UPA (Utanian Press Agency)
Release: February 13, 301 AP.

Utanian socialists warn against strengthened military

Twenty-two Utanian MPs from six different parties have joined forces to oppose the President's new Military Spending executive order, an order that two-thirds of the Parliament (94 MPs) can overrule.

The mostly socialist MPs from the Utani-Saedaj and Peoples Parties, the Republicans, Democratic Socialists, the Yannists and even the Burovians, have formed an anti-militarist voting bloc in the Parliament opposed to "further significant expansion of the military". If the joined by the Opposition (42 MPs), all six Burovian MPs, and the Progressive Party's nine MPs, the bloc opposed to the order would only require fifteen more dissenting votes to overrule the President's order. This would be a humiliating defeat for the popular President, weakening his polling-power in the forthcoming Presidential election.

Key to the concerns of the socialist MPs in the group was the role of the military in Utanian politics. "All it would take for Utania to slip into dictatorship is a strong military and a military general elected President, such as General Arjaat (Chief of Staff) or the ever-popular General Gordain (of the Dignanian peacekeeping mission), and the whole country could fall under a military repressive regime as brutal as the Guwimithian Empire", declared cruistian-socialist Peoples Party MP, John Seltzen. "We have an obligation to the future generations of this United Democratic Republic to ensure that democracy continues to be the rule in Utania. It is our contention that a strong military would undermine this."

Even the conservative-pacifist party, the Burovians, has been angered by the size of the expenditure. "The Utanian Burovian Movement echoes the sentiments of the honourable Mr Seltzen. We fear not only a move toward militarism in the Presidential Suburb, but the consequences upon the nation of such a heavy expenditure within the first year of the country's existence. This will not only represent a possible continued threat to the freedoms we treasure so, but also the unnecessary financial burden upon the people", declared Naahi Bennett MP, founder of the UBM.

The vote will be carried some time this week, with many predicting the President squeezing through. However, the size of dissent within his own party, and how he responds to this, may also determine whether President Okarvits wins his party's approval to even run for President again later this year.


©UPA, 301 AP.

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©Mike Ham, 2001. All rights reserved. No reproduction without, at least, tacit approval. ;-)