In this post, I want to outline what the next week or two could entail - positive and negative - for South Africa. I also want to give a bit of context on some of what will happen and how it should be interpreted.

Next Steps

How exactly will the new President be elected?

1. The Independent Electoral Commission is set to release the official results tomorrow
2. This kicks off a Constitutionally mandated timer - the Chief Justice must announce when the first sitting of Parliament must happen; but no later than two weeks after tomorrow
3. At the first sitting of Parliament, all MPs can nominate someone from amongst their peers to be President (really should be called a Prime Minister)
4. They vote on a secret ballot, whoever gets the fewest votes drops out and they vote again until someone gets a majority of votes in the National Assembly (50% + 1)
5. The Chief Justice presides over this process and then announces the results

Will it be peaceful?

• Possibly, but there will probably be some trouble
• The ANC is making the right noises about democracy and respect for the IEC - which is positive
• Many smaller opposition parties, especially in the Western Cape, are accusing the IEC of vote rigging in favour of the DA/ANC
• EFF have not said anything to my knowledge
• There are genuine issues with how the election was conducted. Even the DA is taking the IEC to court. But our local analyst here says that it was more of a screw up, and certainly not rigging or anything like that
• MK - which is the party which won the most from this process - have announced that they want a total re-do of the elections and have said that the IEC must not release results by tomorrow or 'there could be trouble'

What does this mean for South Africa?
South Africa is a young, vibrant, healthy democracy.
Our institutions were designed brilliantly (by copying prior work, thanks for that guys), that if you observe it carefully, you can see the democracy working itself out logically:

• The IEC don't really have a choice when to announce the results - they've committed to June 2nd publicly.
• Because we have a free media and the results were declared live with statistical projections, we can know that the results actually were highly unlikely to be tampered with.
• Once that happens, a different institution takes over - the Chief Justice. There's an uncertainty element - they have up to two weeks but they could announce the Presidential election for Thursday. At the latest, it'll happen on June 16th, Youth Day - the anniversary of the day that Hector Pieterson was killed in Soweto for standing up to Apartheid.
• Because power is spread out geographically, there is not a single point of attack to shut down proceedings. The IEC's operational center is in Johannesburg North. The Chief Justice is in Johannesburg South. Parliament, where the Election will take place is in Cape Town. And the seat of the executive government is in Pretoria.
• The work is broken down into specific roles and distributed to different actors. Independent courts can and will punish anybody who drops the potato. A former President has been arrested before. The precedent is set. Nobody is safe, especially now that nobody has a majority.

Parliamentary staff have already started making preparations for the Presidential election. The Chief Justice probably already has a date in mind. The IEC have already shown us the final results more or less. Because of the design of liberal democratic institutions, what happens next is inevitable. Just like how Zuma's arrest in 2021 was all but inevitable - each person had such a specific 'next step' to take that it kind of just happened.
Lastly, despite what all the naysayers have been saying for 30 years, and with the notable exception of the failure to arrest Omar al-Bashir on ICC charges, the South Africa state as a whole has never just blatantly ignored procedures and laws. Slow-walking, yes. Loopholes - like hell yes. But we disinvited Putin to South Africa because we couldn't find a way out of it. We've arrested a former President and the Speaker had to resign to face corruption charges. We're not Zimbabwe, despite what people think.
Instead, what is actually happening is we have been paying the price for our democracy.
I have spent the last year exploring the last 30 years of our democratic history. And one thing I have consistently found is that many of South Africa's problems could've been avoided if key actors abrogated to themselves rights and powers beyond what the Constitution provides:

• Mandela did not seek a second term because he "dared not linger". He more or less withdrew from politics to prevent "Big Man" syndrome from taking root.
• President Mbeki fired Jacob Zuma when he was merely alleged to have committed corruption - putting Zuma's back against the wall.
• Judge Nicholson threw out Zuma's initial charges because he sincerely believed there was interference, rather than 'look the other way' because Zuma was 'obviously' guilty (innocent until proven guilty)
• The head of the Scorpions (anti-corruption unit started by Mbeki) refused to allow President Mbeki to delay the arrest of the allegedly corrupt head of the police because he sincerely felt it would be a betrayal of his duty whilst Mbeki had a credible cause for concern of a war within the law enforcement community - it was a genuine debate, not some banana republic hatch job
• Once Zuma was democratically elected President of the ANC, and the ANC democratically called back Mbeki, he resigned, rather than declare an emergency and do the whole 3rd term benevolent dictator thing
• People like the DA leadership and Thuli Madonsela (the Public Protector Zuma himself appointed) spent a decade fighting to get Zuma to face the music on corruption - and in the end the Ramaphosa faction pushed him out
• When Zuma defied the State Capture investigations, he was arrested even for something as 'mere' as contempt of court - and the police station carried out their duties as they would for anyone else. It cost us lives.
• Zuma did manage to dodge time, but he only did it through abuse of genuine provisions in the system for medical parole and through a loophole that the ANC found to prevent further violence
• Zuma has avoided his original corruption charges for years through multiple appeals - an abuse but a legitimate exercise of his democratic rights; the man has not been proven guilty in a court of law and we have to get him the right way
• Zuma was allowed to start his party in line with his democratic rights, when in other countries Ramaphosa would've just thrown him in jail - but the IEC stood up to Zuma and fought all the way to the Constitutional Court to prevent him from sitting as an MP (which would've allowed him to potentially be nominated for the Presidency) because of his criminal record - the arrest worked out even if he only did a month or two.
• This year, Zuma destroyed the ANC at the ballot box. Not the way many of us wanted the fall of the ANC to happen, but it is the will of millions of Zuma's supporters who are citizens of South Africa. It must be respected even if it inconvenient to acknowledge. And it will be respected - just not any more than the democratic rights of anyone else.

