Lusitanian Press - Augusto Morais in Campaign talks about abortion, post-delegationism and war

[Lusitania]

In this thread, five newspapers will report news from all the states of the Lusitanian Union:

O Século (The Century)

The main newspaper from the capital of the Lusitanian Republic, Lumiar. Widely regarded as an impartial and competent paper, it has always shown, however, centre-left tendencies, and is neutral towards the People's Republic and ambigious in what concerns unification.


O Primeiro de Janeiro (The First of January)

Headquarted in the second city of the Republic, Angra dos Reis, O Primeiro de Janeiro is more socially conservative and economically right-wing, due to the North's traditional conservatism. It is also remarkably anti-communist and pro-unification. Despite that, as it happens with O Século, it is widely respected.

Avante! (Forward!)

The official newspaper of the People's Communist Party that rules the People's Republic, it is controlled by the Party and the regime and it expresses the PCP's views about everything, from politics to art, exposing a communist weltanschauung for the people to follow.

Hoxe (Today)

The biggest newspaper in Galician, it represents the intrests and concerns of most of the galicians living in the ISG

O Correio do Minho (The Minho Mail)

Taking its name from the river that crosses the Free Councils' Union, it promotes the libertarian experience taking place there, while being also anti-communist but remotely anti-unification, talking for the intrests of the Councils of the FCU.

 

[Lusitania]

O Primeiro de Janeiro​

Líderes Lusitanos Reafirmam a Sua Confiança na União
Lusitanian Leaders Reaffirm Their Confidence in the Union

Today, in a ceremony held in Vímara, the heads of state and government of the four member-states have reaffirmed their commitment to the Lusitanian Union and its objectives – ‘peace for the Lusitanian people and avoiding any foreign intervention that could hinder the development and the security of the Lusitanians as a whole’

Two years after the end of the bloody civil war that killed over 100,000 people, the four factions that emerged from the breakdown of the Integralist State decided to sign the Treaty of the Lusitanian Union, forming a inter-statal body whose objectives were to avoid more bloodshed and assure that no foreign power would take advantage of the four competing states to intervene in the country. The Kingdom of Lusitania (now Republic), the People’s Republic of Lusitania, the Free Councils’ Union and the Independent State of Galicia opted for peaceful coexistence rather than for continued slaughter.

The only political body that composes the Union is the High Council of the Lusitanian Union, composed by the heads of state and government of the four states and their respective defence and foreign ministers, meeting ordinarily twice a year.

Today, in their ordinary meeting, a joint declaration stated the following: “The honourable heads of state and government of the Lusitanian Union and their respective foreign and defence ministers, who together compose the High Council of the Lusitanian Union, reaffirm their commitment to peaceful coexistence and non-interference of foreign powers in Lusitanian affairs. The High Council reckons the positive effects of this two-years peace: poverty decreases, human development index grows, and overall, no fratricidal war continues. The High Council also hopes that, with future political developments, the Union can deepen its aims and fields of action, with the ultimate objective of uniting the Lusitanian people.”

Despite the optimistic and hopeful tone of this statement, it is known that tensions were felt during the entire two-day meeting, namely due to Gonçalo Vasques, the President of the People’s Republic of Lusitania, and his alleged refusal in talking about possible future developments and deepening of the Union. Some sources even dare to state that the fragile peace that has lasted for two years might be in peril. However, Frederico Saraiva, Prime-Minister of the Republic, has stated that, over all, he is happy with the meeting and hopes for the ‘continued process of peace and development of the Lusitanians achieved with this Union’.
Xosé Pérez, Prime-Minister of the Independent State of Galicia is also satisfied with the meeting, issuing a joint statement with Roberto Torres and Lúcio Loureiro, the Co-Consuls of the Free Councils’ Union, making it clear that, despite their small size and power when comparing with the Republic and the People’s Republic, they must be powers and interests to be reckoned with.

