Colleagues, I'd like to open up this discussion as I feel that there is something wrong with the elections and politics in Nofoaga where it seems that all those who oppose Lula Namatatiki has been arrested and charged of sedition and other charges. The situation there is concerning and that I feel that we should take action by initiating an investigation on why those events are happening.
Friedrich van Allen
Councilor, Kingdom of Reitzmag
I have recently spoken to the President of the Commonwealth about this issue as I remembered that he was planning to send a political oversight committee to Nofoaga and send a report back to the Commonwealth. However, the plan to send it was cancelled after the fall of the previous President. He is willing to send back that committee if the Council feels that it would prudent.
Francis Plessis
EU Councilor for Leagio
The man who was somehow allowed to organize the entire election process for his own job, which he then proceeded to rush with unbelievable speed and reduced to a three-day election period, and skirted around participating in a national debate, all while the following the disappearance and potential murder of Mr. Coventry, being concerned about this... is not lost on me. This is some rich stuff.
The democratic integrity of Nofoaga has been troubling me, but the country's democracy has always been somewhat fragile and turbulent, and it's better that we support the continued democratic development of the country in a positive way rather than begin diminishing it. I do not see any scenario in which an EU-backed investigation into the country's political affairs would yield any result which would be positive for anyone involved. You're only going to find skeletons in the closet. In this case, probably literally. This will only result in member states potentially putting up sanctions against Nofoaga, which will do nothing for its democratic development, and will probably result in the country slipping into authoritarianism. That's the last thing the country needs. The country needs our support, and positive reinforcement, rather than the European Union slapping it on its hands.
Councillor Plessis has the much better idea, which would be for some sort of neutral, independent party to observe the election process in Nofoaga. I believe such a committee would be prudent, and I hope that the government of Nofoaga agrees to accept these observers from Leagio.
Edward Firoux
Council Speaker and Councillor for Inquista
Dear collègues,
I'm happy to hear about the concerns about the democracy in Nofoaga. As a European Union, we cannot allow countries to slide into dictatorships that violate the values and standards of our joint project. When Nikola N'nago stepped down due to social and political pressure, then Chamber Speaker Lula Namatatiki became acting president. Because Nofoaga has no vice-president, this president, as the country's first citizen, acts as head of state. The latter has the duty to organize elections. Lula Namatatiki has abolished these elections and then allowed them to go ahead. She was elected president by the National Assembly of Nofoaga. That was also done through the correct legal route. Now there can be criticism of the fact that the entire opposition left just before the election. But that is not the responsibility of President Namatatiki. The constitutional court also agreed with her.
What can be criticized is your comment, Mr. Van Allen. Your country does not give lessons in democracy to Nofoaga.
I am convinced that the government in Port-Beauharnais is open to observers during these elections.
The more than 100,000 Nofoaganese will have the opportunity to speak out on 19 November. It is true that there is only one candidate, but the choice is there. Yes or no. If she were to lose these elections and so the majority of the constituencies votes no, then the parliamentary chairman again becomes acting president. He is a member of the opposition party MG, then he has the task of calling new elections within 40 days.
Mrs. Paul-Gabrielle Muzhare
EU Councillor for the Republic of Nofoaga
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Congratulations, Councillor van Allen, if you wanted to sign up for the "Council's clown competition", which winner will be revealed on New Year's Eve, I think you totally should. Don't you think it's really hypocrite to propose this discussion being the same guy that, in 3 days, organised a whole election escaping from the candidates' debate, taking democracy to the border between rigging and being fair; and when someone critizises this, you: a) take him to the European Court of Justice; b) open a discussion because of an imaginary violation of your country's sovereignty?
The Spanish Government, specially the Military forces deployed in the country are ready to supervise the whole election when it happens, because it seems the Supreme Court cancelled it. Of course, that's up to Ms. Namatatiki, and I hope she can sort this things out, for the best of a really loved country, in my opinion, as Nofoaga. That said, I think the Commission is giving a close look to this and will soon make a move if something bad happens.
Donald D. Tusk
Councillor for Spain
Mr. Tusk, Mr. Speaker, I'd like you both to please set aside your criticisms and rather focus on what we should be discussing here. The concerns I have for Nofoagan democracy must've been noticed somewhat by the Supreme Court of Nofoaga. However, the events surrounding the opposition party baffles me and makes me think that there is something wrong there.
With the opposition party losing seats in Nofoaga's legislature, there would slowly be no balance between views of one side and views of the other on their legislative chamber. And you Coun. Tusk is in support of a very bad move. I don't think that a low-key martial law being decided by Ms. Namatatiki wouldn't be a fair way of ensuring Nofoaga's democracy is granted.