If you follow the story, all of this could have ended if someone just said "Fuck it, no, I'm taking over" rather than follow the rules. But we didn't and that's where the problems began almost each and every time.

This Is What Democracy Looks Like

I've come to feel that many people who call themselves liberals don't really understand this.
We are compared unfavourably against countries which, very often, did not actually develop in a liberal democratic way. They took the authoritarian shortcut / benevolent dictator and liberals just like the fact that it worked out 3 or 4 times in countries like Singapore and South Korea.
This might be a bit whiny/self-pitying, but I have started to feel as if we are being judged for actually trying to write the exam and failing sometimes whilst being compared to people who never really even registered to write it. Or, in the case of Western democracies, who also failed miserably in the past but whose failures are forgotten or ignored. And in the case of the United States, I must admit it is extremely discouraging to see the double standard from liberal voices that emerges from almost perfectly parallel situations. Trump is a "test" of "the American idea" which "though bent, proved itself to be secure" and "something we can recover from" because "democracy is an experiment" and "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance" but "we shall overcome". But South Africa is a basket case any time something goes wrong. People remember the horrific unrest of the 2021 unrest but leave out the part where we arrested a former head of state which is what a precipitated it.
Lastly, it is somewhat discouraging when people are unable to notice what doesn't happen. Nobody notices that the money printers aren't starting up and the opposition isn't in jail and most ethnic groups haven't formed ethnic parties and Putin didn't come in the end and we're still in the ICC and ICJ system and white South Africans still have not been ethnically cleansed even though the internet seems to think it happened 10 years ago and on and on... There's a list of doomer takes that began the minute Mandela was released and most of them haven't come true - but nobody seems to even keep track that people have been wrong for 30 years. After 30 years of being wrong, maybe they'll be right this time. Sure. But you don't get to be smug and say "I knew it" when you were wrong for 30 years.
While many of my fellow South Africans practise the bizarre South African exceptionalism of believing only we struggle with corruption, incompetence and bigotry, I have lately come to understand that this is what democracy looks like. At least at first. Just wait until we start to get the returns on the messiness that comes with freedom, diversity and a commitment to a modest humanistic project.

Why South Africa Should Matter to You

As I outlined in my piece, The South Africa Fallacy, it is deeply misguided to watch South Africa try and fail to execute the principles you advocate for the whole world and somehow feel as if our failure doesn't implicate you or cast real aspersions on your ideas. We are a diverse, open, tolerant, deeply liberal society and our aspirations to that liberal democracy is the source of our problems. MK's political theory - above and beyond supporting Jacob Zuma - is precisely that our Constitutional Democracy doesn't work.
So, all this is to say something very simply. If shit doesn't hit the fan and a new President is elected democratically, please notice that we actually did it. Please don't shift the goalposts yet again.
But if things do go south, then you need to back us. I have been frightened of the prospect that there is a challenge to the democratic transfer of power, and the democratic world steps back just because they don't like the incumbents because of this or that disagreement. But the ANC, for all its failures, remains a party which in its original incarnation was not only 'Western', but, in particular, it is a direct descendent of the great democratic tradition of the African American population.
American Heritage
This history has been lost to common memory, but it is waiting for you in the history books. African Americans from Booker T. Washington to Martin Luther King Jr. were a real and influential force within the genesis of the early ANC. It's not that the ANC founders simply read their works. No. The "Man Who Founded the ANC" graduated from Columbia and befriended Alaine Locke, the gay father of the Harlem Renaissance. His co-founders were all enthralled by the gigantic influence of Booker T. Washington, and attempted to replicate his Tuskegee Institute in KZN. The man who first reformed the ANC from a period of stagnation studied at Tuskegee and Northwestern, and, not only that, but married an American woman named Madie Hall. And Luthuli and King were mutual admirers. Mandela inspired Obama into politics, Mandela gave him his blessing when he became a senator, and just a few short years later Obama eulogized Mandela in the way that only Obama could.
The corruption of the ANC is the corruption of one of the proudest and most beautiful heritages not just of Black liberals, but of anybody who believes in liberal democracy. It should not be dismissed. It should hurt deeply. But that heritage can outlive the ANC in the South African Constitution. This same Constitution has finally come under direct and explicit assault.
Global Heritage
This is your heritage. South Africa is like a garden of so many of the great ideas of global liberal democracy. It was the fertile soil in which the seed of Gandhi's Satyagraha first germinated. Through the liberal Helen Suzman and the radical Bram Fischer, it is the inheritor of the proud Jewish tradition of advocating for human rights. Scottish, German and American missionaries educated the broader black intellectual class beyond the ANC. English-speaking settlers, for all their sins, introduced abolition and one of the world's first explicitly non-racial Constitution here in the 1850s. It was a flawed Afrikaner hero and genius who founded the League of Nations, and launched the project of building an international system to regulate global affairs. And all these united together under the leadership of Mandela and Tutu, infused deeply with native African philosophical ideas of Ubuntu, to bring to end a terrible conflict with minimal bloodshed, and through truth and reconciliation.
I've slipped into full on South African exceptionalism now. But I don't care because either I'll be proven right in two weeks or I'll be proven wrong, and I want to enjoy these ideals while I still can. Because in the world that would come after, I'll have much bigger things to worry about.
I don't mean to alarm anybody, but even if the next two weeks go by without a hitch, that will only be a testament to an enormous amount of behind the scenes work to prevent catastrophe. Democracy is not free. None of us can be so foolish as to miss the moment that South Africa is in. Transitions like this are never unchallenged, not with all that's at stake for those who lose once the full might of the Constitutional order finally kicks in.
The idea that "Nothing ever happens" has been thoroughly defeated at the ballot box. It's over. There's no going back. The results of the election mean that there is no political coalition for 'managed decline' any more. It's up or out.
I want to end this with a link to one of the most beautiful speeches ever delivered by a South African orator. If you only have a few minutes, then you can watched the abridged version set to patriotic music. But consider the historical moment that we're in. Maybe it's worth it taking 45 minutes to play the full version of the speech in the background. The speech is I Am An African by Thabo Mbeki, delivered at the signing of the Constitution in 1996.

