President, Marshal, now Dictator
July 7, 1011

In the name of the Republic and in supposed advancement of the republican ideals of citizenship, civic virtue, popular sovereignty, and so forth, President-Marshal Kemerskai has declared a national emergency and enacted permanent powers to rule the Republic with an iron fist. He has consolidated full executive and legislative power in his office.

The choice came before Kemerskai of either relinquishing power to the civiliangriffs or maintaining the martial law and stripping the Republic of even more civilian authority. Given the dangers still imposed internally and externally, the President-Marshal chose the latter. The constitution had already been suspended earlier last year to pave the way for policies that promoted the health of the Republic. The President-Marshal retaining power and even expanding it too would only serve to benefit the Republic.

Civiliangriffs have reacted in shock and dismay. They believe republicanism now is dead in the Republic. But this is nonsense. The President-Marshal has promised to relinquish his powers upon defeat of the Republic's enemies. The Republic is in an ideological war; it must protect itself from anti-republican sentiment everywhere.

Protests have broken out in Bleakspire and Lostgate. Thousands of civiliangriffs rally, calling Kemerskai a dictator and threat to republicanism. A demonstration was attempted in Cloudbury, but the Republican Guard dispersed it under technicalities of unauthorized assembly.

Kemerskai's supporters have noted that republicanism is not solely a matter of ballots and parliaments. It is, more deeply, a devotion to the common good. In moments of existential threat, republican virtue may demand sacrifice not only from citizens, but from the very structure of the state. President-Marshal Kemerskai has chosen order over chaos, unity over factionalism, survival over theoretical purity. He has preserved the Republic, by fire if necessary.