 

[Lusitania]

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Camarada Gonçalo Vasques Refuta Declaração do Alto Conselho da União e Diz a Verdade ao Povo
Comrade Gonçalo Vasques Refutes High Council of the Union’s Statement and Tells the Truth to the People

As reported by reactionary newspapers in the occupied territories, it seems that the meeting of the High Council of the Lusitanian Union went by wonderfully. Well, that’s a deceitful lie, and it ought to be corrected. The Avante! consulted the People’s Communist Party Central Committee for information, and received word from Comrade Gonçalo Vasques himself – the way that reactionary media painted the meeting was overly optimistic. Instead, Comrade Vasques spoke about hidden tensions between the capitalistic members of the Union, which dominated the whole meeting.

”Media from the occupied territories has depicted this meeting as positive and as laying the groundwork for deepening of the Union. That is, as far as I am concerned, a lie. I, representing the People’s Republic, have never and will never consent any acting from the Union that would be out of its two objectives – keeping of the peace and avoiding foreign influence. Now some people talk about ‘deepening’ the Union, with customs union and free movement of goods. That was talked about in the meeting and I vehemently refused, because the workers living under the PRL’s jurisdiction will never be ruled by the rules of the markets and of Lumiar. So, the Lusitanians only need to know this – the socialist process in the PRL will always prevail over the Union Treaty. If the other parties seek to expand it unilaterally, then we’ll have no intrest on it.”

A pertinent intervention by Comrade Vasques, who visited today a worker-managed factory in Grândola. Now, everyone knows the truth about yesterday’s meeting, and we can also know that the Union is weaker every day, and, when the time comes, it will crumble under the sweeping fist of socialism.

 

[Lusitania]

O Primeiro de Janeiro​

A Aliança Democrática - A Coligação de Direita Que Ameaça os Social-Democratas
The Democratic Alliance - the Right-Wing Coalition That Threatens the Social-Democrats

In a press conference in Angra dos Reis, early today, the leaders of the National-Democratic Party, the Party of Freedom and the Liberal-Democratic Party, Carlos Mota Esteves, Augusto Morais and António Garcia, respectively, announced that their parties would contest the legislative elections of January together, as the Democratic Alliance.

This is no ordinary coalition, as the DA’s revolutionary and atypical platform stands in direct contradiction with the Social-Democratic Government led by Frederico Saraiva. According to the Primeiro de Janeiro’s resident analyst, Nuno Alberto, this might be due to the NDP’s recent plunge in polls. ‘From being the major opposition party after Saraiva’s victory, the NDP became increasingly overshadowed by the Liberals, to whom can a younger, more urban right-wing electorate relate and the incredible grass-roots movement that is the Party of Freedom, inspired in the United Free Councils’ experience and advocating serious decentralization and a return to older forms of local government.’ To corroborate Alberto’s statements, we can cite the most recent poll, who puts the Party of Freedom and the NDP with the same percentage – 21%, leaving the Liberals with 13% of voting intentions. That same poll gave 32% of the vote to the Social-Democrats, in serious decline since their absolute majority four years ago, 9% to the Communists and 4% to the Social and National Union.

The Alliance’s platform calls for quick reunification of Lusitania, consisting of a two-phase plan: a negotiated unification with the United Free Councils and the Independent State of Galicia, and a referendum to transform the Republic into a Federal Republic, which would respect ‘Galicia’s unique characteristics’ and would implement a model in which more power would be given to the Councils. Total reunification was deemed ‘unlikely in the near future’, although it is the ‘ultimate objective’.

Besides this aggressively pro-unification and pro-decentralization stance, the DA wants to rehabilitate the pre-Integralist judicial regime, establishing the office of the Council Magistrate, which would combine the functions of criminal prosecutor and would, in the fashion of the Tiburan praetor and the old Lusitanian administrador da justiça, distribute case pleads to a judge, checking their formal regularity.