Suprabhat, Vannakam, Adab and Welcome to the 2024 LOK SABHA GENERAL ELECTION THUNDERDOME.
NO RULES, NO LIMITS, ONLY CHAOS.
THE CAGE -
India is a parliamentary democracy that follows the first-past-the-post voting system, similar to the standard Westminster System. The Lower House of the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) consists of 543 seats representing 543 constituencies that send 1 Member of Parliament (MP) each. These 543 MP's then choose a prime minister via simple majority.
For each constituency, a political party gives a ticket to a single Candidate. The Candidate with at least a plurality of votes in a constituency represents that Constituency in parliament as a member of the party.
There are no party level primaries in India, the candidate for a constituency is decided by the party high command and only one person from a party can be on the ticket for a particular seat. You can contest multiple constituencies though from the same party as both Narendra Modi (2014 BJP Candidate for both Varanasi and Vadodara) and Rahul Gandhi (2024 Congress Candidate for both Rae Bareili and Wayanad) have done. If no existing political party gives you a ticket, you can contest as an Independent Candidate or form your own party and contest as a member of your own party.
The government can be formed by the party or the alliance that has a simple majority of MP's. When no single political party has a majority of MP's, an alliance of various parties can be formed that contains the majority of MP's. This is called a post-poll alliance, where the parties contest elections separately but might come together after the elections in order to form the government or be part of the government. However there is also the pre-poll alliance where political parties join or form an alliance before the elections.
THE DATES - 19th April, 26th April, 7th May, 13th May, 20th May, 25th May, 1st June
THE RESULTS -
THE EXIT POLLS-
On average, most exit polls gave the following results
BJP+ - 365/563
INDIA- 143/543
OTHERS- 35-543
THE FIGHTS -
Economy & Employment:
The incumbent BJP-led NDA government makes the positive case of economic growth and development under its decade long tenure. It points to strong rejuvenated GDP growth with relatively low inflation, rising wages, a growing middle class, stable macroeconomic positioning, strong spending, slashing of multidimensional poverty, a strong and well administered welfare state, expanded free trade, sharp reduction in regulation, increase in select manufacturing and industry, a revitalized finance sector, and a thriving service market.
The government points to the large-scale infrastructure development undertaken, expanding roadways, delivering expansive electrification, and provisions of basic utility services. They point to the stagnation and policy paralysis observed under the tenure of the last Congress government (UPA 2), and further make point to the opposition's alleged proposed populist economic programs as untenable and unfeasible. They make the case that the opposition has leftist economic policies that are not grounded in economic reality.
The INC-led I.N.D.I.A opposition on the other hand, makes the negative case against the incumbents, pointing to large scale youth unemployment, even among educated youth. They point to an alleged inability of the government to tie growth to employment. They allege a failure of manufacturing capacity and sufficient industrialization of the economy, highlighting the lack of sufficient private capital inflows. They criticize the growth figures of the economy by casting doubt on the government's statistics, and focusing extensively on growing wealth inequality, alleging that growth only occurs for the rich billionaire class, with minimal relief for the poor, targeting specific attacks against domestic industrial magnates, Adani and Ambani. They allege favoritism on the part of the incumbent government towards their select base, highlighting the state of Gujarat as being prioritized over other states.
In making their positive case, they propose a more inclusive and redistributive model of growth, proposing heightened subsidization programmes, more welfare and support programmes, higher taxation on the wealthy and corporations, leveraging private capital inflows for infrastructure development, and prioritizing equitable growth through a caste census, developing corrective policies for inequalities between castes.
They aim to solve the employment crisis through expanding roles in state enterprises and filling government vacancies, alongside expanding labour intensive industries like manufacturing and mining, whilst pointing to high growth rates of the economy as well as committing to expand manufacturing through reforms and subsidy platforms like the PLI, FAME etc., further claiming that increased infrastructure spending will lead to crowding in effect thus enabling faster industrialization.
Social Justice:
The issues of social equity and justice have become major cornerstones of both the incumbent and opposition electoral platforms. This is most prevalent through the forthcoming section on sectarianism, but also focuses on key issues regarding class equality and - most importantly - caste-based discrimination.
The incumbent BJP-led NDA government point to their solid track record of universal poverty alleviation, targeted successful welfare and affirmative action programmes. The INC-led I.N.D.I.A opposition on the other hand, point to growing wealth inequality and apparent institutional and systemic discrimination against underprivileged caste communities in academia, employment, governmental programmes, courts, the military, etc. They allege that the government has not committed to taking resolute and definitive action against casteism through corrective policy.
This all boils down to the Reservation system, a large scale, affirmative action initiative, conducted through a systematic quota-based policy of allotment of institutional positions in education, governmental employment, schemes and programmes, direct political representation, etc.
With reservations estimated to have hit 59.5% of Central Government Institutional positions, there are now broader calls to expand the scale and scope of this drive. The opposition wanting to break the cap limits and even introduce this system into the private sector to potentially induce parity, while the government commits to more modest hikes of upto 62.5% while playing into incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi's identity as a member of an underprivileged caste community.
While the opposition campaigns on removing limits to the quota system to deliver equity, the government alleges these commitments to be populist and detrimental, while alleging that the opposition seeks to potentially appease its Muslim voter base by introducing expanded reservations for Muslims, thereby allegedly sabotaging the disadvantaged Hindu lower castes, and redistributing their wealth to Muslims, in a bid to gain their votes.
Communalism:
Both the incumbent BJP-led NDA government and the INC-led I.N.D.I.A opposition have framed communalism as a lynchpin issue of the Election. The incumbent government points to alleged casteist and bigoted rhetoric against select caste groups and Hindus. They allege the opposition panders to minorities for their votes, whilst not delivering on the real issues. They allege the opposition seeks to drive up divisiveness and shared social harmony in India. They further allege that the opposition engages in divisive rhetoric on key issues of Hindu-Indian culture like that of the Ram Temple, in ways that contradict the spirit of the Indian State.
The opposition on the other hand, accused the incumbent government of being bigoted against minority communities, from the large Muslim community, to the lower caste communities of Indian society. They allege use of hateful and divisive rhetoric against these communities, and point to select controversial government positions and policies on issues like the Ram Mandir, the controversial CAA-NRC laws, the proposed Uniform Civil Code, among others. They further allege institutional degradation of key offices including policing, academia, and the military in discriminating against minority groups.
Institutional Independence:
The INC-led I.N.D.I.A opposition alleges institutional degradation and capture of various independent governmental entities by the incumbents. They point to the use of Executive, Investigative, Anti-Corruption, Enforcement, & Tax authorities against opposition figures and media as evidence, highlighting specific cases of the detaining and arrest of two sitting opposition Chief Ministers, and the resignation of one. They highlight alleged selective targeting of opposition figures for raids, charges, and arrests, creating an alleged environment of impunity for the government. The opposition alleges heightened and blatant partisanship of members of the Judiciary in support of the incumbent government. They also allege illegitimate freezing of campaigning funds, crackdowns on press freedoms via capture of media institutions, and also critically alleges institutional capture of the Election Commission, casting doubts on election results primarily critiquing India's Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).
The Government rebukes these claims as part of a strong anti-corruption drive, highlighting a drop in governmental corruption cases since the previous Congress government (UPA 2, infamously riddled with such allegations). The government frames the opposition parties as corrupt and power-hungry, while further disparaging the opposition's alleged unfounded attacks on Indian institutions, apparent partisan attacks on the judiciary and critiquing apparent unfounded claims of election denialism.
THE FIGHTERS –
The election is primarily clash between two large coalitions, and their leading parties. On one side, you have the incumbent government of the BJP-led NDA, or National Democratic Alliance, and on the other, you have the opposition INC-led I.N.D.I.A, or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, a new mega coalition of more than 35 parties, with a few unofficial supporters too.
The following is a list of some key players in each of the alliances and is by no means a comprehensive or exhaustive list of all involved factions.
The incumbent NDA includes:

