Lodamun

[imperialpearl]

The more than two decade reign of President John Haney has come to an end as William Tabner, the new leader of the Democratic Party of Lodamun led the party to another landslide victory in the national “superelection” last monday. Owing to term-limits established under the Lodamese constitution wherein a President may serve a maximum of three terms (be it consecutive or non-consecutive), President Haney, having served fifteen (15) years or three consecutive terms was no longer eligible for re-election. At the party’s national convention, which had been held months prior in Moorsborough, delegates from the various states and territories threw their support behind various candidates from the numerous factions within the DPL (Democratic Party of Lodamun). For much of months leading up to the convention, there had been a clear battle between former Vice-President Isaac Turner and President-elect Taber of the Left Libertarians and Moderate factions of the DPL respectively. Tabner, then Governor of Newchester secured the majority of support from party delegates, alongside the endorsement of the party’s Green and Liberal Conservative factions. As the quasi-leader of the party’s Moderate faction, Tabner was said to be one of the key figures responsible for the party’s decision to distance itself from broader solidarity with “far-left” ideologies both at home and abroad. In securing the party’s nomination for the Presidential election, Tabner sought to transform the party’s image to ultimately fit his moderate/centrist ideology.

On the campaign trail, Tabner advocated for the party to return to the centrism of the [Julliet] Andrews Administration, offering that its stints under progressivism and social democracy had ultimately weakened the national economy. Although not drawing/painting a direct connection between the previous administrations and Lodamun’s supposedly weakened economic condition, Tabner nonetheless sought to draw attention to the supposed pitfalls of “extraordinary government intervention”. Here he offered that although it was reasonable for the government to intervene in the market in special circumstances, the extent to which the Lodamese Government had intervened under previous administrations (most notably the nationalisation of the public railway network alongside the nationalisation of the Lodamese steel industry) had supposedly stifled business development. Beyond this, he also campaigned for tougher firearm laws, throwing his support behind a grassroots campaign which has on numerous occasions, called for a nationwide ban on automatic weapons. On defence, he has noted that the Lodamese Armed Forces must continue to enhance its capabilities to not only protect Lodamese interests both at home and abroad but also to protect the interests of the Anantonese Empire in Seleya.