Join the new world

I have fond memories of some congress and PP elections, especially those in IA, and I will never forget my first run:



'nuff said 😃

I was up against considerably more experienced people. Both JR and Mark had previous experience as PPs and congress members. Mark had also, by that time, served as country president.

However, a lose certainly didn't matter. You see, I spoke with various former party presidents and got the idea that the burden of winning would be more than the reward - for there is no in-game medal for party presidents. I clearly remember what XB replied when I asked him what the reward for PP was "zilch, zero, nada."
It was a very new concept to me because I had been playing loads of single player games and not once did I come across a role or appointment in a game that yielded no real immediate profit. As someone who loves philosophizing over these things I've learned a lot from the game and some of its members. The thing that hit me the most when I began recollecting memories from the olden days was that I didn't really remember all the people who won the elections, but I remembered most who stood for something solid. One I can remember the easiest is Adunit's run in DB:
1st
2nd

Had3z also ran in IA as a defected member of (correct me If I'm wrong) NU. Other great candidates who became PP were Ricky and SM333ZA

So I suppose it makes a big impact on others when one stands for something solid. You also just have to stand on firm ground as one step backwards might cause compatriots to lose faith in you.

So what's this all about?

After a long time in UP and SAGP I've decided to return to Independent Alternative. I've thoroughly enjoyed the company of people from UP, especially SM333ZA, Ricky, Alfredo, Leon, Ejdatful, El Fidel, Dreadnuts...and Claudio before he joined the dark side(kidding XD ). SAGP also gave me a good experience, Cody taught me a lot about uncompromising characteristics, but what I had to teach myself was that when everyone else moves on, you also have to move on. Maybe staying in a dead or stigmatized party makes one feel like a "defender of the faith", but it will begin to represent everything that's not fun or loyal in the end as I learned with UP.

So to kick off a new political career in IA I'm running for party president yet again. I would like to thank Kuckuck, Miyagi, Yesteryear, Uber Kiko, Had3z and Luna/Badger for welcoming me to the party.

Plans:
- IRC activity
We used to have a great channel called #MUSA(More united South Africa). We used MUSA to coordinate congress elections. I realize that the election system has changed, but we can still use it for planning. I hope some of you will join us once in while on the channel, it's a huge boost for any party to have an active IRC channel.

- Congress:
Congress makes or breaks a party. We've seen it multiple times. We have an excellent position in the top 5 and it would be a shame if our congress output is lower than it could be. I see a lot of great members here: Had3z, kuckuck, Angel, Steven, Madalin, Uber Kiko, JD, Yesteryear, Saffe Manne etc. Having a strong congress will help us stay strong in terms of membership and leadership.

- Mentorship
Even mentioning "mentorship" emits a pulse of pain and agitation to a lot of people. It has been discussed, tried and failed too many times to count, but seldom have we addressed the aspect of "where" it has to be implemented. As some of you may know, IA used to be one of the best parties when it came to mentorship. It had a supply depot for new players and of course an effective communication system to get in touch with new players. I'm thinking of reimplementing such a system.

- Proud eSouth Africa
eSA has had its good and bad years, but lately we've been struggling with morale. It's saddening to see people like Nickerball and Liquidice leave because their contribution in a small country like ours is significant. Both also have stunning personalities which many of us have come to like and understand. We've been left with an empty void by some departures. Through our common enemy(Brazil) we've already begun opening the horizon for future. We now have an unbounded view. We are free from subjugation. Through IA taking the leadership in congress, media and mentorship I sincerely hope that we can breath some life into some parts of eSouth Africa again.