The Office of Lumine (On the Future)

[Lumine]

Taking Office / Running for PPT:

Press Release: Returning to the Senate for the first time since December 2015, now Senator Lumine took the oath of office and announced his intention to run for President Pro Tempore of the Senate, office he had already held in 2014 at the midst of an unprecedented constitutional crisis.

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Senator Lumine.

[Lumine]

War in Korea Update:

Press Release: "It is with great pleasure that I congratulate the PRK, the ROK, Japan and the overall Allied forces for a brilliant, historical victory at Pyongyang which will do much to bolster the cause of democracy and a brighter future for Korea away from totalitarianism and the grim tyranny of the Kim dynasty. Their continued struggle and constant efforts to fight back against those who wish to return to a dangerous, violent and ruthless past should be admired across the globe, and more than that, properly supported.

It is painful to see Atlasia submerged in an unrealistic stance of isolation, watching from afar as our allies fight and die for a better, more stable Korea. It is painful to see what we could be doing so much more to help them in logistical, aid and military terms, only for our nation to ignore their plight as if what was taking place in Korea did not concern us. It is painful, and I will continue efforts to make the case for intervention so we finally realize that ignoring this problem will only hurt us badly in the long term.

[Lumine]

"Princeps Senatus"

Lumine in his new Princeps Senatus garb

Press Release: Following a 4-2 vote, Senator Lumine became President pro tempore of the Senate today for the first time since November 2014. Immediately taking office, the Senator announced a number of Senate Directives and then promised to focus on coming Game Reform legislation.

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Senate Directives:

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LumineVonReuental, Princeps Senatus.

[Lumine]

I keep reading Princeps as Princess and thinking you joined the team.

At least I'm not the only one who was thinking this.

My, wouldn't that be something! I'd become first female President retroactively, which is not something I ever expected to even consider.

Congratulations Senator!

Thanks for appointing me Deputy PPT. I'm definitely intrigued by your art contest idea.

Thank you, gentlemen! While it is meant to be more suited for an NPC simulation, I invite Atlasians who wish to present something to participate as well (such as a collage, a meme, even a drawing). It would be interesting if players explored a more artistic side to the benefit of the game.

[Lumine]

Chinese Invasion of Korea:

Former President Lumine warns against Chinese aggression

Press Release: After the stunning news that the "People's Liberation Army" of Chine had crossed the Yalu River to invade Korea, Princeps Senatus Lumine delivered another foreign policy speech on Nyman warning of the seriousness of the crisis, and calling the nation to take another look at the ongoing crisis in Korea.

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LumineVonReuental, Princeps Senatus.

[Lumine]

Dismissal of the Deputy PPT:

Nyman, April 3rd:

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While the position of Deputy PPT (or Deputy Princeps Senatus) is certainly a more symbolic one than a practical one unless absences are involved, the position also involves trust in the capacity and the integrity of the Senator who holds the title. In this particular context, it was offered to fellow candidate LouisvilleThunder both out of trust and in the best interests of uniting the Senate following a competitive election and recognizing the importance of a civil, open institution.

Following a set of events which involve Deputy PPT LouisvilleThunder and that in my (strict and purely personal) opinion demean his office as a Senator, I have concluded that I can no longer rely on or trust him. Having also discussed things with him, and following some personal reflection, I have decided the Senator is hereby dismissed as my Deputy. I have no desire to publicly air an affair which may do more harm than good, but I'm also unwilling to tolerate a certain type of behavior I have no intention to condone so long as I am Princeps Senatus.

I'll be appointing a new Deputy PPT later this week, the other Senators are of course encouraged to apply should they desire the position.

[Lumine]

Of course, everyone knows my bias regarding LouisvilleThunder., but I feel as though this was more based on personal insult then anything else. Could you at least give a reason for his firing besides his insulting of you? I think you need to prioritize the atlasian people and not your feelings.

I didn't wish to be too explicit on the matter because I believed that airing things in this case would probably distract us from the duties of government. I also hoped LouisvilleThunder would be able to react in a mature way after our conversation, and it is both shocking and aggravating to see that he would much prefer attempting a hamfisted political ploy to depose me from an office which I hold by democratic vote, and which apparently he feels entitled to.

