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Azraq

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Emperor to unveil high speed rail plans

JUGOL - Boqor Tiirka Ilaah will today reveal his blueprint for a series of high speed inter-city rail connections along the Dawamlian coast, which the Emperor says will revolutionise the Imperial economy.

Speaking before the Tri-Continental Chamber of Commerce, Boqor Tiirka Ilaah will call on the incoming government to prioritise infrastructure investment over the next parliament. Treasury officials are expecting a windfall thanks to strong consumer spending, rising oil and gas prices and growing demand for other Azraqi exports. A major divide has emerged between the different parties this election on how best to spend the additional funds, with the Justice Party-led coalition favouring increased redistribution while the Principlists and their allies are calling for a bigger defence budget.

Ivory Throne watchers suspect this is an intervention by the Emperor to try and forge common ground between the various factions, with polls pointing towards a likely minority administration led by either the Justice Party or Principlists.

In plans to unveiled by Boqor Tiirka Ilaah, the capital Jugol will be the starting point for the new high speed rail system, with new commuter and freight links connecting the port and airport to the wider network. The line would terminate at Hodon in western Dawamalia. A second phase joining the cities of the interior to the coast could then later be explored by a future government.

Both the Party of Principles and Party of Justice welcomed the Emperor's initiative, although privately some casted doubts. A senior Principlist parliamentarian said the deteriorating situation in the Southern Tiburan Empire merited a greater focus on the military and foreign policy, while a source in the Justice camp warned the Emperor's plans ignored the inland Shamo majority.

Since ascending to the Ivory Throne Boqor Tiirka Ilaah has marked his reign by taking an active role in domestic politics and promoting economic modernisation. Defenders say under his guidance Azraq has enjoyed unprecedented growth and rise in living standards, while critics warn he is pushing the Empire into unsustainable debt, which was ultimately the undoing of the First Azraqi Empire.​
 
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Justice Party secures historic victory

By carving out a coalition for change that crossed ethnic lines, Justice Party leader Hika Qiltu has redrawn Azraqi politics

Over half a century of Principlist rule came to an end last night after the Justice Party-led coalition swept to power, exceeding expectations and defying the polls, which all pointed towards a minority government.

Speaking to supporters on the steps of the Imperial Parliament, Justice Party head Hika Qiltu, who will be the first ethnic Shamo Garad-Wasiir (Chief Advisor), vowed to transform Azraqi society. "We will bring the Empire into the future a more just and free place," Qiltu declared, promising greater health, education and welfare spending.

Defending Garad-Wasiir Mohammed Yusuf Kahyre conceded defeat on the early hours of this morning and congratulated Qiltu on his victory. Many expect him to resign as leader of the Party of Principles too.

Allying with the Shamo People's Liberation Front (SPLF) and Movement of the Poor and Dispossessed (MPD), which represents the lower castes, Qiltu campaigned on a progressive platform of devolution, redistribution and decolonisation. Many expected the coalition's policies to be too radical for voters, while the war in Gallo-Germania and crisis in Pelasgian saw foreign affairs dominate the closing weeks of the election, on which surveys showed the public trusted the Principlists more.

However the Justice Party was able to tap into a deep-seated discontent in the Azraqi middle and lower classes who feel they haven't fully reaped the rewards of the Empire's economic boom. As a result, the Justice Party and its allies now hold 827 of the 1200 seats in the National Assembly.


This gives them the two-thirds majority needed to overturn a veto from either the Council of Elders or Emperor. Many noble clan chiefs have spoken out against the Qiltu's agenda, warning it will leave the Empire poorer and weaker. Boqor Tiirka Illah has reportedly raised private concerns over Qiltu's plans as well.

Swearing in for the new National Assembly members takes place next week, and then the difficult process of forming a cabinet begins. Both the SPLF and MPD will be eyeing the Imperial Treasury. SPLF head Mulatu Birru, celebrating in the historic Shamo capital Dhihaa, has pledged billions of investment in Shamoiya, as well as autonomy. The MPD is even more aggressive than the Justice Party in its tax and spending plans.

For now however, Qiltu can bask in the warmth of an unexpected victory.

 
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Pelasgian Empire
Ministry of External Affairs

Public statement - for immediate release.

