INIMICUS CHOOSES - The Debate
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Nuntius Inimici Inimicus Chooses Theme Plays
Colin Husky: "Hello and welcome to Inimicus Chooses. In barely over a week, Inimicians from four Terras will vote for who they want to represent them on the single most powerful legislature in Inimicus: the National Imperial Council. Tonight we will hear from the candidates, who will be grilled in our Debating Studio to test whether they deserve your vote. Centurians, Dominians, Quaestorians, and Diutians, take note: this is your chance to decide next week's vote."
"In our studio tonight, representing the Centre-Conservative Union, Basil Lawson IC....
"The Inimician Liberal Appeal's Estella Huygens, candidate for Terra Centurio, and from the People's Movement, Quaestorian candidate Adolf Danube....
"Central Progressive Party candidate for Terra Dominus, Hans Gulles, and the United Green Front's Jeff Speller
"And Duchess Simge Galanth, newly-elected leader of the Emperor's Finest movement.
"Welcome, all of you. Before we continue with tonight's debate, let us all take a moment of silence in remembrance of the horrific injuries that His Imperial Majesty Emperor Artabanos is currently battling."
Silence for a minute. Candidates are bowed forward in respect.
"Thank you.Tonight, it will be your duty to convince as many viewers and listeners as possible to increase your chances of winning this extremely special by-election. The structure of the debate will be as follows: first, I will be asking many of you some to-the-point questions on current events, and you will have thirty seconds to answer. Other leaders will then be given the opportunity to respond to your answer. In the second part of the debate, we will be taking questions from the audience, and thirdly we will discuss topics each of you indicated you wanted to have raised.
"Jeff Speller, we start with you. Do you regret your assassination attempt of Emperor Wiliam in 2013?"
J.Speller: "I -- er-- I, I didn't think this would come up, er, Colin. I err, well, obviously I served my punishment for what I did, and err, I have been a loyal member of the National Imperial Council for several years now. I think what's really important is how our four fantastic Green candidates will put the interests of your environment and living standards first on the Council. None of the parties represented here even mention the climate and the environment in their manifestos, apart from us. They don't care about the cleanliness of your rivers, your streets, your roads. We do. Vote for your local Green candidate to make real change happen."
Simge Galanth "Let's just discuss what you did, Jeff, because I see you're trying to twist the subject here again..."
C.Husky: "Yes, Duchess Galanth, you may respond."
S.Galanth: "Thanks Colin. What Mr Speller in fact did is think up, prepare, and execute, a highly complex plan with the only and final purpose of bringing about the death of a popularly-elected monarch in this country. How -- how can anyone watching tonight have even the remotest shred of trust in you or anyone you conspire with? It disgusts me that someone llike you can legally sit on the NIC - the Inimician people will have no mercy on you. We are currently facing a potentially similar situation to the one you brought about in 2013, and the Emperor's Finest will push for the most severe of punishments when the perpetrators of this heinous crime against the Inimician People are found. And they will be found."
J.Speller: "I hope, Colin, you can keep at least some order in this debate, to prevent raging populists like the Duchess here from spiralling out of control in their demagoguery and lies. Do you seriously believe we at the UGF propose shooting down every plane carrying any kind of monarch, ever? Do you seriously think we see it as our party duty to assassinate all Inimician Emperors? Of --"
S.Galanth: "You're certainly acting like it."
C.Husky: "Let's --- let's --- no, Mr Speller, I'm not granting you any further leave on this. Let's move on to our next question."
Further questioning continues with the Emperor's Finest dealing blows to all traditional parties, with the notable exception of the Centre-Conservative Union's Basil Lawson, who remains calm under Duchess Galanth's attacks
C.Husky: "We now come to our final question, which is for People's Movement candidate Adolf Danube. Your party has been the main opposition to the rule of Emperor Artabanos since its start in 2014. You have not relented from employing the most radical measures to stop Him from exercising the Imperial Prerogative, and you have not shied away from using physical as well as verbal tactics. Do these tactics include acquiring surface-to-air missiles?"