Economically, the DA seeks to privatize a whole number of public enterprises and relax economic regulations, while emphasizing stronger rules when it comes to competition law, in order to give Lusitania a ‘free and competitive market’, one ‘unlike Lusitania had in the past 50 years’.

If the polls correspond to reality, the DA has an easy task in taking the power away from the Social-Democrats, although it is possible that Frederico Saraiva can use many arguments (achievement of peace, the Union, economic growth, etc.) to counter the DA’s aggressive campaign.

 

[Lusitania]

O Correio do Minho

Torres, Loureiro e Pérez - 'Se AD Ganhar as Eleições, a Reunificação Será Possível'
Torres, Loureiro and Pérez - 'If the DA Wins the Elections, Reunification Will Be Possible'

Today, Braga was the stage of a state visit by Xosé Pérez, Prime-Minister of the Independent State of Galicia, that met co-Consuls Roberto Torres and Lúcio Loureiro in the building of the All-Council Congress. The increasingly good relations between the I.S.G. and the Free Councils are partly due to the friendly relations between these three men, who seek to promote de smaller states of the Union.

While commenting on the elections in the Republic, all of them said they were positively impressed with the Democratic Alliance’s programme: ”They show respect for local autonomy and specificities and are trying to lay the groundwork for a federal state, a state in which Galicia would have place”. Further in the public conversation between Pérez, the co-Consuls and journalists and locals, Roberto Torres talked openly about the possibility of unification of the Republic, the Free Councils and Galicia into a federal state: ”The project presented by the DA is a noble one, antagonistic to the centralized social-democratic policies conducted by the current government of the Republic, which we find unacceptable, not to mention Prime-Minister Saraiva’s inability to make a stand to the communist dictatorship in the south. Furthermore, this alliance is mainly the initiative of the Party of Freedom, which is inspired in the Free Council’s own experience and deserves our admiration. Only they can truly rehabilitate the Lusitanian tradition of autonomy and freedom”

Until today, the Free Councils’ position was unknown, but co-Consul Torres’ declarations, corroborated by co-Consul Lúcio Loureiro, are likely to respark interest in reunification among the general public of the Republic, which would be quite positive. Both Consuls showed the intention to submit to the All-Council Congress a declaration stating the desire of the Free Councils to do so, which is likely to happen if Prime-Minister Xosé Pérez decides to do so before the Galician National Assembly.

 

[Polesia]

Ministry of External Affairs

We hope any settlement on the potential re-unification of Lusitania considers the desires and the concerns of the Lusitanian People's Republic.

 

[Cœurléon]

Premiere Ministre d’État​

Hôtel de Loncret​

8 Rue de Condé​

Sainte-Elisabeth, Kingdom of Cœurléon​

​

22 December 2011


On behalf of His Majesty’s Government of Cœurléon, I express with great joy the ability for the various factions of our neighbor to come together in peace and solidarity. I express His Majesty’s hope that the process will be a peaceful one, and will provide any and all assistance to the Union during the transition. In addition, should you need a neutral location to further peace talks, I have been authorized to provide an official location in the Kingdom for your convenience.


SIGNED


Philippe Coidavid,
First Minister of State

 

[Lusitania]

O Século​

Primeiro-Ministro Saraiva Sublinha Conquistas Sociais e Expõe as Suas Propostas Perante uma Multidão no Barreiro
Prime-Minister Saraiva Stresses Social Achievements and Explains His Proposals Before a Crowd in Barreiro

In a campaign rally today, Prime-Minister Frederico Saraiva stressed the social achievements made possible with the Social-Democrats’ social policies and the constitution and stability of the Lusitanian Union, defending that ‘unification must be talked through and phased’.

Responding to his opponents’ appeals to an immediate unification, Saraiva talked about the Social-Democrats’ ideas for that problem, saying that it should be a process done in a phased, calm manner, to avoid ‘unnecessary tensions’. Furthermore, in his most-used argument in the campaign, Saraiva stressed the increase in human development and life conditions in the last years, and his positive role on maintaining the Lusitanian Union stable and a ‘vehicle for peace and understanding’. He finally added: ‘any agreement on unification would have to be for total unification, including the four states’.

