A New Government

The Franklin Times -

In a joint press conference, the leaders of the Free Conservative Party, the Liberal States Party, the MOR Party, and the CAT Party announced the end to successful negotiations. This means that the Free Conservative Party has successfully formed a working coalition with control of 228 National Assembly Seats. This gives the Right-Left Coalition control of 65% of the chamber.

This marks a dramatic day in Franklin's history, as it marks the first democratically elected government in the nation's history and the end of over 200 years of royal rule. The Government's Cabinet was also announced:

Prime Minister Brent Sexton
Deputy Prime Minister Cameron McDaniel
Foreign Minister Nikki Craycraft
Defense Minister Ariana Shahandeh
Treasury Minister James Pretorius
Justice Minister Marc Slone
Homeland Minister Rachelle Graham
Commerce and Trade Minister Sarah Kleman
Health Minister Stephanie Isaacs
Education Minister Casey Detro
Environmental Minister Ashley McConnell
Agricultural and Mining Minister Tim Glisson
Speaker of the National Assembly Rebecca Sheetz

The governing coalition commands a large majority in the Assembly, but questions remain as to whether the coalition can last. In the formal letter recognizing and approving the Cabinet, King Guy sent a request that the current troop level in Iraq be examined. As one political analyst observed, "The War in Iraq could tear this coalition apart as it is forced to please its left and right members on an issue that offers little room for compromise."

National Assembly Election Results

Election Results

Bennett:

District Seats:
Free Conservatives: 3
CAT: 1
Buckeye: 1

Vote Percentage: 7 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
Free Conservatives: 45% (3)
CAT: 20% (1)
Buckeye: 10% (1)
LSP: 10% (1)
Manisrits 9% (1)
MOR: 5%
LRP: 1%

Capital State:

District Seats:
LSP: 2
LRP: 2
Free Conservative Party: 1

Vote Percentage: 25 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
LSP: 27% (7)
LRP 22% (5)
Free Conservative Party 20% (5)
Manisrits: 10% (3)
MOR: 10% (2)
CAT: 6% (2)
Buckeye: 3% (1)

Conover:

District Seats:
LRP: 3
LSP: 1
Manisrits: 1

Vote Percentage: 37 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
LRP: 34% (13)
LSP: 23% (9)
Manisrits: 16% (6)
Free Conservatives: 14% (5)
CAT: 11% (4)
MOR: 1%
Buckeye: 1%

Gerke:

District Seats:
Free Conservatives: 2
CAT: 2
Buckeye: 1

Voter Percentage: 7 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
Free Conservative Party: 36% (3)
CAT: 24% (2)
Buckeye 10% (1)
MOR: 10% (1)
LRP: 7%
LSP: 7%
Manisrits: 6%

Hampton:

District Seats:
Free Conservatives: 2
Buckeye: 1
CAT: 1
MOR: 1

Voter Percentage: 10 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
Free Conservative Party: 30% (3)
Buckeye: 20% (2)
CAT: 15% (1)
Manisrits: 10% (1)
LSP: 10% (1)
MOR: 8% (1)
LRP: 7% (1)

Hunter:

District Seats:
Free Conservatives: 3
CAT: 1
Manisrits: 1

Voter Percentage: 7 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
Free Conservatives: 37% (3)
CAT: 23% (2)
Buckeye: 10% (1)
Manisrits: 10% (1)
MOR: 7%
LRP: 7%
LSP: 6%

Huron:

District Seats:
Manisrits: 3
MOR: 1
Free Conservatives: 1

Voter Percentage: 17 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
LSP: 24% (4)
Manisrits: 23% (4)
MOR: 17% (3)
Free Conservative Party: 16% (3)
LRP: 15% (3)
CAT: 3%
Buckeye: 2%

Irondequiot:

District Seats:
LRP: 2
LSP: 2
Free Conservatives: 1

Voter Percentage: 63 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
Free Conservatives: 28% (18)
LSP: 27% (17)
LRP: 15% (9)
MOR: 10% (6)
Manisrits: 10% (6)
Buckeye: 6% (4)
CAT: 4% (3)

