President Feuds with Senate Over Technology Funding

2003.11.20 | Svarthol

Hardly a week has passed by when the Gallentean government hasn't fallen out with itself over some internal issue or other and this past few days the populist President elect has again come under fire from the Gallente Senate, this time over the thorny issue of funding, and, as ever, it is the central legislative body the Supreme Court who are caught in the political crossfire.

An ardent technology buff, President Foiritan has always approached research and technological issues with an almost religious fervour and is this time looking to increase government grants for the controversial and ultra-secretive Crielere Project, which in the two years since it was officially announced is already thought to have soaked up over 80,000 billion ISK in tax revenues.

"Crielere is now very close to making a significant breakthrough," Announced Jenear Eclere, the Presidential Advisor for Science at a press conference held last night. "But, until we can secure further funding to carry out field tests, all an announcement would achieve is to inform our enemies what the nature of our work was." The President who was also in attendance at the media event added: "If the Senate cannot divert funds from the budget then our efforts to improve the lives of the Gallente people will have been for nothing. Our only course of action would then be to ask the Caldari State for additional monetary contribution to the project, or to close the project indefinitely. Neither scenario would sufficiently propel us towards the massive advances we stand to achieve."

The Senate meanwhile are adamant that the only available funds are those which have been previously allocated for the Gallente Business Legion, a State-sponsored fund for retired company directors. After a closed and private meeting held late last night to debate the issue, the Senate Press Office released a statement this morning which read: "There are men and women who have served the Federation for decades with unswerving loyalty. These are the distinguished few who throughout a long career have brought in untold billions into our economy. To reward these people with but a minuscule fraction of that which they have given us is the least our people can do. Instead our president wishes to dishonour our corporate heritage and sink yet more wasted isk into his pet science project, a folly that shows no purpose and has thus far shown no results."

Forever stuck in the middle in such rows, the Supreme Court has elected not to make a public statement. However, public opinion seems to be going against both the Senate and the President on this one issue and commentators are suggesting the Court is hoping to use this leverage to push through social reforms in relation to immigration and ethnic minorties.

(As a sidenote, this mornings edition of the popular satirical magazine 'Détective Privé' features on its cover caricatures of Senate leaders and President Foiritan shaking fists across a table; the Senate waving pension books, the President astride a Titan spacecraft. Meanwhile under the table are huddled destitute Minmatar refuges, which, we imagine, may or may not be fleeing some future civil war.)