Before a big crowd in Barreiro, he promised to expand the National Health Service by creating local ‘health centres’ that would provide basic medical services to small populations, both in neighbourhoods in big cities and in small towns in the countryside. Besides, Saraiva wants to start a ‘discount programme’ for students and the elderly, with both groups having about 50% discount on medical services, public transport, and other services in public companies. When questioned if he was going to privatize any public company, Saraiva said that he would not deliver ‘in a silver plate’ basic and key sectors to the private companies to ‘exploit without regard for national intrest’.

However, Saraiva continues silent about the administrative issue, but it is known that the Social-Democrats are generally opposed to a great decentralization and power to the Councils, considering the right-wing ideologies behind the decentralization movement.

 

[Lusitania]

Avante!

jornal oficial do partido comunista popular​

Camarada Gonçalo Vasques Em Coma Devido a um AVC!
Comrade Gonçalo Vasques In a Coma Due to a Stroke!

This Christmas is a dark Christmas for the People’s Republic! This morning, Leader of the Revolution, President of the Republic and ‘Steel Wall’ of the Proletariat, Gonçalo Vasques, had a serious stroke and entered the Beja People’s Hospital, in a very serious condition. Found by bodyguards, he was lying on the floor of his office.

Official sources from the Party and the Hospital assure us that his condition happened due to ‘heavy fatigue’, certainly derived from services to the people of Lusitania. Many state that Comrade Vasques sleeps barely three or four hours a day, doing the hard work of leading the Lusitanian Revolution.

Now under a coma, all Lusitanian workers, peasants and fishermen hope that their Christmas might be brightened by the good news of Comrade Vasques’ full recovery, in order to continue to serve the people’s intrests! Keep yourself updated with the Avante! online edition.

 

[Lusitania]

Avante!

jornal oficial do partido comunista popular​

Dia Negro para o Povo: Morreu o Camarada Gonçalo Vasques
Dark Day for the People: Comrade Vasques is Dead

It is a dark day for the People’s Republic of Lusitania... Gonçalo Vasques, President of the People’s Republic, Speaker for the Supreme People’s Congress, Chairman of the People’s Communist Party, Leader of the Lusitanian Revolution and the Wall of Steel of the People, has passed away after a short coma due to a stroke, certainly due to his intensive work serving the workers and peasants of Lusitania. We now mourn his passing, and the Supreme People’s Congress declared a week of mourning, with all people asked to wear at least a black ribbon or other piece of black clothing.

Gonçalo Vasques, born in 1943 in a poor peasant family in Estremoz, began early in his revolutionary activities. In 1961, only 18 years old, he lead a series of students’ revolutionary initiatives during his studies in Agronomical Engineering. He was arrested even before the Fascist-Integralist regime for his acts, and was freed in 1965, when he climbed the ranks of the People’s Communist Parties through a series of courageous acts. In 1969, when the Integralists rose to power, he was immediately arrested and kept in captivity for 10 years, when he was freed and was forced to continue his activities leading the PCP clandestinely. He was elected, from 1982 onwards, Chairman of the PCP in every election, a recognition from his comrades that admired his courage and resolve. He sabotaged the regime several times, and never got caught due to his great wit. And in 2009, when the regime started to crumple under the self-indulgent Dinis Brito, he rose up with the peasants and workers of Lusitania, waging decisive war on the Integralists. Since most of the uprising took place in the current unoccupied territory of the People’s Republic, he was practically responsible for leading the forces of the proletariat in their historic role within the dialectical mechanisms of History. But he left his fight unfinished, since the aforementioned mechanisms will inexorably lead to the victory of the proletariat over the bourgeoisie that occupies half of the Nation. He will not live to see the inevitable victory of the forces of History. During his 3 years tenure as President of the People’s Republic and Speaker of the Supreme People’s Congress, Vasques improved the life of the workers and the peasants, stripping the evil landlords’ and industrialists’ property, to put it on the hands of those who work it. Now, the People’s Republic is a haven of peace and prosperity within the capitalist hell of the other states that occupy the territories of Lusitania.