To whom it may concern,

The Government of the Pelasgian Empire would like to congratulate the new Azraqi Government on its historic victory.We look forward to working with the new cabinet to secure a better future for both of our Empires through peaceful dialogue on our issues of common interest.

Signed and sealed,
Emannouil Avgiros
Minister of External Affairs
Government of Pelasgia
 

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Esteemed sirs,

The Federation of the Natal congratulates the Azraqi people and its authorities on one of the best examples of civic and democratic exercises. The also congratulate the Justice Party for its immense victory as he can see now that the Azraqi political life has truly evolved and developed in a direction which really makes it an example for the countries of the world.

Signed
on behalf of the Folk and the State President,
Ryan Mopantokobogo
State Secretary of the Federation
 

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Grand Mufti accepts Prophets Adam and Abraham could be Black

In a shock television interview, the Grand Mufti in Jugol admitted current theories of human evolution meant the Prophets Adam and Abraham could have been dark-skinned, a key belief of the fringe Aadamiyya sect, which dominates the leadership of Movement for the Poor and Dispossessed, one of the incoming coalition parties.

Speaking ahead of the new government being sworn in, Garad-Mawalaanaa (Grand Mufti) Abdu Xuseen Tadalesh said the academic consensus homo sapiens originated in southern Himyar suggest both Prophets could have been Nethian. "The Quran does not speak on such matters," the highest ranking Muslim cleric in the Azraqi Empire declared.

He also rejected the views of some religious scholars that the Adamites were heretical, noting many of their beliefs and practices were in line with orthodox Islam. "They accept the Oneness of God," Abdullahi continued.

The Grand Mufti, who presides over the Furasho Mosque and university in the capital, is considered to be the leading opinion within the Hajariyya movement, the largest denomination in Azraq, and is linked closely to the noble clans and outgoing Principles Party. His interview today will be interpreted as a signal senior clerics are accepting the new Justice-led coalition.

Historically the Hajari clergy have been suspicious of the Aadamiyya, whose founder Guuleed Cabdi Rooble claimed to be 'inspired' by Ibn Ibrahim, founder of the Blue Imamate and radical Ibrahimiyya sect.

Guleed's black nationalism and support for socialist policies also worried many in the Azraqi establishment. After his death in 1997, some of his followers founded Movement for the Poor and Dispossessed, focusing on political and charitable activity over religious preaching. The MPD is now a major player in Azraqi politics, winning 131 seats in the National Assembly in the most recent election. The party's bedrock is lower caste members, landless labourers and slum-dwellers.

The semi-endorsement of one of the Aadamiyya's distinctive beliefs - the blackness of the Prophets Adam and Abraham - by the Grand Mufti will be seen as a sign of recognising the MPD's legitimacy to rule.

However not everyone agrees with the Grand Mufti, with several ulema later appearing on TV and radio to insist there was written evidence that the Prophets were of other skin colours.

Azraq's political class and its religious allies are still reeling from the defeat of the Party of Principles, which has ruled the Empire ever since full democracy was introduced in 1972 after the fall of the Islamo-futurist military dictatorship.

Led by the Justice Party, the coalition, which includes the Shamo People's Liberation Front as well as the MPD, has promised a radical agenda of redistribution, devolution and decolonisation, pledging more social spending and immediate independence for the Spice Islands.

The formal swearing in ceremony is taking place early next week, with the coalition parties announcing the new Imperial Cabinet tomorrow.

 
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NEWSFLASH: Imperial Cabinet named


Garad-Wasiir Hika Qiltu has named his fellow Wasiirs just hours before the new Imperial Parliament is formally sworn in, as Boqor Tiirka Illah prepares to welcome his first coalition government not led by the Party of Principles.

Qiltu's Justice Party occupy most of the key offices of state, including the Imperial Treasury, Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Defence. However the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was handed to Shamo People's Liberation Front (SPLF) leader Mulatu Birru, while Movement for the Poor and Dispossessed (MPD) head Axmed Dalmar Geedi was gifted the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The number of ministers without portfolio has been cut drastically, fulfilling a coalition campaign pledge.

The entire Imperial Cabinet can be found online on the government website.
 

