it would be a shame if it ever ended.

So, three cheers for competition! As a Republican citizen I hope the Republic comes out with some amazing new innovation that makes the Kingdom leadership green with envy (and we had better do it soon before the Kingdom does the same to us!). I expect every loyal subject of King John to want to do the same to us. At the same time, I hope the two Talossas will continue to grow closer together. Hopefully, our respective leaderships will continue the difficult task of rebuilding a unified nation. Let's just hope they don't ever succeed!

Talossa Can't Afford a 'Silent Cal'
15 April 2007
by Vitz Açafat
Editor

Our Seneshal, like this reporter, is a fan of twentieth-century, American journalist, H.L. Mencken. In fact, S:eru Börnatfiglheu even has a quote by the great man in his Wittenberg signature. That being the case, I will quote an excerpt from Mencken's obituary of the 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge:

"[He] responded to bad times precisely as he responded to good ones--that is, by pulling down the blinds, stretching his legs upon his desk, and snoozing away the lazy afternoons...The kind of government that he offered the country was government striped to the buff. It was government that governed hardly at all...There were no thrills while he reigned, but neither were there any headaches. He had no ideas, and he was not a nuisance."

Mencken's verdict on the Coolidge presidency is generally favourable, in the same way that no news is usually considered good news. Talossa, in many ways, though, is not like the United States. Perhaps the most significant way, in my opinion, is that American citizens have no choice in the matter. Talossans make a choice to participate every time we boot up our computers. For us no news is no activity, which is definitely bad news.

Perhaps we are being unfair to our new Seneshcal. He has indicated that offline events are preventing him from participating as much as he would like. I am sure all of us wish him well, and can sympathise with similar events in our own lives. A Seneshal does not a government make, however, and the general silence among the entire MRP makes all of us private citizens worry that perhaps the 'movement' has stopped moving. There do appear to be several intiatives the government is working on in private before revealing the finished goods to us, the people. This is fine, but more regular updates are necessary so that we can distinguish between cautiousness and somnolence.

After the recent election it appeared that a real multi-party system had developed in our Republic. The optimistic analysis is that, like many other states, the dividing line between the parties on most issues is over the role of the state: the ZRT favoured a more active, evangelical state, the MRP wanted a more relaxed leviathan that let the culture bubble up from the masses. The pessimistic view (espoused by Defencist partisans) was that the ZRT is a party of action, and the MRP is a party of afternoon naps. Although the ZRT leadership may be feeling the warm sensation brought on by an 'I told you so!' waiting to escape their lips, it is important for the nation that the Peculiarists prove them wrong. In the short run, we cannot afford to let six months slip away (of which one already has, and one will be overshadowed by the next round of elections), and in the long run we need to have at least two dynamic and functioning parties to maintain a high quality of leadership for the nation.

Just because the MRP wants to apply a gentler touch with the heavy hand of the state does not justify inactivity. Peculiarists can still develop our culture with our without the sanction of legislation, as the MRP has often pointed out. The government can still lead, even if that leadership is expressed by acting as private citizens to improve Talossa.

If this editorial is released just before a huge blitz of government initiatives, or the unveiling of great accomplishments by the Peculiarist faithful, then I humbly apologise. I will not only apologise, in fact. I will open a bottle of my favourite tipple and toast the MRP. So, do I need my corkscrew?

