Amarr - Jamyl Sarum, the resurgent heir to the Sarum royal family, was today crowned Empress of the Amarr Empire. In a ceremony that began with her arrival amidst a huge assembly of Imperial Navy warships, interim Court Chamberlain Hemirin placed the sacred crown upon Her Majesty, declaring her the "Holy Ordained Empress of Creation".
Delivering a powerful opening speech, Empress Jamyl boldly announced the start of a new Reclaiming, calling on all those of faith to "stand by her side" as the Empire recovered from "the excesses of a misguided path". Seemingly mindful of those questioning the merit of her rule, she ended her address with a forceful demand for loyalty, possibly directed at the remaining heirs, with a vow to return "what others give to the Empire [sic]".
If there were any doubts about the legitimacy of her ascension, no such sentiment was present among the thousands of Holders and clergy present for the historic occasion. The spectacular coronation was held within the massive vaulted chambers of St. Kuria the Prophet Cathedral in Amarr, which has also witnessed the mourning of Emperor Heideran; the coronation and funeral of Emperor Doriam II; and the proxy rule of Chamberlain Dochuta Karsoth, who is believed to have fled during the Minmatar Elder's invasion of Amarr earlier this year.
Despite official claims to the contrary, the Imperial Navy appears to have brought a significant portion of its vaunted Imperial Domain Fleet to the coronation. This unprecedented maneuver was part of a series of massive security precautions that included the complete shutdown of the Amarr System for the coronation, forbidding all access to travelers except for those receiving a direct invitation from the Court Chamberlain.
Speculation remains that the coronation's earlier delay was due to the epic logistical challenge of recalling the Domain Fleet from deployment elsewhere in the Empire without exposing the flanks of the remaining Imperial fleets operating close to low-sec borders, which would be considered a risky tactic even during peacetime. The Ministry of War has forbidden new agencies from delivering any footage of the actual event until a later date.
As to be expected, the Empress received a cool welcome from the governments of both the Gallente Federation and Caldari State, with emissaries passing along well-wishes to be followed by formal addresses from chiefs of state later on. However, a spokesperson for the Minmatar Republic outright decried her decree of reclaiming as a "blatant insult and a disappointing start for the so-called ‘empress'."
Empress Jamyl remains hugely popular with the general population of Amarr and the Imperial Navy to a degree that borders on deific. Long believed dead, her sudden "resurrection" was received with predictable skepticism among the orthodox practitioners of the Amarr faith, versus enthusiastic approval with the Reformist movement in the Empire. However, the circumstances surrounding her timely arrival during the legendary Battle of Mekhios remain unclear, especially as to how she was able to repel or otherwise inspire the Imperial Navy to counter such a large Minmatar attack force.
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Hedion - The Coronation of Jamyl Sarum as Empress Jamyl I that was due to be held tomorrow has been postponed one week, Chamberlain Hemirin announced today. The Chamberlain did not explain the change, but did note that the future Empress had approved it.
Speculation on the event is rife throughout the Empire. Some point to several inauspicious events such as the recent disappearance of several Speakers of Truth enroute to the coronation; and an outbreak of Phyrezi fever, a short-lived but virulent and easily transmitted virus, which is spreading rapidly throughout Uriam Kador's domain.
Others point to rumors of an assassination plot against the Empress, though no clear evidence of such a plot has yet been presented in any open court. The Sarum Family has been operating an extremely strict security procedure in the weeks leading up to the ceremony, but Security Commander Pareh Mere claims that this is merely a normal precaution.
While no firm reason has come forward for this change, the general mood in the Empire remains optimistic and its people seem patient.
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Following the reactions from nations across the cluster, the Caldari people have spoken out in overwhelming support of the Heth reforms, claiming outsiders aren't in any position to judge their success.
Yesterday Echelon Entertainment hosted a day-long forum, inviting people working in various occupations to attend and offer their opinion of the changes. Excerpts from the forum were screened on Caldari networks throughout today. The comments coming from State citizenry were for the most part positive and hopeful.
"A year ago we had no real way to move into management positions," said assembly line worker and father of two Utreki Makkolen. "Nowadays I'm studying four nights a week to become a foreman, along with plenty of others. Raising a family is meant to be a challenge, it's meant to be an achievement, but these new opportunities make it that little bit easier. This can make all the difference for some of us."
Perhaps the most pleasing comments for the Heth government were those made by Oduma Akkadan, a senior executive in charge of over 100,000 staff employed by his corporation, a Kaalakiota Corporation subsidiary.