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Qiltu heads to Natalia for Pan-Himyari Summit

CAMP HILL - Garad-Wasiir Hika Qiltu has flown to the Federation of the Natal for his first major foreign venture, as dark clouds gather over Himyar and pressure mounts on the new administration at home.

Qiltu, who announced his Cabinet last week and will soon unveil his legislative timetable, is off to the southern Himyari nation to meet with his fellow heads of government from Natalia and the Pelasgian Empire, which recently emerged from a short but bloody civil war.

Announced in the wake of the devastating conflict in Gallo-Germania, the meeting of the so-called 'H3' economies was intended to mark a new era in global geopolitics in which a peaceful, prosperous and stable Himyar would reassert itself on the world stage. However, Justosian militarism, lingering tensions in Pelasgia and a potential flashpoint in Tephanon risk overshadowing the conference, while domestic opponents are demanding Qiltu delivers.

"Having made social policy the central plank of his campaign, Qiltu is now swanning around the halls of power of other nations," Mohammed Yusuf Khayre, the now dethroned leader of the Party of Principles, said scathingly to reporters outside the Imperial Parliament.

Others believe the upcoming negotiations on the future of Tephanon, which Shamo People's Liberation Front (SPLF) head Mulatu Birru is leading on, should be the priority. "We should not be talking with the Pelasgians on anything other than Tephanon," declared Dawamalian Youth League chair Absame Nadifa Taban.

However, Boqor Tiirka Ilaah has given his blessing to Qiltu's trip to Natalia, suggesting pan-Himyarism should be a core tenet of the new government's foreign policy. "Together we are stronger," the Emperor stated.
 

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We wish to allay any concerns our regional friends may have. We extend our warmest regards. Please know we only wish to play catch up with Europe defensively. Having just come out isolation. We wish to exchange ambassadors & dossiers.

Felipe Alejandro
Royal Palace Foreign Ministry Liaison Department
 

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Non-Abrahamic faiths to be practiced openly

The new coalition government will lift the ban on public worship by Hindus, Buddhists and other non-Abrahamic religions in Azraq and introduce strict anti-discrimination laws as part of a sweeping reform of imperial social policy.

Under plans revealed by Movement for the Poor and Dispossessed leader Axmed Dalmar Geedi, lower caste Azraqis and Toyouan minorities from the Spice Islands and beyond will be given extensive legal protections for the first time.

While Hindus, Buddhists and others can practice their faith freely in the Spice Islands, only Christians, Jews and Muslims can worship openly in Azraq. Non-Abrahamic symbols are also banned in public, although many underground temples operate discreetly, especially in Jugol.

However proposals from the MPD and its allies the Justice Party and Shamo People's Liberation Front will remove these restrictions and allow new Buddhist and Hindu temples to be built - the first on Azraqi soil since the Blue Imamate fell.

Discrimination on the grounds of caste, ethnicity and religion will also be punished with an unlimited fine, as MPD head Axmed Dalmar Geedi looks to break the "hegemony" of high born Dawamalians. "Azraq shall be for all its Sons, not just a few," the lower caste activist, recently made Natural Resources minister, declared.

Measures to encourage lower caste men into formal employment will be introduced as well, as part of a wider redistribution agenda planned by the new coalition government, which will announce its first budget soon.

However the moves will likely face strong opposition in the Council of Elders, with one Elder warning this paper the new laws threatened to upset the "natural order".
 

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Association of the Guardians of the Dead
Sangano Revatariri Vevakafa

The Association of the Guardians of the Dead and the general practitioners of the ancestor cults so present in the Himyari native faiths are overjoyed by the recent news in the Azraqi Empire. The respect and reverence of ancestors is very present in all the cultures that were emanations from out great continent and thus has become a cultural trait of much of the world in general. This is present in the Abrahamic religions too.

We are happy now that people who wish to get in touch with their ancestors can do so legally in the Empire of Azraq and it truly shows that with this modernisation, there is a seed in the heart of any human which wishes to return to his roots, even if some would call them primitive. We will begin operating in the Azraqi Empire but at the same time we will be ready to respect every written and unwritten rule of the Empire.

May the ancestors guide you to prosperity and peace!
Signed,
Garikai Rugeje
High Guardian
 

Azraq

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A Black Engellex?


