The East PacificBoard

New Magisterium, New Debates, New Votes

Two new Magisters were admitted to the legislature on 17 July, Escade and Llorenian isles. Escade previously served as a Magister in the 41st Magisterium and left "due to feeling a bit overwhelmed", but has returned as they feel can they contribute to new, fast-paced discussions. They were admitted with a 6-0 vote in favour, while three members did not vote in time. Llorenian isles previously applied to join the Magisterium after only one month in the region in March 2019, an effort which fell apart with an incomplete and confusing vote as the new Provost election began, but has been successful in his second attempt, receiving an 8-0 vote in favour and only one member not voting in time.

As the legislative body now increases to 11 members, the 42nd Magisterium has coincidentally just begun. Provost nominations opened a few hours ago, with incumbent Davelands being the only person to have accepted their seconded nomination yet. Magisters Aleister, Bachtendekuppen, East Malaysia, and Todd McCloud have also been nominated, but have yet to confirm whether they will be running.

While the membership and leadership of the Magisterium are changing, a number of other areas of discussion have continued, sparking fierce debate and controversial opinions.

After being unanimously approved by the Magisterium, an amendment to citizenship provisions in Article E of the Concordat has gone to a referendum of all citizens and requires a three-quarter vote in favour to be enacted. As of the time of writing, there are 23 votes in favour and only 4 against, which would pass it at a convincing 85%. However, the vote has approximately five days remaining and would require only an additional four votes against from here in order to swing the outcome. A Slanted Black Stripe, one of the opponents of the proposal, stated:

On other matters, deliberation and voting on the Standing Orders of the Magisterium are nearing completion after months of consideration. Section I, which concerns the requirements to apply to be a Magister, was fiercely divisive and resulted in a generally more relaxed set of rules to be accepted, including classifying the completion of a University course and contribution to an Executive ministry as "recommended". That vote will conclude in the next day, and currently has 7 votes in favour and none against, easily passing.

Section II, regarding the legislative procedure, was faster than the previous Section, being discussed for just four days before being put up for a vote on 15 July. After being proposed by Provost Davelands, the only matter of contention was a clause giving the Provost and Deputy Provost more power over motioning proposals to vote. After many contributors, including Magisters Marrabuk and Libertanny voiced their disapproval of that addition, it was dropped and that part reverted to its original. The vote currently stands at 4 in favour and 1 abstention from Tim Stark, and so looks likely to pass.

A new thread on Section III, the final part of the Standing Orders, has recently begun. It remains to be seen whether it too will attract controversy, but it has already received the general support of Magisters Libertanny and Llorenian isles.

A myriad of other controversial topics are also on the table at the moment, namely elected Ministers, resident rights, and a new Executive Sovereignty Act.

The 'Electing Ministers' thread has garnered a massive 74 replies, making it tied sixth for the most active thread in the history of the Magisterium forum section, and looking likely to pass into the top five by its completion. The tense debate, which has nearly gone on for a month since Delegate Fedele first began it on June 22, has mainly boiled down to two main areas: 1) should any Ministers should be elected at all? and; 2) who should they be and what should their legislated responsibilities be also? It appears unlikely that this conversation will conclude any time soon.

The idea of resident rights, introduced by Zukchiva on 10 July, has also sparked marked disagreement. Recently, Provost Davelands effectively clarified the discussion by breaking down the ideas presented into two parts - Zukchiva's 'Basic Rights of Residents' and East Malaysia's 'Protections of Residents'. East Malaysia has since posted a proposal for an amendment to Articles G, H, and I of the Concordat to cover these two areas. While there still appears to be strong opponents to the move, this matter appears likely to be finalised soon.