Talossa Needs More Women
5 April 2007
by Vitz Acafat
Editor

Talossa claims to be a nation, or at least a nationette, yet few other nations in the world today manage to have so few female citizens in their populations. Even the Vatican City, no hotbed of progressive feminism, must have several key sisters it cannot dispense with among its handful of passport holders. Yet Greater Talossa, as far as this reporter can see, only sports two active women - both in the Republic, and only one is a regular contributor to the Witt on that side of the Vuode Wall. We all know about this, of course. It is pretty obvious to anyone who surfs the western shore of the Talossan sea that the fairer sex is thin on the ground. We all wish it were not so, but then, with a shrug of our virtual shoulders, we wait and hope that things will sort themselves out.
This is an easy stance to take, especially since the solutions to the problem are far from obvious, however, we take this stance at our own peril. Our divided nation's demographics resemble those of a Tolkien fan club, or a Juggling convention. Are we a quirky sub-culture spread over a few internet chat rooms? All of us are here, hopefully, to build a nation. Maybe someday it will be a united nation, but if it is a united nation that is 98% male, what sort of nation is that? We are all proud that Talossans come from all corners of the globe, come from varying cultural backgrounds and are spread across many generations. If these are things to take pride in, then we must accept the shame of our lack of gender diversity. And if we can accept some shame, then we can collectively decide to do something about it.
Increasing female membership is not a straightforward proposition. Proactively recruiting women would not be easy, and the means of doing so are far from obvious. However, if 'what to do' is not easy to spot, 'what not to do' is the sore thumb sticking out of our otherwise uninjured hand. Pictures of morbidly obese women in bikinis hanging off the end of pick-up trucks are just the sort of image guaranteed to made any normal woman go 'eeeewww.' This sort of picture, being on a public, official board in either Talossa, is the equivalent of going to a high-school dance with a big wet patch on the front of your trousers - no girl is going to come near you.
Like most men, this reporter is not in a position to cast stones when it comes to the occasional crude remark about the opposite sex in my younger days. I say that now with a sense of embarrassment brought on by what I like to think of as maturity. Perhaps it is just boorishness. Whatever the reason, though, the entire thread this picture recently appeared in on the Royalist Witt should be removed. The future spouse of the heir-apparent to the Kingdom is a legitimate subject for discussion among those of the Royalist persuasion who care to talk about such things, however, to an outsider it will appear to be plain weird. Shopping for a wife, however fancifully, among the few royal houses left in the world is not exactly the sort of thing that should be done publicly.
It is the bikini picture, referred to above, though, that is most likely to offend those who we can least afford to offend. The fact that such a picture could be posted at all shows that Talossan culture has already started to resemble other all-male bastions like locker rooms and gentleman's clubs. So few women post that it is easy to forget a women will actually see what we write. Many posts, though, get ten to twenty views for every response they get. We forget, but we are all being watched, hopefully by some female watchers who might decided to cast their lot in with us. Let's not frighten them off! Talossa may have started as a 'bedroom nation.' Let's not let it become a 'locker room' nation.

Letters

OctagonandCrown — Tue, 01 May 2007 18:00:55 CDT

A letter from Miestrâ Schivâ of the Republic, 1 May 2007

Estimat Redactéir:

S:reu Davis of the Kingdom suggests in his recent letter that the President of the Republic’s interview with your paper “did seem to express a more Penguinean spirit than a Talossan one”.

The pretention of s:reu Davis to set himself up as some kind of authority on what is Talossan and what isn’t is quite interesting. Indeed, one might ask – exactly what does he know about Penguinea’s tradition? An argument can be made – indeed, I have made it elsewhere – that the Republic is a truer successor to the traditions of the pre-2004 Kingdom than the current Kingdom. Many Talossan old-timers will agree with me on this.

In response to s:reu Davis’s substantive point, I believe that the Free Commonwealth of Penguinea, which I co-founded, was indeed “intrinsically linked” to Talossa. How could it be otherwise, founded by refugees from Talossa’s former royal dictatorship? I see Penguinea as a “branch” or “heresy” in the Talossan tradition, rather than an altogether separate micronational culture. This is shown by how many former Penguineans have rejoined Talossa since the Revolution. Their successful reintegration into Talossa bodes well for a future re-integration of the two Talossan states.

But this will ONLY happen once Kingdom leaders agree to deal with Republic citizens as equals, and give equal recognition to our tradition of Talossanity – as we do to theirs. I repeat until I am blue in the face: One Talossa will only come about under a brand-new, democratic constitutional process, where EVERYTHING – including the monarchy – will be on the table for negotiation.

Restéu voastrâ,

Miestrâ Schivâ.

A letter from Alexander Davis of the Kingdom, 28 April 2007

I would [...] like to address some assertions of the Republican President, Vercáriâ. While I very much enjoyed his story, I felt that he did seem to express a more Penguinean spirit than a Talossan one, and I am curious as to how citizens react to this. Or do they see the nations is intrinsically linked... the Republic of Pengolossa?

As to his statement that he thought that the Republic was more international than Talossa, I was uncertain. I wanted to get advice on the matter, so I tried to ask our Royal Archivist about that, but Ireland was too far to go to bother him. And when I wanted to ask our last Minister of Immigration, I realized France isn't exactly across the street either. And since I am in Florida and the King is off in some crazy square state, I couldn't ask him, either. So I guess Vercaria is correct when he says that we are all centrally located. That is a shame.

