Vol Igniria News

Sam · June 24, 2019, 12:00am

Vol Igniria News: Strength Through Knowledge

MOX TEZKA WINS ELECTION; CALLS VICTORY "A NEW ERA"

By V. A. Rezza

After what has been a historic election, underdog candidate Mox Tezka won a surprise victory, becoming the first President of the Phygri after the Vol Ignii joined the Federation just under ten years ago. Ig Tezka promised a new era for all Vol Ignii and to continue the uniting a civilisation who have spent the last sixty years embroiled struggle and war.

For many, the election of Ig Tezka is a dream come true. For others, it is a symbol of how divided we have become. After First Contact just under sixty years ago, the Vol Ignii have suffered two civil wars, a plague, and the foundation of a new governmental system. After the very first elections in FCC 35, the President, Ignus Jolkar pushed for further cooperation with the Federation. Staving off countless motions of no confidence, Jolkar managed to lead the nation to join the Federation and won reelection in FCC 50, highlighting that the people wanted to stay within the Federation. Jolkar's death in FCC 58, two years before the end of ig's ten-year term, made ig one of the Vol Ignii's greatest leaders, but also showed how divided the country still was. Though there are no parties in the Phygri, two camps emerged; one that called to remain in the Federation, the Vol Ignii People's Group (VIPG), led by Jama Irak, and those who opposed Jolkar's work and wished to leave, the United Vol Ignii Front (UVIF), led by Urak Omozz.

Little did these groups know that a third group would emerge months before the election and go on to win; the Federation Unity Group (FUG), led by Mox Tezka. In a race where the only option was to stay a part of the Federation or to leave, Ig Tezka pushed for a policy that was not only to remain in the Federation but to push for a greater union, opening our borders and for greater cooperation with the wider galaxy. Such policies were dismissed by opponents to as too radical, but Ig Tezka's background as a heroic army commander and ig's oratory skills convinced enough of the Vol Ignii to trust ig with the centre chair.

A New Era?

Ig Tezka may have won the opening battle, but the war has only begun. Tezka is facing a nation that is still recovering from civil war, and although Federation membership has brought a better quality of life for many, there is a strong opinion that the Vol Ignii can do better alone. Will futher cooperation with the Federation work? Or will Ig Tezka be ousted from power before ig is able to enact any policies? Whatever he does, ig will be facing a Phygri that is very divided; 37% of the Phygri are supporters of his greatest rival, Urak Omozz, who just lost out on the Presidency by sixteen votes. Jama Irak, who came in at 103, has the support of 45% of the members in the Phygri, whilst Ig Tezka's supporters make up just 8%, the rest going to true independent candidates. 5 seats have been left vacant as the number of votes is equal, though the deadlock is rumoured to be solved within the next four days.

There are rumours that Ig Omozz will be looking to push for Phgri reform, as ig's group gained the highest amount of votes per seat. Ig Irak will be looking to push Tezka out of power however, through repeated motions of no-confidence, but he will have to convince at least 60% of the members in the Phygri to win. Will Omozz's supporters look to put Irak into power, or will they try and let public opinion of Ig Tezka to fall before making a move. Whatever happens, Ig Tezka has the most difficult war in his career to fight, and all eyes will be on the Phygri to see what they do next.

Stay subscribed for more election news.

A full break down of all 1001 seats can be seen below:

1. Mox Tezka - 12,000,431
2. Urak Omozz - 12,000,416
...
103. Jama Irak - 4,567,227
...
998. Kzak Uka - 75
999. Forza Gamaz - 74
1000. Nyi Erza - 68
1001. Debak Jiua - 62

Total Votes cast: 2,784,390,451 (93% of the population)

OOC: Some helpful tips to understand the article -

Ig = Mr/Mrs/Miss etc.
ig in sentence = he/she/his/hers etc.

Vol Ignii don't have genders, so this is the catch all term for gender pronouns.

Elections are done by the number of votes cast in your name; the person with the most amount of votes gets the first seat (aka the Presidency), the person with the second highest votes gets the second seat, etc. for all 1001 seats. More information can be found here.

