ELECTION: RNC/UP launches smear campaign-compares Norton & Buchanan to a 'toilet'

Former RNC Titulian president and Unity Party leader Julian has hit out at former Presidents Norton and Buchanan on day two of the presidential nomination period for the Dec '10/Jan '11 elections.

In the graphic advertisement endorsed by the Unity Party with ties to the RNC aligned CAApac (file saved as "caapactoilet.png"), Julian compared Mr Norton and Ms Buchanan to a toilet with the slogan "vote for someone that will clean up the mess they made".


LRP secretary Malinda Noble labelled the advertisement as 'disgraceful campaigning' while runner up for the veep nomination Cara Dellahunty called on Mr Julian to apologise for the advertisement's 'poor taste'.

Meanwhile, LRP presidential candidate TJ Norton hit back in a letter to the republic on his blog, which calls the ad 'a desperate attempt to rebrand the worst stains in [on] the political field'.

No word yet from Mr Norton's competitor, former RNC leader Luxis Avaram. Mr Norton has honoured his only opponent (so far) saying he has 'tremendous respect' for Mr Avaram and Norton calls on his counterpart to denounce what he refers to as 'grotty tactics'.

"I'm all for respectful criticism but it crosses the line when you characterise your opponents to the bowel of a toilet", Norton said.

"That's beyond disgraceful and if not for me .. I would like to see Julian gain the common decency to write a public apology to my running mate [Buchanan]. Obviously this fellow has little respect for women and it's not only in bad taste it's completely out of order", Norton said.

LRP political analyst Todd Richards commented that the advertisement should be pulled if the RNC/UP campaign had an interest in the independent vote.

"The non affiliated vote has played a crucial factor in election contests as far back as before I was a citizen", Richards said.

"Previous polls and voting attitudes highlight negative advertising as a key turn off for independent and swinging voters. Good news for us but that's no excuse to take the low road".

Norton challenged Mr Julian and the RNC/UP campaign to 'take one small step towards progress' and repair the divisions caused by the conservative parties in the past week.

Over the past few days Mr Julian has accused the outgoing Wilberforce government and the LRP hopeful of 'corruption' despite producing no evidence and the matter being squashed by both sides to the conflict. Citizens throughout the republic have suspected the RNC and UP of deliberating causing the rift between the politicians due to the RNC's continued campaign against the LRP for the legislature's impeachment of former Norton VP Owen Merry.

The Express will stay on the story and attempt to seek comment from the Republican and Unity Party leadership.

ELECTION COVERAGE: The December 2010/January 2011 elections

Tomorrow marks the start of the first election for president and vice president of the republic to take office in 2011. It has been the latest time in the preelection cycle before intending candidates came out to declare standing, with only one citizen (newcomer UP aligned Remi Delarue) coming out during the past term indicating they might run.

The LRP has commenced balloting for their president and vice presidential candidates, with current leader and former Titulian president TJ Norton tipped to receive the nomination. Sources inside the party say the veep contest is wide open with five candidates standing including former Titulian president Renee Buchanan, policy committee chair Todd Richards, delegate Chris Hoyt, entertainment guru Lisa Carpenter and senior counsel Cara Dellahunty.

Party secretary Malinda Noble has confirmed that her party will still take interest from non LRP candidates for vice president, though it will be a 'tough fit' compared to previous elections.

"We've looked outside the party or even left it the presidential nominee to nominate an external vice presidential candidate but never had so much interest in the no 2 spot before" Noble said.

Asked whether she believed it narrows the race to party cordons, Ms Noble rejected that the focus was a 'one size-fits all'.

"Five months ago the importance of the vice presidency was put on display during a vote on impeachment of the presidency. Not many campaigns have been typically concerned with the no 2 on the ticket but that attitude has changed now. This isn't about picking someone by throwing darts at a board and choosing whoever it hits this is now about choosing a potential president rather than a vice president".

Candidate for the vice presidential nomination and party political strategist Todd Richards agreed with Noble's assessment saying it was time the LRP took its VP selections 'more seriously'.

"The party is right to boast good choices for President, though I believe one of our weaknesses has been the way we have selected the second in charge" said Richards.

The LRP's two terms in government saw the election of the RNC's Owen Merry and former Titulian president, the Linardist's Gregory Hock, as its vice presidents.

Mr Merry was put under the microscope for his frequent disruptions in cabinet meetings and taking aim at political opponents during meetings of inter party dialogue. These actions resulted in Merry's impeachment as VP. Mr Hock's tenure as vice president was no where near as controversial, although former Buchanan government colleagues have said Hock rarely weighed in on cabinet discussions.

Presidential nomination candidate TJ Norton said he would be 'thrilled to work with whoever the party decided upon'.

"I would be more than satisfied with whoever the party picked to run with me - inside or outside of the party - and that opinion extends to our tenure in Liberty House" said Norton.

"It's going to be a tremendous term of work ahead to take Titulia forward".

Stay here at the Express as the candidates get into gear for the December 2010/January 2011 election.

- Happy New Year to our readers

LRP camps on Admin's doorstep over legislation passage

The Liberal Republican Party has issued an open letter to the ADMIN of Titulia in the hope of getting their attention on legislation passed this term. LRP president TJ Norton sent the letter following a conference policy committee meeting, where the legislation started off last month.

"The Administrators don't have a lot of work to do with these bills. This is what the party .. and quite rightly so .. wants answers to. It shouldn't be taking long to implement because there are no far reaching website implications despite changing a '5' to a '0' in a database. I think this is a bipartisan measure" said Norton.

Out of the two pieces of legislation passed by the citizen congress, the constitutional amendment requires only a text change to the constitution that ratifies into law how governments have operated over a long period of time. Issues covered include granting the whole of the executive branch operational power to hold and disperse funds, the long awaited answer on how to impeach all executive officials and the oversight in place to prevent abuse of power.

The second law was to remove the ADMIN provision that required presidential candidates to gain five nomination votes before they were allowed on the ballot. The LRP conceded that to make the bill bipartisan, a trial run was necessary and the vote would expire on 1 March 2011 unless repealed or extended earlier.

"It's what the people want" Norton said. "The Administrators have been saying forever that these were citizen issues but as a legislature body no one had any idea where to start. This day belongs to Reg Ambrose who found the answer in more ways than one".

Former LRP president and current Attorney General Reg Ambrose said he was pleased the people of Titulia came together where it counted the most.

"We come from different areas of society and can look at things very differently. I have found that Titulia citizens agree with protecting our democratic institution and these two acts of parliament honour our state" said Ambrose.

The Express will stay on this report and will ask ADMIN for comment in the next article.

BREAKING: LRP and Government settle dispute on GC nom eruption

At 6:00 pm Australian Eastern time, LRP president TJ Norton advised the Titulia legislature that the ongoing dispute with the Government has ended. The dispute arose shortly before Christmas Day between Vice President Reformer and LRP legislators following the rejected nominations of Boyd X. Biggs and later replacement nominee William D. Money to the Titulian bench.

"After speaking with the Vice President privately I consider this matter closed", said Norton in a short statement to legislators. When sought for comment on what transpired from the conversation, Mr Norton responded that it ".. cleared up what had occurred and each side understood where the other came from".

Asked to give specifics, the LRP leader gave no comment and said he deemed the conversation to be private.

"If it gets leaked like the rest - so be it. No one did anything wrong and if it does get released there is the positive side that it will prove the LRP's innocence to the ridiculous allegations made by the RNC and UP parties" said Norton.

"This is one of those rare times when despite the natural curiosity and query arising from such an event - no one did anything wrong, immoral, illegal or the like. No one promised money or favour through both overlapping administrations to the event and we can all decamp from the issue holding our heads high".

