Presidential Debate
Day 1,018, 15:33
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Published in Belgium 
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by
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by MaryamQ
Hello, eBelgians and friends,
In my last issue, I promised a debate without editing and without comment between our two presidential candidates. As promised, I sent them identical lists of questions, and they both kindly responded. Please excuse any errors you perceive in their English, as neither is a primary English speaker. I was offered the chance to correct spelling and grammar, but turned it down because what I want you to see is not the excellence of their language skills but rather the excellence of their ideas. Without further ado, I present them to you in their own words.
Why do you choose to run for country president of eBelgium at this time?
Habraka: To be honest, I wasn't initially planning to run for Country President. I have only just returned to Belgian politics, and I wanted some time to get adjusted to the current political climate in this country before getting a shot at running the country as President. I had already stated this in the Res Belgica internal discussion concerning who our Presidential Candidate should be shortly after the Congress elections. At that time, we were heavily leaning towards supporting the current President Thore Thoreson if he was to go for a third term. However, a couple of days ago, Thore Thoreson announced he would not be going for another term this month. Furthermore, he, alongside our current MoFA Stilpo, and the Party President of the Belgian Autocracy Party all called on me to run. I quickly ran this through Res Belgica, and after receiving the go-ahead from our two Directors, I started our election campaign, preparing articles and seeking support from the other parties.
The main reasons I decided to run for Country President after all where a) getting the public support from prominent members of the Belgian political community, including the support of my own party Res Belgica, and b) I strongly believe we need an active, dedicated and highly experienced Country President to lead us through the next period of challenges, which include the very real threat of invasion from our northern neighbors, kick starting the economy, and improving our player retention rate. I believe I am the ideal candidate to guide and lead us through these difficult times that lay ahead. I have been in numerous governments, in various countries, in different positions, therefore I have the knowledge and experience to run a country like Belgium. Furthermore, I am a native Belgian myself, which never hurts to mention .
Theneka: I have a few reasons:
- Thore has decided not to run anymore, so the candidate who I wouldn't want to run against is gone
- I have some ideas that I think might help our country, and I hope that the people will like them
- It's been a dream of mine to become CP one day, and why would this month be a bad month to do so?
What is your vision for eBelgium?
Theneka: I think we have to move forward, and we should try and get some more people. At this moment, evryone that is active on the forum is actualy in congress. So that's pretty lame We need an activity boost, and war (like debated all over before) we think holds the answer. I say that we have to look towards something to do, instead of blaming the bad economy (ok, it is bad, ok the admins screwed up, but we can't do much against that). So it's time to take initiatif and act.
Habraka: My medium to long-term goal is to help Belgium grow from a small, inactive, and often ignored dot on the map, to a country with a decent sized active community, a regional player that can add a bit of weight to the European and international political community on all matters like economy, military and diplomacy. Under my presidency, I will aim to bring more recognition, respect and influence to our regions by increasing our presence, diplomatically and military, in the defense of small nations like our own against the oppression of regional superpowers. I hope to lay the foundations for a Belgium that has the room to grow population wise without constantly feeling the pressure of the bigger and badder countries that surround us.
One of my goals would be to help Belgium play a major role in ONE, the alliance we are a part of. I believe we can play an important part in putting ONE and it's ideals in the public spotlight, instead of the usual EDEN/Phoenix conflict that dominates all media.
Where do you see our country a month from now under your leadership? What would you hope for 3 months from now?
Habraka: Ideally, a month from now Belgium shows the first sign of increased activity, both new players signing up and older players returning. A month from now, I would like us to have a functioning (training) war which provides us with something else to do instead of the usual work/train/study/vote cycle which bores most players after a while. A revival of our economy, resulting from a change in how we, the state, take care of our income and expenses and an active war would also be very nice to have. However, I do realize that some things take time, and the results of our actions may only be visible weeks or even months down the road. I don't expect Belgium to be a superpower with thousands of players and hundreds of Gold income per week a month, or even three months from now, but the foundations we lay this term, might benefit us for months to come.
Theneka I hope that within a month we have had a succesful war and I hope we have achieved the goals I set out, and perhaps even a bit more. In 3 months, I hope at least 100 people are voting in elections, as atm that rate is dramaticaly going down. We would need a baby boom, but well, it's almost impossible to organise that, so I would like to call on evry player to invite their friends/famely and all other people so that perhaps some new players join us.