Sam · August 3, 2019, 12:00am

Vol Igniria News: Strength Through Knowledge

TEZKA'S FEDERATION BILL PASSES; UPROAR IN THE PHYGRI

By V. A. Rezza

The controversial Federation Bill, predicted by many to fail, has been passed in the Phygri in one of Mox Tezka's most ambitious moves ever.

A peaceful daybreak on Vol Igniria masks the chaos in the Phygri, and the huge changes that will affect the lives of Vol Ignii everywhere.

Mox Tezka's Federation Bill, a widely criticised bill that would open Vol Igniria to all members of the Federation, has been defeated every single time it has been brought up in the Phygri. Constitutionally, if a bill has been defeated three times, it is not allowed to be tabled again until the next session of the Phygri. As has been the norm for any motions tabled by Ig Tezka, both the UVIF and the VIPG have voted against the motion, defeating any changes that Ig Tezka wants to make. The Phygri constitution states that after a defeat of five consecutive motions, a vote of no confidence has to be triggered, and this is where the union between the UVIF and VIPG breaks down, with neither party willing to let the other take the role of President. As such, Ig Tezka has staved off more votes of no confidence in ig's first month than Ignus Jolkar did in ig's first year of presidency.

The Federation Bill, often touted as Ig Tezka's landmark bill, had been defeated twice before. Defeat again would mean that Ig Tezka would not be able to fulfil the promises that ig made and which formed the bulk of ig's election campaign, which would force ig to resign ig's presidency and a new election triggered automatically. However, in a dramatic night, Ig Tezka not only passed the bill, but forced both the UVIF and the VIPG to vote alongside him, humiliating both Urak Ozmozz and Jama Irak who had both publically stated that they would never vote the same way as Ig Tezka.

Constitutionally, there is no fixed time where motions can be debated and passed in the Phygri, although convention has had it that motions stick to the parliamentary timetable and are debated during the day. A motion also does not need to be debated before it is voted on, and only a simple majority is needed to pass any bill. The caveat here is that it is not the majority of all 1001 seats, but of members who are in the Phygri chamber when the vote is initiated. Ig Tezka overturned all convention by tabling the motion in the middle of the night when most of the members of the Phygri were not in the building itself, and without debate, moved to the voting stage, where the only members in the chamber were Ig Tezka's supporters. By the time the opposition arrived after being notified of the motion being tabled, the chamber doors had been closed and voting was underway. The final outcome of the vote was 75 for, 3 against, and 1 abstention.

What followed immediately after was a furious five-hour debate over a change in the constitution to remove these loopholes, tabled by Ig Tezka himself. This forced both Ig Ozmozz and Ig Irak to vote for Ig Tezka's motion or risk ig using this method to pass more bills. The Phygri Constitutional Amendment 14 passed with 997 members voting for, 3 members voting against, and 1 abstention.

The Federation Bill

The Federation Bill is the catch-all name for a series of bills that would allow for Vol Igniria to work closer with the Federation. Crucially, it meant that any external diplomatic negotiations were handled by the President first and foremost, allowing for Ig Tezka to decide on how any talks would proceed, without having to consult the Phygri. This change places greater power on the Presidency and will no doubt change political tactics to take this seat.

Not only this, the Federation Bill allows for free movement between the Vol Ignii and the Federation. This means that all space visas will be scrapped, allowing Vol Ignii greater access to space, and the Federation greater access to the Vol Igniria. Depending on how Ig Tezka oversees the diplomatic talks with the Federation, it is possible that we could be seeing more aliens on Vol Igniria very quickly. Ig Tezka has promised more funding for infrastructure and development to help the Vol Ignii grow accustomed to this, and it is difficult to see any opposition to this.