In the post to legislators, Norton hit back at the Titulian Conservative and the RNC/UP alliance's accusations.

"If the TC wants to carry it on then be it on their heads", Norton concluded.

The end of the post nomination debacle that brought Titulia to a standstill comes on the eve of the presidential election season which kicks off tomorrow.

Stay tuned for your election coverage at the Titulia Express.

Sparks fly over GC nomination scandal: RNC and UP allege 'corruption'

The Christmas season, largely expected to be a festive time in the republic, has manifested into a war of words in the wake of the failed General Court nominations of retiring Associate Justice Boyd X. Biggs and former president William D. Money. With the president on his way out of Liberty House, the circumstances behind the administration's defeat in the Titulia legislature are emerging and has sent the most powerful in the state's political arena into a public relations furore.

Former Titulian president Julian of the new Unity Party has released a series of WikiLeaks-styled messages conveyed to him through outgoing vice president Reformer, which allege the LRP was "corrupt" during the process to fill the vacant seat on the General Court following the expired Biggs term.

As reported in the Titulian Conservative, RNC leader jp9893 and UP leader Julian allege the messages ".. may show evidence of corrupt bargaining" despite not yet releasing any evidence of a monetary or political exchange between the government or the Liberal Republican Party.

LRP member and co-creator of The J-Dawgs web series Chris Hoyt commented that the breadth of the event is 'top value'.

"This is great news for Titulia's entertainment division. The teenagers are doing what they're good at making up stories and giving us plenty of cool material to use in the [J-Dawgs] series" he said.

On the political front, LRP president TJ Norton has demanded the Titulian Conservative and their affiliated parties produce evidence of corruption or issue an apology, failing that with a likely suit in Titulia's federal court.

"The [LRP] party has taken legal advice and our attorneys believe we're in a strong position to file for injunctive relief and seek damages against the [Titulian Conservative] paper. The TC Media Corporation has fabricated many gross claims about the LRP .. but we stand in applause of the right to freedom of speech even when every claim against us to date has been ridiculous".

"However, alleging criminal activity when there is no evidence of a corrupt exchange is where we draw the line and we will defend any such allegations against us by availing ourselves of every tool at our disposal under Titulian law", Mr Norton said.

Party secretary Malinda Noble and policy committee chair Todd Richards have weighed into the ongoing saga, with Noble today claiming that Mr Julian is 'the last person to position himself as a leader against corruption'.

"It was less than six months ago when then President Julian was impeached from office for organising far greater than a legislative discussion on judicial nominees", Ms Noble said.

In a chat transcript released by Julian himself, it was revealed that the-then RNC candidate for president of the republic promised Linardist president William D. Money the renomination of former member and Justice Boyd X Biggs in exchange for Mr Money's support and that of his party in the presidential election.

Mr Julian later condemned his own agreement with Money as 'dirty' despite many across the aisle standing by the Linardist leader for doing nothing more than 'standing up for the interests of his party'.

Then-LRP president and current Attorney General Reg C Ambrose said of the now coined Juliangate drama: ".. in the end it did more damage to Julian's credibility than it did for Bill [Money]. The man [Money] was looking out for his party and that's all a party president's job is, to be its representative and negotiate its case", said Ambrose (Exclusive with the LRP: 9 Sept 2010)

Norton has defended his role in the negotiations as a party leader advocating the best people for the Court.

"I think the first step is to take a look at Titulian history. The whip process for whoever is believed to be the best for a position in any branch of our Government is a common practice throughout", Mr Norton said.

"As President .. I opened the vetting process to the most bilateral standard set by any chief executive to date. I consulted every major party leader on nominations and those leaders were free to express whatever they wished .. whether I agreed with them or not".

Mr Norton said the behaviour of the Government and the RNC/UP alliance in the aftermath of the nomination rejections 'left a lot to be desired'.

"On one hand I'm not surprised because these kinds of expressions aren't new for the impeached and disgraced former President Julian. I am surprised that Vice President Reformer has weighed in how he has but I won't describe our issues with Reformer as being one and the same as with Julian".

"I am disappointed however that Reformer is back in bed with Julian again as was the case under the Brady Administration when the SDP had the RNC in its back pocket. Less than a week into the foundation of Julian's so-called "Unity" party it's not surprising he's up to the same divisive and partisan activities as usual".

"It's sour grapes on Reformer's part and political opportunism by conveying lies on Julian's part", concluded Norton.

No word yet from the Department of Justice on whether there will be a special prosecutor assigned to investigate the claims made by TC Media Corporation and the RNC/UP alliance, though it has been welcomed by the LRP leadership.

Stay tuned as the story unfolds on the eve of the December 2010/January 2011 presidential election.

-Happy New Year to our readers.


Ed: The Titulia Express apologies to Julian Assange of WikiLeaks for any offence taken in the unintentional comparison to WikiLeaks and the Editor of the Titulian Conservative 'Julian'. The Express recognises the integrity of WikiLeaks journalism.

POLITICS: NOV. LRP CONFERENCE WRAP UP

SPECIAL EDITION: THE NOVEMBER 2010 LIBERAL REPUBLICAN FEDERAL CONFERENCE

It's conference time for the Liberal Republican Party once again and it's been full of debate and emotion due to the events of the past week.

Party founder Leah Carmody made an appearance to thank members for their expressions, visits and gifts and to thank US and UK members new to the Titulian party who were only too glad to pay their respects in the wake of the passing of her mother, Christine, last week.

Acting party president TJ Norton opened the conference with the traditional acknowledgement to the native peoples of the world and a special moment of silence for the Carmody family.

A motion of thanks was successfully proposed to honour the immediate former party president, current attorney general Reg Ambrose, who stood down from the position midterm. Conference committees presented their reports and made few changes to existing policy positions.

Honouring the old and the new: changes to the LRP leadership

This conference has seen the largest change in the party's leadership since its inception in May. In addition to the party presidency, branch and committee figures have also changed hands.

COMMITTEE CHANGES

The party's two standing policy committees - Development; and Justice and Public Law Reform - were disbanded and merged into a central committee, aptly titled "the Policy Committee".

The structural changed dissolved the chairmanships of public law reform chair Todd Richards and development chair Cara Dellahunty. In the nomination ballot for the new central policy committee, Todd Richards and Cara Dellahunty were elected unopposed to the posts of chair and deputy chair respectively.

BRANCH NAME CHANGES

Conference resolved that the party's central branch "GOP" was overdue for a name change. The original name was adopted as a political statement when the foundation membership of the LRP were run out of their original RNC branch for being 'too liberal'.

Former president Reg Ambrose proposed that the time had come for a change.

"The names of our party units must reflect who we are as a party ....other branches have adopted the name of their location or grouping. Is this something we should consider?" said Ambrose in his floor speech.

It was agreed to change the name of the branch. After several suggestions were proposed a proposal was taken and by an up or down vote of 12-2 the name 'Brisbane City Branch' was officially adopted.

A notion was put that Reg Ambrose will be entered as the second and last president of the GOP branch, with the new branch presidential election to be conducted under its new name.

BRANCH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

The vacancy of the Brisbane City (formerly GOP) branch presidency was conducted under new Titulia site rules introduced after the transition that removed the qualification to stringently conduct branch presidential contests contingent of the party presidency.

Two nominations were moved and seconded: Renee Buchanan and John Baxter. A ballot was conducted, with Renee Buchanan easily succeeding to become the first leader of the new branch.

DEPUTY PRESIDENT

Renee Buchanan was nominated for the position and was elected unopposed.

PARTY PRESIDENT

Special guest, founder and first LRP president Leah Carmody was applauded for her rousing speech to conference, much due out of personal support in the wake of her mother's recent passing.