North Winsota:

District Seats:
LSP: 3
Manisrits: 1
Free Conservatives: 1

Voter Percentage: 21 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
LSP: 25% (5)
Free Conservatives: 23% (5)
Manisrits: 20% (4)
LRP: 18% (4)
CAT: 8% (2)
MOR: 4% (1)
Buckeye: 2%

Schenck:

District Seats:
LRP: 2
LSP: 1
Free Conservatives: 1
MOR: 1

Voter Percentage: 15 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
LRP: 23% (3)
Free Conservatives: 20% (3)
LSP: 17% (3)
Manisrits: 15% (2)
MOR: 15% (2)
CAT: 7% (1)
Buckeye 3% (1)

South Winsota:

District Seats:
LRP: 1
LSP: 1
Free Conservatives: 1
Manisrits: 1
CAT: 1

Voter Percentage: 23 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
Free Conservatives: 30% (7)
LRP: 16% (4)
LSP: 15% (3)
Manisrits: 14% (3)
CAT: 12% (3)
MOR: 8% (2)
Buckeye: 5% (1)

The Lakes:

District Seats:
Free Conservatives: 2
CAT: 1
Manisrits: 1
MOR: 1

Voter Percentage: 10 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
Free Conservatives: 30% (3)
CAT: 16% (2)
Manisrits: 14% (1)
Buckeye: 12% (1)
MOR: 11% (1)
LSP: 9% (1)
LRP: 8% (1)

Wayne:

District Seats:
LRP: 2
LSP: 1
Free Conservatives: 1
CAT: 1

Voter Percentage: 43 At Large Seats: Seats Won in ( )
Free Conservatives: 35% (15)
LSP: 19% (8)
LRP: 16% (7)
CAT: 14% (6)
Manisrits: 10% (4)
MOR: 6% (3)
Buckeye: 1%

Party Breakdown:

Free Conservative Party: 19 District Seats + 76 At Large Seats; Total Seats: 95 – 27.14%
Liberal States Party: 11 District Seats + 59 At Large Seats: Total Seats: 70 – 20.00%
Liberal Rights Party: 12 District Seats + 50 At Large Seats: Total Seats: 62 – 17.71%
Manisrits: 8 District Seats + 36 At Large Seats: Total Seats: 44 – 12.57%
CAT Party: 8 District Seats + 29 At Large Seats: Total Seats: 37 – 10.57%
MOR Party: 4 District Seats + 22 At Large Seats: Total Seats: 26 – 7.43%
Buckeye Party: 3 District Seats + 13 At Large Seats: Total Seats: 16 – 4.57%

Governing Coalition Must Control at least 176 Seats or 50.29%


Election Results

The Free Conservative Party has captured the most seats in the National Assembly. The FCP will control 95 seats in the 350 seat chamber or 27%.

King Guy has now charged the Free Conservative Party Leader, Mr. Brent Sexton with the authority to form a coalition government. Mr. Sexton and his party are now free to enter into negotiations with any of the other political parties as they attempt to form a working coalition that controls at least 176 seats in the National Assembly. If such an attempt fails, the Liberal States Party, which finished in 2nd place, will be given authority to form a coalition.

The following positions must be filled:

Prime Minister:

Deputy Prime Minister:

Foreign Minister:

Defense Minister:

Treasury Minister:

Justice Minister:

Homeland Minister:

Commerce and Trade Minister:

Health Minister:

Education Minister:

Environmental Minister:

Agricultural and Mining Minister:

Speaker of the National Assembly:

Free Conservatives Win in Close Election

The Franklin Times -

The National Elections Commission announced that the Free Conservative Party has emerged from the weekend elections with the most seats in the National Assembly. The NEC is projecting that in the new National Assembly, the Free Conservative Party will control anywhere from 85 to 95 seats. The Liberal States Party is projected to come in second with around 70 seats and the Liberal Rights Party in third with around 60 seats.

