STACMON – With the expiration of the Federal Legislation 23338-501a and 501b, commonly known as the Insulation Acts, representatives of a number of Gallente political parties have seized upon the opportunity to interact directly on capsuleer communication channels.
Representatives of the Nationalist, Unionist, Progressive and Social Democratic parties were surveyed for their opinions on matters relating to the Placid Region and its native Intaki population. The Federal Populist Party is apparently not communicating directly with the capsuleer community at this time.
Alain Octirant, Chairman of the National Party of the Federated Union of Gallente Prime, said the Nationalists see the Caldari as the biggest issue facing the Placid Region. He said would like to see the Caldari not only kept out of the region, but also expelled from Ladistier and Vifrevaert and finally “cleaned out” of Black Rise.
“If we’re going to fix Placid, we need room to work,” he said.
Chairwoman Emelena Morro, of the Federal Progressive Party, also listed the Caldari among the principle concerns of the Placid Region.
“The ongoing defense of the region against Caldari counterattacks remains a top priority,” she said. “Placid still faces numerous other challenges, however, but none which we cannot overcome with sound economic policies that encourage free market competition.”
For Renjith Prabeaux, Chairman of the Federal Social Democratic Party, the top priority is the restoration of citizens’ confidence in the Federal government.
“The decision to go ahead with the special presidential election last year and deny voting rights to the occupied colonies damaged the Federation’s ‘brand’ virtually beyond recovery for billions of Placid and Essence region voters,” he said. “We need to rebuild that, and the best way to start is to get back to doing what we do best: providing for the people.”
The Unionist Party Chairwoman, Keretta Tokel, said her party wants to see attention paid the increasing the general security of the region. Her stated goals include keeping the militia coherent and finding a way to root out Serpentis-affiliated cartels.
“The security situation in the region is abhorrent,” she said. “It’s treated like a joke by the major caucuses, and the 0.1 rating for Intaki is a stain on the Union’s honor.”
When it comes to Intaki internal affairs, particularly the Intaki Assembly’s decision to bar the Federation from entering Intaki Space and to award shipping and defense contracts to Ishukone Corporation and Mordu’s Legion, respectively, the party officials have mixed reactions.
Nationalist Party Chairman Octirant called the contract a “horrific choice,” saying the Federation’s Customs apparatus would have been a better option. He went on to suggest the awarding of the contracts might have been the result of coercion.
“There’s a lot of blanks yet to be filled in from the comms blackout, and frankly, I’m worried about what kind of ‘PR’ was aimed at Intaki’s leaders during the Provists’ stay,” Octirant said. “They can do a lot of terrifying things to the human mind these days.”
With regards to Navy being turned away from Intaki Space, Octirant said the Nationalists have been trying for months to push the Senate to issue a formal legislative censure of the Intaki Assembly.
Chairman Prabeaux said the Social Democrats concern about the shipping and security contracts is the intentions of the organizations issued them.
“Can we expect the Ishukone Corporation and Mordu’s Legion to provide their contractual services without taking advantage of the Assembly or of individual Intaki?” he asked. “Ten years ago, the answer would be a clear affirmative. In the current climate, I have my doubts.”
As for denying the Navy access to Intaki Space, Prabeaux said the Intaki Assembly was within its rights.
“Federal military patrols in a member system’s space is something that is accepted voluntarily,” he said. “It cannot be thrust upon a people against their will.”
The Progressive Party’s Emelena Morro said she would have preferred to see Intaki’s shipping and security contracts go to a Federation-based company, but acknowledged the Assembly’s authority to look elsewhere.
“Ultimately this is a systems’ rights issue,” she said. “And the systems do have rights.”
One issue that the parties did agree on is their opposition to any consideration of Intaki secession.
“Is this a serious question?” Octirant asked. “What happened the last time a founding member of the Union seceded?”
Morro said the Progressives see the relationship between the Intaki and the larger Federation as symbiotic.
“The home system and the colonies of the Intaki diaspora are as integral to the Federation as the Federation is to them,” she said. “We’ve weathered storms in the past and come through each time, stronger and better for having made the passage.”
Prabeaux said the Social Democrats would prefer to see separatists and federalists find a common ground.
“Most Sociocrats want to see an outcome that is acceptable to both sides of the debate,” he said. “Splitting the Assembly from the Federation doesn’t really match that condition.”
Unionist Party Chairwoman said the current conditions in the Placid Region have allowed secessionist ideals to develop, but future efforts will quell them.
“With where we stand right now, I am personally not surprised groups like the Intaki Liberation Front or its more extreme off-shoots exist,” she said. “Once things are turned around, however, there won’t be a leg left for those organizations.”