1. BJP – The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party - "Indian People's Party") is a Hindu nationalist party committed to Hindutva ideology, promoting Hindu culture, opposing Muslim immigration, and creating a nativist country wherein India embraces a fundamentally Hindu social fabric. The BJP government under Modi undertook strong reformist policies in promoting liberalization of the economy through aggressive regulatory reforms, furthering free trade through FTAs and privatization of underperforming state assets. They took aggressive stances on defense and counterterrorism against Pakistan and China, while pragmatically engaging other nations despite criticism on some foreign policy moves for being 'wolf warrior-esque'. They uphold a strong nationalist domestic and foreign policy, that simultaneously does not retreat from globalization. On National Security, they aim to make India a regional power with a strong emphasis on modernization & indigenization of military administration and technology, while also reducing bureaucratic and manpower burdens through varied recruitment windows. BJP manifesto
2. JD(U) - The JD(U) (Janata Dal (United) – “People’s Party (United)”) is led by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and has been in power in the eastern state of Bihar since 2005. It was formed after a series of splits and mergers in the Janata Dal in the 90s. It is credited with doing good work in the state on roads, electricity, and water, however it has failed to provide jobs & spur manufacturing. This, combined with its leader frequently switching between rival alliances, is causing anti-incumbency. JDU website
3. TDP - The TDP (Telugu Desam Party – “Party of the Telugu Land") follows a pro-Telugu ideology. It was founded as an alternative to the Congress hegemony, by emphasizing Telugu regional pride and serving as the party for farmers, backward castes and middle-class people. Since the 1990s, it has followed an economically liberal policy that has been seen as pro-business and pro-development as well as populist welfare measures. TDP Manifesto