King Guy has issued a formal declaration granting the FCP leader, Mr. Brent Sexton, the formal authority to begin negotiations to form a coalition government. Mr. Sexton, while controlling the most seats in the Assembly, still faces a tough challenge. At the most, his party will control 27% of the seats and now must weigh his coalition partner options.

Yet, such calculations cannot begin until final numbers are determined on Monday. For now, the FCP can celebrate in its victory.

First Election Projections

The Franklin Times -

The National Elections Commission is reporting heavy voter turnout throughout the country. The NEC is estimating a national turnout of 87%. Turnout has been heaviest in the western states, especially Bennett, and in the large urban areas of Capital State, Conover, Wayne, and Irondequiot.

Early projections show strong support for the FCP, LSP, and LRP. The race remains too close to call but projections for the District Seats (65 of the 350 seats in the National Assembly) show:
FCP capturing 19 District Seats
LRP capturing 12 District Seats
LSP capturing 11 District Seats
Manisrits capturing 8 District Seats
CAT Party capturing 8 District Seats
MOR Party capturing 4 District Seats
Buckeye Party capturing 3 District Seats

While winning District Seats is important, it is still uncertain if strength in these races will translate into big wins in the race for the At Large Seats (285 of the 350 seats in the National Assembly) which are based on the vote percentage each party receives within each individual state.

Control of the National Assembly will depend on a party or coalition controlling at least 176 of the 350 seats.

Final Message to the Voters

The United Press Association invites all parties to make any final calls or messages to the voters...

The Campaign Enters Final Stages

The Capital Courier -

With the national debate out of the way, the parties have now turned to their bases. In the closing days of the campaign, political parties look to their voter base and to turnout. Ads are currently running in all states, party operatives and consultants are working overtime, and parties are spending millions of dollars. However, it appears that two races are quickly developing. The first race is between the select parties who have shown the organization, message, and voter base to emerge as the largest vote getter. This race is one of ideology. On the left, the LRP and LSP (and to a lesser extent the Manisrits) are battling for supremacy. On the right, the Free Conservatives, despite tough attacks from its fellow conservative parties appears to have weathered the storm. It is unlikely any party will emerge with a majority of seats in the National Assembly, but the top vote getter will control the coalition formation process. A second race seems to have developed between the more minor parties (Manisrits, MOR, Buckeye and CAT). While these parties have seen their chances of winning the most seats slip away they may still possess great power after the election. If these minor parties win enough seats they can position themselves as attractive coalition partners.

Massive Rallies Held...

Displaying their organizational strength, the LRP and the Free Conservative Party held massive rallies today. In the state of Conover, the LRP drew a crowd of 60,000 supporters to see the LRP leaders, Neal Banks and Daniel Sperry speak with the leaders of the National Workers Union and the Franklin Workers Alliance. In the state of Wayne, where polling has the FCP outperforming expectations, a crowd of 65,000 gathered to see the entire FCP leadership.

Wallup Tracking Poll...
LRP 18%; LSP 15%; Manisrits 10%; MOR 10%; Buckeye 8%; Free Conservative 25%; CAT 11%; Unsure 3%

The Last Labor Piece Falls

The Franklin Times -

In a late evening press release, the Franklin Workers Alliance (the nation's second largest labor union) announced its full endorsement of the Liberal Rights Party. Citing the party's opposition to free trade policies, the Alliance stated, "the Liberal Rights Party represents the only real chance we have for saving Franklin's jobs and stopping the injustice represented by the money driven free traders." This represents a political victory for the LRP, which now has been endorsed by the two major labor organizations. The LRP also seemed to reposition itself during the debate to become the nation's true "leftist" party.

It was also announced that 15 million viewers tuned in to the second and final debate on Monday, May 14th. That number represents more than half of all eligible voters.