Alexander Davis
Minister of Stuff
Senator of Maritiimi-Maxhestic

The letter printed above is the second half of Mr Davis' letter. It was edited partly to limit the letter to one topic, and partly due to the reasons given on 'the Front Page.' - the Editor

A letter from Ián Txalgh of the Republic, 27 April 2007

I was astonished reading [Alexander Davis'] letter to Octagon&Crown. you have appealed on Republic of Talossa's citizens to "renounce your farcical claims on Talossan territory and return to your fatherland." what an interesting appeal!

I am not going, obviously, to comment the first part of your statement, but rather the second. as we both know, Republic of Talossa exists already for four years. during this relativelly long period many new citizens immigrated into it. pure logic gives us guess, that they had a choice to immigrate either to Kingdom or to Republic. clearly, they have chosen, because of many different reasons, to join Republic. how do you expect them to "return to their fatherland", if they already ARE IN such? Republic is their fatherland!

on the other hand, I wholeheartidly support supra-standard contacts between people in Kingdom and Republic, as it can be seen in case of [the] TSFWS. Talossan heritage is just one and common, but that has nothing to do with kings and queens, it is rather matter of people.

Ián Txalgh

This letter was edited for length. - the Editor

A letter from Xheralt D'encradier of the Kingdom, 26 April 2007

The "competing" claims of physical territory are really a non-issue. Did the Regipats not coexist with the "real-world" province of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from the very day of it's founding? The word needing to be remembered here is "cestours". Even if boundaries overlap, the Kingdom's citizens are the Republic's cestours, and vice versa. They exist, but they have no bearing on the operations of the government, whichever government it may be.

The real issues are much deeper, of competing cultures. Cultures competeing not just with each other, but with the Founder, the universally-maligned KRI. Rejoice, that Kingdom and Republic have common ground there, at least.

Xheralt D'encradier

A letter from Mick Preston of the Kingdom, 20 April 2007

The Kingdom respects all faiths, without prejudice. For example, they just appointed a Secretary of State who is a practicing Buddhist for over 40 years.

i.e. - Me.

Mick Preston

A letter from Alexander Davis of the Kingdom, 12 April 2007

Gödafrïeu Válcadác'h letter, published yesterday on your excellent periodical, is bewildering in nature, since a handful of good-natured wishes regarding a Christian holiday are not exactly a census or official endorsement, especially when one of them is this particular humanist's tongue-in-cheek jibe. However, he touches the heart of a matter very dear to my... heart. A Talossa divided cannot stand. Like a human being trying to make do with two legs, it wobbles back and forth, yearning for the long-lost tail of which we were deprived by evolution. Alternately and like that human, it strives for unification.

The solution is clear: we must all obtain tails, or Talossa must unite. Therefore, and I do not believe I am alone in this, I extend to the Republic of Talossa's citizens a hand of goodwill: renounce your farcical claims on Talossan territory and return to your fatherland. Your motherland has been up all night, worried sick about you, and making your fatherland promise to tan your hide when you get back. Alleviate her suffering, reunite Talossa, come back to us.

Ben is gone. Let's act.

Alexander Davis
Assemblyman of Maritiimi-Maxhestic
Almost-maybe-possibly-I-don't-know-we'll-see Senatôr për Provînçù da Maritiimi-Maxhestic

A letter from Gödafrïeu Válcadác’h of the Republic, 11 April 2007

In the recent thread, "Happy Easter!", King John and others wax eloquently on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death, the central tenet of the Christian faith, showing great evidence that the Kingdom of Talossan is more religiously conservative and more non-Mormon-Christian* in its culture than it ever has been and overtly so.

In the old Talossa, there was a healthy mix of pretty much everything: conservative-Democrat, conservative Republican, liberal Democrat, socialist, Christian, atheist, Buddhist, Baha'i, and even a bit of bona-fide communism. In the today's schizophrenic Talossa, there appears to be very much a division on non-Talossan (not to mention Talossan) political lines: the majority of "right-wingers" being in the Kingdom and the majority of "left-wingers" being in the Republic.

But is this division good for Talossa's long-term prospects? Would it not be better to have a single nation where people of various faiths (or no faith) and various non-Talossan political leanings could once more collaborate and be together again in one community, living in (relative at least) harmony?

Ben is gone. Let's talk.

