Questions

[newislandia]

Hello UPP leaders.. Hardly ever in here since it seems always empty and full of old posts. Thought this party was becoming defunct.
Didn't even know we were supporting SJC has a candidate. Didn't even know one of his revivals was also a UPP member.
Aren't pol. party leaders suppose to contact there supporters on upcoming elections?

Anyway, all UPP members should be made to have "UPP Member" in there avatar or signature . That way we could quickly know who is a member of our party.

Must ask this. It seems we are the only political party around. Do we have a monopoly?

On the post with UPP members names do you have to draw lines through when they leave. Also, could you just say "left" or "No longer a member". Sounds better.

Need to update the list members list since SJC became our newest Senator.

[Girlsandboys]

hi new islandia- those are all worthy suggestions. as far as political parties go the UPP has had a monopoly for quite awhile, although we haven't ever gained a majority in Co9 officially, the UPP does carry quite a bit of Co9 influence now.

[newislandia]

Hello party leaders. I know most members including the UPP want a opposition party in order for 10K to have a two party system. But what is the UPP opinion on the conservative party that is being planned by some 10K members.
Would not have asked but it seems they want a really hardline conservative party instead of a centralist leaning Conservative party.

[The United Progressive Party]

I apologise for my lack of presense. It gives a bad impression. I aim to stamp out all of this desertedness in the board forthwith!

As for your question:

The ACN has been around forever but it went a bit inactive for a period of nearly a year because -in my opinion- it has no sense of reality of what can be done in NS. It is a true conservative party whose unofficial tagline has always been 'If it aint broke don't fix it.' This is something the UPP has always had to fight against, and given that we hold currently 4 out of 9 Co9 positions i'd say we've been fairly successful. UPP members and the party itself have brought in many reforms:

The AoN is the brainchild of UPP Member Henneth Annun, who unfortunately is no longer with us,
The recent political party membership requirement was lowered due to a UPP proposal, which ironically will now help the ACN come back into the fold,
The economy is very much a UPP thing, although not a major success due to technical limitations of the forum,
the whole forum cleanup was spearheaded by our very own Gambi.

The ACN membership mostly sit around being conservative and not innovating. I don't personally mind what your Real Life political beliefs are. My own are startlingly leftwing, some in the UPP's are fairly centrist or even right leaning. What's good about our party is we transcend these irrelevant divisions and classifications because they don't help in 10000 Islands. I can't remember the last time an ACN member brought in a really good change to our Islands, and the fact that we hold 3 out of 4 of the Co9's elected positions shows the faith that the electorate has in our candidates, and we don't let anyone run. The fourth seat is Jesioneka, who has kept his independance, but is as close to the UPP ideologically as anyone in the party. Once he goes we will field a UPP candidate, should a by-election be held.

Anyway, that is my opinion of the UPP, ACN and where we both stand. I worry only slightly that many people will join the ACN because of RL political affiliations, when really we should remember that these don't matter here. They are conservative in that they are slow to adapt, to make progress, and generally suspicious of idealists and innovators.

As for their resurgence though, i couldn't be happier. It'd be hypocritical to say i preferred a 1 party system and UPP monopoly. Now that we have (potentially) a 2 party system the AoN can host inter-party debates. This will help to promote our party-political system. I can't wait.

Please feel free to post any more questions here.

Sinn -UPP Chairman.

[Girlsandboys]

Great comment Chairman to an interesting and relevant enquiry!

I've been a UPP member almost since first joining XKI...idealogically, the UPP has been helpful to my nation in offering its support for initiative. Basically, my nation steadily favors liberty, freshness and organisation as stimulating to the region. In the NS game- too much control often leads to stunt activity rather than promote it.

Almost all the initiatives I begin and votes I make in Co9 are geared towards trying to increase involvement and not limit it- which is why I also support a multi party system.

It's been a slow tough battle as I see it, for UPP to have increased it's Co9 influence. The nature of power, both in and out of NS, often wishes only to maintain itself and all too often at the expense of participation in general. ' Progressiveness ' should spread its wings! Hopefully the rubberstamp initiative requiring Co9 members to show their true colours will also stimulate political activism and interest...