Higher defence spending is needed if Azraq is to have a secure, prosperous future

For a nation steeped in tradition and history, Azraq is obsessed with modernity. The First Azraqi Empire bankrupted itself trying to keep up with the military and technological prowess of white Western powers during the 19th century, and the Islamo-futurist dictatorship that followed was even more obsessed with progress, so much so it tried to destroy the past.

For the army officers who ruled Azraq in that brief but grim period of our history, one country above all inspired them: the Engellexic Republic.

Given the atheistic nature of Engellexic society, this may not come as a shock. After all, it was the belief that Azraqi Islam was in dire need of Western-style Enlightenment that drove those same army officers to overthrow the Empetor. Engellex's domination of the Thaumantic and Occidentia were also inspiration for those wanted to keep Azraq's colonial possessions in the Implarian.

Azraq does of course has its own maritime history to be proud of. In antiquity, Dawamali beden traversed the Kalahari and Implarian oceans, bringing back rare cloths, scents and spices, which could be found as far away as the markets of the Tiburan Empire. Later these same ships would take with them Islam and Nethian slaves, before carrying conquerors that would make Azraq the Empire it is today, subjugating the Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms of the Spice Islands.

Yet by failing to keep up with the innovations of the time, we would eventually lose Tephanon to the Pelasgians. Their superior firepower was ultimately what led to our defeat so close to the imperial homeland.

Sadly, repeated governments have not learnt from those mistakes. Fearing the crippling debt and powerful military that both brought down the First Empire, the Party of Principles, which ruled Azraq for over 50 years, refused to invest in our armed forces. Now the government led by the Justice Party is threatening to do the same, with its extravagant promises in health, education and welfare.

This is not to say the Azraqi people don't deserve to benefit from the economic boom we have enjoyed the last two decades. But prosperity flows from security and as events in Gallo-Germania, Pelasgia and elsewhere have shown, war is only ever around the corner.

By Kandhafo Yayyo, a former Independent member of the National Assembly

@Engellex
 
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Government to seek stronger ties with Rurikgrad Pact

Azraq will be looking to deepen ties with the Communist bloc after its victories in Trivodnia and Occitania, foreign minister Mulatu Birru confirmed today.

Speaking to the National Assembly after Eiffelland and Retalia agreed peace with Serenierre, Birru said cooperation with Kadikistan and Xinhai over the future if the Kalahari Ocean was the government's number two foreign policy priority after Tephanon. "Azraq wants a safe, peaceful and secure Kalahari region and we see cooperation as the best way to achieve that," Birru stated.

Asked if stronger relations with the Rurikgrad Pact and Serenierre would undermine diplomatic efforts with Natalia and Pelasgia, Birth argued in fact they would strengthen them. "Propontis and Ivar are close... Natal shares our same vision," he claimed.

According to Foreign Affairs ministry sources, the government is seeking to emulate the Status Quo Treaty between Kadikistan and Pelasgia. "The Prime Minister's thinking in particular is if he can get Azraq recognised as a great power he can silence the Dawamalian nationalists," said one insider.

Kadikistan and Xinhai together with Crotobaltislavonia went to war with Trivodnia earlier this summer following months of rising tensions, while Serenierre invaded Occitania after it joined the Trier Concord, an alliance led by Eiffelland and Retalia. Trivodnia fell after a week, while fighting in Occitania only concluded recently.

Pelasgia was also a member of the Trier Concord but the Status Quo treaty with Kadikistan complicated its in involvement in the war, and divisions over whether to intervene sparked a short internal conflict.

Given the now dominant geopolitical position of the Communists, foreign minister Birru insisted friendship with the Rurikgrad Pact and Serenierre was necessary. "We must look at reality," he declared.

However opposition parties said Azraq should look to rearm and warned Kadikistan and Xinhai could one day threaten the Empire. "They won't stop at the Long Sea," said Dawamalian Youth League chair Absame Nadifa Taban. Others said Birru, leader of the Shamo People's Liberation Front, had ties with international communist movements. "He claims to speak for the Empire but really only wants to cosy up to his old-time friends in Ivar," suggested Mohammed Yusuf Khayre, the former head of the Party of Principles.

Privately, some in the government, especially in Prime Minister Hika Qiltu's Justice Party, are concerned what a Red-dominated world means in practice. "We will have to see what they do with their new position of power," a Justice National Assembly member said off the record.