What do you propose should be done economically to meet your goals for eBelgium?
Theneka: Well, I think a war will solve some of our problems, and as long as our state companies provide the needed affordable raw recources it should work out well.
Habraka: As I hinted at before, I am thinking of a change in our tax model, to increase our national income and stimulate our domestic production without increasing the tax pressure on the regular citizens unreasonably. I will also look into the State Companies and how they could work more efficient, reduce costs and generate more profit for the state. Overall, our options are somewhat limited due to the bad state the economy is in after the introduction of V2, but I do believe there is some room for improvement policy wise.
What do you propose in terms of foreign relations for eBelgium?
Habraka: If elected President, I will aim to increase and improve our relations with foreign nations, especially focusing on our contacts with our fellow alliance members in ONE, but also establish close ties with like minded nations in both EDEN, Phoenix and Brolliance. Every country, especially small ones like ours, need friends to survive in this world. A training war with one or more countries could also be used to develop a bond of trust between all parties involved, which is perhaps more important than any economical gains we might experience. Trust and friendship are things to nurture and they need time to grow, which I something I would to start under my presidency, and hopefully let those mature under future presidents.
I will use my international contacts, ranging from Country Presidents, Members of Congress and military leaders to company owners, media moguls and regular citizens in order to increase our public awareness internationally and establish diplomatic ties that can safeguard our sovereignty and independence from any foreign threat.
Theneka: I would also like to continue the lines of Foreighn Affairs that have been drawn by the congress and presidents before me, as International Relations are a very important aspect in this game. I can not stress the importance of ONE and our cooperation with our neighbours enough. We are a neutral country, and I don't have the intention of changing that without decent referendum, so it's important that we stand our ground and show that we don't want to be dragged along into something, as we have seen with the Declaration of War by the (drunk) Dutch President.
We need enough ambassadors to ensure we have ties with the countries near us and to make sure that we know what is happening in that country.
That is also why I would like eBelgium to take up it's responsabilities and work on ONE and it's functioning so that it can become a strong and well running alliance, that won't collaps in a few months.
What is the best way to make these things happen? Why?
Theneka: We need a good working Ministry of Foreighn Affairs, and enough ambassadors. These are the things that we need before we can start working on foreighn relations. We also need an active ambassador to ONE, and a President that is online on IRC and on their forum and ours. I've tried to do so, and I've created an acount on the ONE forum, and joined their IRC. We need these relations so that in case of a war we'll have allies to help us defend ourself, and to ensure further growth of our country. I can not say that I have much other views, as V2 seems to be something that only the admins can solve, but we could at least take the example of EDEN and POENIX and message them en massa for a change.
Habraka: There are many ways to make these things happen, and I do not claim I have the "best" way of achieving our goals. I will be looking for advice and counsel from my administration, my party Res Belgica and from established and experienced figures from the Belgian community. Teamwork and communication is key, and I plan to use both a lot to look for the best possible way to implement the necessary changes needed to improve our beloved Belgium.
In closing, what would you like the citizens of eBelgium to think about before voting?
Habraka: Think about what we can achieve, what we want to achieve and what we need to achieve, as a country, a community, as a people. We are no different from countries like Hungary, Serbia, Poland or the USA. We too can have thousands of citizens, trucks full of gold, a vibrant and innovative society, but we have to build it ourselves, no one is going to hand it to us on a silver plater. We need to build this country together, so we can stand proud between our peers. Be active, be dedicated, and learn. We decide the future.
Theneka: I would like them to vote for an idea, not for a face or a party. (unless that makes them vote for the other candidate, in that case you can vote me xD ) I think you'll have a hard choice in this one, and I hope you've thought it over well. More than saying what I have already tried to say, I can not do
May the best one win!!
In my last issue, I promised a debate without editing and without comment between our two presidential candidates. As promised, I sent them identical lists of questions, and they both kindly responded. Please excuse any errors you perceive in their English, as neither is a primary English speaker. I was offered the chance to correct spelling and grammar, but turned it down because what I want you to see is not the excellence of their language skills but rather the excellence of their ideas. Without further ado, I present them to you in their own words.
Why do you choose to run for country president of eBelgium at this time?