Mox Tezka's War

Nobody could predict Ig Tezka's presidency surviving this long. Mox Tezka has proven this wrong, and passed ig's landmark bill to boot, winning supporters everywhere and dealing a large blow to his political opponents. The former general is using unconventional tactics to pass ig's laws, but in war, anything goes, and Ig Tezka is showing the determination and drive that made ig one of the greatest generals of this generation. Despite everything, Ig Tezka is winning this war. Ig's opposition needs to find a way to contain him quickly before they lose the position of strength that they started with.

Sam · October 6, 2019, 12:00am

Vol Igniria News: Strength Through Knowledge

OPINION PIECE: 650 LATER, THE ENDEAVOUR CONTINUES HER VOYAGE OF COLONISATION

By T. X. Vir

As the Federation Bill comes into effect, the looming shadow of the Federation Starship Endeavour can only mean one thing; change for the Vol Ignii people.

Can you imagine what the inhabitants of two small pieces of land on the planet Earth, Australia and New Zealand, could have felt when they saw the looming sails of the HMS Bark Endeavour, better known only as the HMS Endeavour, glide over the horizon towards their shores? Some thought she was a floating island, or a giant bird from mythology. From their viewing platforms on the beaches, they would watch as this ship come closer and closer, mooring on their shores, and humans, different to they were, speaking different words, having different customs and cultures, step on their hallowed land, their homes, and declare it as part of the new humans' empire.

We will never know what the original inhabitants of Australia and New Zealand felt when Captain James Cook arrived onboard his HMS Endeavour. But we do know how we, the original inhabitants of Vol Igniria, feel when Captain Samuel Bishop arrived onboard his USS Endeavour.

With the Federation Bill, we see free movement between the Vol Ignii and the Federation, allowing for Federation peoples to step on our own hallowed soil. The arrival of the USS Endeavour brought with it strangers who came down to our cities, with the aim of wanting to understand our ways, and our culture. Our strength, our valour, is being eroded by these people who view themselves as superior to us, who would have us do things like them. We do not want them here, we do not want their ways, we don't need their help. Though we still feel the effects of the wars in our past which have divided us, we are still Vol Ignii. Vol Ignii, who died on both sides, to preserve who we are, and what it means to be Vol Ignii. We are not weak; we are strong. Vol Ignii should view what this Federation Bill will do for us - it will dilute an already divided people until even we ourselves have forgotten what it means to be Vol Ignii.

Today, the arrival of the USS Endeavour may come with fanfare and jubilations, with the crew proclaiming they come here in peace, but tomorrow, we will find ourselves shackled under the yoke of a flag that means nothing to us. We only need to look back on human history to understand what the coming of the HMS Endeavour means. The question is, how will this go down in Vol Ignii history?

Vol Igniria News is the voice of all Vol Ignii, no matter the opinion or thought, and we welcome your views. However, we would like to stress that the opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily mirror the views of all of our employees.

Sam · December 1, 2019, 12:00am

Vol Igniria News: Strength Through Knowledge

STRENGTH THROUGH UNITY: VOL IGNIRIA STANDS UNITED ON FEDERATION DAY

By D. Q. Zekka

On a day that was widely anticipated to show the divisions on Vol Igniria, a unified Phygri present a message of Vol Ignii unity; Vol Ignii are stronger when they are together.

4th November 2418. Ten years ago, Ignus Jolkar cemented his name in history when he shook hands with the President of the United Federation of Planets, Aennik Okeg, in what was the most televised event in Vol Ignii history. It was a sign of a better future, one that brought Vol Igniria out of the molten pit of civil war and into a solid bedrock of peace.

Ten years later, the bedrock had formed on a molten surface, ready to melt again at a moment's notice. Today, however, the bedrock has never been more solid. After a year of preparation, a year of increased security, a year of bubbling tension, Vol Igniria held its breath for the decade anniversary of Jolkar's legacy. Would it be the pebble that started the avalanche, or would it be the first sign of dormancy?

