Lambris House-HQ of the SDP of Antillia/Chateau Lambris-HQ du PSD d'Antillie

[Platypus]

Welcome to Lambris House--------Bienvenue a Chateau Lambris[/size]

[coloe=red]HQ of the Social Democratic Party/HQ du Parti Social-Democratique[/color]

The Social Democratic Party is a party committed to the emergence of opportunity for all, equal rights and unbiased justice throughout Antillia based on a socially-minded capitalist and democratic system.

History and Structure

The origins and powerbase of the party are found in the Provinces of Reginia and LeGran. Built from the ashes of the 'Marxistm With Democracy Party' of the 1930s, the SDP was originally an unusual mixture of intellectuals and agrarians. It has evolved into a party with, averaged over the last three decades, very significant control over the southern provinces but little reach into the north or particularly west of the country.

There are three main blocs of the SDP. The first is the Claybourne bloc, taking its name from the creator of the MWDP. It has reach in the inner cities and also in poorer communities in LeGran, and is generally seen as the 'working class' wing of the party. The Claybourne bloc represents 44% of the party membership and has 40% of council delegates.

The second is the Lambris bloc, named after the leader of the 1936 Farmworker's Strike. Heavily Agrarian, protectionist and thoroughly opposed to the growing trend towards a service and mining based economy, the Lambris bloc is being squeezed between the two others, but does maintain some very prominent members and still has a 25% share of council delegates despite only representing 14% of party members.

The third bloc is the Jennings bloc, which is heavily influenced by the intellectual Noah Jennings, who first forged the alliance between the agrarian and intellectual elements of the MWDP. This bloc has now fully embraced capitalism, dragging the other blocs along with it, but still feels strongly favourable to leftist social issues, although this is very ill-defined. The bloc comprises 31% of party members, with 30% of council delegates.

The is also the Independent bloc, comprising 11% of party members holding 5% of council delegates. It largely consists of LeGran Marxists and Reginia pragmatists; those who want something done that will never happen, and those who know that for something they want to happen to pass membership of SDP helps in their province.

The Party Council meets every six months to determine party policy on long-term issues. Comprising of 300 members and meeting in Lorient, the council meeting usually last a week and are often celebrated extravagantly. At the meetings, the most important issue is the approval of the List, or the Party Council's demands of the Party Caucus. The Party Caucus is a group comprising of all members of the party elected at a national or provincial level to parliament, and it is responsible for the implementation of the party's aims. The Party Caucus also electes the leadership of the party in each parliament it is represented in, and they form the Party Bureau, which is responsible for the day-to-day policy of the party in their respective province, or at the national level, in federal parliament.

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Policy will come once I have discussed with Happy Warrior.

[Χahar]

Names in the languages of Antillia:

English: Social Democratic Party of Antillia
French: Parti Social-Democratique d'Antillia
Portuguese: Partido Social Democrata Antilhão

This is tentative.

[Hashemite]

It's Parti Social democrate in French

[Platypus]

Statement from the Party Caucus

Greetings all,

The SDP would like to announce the election of Mr. Khan as Leader of the Claybourne bloc by members of that group, in a decisive victory. Mr. Prabhusanjil has been elected as the leader of the Jennings bloc, and the Lambris bloc is expected to announce their leader very shortly.

Once the blocs have elected their representatives, policy debate will commence.

J.K. Nolan, Party Secretary

[Χahar]

I am pleased that the voters of the Claybourne bloc have selected me to represent them. I promise to work tirelessly for the worker, and I hope to be a driving force in this party for a long time to come.

S.A. Khan
Claybourne-Le Gran

[HappyWarrior]

I will happily represent the Lambris block.  It is time the farmers of Antilia receive a fair shake.

[Platypus]

Statem,ent from the Party Caucus

The Party Council shall meet from December 10-15 at Lambris House. All members of the SDP are invited to join in the debate; and members of other similarly leftist parties are invited as observers.

The agenda shall be as follows:

1. The SDP structure
2. Constitional Convention unity policy
3. Constituional preferences
4. Party policy on core issues
5. Election of party leadership and deputy leadership
6. Assignment of spokespeople

J.K. Nolan, Party Secretary

[Platypus]

The Jennings bloc is satisifed with the party structure, but we feel that council delegates should directly represent the percentage of party membership each bloc commands. The Lambris bloc is severely over-representated in this meeting, whilst independents barely get a voice! As Noah Jennings would have said,

"Veritas di Cebollius"-"Truth comes from the Onion".