Wallup Tracking Poll: May 14th
LRP: 16%; LSP 16%; Manisrits: 12%; MOR: 10%; Buckeye: 9%; Free Conservative: 22%; CATP 12%; Unsure: 3%

Debate Fallout

The Franklin Times -

The nation's first televised debate was held on Friday, May 11th and from initial reports was well received. Analysts place viewership at 14 million, over half of all eligible voters. The debate was the first time many voters got to see the competing political visions of Franklin debated. The topics ranged from the War in Iraq to the environment to the trade debate. Some of the strongest differences between the parties was on display when the Iraq War and trade were discussed. The left leaning parties were clear in their view that Royal troops should be withdrawn from Iraq, while many of center-right parties favored continued support for the military operation there. While it is certainly too early to name winners or losers, some parties clearly helped cement their support. The debate will continue on Monday, May 14th in the final debate before the election.

Environment Protection Council Endorses:

The EPC announced its full endorsement of the Manisrits Party and the Liberal States Party. The EPC explained that while there were numerous parties that had advocated environmentally friendly policies, these two parties made the environment a central tenet in their political philosophies.

Wallup Tracking Poll: May 13th

LSP: 15%; LRP: 16%; Manisrits: 14%; MOR: 10%; Buckeye: 8%; Free Conservative Party 23%; CAT: 11%; Unsure: 3%
Wallup analysts reveal that with such a wide spectrum of voter support a coalition government is almost a certainty

Election Date Change:

King Guy has ruled that due to polling equipment problems, the election date will be moved back to Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19th. Problems in rural western polling sites and some inner city polling sites had forced the FCP, the LSP, and the LRP to issue a direct plea to the King to delay the election.

Buckeye Negative Ads:

Negative campaign ads have been hitting the Franklin airwaves for weeks now, but the Buckeye Party's ads have hit some nerves. While the major parties have targeted their ideological opposites, the Buckeye Party has hit their fellow conservatives hard. In a series of ads targeting the leading Free Conservative Party, the Buckeye Party has questioned the competence of the FCP leadership. While such tactics are not new in western style parliamentary democracies, the question remains whether such attacks will hurt Buckeye chances of entering a coalition, if the FCP emerge with the most National Assembly seats.

Newspaper Endorsements:

The Nordonia News: The Free Conservative Party - "This party represents the clear vision of a proper conservative party by embracing the notion that only through free choice can a society reach greatness."

The Franklin Times: Liberal States Party - "The Liberal States Party has run both a strong and flawed campaign, but has showcased the seriousness needed for a ruling party. Its commitment to social justice and to ending the flawed foreign policy of misguided intervention makes it the best choice."

The Capital Courier: Manisrits Party and MOR Party - "As is all too often the trend in western democracies, the political debate has been dominated by left and right parties. Yet, Franklin has another option that reflects the only real chance to unify our nation. That choice, which we endorse, is to take the moderate road."

Labor Endorses

The Capital Courier -

The National Workers Union announced this afternoon its full endorsement of the Liberal Rights Party. After yesterday's closed door meeting between NWU and LRP leaders, the nation's largest labor organization stated that, "The Liberal Rights Party has demonstrated a clear connection and commitment with Franklin's working class. The union will dedicated our membership and money to supporting this great party in the upcoming election." This endorsement represents a major boost for the LRP as it looks to separate itself from the other leftist parties. The NWU also announced it was beginning an aggressive ad campaign against what it referred to as the "unfair trade" policies advocated by the FCP.

Wallup Tracking Poll: 5/3/07

LSP: 15%; LRP 19%; Manisrits 14%; MOR 10%; Buckeye 7%; FCP 22%; CAT 13%

Conservative Victory in France

The Franklin Times -

Nicolas Sarkozy won a critical victory in the 2nd Round of the French Presidential Election. Sarkozy, of the Union for a Popular Movement, defeated the Socialist Party candidate, Ms. Segolene Royal, who had been vying to become the first woman president of France. Sarkozy's 53% to 47% electoral margin was seen as an impressive win for the conservative movement in France. In the campaign, Sarkozy advocated drastic free market reforms to combat a sluggish French economy and to fight the 8.3% unemployment rate. Key to his reform package is the effort to end France's 35 hour work week. The election also signified a deep defeat for the Socialist Party, which has now lost the last three elections.