But Comrade Vasques had a strong resolve and personality, and he would want us to continue forward with the fight. As he mentioned several times, ‘I am just a piece on the puzzle, if I perish, the fight must go on’. Let us move the fight on! Elections for the Presidency and the Speaker of the Congress will be held soon, as soon as the People’s Communist Party elects its new Chairman. Currently, Ricardo Falcão, Deputy Speaker of the Congress, will be holding interim powers as Speaker and President, in the terms forseen in the Constitution.

Adeus Camarada Vasques! És e serás sempre a nossa muralha de aço! Avante Camarada, que a luta continua! (Goodbye Comrade Vasques! You are and you will always be our wall of steel! Forward comrade that the struggle goes on!)

 

[Lusitania]

O Século​

A Morte de Gonçalo Vasques e as Suas Repercussões Políticas
Gonçalo Vasques' Death and Its Political Repercussions

Less than one week away from the legislative elections the Republic, Gonçalo Vasques, President of the People’s Republic of Lusitania, died due to a stroke he suffered two days ago. This might have political repercussions, some analysts say, as the DA is gaining some advantage over the Social-Democrats, whose leader Frederico Saraiva has announced his intention of making a coalition with some minor left-wing parties.


Today, media in the PRL has covered only one story: the death of Gonçalo Vasques, President of the PRL and Chairman of the PCP, dying in Beja after complications derived from a stroke. Will this have political repercussions in Lusitania as a whole? Possibly, as Vasques was seen as a hardline communist difficult to negotiate with. His successor is uncertain, but there are two talked-about names: Ricardo Falcão, deputy speaker of the PRL Congress, and Bernardino Machado, vice-chairman of the PCP. The first name is surrounded by mystery, but he is known as a man of Vasques’ total confidence, taking care of his more sensitive affairs, namely leading the PRL secret police, the COPCON. However, his political options are unknown. Machado is the typical hardline communist, and some say, an imitation of Vasques, though less charismatic and aggressive. One of these men will be those with whom we will have to negotiate agreements within the Lusitanian Union, and the future of the Union itself could be compromised if the next government starts on the wrong foot.

Meanwhile, this news of Vasques’ death could have led to small talks between Prime-Minister Saraiva and the leaders of the small left-wing parties Socialist Alliance (Aliança Socialista – AS) and Social Union (União Social –US). Both the SA and the SU are a bit more left-winged than the Social-Democrats, but not too extreme, both having a democratic left-wing agenda. This would put a hypothetical left-winged coalition against the right-wing coalition of the DA. If that is found to be true, only two parties will be left out: the Communist Party of the Lusitanian Republic (that has several ties with the PRL’s PCP) and the National Union (composed mainly of Integralist ‘remnants’). With a new leadership on the other side of the Lima River, the Republic will need strong leadership, and so, the only thing left to know is – will it be a left-wing, progressive alliance or a right-wing, pro-decentralization alliance? In January, we’ll know the answer.

 

[Lusitania]

ooc: the news of his death by the communist press are at the bottom of the first page, FYI

 

[Polesia]

Ministry of External Affairs

The People's Republic of Vangala offers its sincerest condolences to the liberated peoples of Lusitania, who have lost an inspirational leader with the death of Comrade Gonçalo Vasques.

 

[Lusitania]

Avante!

jornal oficial do partido comunista popular​

Camarada Ricardo Falcão É o Novo Secretário-Geral do PCP
Comrade Ricardo Falcão Is the New Chairman of the PCP

Few days after the tragic death of Gonçalo Vasques, the People’s Communist Party has elected a new Chairman – Comrade Ricardo Falcão, a revolutionary companion of Comrade Vasques’ and one of the most brilliant commanders of the Revolutionary War.