In her address, she congratulated acting party president TJ Norton for successfully leading the party to its victory in ousting the establishment government after only its third contested election. Ms Carmody also had plenty of praise for Renee Buchanan in succeeding Norton, as she did for Reg Ambrose in representing the party's core beliefs of fairness, balance and good public law as the attorney general under presidents Buchanan and McVicker.

"and you all said you would die without me" Carmody joked.

In her first address about Titulia since her long expired ban was imposed by the General Court, the founder commented on her love of family and friendship as her inspiration not to return to Titulia.

"Life brings new meaning when you're raising a daughter, a career and now taking care of your Dad. Mum was still with us when I stepped away from Titulia and I had little time to do a really good job then" said Carmody.

"I joined up at first to help out a mate and not long after it drew me into it and I too became interested. Titulia presented an opportunity to put my skills and my talents to use to help out building the digital nation".

In questions without notice from the conference floor, new member and film maker Carl Horner asked her if she had any regrets or bad memories of Titulia.

"Do I harbour any bad memories or feelings toward anyone? That's crazy not in the least. I do regret not being able to fight my case on merit and real common law".

Prompting a question about the case that determined the LRP to succeed more than ever, acting party president TJ Norton asked the practising solicitor and former leader at what point did she feel it was over for her, both for her legal plight and for her future in Titulia.

"My greatest disappointment wasn't the judgement but how the case was heard and what the court applied in its reasons for adopting the judgement weighting. It was obvious after the submissions were entered that the judicial system in Titulia wasn't anywhere near based on a true respect of real common law or practice pursuit. If it had been and I say this with humility that my case would have been thrown out on at least four different points of law " she answered.

When asked what she thought about party co founder James Matthews taking robes on the Titulian bench, Carmody responded that it 'represented a spark of hope for Titulia'.

"Titulia struggled so much with setting up a good system of government that works. it needs a judiciary of talented lawyers and an executive of experienced policy servants. I would have never thought that Jim excuse me 'Justice' Matthews would have ever made it through. He's a tough lawyer but extremely fair minded in his approach to the law. It represents a spark of hope for its [Titulia's] future".

Taking one last question before the nominations and balloting for the position she originally held, Mr Norton asked her what she believes a party president's qualities should be.

"It's not for me to say that's up to the members but that's the point isn't it? Our party was founded on the platform and I'm glad it continues to be so that the party president has no actual power other than to engage, argue for and represent the decisions of the party members. That's a powerful quality that has always and seems to continue to separate the LRP from other Titulian parties" she said.

"The LRP was never and hopefully it will never take a top down attitude to policies or decisions. The LRP is the party for all that want to direct what it does and not just be the voice of the people but the people themselves be its voice. if there's any one thing candidates to be the next party president should think about ask yourselves 'can I lead like that?' If anyone can truly answer yes then that makes all that do good candidates for the job".

In her closing, Ms Carmody extended her thanks to everyone who made the LRP the success it has been.

"To me you're not some political party on a computer-I knew most of you before Titulia existed and I will know you after its gone. You're part of my family and have ben for a long time. I love you all like my sisters and brothers and I hope you do well. Thanks and toodle-oo".

The next party president: nominations opened

TJ Norton was elected by majority vote.

PARTY SECRETARY

Malinda Noble was reelected unopposed as party secretary, the most senior leadership member to remain since the day the party was established.

This concluded day one.

DAY TWO

New LRP president TJ Norton opened the floor for the question of the next government elections to be held in three days. Conference decided to delay consideration until talks were held with the current government, though it reserved its decision to contest the vice presidency.

Thanks to all LRP members for permitting the Express to record contents of the conference for dictation and reporting.

'J Dawgs' prove hit in satirical media

Creators of satirical new Titulian web series The J Dawgs are on the move as they release their line up of follow on clips on YouTube. Creators Lisa Carpenter and Chris Hoyt came up with the idea of satirising the political establishment, taking a poking iron to both government and opposition MPs alike.

"[Titulia] is boring as shit at the moment so Lis and I got together and thought of something people would want to follow" said Co creator Chris Hoyt.

Co creator Lisa Carpenter was surprised by the quick take up above and beyond Titulia's borders.

"I checked out the party's channel [on Youtube] this morning and saw that 27 people have watched the pilot so far. I thought holy shit that's more than visit Titulia in a week".

Today the web series entrepreneurs released a 10 second opening titles sequence with the track Hey J Dawg! with annotations to the next succeeding episode for faster viewing. They have also released their second instalment in the comedy sketch titled Campaign Routines but with a change in characters.






"We've used a combination of web creation technology site Xtranormal as well as our own software to spice it up more than XN can provide" said Hoyt.

"Through feedback received we've also made some minor touches to the series. For instance you'll now notice in ep 2 that we swapped around the characters so 'J Dawg' as was known from the pilot is now 'J2 Dawg' and vice versa. We've also changed the voice for [the new] J2 Dawg so he'll have his own unique sound".

Hoyt doesn't think the changes will impact the future success of the show.

"Pilots are there for a reason. It's to put something out there and see how others react. Anyone used to seeing this with television shows will notice more substantial changes that go as far as changing actors before the second episode comes out".

"....and this is Titulia too. If we put up a big poster in the background with the words 'fu-- yourself' I'd be surprised if anyone noticed".

When asked what we can expect for the future of the web nation's crazy canines, Carpenter (the editing queen of the series) was as off the charts as her new web show.

"I can proudly say that it looks like Titulia has gone to 'the dawgs' ", referring to the name of the show.

Stay at the Express for the scoop on every new episode that comes the way of the webisphere!

Express applauds launch of satirical media

By Editor John Baxter

The ongoing battle between the LRP and RNC camps has taken on a whole new level. Both parties have taken to satirical media as a way to entertain the republic and add flavour to the grey state, using their media factories to pump out one laugh after another.

Here at the Express we give it a big 10/10 for effort. Keep them coming.

The J-Dawgs: Episode 1 (Pilot)




TNC News parody: Vote for "Blondie"

Profile:Titulia covers Todd Richards

Profile:Titulia is a new column started at the Express covering Titulians and telling their story.

The first profile subject is senior LRP political strategist and campaigns director Todd Richards.

Little known behind the scenes numbers man Todd Richards has been the force of electoral strength for Titulia’s largest political party. In every campaign the Liberal Republicans have led, Richards hit the jackpot each and every time. With two successful elections under his belt, there’s no end in sight for the continued success of the centrist political movement in the republic.

The Express thanks Mr Richards for agreeing to speak with us as part of our latest Profile:Titulia lifestyle column.

Ed: Todd Richards thanks for the interview. You’re kind of a mystery man when it comes to Titulian politics. Former presidents have praised you, pointed to you and yet you never take a bow. Excuse my being abrupt-is that modesty or embarrassment?

TRichards: Thank you. I always loved numbers and data analysis. At school I pondered a future in mathematics or statistics though it soon became apparent it shrouded by true calling in law. I enjoy Titulia because it keeps up my passion for demography and electoral strategy. I like my low profile intact and to be a small part of the larger engine and by remaining focused on one goal the more concentrated the end result is.

Ed: Right from the start since the LRP’s registration you’ve had the lead hand in shaping the increased success of every campaign contested in the journey from opposition to government. I’m sure others would like to know what are the magic ingredients to a good campaign?

TRichards: I don’t believe it’s possible in a web creation like Titulia to adhere to any specific formula or checklist though I do stick to constant electoral principles that contribute heavily towards political success in any sphere. A consistent, clear and coherent campaign message has set the LRP apart and I take past results to confirm its value.