A.Danube: "PHEH! There are far more snide and subtle ways to get rid of an autocratic, power-hungry monarch, Colin. I note how you made us all bow and smooch and be silent at the start of this debate, but at the People's Movement, we really want none of it. We put the Inimician People first. We put the People first against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Yes, we are opposed to mass immigration of poor immigrants. Yes, we are in favour of protecting our economic interests abroad by any means necessary. But yes, we are also striving to bring down this Emperor and return power to the People, especially from this mean-minded, malicious Emperor, who is in his position only by carefully exploiting the system he himself built."
Estella Huygens: "Mr Danube, I must call you out on your unfounded invectives about His Imperial Majesty. I know Him. He is a man of utmoust honour and love for His country. At the Inimician Liberal Appeal, we see the sensible nature of the Imperialist system: effective, swift government, a national figurehead, decisiveness in time of crisis. We also recognise the huge value of the National Imperial Council and the yearly House of Commons session as important ways in which the electorate can voice their opinions more frequently than once every thirty-odd years. But -- "
A.Danube: "But the Council's length is determined by Imperial Decree, Estella! Are you blind? The House of Commons is given whatever powers it has by Imperial Decree!"
C.Husky: "Mr Danube, please."
E.Huygens: "Yes! And the Emperor didn't have to grant the NIC all the constitutional powers He did. Let me get one thing straight: we are not proponents of the huge personality cult the Emperor's Finest appear to be constructing. We appreciate the Emperor for practical reasons, because that's who we are, we're a practical party. We see the good He has done for this country and are willing to work constructively whenever possible - but we will not follow blindly everything He will propose we accept, like the Finest will have you believe. Nor will be, by principle, oppose whatever is said by Him, as the Movement will do."
A.Danube "You're weak-boned. You should be ashamed to call yourself Inimician."
C.Husky: "And that brings an end to this first part of Nuntius Inimici - Inimicus Chooses. Join us in a few minutes, when our candidates will be taking questions from the audience."
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C.Husky: "Welcome back to Nuntius Inimici - Inimicus Chooses. Before the break, our candidates were questioned on their policies and their pasts, whereas now, we will present the audience with the opportunity to ask questions to one or multiple candidates on stage. We start off with... Dr Corola Schoyten, who is a professor of Atomic Energy at Lacerta Technological Institute."
C.Schoyten: "Thank you, my question is to Basil Lawson and Duchess Galanth. Mr Lawson, when you were Minister for Defence, you were responsible for the Inimician application to the European Nuclear Arms Association a directed the Inimician nuclear weapons programme that resulted from the licence we were granted. Currently, Inimicus is in the process of re-applying. Why does Inimicus need these brash, irresponsible weapons that serve only to inflame the relations we have with our neighbours? And to the Duchess: would you, if elected to the NIC, support or oppose Inimicus redeveloping its nuclear weapons programme?"
C.Husky: "Thank you, Dr Schoyten. Mr Lawson?"
B.Lawson: "Yes, thank you for your excellent question, Dr Schoyten, which provides me with a fantastic opportunity to praise the work of the Inimician nuclear scientists that developed the nuclear weapons we developed, weapons which have kept our country safe from harm. Let's just think about where Inimicus is located. To our east lies a lawless wasteland where the state of Dromund Kaas once was, now ruled by competing warlords who take no notice of international law or the laws of war. To our southwest now lies Neo-Venetia, ruled by an authoritarian communist regime, unpredictable, unrecognised, and unlawful. To our north now lies a country which has, potentially, acted to shoot down our Emperor. We are surrounded by possible threats. We need a strong deterrent to prevent those who wish to harm us from doing so.
"Inimicus has demonstrated it has the stability, the rationality, and the responsibility, to possess and handle these weapons, and while our application to the ENAA is currently on hold, I have no doubt our European friends and we will see eye to eye on this. Inimicus successfully maintained a nuclear arsenal for several years before our re-application, an arsenal which succeeded in keeping us safe. In keeping you, your surroundings, and your family, safe. I will fight with heart and soul to maintain it."