Habraka: To be honest, I wasn't initially planning to run for Country President. I have only just returned to Belgian politics, and I wanted some time to get adjusted to the current political climate in this country before getting a shot at running the country as President. I had already stated this in the Res Belgica internal discussion concerning who our Presidential Candidate should be shortly after the Congress elections. At that time, we were heavily leaning towards supporting the current President Thore Thoreson if he was to go for a third term. However, a couple of days ago, Thore Thoreson announced he would not be going for another term this month. Furthermore, he, alongside our current MoFA Stilpo, and the Party President of the Belgian Autocracy Party all called on me to run. I quickly ran this through Res Belgica, and after receiving the go-ahead from our two Directors, I started our election campaign, preparing articles and seeking support from the other parties.
The main reasons I decided to run for Country President after all where a) getting the public support from prominent members of the Belgian political community, including the support of my own party Res Belgica, and b) I strongly believe we need an active, dedicated and highly experienced Country President to lead us through the next period of challenges, which include the very real threat of invasion from our northern neighbors, kick starting the economy, and improving our player retention rate. I believe I am the ideal candidate to guide and lead us through these difficult times that lay ahead. I have been in numerous governments, in various countries, in different positions, therefore I have the knowledge and experience to run a country like Belgium. Furthermore, I am a native Belgian myself, which never hurts to mention .
Theneka: I have a few reasons:
- Thore has decided not to run anymore, so the candidate who I wouldn't want to run against is gone
😁
- I have some ideas that I think might help our country, and I hope that the people will like them
- It's been a dream of mine to become CP one day, and why would this month be a bad month to do so?
😁
What is your vision for eBelgium?
Theneka: I think we have to move forward, and we should try and get some more people. At this moment, evryone that is active on the forum is actualy in congress. So that's pretty lame We need an activity boost, and war (like debated all over before) we think holds the answer. I say that we have to look towards something to do, instead of blaming the bad economy (ok, it is bad, ok the admins screwed up, but we can't do much against that). So it's time to take initiatif and act.
Habraka: My medium to long-term goal is to help Belgium grow from a small, inactive, and often ignored dot on the map, to a country with a decent sized active community, a regional player that can add a bit of weight to the European and international political community on all matters like economy, military and diplomacy. Under my presidency, I will aim to bring more recognition, respect and influence to our regions by increasing our presence, diplomatically and military, in the defense of small nations like our own against the oppression of regional superpowers. I hope to lay the foundations for a Belgium that has the room to grow population wise without constantly feeling the pressure of the bigger and badder countries that surround us.
One of my goals would be to help Belgium play a major role in ONE, the alliance we are a part of. I believe we can play an important part in putting ONE and it's ideals in the public spotlight, instead of the usual EDEN/Phoenix conflict that dominates all media.
Where do you see our country a month from now under your leadership? What would you hope for 3 months from now?
Habraka: Ideally, a month from now Belgium shows the first sign of increased activity, both new players signing up and older players returning. A month from now, I would like us to have a functioning (training) war which provides us with something else to do instead of the usual work/train/study/vote cycle which bores most players after a while. A revival of our economy, resulting from a change in how we, the state, take care of our income and expenses and an active war would also be very nice to have. However, I do realize that some things take time, and the results of our actions may only be visible weeks or even months down the road. I don't expect Belgium to be a superpower with thousands of players and hundreds of Gold income per week a month, or even three months from now, but the foundations we lay this term, might benefit us for months to come.
Theneka I hope that within a month we have had a succesful war and I hope we have achieved the goals I set out, and perhaps even a bit more. In 3 months, I hope at least 100 people are voting in elections, as atm that rate is dramaticaly going down. We would need a baby boom, but well, it's almost impossible to organise that, so I would like to call on evry player to invite their friends/famely and all other people so that perhaps some new players join us.
What do you propose should be done economically to meet your goals for eBelgium?
Theneka: Well, I think a war will solve some of our problems, and as long as our state companies provide the needed affordable raw recources it should work out well.
Habraka: As I hinted at before, I am thinking of a change in our tax model, to increase our national income and stimulate our domestic production without increasing the tax pressure on the regular citizens unreasonably. I will also look into the State Companies and how they could work more efficient, reduce costs and generate more profit for the state. Overall, our options are somewhat limited due to the bad state the economy is in after the introduction of V2, but I do believe there is some room for improvement policy wise.