Ed: The first campaign you directed was for former Liberal Republican president Leah Carmody. You brought a first time party against a popular opponent in at 40%. The next you ran came in at 46%, followed by Norton’s third and successful run at 53%. The last LRP run you took it out for 60% of the vote going to Renee Buchanan.

Out of all the strategies you took to the candidates what was the greatest deployed?

TRichards: Like before when you used the cooking analogy, a good chef never reveals all. I am truthfully modest about any role I played that contributed to the strength of these campaigns. A lot of the reason I find was the efforts of the candidates in the field. I pitched in from a marketing and strategy take and I can only wish that it had helped. There’s never any way of knowing for sure how successful individual efforts are. It’s the group effort that matters.

Ed: What advice would you give to any political aspirant who might one day want to run for office?

TRichards: Above all be clear in the campaign’s message. Over the course of the campaign period walk softly and slowly. The slightest error can easily bog the vehicle and stall momentum.

Titulian politics in particular reminds me of the Battle of Gallipoli between the Australians and the Turks. The greatest single casualty take was the moment they landed and it was inevitable. Our soldiers needed to take the hill, similarly with the American plight on Okinawa. When the opportunity presents that’s when you should advance.

Sometimes there is no option but to push forward even if it’s unwise though the best manoeuvre is to not needlessly rush. Watch your opponent, know your opponent and seize the opportunity when it presents.

Ed: Great advice. This has been an interview with the Liberal Republican Party campaign director and senior strategist Todd Richards. Thanks a bunch.

TRichards: Thank you and congratulations on the success of your paper.

Ed: appreciated.

Check up next week for our exclusive with former Titulian president and now deputy LRP president TJ Norton, LRP secretary Malinda Noble and commentary from none other than Todd Richards himself.

POLITICS: WRAP UP OF LRP OCTOBER CONFERENCE DAY ONE

The Liberal Republican Party completed their first day of their monthly conference yesterday, with the second day to commence in a little over nine hours. Day one's agenda dealt with the acceptance and debate of the party's two committee meeting reports from development and the justice and public law reform committees, questions without notice to party and government leadership in attendance on matters of member interest and adoption of amended and new policies.

Reaction from the party eminence to the first day's proceedings was positive, giving new members who hadn't previously had a chance to address conference the opportunity to do so. Conference secretary Christopher Hoyt was the presiding officer for all sessions.

"It was a fun first day, everyone was organised and it ran well. The hardest part was working against time zones this month and the new conference system but we sorted it", Mr Hoyt said.

Envisaging that some of the membership were going to be abroad this conference on real life work related business, the conference was shifted to Skype this month which allowed the moderator the ability to call on and moderate speakers with ease, with non speakers able to listen in and take part in the LRP's premier event.

Day two resumes at business voted to carry over for further debate from day one, with Titulian president Renee Buchanan scheduled to address conference at 4:00pm Eastern to thank members for their work over the past month. The nightly session will feature the official legislative elections balloting for candidates to contest three of Titulia's districts.

Day three contains a floor speech from former Titulian president and innovation secretary TJ Norton on the future of the republic.

Conference is traditionally used to decide the party's presidential and vice presidential nominations for the following election period, although sources say sitting president Buchanan has yet to make a decision on reelection. Should Buchanan decide to call it a day after conference is finished on day three, a special nominations meeting will convene at a time to be determined.

Ed: Thanks to Chris Hoyt and Malinda Noble for taking questions for this report.

TECHNEWS: EXPRESS GOES LIVE ON TWITTER

Titulia Express has debuted on Twitter today and created a unique hash tag system for news categories.

All Express stories are easily identified by the #tex_ hash tag followed by the abbreviated news category. Adopted tags are #tex_govnews, #tex_business, #tex_technews, #tex_lhelect, #tex_legelect, #tex_sports, #tex_live.

To follow us visit twitter.com/tituliaexpress

Board response to the Titulian Conservative Group of newspapers

It has come to the attention of the Express that unnamed representatives of the Titulian Conservative newspaper group have defamed our newspaper for it's reporting methods. It was news to us at the Express that there was ever any tension between the two companies.

Our board was always under the impression that the Titulian Conservative newspaper, though hard right-wing in it's reporting, was independent of any political organisation. We were aware that shareholding in the board comprised members of the RNC, but interested to discover only today how much influence the Republican National Committee had over the TC Media Corporation. Up until this week, the group had only ever pointed to the RNC Daily as their sole political party publication.

It was suggested in previous weeks that TC Media may have also been in receipt of corporate support from the Social Democratic Party although we have not found any evidence to back this claim.

It has been put in criticism of the Express that our newspaper operates solely for the benefit of the Liberal Republican Party. In the interests of corporate transparency, not all editors at the Express are members of the LRP. The Express has one full time editor and several contributing editors with a carried interest, expertise of research or skill to aide a story's reporting. This ethical standard supports our counter claim that the Express is the most balanced in Titulian journalism.

The Express supports healthy competition for the best reporting, although attacking a competitor for covering issues that Titulia cares about is spiritless, scurrilous and a cheek. Any Titulian can ask the Express to cover a story at any time. We do our best to ensure all sides of a story are told with equal weighting. It's not the fault of editors if the story is published without sufficient bias applied on the view of the reader. We are a registered news company, not a polling or opinion group.

Only through the diversity of Titulia's national media can all citizens be assured that the best coverage of news and issues are reported. We take no issue with the Titulian Conservative group of papers reporting on what they wish. It does raise the question on how confident they must be with their reporting technique if they see the need to unduly attack their competition, however if they take issue with the Titulia Express that is no fault of ours.

John Baxter
Editor

Cabinet hits back on SDP attack

The government has hit back with full force at former commerce secretary and SDP stanchion Gerry Brady over his attack on the Buchanan-Hock administration.

Secretary TJ Norton was first up to the plate to denounce Brady's comments, saying it was poor form from his former team member.

"Gerry often said that we should find ways to work together .. but his comments singled out the SDP and make it nothing more than a political ploy. This demonstrates once and for all that Gerry's sole motivation is to play personal politics and is disgraceful", Norton said.

"If he [Brady] went all the way and was completely honest with the citizenry, he'll also tell you that I was disappointed that there wasn't a better commerce initiative last term. However, like most than came before me I accepted what could get passed in the legislature. My final point in this is critical - Gerry never offered to whip the votes for the Housing Act, either. That goes to show how much support he really gives to his team".

Next up Secretary Dennis McVicker weighed in against the SDP campaign saying that the government was putting forward it's agenda, opting to formulate more careful policy that moving rash initiatives that weren't properly researched and assessed.

The latest but certainly not least hit out of the ballpark came from the boss herself, President Renee Buchanan. The president questioned Brady's motives ahead of the election.

"He's still sad about the Wilberforce loss and it's well known Gerry lacks the maturity to separate politics from service. Titulia remembers this from when he was president and is the perfect poster child not to take Titulia backwards to that era of socialist government", she said.

LRP secretary Malinda Noble said this was nothing new from the Social Democratic Party.

"A do nothing party [SDP] taking a do nothing stance. They couldn't fulfil any of their proposals without Admin and that puts their lack of ability to carry forward an agenda front row for examination. They have no integrity, they had the chance and they blew it every way possible", she said.

"Two months of government reforms can't erase over a year of direct influence by the SDP and their failure to secure Titulia's future. Mr Brady is the last person to be in a position to assign blame. He brings shame to the Social Democratic party".

Stay tuned here at the Express as it's game on for October.

President calls on cabinet to lift game

Titulian president Renee Buchanan will call on her cabinet to up their game in a planned address to them tomorrow. Sources close to the administration have confirmed the executive's patience is wearing thin after being promised action by the team she chose to lead and very few stepping up from the government building.