The opposition I.N.D.I.A includes:

1. INC - The INC (Indian National Congress) is a big tent social-democratic/democratic-socialist party with its foundational pillars being equity, equality, and egalitarianism. They take broad commitments to secularism and class equality to be principal positions. The INC under Rahul Gandhi has taken strong positions on caste issues, shining light on inequities from past and current discrimination, and proposing active policy interventions. While the INC also holds a free-market/pro-liberalization consensus, they emphasize growing social and wealth inequality and seek inclusive and redistributive growth with strong state intervention. They also see some proposed liberalizing reforms to further inequality and take an 'anti-corporatist' position. They take a slightly less strong position to Indian foreign policy, stressing a more diplomatic approach (with minimal variance on actual positions to the incumbents). They embrace globalization in part, while emphasizing India's need for domestic development. They aim to industrialize India rapidly through stimulating private investment and aim to subsidize both supply and demand. They seek to maintain the Indian military with a focus on highly trained soldiers. They pioneered multi-alignment as the foreign policy for India. INC Manifesto
2. AAP - The AAP (Aam Aadmi Party – “Common Man's Party"), part of INDIA coalition, currently holds power in two key states - Delhi and Punjab. Its chief figurehead and leader, Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate under an alleged liquor scam in the run up to elections. A barely 10-year-old party it has expanded very quickly to many states, running two of them, and now has national party status by the Election Commission of India (ECI). It leans centre-left to centre-right, with some play of soft Hindutva, while its economic platform comprises heavy spending in education, health, and free schemes of water and electricity. They rose to power on an anti-corruption program in 2013 and continues to have it as its central plank. AAP website for 2024
3. CPI(M) – The CPI(M) (Communist Party of India (Marxist)). They commies lol. The CPI(M) is one of the larger and more mainstream communist parties in India. Since they operate within the Indian republic's constitution, they have adopted more Indian characteristics. They are primarily against privatisation in the public sector and in favour of universal education and healthcare. Their base has traditionally been in Kerala, one of the more developed states in India in terms of income levels and HCI. they're in favour of private sector reservations and in recent years have also been pro-FDI. They promise non-aligned foreign policy, but largely are very anti-US and pro-China. They promise to restore Article 370 and oppose forceful seizure of land by the government. They're one of the most influential parties in India due to a strong cadre and student union ecosystem. They've had an effect on the farmers' protests as well as economic positions of the INDI Alliance. CPI(M) MANIFESTO
4. DMK - The DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - “Dravidian Progressive Federation") is a big tent broad left-wing party that is foundationally Dravidian (primarily Tamil) Nationalist, with strong emphasis on social equity and caste issues, while being staunchly secular and atheistic, and interventionist, statist, heavily welfarist, and industrialist in economic policy. They are primarily a regional party operating in the state of Tamil Nadu, led by M.K. Stalin, the state's current Chief Minister. DMK manifesto
5. RJD - The RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal – “National People’s Party”) is a caste-based (Muslims & Yadavs) political party in the Indian state of Bihar, which it ruled from 1990 to 2005. Its rule was one of extreme lawlessness & anarchy. It was called the “Jungle Raj”. Between 1990 & 2000, Bihar's per capita income and power consumption fell off a cliff due to mismanagement. Its CM, Lalu Prasad, was convicted of corruption in 2013.
6. SP - The SP (Samajwadi Party – “Socialist Party”) believes in creating a socialist society that operates on the principle of equality. Although the party previously ran on an anti-computer, anti-English, and anti-machinery platform, under its new national president Akhilesh Yadav, the party has made a 180° turn. Now, the Samajwadi Party declares itself to be the party of infrastructure while maintaining its commitment to social justice, with a special focus on teaching computer skills. The party's main base is in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which is the most populated state in India, with a population of 230 million. The only negatives associated with the party are the rampant dynasticism within its ranks and its perceived soft stance on law and order issues. SP Manifesto
7. JMM - The JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha – “Jharkhand Liberation Front") currently runs the govt of eastern state of Jharkhand. The party has historically centred tribal rights as its central plank and agitated for a new tribal state separate from Bihar until 2000, when their demands were met. It leans centre-left to left with their key issues being tribal control of land, mineral and mining rights, addressing issues of rehabilitation of tribals. The party is primarily run by the Soren family, with Champai Soren being its chief minister candidate in the current government after the last chief minister Hemant Soren was arrested by enforcement directorate. JMM is in alliance with the Indian national congress in the state, and part of the INDIA coalition for the Lok Sabha elections. They face charges of corruption and the image of dynastic politics.