What do you propose in terms of foreign relations for eBelgium?
Habraka: If elected President, I will aim to increase and improve our relations with foreign nations, especially focusing on our contacts with our fellow alliance members in ONE, but also establish close ties with like minded nations in both EDEN, Phoenix and Brolliance. Every country, especially small ones like ours, need friends to survive in this world. A training war with one or more countries could also be used to develop a bond of trust between all parties involved, which is perhaps more important than any economical gains we might experience. Trust and friendship are things to nurture and they need time to grow, which I something I would to start under my presidency, and hopefully let those mature under future presidents.
I will use my international contacts, ranging from Country Presidents, Members of Congress and military leaders to company owners, media moguls and regular citizens in order to increase our public awareness internationally and establish diplomatic ties that can safeguard our sovereignty and independence from any foreign threat.
Theneka: I would also like to continue the lines of Foreighn Affairs that have been drawn by the congress and presidents before me, as International Relations are a very important aspect in this game. I can not stress the importance of ONE and our cooperation with our neighbours enough. We are a neutral country, and I don't have the intention of changing that without decent referendum, so it's important that we stand our ground and show that we don't want to be dragged along into something, as we have seen with the Declaration of War by the (drunk) Dutch President.
We need enough ambassadors to ensure we have ties with the countries near us and to make sure that we know what is happening in that country.
That is also why I would like eBelgium to take up it's responsabilities and work on ONE and it's functioning so that it can become a strong and well running alliance, that won't collaps in a few months.
What is the best way to make these things happen? Why?
Theneka: We need a good working Ministry of Foreighn Affairs, and enough ambassadors. These are the things that we need before we can start working on foreighn relations. We also need an active ambassador to ONE, and a President that is online on IRC and on their forum and ours. I've tried to do so, and I've created an acount on the ONE forum, and joined their IRC. We need these relations so that in case of a war we'll have allies to help us defend ourself, and to ensure further growth of our country. I can not say that I have much other views, as V2 seems to be something that only the admins can solve, but we could at least take the example of EDEN and POENIX and message them en massa for a change.
Habraka: There are many ways to make these things happen, and I do not claim I have the "best" way of achieving our goals. I will be looking for advice and counsel from my administration, my party Res Belgica and from established and experienced figures from the Belgian community. Teamwork and communication is key, and I plan to use both a lot to look for the best possible way to implement the necessary changes needed to improve our beloved Belgium.
In closing, what would you like the citizens of eBelgium to think about before voting?
Habraka: Think about what we can achieve, what we want to achieve and what we need to achieve, as a country, a community, as a people. We are no different from countries like Hungary, Serbia, Poland or the USA. We too can have thousands of citizens, trucks full of gold, a vibrant and innovative society, but we have to build it ourselves, no one is going to hand it to us on a silver plater. We need to build this country together, so we can stand proud between our peers. Be active, be dedicated, and learn. We decide the future.
Theneka: I would like them to vote for an idea, not for a face or a party. (unless that makes them vote for the other candidate, in that case you can vote me xD ) I think you'll have a hard choice in this one, and I hope you've thought it over well. More than saying what I have already tried to say, I can not do
May the best one win!!
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Comments
HABRAKA \o/
Theneka for president!
I enjoyed reading this debate very much. Thanks MaryamQ! We have two very worthy candidates running for president this month, but in the end my vote will be going to Habraka. Theneka is a very active and responsible member of the Belgian community and has earned a great deal of respect from me during our time in congress together. Habraka, however, is just as active in eRep (if not more). What makes him different is that he seems to have a more ambitious, concrete and long-term vision for this country. I also think that his extensive eRep experience and international perspective will prove to be an invaluable asset to our nation. But no matter who ends up wining it will no doubt turn out to be a very interesting election. Good luck to both the candidates!
A very interesting debate. I am glad that our Citizens will have a real choice in the direction they want Belgium to grow in. Good luck to both candidates and may the best person win!
Good questionary Maryam 🙂 Good luck to Habraka and me!! 😛 (it would be strange to only say good luck to Habraka, or not? 😛 )
Nice job, Maryam. Intersting interview.
Good luck to the candidates.