Of her six member team only innovation secretary TJ Norton and chief of staff Luxis Avaram have shown they have what it takes, carrying the load of the remaining gang of three Gregory Hock, Dennis McVicker and Alex Pijanowski. According to sources almost no contact has been received from the three since taking office.

President Buchanan issued a stern rebuke to former commerce secretary Gerry Brady in commenting on the drop in republic activity. Reports say Mr Brady was offered the same job he carried out under Norton and was declined due to work commitments.

"He obviously has time to sign on and whinge why not put his talents to actual use?" said the official.

Former president and current innovation secretary TJ Norton said he felt offended by his former cabinet member's comments made in relation to innovation.

"I respect Gerry for having an opinion, but that does not mean I have to respect the opinion itself or his remarks", Norton said.

"My department and others are out there on a daily basis searching for new technologies to improve the attractiveness of Titulia, all the while copping this kind of criticism. So far this term myself and others have invested our own real money into software and advertising campaigns for Titulia's benefit and this is the thanks we get?"

"That's a new low and I couldn't believe Gerry would go that far until I saw the comment came from him. No one disagrees we need to do more but there is a bipartisan workload conducted by Titulia's best and that takes time. I don't see Gerry [Brady] offering to put his hand in his own pocket".

Secretary Norton said the attraction problems start with effective use of talent.

"Some of our most notable citizens have certain talents but very few have actually been put to use in their fields of expertise. I don't pretend to know how to fix a car or build roads so I would never accept the position of Secretary for Transportation. I'd ask for some respect for my work and considering my corporate track record in technology I believe I'm entitled to it".

"Gerry knows numbers - he wouldn't know the arse end of a SQL file or even what extension it has. He should stick to what he knows best because he knows nothing about innovative construction".

Chief of staff Avaram is set to meet Norton this week for the first discussion on innovation and the work ahead for Titulia's future. Stay tuned at the Express for post interview analysis from LRP political guru Todd Richards.

NEW LIBERTY HOUSE PUTS CABINET TOGETHER

New president Renee Buchanan has put her cabinet team together all in her first day in the new job. The president has nominated her predecessor TJ Norton (LRP) for the new portfolio of innovation, a merger of her old job of infrastructure with an emphasis on better technology and what she refers to as 'the ideas economy'.

Other cabinet nominations include former round 1 opponent Dennis McVicker (Libertarian) for commerce, Alex Pijanowski (SDP) returning to arts and Reg Ambrose (LRP) taking on attorney general. All have been presented for confirmation.

Stay here at the Express as President Buchanan's government takes shape and gets on with the job.

BUCHANAN-HOCK ELECTED WITH 60% OF THE VOTE

For the past term they have served the republic in the Titulia Government building and they will continue to serve for another term: only now they will serve from next door in Liberty House.

Former president Norton has moved out and new president Renee Buchanan and vice president Gregory Hock have moved into the executive office and residential building.

The final count had Buchanan at 21 votes (60%) to Wilberforce at 14 (40%) and secured a second term for the Liberal Republican Party in the driver's seat of the executive branch. The new president hasn't wasted any time getting to work and thanked the people of Titulia for their support.

"I am thankful for the trust placed in me and I look forward to the term", said the president.

Former president TJ Norton has praised his successor and viewed the work of the term ahead as 'positive'.

"Renee has certain gifts that can't be ignored .. probably more than I. I wish her all the best as she takes on the new role and I am available to provide every possible support .. as she did for me".

LRP political analyst Todd Richards called the result surprising in the wake of strong anti-government votes in the first round and said the climb in support was welcomed, but remains a mystery.

"Winding up she [Buchanan] increased the LRP's margin by a further 7% on top of last election. That concurs with the pattern of every election since Carmody with the one exception of the Merry/Ambrose campaign ran by the RNC", he said.

"I'm not going to dwell on it because it's a secret ballot and no one is ever going to know except ADMIN. Watching the strategy of the SDP campaign and factoring in other anti LRP sentiment there is some conjecture about how 'rank and file' the turnout truly was. There's no other explanation other than some split voting from the other parties who pledged to back Wilberforce. To reach this result that had to be the situation".

Taking in Richards' analysis, LRP secretary Malinda Noble remarked a growing interest in the LRP government's alternative was the recipe for victory.

"The strong outside support for the LRP had to come from people who remembered what life was like before we came along. This tells us that our message is working and we can't afford to take Titulia backwards", she said.

LRP members used today as a double celebration to also mark former president Norton's birthday in southern Brisbane.

The Express congratulates President Buchanan and Vice President Hock, along with thanking President Norton for his service.

SDP stalwart joins Liberal Republicans

Historical 'badboy' of Titulia Matthew Ingebritson has left the Social Democratic Party and joined the Liberal Republican Party.

LRP secretary Malinda Noble welcomed the former SDP leadership candidate and says she looks forward to pulling up a chair for him at the next State Conference after the election.

"It's warming to have Titulian experience in the party", she said. "Matthew has a place at the leadership table".

Newly installed LRP deputy leader and departing president of the republic TJ Norton joined in saying Ingebritson has provided the colour needed in the ailing state.

"Some of his ways are definitely out there but you can't say it's a dull moment with Matt around. Great to have him", the president said.

The LRP's new star recruit said he respected the SDP and all they achieved under former president Eric Meissner.

"The guys [SDP members] are awesome and theyre my brothas no matter what. The Liberal Repubs add the fun and have the toolbox to fix Titulia and I want to be part of it", Mr Ingebritson said.

It comes at a bad time for the Wilberforce campaign when it has yet to engage with the public at all and the LRP catching up for a showdown finish.

Stay tuned at the Express for continued coverage of the September 2010 election.

Buchanan gives nod to McVicker for Commerce as her team takes shape

LRP presidential candidate Renee Buchanan has named round 1 opponent Dennis McVicker (RNC) as her choice for secretary of commerce should the contender achieve election on Sept 26. Calling the appointment 'consensus building', Buchanan is the only candidate to have made any headway on establishing a workable government.

"We can work together and there's a lot of space to merge both agendas into one platform", she said.

Responding to questions on campaign disagreements between Republicans and Linardists, Buchanan dispelled the internal wrangling as 'regular'.

"I'm running the campaign for Titulia and following the president's example of leadership to get people together who have ideas and experience to bring", she said. "What's discussed with other parties stays between us and them and I'm not going to comment unless that changes. I'm not interested in partisan game playing and taking Titulia back to the start this is about tomorrow and the future".

When asked why McVicker got the nod for the chief finance officer's role, Buchanan said she 'appreciated the debate'.

Rumour has it that she will be tapping Luxis Avaram (RNC) on the shoulder next for chief of staff.

"Dennis campaigned for a lot of suggestions close to what I want to achieve as president. We both agree there's a lot of work to do to make Titulia attractive to the outside world".

Buchanan said the main attraction issue was the slow uptake of infrastructure by previous administrations.

"Titulia should be more competitive in the online nation market and it's not even close. I have tried to recruit more friends from my rl [real life] political party and the one's that didn't sign up thought it looked like a school yard joke".

She took her hat off to Double D Constructions for its building program.

"This was one example of how government and business worked together and gave some life to the poor state of the city's development".

As secretary for infrastructure Buchanan was the president's point person in developing the first non expiring service packages to keep private enterprise developing the web sites and not letting them go out of date.

"Our sites need to be regularly updated and the service packages come with the expectation that it will now be done. A great result", she said.

A Buchanan-Hock government is taking shape with people in place to fill infrastructure, arts and now commerce. The coveted role of attorney general remains a mystery and unlikely to be taken up before the end of the election.

