Utanian Press Agency, Release 18 October 300 AP

UPA (Utanian Press Agency)
Release: October 18, 300 AP.

First elected Utanian Parliament convenes!

Utania's very first publicly elected Parliament today convened for the first time, and immediately set about electing a Government and President.

President Hope, as the President until the vote, opened the inaugural Parliament of Utania. The House then elected a government, and, as predicted, the Peoples and Utani-Saedaj Parties lead a coalition of 71 MP's, with 42 in firm opposition (the Conservatives, Democrats and Cruis-Democrats), and the remaining 27 sitting in the middle, abstaining from declaring their allegiances.

President Hope was also on hand to stand as a candidate in the Presidential election, even though the result was fairly certain. On Monday, Max Boornal pledged Burovian support for George Okarvits, the Peoples and Utani-Saedaj Parties candidate, making the vote, at best, 77 for Okarvits to 63 for Hope. And when it came to the vote, both candidates put forward their vision for the "new Utania" and the Parliament voted:
"Okarvits, G., MP for Waverley... eighty-six votes for.
"Hope, E.R., Governor of Lasanne... fifty-two votes for.
"Abstained votes, two."

The Utani Progressive Party had voted for Okarvits as well, signalling their desire to also be included in any government votes. It does not put them, or the Burovians in strict coalition with the government, but it does signal these Parties' desire to support the government in critical votes of confidence, should there be any dissent from within the government.

In addition, it showed that the Liberal Nationalist Party, in voting for Hope as President, would support the opposition in key votes, though refused to formally join the opposition parties.

There were several more formalities in the formation of the government, including the acceptance by the Parliament of President Okarvit's choice of Vice President, Utani-Saedaj leader Lahsa Areopatre, and appointment by President Okarvits of the house speaker and deputy speaker, who are the two candidates who missed out on being elected by the smallest margins: John Ward, the Democrat who lost Hamilton by 92 votes to the Liberal Nationalist William Bonwick; and his deputy George Polonovsk, Burovian candidate in Gyum'th, who lost to the Cruistian-Democrat MP, Klaus Wittgenstein, by 321 votes.