However Birru and Qiltu will likely push on. "They have different reasons but they are in full agreement," said one Azraqi diplomat working on the approach.
 
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TODAY'S TOP HEADLINES

Emperor orders strategic defence review
Boqor Tiirka Illah has ordered a "wide-ranging" review into the capabilities of the Azraqi Imperial Armed Forces, led by former Malakh Yuusuf Ayan Matan, who will also be asked to judge "likely strategic threats" over the next decade. Ivory Throne watchers say the Emperor is increasingly concerned the new left-wing coalition government led by the Justice Party is not taking national defence seriously enough.

Tephanon deal nearly done
Foreign affairs minister Mulatu Birru, who is also head of the Shamo People's Liberation Front, today told the National Assembly an agreement with the Pelasgian Empire on the future of Tephanon was "within striking distance". However Birru remained tight-lipped about what the final treaty might look like, prompting some to speculate whether it might be considered unsatisfactory by opposition parties, the Council of Elders and potentially even the Emperor.

Insurgent attack foiled
An attempted attack on an oil rig off the coast of the Spice Islands was foiled, the Ministry of War and Defence announced earlier today, after the insurgents, believed to be local separatists, were repelled by private military contractors defending the installation. No further details were given.
 

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Birru 'betrays' Azraq


Foreign minister savaged over Tephanon declaration

Opposition parties and the Council of Elders exploded with uproar after foreign affairs minister Mulatu Birru presented his proposed deal for Tephanon, which would see the islands returned to Azraq but with permanent Pelasgian bases.

The jointly agreed text, unveiled in the Tephanonese city of Zarakas, also calls for the "end of colonialism" worldwide, which has been interpreted as an attack on Azraqi ownership of the Spice Islands.

Leading the charge, Party of Principles leader Cabdulmajiid Ismaacill Taifa slammed the agreement as a "complete betrayal". "Birru has failed the empire," Cabdulmajiid concluded to widespread applause.

Assembly members from the Party of the Future had to be censured by the Speaker for booing and hissing during Birru's presentation, while representatives from the Dawamalian Youth League walked out. "This is a grave insult to the men who died to keep Tephanon Azraqi," said a League spokesman after.

Clan chiefs in the Council of Elders were equally negative. "To allow the Tiburans a military presence so close to the imperial homeland will be a grave mistake... This chamber will block it," declared Islan Xabeeb Joogo Magal of the Kuluc.

However the government benches remained firm in support for the deal. "Tephanon will be under Azraqi sovereignty once more, with Propontis paying tribute to Jugol to keep their bases," insisted Elemo Tulu of the Shamo People's Liberation Front, which foreign minister Birru leads.

While Birru and his Pelasgian counterparts have signed the declaration, it has yet to be ratified in the Imperial Parliament. Pundits expect it to pass through the National Assembly with relative ease thanks to the coalition government's two-thirds majority, but rejected by the Elder Council. This can be overridden by the National Assembly but in the time this will take, Pelasgia may renege on the original deal.

The Emperor, who had so far stayed silent on the issue, will also need to give his consent. When pressed for comment, the Ivory Throne said His Imperial Majesty was consulting his advisers.

 
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Pelasgian Empire
Ministry of External Affairs

Public statement - for immediate release.

To whom it may concern,

As specified in the Joint Declaration, the bases will be used for strictly defensive purposes, with garrisoned forces being limited to a peacetime minimum not exceeding current numbers. Any aggressive or hostile use of the bases towards Azraq is prohibited. The Imperial Government has no intention of reneging on the deal. We thank our Azraqi partners for taking a bold step forward, and we hope that the deal will get through the appropriate constitutional hurdles into ratification.

Signed and sealed,

Emannouil Avgiros
Minister of External Affairs
Government of Pelasgia
Senator by Right of Office
 

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NEWSFLASH: Elder Council rejects Tephanon treaty


The coalition government has been dealt a fresh blow, with the Treaty of Zarakas, which determines the future of Tephanon, rejected by an overwhelming majority in the Council of Elders.

The upper chamber of the Imperial Parliament was widely expected to oppose the agreement, which passed with two-thirds support in the National Assembly, however the scale of opposition was larger than predicted.

