Socialist Party - August 2015 Convention

[Cranberry]

SOCIALIST PARTY OF SOUTH AMERICA
August 2015 Convention

Welcome, Comrades

to the first of many full conventions of the Socialist Party of South America. This convention shall serve as a founding convention, a place for all members of our party to begin craft our party's and our nation's way ahead into a glorious future.

Sign in below!

x T. Cranberry, General Secretary


Scheduled points:

- Election of National Executive
- Election of party list for the next elections
- Creation of party manifesto for the elections
- Discussion on electoral campaign
- Selection of location for the next party convention

[Cranberry]

With a number of members signed it, we can then go on to the first point on the agenda.

Elections for National Executive

You have 24 hours to declare your candidacy for National Executive, or to nominate another party member.

[Cranberry]

Alright, with 24 hours expiring, and no further candidates emerging, comrades Murica, Xahar and PJ stand for election to the National Executive.

With three seats open for election, and three declared candidacies, I hereby declare comrades Murica, Xahar and PJ duly elected to the National Executive of the Socialist Party of South America.

x Cranberry, General Secretary

[Cranberry]

Next point of the agenda then - everything related to the elections coming up. While the party constitution says that the list is to be elected just after dissolution, I guess we can use the time until then to talk more broadly about election procedure, meaning for example that party members who wish to be considered for a list position more to the front state said wish, but also that we can start talking about our election manifesto, and the campaign Comrade (and hopefully future PM) Crabcake is going to run.

Should any party member wish to speak in front of the convention on any matter, now is the time to do so, please do not hesitate.

[Cranberry]

Those are certainly sensible measures, comrade PJ, though I have to say I prefer No. 2 and 4 to the others, as I would rather see our party one focused on economical issues rather than on social matters or corruption or others. This does not mean that we should not tackle those issues as well, rather just that we focus mainly and primarily on the first, and dedicate just a smaller portion of our attention and our manifesto to the latter.

I welcome your interest in serving in parliament again after the elections, from what I could gather you are one of the most active and dedicated MPs, and I would love to see you on the second spot on our party list, and preferably also in cabinet after the elections.

[Cranberry]

Comrade Crabcake's points are very sensible in my opinion as well, I am especially a fan of his second proposal. In my view, especially this early on in the existence of our nation, our focus should very well be aimed on what we think the nation should be and become. This is obviously a wide-ranged focus, starting with obvious laws dealing with freedoms of movement (here, we can take the example of the EU on how to accomplish this), over a common market and currency, to unifying laws regulations in all aspects of public life, labour and policy making. But I believe that, in this vital forming phase of our nation, we need a strong Socialist voice depicting exactly what we want our nation to be, in order to let this vision become reality.

Comrade Sibboleth's proposal is certainly an interesting one. Correct me if I'm wrong, comrade, but am I reading this right that a law following this proposal would ban officeholders that are currently registered to vote in the nation named 'Atlasia' in the northern part of our continent?

[Cranberry]

As should any good citizen, I join my comrades in full support of this plank of policy proposed by Comrade Sibboleth.

In my position as General Secretary I shall give further twelve hours time for members to object to the plank, otherwise it shall be considered adopted to our election manifesto. Any objection voiced later than 02:47 am shall not be considered valid.

[Cranberry]

Alright then, with no objections raised, the first point of our election manifesto shall be considered official. There's still plenty of time for people to propose others.

[Cranberry]

Since the election appears to draw nearer, we really should be preparing to construct our party list. Our party constitution states that a vote shall be conducted using STV and commence no earlier than dissolution of the preceding parliament, so we will still have a bit of time, but I believe it is nevertheless not to early if we start getting on track towards the elections. Below, I will list all party members that have expressed interest in filling a front-row spot on our list, if you want to do so as well, now is the time to do so! Even if you are not interested in serving in parliament, you will still appear on a lower place on the list, in order for the unlikely event that our party should win more seats than prospective MPs appeared on our list, and not to waste our seats towards other parties. Alas, concluding my wall of text with finally something of substance:

PARTY LIST ELECTIONS
declared candidates as of August 7

PJ
Al Sibboleth
Murica
Xahar
Cranberry (consider this my expression of interest, not for spot 2 though, rather more back-bench-ish 4,5,6)

Still a few more hours (let's make it 48 for now) to express interest for placement on party list!

