{"data":{"id":17457,"title":"New United: Imperator Candidates Down to Ten","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/spectrum-dispatch\/17457-New-United-Imperator-Candidates-Down-To-Ten","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/17457","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/17457","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"News Update","images":[{"id":23540,"name":"CandidateWatch.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/8chomt1udvz5ar\/source\/CandidateWatch.jpg","alt":"","size":382207,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2020-02-04T19:02:02+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/23540","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/23540\/similar"},{"id":26463,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/weozjmuuh3hwh\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":843046,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-09-19T15:49:32+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463\/similar"},{"id":27892,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/w3o9r4zgppm77\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":900916,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2021-09-06T14:48:40+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/27892","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/27892\/similar"}],"images_count":8,"translations":{"en_EN":"Secondary Candidates Embody a Diverse Range of Ideas for the Future of the Empire\nBy Aaron Frost\nNEW YORK CITY, EARTH, SOL\n\n\n\nA tense hush fell over the reception hall as Titus Costigan strode onto the stage and embraced his father and current Imperator, Kelos Costigan. They exchanged a few brief words far enough from the microphones to ensure that they remained private. The Imperator, acting in his official capacity as the master of ceremony, handed his son a pen to sign the documents that would make him a secondary candidate for the 2950 election. Once done, a smile spread across Titus\u2019 face. He was now one of only ten candidates remaining in the race.\n\nAmidst polite applause from the audience and other candidates, Titus stepped to the podium wearing a svelte Derion suit to deliver the final candidate speech of the evening. The charismatic political neophyte argued that his unique life experience made him the ideal choice to be the next Imperator. \u201cTrue, I\u2019m not a traditional politician, but that\u2019s exactly what the Empire needs. I have both a long track record of success in the private sector along with in-depth knowledge of what is required to lead Humanity into our most prosperous decade ever.\u201d The unspoken undercurrent being that his comprehensive understanding of the government\u2019s day-to-day operations came from observing his father\u2019s administration over the past decade. Following Titus\u2019 speech, Imperator Costigan brought the ceremony to a quick close, politely refusing to take questions saying that the event should be focused on his potential successor. He briefly posed for a photo with all ten candidates and then left the stage.\n\nThe end of the signing ceremony kicked off a secondary voting period unlike any other in modern history. The open primary race had thousands of Citizens campaigning to be the next Imperator, leading to a surprisingly tight vote that saw the first runner up only 370 votes away from qualifying. The primary results also led to a first since the new election format was established in 2810 \u2013 a secondary candidate directly related to the current Imperator. Faced with this unprecedented situation, Imperator Costigan has refused to comment on his son\u2019s campaign or that of any other candidate.\n\nThis situation has angered Universalist Party members, who had hoped that the popular Imperator would endorse the party\u2019s preferred candidate and current High Secretary Illyana Sharrad. Insiders claim that some within the party are terrified of a nightmare scenario where Titus, who is also running as a Universalist, splits the secondary vote with Sharrad only to deny either a spot among the final five candidates. Sharrad refuses to publicly address the controversy and prefers to focus her campaign on the specific policy positions that distinguish her from other candidates. For her speech at the signing ceremony, Sharrad emphasized how she would lead the charge to improve the UEE by fast tracking several long-delayed infrastructure projects and championing initiatives to get more people involved with the Empire. Sharrad proclaimed, \u201cWords will only get us so far. It takes real work, focus, and dedication to make tomorrow better than today. I have the fight and focus necessary to make these ideas a reality.