"I oversaw a rise of 12% rise in our department's profits this last quarter and was rewarded accordingly," he said. "Contrary to popular belief outside the State, the Heth administration is not about hurting those of us at the top without reason. There is a difference between holding managerial staff accountable and simply hounding them...it would be hypocrisy for only some of us who work hard to be rewarded. I welcome the changes and believe they are long overdue...we are all better off for having them."
The integration of the Young Provists program into Crèches across the State was the most salient point of concern for Caldari citizens, who expressed a desire for another independent review focused more closely on their performance.
Offering free or low-cost holidays to young adults, the purpose of the program as described by the official press release is to "invest in future generations by instilling a sense of duty and self-reliance." The weekend retreats focus on community-minded projects and team building exercises, as well as light vocational training. Participation so far has been significant, with one in three families participating according to Dr. Saari's report.
"My children seem to love the camps," said Administrative Assistant Suresen Takin. "I've no doubt they're learning vital skills that will benefit them later on. My only concern is the impact this time out from their family and school work has over the long term. As the program matures, some studies into that would be very welcome."
Other parents said they had decided against letting their children attend at all. "If I let my children go to these weekend camps I'd never see them," said one mother.
State officials said they appreciated the feedback from the forum and were monitoring the progress of all reforms carefully. "There is certainly a balance that needs to be struck," said the Lonetrek Regional Manager of the Young Provist program, Aremi Litaanen. "We're listening closely and working tremendously hard to find and maintain it."
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Reactions across the cluster were mixed following the release of an independent audit into the recent workplace reforms in the Caldari State.
Claiming to have seen the results of the reforms better than any others outside the State, the Khanid Kingdom and Amarr Empire both offered their support of the changes. Carthum Conglomerate spokesperson Maktina Obasa said the corporation had benefitted from the flow-on effects of success inside the State. Partly owned by the Caldari mega corporation Lai Dai, Ms Obasa said that Carthum stood to profit from the improved efficiency of its partner corporation.
Khanid Innovations Chief Researcher Ohulainen Pesabato was similarly impressed. "The many reforms encouraging scientific innovation and development are to be applauded," she said. "We were greatly pleased to see the Caldari State continuing to build upon the strength of its scientific community. As always, we look forward to further collaboration and the building of beneficial friendships between their scientists and ours."
Meanwhile back inside State borders, Protectorate Director Suvasemi Aikinen was busy defending the reforms from Minmatar and Gallente detractors, whose most repeated claim was that the corporate elite were as corrupt as ever. Standing in for an ill COO Janus Bravour as he answered the press, Mr Aikinen shot back in emphatic refusal of their claims.
"I'm aware of the statements and find them utterly ridiculous. From day one we've been meeting this challenge head on. We began by immediately redistributing assets to those who truly earned them and have followed this up by granting increased oversight of the mega corporations through the Caldari Business Tribunal. Corporate executives and those in upper management are more accountable and under more scrutiny than ever before ... in line with their subordinates."
When asked why these reforms and others had been left out of the report, Mr Aikinen said it was due to them being "notoriously difficult to measure," adding that the Federation "knew this all too well and...evidently preferred political point scoring to substantive debate."
Despite the brief appearance of Protectorate Directors Bravour and Aikinen, official comments on the report from the State have been largely relegated to lower-level officials. Mr Aikinen explained the move, claiming that "those involved directly in daily operations of corporations were some of the best placed to understand and elaborate" on the reforms and how they benefitted workers.
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A tense political showdown was sparked inside the Federation Senate today following the recent release of an independent audit into Tibus Heth's reforms.
Seizing on the absence of President Souro Foiritan, opposition members of the Senate took to questioning his deputies on matters normally handled by their superior. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Head Aulmont Meis had to repeatedly deny making any official comment on the Saari Report, stating that the government needed more time to properly assess all the information.
Her refusal to speak in the President's stead was met with derision from her opponents. Influential Mannar and Jin-Mei Senators demanded either an official response or the early return of the President, who left Villore last evening to meet representatives of the Minmatar government in Sinq Laison. Senator Mei retorted that their demands for an immediate statement were "completely irresponsible."
Reactions from inside the Federation have been mixed following the release of the report. Large sections of the Intaki population as well as their powerful lobby groups urged President Foiritan to encourage what they saw as a positive move. "There are some things we can agree with the Caldari State on," said Intaki activist Kirae Eillen. "Only through dialogue that encourages positive changes can we hope for true progress on anything else."