It was the latter. Vol Ignii came out in droves into Federation Square as the clock struck 12, signalling the start of the anniversary day, and the celebration that continued throughout the day was perhaps greater than the celebrations after the First Contact Civil War. Vol Ignii unity shone out, as people everywhere, no matter their stance on the Federation, embraced in strength and valour. This moment was perhaps exemplified by President Tezka and Opposition Ig Ozmozz and Irak, gave a joint televised speech where they praised Vol Ignii togetherness, stating that though this celebration would only last a week, the feeling would echo for eternity. Sceptics may point out that Ig Tezka mentioned the Federation only once throughout the forty-five-minute address, but supporters would claim that this was to drive home the prevailing message; no matter the differences in policies, the Vol Ignii would always be united as a nation and as a race.

Today has been a day that many had not seen coming, with no reported incidents, and with widespread peace and joy. It was the perfect way to herald the start of a week of celebrations, and another decade of Federation Membership. Though this is by no means the end of the question of the Federation divide, it is a victory for all Vol Ignii; that knowledge that we are strong enough to put aside our differences and come together in celebration of being Vol Ignii only brings this great planet together and shows that the molten pot of civil war and strife are finally beginning to solidify.

OOC: This is a news article backdated to the 4th November!

Sam · February 18, 2020, 12:00am

Vol Igniria News: Strength Through Knowledge

"RAPE OF VOL IGNII CULTURE" - TERRORIST ATTACK ON THE VOL-IGNII - FEDERATION MUSEUM IN DOS KERBERAL

By D. Q. Zekka

Hours ago, eight terrorists burst into the Vol Ignii - Federation Museum and destroyed a number of artefacts excavated as part of the joint cultural project with the Federation. All eight terrorists were killed on the scene by visiting Starfleet officers.

Eight Vol Ignii burst through the doors of the former Vol Ignii Mythology Museum and began to destroy artefacts that were excavated from the Vol Ignii - Federation Cultural Project. It is confirmed that three Vol Ignii security guards we killed; Yex Raxx (47), Dromo Qoros (64), and Jola Gora (34).

The attack seemingly coincided with a visit from officers of the U.S.S. Endeavour, who were visiting the museum at the time, though it was due to the presence of these officers that the terrorists were eventually shot dead. Curator of the museum, Dr Vog Imza, was at the museum and was giving the tour to the Starfleet Officers during the attack. He had this to say:

"The officers heard an attack coming from the main hall, and then rushed to see what it was. I witnessed the officers expertly take down the Vol Ignii terrorists with precision and limiting the damage done. Without the officers there, more artefacts would have most likely have been destroyed, and I would have been killed.

"Despite their bravery, however, I could see that they were suspicious of us, with some of the officers thinking that I knew about this attack in the first place. For the Vol Ignii who have collectively taken great steps to become closer to the Federation, this seemingly suspicious nature of the officers shows that it's not just the Vol Ignii who have to be accepting, it is the Federation too.

"I am worried about what this attack will do to Vol Ignii - Federation relations. We have benefitted from the Federation, especially in terms of culture and history. A knee-jerk reaction from the Federation could just cause this attack to become bigger than it really was."

A group called "The Cult of the Vol Ioks" has claimed responsibility behind the attack, stating that Federation cooperation is akin to Vol Ignii genocide and that by digging up artefacts, they are "raping Vol Ignii culture,". They state that the entire cultural project is the Federation way to assimilate the Vol Ignii by twisting the archaeology to suit their own history to keep the Vol Ignii enslaved to the Federation.

Despite this, President Tezka has called for a measured reaction from the Federation. In a televised speech outside the museum, he praised the three murdered Vol Ignii, and the actions of the Starfleet officers. He wished a Captain Alistair Nimitz a speedy recovery, as the Captain was reported to have been critically injured during the firefight. Also in his speech, the President condemned all forms of terrorism, saying that "cowardly attacks on public buildings and murdering innocents are the opposite of Vol Ignii values of strength".

He urged all Vol Ignii to continue their daily lives, to continue to seek closer ties with the Federation. Both opposition leaders have also released statements but have focused on the three Vol Ignii dead, and have urged the President to take a hard line to these terrorists.

OOC: This is a news article backdated to the 16th February, hours after the events of "In the Melting Pot"!