\u201d\n\nWhile some see the growing rift between Titus Costigan and Illyana Sharrad as problematic, both candidates have benefitted from the increased media attention. The other candidates have not received equal interest or scrutiny from the empire-wide press, leaving them lagging in early polls. Thus the importance of the signing ceremony to not only unveil the primary winners but provide them with an opportunity to share their vision of the UEE to a massive audience, potentially for the first time, and attempt to stand out from the crowd of secondary candidates.\n\nFor the three Centralist candidates that made the secondary vote, the ceremony also provided an important chance for them to distinguish themselves from each other. Paul LeSalle claims the party\u2019s strong showing in the primary \u201cindicates the voters\u2019 desire to return to a fiscally responsible approach to governance.\u201d LeSalle is quick to take credit for his party\u2019s success after spending eight years as the Centralist chairperson, a position he resigned prior to kicking off his Imperator campaign. Now LeSalle must move from familiarity as a political insider and distinguish himself from the other two better-known Centralist candidates, Deputy Assistant Director Emma Thorne and retired Navy Admiral Nikki Abdalla. LeSalle claims that he represents a purer vision of his party\u2019s ideals by adhering more closely to the core platform of lower taxes and more restrictive social services. He also looked to stand out by being the only candidate to call for a reevaluation of the Fair Chance Act, which could potentially open previously protected areas of the empire for resource extraction.\n\nThe other two Centralist candidates discussed how they would better defend the empire, though their plans and even their main adversaries were drastically different. Emma Thorne, who currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Director of the Advocacy, described her plan to combat rising crime by expanding the size and role of the Advocacy. \u201cI am tired of seeing the government trying to reinvent the Advocacy through its various initiatives and civilian actions, when the agents in the field are already in place. All they lack is the full support they need to do the job as well as they are able.\u201d Retired Navy Admiral Nikki Abdalla criticized the current administration\u2019s Vanduul War strategy and called it a \u201csurefire failure.\u201d She promised to extricate UEE troops from an \u201camorphous and unwinnable war\u201d and redeploy them to quell crime within the Empire and strengthen the border against future Vanduul incursions.\n\nMeanwhile, the Transitionalist Party again came together prior to the primary to select one candidate to receive the party\u2019s official endorsement; a strategy meant to consolidate the party\u2019s voting power and avoid the issue now facing Universalists and Centralists worried about multiple candidates splitting votes. This year, the party rallied behind controversial Terran Senator Mira Ngo, whose speech touched upon typical Transitionalist talking points that include moving the empire\u2019s capital to Terra, outlawing terraforming, and expanding the Common Laws to provide more protection to Citizens and civilians alike. Senator Ngo\u2019s speech centered around her campaign slogan New Ideas for a New Universe, and revealed a new initiative that would require each government department to have a certain number of Tevarin employees on staff. She implored the empire to \u201cdream bigger and bolder. To not let those beholden to the past prevent our empire from evolving into something that\u2019s more free and fair than what\u2019s come before.\u201d\n\nFour candidates ran as independents, though their association with ascendant political movements across the empire helped them garner enough votes to make the secondary vote. The ceremony\u2019s most bombastic speech came courtesy of Calvin Derry, a populist militia leader from Fora running on a self-proclaimed \u201cHuman First\u201d platform. Derry delivered an incendiary anti-alien screed seemingly aimed at generating headlines rather than easing the concerns of those skeptical of his hardline stance. Derry promised to expand the rights of militias and empower the military to \u201cuse any and all means to eradicate the Vanduul menace.