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2022 Elections: An Outsiders Guide

Slokais Islands has Elections, every 4 years. However every 2 years the Slokasian Legislature has the opportunity to hold elections at the end of that year. On the last day of the 2021 Session, an election was called. This means all 644 House Seats as well as 26 Governor Elections and many local elections are also held at the same time.

The President of Slokais Islands is picked by a majority of voters, if no candidate has 50%, voters’ second preferences are taken into account. Whoever has 50% of second preference votes, wins the Presidency. For nationwide ballot access, a candidate must have 25,000 citizens willing to have them on the ballot. To get ballot access by province, numbers range from 2,000 to 10,000.

The Slokaisian Legislature is elected by province-wide proportional representation based on votes within the province, a party must gain at least a vote amount greater than the percent of the population is 75,000. In San Fernando and New Liverpool, 50% of seats are single-member districts of 75,000. The percent needed varies by population, so for example in North Acadia, 9% is needed while in North Kaijan 1.2% is needed.

WHO IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT?

Joseph Chavez and the National Alliance

Joseph Chavez is entering the race for his 4th time in a row, as President, he can only campaign so much due to him having so much responsibility as President, this election is somewhat like a poll for him and the National Alliance after 2 years of leadership and 4 years of National Alliance supported government control. At 43, Chavez is still young yet his experience has formed him. The National Alliance is his party, it was founded by him and its future looks to be led by him. Though questions have been raised about the party’s future. Currently, he has 51 % approval ratings and 32% of people have him as their first choice.

 Chavez himself has said he would support “any resolution with the support of a majority of the Kaijanese people” and that he would like to see “a referendum be held, any other option would be undemocratic in nature”. On other issues, Chavez stands at the center-left; he and the National Alliance pushed through massive social security and education reform package called the National Social Security and Education Bill (NSSB 2021). He has taken a peacekeeping approach to international affairs and has moved military funds towards foreign development and aid projects. He also went against some in his party saying that he is satisfied with current gun laws “the current regulations in regards to personal ownership of guns are worth preserving in the name of one’s civil rights ‘. 

So far Chavez has gone to various events around the country to promote his policy and attempt to show what he wants to do in the future. The National Alliance as a whole has a solid base in the urban voters yet has little appeal outside the major cities, since the 2019 Pact of Agreement, the Greens and National Alliance don’t run in the same districts, leaving National Alliance in areas where they have the best chance of winning. Most National Alliance voters were Left Party or Center Party voters who joined the party in the 2017 split. Many of the grassroots organizing and boots on the ground just changed their names, yet coordination of these groups took years to build together through a central organizing network. In the last election, the National Alliance had 172 seats currently along with many local offices.

In the two years since the end of his term on January 3rd, 2021, Zhang has worked as the leader of the opposition pushing against Chavez as well as trying to keep his coalition together. Since he was first elected in 2000 in San Fernando, he has risen the ranks in 2012 he led a coalition under the banner of the Center Party, a coalition of the business community and well-educated people in urban areas though it could not last over policy issues between Chavez and Zhang leading to a contested convention in 2016. Chavez won but lost the trust of the party elite leading him to found the National Alliance, a party for urbanites regardless of class as well as more left-leaning business leaders. After that, the party changed its name and began to transform into a more conservative party. 

Zhang managed to win in 2018 but lost in 2020. Zhang himself has an overall neo-liberal policy, with a big focus on military spending and aid efforts though has a social policy similar to left-wing parties such as some social security and a focus on solutions through public-private partnerships. These things have made them popular with wealthy liberals as well as suburban moderates. Zhang himself has tried to lead the opposition to Chavez but many further to the right have challenged him on issues, meaning that no true united opposition exists. Meanwhile, the Centrists still have large donors and lots of support from Ren voters across the country as well as the business community and suburban moderates. On Kaijan, Zhang has said, “It’s unwise for Kaijan to leave Slokais and for Slokais to leave Kaijan, the economic impacts for both regions should be considered before moving forward”. On the issues such as foreign affairs, he has taken a neo-liberal path “We need to step up in our fight against tyranny worldwide such as Xiomera and Huscar and many others, although peacekeeping is good it never has worked in actual change”. On social issues, he says “It’s time to move forward, however, we must consider working with our past and respecting that”. Zhang himself is a Minjian, often going to temple to worship and considers “religious freedom” an issue “We must consider one’s ideals and religion before doing something that moves against it” he has soon this in 2015 when he allowed doctors to refuse non-emergency abortions if their religion did not allow it, this was criticized by many and was soon declared illegal under the Medical Act of 2007, as it violated one’s rights to medical regardless of any factors. As a party, some important Centrist party members are Jackson Liu, the Governor of North San Fernando, Sebastian Gramma, the Opposition Head Whip. Known for his tall stature and his power of debate. And finally, Sandra Nunally-Martinez, the millionaire and also MP from San Fernando North. 

