| Coruscant_Journal | Date: Wednesday, 18 Jan 2012, 1:23 AM | Message # 1 |
 Major
Group: Administrators
Messages: 98
Status: Offline
|
Deralia Seeks Repeal of Chastisement Act
Senate Rotunda, Coruscant — Deralia is attempting to convince a skeptical Senate to lift the sanctions it imposed on the planet in punishment for an abortive show of force last month at the planet Dantooine that has been widely criticized as an "unprovoked attack." Senator Aurelia has argued that Deralia, feeling the pain of last month's Deralian Chastisement Act, doesn't deserve the punishment it has received.
Interest on reparations to Dantooine required by the Chastisement Act—but unpaid by Deralia, which refuses to do so—have led the Bank of the Core to downgrade Deralia's credit outlook to "negative," and the planet has had a frigate and a number of its fighters confiscated from it and surrendered to Dantooine, another requirement of the Act, which was proposed by Senator Oriel (Vjun) and Senator Fowlkes (Telos IV) and passed the Senate last month amid widespread condemnation of Deralia for its "attack" on Dantooine.
Deralia insists that persons on Dantooine are responsible for a number of terrorist incidents that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Deralians, and that the government of Dantooine has not prosecuted these persons. Dantooine's government has denied there are terrorists on its world, and demanded proof of Deralia's claims. Deralia has refused to do so, and the Senate seemed to side with Dantooine last month in passing the Deralian Chastisement Act unanimously.
This resulted in the resignation of Deralia's veteran Senator Veritas, who was accused of "lying" to the Senate about his planet's show of force at Dantooine. He has been replaced by Senator Aurelia, who is also the Queen of Deralia, and who has been more contrite than her predecessor. "Our actions towards Dantooine were not [right]," she told the Senate this week as she called for a repeal of the Deralian Chastisement Act. "I will admit that diplomacy should have been used," she said, "It was a mistake to resort immediately to military action."
She also questioned the necessity of the Chastisement Act and referred to it as "a dangerous precedent" that "violates several planetary rights."
"This act is morally right," Senator Oriel remarked in defense of the sanctions, "The government of Deralia misbehaved, and [the] government of Deralia must be punished." Oriel went on to liken Deralia to "a playground bully" and added to Senator Aurelia, "if you are truly contrite you should accept your punishment on the basis that it is right and just to punish those who commit crimes."
For Deralia, the sanctions cannot be lifted soon enough. The Cronese Mandate this week purchased Deralia's debt of 5.6 million credits in unpaid reparations to Dantooine, which has already exploded to 12.3 million as a result of Cronese fees (as of press time). In one standard week, it is forecast to reach 31.5 million credits if the debt remains unpaid or the Chastisement Act is not repealed.
In Mithra, the capital of Deralia, most Deralians have expressed frustration at the criticism their world has received in the Senate and media. 71% of Deralians supported the show of force at Dantooine, 85% describe the Senate's criticism of Deralia as "unfair," and 89% oppose the sanctions. Similar percentages of Deralians support the government of King Deralius, who blasted the Senate in his weekly holonet address, telling his people that "being loyal to the Emperor instead of the Senate and it's ever changing fads and celebrity causes will get you punished, chastised, and forsaken."
The King's remarks reflect popular frustration with the Senate's skepticism that the King's wife, Senator Aurelia, will need to overcome in her increasingly uphill struggle to repeal the Deralian Chastisement Act. As of press time this evening, there were no votes in favor. The Coruscant Journal will followup on the story as it develops.
|
| |
| |
