Imperator Azenquor

***Sygh-Varthys, Vaule*** -Riot police The throng of people gathered in front of the Imperial palace continued their protest and demanded the return of democracy. In the aftermath of the European war, many were left stunned and angry by the outcome. Their frustrations, coupled with the power struggle, soon poured out onto the streets. What started as a pro-democracy march soon turned into an anti-government rally. Shouts of “Long live the Socialist Revolution!” soon filled the square as people vented their frustration. For the most part, the riot police simply watched the situation unfold and stood ready to take action if the protests got violent. The 10,000 people in the square continued chanting even as night fell. ***Imperial Palace, South Gate*** A group of 5,000 protesters marched on the South Gate of the palace and avoided the crowd gathered in the square entirely. This group had much more direct demands, as they approached the South wall, they shouted in unison: “Death to the Imperatrix! Down with the monarchy!” ***Inside the Palace*** Princess Azleya sat on the Southern Balcony of the Palace facing the approaching the south gate. Unshaken by their approach, she sipped a cup of tea and stared off into the sunset. Suddenly she heard a soft thump on the side of the palace wall next to the balcony. Dismissing it as nothing important, she stood and walked towards the balcony to get a better view of the protesters. As soon as she leaned over the balcony, she was hit between the eyes by a flying egg. As she shrieked in surprise, her Deputy ran out onto the balcony. Immediately another volley of eggs pelted the balcony, and a voice from the south wall shouted: “If you don’t abdicate, next time I’ll be lobbin’ grenades instead of eggs!” Seething, Azleya marched inside and summoned a servant who handed her a towel and watched as she wiped the egg off her face. One of the guards standing in the background whispered. “Would you like bacon with that?” as they tried not to laugh. Turning to her Deputy, Azleya shouted: “Order the guards to disperse the protesters at the Southern gate, immediately”-Azleya “Right away your Majesty. I will order them to begin arrests”-Deputy Before he could leave the room, Azleya shouted: “I don’t want them arrested! I have no use for Socialist traitors, kill them all.”-Azleya Stunned, but bound to his duties, the Deputy rushed to inform the commanders of the Imperial Guard of their new orders. ***Outside the Palace, at the South Gate*** The atmosphere of the protest was still tense as night approached. Protesters continued to chant as others hurled rocks at the Palace walls. Suddenly Imperial Guard troops rushed out of the South gate and formed two ranks. The first rank held riot shields and pushed towards the protesters, while the second rank held rifles and stayed two steps behind the first. After a last demand to disperse, they opened fire on the crowd. Shocked, those who managed to escape from the first volley unscathed ran in any direction they could to escape the violence. The units were relentless and marched forward firing non-stop. The crowd dissolved into chaos and confusion as the people could not believe that they were being fired upon. A few protesters managed to escape from the South gate, they rushed towards the square to warn the other protesters. In minutes, the protesters in the square were up in arms and began rioting.

With the war at an end, the citizens of Sygh-Varthys began moving out of the capital’s bomb shelters and underground bunkers. As they emerged, the citizens noticed something strange. The Imperial Guard was present on the streets of the capital in large numbers, and large screens were set up on the sides of skyscrapers that could be seen from a mile away. At 7:00 pm on the dot, all channels in Vaule broadcasted a speech from the Presidential Palace. However instead of a message from President Rokossovsky, a pre-recorded speech by Princess Azleya began: “Good evening citizens of Vaule, As you are no doubt aware, a grave act of treason was committed by Vaule’s former President Rokossovsky. The President exceeded his authority in an attempt to overthrow both the Imperatrix and the Prime Minister of Vaule and to establish a Socialist entity in place of the government. This plan has failed, and the rightful government has been restored. Despite this fact, forces loyal to the former President are still attempting to legitimize his Socialist coup and are attempting to restore him to power. They will fail. These events have illustrated the failure of Vaule’s democratic government and the failure of our institutions to deal with pressing matters. It is with this in mind that we will have to take dramatic steps to preserve Vaule’s stability in the face of an armed insurgency. Effective immediately the Parliament and Senate are dissolved. The Supreme Court and all courts it holds jurisdiction over are dismissed. The Offices of President and Prime Minister are to remain vacant. All regional governments with the exception of the governing structures of Buryat province shall be dissolved. Elections scheduled for next week are canceled indefinitely. In addition, Vaule will be placed under perpetual martial law for at least six months and a 6:00pm curfew will be in effect each day. The Constitution is also to be suspended, as is habeas corpus. The military shall be deployed throughout the nation to ensure order, as well as to combat the remaining forces loyal to the Socialists. Anyone possessing socialist material, or who is found to support either the former President or his units will be arrested. Displaying the flag of the self-proclaimed Vaulian Socialist Republic is a treasonous offense punishable by death. Let us all co-operate to destroy the socialists. For only then can these extraordinary measures be lifted and Constitutional normality resume.”-Azleya ***Teleconference Room*** "We thank you for your support, however I believe that the Imperial forces are sufficient for now. We have already rooted out the Socialist elements in the capital and we are certain that the members of the illegal government shall shortly be arrested" ***6:55 pm Socialist Party HQ*** As soldiers stormed the building to arrest the party members, and possibly the former President, they were in for a surprise. As they searched room by room, they found no one. Their search also revealed that the entire building was empty and all files, furniture and computers were all removed. In the Party Chief's office, a Vaule Socialist Republic flag hung from the ceiling. On the flag a large note was scribbled: "The Army of Socialist Vaule shall prevail, You have come this far but no further." Angered at his failure, the Army Officer ripped the flag from the ceiling, and unknowingly started the timer on bombs hidden in the basement and the walls of the building.

Vaule hopes that the government is able to quickly put down these riots. As always, if the Crimean government wishes for assistance, they need only to ask.

OOC: @Justinian: Sorry you see it that way. I won't comment any further. IC: Vaule withdraws the 50,000 troops that landed in northern Slavorussia and withdraws the Naval force back to Novaya Zemlya.

OOC: What betrayal? IC, no RUSSIAN nation has betrayed Slavorussia as far as I know. OOC of course that is a different story. Sorry to see you go Justinian, and as I said before I have nothing against you OOC.

“I thank you for your quick response. As you are no doubt aware, there was a coup in Vaule prior to the illegal cancellation of the Sygh-Varthys Accords. I deeply apologize for the manner in which the illegal cancellation occurred. As we speak, elements loyal to the monarchy, and to Vaule are moving to restore Imperial control over the nation and to destroy the Socialist government. We are a nation bound by a centuries old code of honor. In order to make up for the offense which the cancellation, although illegal, may have caused, I am prepared to not only restore the NAP but to take action against your enemies as well. Too long has Vaule sat by in RUSSIAN and fought someone else's wars for them. Given the situation, I can understand if you are apprehensive, but I assure you I mean every word.”-Princess Azleya

***Bunker underneath the Presidential Palace*** President Rokossovsky was deeply engrossed looking over the latest map data from the front and didn’t notice the absence of the Presidential Guard units or the lack of updates on the Crown Princess. The whereabouts of Prime Minister Ivanov were still unknown, but the President deemed the war a much more pressing matter. Little did he know that outside, the very fabric of the state was being undone and the very fate of the nation hung in the balance. ***Imperial Palace, Crown Princess’ Room*** Confined to her room since the “usurpation” ,Princess Azleya paced angrily about the room waiting for news from the Imperial Guard. Suddenly someone knocked at the door before entering the room. Instead of her captors, Azleya came face to face with four soldiers in white uniforms and gold epaulettes. “Your Eminence, we have come to liberate you from your captivity. I am from the Order of the White Rose”-Soldier #1 “Excellent. Shall we go?”-Azleya “As you wish your Majesty, there is much to be done.”-Soldier #1 “First we destroy Rokossovsky, then we end this absurd war.”-Azleya “The Order has Commanders throughout the Vaule Army. How does Your Majesty plan to end the war?”-Soldier #1 “Using Operation Balta of course.”-Azleya The group remained silent as they fled the palace under the cover of night. -Crown Princess Azleya ***Undisclosed Location*** A coded message was sent to Nordheim requesting a dialogue with one of their representatives, or a representative from the NC via secure line.

Vaule troop movements -Troop landings by boat and helicopter (green arrows), limit of area being patrolled by the Navy ships (red line) ***Relatively classified*** Vaule Forces have made their first landings in Slavorussia. Forces from Novaya Zemlya Autonomous Region (NNZAR) and Arcannez province of Vaule moved quickly by transport ships into northern Slavorussia and established a presence there. The troops would focus on securing the necessary landing sites to transport troops into Slavorussia before advancing to support Slavorussia’s troops. 50,000 Vaule troops land in Slavorussia in shifts covered by the Vaule Navy in the area. The VNS Stalin (Aircraft carrier), escorted by the VNS Medvedev & Lenin (Destroyers), and the VNS Dmitri (Frigate) remain off the coast securing the landing sites. On board the VNS Stalin, crews placed the SU-33s on standby. Air protection for the convoy was provided by the AA missiles mounted on the ships as well as a single squadron of F-22s launched from the Novaya Zemlya air force base, on constant patrol. The proximity of the coast to mainland Vaule also permitted the use of land based RADAR and AA missiles based in Novaya Zemlya and the coast of the Arcannez region. The VNS Krasnoyarsk, VNS Volga and VNS Vojvodina destroyers, along with the VNS Irkutsk, VNS Imperator and the VNS Stalingrad (Frigates) begin a patrol duty just outside of the Novaya Zemlya Oceanic Defense Zone (NZODZ). Their mission was simple, stand watch to repel an enemy land or air assault on the troops being transported from Arcannez. The ships were outfitted with V-01B Katerinas and V-99B Dolphin missiles along with a host of short range AA missiles. Some of the Vaulian soldiers were restless, waiting for the enemy to attack, while others were more focused on the matters at hand. -Su-33s on board the VNS Stalin

VNN: Vaule invites international input on how to improve Health care system The Ministry of Health of Vaule has sought to update the national health care system, and has invited the input of other nations on how we can best proceed to improve our existing health care system.

Vaule Declaration of War “The Socialist Republic of Vaule hereby declares war upon the Nordlandic Confederacy. We demand that the Nordlandic Coalition, and their allies withdraw entirely from the territory of Slavorussia. Until this is achieved, there shall be a state of war between us. It is extremely unfortunate that it has come to this, but the government of Vaule has no choice but to act. Vaule is hereby placed under Order 712.2 until further notice.” –Acting President Yuri Rokossovsky ==== ***Classified*** 250,000 Vaulian Soldiers are given their marching orders. 50,000 of the soldiers use the Military level subway network to head west towards the Bosporan border. 5,000 T-90BV tanks are ordered to head west in columns of 500 each spread out across Vaule. Vaule’s SDI systems, AA systems and the RUSSIAN missile defense network in Vaule remain at combat ready status. The Vaule Air Force Increases patrolling and monitoring of Vaulian airspace. The VNS Stalin (Aircraft carrier), escorted by the VNS Medvedev & Lenin (Destroyers), and the VNS Dmitri (Frigate) leave port in North Novaya Zemlya and head south-south west. Territorial defense procedures are enacted in each province of Vaule granting autonomous command regions in certain areas of Vaule. The forces in these regions are given a wider ranging autonomy to act in defense of the nation without orders from central command. In Sygh-Varthys, citizens inconspicuously head for the Subway system in small numbers. Once inside, they are guided to the bunker levels. Even further beneath those bunkers, the Central Military command Headquarters was activated. The Defense Minister leaves the capital for a bunker in Caledonia province, the Interior Minister leaves for a bunker in Arcannez and the President moves into another bunker underneath the National football stadium.

Vaule's Saffire Revolution ***Presidential Palace, Sygh Varthys*** After hours of pacing in his office, President Rokossovsky made a decision, he would act. He called the Head of Presidential Security, Col. Onatopp into his office. “Xenia. I am about to ask you, as well as your units to break about every law in the Constitution”-President Rokossovsky “You’re orders sir?”-Onatopp President Rokossovsky replies: “Place the Prime Minister and the Princess Regent under house arrest, and bring Lord Pushkin to the Imperial Palace” “Yes sir”-Onatopp [10 minutes later] ***Imperial Palace*** Princess Azleya was stunned as armed soldiers arrived and confined her to the Conference room of the Palace. She repeatedly shouted: “I order you to stand down”, but the soldiers remained silent with their rifles aimed at her. Col Onatopp placed a small sheet of paper and a pen in front of the Princess, then pointed her revolver between the Princess’ eyes. Glancing slowly downwards, Princess Azleya read the first line of text on the sheet. “Order of Abdication of Imperatrix Marimeya I, and all children thereof” Sensing no way out of the situation, the Princess picked up the pen and signed the document. Satisfied, Col. Onatopp had the Princess taken away, while a priest was brought in to administer the oath to swear Lord Puskin in as acting Imperator. Once the swearing in ceremony was complete, Onatopp produced the Non-aggression pact, which Pushkin immediately revoked the Imperial signature on. Grinning from ear to ear at his fortune, Pushkin rose from his seat ready to assume his duties as Imperator. He was even happier knowing that Onatopp had paid him almost V$2 million to ensure his co-operation. “It's a pleasure doing business with you, my dear”-Imperator Pushkin With a grin on her face, Onatopp drew her weapon and shot Pushkin five times. "No Mr. Pushkin, the pleasure is all mine"-Onatopp She glanced at her watch and replied: “Pushkin, the shortest reigning Imperator in history. His reign lasted 2 minutes 5 seconds”-Onatapp Satisfied that her task was completed, Col. Onatapp decided that she would pay the Prime Minister a visit. ***Worldwide News Broadcast*** -President Rokossovsky “In the history of mankind, war has determined all. War continues to overwhelm and dominate the Earth, letting nothing escape its grubby, greedy hands. As the Nordic Confederacy was notified privately yesterday, Vaule has cancelled the Sygh-Varthys accords. The obstacles to the cancellation of the pact were…removed permitting us to proceed. As we speak, the Vaulian Armed Forces are readying for combat in defense of Slavorussia. We will honor our commitment to the RUSSIAN pact and to our allies, and we will fight, for Vaule and for RUSSIAN. We will show our commitment not only through words, but through action. At home we are also in uncharted waters. I have been forced to take an action which may have been unconstitutional, and may have even constituted high treason. I have hereby suspended Articles 2 to 391 of Vaule’s Constitution. As you are undoubtedly aware, that includes the Imperial Powers act. I hereby declare that the government of the United Democratic Republic of Vaule is dissolved. A new government shall rise in its place. Once this is over, I will permit the people to decide upon a course of action. I am fully prepared to accept the consequences of any action that I have taken, or have failed to take. I hereby declare the existence of the Transitional Provisional Government of the Soclialist Republic of Vaule (Vaulian: Socializte Republika Vauleya)”-President Rokossovsky -Flag of the Vaulian Socialist Republic

Parliamentary vote won, PM withdraws signature Under mounting internal pressure, the Parliament of Vaule has voted to require the Prime Minister to withdraw his signature from the document. This means that the government is a step closer to canceling the NAP. We have also confirmed that President Rokossovsky dispatched a highly classified note to Nordheim. * The final signature on the pact is that of the Princess Regent, who has so far given no indication of an intent to withdraw her approval for the Non-aggression pact. Princess Azleya has maintained that "the government should not bow to outside pressure to cancel that NAP. The decision should be made internally without the interference of RUSSIAN or any other nation. I ask the President to reconsider his position before he once again turns Vaule into RUSSIAN's "enforcer"." Princess Azleya has also maintained that if she is forced to rescind her signature from the NAP, she will comply, but will ensure that "a referendum is held on Vaule's membership in the RUSSIAN organization to decide where Vaule's political future truly lies." When asked to expand, the Princess says that any such referendum would be held after the hostilities in Europe have ended and that "if the NAP is canceled we are fully prepared to carry out our responsibilities under the RUSSIAN pact." Princess Azleya has also suggested that the movement of RUSSIAN troops through Vaule without the permission of the government, on the RUSSIAN railway was "a gross violation of Vaule's sovereignty, and policy of neutrality. And will be raised with the RUSSIAN pact members at the earliest opportunity." When asked if Vaule would permit additional troops to use the railway system to get to Slavorussia, Princess Azleya replied: "Only if the necessary permission is obtained from the government before they enter Vaulian territory. If they fail to do so, then the trains will be halted at the discretion of the government" *OOC: note indicates Intent to cancel NAP.

Protesters attack the Parliament Building After the failure of the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Ivanov, (by only two votes) angry protesters marched on the Vaulian Parliament building. It is estimated that more than 70,000 people have surrounded the building demanding that Prime Minister Ivanov resign. Riot police attempted to push the crowd away from the Parliament however they were outnumbered by the protesters and served only to infuriate them. Shouts of “We stand with RUSSIAN” were soon replaced by shouts of “Down with Ivanov, Down with the government!”. When the riot police fired tear gas into the crowd, it lit the fuse of an extremely dangerous powder keg. The protest then quickly turned into a riot as the students attacked the riot police with rocks and bottles, and hurled Molotov $@tail bombs at the building. There are reports of 10 police men injured. It has been confirmed that 200 protestors managed to force their way past the riot police into the Parliament building before they were stopped by Internal Security Forces. The riot is still on-going and Prime Minister Ivanov is trapped in the building. Sources inside the building have claimed that the Prime Minister has requested additional riot police, but the requests have been blocked by President Rokossovsky who reportedly said “Ivanov claims to represent the people. Representatives of those people are standing outside the Parliament building. He needs to answer to them. Until he does, I see no reason to expedite the arrival of additional riot police. I am constitutionally bound to order the police to the Parliament building, and I have done so. The Riot police are walking the 10 miles to Parliament as we speak and should arrive by tomorrow morning.” There is a similar scene at the Imperial Palace where protesters are demanding action by the Princess Regent to remove the monarchy’s signature on the treaty. In light of the angry crowd outside of the building, the Parliament speaker has called another vote on withdrawing the Prime Minister’s signature from the treaty. This vote is expected to pass this time around as four Nationalist MPs have defected. If the vote goes through, only one signature will remain to be withdrawn, that of the Monarchy.

Vaule's President intervenes President Yuri Rokossovsky has withdrawn the signature of the Presidency from the NAP. (OOC: It isn't canceled. For it to be canceled the signatures of the Monarch and the Prime Minister would have to be removed.) Taking this step has illustrated the urgency of action by Parliament on the measure. In the upcoming vote, if the nationalists can remain united, their two seat majority would ensure that the Parliament will not force the Prime Minister to withdraw his signature. -The Imperial Palace Also a group of protesters numbering in the 10 thousands has surrounded the Imperial Palace, demanding that the Princess-Regent explain her actions. Princess Azleya has refused to issue any statements regarding the matter, but the crowd outside the palace is growing increasingly impatient. -Protesters marching on the Imperial Palace In a clear message from the Vaulian Military to the Prime Minister and the Princess, two Vaule Air Force MiG 29s overflew the Imperial Palace and the Parliament. Two T-90 Tanks have moved out of the Sygh- Varthys military base and are heading towards the Parliament. As the planes passed over the Parliament, they dropped fliers.

As the train crosses into Vaulian territory, the government is immediately notified. "After our declaration of neutrality and sealing our borders. We have now confirmed that military units of the RUSSIAN pact, of which we are also a member, have made use of the RUSSIAN built railway through our territory. Although the RUSSIAN railway was built as a joint project it is still on our sovereign territory. We voice our extreme disapproval of this action as it violates a direct statement of our government closing our borders. It is our sovereign right to prevent this train from proceeding through our territory. We also call attention to this matter as it means that an armed force moved across our borders, albeit on the RUSSIAN railway system. However the only means we have available to stopping this train would force us to attack our allies, which we will not do under any circumstances. We therefore will not take any action against this convoy, however we will be raising this matter at length with RUSSIAN. We understand the impact that this will have, and are prepared for the consequences. "- Prime Minister Ivanov

Vaule Parliament at deadlock over Slavorussia conflict Sygh-Varthys After the shocking events unfolding in Europe, the Vaulian Parliament met for an emergency meeting in the capital Sygh-Varthys. Having completed a long negotiation and signing a Non-Aggression Pact, the government is now in a precarious position as it is tied to both sides of the conflict by the NAP, and RUSSIAN. The debate in the Parliament was extremely heated with accusations hurled at MPs and the Government. Prime Minister Ivanov bore the brunt of a number of scathing attacks by the Republican and Democratic Parties. ***Cut to Parliament*** “Because of the lack of foresight of our own Prime Minister, we are now in a situation where we are tied to both sides of a major conflict. Mr. Ivanov has effectively destroyed years of co-operation between Vaule and the RUSSIAN pact. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Democratic Party I demand the cancellation of the NAP at once. We also demand the immediate resignation of the Prime Minister and his entire government”-Democratic MP “Prime Minister Ivanov led a move to expand diplomatic ties in the name of peace. We have signed a treaty and we should stand by it. Unlike the Democratic Party MPs who are willing to discard treaties as easily as they discard principles, we demand that our nation stand by the treaties that we have signed.”-Nationalist MP “The only course of action that the nation can take at this critical moment is to remain neutral in the conflict. We cannot break either treaty, nor should we. We signed a treaty in good faith, and the government fully intends to honor it. I have no intention of resigning, and I welcome an attempt by the Democratic Party to force the end of my government. I am certain, that should Vaule head to an early election there will not be a Democratic Prime Minister returned. I make this promise to the people of Vaule. If the Opposition makes any attempts to undermine my government I shall petition President Rokossovsky to dissolve the Parliament and call an election. As I am certain that a number of MPs from the Opposition parties are not very popular in their own constituencies, they have very few guaranteed win seats. I say to the Opposition, take the necessary Parliamentary procedures and have a vote. However when you lose the no-confidence vote, be prepared for an election. And be prepared for the biggest defeat at the polls ever suffered by the Democratic Party.”-Prime Minister Ivanov (Nationalist MPs applaud and start shouting “Ivanov!” “Ivanov!”) ***VNN Studio*** The Vaulian Parliament is expected to vote on three measures in the next few days which will decide the direction the country will take. The first measure is a Democratic Party sponsored bill that would cancel the NAP with the Nordlandic Confederacy. The Second measure is a Socialist and Nationalist backed proposal that would declare neutrality for the duration of the conflict then “immediately re-evaluate the status of the treaties signed”. This bill also included a provision under which the government would “do everything in their power short of aggression to attempt to halt the fighting”. The third and final proposal is a vote of no-confidence in the government of Dmitri Ivanov, sponsored by the Democratic, Republican and Communist parties. Regardless of the outcomes of these three proposals, Prime Minister Ivanov has announced that he will raise the issue personally at the RUSSIAN summit being held in Moscow and will consult with other RUSSIAN pact members. In other news, President Rokossovsky, in a rare break from Prime Minister Ivanov has issued a demand that the Parliament cancel the NAP as soon as it is possible to do so. The President has implored Prime Minister Ivanov to “locate his spine and start leading the country”. The President is reported to have held an hour long meeting with General Kalinovic of the Army in which it is claimed that the President said “If Ivanov doesn’t step up and take action, he’ll have to step aside for someone who can”. Should the Parliament approve the cancellation of the treaty, Prime Minister Ivanov would be urged to withdraw his signature. Should that happen, then the Parliament will petition the President to remove his signature and the Monarchy to remove their signature. Only if all three signatures are withdrawn, will the cancellation go ahead. The entire nation is watching with bated breath as the Parliament continues to debate. -Prime Minister Ivanov meeting with the Cabinet

***Classified*** Vaule goes to DEFCON 2 and closes our territorial waters and borders to all traffic from either side of the conflict. Patrols over Vaulian and Tyranar Air space have been increased. The army has been placed on alert but told not to take any action until the government has decided a formal position.

"Vaule notes the developing situation in Europe with increasing alarm. We shall shortly be declaring our position on the conflict and what actions Vaule will be taking. Until that time, due to treaties on both sides we will remain neutral. Once the government of Vaule decides upon a position, we shall inform our allies. Until that time we will be sealing our borders, airspace and territorial waters to both sides. Violations of either Vaule's airspace, or territorial waters by any side shall not be taken lightly." "The negotiations that resulted in the treaty were spearheaded by the Vaulian Monarchy, as part of the "External Sphere" doctrine. We had hoped that by opening a channel for dialogue, we would be able to prevent certain conflicts from starting, however it appears that we have failed to do so. Does that clarify everything?"

"May these accords pave the way for future meaningful dialogue and co-operation with our Nordlandic allies. We had an extensive dialogue at the meeting in Sygh-Varthys and we have discussed a number of initiatives, among them, this treaty. May the bonds of friendship we have forged today strengthen and solidify the Vaulian-Nordlandic alliance."-Foreign Minister Lt. Kharkov Until the appointment of individual ambassadors, Vaule's Regional Ambassador Lord Andrei Gaznayev – Director of European and African Diplomatic Affairs (EADA), shall serve as our Representative to the other signatories.

VNN News: The Battle moves to Parliament! With the proposed amendments ruled completely constitutional by Vaule's Constitutional Court, the measure has been sent to the Parliament for their discussion and approval. It is extremely difficult to predict how the individual parties will vote on the amendments given the rifts that they have caused in many political parties. Only two parties have clear positions on the amendments and have already indicated how they will vote. The Republican Party, led by Maria Gaznayev intends to vote against the proposal, while the Communist Party leadership has expressed support of the vote. In the Nationalist and Socialist Parties however, there appears to be a split between different factions. While both the President and Prime Minister have sought to downplay the division, it may be the deciding factor in this complicated issue. Analysts believe that if the Socialist Party can come up with a single unified position, and if the Nationalists remain divided that the Socialist Party would be able to decide the fate of these measures. "The Nationalist Party has a razor thin majority in the Parliament. If three of their MPs either defect or abstain, and if the Socialists are united, they will be able to overcome the Nationalist party. It must also be stated that the reverse would also be true. The party split also means that the Communist Party's 36 MPs may end up casting the deciding votes if the Socialist and Nationalist Parties can't reach a position"- Analyst It also appears that no one has more to lose in this vote than Vaule's embattled Prime Minister Dmitri Ivanov. Faced with an embarrassing defeat on two of his policy initiatives so far, it would be a political disaster if he is unable to keep the Nationalist Party even slightly unified. "Unless Ivanov can show some major form of leadership of the Nationalist Party, and unless he can appeal to the MPs from his own party, they may well decide to oust him from the leadership to replace him with someone who better commands the support of the Party. People often say that President Rokossovsky leads the Socialist Party, while Prime Minister Ivanov follows the Nationalist Party. This vote, and perhaps the next few initiatives may either make or break Prime Minister Ivanov's tenure as Prime Minister, as well as his political career."-Analyst #2 In a clear sign of the level of disunity and concern in the Nationalist Party, Prime Minister Ivanov has spent the last 18 hours meeting with Nationalist MPs in an attempt to "ensure a united front" and has offered to back down from some of his policy initiatives that were unpopular with the center right MPs in the party. VNN will keep all viewers updated on this developing situation. Stay tuned as we watch the upcoming battles. The battle for the amendments, as well as the battle for Prime Minister Ivanov's career. ***news credits*** "Coming up next on VNN. How much caek is too much caek. Our reporters go undercover into the world of caek production."

***The Imperatrix’s Room*** After the surgery was completed and the medical staff hurried to ensure that the Imperatrix had suffered no permanent injuries from the procedure, the Imperatrix was placed in a prepared room to recuperate. Unnoticed by the medical nurses, who were now hurrying to prepare for the next wave of refugees traveling from Altin Urda, Senator Pushkin slipped into the Imperatrix’s room. He would have mere minutes to act. He stared for a minute at the unconscious Imperatrix, before reaching into his robes for a small syringe. “You’re not so tough now are you!”-Pushkin He stepped towards the Imperatrix with the syringe tightly gripped in his left hand. ***Main Hall-Refugee Reception center*** It would be no easy task to move almost 24,000 people to the center in the space of a week, but the Health Ministry was determined to meet their goal. Helicopters and transport planes landed every single hour non-stop carrying a swarm of refugees who rushed into the center. Some refugees searched for loved ones left behind, others wanted to leave to check on their property and some were simply exhausted by the entire ordeal. As records were taken of the arrivals, the White Cross would notice something slightly odd. Some people who were shown in the logs to have departed Altin Urda had not arrived with the others. This fact was repeatedly driven home by irate relatives who demanded to know where their loved ones were. As with any situation, rumors began to spread.

"Excellent. Once their signatures are on the document, we will make the formal announcement of the treaty and formally exchange Ambassadors. If you wish to inspect the facilities provided for the Nordheim Embassy, Lt. Marina would be more than happy to give you a guided tour."-President Rokossovsky

"We propose the selection be based on east to west Geography via the following process: 1) Geographic location 2) Once the nation is selected via geographic location, the President would be the first nation (on the East to West list) who passes a confidence vote. eg. Round 1 :Geographic = Slavorussia; Passes confidence vote? No ---->Next Geographic nation Round 2: Geographic = Bosporan; Passes confidence vote? Yes ----> Bosporan gains Presidency.

Supreme Court ruling “We the assembled Supreme People’s Court of the United Democratic Republic of Vaule, hereby announce the following: We have rendered our verdict on the Constitutionality of the proposed amendments. Clauses in breach of the Constitution have been rectified under the direction of the Chief Justice. The corrected and current amendment has been found to be entirely constitutional. The amendment shall do the following: 1) Specify the existing fact that Vaule is not only a nation of Christians and Buddhists, but specifically a Vaulian Orthodox Christian majority Nation 2) Re-establish the existing practice whereby the Imperator/Imperatrix must be a Vaulian Orthodox Christian or Buddhist at the time of his/her ascension to the throne. Should he/she convert to another religion, he/she is required to abdicate immediately. 3) Vaulian citizens’ rights to choose their own religion shall not be interfered with, however the degree of recognition granted to the religions shall be determined according to the current system whereby there are Official religions, Recognized religions and Unrecognized religions 4) The status of the Official religions (Vaule Orthodox Christianity, and Buddhism) is such that they are fully recognized and backed by the state. Official religions hold tax exempt status and members of these groups may claim a portion of their donations to the religion as a tax deductable. Marriages performed by a legitimate religious official of either Official religion are recognized by the state upon the conclusion of the appropriate ceremony. 5) The status of Recognized religions (eg. Islam, Judaism, Shinto, etc) is such that they receive partial recognition from the state. Recognized religions are not tax-exempt, but are required to pay a reduced rate (like that of a non-profit charity). Marriages performed by a legitimate religious official in any of the Recognized religions are not recognized by the state, unless a Secular marriage registration is completed after the religious ceremony. 6) The status of un-recognized religions (eg. Non-Orthodox Christianity) is such that they receive no recognition at the state and central government level. Unrecognized religions are fully taxable entities. Marriages performed by a religious official in an unrecognized religion are not recognized by the state. Swearing of Oaths and other types of ceremonies carried out by religious officials in unrecognized religions have no bearing whatsoever on Vaulian Law. The ceremonies and rituals carried out by an unrecognized religion will only be legally recognized if the official secular process is followed. People may freely worship and be full members of an unrecognized religion. We the Supreme Court believe that the above amendments, in their current form, shall be fair and shall not interfere with Freedom of religion. The Supreme Court now shall permit the Parliament to do their part regarding the agreement however we shall continue to monitor the Amendments and the results.”-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court -Riot Police near the Imperial Palace “As soon as the ruling was handed down, a group of protesters belonging to Maria Gaznayev’s Republican Party attempted to march on the Imperial Palace in protest. As the group made its way closer and closer to the Palace, other people from nearby joined them swelling their numbers to nearly 600. Once the protesters reached the first line of riot police, some of the protesters threw rocks at the police who responded with tear gas and baton charges. There were three protesters injured during the scuffle. -Scuffle near the palace VNN will continue to monitor the developments at the Imperial Palace and will keep you informed.”-Reporter -Photo of Imperial Palace (sky)

"While we are honored by the nomination for the Presidency, we feel that this is the time that we should give someone else the ropes so to speak. I agree with the suggestion that the first President should be from Slavorussia. The Presidency should then move to the east through Bashkortostan, Bosporan, Vaule, Crimea Iso*, Altin Urda, Rossiskayan Empire, New Northern Empire and so on."