Insults I can take (hell, I've been on the receiving end of much worse things that what LT dishes out), but what originally set off the alarms was the confirmed fact that he had blatantly lied about Senate procedure in Discord to justify his own vote for Pericles's bill, casting the blame solely on me despite not being any truth to his rather irresponsible claims, essentially turning me into his scapegoat for his own decisions. He then basically admitted to having been part of a corrupt bargain as a Senator, argued the matter was not worth being fired for, said he would respect my decision and offer support for me as PPT.

And now I learn that even after that he is openly planning to depose me for no other reason that feeling entitled to be PPT.

To me it seemed unmistakably clear that if I could not trust my own Deputy not to knife me in the back in a place in which I am not present and turn me into a scapegoat, and if that same Deputy appears to possess some rather questionable standards when it comes to the dignity of his office, then said person simply has no excuse serving in a position of trust. That is why I fired LouisvilleThunder, and while I fully intended to remain discreet about it I believe that latest screenshot by Not_Madigan not only reaffirms my decision, but entitles me to be vocal about what happened.

[Lumine]

I don't blame you for firing LT Lumine. Holy potatoes - I bet you didn't realize the Senate would actually go full Rome when you made the name changes!

And here I thought it was just symbolic, I didn't expect to be turned into Caesar!

It will take more than the edgy teenagers who think they own the place to bring me down, thankfully (not to mention LT is no Brutus)

[Lumine]

A new Deputy PPT:

Nyman, April 15th:

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Following some contemplation and consideration of potential candidates, I have finally been able to fulfill my duty to appoint a Deputy PPT. The chosen Senator has been my esteemed and respected colleague Not Madigan, who I believe has impressed a lot of us by being an effective, responsible Senator while in office and who is also one of the rising stars in Atlasia. I think we should always strive to encourage and support those newer generations who rise up in office, and I feel the Senator is someone I can both respect and trust to fulfill my duties should anything unexpected arise.

[Lumine]

Senate Rules Reform:

Princeps Senatus Lumine reacts to recent corruption scandals in the Senate

Press Release: Disappointed and concerned about the uncovering of blatant corruption by Senators Pericles and LouisvilleThunder, the Princeps Senatus made good on his promise to reform the Senate Rules to both address the succession to a PPT and introduce the concept of Censure.

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LumineVonReuental, Princeps Senatus.

[Lumine]

Disciplinary Action:

Nyman, April 20th:

With the reception to both proposed Senate Rules reform being positive so far, I expect to be able to move to a vote soon to address the relevant issues behind what I have put forward for debate. I continue to be convinced both Censure and Motions of No Confidence can prove useful tools against abuse (hopefully not to be abused themselves), and it is likely they'll be put to the test after the Midterm Election is open.

Having seen the latest comments by Scott regarding possible intimidation of voters and, thankfully, that many respectable voices have expressed the necessity of taking a firm stand against unethical behavior, I can confirm that as PPT I will be pursuing disciplinary action in the Senate after the election regardless of the results, most likely in the form of Censure towards LouisvilleThunder and Pericles or even Expulsion if it seems necessary and appropiate.

[Lumine]

Just to clarify, does the Senate already have a method of censure/expulsion? Because I cant imagine such penalties, if new, can be applied retroactively to prior conduct.

Expulsion does exist indeed, censure would be the new addition. Normally I very much oppose retroactive use, but I do think this is one of few cases in which there is an argument for it. Now, if the Senate is strongly of the opinion only the current punishments in place (expulsion) are the ones that should be used, then I will defer to the opinion of my colleagues and pursue expulsion if necessary.

[Lumine]

Just to clarify, does the Senate already have a method of censure/expulsion? Because I cant imagine such penalties, if new, can be applied retroactively to prior conduct.

Expulsion does exist indeed, censure would be the new addition. Normally I very much oppose retroactive use, but I do think this is one of few cases in which there is an argument for it. Now, if the Senate is strongly of the opinion only the current punishments in place (expulsion) are the ones that should be used, then I will defer to the opinion of my colleagues and pursue expulsion if necessary.

If one of these two senators in question wins re-election would you wait until the start of their second term to begin any disciplinary action?

It depends on whether there is support for censure. If there is, I would suggest censure during the lame duck and expulsion if necessary after the start of the second term (or impeachment if we want to go down that route, which is allowed by the Constitution but brings a much heavier and longer punishment).