The “It’s Complicated”, Unaligned, Split, and/or other Supplementary Parties include:

1. TMC - The TMC or AITC (All India Trinamool Congress) is a Bengali political party ruling over the state of West Bengal since 2011. It is led by Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. It is a center-left, welfarist, Bengali Nationalist party. It has been criticized for using heavy-handed authoritarian tactics against opposition leaders in the state, corruption, and political violence. It is credited with ending 34 years of communist rule in the state. West Bengal under the AITC has registered subpar economic performance and is largely stagnant. Pertinent to note Mamata used to be Congress leader till 1998, and AITC, in spite of being sympathetic towards the I.N.D.I.A. alliance at the national level, is fighting the Congress-Left alliance in West Bengal on all 42 seats. TMC Manifesto
2. AIADMK - The AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam – “All India Anna Dravidian Progressive Federation") is a broad centre-left/left-wing party adhering to foundational Dravidian philosophy, while emphasizing Tamil identity. Traditionally being less ethno-nationalist than their sister opposition party the DMK, they adhere to broad welfarist left-wing populism, focusing on social justice and communal equity, while being less economically statist than the DMK. They also focus primarily on Tamil Nadu as a regional party, currently led by Edappadi Palaniswami. AIADMK manifesto
3. Shiv Sena - The Shiv Sena (“Army of Shivaji”) was founded by Bal Thackeray in 1966 as a populist, xenophobic party, although the party gradually added Hindutva ideology to its anti non-Maharashtrian plank. It was the long time senior partner to the BJP in Maharashtra till Narendra Modi's popularity caused a change in the dynamics. After power sharing talks with the BJP failed in 2019, the Shiv Sena switched alliances to join hands with their long time rivals in Congress and NCP in an arrangement that made Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav Thackeray the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. In 2022 again, The Majority of Shiv Sena politicians led by Eknath Shinde rebelled against the top leadership to ally again with the BJP, taking control of the party and toppling the Uddhav Thackeray government. The splinter group led by Uddhav Thackeray is called SS (UBT) and it is allied with the Congress in the INDIA Alliance. SS(UBT) Manifesto
4. NCP – The NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) were founded in 1998 by Sharad Pawar and a few others who left the Congress in 1998 after Sonia Gandhi was made Congress president. Despite it's formation, the NCP was a long term ally of the Congress sharing virtually the same ideology. In 2023 however, like the Shiv Sena, In a rebellion led by Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit, a Majority of NCP politicians switched alliances to support the BJP and took control of the party. Like the Shiv Sena, the Splinter group led by Sharad Pawar and his daughter is called NCP (SP) and it's allied with the Congress in the INDIA Alliance
5. YSRCP - The YSRCP (Yuvjana Sramika Rythu Congress Party – “Youth, Labour, & Farmer Congress Party”) was founded by the son of an old congress Chief Minister after he was denied the role of Chief Minister after his father. It's a populist centre-of-left party with strong focus on welfare schemes and cash benefits. It's mired in controversy due to its dynastic nature, its ties to Christian Fundamentalism and American Missionaries targeting the marginalized.
6. BRS - The BRS (Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi – “Indian National Council”) was formed originally with a single-point agenda of creating a separate Telangana state with Hyderabad as its capital. They are largely neoliberal and are credited with rapid economic growth in Telangana.
7. BJD – The BJD (Biju Janata Dal – “Biju’s People’ Platform”) was formed by Naveen Pattnaik the son of the former CM of Oddisha, Biju Pattnaik. It’s a Odia regional party with a strong focus on poverty upliftment through welfare policies and equitable economic growth.
8. BSP - The BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party - "Majority Community Party") is a center-left party in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which was started to uplift Dalits and other marginalized communities in India by Kanshi Ram. Its current party president is Mayawati. BSP is considered as one of the biggest parties in India as per vote share, although it's currently in decline. At its height, this party had a strong base in many states across north India, but now it's only limited to the state of Uttar Pradesh, which is one of the largest states in India with a population of 230 million. There are strong suspicions of BSP working in secret with BJP, and maybe that's why the party is not fighting this election enthusiastically. Although they can still make the competition interesting on a few seats in UP.

OTHER KEY ISSUES -

1. Political Dynasticism:

Although dynastism is thought to be a good fix for internal chaos in a party, the current political leader of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi, is a fourth-generation dynast who has to carry the political baggage of everything which went wrong during the rule of his grandmother and great-grandfather.
Also because one family has been controlling the Congress for decades, it has caused various state-level leaders to either form their own party or join another one. They see no future in the Congress anymore because the door to leadership is always closed for them. This has destroyed the ground level cadre of Congress party in many key states.
Rahul Gandhi’s privilege combined with the lack of any real political acumen so far has led to the INC taking damage due to is infamy.
Nepotism and dynastic politics has been a key issue throughout the last 10 years as BJP positions itself as the ‘common man’s party’