Ricardo Falcão was born in Ossónoba in 1972, son of a poor family of fishermen. He began his revolutionary activities in 1992, when he was arrested for occupying the Lumiar Law School. In prison for five years, he evaded capture in 1997 and went underground, joining the PCP and becoming a close confident of Vasques’, coordinating guerrilla activities all over the country. Climbing the ranks of the PCP rapidly, he rose to the position of Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army during the War, after the breakdown of Integralism, leading the brilliant attack on the heartland of the Kingdom. In peacetime, he has been deputy speaker of the Supreme People’s Congress and Minister of Internal Affairs. Furthermore he presided to the COPCON (Comissão de Prevenção de Contrarevolução – Commission for the Prevention from a Counter-Revolution).

He gained 7 of the 10 votes of the PCP’s politburo and will be the Party’s proposal for the chair of President of the Republic and Speaker of the Supreme People’s Congress. Now, it is up to the Congress to appoint him or not.

Ricardo Falcão is a prolific writer, having written several treatises on Marxist Theory including O Materialismo Dialéctico nos Tempos de Hoje (Dialectical Materialism Today), Ensaios Anti-Liberais (Anti-Liberal Essays), Cristianismo e Socialismo: uma Conversa entre Marx e Cristo e a Possível Reconciliação (Christianity and Socialism: a Conversation between Marx and Christ and the Possible Reconciliation), among others. An eclectic man, the ideal socialist man – cultivated, class-aware, untamable, simple, humble and sportsman.

Comrade Falcão made a small statement, after his victory, saying: ”I am happy that the PCP, the party of the vanguard of the Lusitanian vanguard, has chosen me to continue to lead the Revolution. Praphrasing our gone Comrade Vasques – I am just a piece in the machinery of history. I second all of this statement. We’re all pieces in this huge machine that is History, and we all have roles to fulfill in this class struggle, from which the proletariat will emerge victorious. “

 

[Lusitania]

O Primeiro de Janeiro​

Aliança Democrática Ganha as Eleições Legislativas com 54% do Voto
The Democratic Alliance Wins the Legislative Elections With 54% of the Vote

In the second free legislative elections in the Republic of Lusitania, the Democratic Alliance, the right-wing coalition consisting of the Freedom Party, the Liberal-Democratic Party and the National-Democratic Party, has won an absolute majority in the Assembly of the Republic, having gathered 54% of the popular vote

After the final vote count of this Wednesday election, the results were clear – the Social-Democratic government had fallen, and the Democratic Alliance had triumphed with a market-oriented, pro-unification and decentralization agenda. At 8:30 PM, after the official results were released, Augusto Morais, leader of the most voted party of the coalition, the Party of Freedom, appeared as Prime-Minister presumptive (though not official, it was rumoured that the party leaders agreed that the Prime-Minister would be the leader of the most voted party) in the Sebastião II Plaza, waving to a cheering crowd. Making a small speech, he emphasized that ‘Lusitania had taken a step forward’, and that ‘policies of freedom’ would triumph over an ‘overstretched, centralizing and choking state’.

It is unknown what will Augusto Morais do after the still Prime-Minister Frederico Saraiva officially handles the seat to him. However, several analysts predict high tensions within the Union, as it is Morais’ intention to create a new State out of the Republic, the United Free Councils and Galicia, a ‘Federal Republic based on the sovereignty of the local Council’. This has attracted several reactions – the People’s Republic will not certainly see this move with good eyes and will probably interpret it as a threat to their sovereignty. The Social-Democrats are divided – while the faction of Frederico Saraiva, currently in the leadership (although possibly not much longer) is strongly for a centralized, strong, welfare state, there is an emerging, younger faction bent on fighting what they see as ‘traditional social-democracy’ and are much more ‘libertarian’ when it comes to the decentralization issue. Should that faction ever come to power, a kind of national consensus on the administrative issue would be created. Meanwhile, with the first market-oriented government in power for more than 40 years (most of them of corporatist integralism and four of social-democracy), privatizations are probably one of the first policies to be announced by the new government.

