CCTV-13

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Good evening China!

Earlier today President Ming has acted on her pledge to hold elections as soon as possible, after discussions with the new Chinese Electoral Commission and the leaders of interested political parties have been concluded the date for the first election has been set for January 2, 2004. Political parties can register to participate until November 30th, however the campaign season has officially started today.

The elections will be the first truly democratic elections held on mainland China in recorded history and are the next step in joining the ranks of healthy and fair democratic nations on the world. Contrary to popular demand, President Ming has not banned the Communist Party from participating in the elections. Many in the population and among her own Truth and Justice Party had called for the ban, however President Ming stated that banning any political movement even the Communist Party would only result in dictatorship with a different label. Many had however called for at least a temporary ban as there are fears that the Communist Party's strong apparatus and longheld control over all segments of Chinese society would give it an unfair advantage against opposition parties that had been suppressed for decades and only in recent months saw opportunity to organize. Addressing these concerns President Ming stated "despite the party machine of the Communists, we managed to bring an end to their government. I trust in the ability of the Chinese people to vote for what is best for them rather than who has the nicer campaign.

Early opinion polls indicate that she may have a point, as the Acting President's Truth and Justice Party is predicted to win in a landslide election with Ming all but guaranteed to convert her Acting Presidency into a regular one.

 

[Zebra]

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Good evening China!

In a surprise announcement the Truth and Justice Party and the National Democratic Party of China have announced a merger. The Truth and Justice Party being considered center-left and the National Democratic Party center-right are considered a great match and were expected to both perform incredibly well. The new party will be known as the Republican Party and has presented itself as a true center Social Democratic Party with an emphasis on the rights of individual regions. Especially the focus on local autonomy and self-governance has made President Ming's new party incredibly popular under ethnic minorities.

Earlier today President Ming has issued a general pardon for anyone who was imprisoned for political reasons by the previous communist government. The pardon means that as many as 440,000 people will be released in the upcoming days. The President has also formally fired the members of the People's Liberation Army that did not defect to the Republican Army. In her statement the President said that the People's Liberation Army had suffered from excessive indoctrination that makes its members unreliable. Critics and supporters have expressed concerns that the large number of now unemployed trained soldiers with a passion for the Communist cause could form a problem in the future for any democratic government. Members of the now former People's Liberation Army will continue to be eligible for any post-service support programs and pensions as available to any other retired service member.

Finally, while President Ming was initially hesitant to engage in formal negotiations with other states until the elections have been held, her popularity in the polls has made her Presidency essentially a guarantee. As such she has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage in outreach efforts to other Asian and major world powers to begin returning China's prominent position on the world scene.

 

[Zebra]

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Good evening China!

As the new reality is settling into the Chinese people, the battlelines of the upcoming election are shaping up with most likely to succeed parties having formally submitted the paperwork to be eligible to be voted for. While the deadline has not expired yet, it is not expected that any other meaningful candidates will sigh up for the Presidential elections or parties for the Congressional elections. With that we are pleased to announce that CCTV will hold the first ever televised Presidential Debates in China. The candidates invited for this round are as follows and have been selected based on the requirement that they should have had at least 5% support in two or more significant polls published on or before October 31. Five candidates met this requirement and these are listed in order from most popular to least.

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First up and with 60% support the favored candidate to win the elections is the Chairwoman of the Transitional Government of the Republic of China and Acting President, Ming Yi. A political newcomer she held no government positions in the People's Republic of China, however she obtained a prestigious undergraduate degree from Harvard and a graduate degree from the London School of Economics. Her parents are both Han Chinese, one of native Chinese descent and the other from Hong Kong. It is believed that her Hongkonger mother was a major contributor to her love and fight for the democratic cause. Her most prestigious accolade is bridging the splintered Chinese opposition into a powerful force that could bring about a mostly bloodless change of government where many expected only another civil war would bring an end to the Communist government. At her core her politics are deeply inspired by Sun Yat-sen and she is a strong proponent of the Three Powers of the People and Five Power Constitution. This has led to her Republican Party claiming the banner of being the true heirs to Sun Yat-sen's legacy, a position disputed by the Communist Party and the recreated Kuomintang.