Coun. Muzhare, I don't think that it can be guaranteed that the yes-no election would be fair even if there's an opposition member waiting behind to be acting president. We don't know if he'll also be charged of sedition and those similar charges given to other members of the opposition party there.
I am not in support or against a party in Nofoaga, but I am very concerned at how their elections are going. I think it is time we call both parties, the election committee, and the supreme court of Nofoaga to send a representative here in the Council for investigation.
Then I think we should send some oversight led by delegates from Leagio, Inquista, and Fremet when the election begins again. I'm sorry Mr. Tusk if I am not in favor of sending people from Spain as I think that your country's relation with the Namatatiki interim administration may affect the goal of the political oversight that we should send.
Friedrich van Allen
Councilor, Kingdom of Reitzmag
Councilor van Allen,
I do understand the requests you've made to send a delegation to Nofoaga and to interview a representative of the elections committee and Supreme Court.
What I do propose, dear collègue van Allen, is to wait the actual results of these elections. The Supreme Court has spoken out yesterday and we should respect that decision and give all chances to the election committee to develop a free, transparant and democratic electoral process.
And Mr. van Allen... Don't use big words please. You're knowledge about Nofoaga is below avarage. You should have known that Lula Namatatiki isn't interim president...
I thank you very much.
Mrs. Paul-Gabrielle Muzhare,
EU Councilor for the Republic of Nofoaga
Councillor van Allen, I have focused on the matter, I was just remembering the other Councillors and yourself about the fact you can't pretend to give lessons of democracy and "how democracy works" to any of us because, as the Speaker said, you ran the whole election for your own work, you rushed the whole election setting a new World Record on the shortest election ever, even dictatorships take a longer time to set up their elections on the theatre.
I know you don't like Spain leading the Internal Affairs Commission with such a responsible person like Jean-Claude Juncker, Cllr. Muzhare and I know you hate to see the Spanish Army protecting Nofoaga and moreover, you hate Spain getting involved to protect democracy. We have had elections recently, so I think Spain is prepared to send observers or even send the military to polling places with no other purpose but supervising everything is clear and square. Of course, Ms. Namatatiki isn't going to declare a low-key martial law, so I suggest you to study more about Nofoaga and thinking on less conspiracies.
Donald D. Tusk
Councillor for Spain
Mr. Tusk, I am not giving a conspiracy theory. I was in support though of sending spanish people for the delegation but I thought that your country's relations and deployment of the armed force there in Nofoaga may affect the goal of the political oversight that we will establish. And I'm sorry if I used the word interim as I thought she was only president to replace Mr. N'nago after his impeachment.
Friedrich van Allen
Councilor, Kingdom of Reitzmag
We have to support a democratic process in Nofoaga. Period.
Emma Granger
Councillor for Montenbourg
The Internal Affairs Commission is going to send some observers too. We have talked with the Nofoagan Government, and we are allowed. Some workers which are specifically trained in election supervision and myself will travel to Nofoaga on Election Day and join the other observer teams to check the election is fair and it's not rigged.
After the elections are over, we will try to make a single report which will be read here, in the European Council. I hope Councillor Plessis and Councillor Tusk support the idea and their Governments also cooperate with us towards a single way: Ensuring we have fair elections in Nofoaga.
Jean-Claude Juncker
Internal Affairs Commissioner
I support the action of the EU Commission sending their own observers. I highly doubt that the President of the Commonwealth will be against the idea either. I will talk to him about it quickly and most likely he will send out a memo through the Foreign Ministry stating his support. In fact, I personally think that it would be acceptable that if the three factions that will be observing the election write the same report containing the opinions as well as findings from all three factions.
Francis Plessis
EU Councilor for Leagio
Councillors, as I promised, after we have got to know the results of the Nofoagan Elections, the European Commission has published a report concerning this affairs. The European Commission's observers have said the elections were fair, along with the other observers from the Kingdom of Spain and the Commonwealth of Leagio. This means the victory of Miss Namatatiki, who was elected as President of Nofoaga, is fair, and by thus, she will be the new Nofoagan President with a fair election on her back. If you have any questions, I'm here to answer them all.´Thank you.
Jean-Claude Juncker
Internal Affairs Commissioner
Colleagues, I'd like to open up this discussion as I feel that there is something wrong with the elections and politics in Nofoaga where it seems that all those who oppose Lula Namatatiki has been arrested and charged of sedition and other charges. The situation there is concerning and that I feel that we should take action by initiating an investigation on why those events are happening.
Friedrich van Allen
Councilor, Kingdom of Reitzmag
The Kingdom of Spain