Baracãoan Elections Announced

In a not entirely unexpected move, elections in the Republic of Baracão were announced by Presidente Alarico Veto Julia today. Speaking to crowds in the Plaza de le Revolución, el Presidente called the recently-appointed Electoral Commissioner, Rico Noriega, to supervise elections to the President's office, the Minister-General's office, and to the Council of State.

The formulation of electoral policies by political parties has already begun. The Frente Popular's password-protected forum has seen a massive increase in its activity, with Frentistas organising their candidates. It is expected that the Frente will field:

· Alarico Veto Julia of the Movimiento para la Cuarta República for election as President;
· Erasmo Jacqueras Carrar, also of the Movimiento para la Cuarta República, for election as Minister-General;
· Juan Fidel Valencia, leader of the Partido Comunista Nacional, for election to the Council of State;
· Julio Sanchez de Frente, also of the Partido Comunista Nacional, and who has recently changed his name from "Koba", also for election to the Council of State;
· Diego de Almagro, leader of the Frente Nacional para la Tradición Minorcana y Salvación Tiegista, also for election to the Council of State.

With the recent re-organisation and re-vitalisation of the Frente Popular and the massive majority that it holds in all sections of the political scene in the Republic, it is expected that the Tiegist alliance of progressive parties will romp home to victory, securing a Frentista future of Baracão.

However, the might of the smaller parties is not to be underestimated. The newly-founded Partido Social Demócrata has been approached by the Partido Nacionalista de Baracão (which will, as brought to you exclusively by Tiegismo Hoy, shortly be changing its name) for an electoral alliance to defeat the "evil oligarchy" of the Frente Popular. Such a move was expected by most in the Republic, given the traditionally Frente-hating membership that wields power in both parties.

At the time of going to the presses, the candidates to be fielded by any PSD-PNB alliance, or by either or the parties independently of the other, was not known, and no member of either party had been nominated, although Tiegismo Hoy strongly suspects that the anti-Frente Thomas la Antonio will fight to become President on behalf of the PNB, or that the similarly anti-Frente Jose Barrio-Martinez will be standing for the PSD. Xavier Cervantes, Christo de Loutrado and Jesus Pablo Santiago are also expected to become candidates for one of the positions up for grabs.

Despite the Frente's power, a PSD-PNB alliance could secure them at least one seat on the Council of State, which oversees and regulates legislation passed to it from the Assembly before being sent for Presidential assent.