Good evening all, this is Salman Adhakov on BSC television and Radio nationwide and on Coocoostan Talk Radio and Coocoostan Television Network. Im sure you were quite unaware, but tonight is the lone presidential debate before voting takes place tomorrow, with all five candidates in attendance. Quickly, they are, in descending order, the President, Maxim Kaygorodov, Madeline Tang of the Heritage party, Tammy Hagans of Labour Party, Ada Fielder is the Green candidate and Veronica Blakely is the Independence party candidate. Good evening to all of you.
The debate format is as follows and hardly resembles a date more than a public rebuttal. We have divided the issues into the eight cabinet categories and each candidate has been allowed to speak on three. Once they have spoken three times, they will be cut off. They have all preselected their issues and these choices are not known to the other candidates. They are allowed to rebut what the other candidates have said previously, including in the debate. We will begin now.
Firstly, Labour. Not surprisingly, Ms. Hagans of the Labour Party will speak.
Hagans: Thank You Salman. For too long in our nation, workers have been ignored by the government, for our nation to succeed, the needs of the workers must come first. My government will pledge to reinforce workers rights by protecting them at work and giving them the protections they need at home, in the form of a well-funded social net.
Thank you, now Mr. President wishes to speak on Labour as well.
Kaygorodov: Thank you Salman, but please, Mr. Kaygorodov for tonight, it is only fair. Workers rights is a staple of my platform and I too like Ms. Hagans believe in workers rights. However, Ms. Hagans is willing to have a 100% income tax rate to have this occur while I am not. I will balance the protection of workers with fiscal responsibility, this is why I pledge to reduce your taxes below 55% in two years, while maintaining the services you need.
Thank you
Mr. Kaygorodov. Now on to the next Issue, Transportation. The only candidate who will speak on the issue. Madeline Tang of the Heritage Party.
Tang: Thank you. Over the past year, over 1,000 Coocoostanis have lost their lives on our Highways and Freeways. This is why I will propose creating a highway patrol wing of the CNP, specifically dedicated to policing our roads and keeping speeding, drunk and stoned drivers off our roads. We predict we can do this without raising the income tax rate.
Ok, that was that. Heres a more lively issue. That of Justice. Since she hasnt spoken yet, Ms. Blakely, why dont you go first?
Blakely: Thank you Salman. As all are aware, Crime in our nation is well under control, thanks largely to the quality of the CNP and owing very little to the National Partys funding cuts. Crime was very well controlled until the recent policy of apathy towards fighting in the streets, which will certainly only lead to more crime. Another National party failure. The Independence party stands firm on crime. This is why we support, more search power to police officers, corporal punishment for all drug possession over 500 grams and capital punishment for Murder, Rape and Kidnapping.
Thank you, now Ms. Fielder, you haven spoken either, please go ahead.
Fielder: Thank you very much Salman. Ms. Blakely, has just done me a favour by outlining the opposite of my Justice policy. Instead of a totalitarian police-state approach, I will reduce the power of police to search randomly to protect civil liberties as well as legalize all recreational drugs, as it is none of the states business. Then the police can deter heinous crimes such as murder without having to execute the convicted.
Thank you, Ms. Hagans, you go last.
Hagans: Thank you. While both candidates have very interesting views on Justice, it is the Labour party that will keep our nation safe. We propose legalising Cannabis only, while keeping hard drugs that hurt our families illegal. This will allow the CNP, who are adequately funded and as a result do an excellent job, to focus on combatting organized crime, which this government only did after they attemped to open casinos. How can you trust a president who had a known Mob boss in his office, offering him money under the table?
Thank you all, that concludes the third issue, Justice. Now for the fourth. Which will be Foreign Affairs. Mr. Kaygorodov, please go first.
Kaygorodov: Thank you. Over the last several weeks, Coocoostan has begun a policy of endorsing nations that share our values. In return, we ourselves have received two. This enhances our influence at the UN, which makes the world aware of our values. Only the National party can be trusted to endorse correctly.
Thank you, Ms. Blakely will also speak.
Blakely: Thank you Salman. Over the last several weeks, Coocoostan has begun a policy of selling itself out to other nations. The UN has clearly, a terminal case of League of Nations syndrome. Only UN withdrawal can protect Coocoostan from the status of International Pariah. To ensure the citizenry is in favour, a referendum will be held after 1 year. If the citizenry approves, Coocoostan will be out of the UN permanantly, this can be done without an act of the parliamentary congress, it can be done by executive order. Coocoostan must no longer be weighed down by the UN.
