Jacobean Cildania (5321 - 5369)

[Wu Han]

↳ Constitutionalist Party leader Sigismondo Falzon
"We were once a nation of religious freedom" PK Leader blasts gov't anti-terror measures
13 October 5331
Speaking in Qart Qildar, PK Leader Falzon says government use of military, new anti-terror measures risk 'returning to dictatorship.'

Qart Qildar: Following newly announced plans from the government to utilize the Armed Forces of Cildania, in response to insecurity following the Qart Qildar synagogue bombing, Constitutionalist Party (PK) leader Sigismondo Falzon has criticized the government for going too far. In the Council of Deputies, reflecting on the governing Radical Labour Party's (PLR) history, Falzon asked "surely, this is too blatant a move back to dictatorship for the modern PLR... to accept?" Another opposition leader, Guiliano Alagona of the Alagona Faction (FA) also expressed his disagreement with the government's proposed security measures, noting that "the government now proposes to use the Cildanian Armed Forces to [intimidate] Cildanian Yeudis," while stating their purpose should be to "restore order and justice to our country."

The measures come a short time after Mr. Falzon's no confidence motion against the government failed to reach a majority of votes, thus preventing an election. Opposition parties and civil society organizations had been pressuring the government for months in advance of the bombing to take antiyeudism and crime seriously. Now, they say the government's security proposals represent an extreme incursion onto the civil liberties of Cildanian citizens, while perpetuating an atmosphere of fear and instability among the Cildanian Yeudish community.

At a rally with supporters last night, Mr. Falzon, who is known for his amiable attitude toward other lawmakers behind the scenes, directed much of his anger toward the government parties:

"Listen, I'm glad I got the government off its tookus," said Mr. Falzon, "but these measures, I mean, c'mon! Right after their synagogue was bombed, you're going to send in the troops to place the Yeudi community under martial law? It's ridiculous! Y'know, we were once a nation of religious freedom—but not under this government's watch!"

Falzon and other critics of the government's proposals note how they will place a disproportionate burden on Yeudi citizens, who will be subjected to metal detectors and strip searches prior to entering their places of worship: "It wasn't the Yeudis who blew their own rabbi sky high, it was the antiyeudi thugs who have been inspired and strengthened over the years by [the Prime Minister's] coalition partners' willingness to dabble in such disgusting ideas."

Indeed, the Prime Minister's junior coalition partner, One Flag, has been under heightened scrutiny since the synagogue bombing, as the conservative party's lawmakers have been criticized over the years for engaging in antiyeudi 'dogwhistles.' One Flag's leader, Minister of Defence Margerita Giudice has also come under fire for her past comments and actions, including remarks from two years before the synagogue bombing, wherein Giudice described prior government efforts to crackdown on anti-Yeudi sentiment as "counterproductive." At the time, Rabbi Danjel Pisani of Torah V’Avodah went as far as to say that "Bandiera Waħda has thrown fuel on the flames of a fire which already consumes Yeudis across the nation."

Another member of the government, the populist People's Choice (GtB) led by septuagenarian businessman Redentur Piscopo, has similarly been criticized for exploiting antiyeudish sentiments. Mr. Piscopo, in a Council of Deputies debate, described the Yeudi-majority state of Beiteynu as "sneaky and stealthy," in a speech which has been widely described as employing various antiyeudish tropes.

"I hope these latest tragic events gives the governing parties, and the Prime Minister, a minute to give their f*ckin' heads a shake. This f*ckin' racism bullsh*t has got to come to an end," said Mr. Falzon. "Listen, socialists, communists—I don't like 'em, alright? But at least they typically have some f*ckin' beliefs, some f*ckin' convictions. What kind of 'labour party' can continue to govern with two antiyeudish right-wingers at their side? Is this advancing the cause of the workers, Frankie?!"

In response to the bombings, the PK proposed a suite of legislation to ban "racist, fascist, or communist" paramilitary organizations, and to prosecute their membership for a new crime which would carry a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and a fine of $10,000. In another piece of legislation proposed by the PK, anyone who is a member of a paramilitary organization must swear an oath to, in part, "serve alongside every Cildanian brother-in-arms, irrespective of their organizational membership, political affiliations, religion, race, or background," with those who violate their oath liable to being tried for treason and sedition under the law.

"We're going after the source, and we're gonna cut the head off the f*ckin' snake. I want to see every single one of these motherf*ckers in prison for the rest of their days," said Mr. Falzon in regard to antiyeudish paramilitary members. "You just watch me—you just watch how far I will go."

il-POSTA NAZZJONALI is one of Cildania's most widely-read broadsheet daily newspapers, respected for its journalistic integrity and objectivity.
A standard-bearer of Cildanian liberalism, il-Posta has become one of the nation's 'newspapers of record.' It is owned by the Grupp Editorjali PNFP.

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Originally posted by Wu Han on 14 Jul 2023.