Gödafrïeu Válcadác’h

*assuming a belief that Mormonism is, in fact, true Christianity or a
part thereof, all of which is outside the scope of this discussion

A letter from C. M. Siervicül of the Kingdom, 5 April 2007

Estimäts Redactéir,

In a recent "Inter-Talossan News" article (Republican reaction to King John's election Mixed, 17 Mar 2007), Sir Chirisch dal Navâ expresses his personal belief that "the Kingdom cannot thrive under (monarchy) for very long." His melancholy assessment may be right, but we in the Kingdom try to approach these things phlegmatically. We will just have to start with another twenty-seven years and see how things go from there. In any event, I do appreciate his well-wishes.

Avetz respectù,

C. M. Siervicül

The Editor will gladly accept letters for publication from all members of the wider Talossan community. Please note that all letters will be subject to editing for length. Not all letters submitted will be published. Rude or offensive letters will not be considered.

Thanks,

The Editor

The Crown

OctagonandCrown — Tue, 01 May 2007 17:45:29 CDT

Hooligan Takes Oath and Appoints Cabinet
By C.M. Siervicul and Vitz Açafat
Guest Reporter Editor
20 April 2007

The Octagon & Crown are proud to present this first person account by C.M Siervicul of the recent swearing in of Domnul Mà la Mhà, Barôn Tepistà (Lord Hooligan) as the new Seneshal, or Prime Minister, of the Kingdom of Talossa:

"Lord Hooligan was sworn in at "Rock Bottom," a Denver-area bar, at shortly after noon (local time) today (19 April). His Majesty King John, CRO leader X. Pôl Brigâ, and Defense Minister/Squirrel King of Arms Sir Trotxâ Betiñéir [were present]. Prime Ministers of the Kingdom are traditionally sworn in in the presence of "The Loom of Language," so King John brought his copy of that historic book. I participated telephonically and administered the oath as a justice of the Uppermost Cort. Lord Hooligan recited the oath of office in the Talossan language, rather than wimping out by taking the Organic option of simply responding to the oath with the word "üc" ("yes").

The Seneschál's oath of office, from Article XI, Section 3 of the Organic Law, is as follows: "Eu afirm, solenâmînt, që eu, [nôminâ], cün fidálità, rompliarhéu l'ôifisch da Sieu Maxhestà së Seneschál del Regipäts Talossán, és zefençarhéu, àl miglhôr da v'aválità, la sigürità del Estat Talossán. Så viva el Regeu!" (Translation: I do solemnly affirm that I, [name], will faithfully execute the office of His Majesty's First Minister of the Kingdom of Talossa, and will to the best of my ability defend the integrity of the Talossan State. Long live the King!) "

Besides attending important ceremonies of state, Lord Hooligan has also made a raft of appointments to the cabinet and officers of the royal household. The following list was up to date at the time of publication:

Distáin (Deputy Prime Minister) - Bleic'h Iánescu
Minister of Culture - Capitán Nicolâ Casálmac'h
Defence Minister - Sir Trotxâ Betiñéir, UrN
Minister of Finance - Ián Danôis
Foreign Minister - Polly Holdorf
Home Minister - Don Deutschmann
Immigration Minister - Viteu Toctviac'htéir
Attorney-General - Prince Patrick
Minister of Stuff - Alexander Davis
Secretary of State - Mick Preston
Scribe of Abbavilla - Olaf Brainerd
Royal Archivist - Matáiwos Nanamavéu

RUMP Wins Whirlwind Election
By Matáiwos Nanamavéu
Senior Kingdom Reporter
20 April 2007