\u201d\n\nIn opposition to Derry\u2019s dire worldview, independent candidate Laylani Addison spoke of the incredible accomplishments achieved when the UEE comes together to tackle important issues. She promised to redirect credits toward improving education and funding scientific research. Her speech even garnered gasps from the audience when she proposed loosening the current restrictions on AI research.\n\nThe remaining two independent candidates could be mistaken for Centralists if not for their steadfast support for positions the party deems too extreme. Radana Naidu, a popular Castra politician with record approval on her home world, continues her meteoric rise onto the empire-wide stage. Many of her policies perfectly dovetail with core Centralist principles, but others drew enough criticism from the party to convince her to run as an independent. Her speech focused on these issues by calling for the defunding of Synthworld and the legalization of all drugs. \u201cThis issue embodies my belief that more government creates more problems. Centuries of failed drug policies have only created crime and chaos. It\u2019s time to be realistic and admit that narcotics will never disappear. Instead, let\u2019s tax their consumption and use those funds to address the issues that drive people to addiction.\u201d The fact that Naidu cracked the top ten by emphasizing her support for these far-field positions might make other mainstream parties reconsider theirs.\n\nThe final and arguably most radical candidate in the top ten was Antwan Lillard, who took the notion of political autonomy and skepticism toward a central government to the extreme by basing his entire primary campaign around the promise of dissolving the central government to allow each system to govern itself. Lillard, who was born and raised in Charon, used his home system as an example of how the UEE\u2019s \u201coverbearing central authority can corrupt and destroy prosperity and peace.\u201d His campaign cry to \u201clet systems determine their own destiny\u201d was met with much less enthusiasm at the signing ceremony than his raucous rallies. Those who wrote off his campaign as nothing but political theater must now contend with the reality that a candidate calling for the end of the Imperatorship and the UEE at large just became a top ten finalist.\n\nThis diverse range of candidates will now hit the campaign trail and have but a few weeks to convince Citizens to support their vision of the UEE. The secondary vote for Imperator will commence on April 10th and conclude April 24th. The Imperial Election Bureau will announce the final five candidates on May 1st, and kick off the last stage of the election cycle with the final vote for Imperator occurring between October 10th and 24th.","de_DE":"Nebenkandidaten verk\u00f6rpern ein vielf\u00e4ltiges Spektrum an Ideen f\u00fcr die Zukunft des Imperiums\nVon Aaron Frost\nNEW YORK CITY, ERDE, SOL\n\n\nEin angespanntes Schweigen fiel \u00fcber die Empfangshalle, als Titus Costigan auf die B\u00fchne trat und seinen Vater und derzeitigen Imperator Kelos Costigan umarmte. Sie tauschten ein paar kurze Worte aus, die weit genug von den Mikrofonen entfernt waren, um sicherzustellen, dass sie privat blieben. Der Kaiser \u00fcbergab seinem Sohn in seiner offiziellen Funktion als Zeremonienmeister einen Stift zur Unterzeichnung der Dokumente, die ihn zu einem Nebenkandidaten f\u00fcr die Wahl 2950 machen sollten. Als er fertig war, breitete sich ein L\u00e4cheln auf Titus' Gesicht aus. Er war nun einer von nur noch zehn Kandidaten im Rennen.