In yet another area of discussion in the very active Magisterium, Magister Libertanny proposed on 16 July a new Executive Sovereignty Act "to boost [the] loyalty of Executive Staffers and security within this part of the Government". If passed, the Act would require all Executive staffers, including Ministers and their deputies, to not participate in foreign intelligence agencies nor foreign military organisations. It would also place additional restrictions on those leadership positions, requiring WA membership in the region unless serving in the East Pacific Sovereign Army (EPSA), and prohibiting simultaneous service as a Minister, Deputy Minister, second-in-command, or any equivalent in "any foreign Government". Delegate Fedele has voiced opposition to the proposal, saying that it "restricts our talent pool a little too much and limits my ability as Delegate to select the best person for the job in various ministries", a sentiment that has been supported by Magisters Llorenian isles, Escade, and Brotherland. Talks on this will likely continue for a number of days yet before a finalised proposal is put to vote.

Opinion: Times Are Turbulent, But the East Will Prevail

These are turbulent times in The East Pacific. Whether or not known by most Citizens and Residents, quite some people in the wider NS Gameplay community have voiced harsh criticisms against our region and some of the people in our government. These criticisms mostly evolve around a perceived weakening of our institutions, and the active involvement in The East Pacific of notable personalities like Aleister, Funkadelia, Davelands, even Fedele himself. These are people with a history in NS that, depending on who you ask, is questionable at best.

The East Pacific has known harsh times. Yuno’s exit left the region with a lot of questions and rather divided. The Executive administration was in chaos, the Conclave was inactive, and the Magisterium was left dry after months of strict rule by ex-Provost and now-banned Citizen, Drachen. Fedele stepped up. For all criticisms one, inside or outside of The East Pacific, might have, he took on a heavy burden to restore the regional government.

Progress has been slow. The Executive still needs more effective ministries, better staffing, and new plans. Slowly, but surely, things are getting better. The Magisterium has revived - in the last week alone, three new Magisters were accepted, and several major discussions concerning reforms of Citizenship, ministries, Regional Officers, its own Standing Orders, and the Concordat have been launched. Debates are simultaneously ongoing. Even the Conclave has seen more cases in the latest few weeks than in the entire year before.

The East Pacific is certainly a curious region - many, maybe even most, in the wider Gameplay world don’t understand it until they’ve been here for a while. It has a unique quality to conquer people. To make them stay and get involved even if they didn’t expect to do so. To accept players with a history, and give them a chance for a new beginning. A new home. To belong. We should cherish that. We should celebrate our unique history, Citizens, our culture, and our openness. Some might think it naïve, but it is also a strength.

While these are turbulent times, there is no need to panic. Not for TEPers, and not for the wider NS Gameplay community. The democratic institutions of The East Pacific have stood like a rock since 2009 and, even if it should ever find itself in such a storm again, its community shall rise to the challenge. A new A Slanted Black Stripe will always stand up for us, and the East will always prevail.

Today, The East Pacific is booming. I see a lot of people, with all kinds of histories and backgrounds, who care for our region. Who bring to the table what they can. Who are driven to bring the East to new heights. And we can. Together.

New Members to Join Magisterium as Standing Orders Debate Gets Fiery

In quick succession from 23 to 25 June, East Malaysia, Aleister, and Libertanny all applied to join the Magisterium. This rapid change was an uplifting turn of events for a Magisterium at only six members currently, but their application discussion threads quickly descended into some heated debate over their history and track record of activity.

East Malaysia, arguably the least controversial of the three, is a long-timer in the region. They justified joining the Magisterium by saying that they "felt that by joining that it could help mend the lack of roleplayers in regional government by leading by example." All six Magisters voted in favour of them joining the legislature, and so their application has been easily accepted.