S.Galanth: "I think this is the first time tonight I can confidently say I agree with a candidate on stage here tonight. Basil Lawson, in my opinion, was completely right to push for an Inimician nuclear weapons programme and has handled the development and production of our nuclear arsenal with commendable spirit and pragmatism. Emperor Artabanos was clear to the Inimician People when He said He would take whatever steps necessary to protect the safety and security of Inimician families and households. The Emperor has always advanced the strength of the Imperial Armed Forces, and if elected to the Council, I will help Him in whatever way I can to expand our military capability and, yes, our nuclear arsenal. Inimicus can. With Artabanos."
C.Husky: "Thank you, Mr Lawson, Duchess Speller, I ---"
H.Gulles (CPP): "Excuse me, Mr Husky, I think the question raised by Ms Schoyten was, rightly, worded sceptically. Inimicus's nuclear weapons programme was and is dangerous, we should never have applied for these dangerous weapons of mass destruction, let alone developed and produced them. Any Central Progressive Party candidates elected to the NIC will oppose, en masse, the rash and hostile production of these terrible feats of excessive science. We won't have it."
B.Lawson: "So years of spending, years of effort, billions of guilders. are once again thrown down the drain by the CPP. As we're used to with them. Great to know."
C.Husky: "Right, let's... let's move on. Our next question comes from retired Imperial Armed Forces general Sir Marcus Finchard."
M.Finchard: "Yes thank you, Colin. My question is to Adolf Danube from the treacherous and awful People's Movement. If it turns out that recognised forces from North Diessen shot down our Emperor, what would your reponse be?"
A.Danube (PM): "They haven't."
M.Finchard: "Yeah-- but-- well, if, just--- just suppose they have."
A.Danube (PM): "If certain people fired a missile from within the territory of North DIessen, I have no doubt their government would offer its full co-operation in bringing those who fired and shot down our officials to justice. We have worked together in the past, and we will continue to do so."
S.Galanth (EF): "Now hang on a minute, Adolf. What is this kind of weak-boned, weak-minded response? If the Diessenians shot down our Emperor, the Finest will push for an immediate deposition and bringing to trial in Inimicus of the Diessenian leadership and anyone involved in the heinous act! Every single actor should be charged with Grave Offences to the Imperial Person and, if found guilty, promptly executed. That's decisiveness. That's determination."
A.Danube (PM): "Ms Galanth, at the People's Movement we have always put Inimicians first, and foreigners second. It is simply not in the interests of the ordinary Inimician to go off to war with one of only two friendly neighbours we have. It makes absolutely no sense at all. Antagonising North Diessen, as we already have done, is in nobody's interests, least of all ours, and I demand you stop your hostile and warmongering talk."
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An incessant ad break ensues featuring some of Inimicus's most popular - and less popular - brands, including commercials for the ArtieSaves Emperor Action Figure and the new book "It's Only Weather, Everyone" by Nicholas Benfield. Before long, the Debate Studio is back.
C.Husky: "Thank you for staying with us for this important debate, viewers. We now come to our third section. For this part, candidates have been able to select topics of their own choosing, and by completely random and fair ballot, they have each been assigned an opponent. The first topic was selected by the Central Progressive Party's Hans Gulles, and concerns the Inimician House of Commons. Mr Gulles is to take on Basil Lawson from the Centre-Conservative Union. If both gentlemen could join me at the front here."
Both candidates approach the head-to-head setup at the front of the stage while a stylised version of the Inimician Civil Anthem plays.
C.Husky: "Mr Gulles, the floor is yours to introduce your topic."
H.Gulles: "Thank you, Colin. Five years ago, the Parliament of Inimicus represented all Inimicians equally in the House of Commons. Constitutional reforms by Emperor Artabanos then stripped the Commons of virtually all of its Constitutional powers, and disbanded the entire body for 11 months of the year. The Commons now meet every June and are given only what powers the Emperor defines in the Imperial Decree summoning them. The Emperor could choose not to summon the Commons at all or to give them no powers.