\n\nUnter dem h\u00f6flichen Applaus des Publikums und anderer Kandidaten trat Titus in einem schlanken Derion-Anzug auf das Podium, um die letzte Kandidatenrede des Abends zu halten. Der charismatische politische Neuling argumentierte, dass seine einzigartige Lebenserfahrung ihn zur idealen Wahl f\u00fcr den n\u00e4chsten Imperator mache. \"Es stimmt, ich bin kein traditioneller Politiker, aber genau das braucht das Imperium. Ich kann sowohl auf eine lange Erfolgsgeschichte im privaten Sektor als auch auf ein tiefes Wissen dar\u00fcber zur\u00fcckblicken, was erforderlich ist, um die Menschheit in unser bisher wohlhabendstes Jahrzehnt zu f\u00fchren\". Die unausgesprochene Unterstr\u00f6mung besteht darin, dass sein umfassendes Verst\u00e4ndnis f\u00fcr die t\u00e4glichen Abl\u00e4ufe der Regierung aus der Beobachtung der Verwaltung seines Vaters in den letzten zehn Jahren stammt. Im Anschluss an Titus' Rede brachte Imperator Costigan die Zeremonie zu einem raschen Abschluss, wobei er sich h\u00f6flich weigerte, auf Fragen einzugehen, in denen es hie\u00df, die Veranstaltung solle sich auf seinen potenziellen Nachfolger konzentrieren. Er posierte kurz f\u00fcr ein Foto mit allen zehn Kandidaten und verlie\u00df dann die B\u00fchne.\n\nMit dem Ende der Unterzeichnungszeremonie begann eine zweite Wahlperiode, wie sie in der modernen Geschichte noch nie zuvor stattgefunden hat. Im offenen Vorwahlkampf k\u00e4mpften Tausende von B\u00fcrgern um den n\u00e4chsten Imperator, was zu einer \u00fcberraschend knappen Abstimmung f\u00fchrte, bei der der Erstplatzierte nur 370 Stimmen von der Qualifikation entfernt war. Die prim\u00e4ren Ergebnisse f\u00fchrten auch zu einem ersten seit der Einf\u00fchrung des neuen Wahlformats im Jahr 2810 - einem Sekund\u00e4rkandidaten, der in direkter Beziehung zum derzeitigen Imperator steht. Angesichts dieser beispiellosen Situation hat sich Imperator Costigan geweigert, die Kampagne seines Sohnes oder die eines anderen Kandidaten zu kommentieren.\n\nDiese Situation hat die Mitglieder der Universal Party ver\u00e4rgert, die gehofft hatten, dass der popul\u00e4re Imperator die bevorzugte Kandidatin der Partei und derzeitige Hohe Sekret\u00e4rin Illyana Sharrad unterst\u00fctzen w\u00fcrde. Insider behaupten, dass einige in der Partei vor einem Alptraumszenario Angst haben, in dem Titus, der auch als Universalist kandidiert, die Zweitstimme mit Sharrad teilt, nur um entweder einen Platz unter den letzten f\u00fcnf Kandidaten zu verweigern. Sharrad weigert sich, die Kontroverse \u00f6ffentlich anzusprechen und zieht es vor, ihre Kampagne auf die spezifischen politischen Positionen zu konzentrieren, die sie von anderen Kandidaten unterscheiden. In ihrer Rede bei der Unterzeichnungszeremonie betonte Sharrad, wie sie die Initiative zur Verbesserung der UEE anf\u00fchren werde, indem sie mehrere lange verz\u00f6gerte Infrastrukturprojekte schnell verfolgt und sich f\u00fcr Initiativen einsetzt, um mehr Menschen f\u00fcr das Imperium zu gewinnen. Sharrad verk\u00fcndete: \"Mit Worten kommen wir nur so weit. Es bedarf echter Arbeit, Konzentration und Hingabe, um das Morgen besser zu machen als das Heute. Ich habe den Kampf und die Konzentration, die notwendig sind, um diese Ideen zu verwirklichen.\n\nW\u00e4hrend einige die wachsende Kluft zwischen Titus Costigan und Illyana Sharrad als problematisch ansehen, haben beide Kandidaten von der erh\u00f6hten Medienaufmerksamkeit profitiert. Die anderen Kandidaten haben nicht das gleiche Interesse oder die gleiche Aufmerksamkeit der Presse des gesamten Reiches erhalten, so dass sie in den ersten Wahlen zur\u00fcckbleiben. Daher ist es wichtig, dass die Unterzeichnungszeremonie nicht nur die Hauptgewinner enth\u00fcllt, sondern ihnen auch die Gelegenheit bietet, ihre Vision der UEE einem gro\u00dfen Publikum zu vermitteln, m\u00f6glicherweise zum ersten Mal, und zu versuchen, sich von der Masse der Nebenkandidaten abzuheben.\n\nF\u00fcr die drei zentralistischen Kandidaten, die die Zweitstimme abgegeben haben, war die Zeremonie auch eine wichtige Gelegenheit, sich von den anderen zu unterscheiden. Paul LeSalle behauptet, die starke Leistung der Partei in der Vorwahl \"zeigt den Wunsch der W\u00e4hler, zu einem steuerlich verantwortungsvollen Regierungsansatz zur\u00fcckzukehren\". Nach acht Jahren als Vorsitzender der Centralisten, einer Position, die er vor dem Beginn seiner Imperator-Kampagne aufgegeben hatte, hat LeSalle schnell die Lorbeeren f\u00fcr den Erfolg seiner Partei geerntet. Nun muss LeSalle von der Vertrautheit als politischer Insider abr\u00fccken und sich von den beiden anderen bekannteren zentralistischen Kandidaten, der stellvertretenden stellvertretenden Direktorin Emma Thorne und dem pensionierten Marine-Marineadmiral Nikki Abdalla, unterscheiden. LeSalle behauptet, dass er eine reinere Vision der Ideale seiner Partei vertritt, indem er sich st\u00e4rker an das Kernprogramm mit niedrigeren Steuern und restriktiveren Sozialleistungen h\u00e4lt. Er wollte sich auch dadurch auszeichnen, dass er der einzige Kandidat war, der eine Neubewertung des Fair-Chance-Gesetzes forderte, das m\u00f6glicherweise zuvor gesch\u00fctzte Gebiete des Reiches f\u00fcr die Ressourcengewinnung \u00f6ffnen k\u00f6nnte.