Thank you both, now for Defence. Mrs. Tang, please go first.
Tang: Thank you Salman. Last week, an Army Post was attacked by Islamic Radicals. 5 of our PLAC troops lost their lives. This was partly due to incompetent leadership and partly because of antiquated equipment. The attackers were better armed than our own troops. That is why we propose a total re-evaluation of PLAC from top to bottom. We will replace 75% of military equipment and facilities within 5 years, to counteract the decay allowed by the national party. The head of our military, Marshal Wally Ushtal is seventy-nine years old, the same man in charge of the defence of Coocoostan since the days of Soviet rule and blatantly incompetent. He will be fired in my first executive order, should I be elected. A retirement age of sixty will prevent any recurrences. We will also weed out younger incompetent leaders among officers and NCOs by conducting annual performance reviews. Our military needs help, which only our party can provide.
Thank you, Mrs. Tang. Ms. Fielder, please go ahead.
Fielder: Thank you Salman. Defence has become a low priority in our nation, as a result of our democratization. The PLAC is a bloated, wasteful mess. If elected, I will disband it, replacing it with a national guard which would be capped at 10,000 people and be composed of roughly 75% reserves. Coocoostan is no longer aligned against the west or east and has nothing to worry about. With a smaller military, money will be saved, while security is maintained.
Thank you, Ms. Fielder, Ms. Blakely also wishes to speak on Defence.
Blakely: Thank you. I feel defence is THE most important issue of the campaign. Unfortunately, three of my opponents do not. Ms. Fielder, do you watch the news? Do you read the paper? Our nation is under threat from within. I would also disband PLAC, to replace it with a better military. All current members must re-apply and will be evaluated on performance. I will buy new patrol boats, new armoured vehicles and actual planes for our air force. Our equipment is of 1970s vintage and must be replaced. Mrs. Tang, your party does not go far enough. I will raise defence spending to 50% of total. With your vote, together, you and I can rebuild our armed forces to the level that a nation such as Coocoostan deserves.
Ok. That was Defence. Ms. Blakely, you are finished speaking, but please stay until the end. Now, the Interior. Mr. Kaygorodov, your final comments please.
Kaygorodov: Thank you Salman. For too long, ethnic Coocoos like myself, who raised our land up from the ground, who endured Soviet oppression and Japanese attack, are suddenly meaning less and less. I will counter this by instituting a minimum on Coocoo candidates per party, to ensure that we still have a voice. I am the only Coocoo running in the election for any position. While all are welcome in our nation, should that not include the Coocoo as well? That is why I will stand for our rights, as equals to all men. I will preserve our national flag, the last shred of Coocoo identity left. Thank you.
Mr. Kaygorodov, you are finished. Ms. Tang?
Tang: Thank you. While I feel for the decreasing Coocoo minority, no group is given preferential treatment in our society, this should stay in place. This nation is a mosiac now, of Australians, New Zealanders, Macauns and Hong Kongers like myself, among Coocoos and other Asian and Slavic groups. We must have a new flag. We must have a new national anthem, to replace Internatzionale. When we do this, Coocoostan will become a respected member of the community internationally.
Thank you, that is three for you as well. Now then. The final issue is health, which is to say that Finance will not be discussed, if it wasnt already in other topics. Ms Hagans, you are first.
Hagans: Thank you. Simply put, I will retain public health-care and guarantee access to that system for all. More money must be spent on that system. I will do this by cutting other areas, like Defence as well as streamlining government.
Thank you Ms. Hagans, our final speker, Ms. Fielder, on health.
Fielder: My party stands behind Ms. Hagans remarks, but we will take it one step further and support a state-sponsored vetrinary care system, to care for the pets of our families. Only when we take care of animals, unable to take care of themselves, can we truly become a civilised nation.
That concludes the debate. Thank you all so much for coming here tonight. This marks, by law, the official end of the campaign. There will be no election advertising on TV or Radio and no public appearances by the Candidates until polls close tomorrow at 2000. Results should be available shortly after. BSC radio and television will cover the event, myself with Upton Ishmail and our correspondents around the county. CTN will also cover the event, as will CTR. Our network will still have news at 11, which will recap this debate with our analysts.
This is Salman Adhakov, until this evening, take care.