President Ming is a Social Democrat who believes in individual liberty and allowing private enterprise to prosper, while the government acts as a guardian at the gate. Keeping the people safe and establishing common sense and regulations to protect the people from the excesses of capitalism. Concretely she and her party intend to liberalize the market and allow private enterprise, while maintaining strict governmental control of key industries to the Chinese state and people such as power production, military technologies, education, infrastructure and related sectors of the economy. In all other sectors, including the rising technology sector, the government will seek to divest its mandatory stake gradually and allow new companies to rise without government intervention beyond imposing rules and conditions for their operations. On national security she believes in the unity of the Chinese state and will not allow any part to secede from Beijing, she is however supportive of enhanced autonomy for regions such as Tibet and Xinjiang. Her foreign policy echoes these objectives by engaging in productive and open talks with regional powers and states beyond Asia but not unilaterally withdrawing from all territorial disputes like she has done with the dispute over Taiwan. Especially disputes within the South China Sea and with the State of Japan are expected to become key topics on her foreign policy agenda.

Finally, while she has agreed to grant immunity to officials from the past governments on political crimes, this immunity does not extend to crimes against humanity, crimes under Chinese criminal law, and other high crimes. She has promised that her Ministry of Justice will establish Truth and Reconciliation Committees following the South African model but also establish tribunals for those Chinese citizens who have acted especially tyrannical. Already reports have come out that the People's Armed Police has placed dozens of former government officials under house arrest and has taken their passports. This has resulted in accusations of tyranny and petty revenge from the Communist Party but has largely been supported by the rest of the political spectrum.

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Trailing President Ming significantly, but still holding an impressive 25% support in the polls is Li Keqiang, the candidate for the Communist Party. Until recently Party Secretary of Henan Province Li comes with significantly more political experience, however he was also a close ally of ousted President Hu Jintao. Regardless of his apparent ties to the now defunct leadership he is by many considered a more centrist candidate and seems to be evidence of the Communist Party seeking to re-orient itself in the changed China and appeal to the population rather than enforce their will by force. No matter their intent, the Communists are very unlikely to win the elections with support mostly contained to the elderly and fanatic communists. This group is however large enough that they will likely be a major opposition party and can make things difficult for any new government. The party also has the benefit of large institutional power as it is expected it will take decades to entirely liberalize Chinese society entirely.

Li believes in continued state ownership but is open to allowing limited free enterprise. He has suggested first experimenting with free enterprise zones in larger cities involved in the technology sector which could serve as an example for the rest of the nation to eventually adopt. Li is a strong advocate of the One China Policy and has promised that his first act as President will be an order to renew the Chinese claim on Taiwan. He also opposes regional appeasement and believes that China needs to show strength if it is to once again become a world power. Internally Li rejects any notion of increased autonomy for any Province and believes that only a strong and central state can keep China united. As was expected Li has pushed for general amnesty for all former government officials, a position considered largely self-serving as most of his friends and even himself have been expected to eventually face prosecution for their actions.

Third with 7% support comes the candidate from the Kuomintang, the original party that fought the Civil War against the Communist Party and has remained a force in Taiwanese politics. While the party in mainland China was disbanded, supporters with guidance from the Taiwanese party have reformed it following the announcement of free democratic elections. The party established an apparatus at an impressive speed and has become a force to be reckoned with much earlier than anyone expected. The Party has positioned Zhu Bo-Guo as their candidate for the Presidency. Where the Communist Party represents the conservative left, the Kuomintang represents the conservative right and both oppose the Republican Party's stated goal of increasing civil liberties and the implemented policies of detente with Taiwan as well as the increase of autonomy for ethnically different provinces. Zhu does however support opening up the markets and advocated going even further than the Republican Party with the entirety of the network of state owned corporations to be sold for a boost in the treasury and to create rapid economic growth. Experts have already criticized this policy in that it will lead to short-term economic growth but will almost certainly be followed by a massive increase in corruption, Oligarchy, and eventually dictatorship as was seen in former Soviet states such as Russia and Ukraine. One position Zhu agrees on entirely with President Ming is the need for tribunals to punish Communist government officials for their crimes against the Chinese people, and he went further in proposing that the immunity agreement should be rescinded as it was not approved by a democratic government.

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Finally in fourth, and only barely meeting the requirement at 5% support comes Tso Chun from the Jiusan Society, both Tsu and her party are difficult to place. While the Jiusan Society has been condoned by the Communist government for decades as party of the Minor non-oppositional Parties, it never had an especially communist philosophy. Instead the party can be best described as technocratic, primarily representing the interests of educated Chinese. In recent months the party has used the new freedom to have more outward anti-communist positions, it still seems to balance on the center between right and left. In the legislative elections even though it is small, the party is expected to possibly have a role as Kingmaker should the Republican Party barely miss out on a legislative majority as some polls recently have indicated.

