Federation Free Press

[Aerandariel]

Federation Free Press
News and Opinion in the Solhaven Federation
1 Fein 1598

Alliance MPs threatening to jump ship in opposition to KEC


From our correspondent in Hyperion:
Chancellor Montgomery Scott's government is facing internal opposition to Solhaven's continued membership in the Kvaennan Economic Community from members of the Federationist-Alliance coalition. Sixty-four of the ninety-nine Alliance Party MPs submitted a letter of protest to Chancellor Scott's office as well as the Federation Ambassador to the K.E.C. Willard Decker, arguing that "our Federation's continued submissiveness to the Community pact is exacerbating a growing feeling within the nation that this government is surrendering our economic and financial sovereignty to a Goldecian-based body that does not have the people of Solhaven's interest in mind." The letter went on to ask the Chancellor for a vote to authorize a referendum on K.E.C. membership.

The government's response to the Alliance letter was one of tempered dismissiveness. Chancellor Scott informed Alliance MPs that he would not agree to holding a referendum vote, arguing that Solhaven has largely benefited from membership in the K.E.C. and that any actions taken by the government or by Parliament in general to undermine the relationship between the Federation and the rest of the continent - already generally shaky at best - would prove disastrous for Solhaven in the future.

Alliance Party officials have now begun to threaten the government with walking out of the tenuous coalition with the Federation Party over the issue. Though the number of MPs signing on to the protest is not quite enough to strip the government of a majority, the loss of nearly two-thirds of the Alliance MPs would be disastrous for Chancellor Scott and the government, as such an action might provoke other MPs to jump ship and move to the opposition.

For their part, the Union and Democratic Republican parties are largely staying out of the fray, but some MPs from both parties have shown a willingness to vote with the government on the K.E.C. issue should the Alliance Party leave the coalition. One Union MP said, "It is better to vote with the government on this issue than against it. The Union Party doesn't see the K.E.C. as perfect, but it has done us some good and to threaten it now is in our view dangerous both politically and economically."