FIRST MINISTER PROPOSES MULTI-NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP Crown Prince Kārlis and First Minister Darijus Laine today returned from a conference in Cassiopeia where the nation has provisionally signed up to a multi-national partnership. The treaty will see Chistopol join with the host nation, Drenovia and Paracambi to foster international co-operation while maintaining each nations full control over all matters of their own policies and laws. The Treaty however will now require the assent of the Chamber of the People which is expected to discuss the matter when it returns on January 2nd following a week long break for the New Year.
First Minister Laine who represents the Chistopol Unity Party (CUP) will personally present the treaty to the Chamber for debate and has already spoke warmly of the potential of the new arrangement. "It was very very clear to us that the other three nations are excited to be working together and recognise the potential for what this can do. The economic aspects of the treaty will allow our blossoming manufacturing sector and our flourishing agricultural industries to find markets keen to receive them meanwhile our businesses can now access investment from nations economically ahead of ourselves which is something that can only help our own economy. We have seen the threat of Communism in the past and the fear of having to stand again against a threat was constant. This arrangement does not guarantee these nations would come to our aid but it does mean nations must now take the gamble that instead of fighting one nation they would face four. We keep ourselves protected also from natural threats such as disease thanks to parts of this. The whole thing is win win for our nation as at the end of the day while we can tie into the mechanisms of the treaty we can also maintain our own laws and standards. I will be warmly promoting the treaty to the Chamber and I am confident that it will pass overwhelmingly."
There is however voices of opposition in the guise of Luule Koppel who is the leader of the Ultra-Nationalist Three Leopards Party. Miss Koppel criticised the treaty saying, "While I agree this is a great agreement to be part of economically we must not sell our souls for a handful of silver. This treaty opens up our borders to an influx of foreign influence and we must treat them as though they are Chistopolians. That should never be the case, on our soil our folk must be given priority in all matters. I am saddened to see the Crown Prince forced into signing a document that has great potential to betray our very way of life. What starts off as a treaty designed to give sovereignty to all will creep into a carbon copy of something like the CSU and that globalist regime must not be allowed to take even a toehold in our Kingdom." It is likely however that Miss Koppel's opposition is likely to have little impact as the Three Leopards hold only 18 seats in the Chamber out of a total of 274.
With the Chistopol Unity Party holding close to 55% of seats it is likely the treaty will be approved with little issue especially as the Liberal Party have long called for the nation to embrace large trade deals and are thus likely to add their 11% of seats to the CUP's.
NEW LIBRARY OPENS Today in Tartu the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood have opened a major new library. The faith which is native to Kaitaine where it is persecuted by the Communists have funded the redevelopment of the old People's Drill Hall. It was opened today by Royal Matron
Lady Viktorias alongside delegations from the Sisterhood. Lady Viktorias has served as Royal Matron since 2016 and has focused a lot of her work on supporting children to gain better access to education and health. Speaking at the opening Lady Viktorias stated "There is nothing more powerful than being able to read. Reading leads to oppurtunities and whether they are oppurtunities for pleasure or to advance your own future they are equally as important. Today we thank the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood for allowing people of all ages, but I hope mainly children, to access a vast amount of new knowledge and new stories. We shall welcome the Sisterhood's staff to our capital and I look forward to many visits here in the future."
As of yet the Kingdom of Chistopol is to recognise the region of Kaitaine currently held by the Sisterhood known as the Theocracy of Kaitaine however the King has had a meeting with the head of the Bene Gesserit faith. The Royal Press Office explained that this meeting was responsible for the new library being built. The government however have stated that the Theocracy having been accused of utilising child soldiers in the past is making formal recognition of the Theocracy "a barrier to legitimacy that could be overcome with honest and open dealing."