Election For President Commentary And Question Thread

[Lincoln Republican]

I nominate Chairman TNF.

I accept the nomination. If elected, I will not serve. A vote for the Workers Party is a vote against the bourgeois Presidency and bourgeois South American 'Parliament.' Down with the executive offices of the capitalist state!

A question to the appropriate government official, the Speaker?

In the event that Mr. TNF should win the election for President, and "will not serve" as he says, since there are certain constitutional functions and responsibilities that must be performed by the President, what are the constitutional steps or what are the actions that the the government  would take, or would be obligated to take, in the event this should happen?

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I don't have an answer to your question, but I do just want to pop in and say I'm grateful for the support I'm getting. I don't want to campaign for the job, and if elected I plan to hopefully set the precedent of presidents becoming politically independent during their tenure. It's a ceremonial and symbolic role, and as the first elected president I understand the importance of trying to unite the country at this delicate stage.

That being said, the president does have some soft power to exert, and if elected I plan to tour the country to get a better sense of the issues facing South Americans. We have a brief history that has framed the launch of our first election and government, but I would like to facilitate a cooperative process wherein citizens and legislators continue the work of building a national identity. This should help crystallize some of our values and goals as well.

On the world stage, too, I would work closely with the government to promote peace and friendship with potential allies. I believe strongly in the idea of positive relations with Atlasia, for example. I admit to being a critic of that nation's government in the past, but I know our two states have much more in common than not. What is more, the collaborative aspect of working with a changing, sovereign state on "real" foreign affairs has a wealth of potential for politicos in both of our countries.

In general, I do not plan on ruffling feathers. I'd like to make a good go of this job and hopefully set a positive example for subsequent presidents to follow.

[Barnes]

Since Winfield did address the question to me, I am happy to answer.

Any comments made by any candidates as to what they would do if they were elected to the position could not possibly be allowed to influence my conduct of the election itself.

If after being elected, the person elected refuses to take office, I would assume that the Presidency would be declared vacant, and I would conduct another election.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Preliminary results of the first ballot:

FOR PRESIDENT
[21 MPs, 14 Needed to Win]
Hagrid (PC): 12 (80%)
TNF (PT): 3 (20%)

By Party:
PC: 6 Hagrid, 0 TNF (75% voted)
LS: 3 Hagrid, 0 TNF (60% voted)
PS: 2 Hagrid, 0 TNF (50% voted)
PT: 0 Hagrid, 3 TNF (100% voted)
PP: 1 Hagrid, 0 TNF (100% voted)

[Lincoln Republican]

Thank you both for your answers.

Mr. Barnes, TNF would not refuse to take office, he would take the office, but has said he would not serve, which would have the same result.

But as long as the office is occupied, even with an inactive President, which it would be, then it seems to me that Mr. TNF would have to be removed from office before you could call another election for President.

So how would the nation go about removing an elected President from office?

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Thank you both for your answers.

Mr. Barnes, TNF would not refuse to take office, he would take the office, but has said he would not serve, which would have the same result.

But as long as the office is occupied, even with an inactive President, which it would be, then it seems to me that Mr. TNF would have to be removed from office before you could call another election for President.

So how would the nation go about removing an elected President from office?

From my understanding, saying one "will not serve" is the same as saying one will not take office.

[Lincoln Republican]

That could be, however, simply saying you will not serve is not necessarily the same as not serving.

A candidate for office could say before the election that he will not serve, then he could win the election, then he could have a change of mind or a change of heart, and go on to serve.

So I really do not see how something a candidate says before the election can necessarily be taken as definite.  Candidates say all kinds of things before an election, some brilliant, some stupid. 

After taking office, and then not serving in your elected position, yes, that would be definitive confirmation that you are not serving, but simply saying that you will not serve, before the election, is not necessarily confirmation that you will, in fact, not serve.