Sean Khan has decided to step down as VP at the end of 2022 instead of running his own campaign, this VP compromise was only temporary and so Sean Khan is back at it again, the long time politician is running in a field with 3 other former Presidents, including long time rival, Brooke Weasly, Khan who rose to prominence in the 90s as a lawyer and writer. Since he lost in 2008, he has taken time away to write his memoir “The Road is Winding” in 2009 and “A Vision for a Slokais” in 2015, this eventually drew him back into politics in 2017, easily taking control of the Green Party, since then he has been a key ally of Chavez. 

Policywise, Khan takes a generally liberal or center-left stance, on the issue of Kaijan has said “Kaijan needs independence to be solved by a vote of the Kaijanese people and they alone shall decide their own future for themselves” of course on environmental issues Khan has put the most passion and has often spoken out against inaction on climate change, he also has some populist ideas “We must not forget rural Slokais as we move into this new area, they need to be a part of our country’s future”. Sean Khan also has worked on issues surrounding language recognition, in a country with a diverse population, the issue of what languages should be used officially has always been controversial. In 2019 he helped pass the Slokais Islands Language Act, this made Slokaisan, Spanish, English standard in all public buildings across the country and declared that if a province has a 3% language proficiency it must be on all government documents. He always has been an advocate of expanded public transit, counting on work to improve the standards of Slokaisan Rail. 

The Green Party as a whole has a base among rural left-wing voters and indigenous voters as well as well-educated liberals in cities, this unique base has made them successful and the party as whole is seeing growing numbers of support.

Brooke Weasley the former president of Slokais Islands from 1994-2000 is running for President. Wesley herself lost in 2000 by 18,000 votes and since then has started a think-tank called Restore Slokais. They have created papers against both the Zhang and Chavez administrations and have even gone against Conservative Party Leader: George Oliver. Weasley called for the end of “big city government”. Her main support is with rural conservatives compared to Oliver who is part of the business community, the Conservatives have lost seats in recent elections and many within the party have called for this to change. Since 2012, the party has split into factions, the New Right saw gains in 2016, 2018 and 2020, the New Conservatives in 2021 even the Northern Alliance in 2011. No longer are they part of a two-way race between the Conservatives and The Left Party, Centrist voters are more and more coming from suburban voters. In her speech Weasley called out to Oliver directly “Oliver this is no longer your party, 2022 is the year we take it back”. 

In response to this, Oliver said “No, you are not the future, you are its troubled past” in a tweet. The two camps seem to be at odds with each other as Conservative MPs are forced to pick the way forward. Weasley continues to support anti-union policy, free-market economics and a reversal of recent international policy. Weasley is expected to drive turnout among rural voters and could be a factor in turnout there. 

OTHER Major Candidates

Michael Spencer of the New Right, is a right-wing populist. First elected in 2016 from Point Lee Province, he has taken a far-right social policy. He first came to national attention in 2000, when he was arrested for the murder of a labor organizer, who Spencer had made threats to in the past. Although he was acquitted, many on the left, still blame Spencer for the murder. He has called for a more isolationist Slokais Islands and the decrease in social spending. However he has lost support as of recent, due to Weasley and the Conservatives taking more radical positions.

George Oliver launched a independent bid for President, after losing the Conservative Party nomination. Oliver was the President from 2008-2012 and is more of a moderate and business focused Conservative. Oliver made his name, through ownership of Bridgemore Manufacturing, a successful producer of computer parts. He is currently polling at 5%

Delia De La Cruz is a the candidate of Socialist-Labor Party. Socialist-Labor is a left-wing populist political organization that is mainly based in Victoria Province, doing well with rural working-class voters. De La Cruz has promised an increase in wealth tax and a equal distribution of wealth. The Socialist-Labor Party has become more successful in recent years and De La Cruz attempts to capitalize upon that. She is currently polling at 4.2%

John Via Ponce is the candidate of the New Conservative Party, a libertarian political party that split from the Conservatives in 2021, seeks to prove itself in its first election. Via Ponce is an economist and political writer from North Point Province. Via Ponce has attempted to appeal to rural voters that dislike Weasley but so far is only polling at 3.2%

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