Aleister's application, contrastingly, has been significantly more controversial. The main disputes have been over their leadership of Lazarus more than a year ago during the 'Khanate', with Tim Stark describing that as having "burned the whole place down," as well as their only recent activity in The East Pacific. However, they justified themselves by saying that they weren't apologetic for their involvement there, and that there are "certainly those with opinions surrounding the Lazarus situation that seek to portray the events inaccurately and most are perpetuated by the individuals who sought to undermine it at that time." While Tim Stark was pleased with this response, Marrabuk took issue with the fact that "having you join the Magisterium so soon [...] is too fast. It'll be very easy for the outside world to use this and smear TEP more for harboring controversial individuals." In the vote on their application, 4 were in favour (Tim Stark, Davelands, Todd McCloud, Bachtendekuppen), 1 abstained (Brotherland), and 1 voted against (Marrabuk), meaning that they reached a majority and will be accepted as a new Magister.

Libertanny too has attracted concern, particularly from Tim Stark, who identified a cycle of rage-quitting and re-joining the region, questioning their commitment to and collaboration within the Magisterium. They explained their actions, stating, "although I had better moments in my NS career, I am fully aware of the mistakes I have committed and I have publicly said that leaving TEP and creating all of the situation [sic] about the ragequit was a big mistake." Their vote of admission was particularly narrow, with 3 in favour (Davelands, Todd McCloud, Bachtendekuppen) and 2 voting against (Tim Stark, Marrabuk), but Brotherland's abstention reduced the majority threshold to 3 and so they will be admitted as the third new Magister.

With these three new additions to the Magisterium, debate is expected to further ramp up on an already heated discussion on the Standing Orders of the legislature. With over 50 posts already in the thread, Delegate Fedele decided to intervene and label the Magisters a "brood of vipers" for their "assaults [on] new applicants unless they have been here at least 10 years." Those comments were met with scorn by the likes of Deputy Provost Bachtendekuppen, Arbiter Zukchiva, and Magister Todd McCloud, the first of whom said that the remarks were "wholly inappropriate and insulting" and that "this is a new low between Delegate and Magisterium."

This conflict of words appears to have exploited growing divisions over what should be required of a prospective Magister in their application, with views ranging from stringent requirements like previous government experience and a minimum number of RMB or forum posts, whereas others have argued for more flexible measures that give the power to the Magisterium to decide on quality applicants. Whether a consensus can be reached on just about anything remains in question.

Fedele Given Comfortable Mandate, But Procedural Complaint Arises

The incumbent Delegate of The East Pacific, Fedele, has been comfortably re-elected with exactly 50% of primary votes in the June 2019 election. However, it took the elimination of opponents Mcstooley, East Malaysia, and Marrabuk before they were able to creep over into a majority in the fourth round. This final count saw Fedele on 19 (56%), Bachtendekuppen on 9 (24%), and Todd McCloud on 6 (18%). Head-to-head with their closest opponent, the numbers suggest Fedele would have gained 21 (66%) votes compared to Bachtendekuppen's 11 (34%), a mandate almost identical to their results in the previous two elections.

However, the state of the election has been thrown into question by Todd McCloud, who submitted an official election complaint on June 13 concerning three matters - the original exclusion of Mcstooley on the ballot, the inclusion of Davelands on the ballot despite them dropping out before the commencement of voting, and the failure to conduct a proper audit by the Viceroy, which resulted in a handful of ineligible votes being tallied in the final count. The move does not appear to be politically motivated, however, with them openly admitting that, considering the margin of their loss, "I'm positive I'd lose no matter what the outcome, and I'm cool with that - but I do worry about precedent."

It didn't seem completely clear what the outcome of this situation would be, but Viceroy Hobbesistan appointed Arbiter Aelitia "to independently review the results on behalf of the Electoral Commission." They formally advised the Viceroy "to conclude the election, discount any votes which are not made by residents, and allow challenges brought to the EleCom [Electoral Commission]." With the election now certified as complete and all complaints dropped, Fedele will continue to rule the region as Delegate, looking set to complete a full year in office by the turn of the next election in October this year.