It's official! The Restore & Uphold the Monarchy party (RUMP) are the winners of the Spring general election in Talossa, securing 134 of a possible 200 seats. Party leaders referred to the poll as "Fair and Open," and were grateful and full of praise for the Deputy Secretary of State, S:reu Mick Preston, for his professionalism, organisation, and attention to detail.
Lord Hooligan, the RUMP leader, in a statement promised to form an "active and involved government for Talossa, which will strive to fulfil the promises it may to the people before the election and to which the voters allowed them the opportunity to fill by giving the RUMP, their Valuable Vote." Hooligan continued, saying, "The RUMP Promises to fulfil not only these promises but more positive and constructive projects in its term in office."
Previously the RUMP had been the largest opposition party, and now must adjust to a new role on the government side of the aisle. They will be facing opposition benches composed of newcomers to the Cosâ: the Defenders of the Throne party (DOTT) and the Cézembre Reunification Organization (CRO). These two parties both began the election as organisations with one member each, but surprised all observers by attracting enough votes to be a viable opposition presence. This was despite the worries of voter fatigue after two elections back to back. Forty-eight of a possible eighty-five ballots were cast.
The Octagon & Crown has received exclusive statements from the minority party leaders. CRO leader, X. Pôl Brigâ, said his party had engaged in very little electioneering,in order to allow voters to decided for themselves whom to vote for without pressure from the parties. He stated that he was happy with the election, but stressed that it should have been clearer that voters "can vote for a different party on both national and provincial level" rather than vote for the same party across the board. S:reu Briga, who's party secured 25 seats in this election, hinted of a possible coalition with the DOTT in order to form a strong "buffer" to the RUMP. Despite being in opposition, the CRO remains committed to its agenda, including "connecting" citizens from both the Republic and the Kingdom to work side by side to form a common Talossa.
Also sharing the opposition benches, Count Danihél Lauriéir said he has some regrets about the election. It was held during a time when he was busy with personal affairs and could not dedicate as much time as he would have preferred.. He promised that his party will uses its 32 seats to form a good strong, opposition to the new government. He also told the O&C that he was considering a proposal to merge the CRO and DOTT to form a new party. The DOTT leader further speculated that there may soon be some defections from the RUMP, sighting the controversy over the 'hereditary' nature of the monarchy is causing a split among their diverse membership. Whether or not it is strengthened by defections, the DOTT looks forward to being an active opposition.
This is the last of a long series of elections for the Talossan people. The voters have had some trying times and they now look forward to a bright future under the leadership of a new king, a new government and soon a new prime minister .

Defenders of the Throne Mount Election Surge
By Matáiwos Nanamavéu, Gödafrïeu Válcadác’h, and Vitz Açafat
9 April 2007

In what has been so far an election full of twists, few commentators could have foreseen the tiny Defenders of the Throne party (DOTT) notching up 7 votes in the final days of polling. This vote tally lands the DOTT 37 Cosa seats. The recently nationally organised Cézembre Reunification Organisation has received 2 votes give them 7 seats. Together these two one-man parties are beginning to put the favoured Restore and Uphold the Monarchy party (RUMP) under pressure. These new votes mean the RUMP loses the Maritiimi-Maxhestic province, which was a former stronghold of the recently disbanded Conservative Loyalist party (CLP) to the DOTT. After the disbanding of the CLP, the RUMP had hoped to gain an iron hand in each province.

DOTT leader, and long-time Talossan citizen, Danihél Lauriéir, speaking exclusively to the O&C, speculated on his party's recent success: "Well, it's simple: we started to campaign finally, and I think Talossans appreciate having an alternative party in the mix. We're still the underdogs in this race. And there's still a very real danger of having one party dominate the Kingdom's politics. Patriotic Talossans need to vote--and they need to vote for the Defenders of the Throne because a strong opposition party makes for a stronger Kingdom."

Lauriéir can take pride in his recent 'guerrilla campaign' stunt, which is perhaps the first instance of off-line Talossan campaigning in Talossan territory for many months. Holding a campaign poster in front of the Marcicopian watering hole sharing the name of a prominent Talossan citizen, Lauriér posed for a photograph (shown above) posted on the Royalist Wittenberg on 07 April. This was the first publicly shown photograph of the normally camera-shy Lauriér in over ten years - a sure sign that he is intent on a strong showing for the DOTT in this election round.

What looked like a heavily one-sided victory for the RUMP is now in question. While the RUMP is safe in its majority, the strong showing for the less established DOTT and CRO indicates the Talossan people favour an active opposition in the incoming Cosâ. With every vote of critical importance, all parties will be pulling out the stops to get their voters to the polls before they close on 14 April.

College of Arms Reconvenes as King Appoints New Senators
By Matáiwos Nanamavéu
Senior Kingdom Reporter
7 April 2007
Senator Appointments:
HRH King John has recently appointed two new senators to fill the recently vacated seats in the Senate. The new senators will be HRH Prince Patrick Woolley, son of King John who will fill the Florenciâ seat. This seat had been vacated by his father King John on the resuming of the throne of the Kingdom. The other senator will be S:reu Nikü Spyropoulos, who will fill the Cézembre seat recently vacated by Mà la Mhà, Baron Hooligan. In his vacating speech, Baron Hooligan said the reason for his stepping down was because he had promised to turn his seat over to a citizen from Cézembre. The new senator would represent the province far better than he could.
The O&C wishes these new senators the very best and congratulates them on their recent appointments.