Meanwhile, let us wait and see what path Lusitania will follow and let us also take part in this wonderful and democratic experience of extreme decentralization and a move towards libertarianism. We handle to you the official results:

Democratic Alliance (Aliança Democrática) - 54%
Party of Freedom (Partido da Liberdade) - 25%
National-Democratic Party (Partido Nacional-Democrata) - 16%
Liberal-Democratic Party (Partido Liberal-Democrata) - 13%

Social-Democratic Party (Partido Social-Democrata) - 30%

Social Party (Partido Social) - 5%

Communist Party of the Republic of Lusitania (Partido Comunista da República Lusitana) - 4%

National Union (União Nacional) - 3%

Blank - 2%

 

[Lusitania]

O Primeiro de Janeiro​

Novo Primeiro-Ministro Propõe Reforma Constitucional
New Prime-Minister Proposes Constitutional Reform

One week after his victory in the elections, elect-Prime-Minister Augusto Morais moved forward with the Democratic Alliance’s proposal of constitutional reform, which would radically change the politics, the administration and the judiciary of the country. Affirming that the reform is neither ‘left-winged or right-winged’, Morais proposes a decentralized, federal republic, rehabilitating old judiciary models, all to ‘bring democracy closer to the citizen’.

The Democratic Alliance, after its victory on the recent elections, fulfilled its first electoral promise – to undertake a deep constitutional reform, aiming at a more ‘decentralized and democratic State’. The project, called ‘Free Republic Project’, envisions a whole new organization of State, judiciary and administration, inspired by the historical traditions of self-government of local councils. Although it is still unclear whether the name will remain ‘Lusitanian Republic’ or it will change to ‘Federal Republic of Lusitania’, ‘Lusitanian Union’ or ‘Free Republic of Lusitania’.

As explained today by Prime-Minister Morais, the basis for all the construction of this proposed model is the Council:

“Councils are, and have always been, the local administrative entity in Lusitania, dating back to the 9th century. Today, they have limited powers, with this high degree of centralization being inherited from the Integralist State. What we would like to see is a devolution of power to the Councils, who would approve their own statues – the foral – in accordance with the Constitution and organize their social services, their internal security, their judiciary and their administration. This new Constitution would only provide exclusive powers to the Republic in the fields of national defence, national security and foreign relations, with the Councils having autonomy to decide everything else. Of course, they would be subject to a new kind of legal instrument – the Base-Laws – which would prevail over the Council-Laws and establish both imperative rules or guidelines in economic, legal and social levels.

We would also like to abandon a bad idea, that dates back to Rousseau – the idea that the ‘National Assembly’ represents the ‘virtual will’ of the Nation. It does not, meaning a means through which some parts of the country can impose their will over others in affairs none of their business. There would be a Congress where there would be one seat per Council, with a representative elected by the people of each one. That Congress, in turn, would elect a Directory, that would be multi-party and would allow for more consensus to be formed. Of course, the office of President will remain in its actual terms.

In terms of judiciary, we would like to rehabilitate the pre-Integralist office of the Magistrate, a special officer of justice, that would administer justice within the limits of a Council. In civil proceedings, with extreme respect for legality, the Magistrate would verify the procedural situation of the parties, redirecting them to the competent court and suppressing procedural errors. In criminal proceedings, the Magistrate would act as the local prosecutor.

That my friends, are the main guidelines of the reform we would like to see in Lusitania. A reform which would reinforce democracy, which would recognize the Councils’ legitimate rights to autonomy and a political neutral constitution, establishing few binding economic constitutional rules. It is neither left or right wing – it is democratic.”