\n\nDie beiden anderen zentralistischen Kandidaten diskutierten, wie sie das Reich besser verteidigen k\u00f6nnten, obwohl ihre Pl\u00e4ne und sogar ihre Hauptgegner drastisch anders waren. Emma Thorne, die derzeit als stellvertretende stellvertretende Direktorin der Anwaltskanzlei t\u00e4tig ist, beschrieb ihren Plan zur Bek\u00e4mpfung der steigenden Kriminalit\u00e4t durch die Erweiterung der Gr\u00f6\u00dfe und der Rolle der Anwaltskanzlei. \"Ich bin es leid, dass die Regierung versucht, die Anwaltschaft durch ihre verschiedenen Initiativen und zivilen Aktionen neu zu erfinden, wenn die Agenten vor Ort bereits im Einsatz sind. Alles, was ihnen fehlt, ist die volle Unterst\u00fctzung, die sie brauchen, um ihre Arbeit so gut wie m\u00f6glich zu erledigen. Die pensionierte Admiralin der Marine, Nikki Abdalla, kritisierte die Strategie der derzeitigen Regierung im Vanduul-Krieg und nannte sie einen \"todsicheren Fehlschlag\". Sie versprach, die Truppen der UEE aus einem \"amorphen und nicht zu gewinnenden Krieg\" herauszuholen und sie umzuverteilen, um die Kriminalit\u00e4t innerhalb des Imperiums zu bek\u00e4mpfen und die Grenze gegen zuk\u00fcnftige Vanduul-Einf\u00e4lle zu st\u00e4rken.\n\nIn der Zwischenzeit kam die \u00dcbergangspartei vor der Vorwahl erneut zusammen, um einen Kandidaten auszuw\u00e4hlen, der die offizielle Unterst\u00fctzung der Partei erhalten sollte; eine Strategie, mit der die Stimmkraft der Partei konsolidiert und das Problem vermieden werden sollte, dass Universalisten und Zentralisten sich jetzt um die Aufteilung der Stimmen durch mehrere Kandidaten sorgen. In diesem Jahr versammelte sich die Partei hinter der umstrittenen terranischen Senatorin Mira Ngo, deren Rede typische Gespr\u00e4chspunkte der \u00dcbergangszeit ber\u00fchrte, wie die Verlegung der Hauptstadt des Reiches nach Terra, die \u00c4chtung der Terraformung und die Ausweitung der Common Laws, um B\u00fcrgern und Zivilisten gleicherma\u00dfen mehr Schutz zu bieten. Senatorin Ngos Rede drehte sich um ihren Wahlkampfslogan Neue Ideen f\u00fcr ein neues Universum und enth\u00fcllte eine neue Initiative, die von jeder Regierungsabteilung eine bestimmte Anzahl tevarinspezifischer Mitarbeiter erfordern w\u00fcrde. Sie flehte das Imperium an, \"gr\u00f6\u00dfer und k\u00fchner zu tr\u00e4umen\". Wir d\u00fcrfen nicht zulassen, dass diejenigen, die sich der Vergangenheit verpflichtet f\u00fchlen, unser Imperium daran hindern, sich zu etwas zu entwickeln, das freier und gerechter ist als das, was vorher geschehen ist\".\n\nVier Kandidaten kandidierten als Unabh\u00e4ngige, obwohl ihre Verbindung mit aufsteigenden politischen Bewegungen im ganzen Reich ihnen half, gen\u00fcgend Stimmen f\u00fcr die Zweitstimme zu erhalten. Die bombastischste Rede der Zeremonie hielt Calvin Derry, ein populistischer Milizf\u00fchrer aus Fora, der auf einer selbsternannten \"Human First\"-Plattform lief. Derry lieferte einen aufr\u00fchrerischen Anti-Ausl\u00e4nder-Etablissement, der anscheinend eher darauf abzielte, Schlagzeilen zu machen, als die Bedenken derjenigen zu zerstreuen, die seiner Hardliner-Haltung skeptisch gegen\u00fcberstanden. Derry versprach, die Rechte der Milizen zu erweitern und das Milit\u00e4r zu erm\u00e4chtigen, \"alle Mittel zur Ausrottung der Vanduul-Bedrohung einzusetzen\".\n\nIm Gegensatz zu Derrys schrecklicher Weltsicht sprach die unabh\u00e4ngige Kandidatin Laylani Addison von den unglaublichen Leistungen, die erreicht werden, wenn die UEE zusammenkommt, um wichtige Probleme anzugehen. Sie versprach, die Kredite auf die Verbesserung der Ausbildung und die Finanzierung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung umzuleiten. Ihre Rede erregte sogar die Aufmerksamkeit der Zuh\u00f6rer, als sie vorschlug, die derzeitigen Beschr\u00e4nkungen der KI-Forschung zu lockern.