College of Arms Ends Recess:
After the abdication of HRH King Louis, the Squirrel King of Arms, Sir Trotxâ Betiñéir decided to call a recess on the College until a new King assumed the throne. An empty throne would mean there would be no king to issue royal grants of arms to those petition for them.
Last week, after the recent election of King John, the Sir Trotxâ called an end to the recess and a gathering of the heralds. Now all who wish to petition the College for Arms may do so and citizens of the Kingdom look forward to seeing the first grant of arms by their new sovereign.

Elections off to slow start
By Matáiwos Nanamavéu
Senior Kingdom Reporter
22 March 2007

Elections in the Kingdom of Talossa are underway, though only 12 out of a possible 84, (15%) of potential voters have cast their ballots in the first week of the elections. Turnout is down a staggering 83% for the same period in the last election. The reasons are unclear, but for the time being parties and their leaders are hoping for a sudden rush to the ballot boxes by Talossans in the coming weeks.

TheElection is being fought by the Partí për la Restoraziun és Pirneçaziun dal Monarc'hà ( The Restore and Uphold the Monarchy Party or RUMP), the newly founded Zefençadéirs del þroneu
(Defenders Of The Throne or DOTT) and the former provincial party, the Viensità Ciumisâ Cézembre (The Cézembre Reunification Organization or CRO ). Currently the RUMP would take 148 of the 200 seats in the Coša with the CRO winning 23 seats. The DOTT have yet to receive any votes. Pundits predict that the RUMP will win this election taking no less than 150 Cosa seats, while the other two parties will share between them less than 50 seats. The strong showing expected for the RUMP has triggered worries that Talossa has quickly become a one party state. It is thought that this will not benefit the Kingdom in the long term and citizens are bein encouraged to form new groupings or vote for the established minority parties.
The RUMP which as founded in late 2005 and headed by Mà la Mhà (Baron Hooligan) stands for 'the hereditary monarchy, an active, involved government, and the inherent value of the number 8.' Their programe calls for legislative organization, publicity, culture, privateers, a doubled navy, beer, justice, and more active citizens. The party strategy is to react to the current events that are occurring in Talossa as they have them, and to plan for the future of the Kingdom under its present system, a hereditary monarchy.
The CRO, which was founded by Party Leader X. Pôl Brigâ just before the last election, supports "improved relations, constructive dialog, and eventual reunification of all people of Talossan and / or Berber heritage to live in harmony under a common language and flag as a single nation." Unlike other parties, the CRO focuses more on the eventual re-unification of the Republic and the Kingdom of Talossa to one single, co-operative nation.
The DOTT, led by Conta Danihél Lauriéir, seeks to establish a reformed system of monarchy. Formed in the 'great debates' in late 2006, the DOTT advocates electing a new king or queen each time the throne becomes vachant. As the DOTT manifesto puts it, 'Blood isn't enough: character and accomplishment should count for something.'
The election will continue until the 14th of April. Citizens are being asked to vote early so any discrepancies can be fixed before the election deadline.

King John, the New King of Talossa
-By Matáiwos Nanamavéu
Senior Kingdom Reporter
15 March 2007

'It has been nineteen months since a King of Talossa last spoke to the nation. Today that long silence comes to an end!' These were the words spoken by the new King of Talossa, King John, after the citizens of Talossa ratified 'An Act to Elect the King of Talossa.'

The Act, which was ratified when out of 83 eligible voters, 37 voted 'üc,' and only 6 'non' (King John and his son Prince Patrick both voted to 'austanéu') was not met with universal applause when it was first proposed by Lord Hooligan and other sponsors. Many Talossans felt that more time should been taken to carefully select a King and consider the possibility of changing the Powers of the King granted under the Organic Law. Dissenters also wished to consider electing each king following the death or abdication of a ruling monarch. However the citizens of Talossa ultimately adhered to the Organic Law, electing a constitutional, hereditary monarchy. It is hoped by many that now that a new king is named the issues which have divided the nation will be formally addressed.