"The Central Progressive Party, though it supports the Imperial system, thinks this in unacceptable. A strong Emperor needs a strong legislative. The National Imperial Council, though elected, consists for a majority of the Emperor's pawns. It is not democratic. Why did you, Mr Lawson, assist the Emperor in abolishing the democratic legislature that, let's not forget, was the origin of your career, too?"
B.Lawson: "I thank Mr Gulles for raising this point tonight, and for allowing me to reiterate the reasoning behind the abolition of the permanent House of Commons, a reasoning I've had to explain over, and over, and over again over the past five years. The House of Commons was corrupt. In 2015 massive scandals were uncoverd, partially orchestrated by Mr Adolf Danube, present here tonight, partially institutionally. It was common for officials to bribe each other, play friends, award each other the Cabinet roles they desired. This had to change, and unless Mr Gulles is in favour of becoming a member of the National Executive by his money connections, I don't see why he would oppose the steps we took."
H.Gulles: "It wasn't just that though, was it, Mr Lawson. The House of Commons had a checking power on the Executive. You were, and are, part of that Executive. You wanted to escape the eye of scrutiny from the Commons, a body I was a proud member of for so many years. We called members of the Executive to account, and now, we can't. The National Executive can do more or less whatever the hell it wants. I call that a power-grab by you and the Emperor. You can deny it, but where there is smoke, there is fire. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Stop pretending, Mr Lawson."
B.Lawson: "Just to correct Mr Gulles, I am currently not a part of the Executive, I'm an elected representative member of the National Imperial Council and, yes, I have an advisory role at the Imperial Defence Office due to my expertise there. He is just as incorrect about such minor things as he is about the bigger picture. The Emperor never wished to power-grab. He doesn't have to power grab. He holds an absolute prerogative by the Constitution, so what power is there to grab?! This is once again a baseless accusation by the CPP, as we're used to from them. There is no smoke, and there are certainly no ducks."
C.Husky: "So Mr Gulles, what would the CPP's proposals be regarding this? Bringing back the Commons permanently?"
H.Gulles: "Absolutely, and not just that. We need to start electing the House of Nobles, too, currently a completely lame-duck body appointed by the Emperor with nothing but advisory power --"
B.Lawson: "Once again, incorrect. The Nobles are an important stepping stone for candidates who wish to join the Executive or even stand for Emperor. The Constitution mandates Imperial Candidates must have served as a Noble for multiple years. Get your facts straight, Mr Gulles."
H.Gulles: "Nothing but advisory power, as I was saying before you interrupted me, and a complete waste of money. Let's revert to the bicameral system we had, with a powerful House of Commons, a checking and Constitutionally controlling House of Nobles, and scrapping the ridiculous National Imperial Council."
B.Lawson: "You have no respect for the office for which you are running. Typical."
C.Husky: "Right, let's end this here -- no, no, Mr Gulles, we need other candidates to speak, as well."
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C.Husky: "Very well, thank you to Mr Lawson and Mr Gulles for their spirited debate on the topic of the Inimician House of Commons. We now come to what is potentially a topic of even more spirited and heated debate, namely the subject chosen by Mr Adolf Danube of the People's Movement: the abolition of the Imperial system. By random chance, Mr Danube's opponent happens to be Duchess Simge Galanth of the Emperor's Finest. I would invite both candidates to take to the stage."
The Duchess and Mr Danube walk over to Husky, and though Galanth extends her hand to Danube, the latter refuses to take it, a moment perfectly captured by the Nuntius Inimici cameras.
C.Husky: "Mr Danube, you don't feel the need for courtesy tonight?"
A.Danube: "Not with a populist demagogue like Ms Galanth, Colin. No. I'll shake your hand, though." He gestures and Husky accepts the handshake.
C.Husky: "Very well, you may start to introduce your topic."
