Senate Reaffirms Pellaeon/Gavrisom Treaty

Senate Rotunda, Coruscant — The Senate this week voted resoundingly against a motion to repeal the Pellaeon/Gavrisom peace treaty (also known as the Bastion Accords) and resume war with the Imperial Remnant. 802 Senators opposed the motion, proposed by Chief of State Ponc Gavrisom who, also, voted against it. 91 Senators supported the measure and 107 declined to vote; a decisive vote of confidence in Gavrisom's "Peace First" agenda in advance of a critical summit with Imperial diplomats on the planet Morishim.

"I have sickened of so many Senators attacking the treaty, which has established peace in our time," the Chief of State announced to the Senate, while proposing his measure to repeal the treaty, "As such I challenge the Senators who truly wish to see the bloodshed to continue, so that we may grind eight more sectors into the dirt and butcher thousands more on both sides, to stand up and be counted." He then voted against the motion.

Senator Kruus (Neimoidia), Vanden (Naboo), and Thanatos (Chandrila) were among the 4/5th's majority who opposed the measure, and were outspoken in doing so. "I commend the Chief of State for laying bare the emptiness of the anti-peace arguments that have become peculiar to the Senate in recent months," remarked Senator Vanden, "Many Senators are perfectly willing to criticize the treaty but unwilling to reverse it... This proves that they are, at best, ideologues and, at worst, hypocrites."

Some Senators who oppose the treaty did, in fact, vote against abolishing it as well. "The damage has been done," said Senator Fitzgerald (Ralltiir), an opponent of Gavrisom, "and repealing [the treaty] won't restore the moral high ground that the Chief of State has surrendered... the New Republic does not start wars, but we still must do whatever is necessary to be ready for when that war visits us again." He also referred to recent reforms of the Imperial Remnant as "cosmetic and superficial," and declared that "... this facelift for the Remnant can't disguise the sadistic, murderous glint in its eyes."

Senator Carson (Kuat) also voted against the motion although he, too, opposes the treaty. "No one wants war," he said, "but the Remnant is still out there, preparing, and we are opening the doors for them... You [Gavrisom] set the precedent with the Bastion Accords willingly leaving billions undefended; we cannot go back to war now, and to even suggest so, without provocation, is a disgrace."

"No, Senator Carson, it is not unbecoming of me to highlight the hypocrisy of... the pro-war movement," the Chief of State rejoined him, "It is unbecoming of the pro-war Senators to show their decided lack of honesty in citing a 'moral obligation for war,' then backpeddling as soon as it comes to a vote." He also derided Senators who abstained from the proposal as "evidently [having] no opinion on whether there is peace or war."

With the Senate's vote, Gavrisom has broad support for his agenda as he enters into negotiations with the Remnant at Morishim later this week. Walther Fiske, the Imperial Minister of State, said that the Remnant was "... willing to believe the Chief of State's word that his proposal to 'abolish the Bastion Accords' is a political maneuver designed to pacify his opponents in the Senate," and said that the Remnant was prepared to discuss further expansions of the Accords, and the possible disarmament of ships and bases.