Let us represent this noble statement and amend the bloc delegation sizes.

--Vijay Prabhusanjil, Jennings bloc

[True Federalist]

I shall attend the first few days as an observer, but I shall have to miss the final day as 15 December is the date of the next SCP platform committee.  Incidentally, the SCP would welcome suggestions from non-members for suggested changes to the platform.  Given that we have similar views on economic issues, the Jennings bloc excepted, there is a reasonable chance for proposals from the SDP to be adopted.  The Lambris bloc in particular is invited to make suggestions as our Agricultural policy will be up for consideration at the next platform committee meeting.
-- Douglas Hordern - observer for the Social Credit Party of Antillia

[HappyWarrior]

I of the Lambris bloc strongly object to this.  We may be smaller in population but are just as much a part of this party as the Jennings and Claybourne blocs.  Now is not the time to divide us.  Instead I move that all three blocs have an equal number of delegates.

[Χahar]

So then, as head of the Claybourne bloc, I propose a compromise. ¹/₆ of the delegates can be allocated to each bloc. The remaining ¹/₂ can be allocated proportionately.

This would result in:

Clayboune: 37%
Jennings: 32%
Lambris: 24%
Independent: 7%

This is not intended to be a permanent solution, but is intended to allow us to move on to more important matters.

[Platypus]

The Jennings bloc is open to accepting this as a stop-gap measure. We feel it is a fair representation of our interests, but also that the Lambris bloc is still over-represented. Despite this over-representation, the proposed split means that a relatively wide concensus must be reached for policy to be determined, and as such the Jennings bloc lends its support to the above proposal.

--Vijay Prabhusanjil

[HappyWarrior]

The Lambris bloc also gives its support to this proposal, feeling that it is far and few between the best idea that is passable in the party.

[Platypus]

Vote:

AYE:
Jennings (30%)
Lambris (25%)

NAY:
Independent (5%)

No Notice:
Claybourne (40%)

With a majority of delegates in support of Proposal C1, the bloc sizes in this and future Party Caucuses shall be, subject to possible future adjustment, as follows:

Clayboune bloc: 37%
Jennings bloc: 32%
Lambris bloc: 24%
Independent group: 7%

This uses a system in which each bloc is apportioned 1/6 of delegates with the remaining half apportioned on the basis of bloc membership.

Item two on the agenda, 'Constitutional Convention Unity Policy', is now open for discussion.

--J. K. Nolan, Party Secretary

[Sibboleth]

and members of other similarly leftist parties are invited as observers.

*waves from the gallery*

[Platypus]

After heated debate within the Jennings bloc meeting rooms, we have come to the determination that we would prefer for each delegate to the Constitutional Convention to be independant of others. We feel the Jennings bloc can be best represented by its members seperately of the SDP in this forum. Whilst no ill feeling is meant towards our SDP colleagues, our 'similar differences' indicate that our views and interests are best represented by ourselves. We are sure however that with multiple SDP members involved in the debate the convention will be a resounding success through the thoughtful policy presented by each SDP representative, individually.

We do NOT support a Constitutional Convention Unity Policy.

--Vijay Prabhusanjil, Jennings bloc

[Χahar]

Mr. Prabhusanjil has called me here, evidently on official business.

[Platypus]

Indeed. The Jennings bloc asks yours to comment on the currently discussed proposal.

[Χahar]

I see no problem with this. However, since discussion in the convention has died down, I am starting a draft constitution.

[Platypus]

The Jennings bloc proposes that the SDP joins the left bloc.

Furthermore, it nominates Vijay Prabhusanjil as party leader.

--Betina Walken, Jennings bloc undersecretary, on behalf of Vijay Prabhusanjil

[Χahar]

The Claybourne bloc seconds the first notion. The stance on the second notion will be decided upon further deliberation.

[HappyWarrior]

The Lambris block seconds both notions.

[Platypus]

With the support of 59% of delegates, Mr. Prabhusanjil is now SDP Party leader.

With the support of 95% of delegates, the SDP is now a member of the Left Bloc.

--J.K. Nolan, Party Secretary

[HappyWarrior]

Huzah! :p

[HappyWarrior]

We must continue to work on the party, and hope that Antillia herself can return from the brink of inactivity.