On policy Tso proposes strong investments in the growing Chinese technological sector and to embrace free market ideals in the economy in a gradual and measured approach. On welfare the party goes further than any other party, believing that there should be a universal basic income for all Chinese citizens. On the other hand she opposes the amount of personal and civil freedoms the new Constitution has granted and believes in strong state control. Internationally she pushes for active outreach and an open hand to secure alliances in Asia and beyond. Many of these policy positions are why analysts believe that even though Tso and her party have no chance of winning the election, they could still be an important force in giving legislative support to Ming's presidency.

With four candidates from such diverse and impressive backgrounds and positions, it is all but certain to prove an incredible debate.

 

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In preparation to the upcoming Presidential and Congressional elections President Ming has announced an initiative to invite foreign observers from democratic nations to monitor the elections on fairness and accuracy. While Chinese observers will also be present, President Ming seeks to avoid all claims of electoral fraud or vote tampering by making sure that any result, regardless of the result, will be the honest reflection of the people of China. She hopes to attract observers from a wide range of Asian, European and North American nations specifically due to their experience with democracy. The move has invoked some criticism from the Communist Party and Kuomintang who believe this move is inviting foreign interference in Chinese affairs, the Communist Party going as far as accusing President Ming of inviting another century of humiliation. President Ming has called these complaints as populist rhetoric from extremist elements in Chinese society that reject all foreign cooperation.

In a violent incursion a former member of the People's Liberation Army has attempted to take two People's Armed Police officers hostage, the former officer identified as Lee Yun served in the People's Liberation Army Air Force. In the engagement with the People's Armed Police he was shot and died as a result of his injuries. The PAP Officers involved in the shooting have been placed on a mandatory leave with pay while the shooting is being investigated by the Ministry of Justice and the Police. The encounter is a violent escalation in protests from the members of the PLA who were recently fired by President Ming due to the perception that due to their refusal to join the Republican Armed Forces even after the agreement was signed constitutes disloyalty to the new government. However, experts had previously already warned of the dangers of firing hundreds of thousands of harshly fanatic ideological persons with military training could pose an even greater threat to the young and very vulnerable republic. As a cautionary measure the People's Armed Police has increased its visible presence and the Republican Armed Forces have been mobilized to aid law enforcement in the run-up to the elections should a more organized attempt by the former PLA occur to interfere with the democratic process. The Minister of Defense has also announced his intent to negotiate with representatives of the PLA to come to an agreement that would appease their concerns and guarantee compensation equal to the one they received to reduce resentment of the Transitional Government and a future democratic government. Concerns remain high however that groups may attempt a major attack intended to derail the elections and destabilize the Republic. Intelligence and security services have stated that they are on high alert and doing everything they can to monitor the former PLA members.

 

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Responding to an imminent and credible threat the People's Armed Police Snow Leopard Commando Unit has arrested 25 former PLA Ground Force Officers and other service members. The group is believed to be involved in advanced preparations for an attempted assassination of Acting President Ming and other activities to undermine the upcoming elections.

Experts have over the last several weeks often commented of the risk posed by former members of the PLA who can combine ideological conviction with significant military training. The 25 arrested today will be prosecuted for a range of charges from terrorism and attempted murder to undermining the country's democratic processes. Members of the group face punishments ranging from 5 years to the death penalty, however even if convicted of a capital offense President Ming has already stated the intention to place a moratorium on all executions if she wins the Presidency.

In a public statement a spokesperson for the People's Armed Police has said that they remain on the highest state of alert as the elections approach and will take any action required to preserve the sanctity of the electoral process.

The Office of the President released a statement thanking the People's Armed Police for their swift action and re-affirming Acting President Ming's commitment to the elections. Despite calls from the People's Armed Police to do so, President Ming has declined to declare a state of emergency to grant additional powers to the security services, as she feels doing so would affect the fairness of the elections.