The vote is scheduled for 18 January, precisely two days after the internal elections in the Social-Democratic Party. Frederico Saraiva’s opponent for the office of Secretary-General is Isabel Tavares, that is strongly supportive of the current Prime-Minister’s political reforms and wants to ‘renew’ the Lusitanian democratic left-wing. Should Tavares win, Prime-Minister Augusto Morais would secure the two-thirds majority he needs to pass this reform.

Furthermore, the reform also opens way for an immediate reunification. In article 3 section 4 of the project, it says ‘Lusitania is a divided nation, and one of the ultimate objectives of this constitution is to assure the immediate reunification of any part of Lusitania that is not under the jurisdiction of this constitution’. The leaders of the Independent State of Galicia and the United Free Councils have expressed interest in joining the Republic should this constitution be approved, which could have serious political consequences and mount tensions between North and South, as the Lusitanian Union would be rendered absolutely useless and the People’s Republic would feel betrayed.

 

[Havenshire]

The People's Republic of Havenshire welcomes the news that a more Council-orientated form of government is being implemented in Lusitania. We hope that this will be simply a first step towards a government that will see the greater opportunities for trade and prosperity with the RDTO and other affiliated nations by choosing this path.

Ambassador Luis de Ortega-Smith,
Ministy of Foreign Affairs
People's Republic of Havenshire

 

[Potenza]

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​

As neighbors, we would like to congratulate Mr. Augusto Morais in his electoral win, and will be watching the reforms with much interest.

Gaetano Merlino
Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Potenza​

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[Danmark]

Udenrigsministeriet

We are pleased that the process of Lusitanian democracy has taken it's course and hope that avenues can be explored for potential commercial opportunities between our two nations.

 

[Lusitania]

O Século​

Resultados Preliminares do Congresso do PSD: Isabel Tavares Sai Vitoriosa
Preliminary Results of the PSD Congress: Isabel Tavares Victorious

The preliminary results of the Social-Democratic Party’s III Congress show no doubts – despite needing the votes of the majority of the Political Commission of the Party, Isabel Tavares won most of the congress delegates’ votes, probably ousting Frederico Saraiva out of the party’s leadership. These are good news for the new government, as the new leader of the PSD supports the constitutional reform.


The statutes of the PSD foresee a two-phase election of the Secretariat-General – the first one is the casting of the delegates’ votes, representing the various sections of the party all over the country. The second phase is the decision of the Political Commission (which is elected in other elections directly by the party members), that formalizes the process. Nevertheless, sources from inside the party suggest that the Commission will probably vote for the new Secretariat-General, as it would be strange to reject a candidate that gathered 61% of the votes.

After knowing these preliminary results, Isabel Tavares gained confidence and gave an inspired speech in the Congress, underlining the need for traditional social-democracy to change. Her project is totally supportive of new Prime-Minister Augusto Morais’ constitutional reform project, praising it as ‘a noble project that will increase the quality of our democracy, bringing it closer to the people’, and saying that people in the PSD opposing it, do not understand that the reform is ‘free of left-right antagonisms’ and is ‘apolitical’ in that economic-social scale. Furthermore, she added that, any of those future Councils the PSD would have a ‘golden opportunity to ‘implement localized social projects’ that would have much more success. She also criticized the current party structure and wants to ‘democratize’ it. Finally, she gave an appeal for a ‘new social-democracy’ that would be grounded not only on its traditional values of ‘human dignity’, ‘solidarity’ and ‘freedom with responsibility’ but would also be rooted in ‘respect for local power’, opposed to a ‘centralized State’ and ‘brave enough’ to fight ‘totalitarian values’, in a clear reference to Saraiva’s ‘appeasement’ towards the People’s Republic.

It should be noted, that, should Tavares win, which is very likely, it is almost certain that the new constitution is approved, since the Democratic Alliance and the PSD form a two thirds majority together. It is also possible, some analysts admit, that some more traditional social-democrats, namely Saraiva, break out of the party, and form another, but, once again, that is just an hypothesis.