\n\nDie beiden verbleibenden unabh\u00e4ngigen Kandidaten k\u00f6nnten mit den Zentralisten verwechselt werden, wenn nicht ihre unersch\u00fctterliche Unterst\u00fctzung f\u00fcr Positionen, die die Partei f\u00fcr zu extrem h\u00e4lt. Radana Naidu, eine popul\u00e4re Castra-Politikerin mit Rekordgunst in ihrer Heimatwelt, setzt ihren kometenhaften Aufstieg auf die imperiale B\u00fchne fort. Viele ihrer Politik stimmen perfekt mit den zentralistischen Kernprinzipien \u00fcberein, aber andere zogen genug Kritik aus der Partei auf sich, um sie davon zu \u00fcberzeugen, als Unabh\u00e4ngige zu kandidieren. Ihre Rede konzentrierte sich auf diese Fragen, indem sie die Entschuldigung von Synthworld und die Legalisierung aller Drogen forderte. \"Dieses Thema verk\u00f6rpert meine \u00dcberzeugung, dass mehr Regierung mehr Probleme schafft. Jahrhunderte gescheiterter Drogenpolitik haben nur Kriminalit\u00e4t und Chaos geschaffen. Es ist an der Zeit, realistisch zu sein und zuzugeben, dass Drogen nie verschwinden werden. Lassen Sie uns stattdessen ihren Konsum besteuern und diese Gelder zur Bek\u00e4mpfung der Probleme verwenden, die die Menschen in die Sucht treiben\". Die Tatsache, dass Naidu die Top Ten knackte, indem sie ihre Unterst\u00fctzung f\u00fcr diese Fernfeldpositionen betonte, k\u00f6nnte andere Mainstream-Parteien dazu veranlassen, ihre Positionen zu \u00fcberdenken.\n\nDer letzte und wohl radikalste Kandidat unter den Top Ten war Antwan Lillard, der die Idee der politischen Autonomie und die Skepsis gegen\u00fcber einer Zentralregierung auf die Spitze trieb, indem er seine gesamte Prim\u00e4rkampagne auf das Versprechen gr\u00fcndete, die Zentralregierung aufzul\u00f6sen, um jedem System die Selbstverwaltung zu erm\u00f6glichen. Lillard, der in Charon geboren und aufgewachsen ist, benutzte sein Heimatsystem als Beispiel daf\u00fcr, wie die \"\u00fcberm\u00e4chtige Zentralbeh\u00f6rde der UEE Wohlstand und Frieden korrumpieren und zerst\u00f6ren kann\". Sein Wahlkampfschrei, \"Systeme ihr eigenes Schicksal bestimmen zu lassen\", wurde bei der Unterzeichnungszeremonie mit viel weniger Begeisterung aufgenommen als seine l\u00e4rmenden Kundgebungen. Diejenigen, die seinen Wahlkampf nur als politisches Theater abgeschrieben haben, m\u00fcssen sich nun mit der Realit\u00e4t auseinandersetzen, dass ein Kandidat, der das Ende des Imperatoriums und der UEE auf breiter Front fordert, gerade unter die Top Ten der Finalisten gekommen ist.\n\nDieses vielf\u00e4ltige Spektrum von Kandidaten wird nun auf den Wahlkampfkurs gehen und hat nur noch wenige Wochen Zeit, um die B\u00fcrger davon zu \u00fcberzeugen, ihre Vision der UEE zu unterst\u00fctzen. Die Zweitwahl f\u00fcr den Imperator beginnt am 10. April und endet am 24. April. Das kaiserliche Wahlb\u00fcro wird die letzten f\u00fcnf Kandidaten am 1. Mai bekannt geben und die letzte Phase des Wahlzyklus einleiten, wobei die Endabstimmung f\u00fcr den Imperator zwischen dem 10. und 24. Oktober stattfinden wird.","zh_CN":"Secondary Candidates Embody a Diverse Range of Ideas for the Future of the Empire\nBy Aaron Frost\nNEW YORK CITY, EARTH, SOL\n\n\n\nA tense hush fell over the reception hall as Titus Costigan strode onto the stage and embraced his father and current Imperator, Kelos Costigan. They exchanged a few brief words far enough from the microphones to ensure that they remained private. The Imperator, acting in his official capacity as the master of ceremony, handed his son a pen to sign the documents that would make him a secondary candidate for the 2950 election. Once done, a smile spread across Titus\u2019 face. He was now one of only ten candidates remaining in the race.\n\nAmidst polite applause from the audience and other candidates, Titus stepped to the podium wearing a svelte Derion suit to deliver the final candidate speech of the evening. The charismatic political neophyte argued that his unique life experience made him the ideal choice to be the next Imperator. \u201cTrue, I\u2019m not a traditional politician, but that\u2019s exactly what the Empire needs. I have both a long track record of success in the private sector along with in-depth knowledge of what is required to lead Humanity into our most prosperous decade ever.\u201d The unspoken undercurrent being that his comprehensive understanding of the government\u2019s day-to-day operations came from observing his father\u2019s administration over the past decade. Following Titus\u2019 speech, Imperator Costigan brought the ceremony to a quick close, politely refusing to take questions saying that the event should be focused on his potential successor. He briefly posed for a photo with all ten candidates and then left the stage.