Reports say outgoing commerce secretary Gerry Brady and chief of staff Reformer (both SDP) declined Buchanan's invitation to serve citing life commitments (Brady) and no reason given (Reformer). Secretary Buchanan wished them well.

There are persistent rumours of a possible legal challenge if Wilberforce is elected, citing that the candidate is in breach of legislation and Admin rulings over failure to declare a vice presidential candidate before the end of nominations. This almost cost President Norton and SDP candidate Reformer in the last election until an allowance was accepted due to the new web site's difficulties with signing in.

The Titulia Admin has since confirmed via their weblog that no other sign in issues have presented and the only remaining issue exists with crossover to the old site. They have supplied an easy fix to that and Titulians have widely known about this for weeks now. As the old site services continue to migrate over, any problems with using the old site are now minimal with not much usage at all since the transition of propositions and polls.

Stay here at the Express for your complete coverage of the September 2010 election!

Ed: thanks to John Baxter and Todd Richards for contributing to this report.

Politics and psychology examined in online experiments

The recent revelations and changes in the political environment now put the race into a new perspective, with Buchanan well on her way to filling her potential new government and Wilberforce off in the scrub.

Titulia's legal and medico-legal circles met last last night to discuss the growth in political and psychological development as the experiment goes to a whole new level.

LRP analyst Todd Richards calls the race 'enthralling' while many are trying to avoid falling asleep.

"It isn't what you might expect an election to look like", he said. ".. but you need to look on the bright side of this".

"We often speak about how Titulia is a place of learning and an experiment. This is another part to that. In the real world we'd see how policy shapes the outcome, where in this election we're learning about the fascinating political mechanisations that determine reaction rather than a candidate's or party's manifesto".

LRP president Reg Ambrose compared the race to The Manchurian Candidate.

"It does appear that Todd and Luxis [Avaram] have found a key element that no one seems to have previously explored in any great detail. The sporadic swing vote to an absentee nominee that not many people know about is magnificent".

"The other most recent example of politically strategic warfare was seen in the James Matthews confirmation, where the debate focused on personal events and other interests instead of focusing on the credibility of the nominee".

"This is a valuable academic starting point to study the electoral psychology of the entire on line political conclave. It's thought-provoking".

On the verge of completing her second doctorate LRP development committee chairwoman Cara Dellahunty agreed, although urged caution so as not to wrongly interpret the paradigm.

Dr Dellahunty has over 31 years of legal practice, 12 of them as a specialist attorney working with victims of sexual abuse particularly with children and adolescents. She holds a PhD in Laws and is completing a doctorate of criminal psychology.

"It could be worth investigating further however it could also be a case of malingering".

"Malingering is a behavioural exhibit often found in defendants who might be wary of answering questions, providing false testimony to fill in the gaps or as a tactic to evade challenging examinations of events. There have been many cases where malingering also presents as a form of trickery, a fabrication of an episode or a misleading display of emotion called 'bad faking' ".

"I would be careful not to over-interpret it. It could qualify for further study, or on the other hand it may be as simple as young adults in their mid 20s self-creating illusions or fictitious scenarios as a way to have fun. That is perfectly normal for young people to experiment providing it stays within a reasonable cordon of virtual reality".

Titulia's current president and long time citizen TJ Norton also opted to take face evaluations with a grain of salt.

"If you ask 5 people any one question you'll probably get 10 different answers. That rattles many a cage but at the end of the day it's all part of our very diverse culture", he said.

"I have always disagreed that the Republic is built with a single mind or focus. It's what you get out of it and along the way you either become a sycophant or remain an individual. The ones that wind up in between are usually the most successful .. with each of the extreme fighting from the outside in. That annoys the hell out of the power players but slowly they're getting to understand that the experiment is not one size fits all".

"The doppelgangers .. alternate personalities and their primary identities are common knowledge to anyone that's been in Titulia for a while. At first even I found it annoying but with the low activity you'll learn it's actually a good sign of dedication and spice for the rest of us to feel like we're actually part of something bigger .. even though the actual population in truth is more like 25 rather than 40 or 50".

Round 2 started just under two hours ago and will end on the 26th.

Election: Round 1 over with Buchanan-Hock on top with 47%

His bags were packed and he was ready to go. It's official: a stone's throw away from an early exit, it was expected that President Norton couldn't get out of Liberty House that easy. The departing chief now has to postpone the moving vans for another three days while Titulia goes to second round voting to decide who will succeed him.

Candidates Dennis McVicker (RNC) and James Inglis (CP) exited the contest polling second-last and last out of the dubbed 'field of four'. That crowd has narrowed to two with LRP's Renee Buchanan and Linardist Gregory Hock taking out the lead with a massive 47% of the vote compared with camper Will Wilberforce a good 19 percentage points behind on 28%.

Round 1 was put to bed with a startling admission from the Social Democrats. According to SDP leader Reformer, candidate Will Wilberforce has been on holidays since nomination. This sent LRP secretary Malinda Noble to the closest microphone to stick it to her liberal counterpart.

"On holidays? I suppose Gucci make chai lattes as well", Noble said dispelling the quote.

Meanwhile, the outgoing president called for cooler heads in comment.

"Look I've been where these two are now [Buchanan and Wilberforce] and I understand that it's going to take a while longer to sort through it", he said.

When asked what he thought of the Wilberforce vacationing during the contest, Norton was empathetic to the concerns.

"I admit that the holiday excuse does come across as somewhat disingenuous and I can appreciate how the citizens are feeling in taking the inactivity as disrespect. Busy or not - Mr Wilberforce is asking for the people to elect him to the highest civilian office in the e-nation", he said.

"His supporters might think that's appropriate but I would fall short of saying such opinion is reflective of the regular, active citizenry. A little humility on his part would go a long way and a simple apology for coming late to the game ought to fix it and quell the temperatures a little. He's a good guy deep down I'm sure and he would understand that".

The election continues. Stay tuned at the Express.

McVicker/RNC gaffe: Richards calls for accountability

The Republican National Committee was caught off guard last night Australia time. Departing president and expectant new deputy leader of the LRP TJ Norton claimed the RNC's rebuff of presidential candidate Dennis McVicker's membership in the party as a 'farce'.

The Liberal Republican Party's chairman of the justice and public law reform committee Todd Richards has called on RNC leader jp9893 to fess up.

"It's not possible that the RNC leader did not know Mr. McVicker was a member. He has been a member for a period of time", Mr Richards said.

Mr Norton said McVicker's membership wasn't news but was shocked by party officials working in the conservative press would publish that they didn't have an member in the presidential race.

"The RNC has maintained right up until they were forced into damage control yesterday that they didn't have a candidate in the race. Whether they were endorsed or not is not the issue - this isn't legal camp or a play of words it was a flat out distortion bordering on a lie".

Mr Norton has joined the LRP committee's call for accountability in the election process by displaying the political affiliation of all candidates on the electronic ballot paper.

"This used to happen on the old site. I welcome the Administrator's update that voters will also be marked off in a way that de-identifies the candidate they voted for on the new site's facility .. but it's only a half measure of transparency without displaying political party identification", said Norton.

"The people of Titulia vote in a variety of ways - including for a candidate's political affiliation. Not every candidate, campaign and media outlet - with all due respect - has done this".

Mr Norton has informed the Express that the Administrator provided this on the old site since the first election of the Republic.

".. it is a large part of Republic culture. It's not fullproof to the detection of electoral standings behind the scenes but at least will continue to give some indication of how candidates group".

Committee chair Richards has pursued the need for the return of this facility.

"I was a citizen when this was provided. If Admin put this in place themselves, there is no legal reason to prevent them from doing so again without further legislation", he said.