 

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With 94% of the votes counted CCTV is ready to make its preliminary call final. Ming Yi has become the first democratically elected president in Chinese history! Already after 20% of the votes being counted it seemed pretty clear President Ming's victory was inevitable as at that point she had already secured 90% of the votes then counted. While this percentage went down throughout the night, she was at a comfortable 70% by the time 90% of the votes were counted and is currently sitting at 69%. No matter what the result of the final 6% is, there is no way any other candidate can defeat her anymore or that a second round will be required. The closest opponent is Li Keqiang, with 20% of the votes the candidate from the Communist Party may not have won but it has shown that communism is still a powerful force in Chinese politics. FUrthermore it indicates that a large part of her first term will be taken up by reconciling the new and the old China.

In the elections for the legislature the President's Republican Party has secured 60% of the seats in the Senate, given it effective control of that chamber. While the Republicans did also become the largest party in the House of Representatives, with 47% of the seats they will need to cooperate with another party to pursue their legislative agenda. Based on statements from both parties and ones by the candidates during debates, the most likely party to be chosen is the Jiusan Society. The party has a highly centrist, though slightly to the left, electoral program. More importantly due to being tolerated as part of the controlled opposition under Communist one-party rule, the party is rich in members with institutional experience which will prove a useful resource as the Republicans seek to remove Communism from all the state's institutions.

Early on in the night when the final result became clearer miss Cho already congratulated President Ming and promised to work with the person chosen by the people. It seems likely that in return for some seats in the government and influence on the legislative agenda a coalition can be achieved. With 5% in the House, the Jiusan Society would be sufficient to give the Republicans a majority.

 

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Shortly after conclusion of coalition negotiations between the Republican Party and the Jiusan Society, President Ming's first piece of legislature has already passed Congress and has been signed by her turning it into law.

As home of the revolution that overthrew the communist government Nanjing had been chosen as provisional capital pending the complete transition into the new administration. Despite some voices urging that it should remain the capital however, it seemed clear to most from the start that this would only be until the legislature could decide on a more suitable capital.

Nanjing for all its qualities and historic status as capital is considered to lack the infrastructure and services that would come with being the capital of the most populous country in the world. While investments could be made to rectify this, the Republican Party would rather invest those funds into transforming China into the fully free and open society. Once the requirements of the new capital were clear a few candidates quickly came out of the numerous possibilities. Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chengdu, and Shenzhen. Each of these cities was considered to have the right level of infrastructure to be capable of hosting not only the federal government but also the international missions, businesses and other industry that tend to follow a government into a nation's capital.

Out of these options Shanghai and Beijing quickly rose as the only two real options. While Shanghai was the frontrunner for a while due to it being the larger of the two cities, the home of numerous Chinese businesses and due to it not having been the capital of the People's Republic of China, in the end President Ming managed to turn the tide by expressing her preference for Beijing. In the debate on the topic she stated that Beijing already has all the Ministries and foreign embassies while also being home to most of the people that would likely staff the various government departments. Finally, she stated that while Beijing was the capital of the communist dictatorship, before it it had also been the capital of the Republic and most dynasties that had ruled the country. "Beijing has stood for over 3000 years, its history is more than just one government and for most of that time it has been the heart of the Chinese people" She stated in a press conference.

The open support for Beijing proved convincing as the Beijing Capital Act was officially approved with large majorities in both the House and the Senate. Ministries that were already using their old complexes will continue operating from the capital. Congress will be moving to Beijing in the upcoming months as it chooses suitable buildings to host both Chambers, the separately approved Presidential Residences Act has already designated the Forbidden City as the official primary Presidential residence.

 

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The People's Armed Police has announced that they have foiled an attempted assassination on President Ming by elements of the former People's Liberation Army. According to the director of the PAP the would-be assassins managed to infiltrate President Ming's security detail and even the detachments of the Republican Army in the Forbidden City and Beijing responsible for stepping in during emergency situations.

Based on their investigation of the evidence and interrogation of the suspects, the plan was to kill President Ming with an explosion at which point the commanders in charge of the detachments would declare the President was assassinated by Kuomintang terrorists and implement martial law to allow for the return of the Communist Party. Other Ministers and the Vice President were to be either killed or placed under arrest as co-conspirators in the Kuomintang plot.

The People's Armed Police have arrested seventy individuals involved in the plor, including the two Generals in charge of the detachments. It has however not ruled out that more arrests will follow as the investigation continues.

The Forbidden City has released a statement thanking the People's Armed Police for their effort in halting the plot and expressed satisfaction that the suspects will now undergo a fully independent legal process and not the kangaroo courts that were common under the previous regime. It also stated that President Ming believes the Republic of China is greater than her and that even if she died the people would never allow a return to tyranny.