Graetius quickly silences the disgruntled mutterings of the Pro-Populares Senators with a wave and stands up. He clears his throat, and says...
Thank you for your questions, esteemed Senator Krispin!
First, some questions towards the Populares. How come that the Primicerius and the Dicerius is elected every 5th year, instead of every 8th? What would this mean if an Imperator was voted off the post as a Primicerius in the party? Who would then rule the nation, the Imperator or the new Primicerius, who could in theory control the Populares?
We, the Populares, created the titles of Primicerius and Dicerius in order to bring a more democratic structure to our own party. How can we profess to be the voice of the people if the leaders of our own party have no one to answer to? In order to maintain an efficient and influential party we feel that it is necessary to hold elections for these positions every five years, not just every eight. Allow me to better explain the process of electing the Primicerius/Dicerius and their roles in the coalition...
Primicerius- acts as the moral and executive head of the party. His role is to maintain order and unity among the members of the Populares. A Primicerius is generally the first of the Populares to be considered as an Imperator candidate, although other members may oppose him. If, by chance, an elected Imperator is a member of the Populares but not the Primicerius himself, that Imperator is not legally bound to follow the orders of the Primicerius. As the Imperator is but a servant of the people, he
should be morally obligated to represent the interests of the Populares and the people. In short, only members of the Populares "control" the Populares (as they elect the Primicerius and Dicerius). The Imperator controls the state and is legally not obligated to listen to the council of the Primicerius or the Populares as a whole... but they should if they want a future in politics...
Dicerius- The second in command of the Populares. The Dicerius is responsible for aiding the Primicerius in maintaining unity and is generally considered to be the next in line to be elected Imperator. This does not mean that the Dicerius has the automatic support of the Populares and a normal primary process still decides who the Populares candidate will be.
You also say that you believe that the political power should be in the hands of the masses. Does this mean that if the citizens of our nation are demanding a war due to an unfortunate event, while a diplomatic solution might be best, would you then go to war?
I don't exactly know how to answer this question, my good senator... If the people foolishly cry for an unjust war that will bring only devastation to Aztlanxo, then we will have to reconsider the merits of a republic. We believe that this day will never come however, as the common man is more pragmatic and sensible than the Mercators and Optimates would have the upper-classes believe. We are not ideologically charged fanatics and we will not stand to have the masses whipped up into a jingoist frenzy when the cause is blatantly unjust.
You mention that you will fight for economic and political rights for every Atlantean. Could you give some examples of which rights this might be?
The right to assemble
The right to worship
The right to bear arms
The right to a fair and speedy trial by a jury of peers
The right to pursue uninhibited economic enterprises
The right to free speech
The right to political representation
The right to have equal economic opportunity*
The right to privacy
The right to own property
The right to freedom of opinion
The right to work*
The right to rest*
...to name a few off the top of my head, my fellow Senator....
*((any questions on these? PM me))
You also mention an offensive stance towards the military. Does this mean that you might be willing to attack someone if you believe that they will attack our nation?
well Senator, "someone" is attacking our nation right now. The Urollans are becoming a genuine threat as they boldly raid our outlying western villages. They must be stopped by some means and, as of now, I have seen no senator (yourself included) propose a peaceful alternative to dealing with the Urollan horde. Do we, the Populares, wish to ransack the Urollan villages, rape their women, kill their children, and enslave every young Urollan man? Of course not! I am part Urollan myself and I personally admire the fighting spirit and nomadic culture of the Urollans. We simply wish for the fighting to stop once and for all. If you think you can negotiate with their decentralized hordes, I urge you to go to their lands, find their war-chiefs, and see what happens.
And it seems to me as if you think of all Urollan, Norran, and Eurpan as invaders and cattle-thieves. This might just be an example of bad wording, or it is a bit wierd, considering that you say that you are a multi-ethic coalition. How come that the only time you mention our neighboors is when you talk about who you are ready to defend us from.
Actually, I, along with many members of the Populares, maintain amiable relations with many Arrans, Norrans, Eurpans, and Urollans, and Ollans. My time in the Southern hill country has allowed me to meet many interesting and charming foreign individuals. I have worked incredibly hard to make the Populares an all-inclusive political party, not an Aztlanti-exclusive club of political elites. If you are looking for an ethnocentric party, I suggest joining the Optimates. If you truly want a full summary of our views concerning our continental neighbors, I will gladly humor you ((Oh God... don't make me write more....)). Just know that these views will have very little impact on our public policies. We as a party do not believe that any race is inherently better than the other and we as a nation should treat all other states fairly and, if they prove themselves deserving, benevolently.
I hope you've been enlightened, my fellow servant of the people.
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Graetius---
Graetius sits down amid torrential applause.
((again, if anyone q's on the rights please PM me))