"Distain Resigns Amid Coalition Infighting," by Dr. Txec dal ordselva

May 4th, 2014 was a pivotal day in the government's coalition. Seneschal Glüc da Dhi and Distain Xheraltescù engaged in a series of exchanges that culminated in the resignation of the Distain. The government has recently been experiencing public and embarrassing interactions between its coalition members and members of the Cabinet: in the span of three Clarks, the Ministry of Justice has seen three different Attorneys-General, the Minister of Finance Istefan Perthonest resigning in protest of the failure of a bill in the Senäts, and now the Distain, C. Carlüs Xheraltescù, has publicly resigned as well.

The background to the scandal began on March 24th, 2014, when Lüc da Schir reassigned the 14 seats that had formerly belonged to Eovart Andrinescù, since he had now joined the Liberal Congress. This was in stark contrast to the ZRT under new leader Dame Miestrâ Schivâ, who, upon the surrender of the seats belonging to S:reu Xheraltescù, had allowed him to retain two of them, giving a further seat to S:reu Andrinescù. Andrinescù refused the offer on principle, citing the MRPT's policy on only assigning seats to individuals on the candidate list.

On May 3rd, 2014, nearly two weeks after the seat reassignments, Seneschal da Dhi publicly stated, "I know Eovart is a great guy and a trustworthy MC, so please don't see this as an attack on him. Still, I'm disappointed that the ZRT, our longtime ally in the struggle for accountability and democratic reforms has seemingly decided to abandon its position on binding candidate lists, and not at a time for voters to have a say in it, but in the middle of the term."

In his remarks, Da Dhi was referencing the long-held and vocally supported belief of the ZRT in binding candidates lists. ZRT leader Schivâ noted some time later that she believed the Liberal Congress should be welcomed as a member of the governing coalition, and that she had assigned the single seat to S:reu Andrinescù "in the interests of helping the Liberal Congress get a proper start in the Cosâ."

Andrinescù who had declined the offer of the seat, stated he wished to stick to principle, saying, "Though I disagree with their viewpoint on a conceptual level, I knew that giving back my seats would satisfy the MRPT's belief that one votes for a party, not a representative. I also gave up my seats because I would rather choose to earn my seats in the next election, assuming that the Liberal Congress runs in it." Deeper problems may also be at work. While promoting his new Liberal Congress, Xheraltescù had stated that "[i]f you value principles of freedom, localism, reform and fighting conformity, then you should join the Liberal Congress, the only party to prioritise those things." This blanket statement raised the ire of the prime minister who quite strongly shot back "That is very much not true. For example if you look at the MRPT statutes, adopted January 201 3, way before the founding of the LC, you will see that we at that point already saw Individual Freedom and Diversity as one our top priorities," concluding his terse statement by saying, "it seems to me that the Liberal Congress Party has adopted many of the items and values the MRPT has stood for in these past years, the most important exception being that we take a stand for the preservation of our Monarchy, and the [L]ibs are undecided on this issue, which I find somewhat ironic, since you once accused us of being uncontroversial."

The back and forth between the Seneschal and the Distain revealed serious cracks in the current coalition government that appeared early but have since widened. Xheraltescù has stated numerous times that the current coalition was unwilling to recognize the Liberal Congress as a full member of the coalition to which da Dhi has responded "because the Liberal Congress isnt a part of the coalition. The party hasnt even been elected yet. The party doesnt have a mandate yet. I would consider the Progressives to be close allies as well, but they're not in the coalition either." The heated exchanges continued throughout the day before focusing on the issue of binding seat lists, which the MRPT holds as a core principle and which has been a subject of contention between it and the other leftist parties at issue, whom they accuse of failing to adhere to their own doctrine. MRPT party whip Luc da Schir angrily compared the ZRT with the conservative RUMP, which does not advocate binding candidate lists, saying "When the RUMP gives away a seat like this, it's clientelism. Now you [the ZRT] call it magnanimity?"

Over the course of the increasingly vehement discussions, several other coalition members expressed their views on seat assignments and the coalition, including one rather terse comment by Attorney-Genera and MRPT Member of Cosa Magniloqueu Épiqeu da Lhiun, who stated, "CCX, you do not have a right to be recognised as a coalition partner. You have not received votes. Your party was not on the Ballots in the last election. Do. I. Really. Have. To. Lecture. You. About. Parliamentary.  Procedures? You are a capable, politically thinking man. I know that, everyone knows and sees it. Therefore, I can't but assume that you knowingly distort everything that you have experienced." The outcome of this politically disastrous day for the coalition was the resignation of C. Carlus Xheraltescù as the Distain, an ugly public fight, and uncertain prospects for a united left. Attempts were made by the ZRT to keep Xheraltescù in the cabinet, but as of press time, they appear to have failed. Halfway through the Government's term, they now have a fourth resignation to handle, amid increasingly bitter relations and a dwindling majority in the Cosa. The future is unclear, and the nation hopes they will manage to turn things around.