1. The Ram Mandir:

A land dispute originating from the alleged destruction of a Hindu Temple, replaced by a Mosque built allegedly atop the site (the Babri Masjid) in the 16th century allegedly by Mughal Empror Babur in present day Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, the proposed birthplace of the Hindu deity Lord Ram.
Following a century of sporadic conflict, from 1853 to 1949, a revivalist movement in the 1980's would lead to rising communal tensions, culminating in the 1992 destruction of the Ram Temple by Hindu Nationalists and devotees.
The legal conflict over the land would continue until 2019, when the Supreme Court of India issued the controversial ruling that the land be handed over to government trust for the construction of a Ram Temple, with seperate land being allotted to the local Muslim community for construction of a Mosque.
Almost all elements of the dispute remain mired in controversy. From the historical and religious associations of Ayodhya with Ram, the existence of a definitively Hindu structure, the alleged deliberate destruction of the said temple, the times and events of construction and use, the participants, planning, and events of the 1992 destruction, the ASI Archeological Surveys that served as key evidence for the Supreme Court being tampered and politicized by both sides of the politcal aisle, the legality of the ruling itself, and other surrounding issues regarding justice against those alleged to have partaken in the destruction of the Babri Masjid.

1. Foreign Policy:

The BJP is campaigning on building a multi-aligned foreign policy where India is seen as the world’s friend as well as an upcoming regional power. This was at its peak during India’s G20 presidency. Many Indians claim the rise of India’s global stature is an electoral issue. This can be seen in the popularity of the government’s anti-terror operations in both Pakistan and beyond. The resurgence of an interventionist foreign policy has proven to be popular in projecting the strongman image of Modi. The country’s commitment to it’s strategic autonomy and multi-alignment have been a fixture right since Nehru.
SUPPLEMENTARY SOURCES:

Draft 1
Suprabhat, Vannakam, Adab and Welcome to the 2024 LOK SABHA GENERAL ELECTION THUNDERDOME.

NO RULES, NO LIMITS, ONLY CHAOS

POKKS	NDA	INC	Other
Axis My India	361-401	131-166	8-10
CVOTER	353-383	152-182	4-12
Today's Chanakya	385-415	96-118	27-45
CNX	371-401	109-139	28-38
ETG	358	132	53
Poll of Polls	379	136	28

testlink

The Cage -

India is a parliamentary democracy that follows the first-past-the-post voting system, similar to the standard Westminster System. The Lower House of the Indian Parliament (*Lok Sabha*) consists of 543 seats representing 543 constituencies that send 1 Member of Parliament (MP) each. These 543 MP's then choose a prime minister via simple majority.
For each constituency, a political party gives a ticket to a single Candidate. The Candidate with at least a plurality of votes in a constituency represents that Constituency in parliament as a member of the party.
There are no party level primaries in India, the candidate for a constituency is decided by the party high command and only one person from a party can be on the ticket for a particular seat. You can contest multiple constituencies though from the same party as both Narendra Modi (2014 BJP Candidate for both *Varanasi* and *Vadodara*) and Rahul Gandhi (2024 Congress Candidate for both *Rae Bareili* and *Wayanad*) have done. If no existing political party gives you a ticket, you can contest as an Independent Candidate or form your own party and contest as a member of your own party.
The government can be formed by the party or the alliance that has a simple majority of MP's. When no single political party has a majority of MP's, an alliance of various parties can be formed that contains the majority of MP's. This is called a post-poll alliance, where the parties contest elections separately but might come together after the elections in order to form the government or be part of the government.However there is also the pre-poll alliance where political parties join or form an alliance before the elections.
**THE DATES -**
**THE RESULTS -**
**EXIT POLLS -**

THE FIGHTS -

Economy & Employment:

The incumbent BJP-led NDA government makes the positive case of economic growth and development under its decade long tenure. It points to strong rejuvenated GDP growth with relatively low inflation, rising wages, a growing middle class, stable macroeconomic positioning, strong spending, slashing of multidimensional poverty, a strong and well administered welfare state, expanded free trade, sharp reduction in regulation, increase in select manufacturing and industry, a revitalized finance sector, and a thriving service markThe government points to the large-scale infrastructure development undertaken, expanding roadways, delivering expansive electrification, and provisions of basic utility services. They point to the stagnation and policy paralysis observed under the tenure of the last Congress government (*UPA 2*), and further make point to the opposition's alleged proposed populist economic programs as untenable and unfeasible. They make the case that the opposition has leftist economic policies that are not grounded in economic reality.
The INC-led I.N.D.I.A opposition on the other hand, makes the negative case against the incumbents, pointing to large scale youth unemployment, even among educated youth. They point to an alleged inability of the government to tie growth to employment. They allege a failure of manufacturing capacity and sufficient industrialization of the economy, highlighting the lack of sufficient private capital inflows. They criticize the growth figures of the economy by casting doubt on the government's statistics, and focusing extensively on growing wealth inequality, alleging that growth only occurs for the rich billionaire class, with minimal relief for the poor, targeting specific attacks against domestic industrial magnates, Adani and Ambani. They allege favoritism on the part of the incumbent government towards their select base, highlighting the state of Gujarat as being prioritized over other stateset.
In making their positive case, they propose a more inclusive and redistributive model of growth, proposing heightened subsidization programmes, more welfare and support programmes, higher taxation on the wealthy and corporations, leveraging private capital inflows for infrastructure development, and prioritizing equitable growth through a caste census, developing corrective policies for inequalities between castes.
They aim to solve the employment crisis through expanding roles in state enterprises and filling government vacancies, alongside expanding labour intensive industries like manufacturing and mining, whilst pointing to high growth rates of the economy as well as committing to expand manufacturing through reforms and subsidy platforms like the PLI, FAME etc., further claiming that increased infrastructure spending will lead to crowding in effect thus enabling faster industrialization.

