Aerlan general election, 1740
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The Aerlan general election, 1740 is the upcoming third general election scheduled to be held 1.I.1740 AN to 7.I.1740 AN in Aerla. The Presidency, along with all 110 seats in the National Assembly are to be contested, with 56 seats needed for a majority. The election will be held with the effects of the Recession of 1737, the East Keltian Collapse and subsequent refugee crisis, and the status of Aerlan Commonspeak in official capacities.
Incumbent President Basil Fitzroy is ineligible for re-election, as he reached the presidential two-term limit. The Reformist Bloc elected Agalore Assemblyman Anthony Solomon as their candidate for President, while the Conservative Bloc elected lawyer and businessman Michel Sabbagh as their candidate. Other candidates for the presidency included Malcolm Bradford for the Agrarian Bloc and Alexis Hallston for the Nazarene Bloc.
The election was a resounding victory for the Conservative Bloc, as the Reformist Bloc failed to hold several key swing municipalities, losing several not only the Conservatives but also to the Ranentsian Independence Party. Following the Conservative's victory, Anthony Solomon officially conceded to Sabbagh, and congratulated him on his victory. Michel Sabbagh was inaugurated as the 3rd President of Aerla later in the month.
Following the election the first coalition government in the nations history was founded, with the Conservative and Nazarene Blocs entering into a partnership to secure 54 out of the 110 seats in the National Assembly. While falling short of the 56 needed for an absolute majority, the coalition is expected to dominate Aerlan politics in the years to come, as the Reformist Blocs longstanding policy of not entering into coalitions is expected to cost them dearly in their ability to pass legislation.
Campaign Issues
Energy
Sabbagh campaigned heavily for the "reinvigoration of Aerlan energy" through the use of the nation's vast coal and natural gas reserves. Solomon, while not necessarily opposed to the use of natural gas, stated his uneasiness of using coal as it could cause a "climate disaster" for Aerla.
Sabbagh also campaigned for Aerla to become "...completely self-sufficient in energy production." and that "We will no longer depend on outsiders to provide us with the energy that makes the wheels of our nation turn." Sabbagh also stated his desire to receive proper royalties to energy, and specifically natural gas, to be given to Aerla. He repeated false claims stating that Aerla was "hashing out more money than we get back".
Church Issues
Solomon campaigned on the promise of abolishing the Department of Church Affairs (also known as DoCA), which he stated in a Voice of Aerla interview to be a roadblock in the separation of church and state. Sabbagh, in a later campaign rally, retorted Solomon's claim and stated the DoCA's purpose was to better ease the process of separating of church and state to promote a positive relation between the church and the government.
Military Spending
Solomon stated his desire to decrease the current spending on the military. He stated that "Our enemies, the Ghuls and Cerulea are no more. We are no longer on the offensive..." Solomon stated his policies would cut military spending anywhere from 25%-30%. The money saved, Solomon said, would go towards infrastructure, welfare, and educational projects.
Sabbagh, however, stated that military spending should be increased, claiming that "The Dispossessed threat coming from the borders of Transcaledonia is the greatest national security threat since the Ghul massacre at Havingston and Derby."
