VOCRYAE: The last three days has seen the Imperial Senate embroiled in heated dispute and snarky name-calling, with analysts labelling it as "the institution's worst week yet."

Tensions were already running high following the meteoric rise of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) to the status of the Opposition earlier in the week.

The PDP's successes were to be short-lived, following a rare and passionate appearance by the Lord Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sir Hunteth Veredon HCF, via telecast.

"I call on all dictators, those divinely appointed, ascended through blood, who sit on a throne of peasantry and filth: stand against this root of democracy that has infested our most hallowed Senate," Sir Hunteth said. "I call upon the Royal Authoritarian party to embody the true ideals of the Confederation: stamp out the weeds of freedom."

"Only by standing together, standing true, and bringing glory to our Emperor will this blight upon the Confederation be rent asunder, and destroyed before it infects the minds of our people.”

Sir Hunteth's words were met with mass approval, and shortly following their delivery, Constantine XV of Zicona, Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of the PDP, announced that the party would begin rebranding itself, and henceforth be known as the Diplomacy and Reform Party (DRP).

"Whether we catalogue the PDP as a defunct party or not is a matter my office is attending to," said Sir Victor Watson HCS of West heisen, Lord Overseer of the Ministry of the Senate.

Many are considering this a great win for true Confederation ideals. More can be done, however, according to the President of the Imperial Senate himself, Sir Andrew Hazelwood II HCS of Golden impirial utopia.

"I intend to amend the Imperial Senate Act to allow the Lord Overseer to, with fair warning, dissolve parties whose actions, members, or manifestos breach our Confederation's Constitution or Code of Law," President Hazelwood said.

The move is a bold one, with many unsure what its outcomes might look like. Several influential senators have expressed their concern, though for the time being wish to remain anonymous. Others, such as Yash Hathi of Deman kalan, Founder of the Nationalist Party (NP), recently told The Confederation Bullet that the Hazelwood Administration should be concentrating the Confederation's lacking economic policies.

"We need money, not more damn amendments," Senator Hathi said.

Yet the Senate finds itself currently occupied with neither an amendment nor a legislative act of fiscal flavour, but an expression of disgust against New Sparta Ascendancy (NSA). IS#17 seeks to expel the Confederation member state from the Imperial Senate.

The move comes following a frustrated outburst from NSA's Supreme Leader, Spiro Sarandakos KOSH. Christened as a Knight of the Order of the Severed Hand in 2018, Sarandakos is known for his fierce loyalty to the Confederation, along with his blunt approach to oratory.

"Shut the hell up," the Supreme Leader told the House of the Senate, following Sir Hunteth Veredon's call to arms against the PDP. New Sparta Ascendancy is the newest member of the PDP, and as such is responsible for promoting it to the Opposition.

"Shut your damn mouths."

"The [PDP] is thriving to promote an idea of democracy within this region, otherwise we'd just be a region with no say, no self-power within an institution striving to achieve greater power, and we'd just be pawns in an ineffective machine. We'd be muted and ostracised for sharing ideas."

"We [the PDP] believe in order to make this region stronger, we need to create alliances to build stronger bonds in order to liberate our worlds from the corrupt elitists that hold all of us, including THIS REGION, down!"

Sarandakos finished with a bang. "That was a very cute speech you gave there, Lord Secretary Veredon. Go back into your little boy cave, Lord."

Needless to say, outrage followed. Sir Hunteth, President Hazelwood, Vice-President Dame Anastasia Clarke HCS of Hms nhs, Senator Hathi, and even Lord Director Sir Sean Blackwood HCF of Aeioux, all rebuked Sarandakos for his polemic.

"To attack Sir Hunteth on grounds of inexperience is illogical," Lord Director Blackwood told The Confederation Bullet. Hunteth Veredon is one of the oldest members of the Confederation, having served as (under earlier Confederation legal syllabuses) Chancellor of the Supreme Judiciary, Minister for War of the War Ministry, and even Acting-Viceroy of the Confederation by Imperial appointment. Those old enough to remember know that many in Jocospor widely regard Valerox as the nation that saved the loyalists during the Jocospo-Feroxian War.

Some ShrewLlamaLandians recall a time when Valerox caused its fair share of problems, but this view is no longer widely accepted. Valerox and Hunteth Veredon are considered regional treasures. Sir Hunteth is, in fact, holds the record as the national leader who has served the Confederation longer than any other.

By way of IS#17, President Hazelwood and the Royalist Authoritarian Party (RAP) immediately rose to the Lord Secretary's defence. The vote will end in just under one and a half days now, and is already yielding some bizarre results.

Three Imperial Council nations, including ShrewLlamaLand, Depackya and Aeioux have voted against New Sparta Ascendancy's expulsion. "Expulsion is a greater punishment than Supreme Leader Sarandakos deserves," Sir Sean said. "He has been told off. Such is enough."

Conversely, Zicona has voted to abstain rather than defend the actions of its fellow PDP/DRP member.

Even the Shadow Cult has issued a vote of abstention. Jocospite Senator, Varrum Grevar:

"While Spiros Sarandakos' critical evaluation of Lord Secretary Veredon hardly does him credit, I am instructed to uphold the following position: fault lies not with New Sparta Ascendancy, but with Zicona." The sheep should not be faulted for the shepherd's transgressions."

Nonetheless, IS#17 leads with an overwhelming majority, likely due to Sarandakos' continued public missteps. Analysts expect it will pass, naming New Sparta Ascendancy as the first nation expelled by motion from the Imperial Senate.

For now, Vice-President Clarke has invoked her new powers to 'silence' Sarandakos. Critics of the Government Act 2020 are sprouting I-Told-You-Sos, concerned that this new privilege will quickly be misappropriated.

And yet, Confederation democrats have still achieved a minor victory. The Shadow Cult's unsuppression of Sarandakos' statements is evidence that not even Imperial Councillors are above criticism. Such immunity is reserved solely for our indomitable Shadow Emperor.