\n\nThe end of the signing ceremony kicked off a secondary voting period unlike any other in modern history. The open primary race had thousands of Citizens campaigning to be the next Imperator, leading to a surprisingly tight vote that saw the first runner up only 370 votes away from qualifying. The primary results also led to a first since the new election format was established in 2810 \u2013 a secondary candidate directly related to the current Imperator. Faced with this unprecedented situation, Imperator Costigan has refused to comment on his son\u2019s campaign or that of any other candidate.\n\nThis situation has angered Universalist Party members, who had hoped that the popular Imperator would endorse the party\u2019s preferred candidate and current High Secretary Illyana Sharrad. Insiders claim that some within the party are terrified of a nightmare scenario where Titus, who is also running as a Universalist, splits the secondary vote with Sharrad only to deny either a spot among the final five candidates. Sharrad refuses to publicly address the controversy and prefers to focus her campaign on the specific policy positions that distinguish her from other candidates. For her speech at the signing ceremony, Sharrad emphasized how she would lead the charge to improve the UEE by fast tracking several long-delayed infrastructure projects and championing initiatives to get more people involved with the Empire. Sharrad proclaimed, \u201cWords will only get us so far. It takes real work, focus, and dedication to make tomorrow better than today. I have the fight and focus necessary to make these ideas a reality.\u201d\n\nWhile some see the growing rift between Titus Costigan and Illyana Sharrad as problematic, both candidates have benefitted from the increased media attention. The other candidates have not received equal interest or scrutiny from the empire-wide press, leaving them lagging in early polls. Thus the importance of the signing ceremony to not only unveil the primary winners but provide them with an opportunity to share their vision of the UEE to a massive audience, potentially for the first time, and attempt to stand out from the crowd of secondary candidates.\n\nFor the three Centralist candidates that made the secondary vote, the ceremony also provided an important chance for them to distinguish themselves from each other. Paul LeSalle claims the party\u2019s strong showing in the primary \u201cindicates the voters\u2019 desire to return to a fiscally responsible approach to governance.\u201d LeSalle is quick to take credit for his party\u2019s success after spending eight years as the Centralist chairperson, a position he resigned prior to kicking off his Imperator campaign. Now LeSalle must move from familiarity as a political insider and distinguish himself from the other two better-known Centralist candidates, Deputy Assistant Director Emma Thorne and retired Navy Admiral Nikki Abdalla. LeSalle claims that he represents a purer vision of his party\u2019s ideals by adhering more closely to the core platform of lower taxes and more restrictive social services. He also looked to stand out by being the only candidate to call for a reevaluation of the Fair Chance Act, which could potentially open previously protected areas of the empire for resource extraction.\n\nThe other two Centralist candidates discussed how they would better defend the empire, though their plans and even their main adversaries were drastically different. Emma Thorne, who currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Director of the Advocacy, described her plan to combat rising crime by expanding the size and role of the Advocacy. \u201cI am tired of seeing the government trying to reinvent the Advocacy through its various initiatives and civilian actions, when the agents in the field are already in place. All they lack is the full support they need to do the job as well as they are able.\u201d Retired Navy Admiral Nikki Abdalla criticized the current administration\u2019s Vanduul War strategy and called it a \u201csurefire failure.\u201d She promised to extricate UEE troops from an \u201camorphous and unwinnable war\u201d and redeploy them to quell crime within the Empire and strengthen the border against future Vanduul incursions.