A.Danube: "Thank you, Colin. In 2012, Inimicus emerged out of a bloody civil war brought on by Imperialist factions against the legitimate Republican government. Everyone, even myself, realised the Teluminan Republic was inherently flawed, beyond repair, and as such I looked favourably upon the Imperialist forces that marched through the streets of my Quaestorian village in late 2011. Since then, though we were promised changed, nothing has materialised. Under the Republic, we were ruled by a corrupt financial elite that stuffed its own pockets, but left the general populace to enjoy civil liberties. Currently, we are ruled by a corrupt Imperialist elite that stuffs its own pockets and leaves the general populace to enjoy civil liberties. We are - to put it plainly - still the flock of a malicious shepard.
"The charismatic leaders of the Imperialist rebellion, the late Emperor William and Pro-Imperator Hugh, were not the ones pulling the strings. They never were. The current usurper, Artabanos, bought, plundered, and murdered his way to the Throne he now occupies, He ruined the lives of hundreds of people, families of political enemies, journalists, who did not speak favourably of him. What happened to Sophie Bierley of Nuntius Inimici? What happened to Rita Fortuyn and Gerard Sergent? To the dozen or so former Secretaries of State who resigned en masse in 2014? They're gone. They've "disappeared."
"This is not what the Inimician People deserve. At the Movement, we are all in favour of strong leadership. The Inimician People do not want elections every month or even every year. But what the People certainly do not want is an opportunistic sadist in the Imperial Palace who sells this country and its values out to foreigners and otherworldly guests like the bureaucrats at the EU. No. The People's Movement does what it says. We will throw off this Emperor, introduce a New Republican system of government, with one Leader, accountable directly to the People. Say NO to Artabanos and say NO to the Imperialists."
S.Galanth: "So, first of all, I can already tell a lot about you, Mr Danube, from your refusal to shake my hand ahead of this debate. Apparently the politics are inseparable from the person for you, which, well, is sad. In any case, I think my main rebuttal of everything you just spewed forth in your rather long and rather illiterate proposal can be summarised in a single word: evidence. There isn't a shred of it for anything you just accused His Imperial Majesty of. Even more, there is direct evidence to counter your accusation of Artabanos being an all-poweful control freak: He was just shot down. A direct attempt on the life of our most beloved Emperor yet was just made. This is where your dangerous fear-mongering talk leads.
"The Emperor's Finest recognise the huge good the Imperial System has done for this country. We have seen the size of our economy quadruple in the last eight years, our military has grown stronger than ever, we have become a regional player inside the European Union. So what if Artabanos influenced government policy from the start of the Empire? He was one of the main leaders and financers of the Imperialist Rebellion in the first place! Of course he would influence government policy. But the main point is and will remain: Artabanos's rule has vastly improved the wealth and quality of life of the ordinary Inimician citizen. The People recognise this, and they will continue to support Him."
A.Danube: "You're not even denying it. You're not denying that the Emperor has committed atrocities to get into power. How disgusting is that?"
S.Galanth: "A civil war was raging, Adolf. People died on both sides."
A.Danube: "You're completely missing the point here, I'm talking about after the war concluded. How can you be so deliberately inept?"
C.Husky: "Hang on, hang on, hang on. Mr Danube, you'll withdraw those words or this conversation is over."
A.Danube: "I'm not withdrawing anything, this woman is delberately lying about people's lives - not just people's lives, Inimician lives. Pure, Inimician blood has been spilled on Artabanos's behalf, and hers, and I --"
C.Husky: "I think we will leave it there for now. Return to your places. No, no, Mr Danube, I'm telling you to return to your place."
*The cameras capture how Danube rudely gestures and gesticulates to both Husky and Galanth while walking away from the podium. He does not return to his place, but instead walks out."
C.Husky: "Very well, thank you to all our candidates for taking part in tonight's debate, I'm afraid we'll have to leave it there. I turn to our audience and our viewers at home: we at Nuntius Inimici hope you have found this debate enlightening, that it has informed your choice next week, and has provided you with a better insight into the characters and personalities behind our candidates. From all of us here, we wish you a happy polling day and a good night.!"
The camera pans around the studio one last time before blacking out.