Fedele Seeks Re-Election as Field Reaches Record Numbers

The quarterly Delegate election for June 2019 began on the 4th, with Arbiter Zukchiva opening nominations in lieu of the Viceroy. The opening days have seen a flurry of candidates picked by their peers for the highest office of government in the region, though they will each face stern competition against the incumbent, Fedele, who is running for re-election.

Currently, in addition to them, Bachtendekuppen, Davelands, Marrabuk, and East Malaysia are formally running, while Zukchiva, Pakitsk, and Wallenburg have turned down a punt at the Delegacy. Another eight candidates are yet to state whether they will accept their nominations, which could push numbers well into double digits.

After some extensive searching through the archives of elections past, dating back over an entire decade, this writer has found that this election will probably have the most candidates ever. This amazing feat is hopefully a sign of renewed interest in the Magisterium as it drops to low numbers.

Fedele has been the Delegate since the October 2018 election, where they received 68% of the vote, being re-elected in February 2019 with coincidentally the same percentage. After eight months of #Fedelegate, will TEP want change? In less than one week, we will know the answer to that question.

ASBS Resigns as Vizier, Bach Appointed Deputy Provost

Regional stalwart A Slanted Black Stripe has been praised as a "premier member of the region" and for putting it on "a path toward self-governance" after resigning as a Vizier of the region. They will, however, remain a citizen and have promised to "still be around, but not as regularly or consistently". This comes just over a week after they were inducted into the Hall of Heroes, and will now leave only four Viziers in Aelitia, Todd McCloud, Bachtendekuppen, and Hobbesistan.

In separate news, newly elected Interim Provost Davelands has appointed Bachtendekuppen as their deputy in the Magisterium. The two were the only candidates for Provost after the former holder of the position, Zukchiva, switched to the Conclave, with one vote being the difference. The main discussion appears to be focusing on updating the Magisterium's Standing Orders, and it is hoped that more Magisters will join the current six in the future to pick up activity in the legislature.

Davelands Elected Provost, Conclave Renewed, Heroes Memorialised

Acting Provost Davelands has been elected as the Interim Provost for the remainder of the 41st session of the Magisterium, beating Bachtendekuppen by one vote as three of the six Magisters abstained and two did not vote at all, with the deciding honours belonging to Brotherland.

In other news from the government, the judicial branch has had some updating, with Rhadamanthia resigning to focus on other areas of NS, while a motion by Bachtendekuppen to remove Hobbesistan and Aelitia was eventually dropped after much discussion about judicial inactivity. Hobbesistan, who currently serves as the Viceroy of the Conclave, is soon to be unanimously reconfirmed as an Arbiter, while Asendavia is set to be confirmed by the Magisterium to replace Rhadamanthia with 5 in favour and an abstention from Marrabuk.

A significant move also happened with the long-stalled Hall of Heroes. Finally, the Magisterium confirmed seven nations, amongst them A Slanted Black Stripe and Todd McCloud, to the legion of regional heroes. Congratulations to all of these fine, committed individuals!

Escade Resigns From the Magisterium

In a formal statement, long-term Magister Escade has resigned from all government positions. It read in full:

This now brings the Magisterium to just seven active members. If you are interested in applying, you can find more information here.

Zukchiva Nominated to the Conclave

With the recent vacancy created by the resignation of Wonder Woman as an Arbiter, Delegate Fedele decided to nominate current Provost Zukchiva to the position. However, questions have been raised in the Magisterium forum as to whether they can simultaneously be a Magister and an Arbiter, so this appointment may not yet be final.

Interview with Great Cthulhu

I decided to sit down with The cult of the great cthulhu and ask them some questions about their lucrative time as a Licensed Marsupial Hunter.

Thank you to Great Cthulhu for allowing me to interview them. If you too are interested in becoming a Licensed Marsupial Hunter, you can find more information here.

41st Magisterium Begins

On 17 April, the 41st Magisterium officially commenced. In its opening days, Zukchiva was reconfirmed as the Provost, and has announced that they intend to appoint Davelands as their Deputy Provost.