Elsewhere in the Federation experts lined up to question the interpretation - what many called outright spin - the State had put on the figures. Whilst agreeing more or less with the numbers presented, the experts claimed they frequently didn't tell the whole story or had been distorted. Professor Heloi Gachall at the University of Caille questioned the presentation of many programs. "It's not up for debate that the enrolment numbers in many programs are quite high...but that alone doesn't prove they've been a success. The report offers no insight into just how much the average Caldari will benefit, contrary to many claims made by State officials."
It is expected that the official response to the figures from the report will focus on remarks made by Prof. Gachall and others. "There is much yet to be seen," she said. "I agree that any statement one way or the other would be premature at this point."
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The release today of the State Independent Audit Bureau's 90-day audit has painted a cautiously positive view of State Leader Tibus Heth's reforms. Delivering the report at a crowded press release, Assistant Auditor General Dr. Heyata Saari said the paper offered a comprehensive overview of reforms undertaken by the Heth government.
Dr. Saari once again stated that the focus of her team's research had been on workplace reform and reorganization. Among the many new programs reviewed, one highlight for the Heth government was the evident success of their Job Choices program, which saw widespread participation across key industries and had received glowing feedback from the general populace. The paper revealed that over one third of those eligible had opted in, with as much as 40% participation in many areas.
Offering paid training and increased chances of relocation for veterans of the workforce, the program allows long-serving citizens to change jobs late in their career without the usual hassles involved. A majority of those surveyed said the flexibility of both training and positions available had been the reason for their enrolment.
The Job Choices program wasn't the only good news for the Heth administration, however. Their Workforce Modernisation program had seen similar numbers of participation and was proving equally popular amongst citizens.
Considered to be the larger sibling of their more selective Self Education Initiative, the WMP allocates resources and funding to workers through their corporate sponsors rather than on an individual basis. All of the "Big 8" MegaCorps opted in at least partially, lending considerable momentum to the program from the beginning.
The program was a two-pronged attack aimed at inequality and inefficiency in the workplace. One of the single largest outlays was the funding for the automation of over fifty million jobs in the last three months. According to surveys taken from the report, this alone saw a drastic reduction of injury and dissatisfaction in affected workplaces. Workers in outmoded industries or those recently automated were offered paid training to upgrade their skills and advance elsewhere in the workforce.
From manufacturing and agriculture through to the entertainment industry, key figures have come forward to support early signs from the report that point to a happier, more productive workforce. Although the final cost of the reform remains unclear, Dr. Saari did stress that if current spending and enrolment continued it would stand as the most expensive workplace reform in Caldari State history.
Various State officials are set to attend further discussions in the coming days, where they will elaborate on Dr. Saari's report and field questions from the press.
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Originally due to be finished ninety days after the first major reforms were put in place, the research is purportedly running ahead of schedule and will be delivered earlier than expected. Dr. Saari held an advance viewing of some report details in New Caldari last evening, where she explained that the research had been focused on the widespread industrial reorganization undertaken by Heth’s government, as well as various individual programs and reforms.
Protectorate Director Janus Bravour was in attendance at the forum and delivered a short address. Thanking the Asst. Auditor General and her team for their hard work, he then outlined their assessment of the Self-Education Initiative, a State-wide education reform that has met with considerable success.
“Education and training are vital to the prosperity of a nation,” said Mr Bravour. “Talent and dedication should be rewarded. A bit of praise is one thing, but does it help people put food on the table day after day? People want to believe that their hard work will pay off, that they’ll get that promotion, the raise, or even just a good recommendation when a new job opens up. Our reforms ensure that these things will take place.”
The report stated that approximately 30,000 Caldari citizens occupying various positions within dozens of private-sector corporations had already been accepted and enrolled for further education and training, with a predicted total intake of over 50,000 by the end of the year. A separate study of over 2,000 graduates from six different 3-month courses revealed that more than half of them were able to successfully negotiate an increase in pay or benefits.
Dr. Saari said the final version of the report would be delivered shortly, once all submissions had been received.
]]>The Minmatar Republic, still reeling from the events which saw the liberation of millions of slaves in the Amarr Empire at the cost of nearly as many lives, is making headway on preparation for the elections. While complying lawfully with the democratic process, political analysts note that these measures could mark the beginning of a complete transformation of the Republic as it is known today. ]]>
When asked about the reason for his return, Shakor stated simply "because I was called." ]]>