The Express asked Mr Norton whether he believed mandatory party identification in a contest could be compared to Nazi era nationalism of political declaration.

"What you're talking about is the persecution of political parties by forbidding them access to the same political rights and contests as other parties. I agree that's something that Titulia does not support and we're safe from those kinds of practices", he said.

Mr Norton said the Constitution of the Republic guarantees that all citizens have the right to join a political party and the rules that govern membership specifically are purposely not spoken to in the Constitution.

"I think the Administrator showed a lot of wisdom there", he said. "No political party would be satisfied with every citizen being a member for whatever reason and the Republic has no business mandating that - that's up to the individual parties to decide. This is not what we're advocating", he said.

"What is understood in the electoral process, and I think this is carried with cross-partisan consensus, is that every detail in a candidate's Titulian life is subject to scrutiny - whether the candidates appreciate that or not is out of the scope of law".

"I personally don't agree that such access should be in the form of disclosing personal details but since the Administrator has recently ordered that as forbidden practice in future instances - I don't see it becoming a widespread problem. That is to say .. if violators value their continued citizenship. Everyone is entitled to keep their personal and virtual lives separate. If they wish to disclose outside information in the Republic - that's on them".

Summarising the initiative, Norton called for 'transparency' in the elections process.

"The start, middle and finish of the push is situated with a traditional lodgement of a nomination. Please name me one country, state or local race in an industrialised nation where a candidate does not have to disclose their political candidature - party, endorsement or independence?", he said.

"Through their own words or election material, none of the candidates in this month's race bar Secretary Buchanan have formally declared party membership"

"Despite the force of law - Secretary Buchanan has been the only candidate who has declared their Vice President during the nomination period. Reformer and I made that error last election but luckily the special prosecutor investigating those range of issues was merciful because it was the first election on the new site and we had an inactive predecessor. It's hard to argue that allowance should be made now after the lesson to the parties from last month's experience".

"Whatever I .. they .. them or other people individually think about this is an important, yet incomplete part of the larger look at the issue - Titulians on a whole want more accountability and transparency in the political process".

First round voting will conclude within the next 8 hours.

Departing president weighs into election: smacks down McVicker and RNC

He led the experimental internet country as a president for all and left politics on the way into Titulia's top job. In the final days of his Liberty House tenancy, President TJ Norton (LRP) has spoken out about the contenders and the parties in the running to succeed him.

In response to requests for comment from the Express the president has lashed out against conservative former president Dennis McVicker (RNC) and the lack of detail in his economic plan and the candidate's reliance on Admin to deliver his agenda.

"Dennis has been down this road before as have other presidents" said Norton.

"The Government under my leadership did not seek one thing from the Administrator to deliver the future for the real estate industry, job creation or to provide homes for people that wanted them. This was the result of the Titulian people and the hard work of cabinet - especially from the Secretary for Commerce, Gerry Brady".

Norton was critical of the what he referred to as 'recycling tried and failed policies' and said that new ideas have generated the most results for Titulia.

"Dennis is doing what Dennis does .. he ignores the public's hunger for details, sticks to a failed past that achieved nothing by way of results for the future and no stability for the Republic - most certainly any hope of the legislature will be gone".

The president said that although he agrees with McVicker on the 'crux of progress', the tone of respect for all citizens is absent from the debate.

"You have to understand the status quo .. every citizen that has ever stood for election as President is in favour of progress - Dennis [McVicker] included. But as a citizen I'm insulted by Dennis' insinuation that after him spending the last couple of months ignoring Titulia and participating in the alternate e-nation simulation eRepublik - he now returns self-adorned like a preacher trying to convert cave men into civilised beings", said Norton.

Mr Norton said the RNC 'doesn't get it' and this caused them to distance themselves from the RNC member.

"I can sit and debate fine with the SDP .. I can even debate and find room to agree with the Linardists - two parties that have been my strongest critics. It's then logical to question the reason why .. after many time consuming and failed attempts to reach out to the RNC .. why they persist the way they do. If anyone has a reason to pick up a sword and go to battle it's me. But that's not the way to take Titulia ahead", said the president.

Former president and now deputy leader Luxis Avaram (RNC) is desperately attempting to repair the image of the once strong movement only to be thwarted by its sole remaining active members Julian, leader JP9893 and his leadership contending brother JI. Mr Avaram, a moderate much like Mr Norton launched an attempt at resolving old conflicts.

"Politics has swings and shifts", he said. "If we as a party are going to let personal slights set platform, we're going to find ourselves in the desert for a long time".

LRP secretary Malinda Noble claimed the RNC are 'playing divisive politics' and that similar personal and partisan attitudes are holding Titulia back.

"The Republicans never supported the LRP. They never supported Tom at the ballot box, they continue to hound and lie about the government accusing them of "backdoor deals" even as they are about to walk out the door", she said.

Ms Noble claimed they were a party with no discipline and no direction.

"For all their rhetoric it's a puzzle why they don't join another party because they don't support their coalition partners and they don't support themselves. They proved it to William Money when Julian wanted Linardist help and now they've knifed Tom even after he took on a vice president that was lethal to the administration from the start".

President of the LRP Reg Ambrose has called for order between the feuding groups and proposed unity under a Buchanan-Hock government.

"President Norton is a great Titulian and responsible for the prosperity of many and much of its progress. He is departing that most high office with one objective: to unify the republic under two, historically competing political parties and graciously campaigns for both of these candidates as he does for the issues they represent".

"I arrived towards its concluding months and there were no winners arising out of it and no battles declared won. Most of all it achieved no good for the experiment. Our right to vote as citizens is a serious business. I beseech all do not vote to take Titulia backwards".

Voting continues in the second day of the first round. Stay tuned at the Express for your election coverage!

BUCHANAN AND HOCK SEAL TICKET

The first full ticket to be declared:
Renee Buchanan & Gregory Hock

McVicker, Wilberforce and Inglis continue to battle it out for support and finalising VP.





The Express has learned from the LRP that Attorney-General Gregory Hock of the Linardist party has joined with Secretary Renee Buchanan as the nominee for vice president of the republic. Secretary Buchanan released a short statement following the announcement.

"I announce that the LRP ticket has a nominee for Vice President. Mr Gregory Hock has served the state as Attorney General in the Norton government and in previous service as President. He has the experience and I'm proud to have him on bored to help me to continue President Norton's record of delivering for Titulia", she said.

Attorney General Hock has yet to release a statement although it's expected he will soon as both he and Secretary Buchanan now take to the campaign as a united team to talk to the Titulian people.

This ticket creates a lot of problems for the other candidates. Former president Dennis McVicker has been the only other of the four declared candidates taking the time to speak to the Titulian people since the opening of nominations. The SDP representative Will Wilberforce joins Commonwealth party candidate James Inglis, who have both been missing in action since the nomination period opened.

Hail to the .... Veep?

Despite all four candidates now having secured the nomination requirement, Secretary Buchanan has been the only nominee to disclose her 'number two' before the end of nominations. The last campaign almost proved fatal to then candidates TJ Norton and Reformer because they failed to announce their vice presidents before the nomination period had ended.

This was a smart move for the LRP contender to avoid her boss's problem last time around. While Buchanan's campaign has gone into overdrive the other candidates haven't even formally hit the stage yet.

Politics on the road to power

Former LRP partner the RNC have reportedly decided not to endorse a candidate this campaign while they work on internal factional cracks between the moderate and right wing branches. Incumbent RNC leader jp9893 is facing a leadership challenge from conservative torch bearer JI. The Committee have not given up on a campaign of misinformation about their former coalition ally and may support SDP's Wilberforce in retaliation.