Elders were divided almost exclusively along ethnic lines, with Shamo clan chiefs joined by a handful of leaders from the Qaraf and Ooba ethnic groups in defending the Treaty. All Dawamalian members voted against the proposed text.


Garad-Wasiir Hika Qiltu has vowed to use his two-thirds majority in the National Assembly to override the Council of Elders' vote, backing his foreign affairs minister Mulatu Birru, who is also head of the Shamo People's Liberation Front.

Pressure will now build on Boqor Tiirka Illah to now adopt a side, having avoided voicing a position until now.
 
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Pelasgian Empire
Ministry of External Affairs

Public statement - for immediate release.

To whom it may concern,

The Pelasgian Empire is most concerned and disappointed at this development, which constitutes a major setback for the future of Pelasgo-Azraqi relations and for the decolonisation of Himyar as a whole. We hope that our Azraqi partners take all available measures to push this deal through to Imperial Assent, for the benefit of us both. We will monitor the developments closely.

Signed and sealed,

Emannouil Avgiros
Minister of External Affairs
Government of Pelasgia
Senator by Right of Office
 

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Backbenchers exploiting Tephanon tensions

JUGOL - Backbench National Assembly members belonging to the ruling coalition are threatening to vote against the Treaty of Zarakas unless they secure concessions, as the agreement on Tephanon heads to the lower chamber of the Imperial Parliament for a second time.

In order to override the defeat in the Council of Elders, the government needs two-thirds majority support in the National Assembly. With 827 seats in the 1,200-strong legislature, the coalition, formed of the Justice Party, Shamo People's Liberation Front and Movement for the Poor and Dispossessed, has the necessary votes. However, if as few as only 28 assembly members voted against the Treaty of Zarakas, the government could not overrule the Council of Elders.

"This is the first make or break issue of this government... Savvy backbenchers have worked out they've got the government over a barrel to a certain extent," explains a close adviser to Garad-Wasiir Hika Qiltu.

Legislators from the Movement of Poor and Dispossessed (MPD) are said to be proving especially difficult. "They see Tephanon as a high born issue, of no concern to the lower castes," suggests one member of the Justice Party, the largest in the coalition and which Qiltu leads.

"All we want is this government to honour its promises to the masses and ignore the petty power politics that marked old Azraq," counters a MPD lawmaker, who says he and other MPD politicians are only seeking assurances that rumours of a pact between Boqor Tiirka Illah, who has vowed to not veto the Treaty of Zarakas, and the government has not come at the expense of electoral promises. "Tephanon should not be returned to Azraq if it means the future of the Azraqi poor has been sacrificed," the MPD lawmaker continues.

There is a feeling within the government that foreign minister Mulatu Birru, who negotiated the deal with Pelasgia, should be responsible for reassuring backbenchers. "He should be the one selling it," says an aide to the Garad-Wasiir.

However Birru, who is also head of the Shamo People's Liberation Front, is a poor negotiator according to civil servants in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "We were lucky the Tiburans were relaxed about Tephanon," claims one, who is sceptical Birru will win over his allies let alone critics.

Birru is also blamed for the overwhelmingly negative reception the agreement received in the Council of Elders, for first declaring Tephanon's status could be settled by a referendum and then by wearing his SPLF militia uniform to a meeting with the Pelasgian foreign ministry.

However when pressed on whether the government will repeat its two-thirds victory in the National Assembly most are confident. "The MPD will realise if we fall at the first hurdle then that's it," concludes a Justice Party assembly member.​
 
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NEWSFLASH: Tephanon treaty receives Imperial Assent


Boqor Tiirka Illah has signed the bill ratifying the Treaty of Zarakas, the deal with the Pelasgian Empire that determines the future of Tephanon.

The Emporer's signature is a major victory for the newly elected coalition government, which had faced overwhelming opposition to the treaty in the Council of Elders, the upper chamber of the Imperial Parliament.

Speaking to press outside the Palace of Peacocks, the Emperor declared hid three priorities were "peace, security, prosperity" and that the agreement with Pelasgia achieved all three.

Under the deal the islands of Tephanon will return to Azraq but with permanent Pelasgian military bases.

Opposition parties who had also previously attacked the treaty said they respected the Emperor's decision.​
 
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