Fasio Withdraws Candidacy, Endorses Aguard
2009-11-30T18:45+00:00
Dodixie - Amid slipping poll numbers, presidential contender and retired Rear-Admiral Daren Fasio has announced his withdrawal from the race. Addressing a disappointed but supportive crowd at a press conference this morning, Mr. Fasio took the opportunity to endorse Governor Celes Aguard's candidacy, saying, "though Governor Aguard and I have disagreed on several issues, I feel strongly that she is an able candidate for the presidency. Further, she has the best interests of the Federation at heart, and I believe she has the political will to do what is necessary to preserve and defend this great nation."
While extremely popular among both serving and retired military personnel, Fasio's candidacy has been plagued since the beginning by a message that many have viewed as extreme. Fasio's stated intention of instituting a draft and putting the Federation's economy on a war-footing has won him few friends in the business community.
Fasio's campaign was also hurt by his own demeanor, described by many as "overly impersonal." Zalawi Marguva, a political analyst for The Scope contrasted candidates Aguard and Fasio after a recent debate, saying, "The way these two address crowds publicly is very different. Governor Aguard delivers rousing political speeches designed to fire peoples' ardor. Admiral Fasio delivers dry, fact-filled briefings designed to inform peoples' decisions."
Given the similarities between their platforms, Fasio's withdrawal would naturally lend to a bump in Governor Aguard's numbers. His endorsement was symbolic however, and Governor Aguard thanked Mr. Fasio graciously, saying "Admiral Fasio's spirit of service, both in and out of uniform, should be an example for us all. He has been an honorable and worthy adversary."
read original »
Political Analysts Question Aguard's Chances Following No-Vote Bill
2009-11-27T18:13+00:00
Following the passing of the bill to deny votes in occupied Federal systems, several political analysts in the cluster agree that presidential candidate Celes Aguard may have lost one of her largest voter blocs.
"Aguard's pledge of support for frontier settlements and low-security regions, as well as her wish for a total military effort to reclaim the lost systems gave her a strong base of support in Placid and Verge Vendor," says Arroch Dermani, an expert at Gallente politics working for Amarr Certified News. "The disenfranchisement of those territories has denied the Aguard camp one of its strongest cards."
"This has strengthened Jacus Roden position as a top candidate, followed by Garioss. Aguard still places high in Everyshore polls, but with the loss of these potential votes her chances of winning the presidency are slim," comments Felisenne Olvenari, Professor of Political Sciences at the University of Caille in Aporulie.
The Scope's own Remi Eyeleranne said in his news segment Eye on the Election: "Celes [Aguard] now has to fight an uphill battle where most of her opponents have the higher ground." And the passing of the bill prompted him to move Aguard down from her position in his "Election Prognosis" after having been one of the front runners for many weeks.
Aguard herself was an outspoken opponent of the bill, and called Senator Vilard Garioss - supporter of the bill and one of her opponents in the race for president - "a villain who ravages our constitution with no thought of the implications for the people of the Federation."
read original »
Governor Aguard Draws Record Numbers to Broadcast Debate
2009-11-24T17:44+00:00
Olide - In an event hosted by the Center for Advanced Studies last week, presidential candidate Celes Aguard attracted the eyes and ears of nearly 19% of the Gallente Federation's estimated daily total audience. In the Everyshore region, the percentage was even higher, with almost 35% of the regional audience having followed the show. The percentages exceed most other programming within the Federation, where it's rare even for the most popular entertainment channels to attract such numbers.
The show, "CAS Profile of Influence," is produced and administrated by students of the Center of Advanced Studies, The program has been known to hold interviews of many high profile people, from corporate directors and CEOs to famous scientists and politicians. The Aguard interview was not the first time a presidential candidate appeared on the show, but Aguard's rising popularity in the region, together with the show's recent syndication over the Egonics network, contributed to the show's success. In addition to having broken the regional viewer record, the show also set a new record for audience for a student program.
In the interview, Aguard spoke about her mixed Gallente/Jin-Mei heritage and career in Mies, as well as her plans to support fringe economies, as well as her controversial criticism of CONCORD. Post-show polls at the CAS show an increase in support for Aguard and her policies, placing her behind Jacus Roden, but ahead of Vilard Garioss in the race for the presidency.
read original »
Senate Votes to Deny Votes to Occupied Systems
2009-11-17T08:19+00:00
Villore - The Federation Senate passed special legislation today to deny occupied systems the right to vote in Federation elections. The bill, which is expected to be signed into law by President Souro Foiritan later in the week, passed with little opposition, the only dissenting votes coming from senators from Placid and Solitude.
The bill applies to any Federation territory occupied by a foreign power, which currently includes much of Placid, including population centers such as Intaki Prime.
Presidential candidate Senator Vilard Garioss, who voted for the bill, said, "[This bill] cleared up a potentially messy legal issue [that could have] potentially invalidated the results of the upcoming election." Other candidates have yet to comment publicly on the issue.
Senator Jolie Maurice of Reschard denounced the bill, saying, "The people who must suffer under Caldari occupation are the ones who will be affected the most by the election. We should have looked for solutions to their inability to vote, rather than passing a law that essentially tells them they don't count."
read original »
Off-duty Military Personnel Hold Pro-Fasio Rally
2009-11-15T14:50+00:00
Duripant - Hundreds of off-duty Naval personnel and Federal Navy Academy cadets turned out for a rally to support Mannar presidential candidate Daren Fasio. A retired Rear Admiral, Fasio has received the enthusiastic endorsement of a large segment of military personnel from all of the armed services.
Commander Kevet Rivasse, an Academy astrogation instructor who served as an ensign under Fasio, said, "I have the utmost respect for the man and all he stands for. I know from personal experience that he is capable of making the difficult command decisions, andhe isn't afraid to tell it like it is."
An equally ringing endorsement was given by Cadet Calvine Fouchard. "Politicians got us into this war. It's going to take someone with real military experience to get us out of it. "
Cadet Whelan Jao, president of one of the academy's several pro-Fasio student organizations, has been active in getting the Fasio message heard. "Any time we have leave or downtime between classes, we're out there spreading the word. Be it GalNet or good old-fashioned door-to-door interactions, we want people to understand the threats facing the Federation and that Admiral Fasio's plan is the best way to use our chief strengths as a nation: our dynamic economy and our strong tradition of public service."
Concerns have arisen that public endorsements on the part of Academy faculty amount to the political indoctrination of the cadets. Academy spokesman Gerart Oulallen sought to address that issue directly, saying, "While the Academy itself does not officially endorse any particular candidate, our faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to participate in the political process. Everyone here has sworn an oath to protect our nation's free, democratic ideals. To forbid the teachers or cadets to voice their views would be counter to everything the Federation stands for."
read original »