My hope is it won't come to that given the current voting trends, of course, but if one is elected and retroactive censure is not supported then I will commit to pursue expulsion even twice if needed. Thankfully, once we get through this situation we'll have more clear procedures in mind to avoid a repeat of this.

[Lumine]

On potential reelection as PPT:

Nyman, May 3rd:

With this legislative session drawing to a close I have developed both positive and negative feelings about the last two months in charge of the Senate as its presiding officer. On one hand, it has been a very productive sessions which has passed a large amount of legislation, amended the Senate rules and saw some interesting ideas emerging for discussion. On the other hand, we've seen ethical scandals which have demeaned the standing of the Senate, and to put it mildly debate has not been as robust as it could and perhaps should have been (something of which I'm guilty myself, although I try to always contribute something).

In any case, with a new session upon us and the necessity of a new election to choose a new President Pro Tempore of the Senate, I can announce that I will not be seeking the office for the coming session. I've enjoyed the challenge and despite some shortcomings I think I've done a decent job as PPT, but there are other challenges in which I'd prefer to focus, the Senate has more than enough capable members to replace me, and ultimately I'm not interested in eternally serving in a given position either.

I will also be taking an extended leave of absence starting tomorrow, ending on Monday at the earliest. My personal and emotional struggles have left me drained and exhausted, and it was suggested to me that I take a trip to meditate on my current predicament to avoid things from getting worse. Hopefully I'll return feeling a bit more optimistic about things.

That's it for now, my sincere thanks to the Senate for giving me this opportunity to lead over the past two months.

[Lumine]

Thank you for your kind words, gentlemen.

[Lumine]

Statement on Return:

Gibraltar, July 8th:

Departure:

I think one the things we neglect to remember is that sometimes we need to take a break from the noise and, yes, from the poison as well. In a way, these two weeks have acted as a much needed break to think things over and reflect on the past few months since I returned to Atlasia, but they were certainly not meant to be just a break at first. My sudden departure had been considered before (and was therefore not as impulsive as it seemed), but it was indeed executed in a moment of sheer disappointment.

Already uneasy about the prospect of another four months of status quo, to find my efforts to give the Fremont Senate race a proper democratic closure (on the false assumption of victory) viciously attacked alongside my own character and motivations by some individuals (who at least to me were certainly not in a moral position to throw stones) was rather discouraging, if not infuriating. To later hear they insulted me and danced on my grave on Discord certainly didn’t suggest I had made the wrong choice by leaving. However, there were also several friends who came forward to ask, or to talk things over, or to encourage me to just return, and it is certainly something I appreciated a lot.

Return:

Ultimately, I took the time I needed to think it over and I realized that abandoning the game over this particular issue wasn’t exactly the best decision to make. Not when I’ve worked for the Republic for over six years and when there are more dignified ways to leave than by giving some hypocritical comments more validity than they should reasonably have. I won't sugarcoat the fact that I don’t like the current state of the game (controlled as it is by unscrupulous Discord cliques), nor am I particularly hopeful about it meaningfully changing anytime soon. That, however, is not to say things may not change.

Myself I haven't quite decided what I will do next, although a return to the press arena via The Crusader has seemed quite attractive and an interesting way to contribute. But all in good time. For the time being, I'm optimistic about coming back for some time at least.

[Lumine]

Back to Basics:
Running for Fremont Parliament

Press Release: Somewhat rested after a break, former President Lumine ruled out today any interest in returning to the Senate and wowed instead to return to regional politics to find a more stimulating challenge, announcing his bid for the upcoming elections in Fremont as "Back to Basics".

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[Lumine]

Endorsed, Lumine!  It's great to have you back in the game and I look forward to seeing your work in Parliament.

Endorsed! It'll be interesting to see what you'll do in Parliament!

Endorsed

Thank you, gentlemen! Much appreciated.

Some of you know I'm currently running a poll regarding Discord, and I've continued to recieve most fascinating responses from a determined critic (aptly titled "youre a fraud" in the latest false response). He was kind enough to leave me some questions and a general statement, which I might as well answer here:

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I lost it three to be precise, and I won it once. I can't be held responsible for Senatorial turnout, but might as well point out one of my victories was the second most active election in Atlasian history.

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Your point being? I don't play the game to be popular and widely liked, you know.