King John has been a Talossan citizen since 2005. He had served as Secretary of State until the recent ratification vote was announced, and was widely considered the most able holder of that office in the history of the Kingdom. His Majesty has also previously served his people as a senator for his beloved home province of Florenciâ, as Chancellor of the Royal Talossan Bar, and as the first holder of the position of Blanc Wolf Herald in the College of Arms. King John was awarded the coveted Order of the Nation and was granted a knighthood in 2006.
In his speech today to the Nation from the throne, King John thanked the Citizens for "the trust you have shown me, the dignity to which you have raised me; and I pledge to you that I will do all in my power to prove worthy of that trust, and to bear with honour and good humour the burden the Talossan people have laid upon me." He continued "Yours will be my best efforts of industry, honesty, ingenuity, dedication, and prayer, to ensure (insofar as this changeful [sic] world allows for surety) that the Kingdom of Talossa may grow, prosper, and flourish for many years – for many generations – after I have gone to my reward."
King John also set out details of the new proposed Privy Council, "with whom he shall consult whenever possible on all matters of grave importance to the Kingdom, and whose duty shall be to offer the King the benefit of their individual and collective wisdom and advice." Those to be invited to join the council by the king include: Duke Ián von Metáiriâ, Count Danihél Lauriéir, and Baron Quedéir Castiglhâ.

The King's speech in full

CLP Disbands!
10 March 2007

A political earthquake hit the Kingdom today with the announcement that the Conservative Loyalist Party will disband. The shocking announcement was made on the Royal Wittenburg by Quedéir Castiglhâ (Lord Q) today when he said, 'everyone should hear that the CLP as you have known it will no longer cease [sic] to function.' The reasons given were the ineligability of himself and Sir John Woolley to hold elected office, and the inactivity of other members. The CLP, having been the party of power since the abdication of Ben Madison (Robert I) from the Talossan throne, will leave a major political vaccum in the Regipäts just as it is entering a period of major transition. Sir John is expected to be ratified as the new King in the next few days, but it is now unclear which party will be forming his first government.

In a related post, Sir Fritz, Talossan local resident and CLP activist, announced his retirement from active Talossan life. 'I will now become one of those "inactive" citizens that we all complain about,' he said, 'but I will never forget any of you, and I am a better person for having been involved in the great Kingdom of Talossa.' His reasons for this decision were not clear in the post, however he did make the comment, 'It is no secret that I disagree with a "hereditary" monarchy. It was my hope that we could become a different kind of monarchy, with Kings chosen by the people, not by chance. Well, that did not happen and I must bow to the will of the people.' Sir Fritz spoke glowingly of the accomplishments of the now former CLP. 'The CLP kept its word. Talossa really did become a constitutional monarchy, no more "pretend" elections, multiple office holding became a thing of the past. Without the CLP and these fine individuals I truly believe Talossa would not exist today.'

Sir John Woolley set to be elected King of Talossa
9 March 2007

After the Ziu passed An Act to Elect the King of Talossa in February, the Kingdom began a ratification on the proposed rule of Sir John Woolley, until recently a long serving Secretary of State, as the new Monarch of the Regipäts. So far out of 83 eligible voters, 35 have voted Üc, and only 6 Non (Sir John and his son have both voted to Austanéu). With only five days left in the election, and the incoming ballots having slowed down to a trickle, Sir John's elevation to Royalty seems certain.

What is not so certain is how the novelty of electing their own head of state will effect the political landscape of the Kingdom. If Sir John is half as dedicated a king as his soon-to-be subjects hope he is, it will be many many years before the anyone gets to vote on such an issue again (if ever). After toppling two kings and electing a third within a year, it is unclear if the people of the Kingdom will be happy to give up their new found power.

Perhaps as a symptom of this 'people power' there have been several impassioned posts on the Royal Wittenburg' arguing for democratic elements to be incorporated into the royal succession plan. As Danihél Lauriéir recently stated in the Hopper, 'We've been unwilling to let anyone except those who have truly earned our respect and trust to rule as Kings.' Despite this sentiment, there is a general consensus that the Kingdom should remain a hereditary monarchy and not drift into an elected monarchy. How these two competing desires can be reconciled waits to be seen.

Despite the uncertainty of the new political frontiers within the Kingdom, Sir John will assume the throne with a clear mandate from his subjects. In a notably eloquent post during the debate his nomination to the sovereignty, Xhorxh Ûnamîd summed up the Kingdom's debt to the popular Secretary of State. 'Since King Ben's departure, Talossa has faced two really huge crises, and it's no exaggeration at all to say that Sir John was the most important factor in the Kingdom getting through both of them.''