Speech by Miestrâ Schivâ UrN, PhD, incoming Party Leader of the ZRT, to the 3rd Party Convention, Fiôvâ, Avrïu XXXV/2014.
Estimats repúblicáes, fiôváes, Talossáes és oðreux amici!
As cxhn. Magniloqeu da Lhiun, our Attorney-General, correctly said from the gallery: I am a liar. I said I would not become leader of this Party again. I meant it when I said it. Then I changed my mind.
Clearly, friends of Talossan Republicanism, this means that I am a charlatan, a turkey, a weasel, and a medicine-show con-woman. But you could have known that if you listened to, for example, the Senators from Vuode or Florenciâ.
The best I can say in my own defence is that it wasn't for glory. I've already been Seneschál and Head of State of, er, "a" Talossa at one stage. I've worn the sash which is now worn by the Head of State of reunified Talossa. I've got nothing more to prove to myself, personally.
There are only two things I care about in Talossa, apart from that it continue to exist as a group of friends. One is the survival and greater use of ár glheþ amadâ. And the other is the survival of Talossan republicanism. If I didn't think the latter was on the line, I would have left the field to GV and Evan.
There are two views of Talossa. One is that we need a King to keep the ship of state afloat. But history disproves that. Apart from the 8 years of the separatist Talossan Republic, we had two years between the first and second reigns of Robert I, under two non-political Kings and the "Provisional Peculiar Republic". We had the Interregnum in the era between KR1 and our current Head of State.
The second is that Talossa does not need a strongman or a wonder-woman, either as Head of State or as part of a "cabal" working behind the scenes and "puppeting" the actual monarch. Talossa needs a thriving community of Talossans who love it. KR1, in a lucid moment, defined Talossan patriotism as the belief that "Talossa must continue". So, we need a cadre of Talossan patriots who will keep the show on the road.
I've dissed the RUMP Party many a time, and will do so more in future if they ever come near power again. But the core of the RUMP - let me name my friends and collaborators, cxhn. Davinescù, Senator Preston and the Ladîntsch Naziunál, cxhn. Sierviciül - are precisely that cadre of Talossan patriots we've been talking about. I'm glad that they've let someone else take political power, with good grace; but in continuing their good administrative work, under the supervision of the newly elected Government, they have proved to be Talossa's Atlases, doing the hard yards (as we Kiwis put it) so that the rest of us can continue to enjoy our ImagiNation.
Parenthetically, let me add that - as confirmed by this Convention - the "quarantine" period for the RUMP is over. No longer do the ZRT consider them untouchable as far as participation in a future government is concerned. Of course, they'd have to make us a helluva good offer!
Thankfully, there are Atlases outside the RUMP as well. Prominent among them would be our former leader, C. Carlüs Xheráltescù. I hope soon to announce - after discussion with the incoming Central Committee - a deal in which the ZRT will allow his new Liberal Congress party to keep some of the seats that the ZRT gave him. This is a vote of faith in the future of Talossan democracy.
The point, for me, is not that the ZRT should maximise its vote - the point is that the ZRT's programme should be enacted. And part of that programme is a thriving multicultural democracy, where no citizen finds their point of view unrepresented. A party which is truly agnostic on the monarchy yes/no debate can only be a breath of fresh air.
The Liberal Congress has expressed their wish to support the current "centre-left" (republicans + moderate monarchists) government, so that's good enough for me. Similarly, I take pleasure to let the world know that certain overtures for the unification of the republican family in Talossan politics have recently come from the general direction of Québec. These, of course, will have to be carefully discussed by the ZRT Central Committee before we can declare firm progress on them.
Win or lose, rise or fall, majority government or one weirdo with 1 Cosâ seat making cranky speeches, Talossan republicanism is here to stay. The ZRT is a republican party, pure and simple - we want less monarchy, preferably none. But we will co-operate with anyone and everyone in making sure that many of the benefits of republicanism - i.e. responsible government open to all citizens - are achievable in the here-and-now.
I am here to serve and defend the Defenders of Talossan Republicanism as long as they want me. Onwards to the next Ziu elections! Onwards to a republican government for all Talossa! Raise the Four Stars high!