[Sinn Féin's Ireland]

Indeed. Such is the hope. I have put forward the debates proposal. Incidentally, i think it might be time to change our UPP HQ password. Now that ALP is joining the ACN he could in theory still sneak in here and look at what we're doing. I don't really think that would help. So, i will ask for the password to be changed. I will contact all UPP members with the new password asap.

[newislandia]

What is the parties position on my discusion on eliminating endorsements. That only the UN delegate should be endorsed. I think G&B won't like it since it seems to concentrate control in the UN delegate. But would like to hear her opinion and our political leaders opinion.
In others things I was thinking of dumping my UN designation since I really do not need it except for voting for candidates. If I dropped UN status my economy would grow much better. However, like I message Senator SJC, I have decided to put it off for awhile since it seems the UPP will need me with the flood of ACN members coming into the AON. However, really think the new competition should help revitalize the UPP.

[Girlsandboys]

newislandia said:

What is the parties position on my discusion on eliminating endorsements. That only the UN delegate should be endorsed. I think G&B won't like it since it seems to concentrate control in the UN delegate. But would like to hear her opinion and our political leaders opinion.
In others things I was thinking of dumping my UN designation since I really do not need it except for voting for candidates. If I dropped UN status my economy would grow much better. However, like I message Senator SJC, I have decided to put it off for awhile since it seems the UPP will need me with the flood of ACN members coming into the AON. However, really think the new competition should help revitalize the UPP.

I can't speak for the UPP position re endorsements: It's true that I'd be against curtailing further endorsing, as already nations are evicted from XKI by law if they acquire more than half the quantity that the delegate receives( This happened to ex AoN member Greater Crosbanyia) and because I'm pro national independence and participatory freedom in circumstances that do not effect regional security. Furthermore, UN Delegates (and the Founder) have often paid for and made public endorsements of political candidates, so their representational neutrality is not assured.

[Sinn Féin's Ireland]

Well, i would hope that you keep your UN status as it makes you a citizen and means you can vote. That is a powerful thing when only about 25 nations vote in elections. It is one voice in about 25. Ergo, it is important to keep UN citizenship. If you wish, you can transfer it to a puppet in order to let your main nation's economy grow. This won't affect your citizenship so long as the puppet is in 10KI too.

My opinion on endorsements is that the current system is pretty good. I don't want to limit endorsements too much as it is repressive. You need 2 endorsements just to make a UN proposal, so to stop people from getting them would firstly be repressive, but secondly, hugely unpopular and difficult to enforce. I think the limit of 1/2 the delegate's endorsements is fine. After all, the delegate only has power in the UN. Grub (our founder) has regional control, so even if raiders came in and took over the delegacy, they could do nothing.

The UPP has no official position on this, but i would be happy to amend our constitution to include this once a consensus amongst our members is reached.

Regarding Gambi's point that the UN Delegate and Founder have often no neutrality regarding elections i agree that it is a problem. They always seem to vote for the incumbent, no matter how rubbish the incumbent is. I cite Skwerrel and a long time ago Crackenback as examples of this. Neither were active but still got endorsements. I think this is a delicate situation. On the one hand it is the founder and delegate's right to let people know who they support, and to vote how they wish, but given the influence they have over newer or less clued up nations, their voices are often very powerful. This is not fair. Once again, the issue is of nation's rights. Is it better to uphold the principle or to change what can be an unfair system?

It is an issue the UPP would need to debate internally before we put forward a party stance. If you wish we can arrange such an internal debate.

Sinn.

[Girlsandboys]

Estay also endorsed Otupia who after losing the election, briefly joined AoN then belly-upped. It's hard for nations to realize sometimes just how resistant to change and initiative the Co9 can be...

[newislandia]

I didn't know our UN delegate had no regional control. Usually, they do. So like someone said this region is like a Monarchy. A half absolute Monarchy.

I will end the discussion on curtailing endorsements. I want to follow the party line. Have a feeling most ppl. in 10K like it how we have it now. But still think there is something wrong with the UN delegate system.
Anyway, from now on would like to know what the party members think on certain important issues. With the flood of conservatives coming into the AON we will need a united front. To do that must know what the other UPP members are thinking when it comes to certain proposals.
Do we have a political flag that we UPP members can show.

[Sinn Féin's Ireland]

This is our emblem: