Hindopia Returns to WA in Astounding Style

In a spectacular fashion, President Davide Tanner, thronged by Secretary of State Tobias Woodhelm and Hindopian Ambassador Hank Zariah, has announced this morning that Hindopia has returned to the World Assembly after a year-long absence. 

Standing in front of the biggest Hindopian flag I've seen since the 2001 Unification Day fiesta in downtown Tamilus and under an awe-inspiring display of fireworks, Mr Tanner praised the event as being one to inspire hope in all Hindopians.

"After an absence that went on for too long, today Hindopia has rejoined the World Assembly and we are showing the world that we are still the power we were last year!"

The massive event was held on the grassy lawns outside of Phoenix House in Tamilus and drew a crowd possibly in the thousands. As the President finished his speech, he received a standing ovation from the crowd, who was cheering for the fact that Hindopia had now recovered from the crisis last year that left us with a badly fractured government and mindset. The event was meant to show the citizens, as well as the world, that although Hindopia had been injured, we persevered and came back stronger than ever.

Taking the speakers podium after the President, Ambassador Zariah went through a list of the strides the nation had made in the past year. 

"We have begun to nationalise our healthcare. We have less pollution. We have a greater percentage of products being manufactured here rather than overseas. We have a stronger economy. Our currency is stronger than ever. We have the lowest rates of unemployment in 40 years."

Mr Zariah read for approximately a minute, and when he finished, to raucous applause, several of the military's latest FA-S93 Fighter Jets screamed through the overhead sky, with light blue smoke streaking behind them.

Next up was Secretary Woodhelm, whose speech after the last two was noticeably less inspiring. He told the crowd how much effort his office had put into this "triumphant" return and also wished Mr Zariah well in his new job as Chief Ambassador for Hindopia. Mr Woodhelm ended the event with a comment to the world. 

"We're Back". 

Sec. of State to Announce Return to WA Tomorrow

The Secretary of State Tobias Woodhelm will make an annoucement tomorrow to declare that Hindopia has been accepted back into the World Assembly, according to an extremely reliable source.

The move, expected for nearly two weeks since The Report exposed the plans, will mark a significant milestone for Hindopia since the Dismissal Affair last year when the High Council, as the temporary Executive leader, ordered a moratorium on any official Hindopian involvement in the WA. Mr Woodhelm has been working hard to keep the plans under wraps in order for it to be a "surprise" for the public.

Usually it is very simple for a nation to join the WA but since Hindopia left the WA all WA laws immediately became void in any territory of Hindopia. To ensure a smooth reinstatement of international law, officials had to be convinced that the government would be able to handle the workload. As such, an agreement was made that Hindopia would be psuedo-accepted into the WA; it would have a ceremonial seat in the General Assembly (but not the Security Council) until such time as officials were convinced that all activities considered illegal under WA law were being identified as such and stopped.

It is still unknown who will lead the delegation to the WA as our Chief Ambassador.

Hindopia to re-join the WA, leak reveals

A confidential government document and a voice recording reveal today that the Federal Government is on the verge of announcing a re-application to the World Assembly. 

The Report obtained the leak from a source inside the government with extended knowledge of the decision. The document (which can be downloaded here) is a communication between State Secretary Tobias Woodhelm and Director of Applications for the World Assembly Nommi Jendis. An excerpt (private number redacted):

Pending the outcome of the national analysis by your office we would like to be given the opportunity to announce the decision ourselves. When you know for certain that the application will be accepted please contact my personal line at this number: **********  to have something arranged. 

 This shows that the State Department has been in contact with WA officials to ensure that Hindopia can return to the halls of the world's governing body. The audio recording (download file here) reveals a conversation between Noah Natteson, a State Department official, and Councillor Willam Hayes, of the High Council. An excerpt of the transcript:

Mr. Woodhelm is asking for your discretion when approaching other Councillors, lest word of this gets out. We want this to be a... sort of a surprise for the public. It will be a real morality boost for the whole nation to see us finally return to the WA.

It seems from analysis of the recording that Mr Natterson was trying to get the Council's approval for the move. Councillor Hayes is one of the most influential members sitting on the Council and also one of the most approving of the current government. His support for the cause would go a long way in paving a smooth transition back into worldly affairs.

When contacted by The Report both the State Department and the Office of the President responded with the same message "No comment". However, when we contacted Councillor Hayes, he confirmed that he had been in talks with Mr Natterson about the matter but did not know what had become of the plans.

If Hindopia is accepted into the WA it will mark the first time we have stepped on to the world stage in many, many months since the Dismissal Affiar of 2010 when the Council, the temporary Executive Body, withdrew from the international body to focus on Hindopia's rehabilitation. Following the election of the Tanner Government the Senate voted to continue the moratorium until the Executive felt it was ready (leaving the decision to return up to President Tanner and his Cabinet).

This leak seems to show that the government now deems itself prepared enough to return to the grand halls of the World Assembly.

So... What happened to Hindopia? (OOC)

You may have noticed (or may not, depending on how important my nation is to you) that Hindopia has undergone some pretty big changes. First of all you need to know that I took a little bit of time away from NationStates. There was a time when my nation came close to CTE but I got back in time to save it from... *shiver*... The Rejected Realms. I've been slowly re-aquatinting myself with NS, and for the time being I've moved Hindopia to Lazarus.

During this time I've been working on a "Revised Hindopia" and the changes have just been made official. Most importantly, a new President and Cabinet have been elected after the old ones were dismissed by the Senate.

After the end of the Hindopian/Borucistan War, a new government was installed and a new President was elected in Borucistan. The Lyons government had never been more popular, and it was expected they would win the next election hands down. This newfound popularity was short-lived, as just over a year later an investigative team for The Nightly National published an article that rocked the nation. The new 'democratic' government of Borucistan was in reality nothing more than a puppet government controlled by a highly secretive cabal in the upper echelons of the Lyons administration. The people were furious. Many expected Lyons to fire those involved and ask the Attorney General to lay criminal charges against them. However, the nation was stunned when Lyons held a press conference to announce that he would be asking the Senate to perform an inquest into the matter. This was not good enough in the public's eye and the voters booted Lyons and his government out of office in the next election.

Hindopia now had a new President, an Edward Sargon. He was a progressive politician and had fought for causes such as an overhaul of healthcare and the modernization of Hindopia's schools. The people weren't enthralled by his policies, but rather his enviable speaking skills. He was revered and feared throughout the political world for this skill and it was a major factor in his decisive victory.

Sargon had very high goals and did not like people getting in his way. He saw the High Council of Hindopia as a threat to his attaining those goals as tradition dictated he confer with the Council anytime he planned significant legislation or policy. This was not a legal requirement but had been traditional to do so for hundreds of years and to do otherwise would seem 'un-Hindopian'. Determined to get his way, Sargon and some of his cabinet tried to persuade the Senate to disband the Council and then, failing that, arranged for an attempted assassination on his life pinning the blame on the Council (saying that they feared his previous attempt to dissolve them). His plan worked and the Council, after more than 600 years existing in one form or another, had to pack up shop.

For the rest of his term Sargon campaigned for various things including the expansion of the public health care system and the introduction of the Future Schools Program, a program aimed at preparing the public schooling system for the new technologies available. 81% of people polled in the Hindopian Report said they were happy with Sargon's performance and policies as President.

Sargon's demise began when he, the Secretary of Defence and various other cabinet members were bribed by ExeFin Technologies, one of the largest defence manufacturers in Hindopia, to grant them the permits needed to test bio-weaponry inside Hindopia's borders. Under the guise of testing the prohibited weapons for defensive purposes (producing them for profit was illegal), ExeFin manufactured the bio-weapons in Hindopia and sold them via a puppet corporation in another nation, having the profits flow back to ExeFin. A still unnamed individual came to Pandarra Senator Jamie Oorn, a Senator famous for her ruthless pushes for accountablity in government officials, and revealed all of the details to her. Oorn did not succeed in bringing Sargon down as a Senator but after finishing her term she founded the National Truth League and managed to convince the Attorney General to bring criminal charges against Sargon and a large portion of his Cabinet.

The trial was one of the most explosive in Hindopian history. Sargon and 7 cabinet members were found guilty of a list of charges and therefore were unable to serve in office anymore. With mounting evidence that every single cabinet member had been intricately involved in at least one of the plots at some point in time and with the entire population up in arms, the Senate took the drastic measure of dismissing the entire Sargon government.

Left without a leader the Senate quickly re-established the High Council, whose many long unused emergency powers included the mandate to govern in such an instance. The High Council governed until the new elections were held and the reformed National Party won government.

===

And there you have it. Keep an eye on this blog or on my twitter account (@Hindopia) for new updates as they happen.

Gardinia Captured

By Online War Correspondent Sylvia Garrison

The Hindopian Military has captured the Borucish capital city of Gardinia after a brief skirmish in the late hours of last night.

The first phase of the invasion, codenamed Project Lantern, was completed with no losses for Hindopia and losses of up to 30 enemy combatants according to sources within Military Command. Martial law has been declared and a curfew is in effect for the entire population of Gardinia.

Speaking with General Arnold Mills, commander of operation, it was revealed that the military does not intend to sit still.
"We still have much to do and we aren't the least bit interested in retreating now."

Experts are assuming that the military will turn it's attention to the provinces further inland within the week to prevent enemy forces from strengthening their positions.

Hindopia is still reeling from the surprise declaration of war by President Lyons on Monday. Several Senators have vehemently expressed their opposition to the action, calling it a "complete usurpation of the sovereign power of the Senate" in a joint statement yesterday. Senator Chase Dylans, the most vocal of those same Senators, has even hinted that he might bring a censure motion against the President.

The High Council has yet to issue a statement with regard to their opinion on the issue. In the weeks following the missile landing and killing a citizen in Chardinhall, Lyons moved to have a complete embargo enacted against Borucistan. The Council rejected this idea based on the assumption that it could lead to war between the two countries. Without the Council's approval, Lyons dropped the measure and instead sent the doomed diplomatic mission to Borucistan.

It remains to be seen what the longlasting repercussions of the war will be.

Hindopia Attacks Borucistan

In a stunning move, President Lyons has used emergency powers to declare a state of war between Hindopia and Borucistan, simultaneously launching a military strike against them in the capital city of Morucah.

Citing the Emergency Powers Act 2000, President Lyons defended his decision to attack Borucistan.

“The Borucish Military invaded us when they unlawfully entered our embassy in Borucistan. They severed all ties with us when they hacked our systems in an attempt to gain classified information. They declared war on us when they, against international law, brutally murdered our entire diplomatic mission.”

President Lyons revealed that the Borucish military had forcefully entered the Hindopian embassy in Morucah, killing everyone there and hacking into classified information. Under the EPA, the President may enact a State of Emergency if a foreign military power enters Hindopian territory unlawfully and with malicious intent. Lyons said that when Borucish military soldiers entered sovereign Hindopian soil at the embassy it was classed as an invasion and he was therefore justified in his actions.

Although he eventually declined to answer any more questions he did reveal that the legal President of Borucistan, President Malazar, was rescued before the strike was initiated.

“I can confirm that President Malazar was rescued by our military before the operation was initiated. He now resides at a secure facility for the time being.”

When asked if Malazar was a prisoner, Lyons said that he was being kept in “protective custody”.

The Hindopian Report contacted a constitutional expert and asked if Lyons was justified in his actions. The expert, Dr. Jonas Bight, said that it was a unique interpretation and one that he thought Lyons could get away with. He did, however, express concern that some would see it as an illegal act and that he should have convened the Senate before any action was taken.

“What some will see Lyons did was usurp the powers of the Senate.”

It remains to be seen what the repercussions of this deed will be.

Military Will Remain on Defensive: Lyons

By Phoenix House Correspondent Argyle Levinns

After 3 days of anxious waiting, the President has finally appeared before the press today, revealing his decision to keep the military on the defensive. Lyons told reporters at Pheonix Housethat he had ordered the military to limit their functions to a defensive capacity only while the government had time to carefully contemplate all avenues of action.

“I have ordered the Commander of the Hindopian Forces, General Walsingham, to refrain from any action other than a defensive position while me and my government exhaust all other possible plans of action regarding this serious event.”

When queried about the DEFCON level, Lyons responded:

“Yes, the military still resides at DEFCON 3. No changes have been made to that condition yet.”

The President stressed that further intelligence was needed before any action could be taken against Borucistan. He also confirmed that he was meeting with the High Council later today to discuss their position in the crisis.

The National Party is attacking the governments decision to remain in what it says as the “position of cowards, hiding behind their shields”. The chairman of the National Party Stephanie Kells says that President Lyons is too afraid of making any strong decision for fear of a backlash from both sides of the debate, making him a “pitiful” leader.

“What we need in a crisis like this is a leader willing to make the right decisions to ensure the continued existence of his country and his people. We, unfortunately, have President Lyons.”

The Society for the Peaceful Resolution of Conflict, an internationaly established anti-war group, warily congratulates Lyons on his decision. Speaking as leader of the SPRC’s Hindopian office Matthew Daniels said that the decision was a welcome one but that the group was wary about the governments next move.

“We have seen it time and time again. A government will ‘stand down’ while it tries to figure the whole situation out only to come back listening to the people who care nothing for the innocent lives that are lost in conflict.”

It seems everyone will have to wait while President Lyons visits the High Council later today, and many are hoping for an answer as soon as possible.