State of the parties

The Buchanan campaign needs 50.1% at either the first or second round of voting to return the government to Liberty House under its new leadership. Forging this outcome for a leading party requires a 4% edge on its opponents if no other political support comes its way. The SDP could have guaranteed themselves the vice president's spot but it was declined according to reports. Wilberforce's nomination ended the debate on whether the Social Democrats had confidence in the government's return.

A Buchanan win is the more likely at this stage. The RNC's implosion have rendered them disabled in the short to medium term and an SDP split from their government colleagues leaves the question of whether or not they would be happy to work in a Buchanan-Hock government.

One thing's for sure: the remaining three candidates will need to summon their base soon or the temptation to win will shift from gaining first place to three candidates fighting for second. Stay tuned at the Express for your election coverage.

The race is on for Liberty House

For lease: Prime property in the heart of Titulia City
Current tenant moving out between Sept 23-26
Minimum 28 day lease
Price: 50.1% of the vote and possibly your soul!

The most coveted job in the republic has gone on the market once again following President TJ Norton's announcement not to seek reelection. Four candidates have nominated so far and it's shaping up fast as a three way race minimum. Infrastructure secretary and LRP presidential candidate Renee Buchanan has so far been the only candidate to meet the minimum to go through to the first ballot.

In an unexpected turn, the SDP have nominated recently re-immigrated and hastily crowned new leader Will Wilberforce who's expected to meet Buchanan in two day's time for the official vote. Other candidates include former president Dennis McVicker and Commonwealth Party leader James Inglis.

With an 88% approval rating soon to be evicted Norton has the highest approval rating of any departing president in the past viewable history of the republic, a 35% jump from when he was handed the keys on the 20th of last month.

Look at the candidates

Will Wilberforce assumed the role of acting leader from outgoing Chief of Staff Reformer soon after his re-immigration. Rumours are circulating in political houses that the move made prior to Norton's announcement was put in place to challenge him if he decided to run again. "Tom [Norton] leaving office makes it easier without having a bloody challenge" said the source on the condition of anonymity fearing retribution.

There are no known position papers from Wilberforce and a long history of resentment to the major opponent's party membership. If political blood is anything to go by a Wilberforce presidency would likely reverse a major of advances in technological exploration and capital funding passed under Norton. As yet neither Mr Wilberforce or Reformer have made a statement on the SDP's candidacy and their agenda.

The last time Titulia heard from Dennis McVicker he was going to eRepublik, another virtual experiment. This is presumed to be his second failed bid to regain the presidency since he left office in November last year. Dennis McVicker has been part of the non territorial nation's political furniture as far back as March 2009 and was the king maker for many of the past leaders Titulia has today.

His once bright future was left in tatters after President Norton (then McVicker's veep) testified against him for ordering he declare the Linardist party membership as terrorists. Come time to choose a new judge on the court, Norton outed McVicker's politicisation of the Matthews nomination in the legislature as retribution for not nominating him, when a detailed history was uncovered between McVicker and Matthews that almost landed the former president in hot water after invading the new Justice's former party.

James Inglis leads the Commonwealth of Titulia party and is another repeat candidate from previous elections. The CoT is the most devolved of political support of top rank parties and hardly any numbers comes the way of the nationalist emphatic. Mr Inglis currently serves as an Editor of the Titulia Post and has held the position on at least two other occasions. It's a high possibility that will remain his job at the end of the election.

What McVicker, Wilberforce and Inglis have in common: no love of the LRP. Their filing for nomination is a loud vote of no confidence in the outgoing government's work.

The street map to power

Late turnout in nomination standingsmake it difficult to tell how the support will fall for now. What we do know is the top three candidates Buchanan, Wilberforce and McVicker have access to strong power bases both in their own right and from political organisations.

The void left by Norton's departure from Titulia's top job was anticipated to create a vacuum in the rooms of power. The minority party support from the RNC is expected to go to McVicker this time around after a fallout with the LRP over the veep impeachment. He is also more likely to secure greater Linardist and Social Democrat support than Buchanan.

That leaves protest ballots flowing to Inglis and a sure expectation of centre left votes for Wilberforce causing all candidates to go on a more dire hunt for support. Like most elections the independent and ex party independent swing vote will be essential although unlikely to become a deciding factor until the second round of voting if no one candidate achieves an absolute majority. That's expected to happen this election.

If you believe in Murphy's Law and the lessons of recent history an emergency third ballot could be needed if the republic is left with a 50/50 deadlock. Laws passed in previous terms have denounced 'seniority' (Article IV, section 4 of the constitution) and called for another ballot after renewed debate in the event of a tie in the final round contingency.

Have prime ministers David Cameron (UK) and Julia Gillard (Australia) taught Titulia something about power brokerage? Stick around to find out over the next few days. Remember to do your duty and cast your vote when the ballot box opens. It's hard to justify complaining if you didn't take part in the original decision in the first place.

Stay tuned here at the Express. Thanks to Todd Richards and Malinda Noble for contributing to this report.

'Luxis On the Air' features tribute to the Norton government

In his second show on the Titulian air waves, deputy RNC leader and talk show host Luxis Avaram dedicated his Luxis On the Air episode to outgoing President TJ Norton and the work of the government this past term.

To watch it the episode click here or right click and save the link to download it (faster).

Buchanan hits ground running on agenda

Liberal Republican presidential candidate Renee Buchanan has used the last 24 hours to talk with independents, minor parties and party members about the agenda for next term. The outgoing infrastructure secretary and Liberty House hopeful has touted the new web site possibilities and new Government legislation as the 'snapped padlock' Titulia has long called for.

The secretary talked up technology changes that occurred under the LRP led government's watch.

"Let's talk truth about Titulian advancement. The new site technology snaps the padlock to the gate that was locking the republic back in. Admin has relieved that to a point thanks to the new web site", Buchanan said.

She singled out departing President TJ Norton, Arts secretary Alex Pijanowski and Deputy RNC Leader Luxis Avaram for keeping up the efforts and the conversation going on innovation and technology and Double D Construction for its efforts on national web building. Buchanan warned the first stage is complete although it may not see the light of day unless the republic stepped up to the plate to embrace it.

"The missing link is innovation. We have to innovate as an e state to go through the door. This government has broken down the barriers but the citizens need to go on through for it to succeed".

Outgoing President Norton, expected to head the department of infrastructure in the anticipated Buchanan Government has denied past assertions that the talk has died over past months.

"There's no doubt the new Titulia website architecture alone has renewed a certain vigour in the innovation debate. We pushed that during this administration and the succeeding government has no choice but to take the reins with the same emphasis if it wants to prevent a stall. There's an old saying 'easier to keep an existing fire going than start a new one' ", the president warned.

Norton renewed Avaram's call that public-private engagement is essential and it needs to be led both ways top-down and within the grassroots of the republic.

"If it has dropped that's a lack of past government direction and sending confusing or mixed signals. I can't comment how our predecessors thought or approached the subject because I wasn't in their strategy meetings to say - but the slow take up of leadership on innovation is a concern".

The Liberal Republican Party, Republican National Committee, Department of the Arts and Double D Construction have been the most active infrastructure builders, however the Norton LRP led government has been the first to take advantage of the existing Titulia architecture to deliver.

Secretary Buchanan called potential opponents to come out and talk about their plans to move the republic forward and take it ahead.

"This government has a plan, it's been well received", she said.

"We have guaranteed the people their senate and can deliver it soon after Admin brings in the required additions so the government can program what it needs to and give it life. I stand today and commit to the President's guarantee to deliver and the same will apply to a government under my leadership".

"I invite anyone who stands to challenge the government's record of success to speak up and commit to the same. This is a team effort and it will need a team who can do it".