10-04-2024, 04:27 AM
Act III: Exit, stage left(ist)
Haven House
Huānoch, Milintica
October 1st, 9:00am
President Matōchmizalo sighed as he placed a final set of papers in his briefcase. He stood up, eyeing the small office that had been his for the past four years.
Haven House was small and not especially grand, by the standards of official residences around the IDU. But it was, if nothing else, an excellent microcosm of Milintica. The presidental residence consisted of a mix of Paora and Huenyan architectural influences and decor from its original construction in 1813 combined with a significant flavor of Institutional Socialist Architecture™ from subsequent additions and modernizations. It was definitely unique to its place, and it was also quite homey for an official residence.
But it was no longer his home. The President-for-the-next-hour-anyway sighed again, before handing the briefcase off to Wiremu Witika and walking down the hallway to the central staircase. Walking slowly down the stairs with his wife Huia, Matōchmizalo looked around the building as if engraving it into his memory.
Arriving at the entrance of the building, Matōchmizalo walked out of the front doors to a small army of reporters. Normally, the outgoing President would be at the inauguration ceremony at the Representative Assembly building, handing the reins to his or her successor in a spirit of cooperation.
These were not normal times, even by Milintican standards.
The reporters gathered outside waited patiently for his outgoing remarks. They didn't need to wait long; Matōchmizalo knew exactly what he wanted to say.
"Today, Inauguration Day, would normally be a day of celebration for Milinticans. It would normally symbolize the peaceful transition of power from one elected leader to another, in honor of our laws and traditions and the will of the Milintican people expressed by their vote. Normally, as outgoing president, I would be there to participate in that sacred tradition. But there was nothing normal about this election, and there is nothing normal about the person who is now becoming president in my place."
Matōchmizalo's expression grew severe. "Neina Arana does not deserve to sit in this house. She does not deserve to lead the Milintican people or our great nation. More than that, she is dangerous. Dangerous to our neighbors, dangerous to the world, and most of all dangerous to the Milintican people. I cannot celebrate her seizure of power under dubious electoral circumstances, nor can I celebrate when I am well aware of what her taking power means to us and to the world."
"I call upon my comrades in the Peoples' Party to join me in opposition, and to join me in resisting every single initiative, decision and effort that this dangerous and illegitimate tyrant in the making would undertake. I call upon all MPP members, and indeed all Milinticans, to resist her regressive and aggressive ideas with every fiber of our being. We may have lost this election fight - maybe - but we have not lost the greater war. We must continue to demand accountability and transparency in regards to the questionable results of this election. We must continue to resist, and to work towards the day when Milintica will be restored to sane and responsible leadership that actually moves the country forward once more."
With that brief and blunt statement, Matōchmizalo completed his last official act of office and got into a nearby SUV. Surprisingly (or perhaps unsuprisingly), Milintican National Television developed "technical difficulties" in the middle of Matōchmizalo's speech. But thanks to the fact that most Milinticans had access to phones with cameras and the internet, his words would still get out to Milinticans.
Haven House
Huānoch, Milintica
October 1st, 9:00am
President Matōchmizalo sighed as he placed a final set of papers in his briefcase. He stood up, eyeing the small office that had been his for the past four years.
Haven House was small and not especially grand, by the standards of official residences around the IDU. But it was, if nothing else, an excellent microcosm of Milintica. The presidental residence consisted of a mix of Paora and Huenyan architectural influences and decor from its original construction in 1813 combined with a significant flavor of Institutional Socialist Architecture™ from subsequent additions and modernizations. It was definitely unique to its place, and it was also quite homey for an official residence.
But it was no longer his home. The President-for-the-next-hour-anyway sighed again, before handing the briefcase off to Wiremu Witika and walking down the hallway to the central staircase. Walking slowly down the stairs with his wife Huia, Matōchmizalo looked around the building as if engraving it into his memory.
Arriving at the entrance of the building, Matōchmizalo walked out of the front doors to a small army of reporters. Normally, the outgoing President would be at the inauguration ceremony at the Representative Assembly building, handing the reins to his or her successor in a spirit of cooperation.
These were not normal times, even by Milintican standards.
The reporters gathered outside waited patiently for his outgoing remarks. They didn't need to wait long; Matōchmizalo knew exactly what he wanted to say.
"Today, Inauguration Day, would normally be a day of celebration for Milinticans. It would normally symbolize the peaceful transition of power from one elected leader to another, in honor of our laws and traditions and the will of the Milintican people expressed by their vote. Normally, as outgoing president, I would be there to participate in that sacred tradition. But there was nothing normal about this election, and there is nothing normal about the person who is now becoming president in my place."
Matōchmizalo's expression grew severe. "Neina Arana does not deserve to sit in this house. She does not deserve to lead the Milintican people or our great nation. More than that, she is dangerous. Dangerous to our neighbors, dangerous to the world, and most of all dangerous to the Milintican people. I cannot celebrate her seizure of power under dubious electoral circumstances, nor can I celebrate when I am well aware of what her taking power means to us and to the world."
"I call upon my comrades in the Peoples' Party to join me in opposition, and to join me in resisting every single initiative, decision and effort that this dangerous and illegitimate tyrant in the making would undertake. I call upon all MPP members, and indeed all Milinticans, to resist her regressive and aggressive ideas with every fiber of our being. We may have lost this election fight - maybe - but we have not lost the greater war. We must continue to demand accountability and transparency in regards to the questionable results of this election. We must continue to resist, and to work towards the day when Milintica will be restored to sane and responsible leadership that actually moves the country forward once more."
With that brief and blunt statement, Matōchmizalo completed his last official act of office and got into a nearby SUV. Surprisingly (or perhaps unsuprisingly), Milintican National Television developed "technical difficulties" in the middle of Matōchmizalo's speech. But thanks to the fact that most Milinticans had access to phones with cameras and the internet, his words would still get out to Milinticans.
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