[Cranberry]

I'll be joining your party

Awesome news!

[Cranberry]

Bienvenue, messieurs!

[Cranberry]

Having an update of people interested in our party list then:

1. Crabcake, Leader

Frontbench candidates: (Spot 2 - 4)

PJ
Al
Xahar
Murica
Hifly

Backbench candidates: (Spot 5 upwards)

Cranberry
Evergreen


Our constitution says that elections for party list should just commence following the dissolution of parliament, but in order to get through with that a bit eariler, so that we will then be able to focus on an election manifesto and an election strategy and to actually win this thing, I would propose the following amendment to our party's constitution. Party members shall have 24 hours to object, otherwise this shall be considered as passed.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Cranberry]

Should the election for party list be done via secret vote?

The constitution says STV, but nothing about privacy or "out-in-open-cy". I guess whatever you guys prefer, I have no deal with either. Private would, I assume, entail sending a PM to me?

[Cranberry]

We will hold just one election, obviously, this list up here was just to illustrate who expressed their intention, and I included the division just because comrade evergreen and myself explicitly stated that we would, if anything, just consider being nominated for backbench seats.

[Cranberry]

With no objections raised, the amendment to our party's constitution shall thus be considered as passed.

x Cranberry, General Secretary

This in turn enables me to open a vote on our party list for the next election. 24 hours, if needs be that could be prolonged, but I'd rather have us get through with that quite quickly.

OFFICIAL BALLOT:

[ ] Politics Junkie

[ ] Al Sibboleth

[ ] Xahar

[ ] Murica

[ ] Cranberry

[ ] evergreen

[ ] Hifly

[Cranberry]

OFFICIAL BALLOT:

[ 1 ] Politics Junkie

[ 2 ] Al Sibboleth

[ 3 ] Xahar

[ 5 ] Murica

[ 6 ] Cranberry

[ 7 ] evergreen

[ 4 ] Hifly

[Cranberry]

It would not ban people who merely hold citizenship in our northern neighbour from holding office, Comrade General Secretary, but it would ban people who happen to hold office in our northern neighbour from also holding office here. We must protect the integrity of national institutions at this critical moment in our history.

Does the inverse hold? I'm interested in joining the party but I have no desire to hold an office here (at least until my term in atlasia ends)

You are obviously very welcome in our party, regardless of whether you want to hold office in the near future or not. The Socialist party welcomes anyone, a law of such sorts is not intended to hold off people but solely to protect the integrity and independence of our nation.

[Cranberry]

With 24 hours having elapsed, and a turnout of 7/14, good enough for that time, and in order to get through with this as soon as possible, I hereby close voting for the party list for the next election.

The following results, calculated using this calculator, are certified as accurate:

1. Al Sibboleth
2. Politics Junkie
3. Xahar
4. Murica
5. Hifly
6. Cranberry
7. evergreen

x Cranberry, General Secretary

[Cranberry]

For the (given, quite unlikely) case that our party should win a number of seats greater than eight, and in order not to spoil the possible seat in question, I will include all other members of our party, ranked by date of joining the party, behind the elected members on our party list.

x Cranberry, General Secretary

[Cranberry]

Thank you for taking the time to adress our convention, Mr. Clarence. However, as our party General's Secretary, I have the duty to inform you that under the present electoral system used for elections in South America, no second preferences are able to be given, just one vote for one single party list. Since you have however already outlined the similarities in your positions with the one's of our party, I can only invite you to join the Socialist Party and join us in our committment for a positive development for our nation.

[Cranberry]

Since Comrade Murica has apologised for his remarks, I guess we can bury that issue, and look forward to other matters, that is, obviously, to win the elections!

Forward, comrades, forward into the future!