[Donna]

Lathamian statehood declared

VALLBERGA (AP) - Thousands took to the streets Friday night in the Swedish-language Latham province in a euphoric display of support for the region's much contested sovereignty. Earlier in the evening, the locally ruling Democratic Front for the Salvation of Latham (DFSL) voted unanimously to formally declare independence from Pofoland.


Thousands demonstrated in Vallberga, Friday night in support of sovereignty

The provincial government's motion was introduced to the legislature in Latham just hours after polling opened around the country for the second national election in a month. Former PUC chairman and PoP candidate Donald Lieberman, a native of Utrecht, is also wanted by the federal government for possible treason-related charges. Lieberman was mysteriously absent from his campaign headquarters in Charlestowne Thursday night. Early Friday morning, after news reached the rest of the country that Latham's legislature was to hold an emergency session later that day, Lieberman was spotted by Gazette reporters outside the province's legislative building in Vallberga with DFSL council leader Carl Feldt.

Latham's announcement of declared independence was received positively and has thus far been recognized by 37 countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, France, Canada, and Australia.

Latham has had a unique seperatist history peppered in conflicts with the federal government. Under the Ryanist regime Swedish-speaking Lathamians experienced political repression as the government sought to anglocize the country, with Lathamians being the most adament of the country's Scandinavian population in keeping with their ethno-linguistic identity. In the mid 1990's, after the death of Thomas Ryan, a politically organized seperatist movement emerged in the region, and in 1996, took the provincial government despite widespread opposition among the country's political reformers.

As Latham's legislature begins restructuring it is slated to hold its own new round of elections this Monday. Local function of former federal parties in the province have been temporarily suspended.

[Falx]

Delete this before the mods see it. They said that the simulation will be deleted as soon as someone posts that.

[Donna]

The Republic of Latham is perfectly capable of functioning within the game, and it will add an interesting dynamic to the parliament. It also permits the possibility of a war simulation in the future.

The republic will stand. The people of Latham demand that their own voices lead their own future.

[ingliz]

The games end then - Thankyou for playing.

[Falx]

Funny isn't it? One of the people who most loudly declared that I will kill this game then goes on and does it himself.

Eventually a group will get so wound up in the whole thing, so unable to take things as a bit of fun, that they will 'break away' in their disillusionment and set up their own website for their own 'country' where they can do their own thing. At that point the line of not getting PoFo involved with other websites will be crossed, as they try to get users to go to 'their country' and I'll probably have to pull the plug on the whole thing. [/crystal ball]

As it turns out he still has to make a website about it. I guess we can deal with one person imagining that they are a whole country.

[Donna]

When a country secedes, it does not destroy its former lords.

[Falx]

Yes, but SF tried this before and it ended up nearly killing one of his old sites so anything that appears like that over here will result in the destruction of the simulation. I don't think given what he's said that he'll kill this simmulation over this but I hope he doesn't get drunk and see this

[ingliz]

Well he's lost his vote anyway as you must play by the "rules" as agreed when posting in the voting thread.

[Donna]

The whole thing with SE.. wasn't that simulated government supposed to administrate the actual site? There's no parallel to that here. This here is a game of make-believe confined to one little chaotic subforum. I have no intention of going off-site, either.

As I said... the republic stands. All are welcome.

[HoniSoit]

Donald - I would advise against you doing this.

There is a good chance Fox would get upset and close down the whole game.

[Doomhammer]

We can mobilize the armed forces as soon as we have a working government. The Republic of PoFo cannot and will not tolerate these impudent upstarts.

[Donna]

The sim can handle a breakaway republic, HoniSoit.

SF's concerns appear to be directed at off-site involvement.

We can mobilize the armed forces as soon as we have a working government. The Republic of PoFo cannot and will not tolerate these impudent upstarts.

Latham doesn't even have an armed forces. At best, you'll render us autonomous instead of sovereign.

[Andres]

How does one say sore loser in Swedish?

[Donna]

Do you mean loser, or looser?

[HoniSoit]

The sim can handle a breakaway republic, HoniSoit.

The question is whether SF can 'handle' it.

The fact is that Fox is not supportive of the simulation in the first place and has merely tolerated it given we behave ourselves.

I understand no one is yet to set up a website but what you're doing - though it may not be your intention - is moving in that direction.

It's better we just play within the rules laid out so far and don't get too 'creative' at this stage.

[Andres]

Do you mean loser, or looser?

Mmmh, looser. As in loose morals... Yeah, that's what I meant.

[Donna]

Honi, calm down.

This isn't creative chaos. I even used geographically accurate information from the country's CIA factbook and am keeping this as realistic as possible.

If Pofoland wants to invade Latham (and actually votes on this when it has a working government), I'll accept the reality of overwhelming force and Latham would further function as an autonomous region instead, perhaps with federal representation in the next election cycle. I'm not going to make-believe Western military support for Latham here, or something cheezy like that.

I sincerely encourage all of you to attempt to work professionally, not imaginatively, with the Republic of Latham and their desire for full sovereignty.

[Oxymoron]

Here we go again, well it was fun while it lasted. Donald next time stop picking sinking ships to get on.

[MB.]

donald

I sincerely encourage all of you to attempt to work professionally, not imaginatively, with the Republic of Latham and their desire for full sovereignty.

yah you too

http://www.soviet-empire.com/

[Demosthenes]

Ummm...

First, Guys...Nice job. Seriously. Having an army of stoogy old uncles is exactly the kind of "community involvement" that we really need.

Anyway,

Donald-

I'm not bitching at you here, but you know you're just doing this because you just came to understand the voting rules last night. And you now realize you're backing a losing horse. THAT said, it's likely your party is going to suffer with the temporary absense of it's leadership. I'm sure they need someone to act as a spokesman, at least until he returns. There are other constructive ways that the game offers inherantly for you to remain active and with a voice in parliament.

Though, as I discussed in the main voting thread, "strategic voting" is kinda what I'd call "over-the-table" information, I think SOME leeway is reasonable. we did, as has been pointed out, allow some to change votes during that last election. Particularly considering the disintegration of the PUC I don't think it would be too over-the-top to give you an opportunity to see if you have enough in common with another party to just join them.

I think, as long as vote changing is in good faith, it's within the rules of the game.