\n\nMeanwhile, the Transitionalist Party again came together prior to the primary to select one candidate to receive the party\u2019s official endorsement; a strategy meant to consolidate the party\u2019s voting power and avoid the issue now facing Universalists and Centralists worried about multiple candidates splitting votes. This year, the party rallied behind controversial Terran Senator Mira Ngo, whose speech touched upon typical Transitionalist talking points that include moving the empire\u2019s capital to Terra, outlawing terraforming, and expanding the Common Laws to provide more protection to Citizens and civilians alike. Senator Ngo\u2019s speech centered around her campaign slogan New Ideas for a New Universe, and revealed a new initiative that would require each government department to have a certain number of Tevarin employees on staff. She implored the empire to \u201cdream bigger and bolder. To not let those beholden to the past prevent our empire from evolving into something that\u2019s more free and fair than what\u2019s come before.\u201d\n\nFour candidates ran as independents, though their association with ascendant political movements across the empire helped them garner enough votes to make the secondary vote. The ceremony\u2019s most bombastic speech came courtesy of Calvin Derry, a populist militia leader from Fora running on a self-proclaimed \u201cHuman First\u201d platform. Derry delivered an incendiary anti-alien screed seemingly aimed at generating headlines rather than easing the concerns of those skeptical of his hardline stance. Derry promised to expand the rights of militias and empower the military to \u201cuse any and all means to eradicate the Vanduul menace.\u201d\n\nIn opposition to Derry\u2019s dire worldview, independent candidate Laylani Addison spoke of the incredible accomplishments achieved when the UEE comes together to tackle important issues. She promised to redirect credits toward improving education and funding scientific research. Her speech even garnered gasps from the audience when she proposed loosening the current restrictions on AI research.\n\nThe remaining two independent candidates could be mistaken for Centralists if not for their steadfast support for positions the party deems too extreme. Radana Naidu, a popular Castra politician with record approval on her home world, continues her meteoric rise onto the empire-wide stage. Many of her policies perfectly dovetail with core Centralist principles, but others drew enough criticism from the party to convince her to run as an independent. Her speech focused on these issues by calling for the defunding of Synthworld and the legalization of all drugs. \u201cThis issue embodies my belief that more government creates more problems. Centuries of failed drug policies have only created crime and chaos. It\u2019s time to be realistic and admit that narcotics will never disappear. Instead, let\u2019s tax their consumption and use those funds to address the issues that drive people to addiction.\u201d The fact that Naidu cracked the top ten by emphasizing her support for these far-field positions might make other mainstream parties reconsider theirs.\n\nThe final and arguably most radical candidate in the top ten was Antwan Lillard, who took the notion of political autonomy and skepticism toward a central government to the extreme by basing his entire primary campaign around the promise of dissolving the central government to allow each system to govern itself. Lillard, who was born and raised in Charon, used his home system as an example of how the UEE\u2019s \u201coverbearing central authority can corrupt and destroy prosperity and peace.\u201d His campaign cry to \u201clet systems determine their own destiny\u201d was met with much less enthusiasm at the signing ceremony than his raucous rallies. Those who wrote off his campaign as nothing but political theater must now contend with the reality that a candidate calling for the end of the Imperatorship and the UEE at large just became a top ten finalist.\n\nThis diverse range of candidates will now hit the campaign trail and have but a few weeks to convince Citizens to support their vision of the UEE. The secondary vote for Imperator will commence on April 10th and conclude April 24th. The Imperial Election Bureau will announce the final five candidates on May 1st, and kick off the last stage of the election cycle with the final vote for Imperator occurring between October 10th and 24th."},"links_count":0,"comment_count":46,"created_at":"2020-02-05T03:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"6 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-18 02:43:54","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":17456,"next_id":17458}}