Social Justice:

The issues of social equity and justice have become major cornerstones of both the incumbent and opposition electoral platforms. This is most prevalent through the forthcoming section on sectarianism, but also focuses on key issues regarding class equality and - most importantly - caste-based discrimination.
The incumbent BJP-led NDA government point to their solid track record of universal poverty alleviation, targeted successful welfare and affirmative action programmes. The INC-led I.N.D.I.A opposition on the other hand, point to growing wealth inequality and apparent institutional and systemic discrimination against underprivileged caste communities in academia, employment, governmental programmes, courts, the military, etc. They allege that the government has not committed to taking resolute and definitive action against casteism through corrective policy.
This all boils down to the Reservation system, a large scale, affirmative action initiative, conducted through a systematic quota-based policy of allotment of institutional positions in education, governmental employment, schemes and programmes, direct political representation, etc.
With reservations estimated to have hit 59.5% of Central Government Institutional positions, there are now broader calls to expand the scale and scope of this drive. The opposition wanting to break the cap limits and even introduce this system into the private sector to potentially induce parity, while the government commits to more modest hikes of upto 62.5% while playing into incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi's identity as a member of an underprivileged caste community.
While the opposition campaigns on removing limits to the quota system to deliver equity, the government alleges these commitments to be populist and detrimental, while alleging that the opposition seeks to potentially appease its Muslim voter base by introducing expanded reservations for Muslims, thereby allegedly sabotaging the disadvantaged Hindu lower castes, and redistributing their wealth to Muslims, in a bid to gain their votes.

Communalism:

Both the incumbent BJP-led NDA government and the INC-led I.N.D.I.A opposition have framed communalism as a lynchpin issue of the Election. The incumbent government points to alleged casteist and bigoted rhetoric against select caste groups and Hindus. They allege the opposition panders to minorities for their votes, whilst not delivering on the real issues. They allege the opposition seeks to drive up divisiveness and shared social harmony in India. They further allege that the opposition engages in divisive rhetoric on key issues of Hindu-Indian culture like that of the *Ram Temple*, in ways that contradict the spirit of the Indian State.
The opposition on the other hand, accused the incumbent government of being bigoted against minority communities, from the large Muslim community, to the lower caste communities of Indian society. They allege use of hateful and divisive rhetoric against these communities, and point to select controversial government positions and policies on issues like the *Ram Mandir*, the controversial CAA-NRC laws, the proposed Uniform Civil Code, among others. They further allege institutional degradation of key offices including policing, academia, and the military in discriminating against minority groups.

Institutional Independence:

The INC-led I.N.D.I.A opposition alleges institutional degradation and capture of various independent governmental entities by the incumbents. They point to the use of Executive, Investigative, Anti-Corruption, Enforcement, & Tax authorities against opposition figures and media as evidence, highlighting specific cases of the detaining and arrest of two sitting opposition Chief Ministers, and the resignation of one. They highlight alleged selective targeting of opposition figures for raids, charges, and arrests, creating an alleged environment of impunity for the government. The opposition alleges heightened and blatant partisanship of members of the Judiciary in support of the incumbent government. They also allege illegitimate freezing of campaigning funds, crackdowns on press freedoms via capture of media institutions, and also critically alleges institutional capture of the Election Commission, casting doubts on election results primarily critiquing India's Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).
The Government rebukes these claims as part of a strong anti-corruption drive, highlighting a drop in governmental corruption cases since the previous Congress government (UPA 2, infamously riddled with such allegations). The government frames the opposition parties as corrupt and power-hungry, while further disparaging the opposition's alleged unfounded attacks on Indian institutions, apparent partisan attacks on the judiciary and critiquing apparent unfounded claims of election denialism.

THE FIGHTERS –

The election is primarily clash between two large coalitions, and their leading parties. On one side, you have the incumbent government of the BJP-led NDA, or *National Democratic Alliance*, and on the other, you have the opposition INC-led I.N.D.I.A, or *Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance*, a new mega coalition of more than 35 parties, with a few unofficial supporters too.
*The following is a list of some key players in each of the alliances and is by no means a comprehensive or exhaustive list of all involved factions.*

The incumbent NDA includes:

1. ***BJP*** – The BJP (*Bharatiya Janata Party* - "Indian People's Party") is a Hindu nationalist party ce and counterterrorism against Pakistan and China, while pragmatically engaging other nations despite criticism on some foreign policy moves for being 'wolf warrior-esque'. They uphold a strong nationalist domestic and foreign policy, that simultaneously does not retreat from globalization. On National Security, they aim to make India a regional power with a strong emphasis on modernization & indigenization of military administration and technology, while also reducing bureaucratic and manpower burdens through varied recruitment windows.
2. ***JD(U)*** - The JD(U) (*Janata Dal (United)* – “People’s Party (United)”) is led by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and has been in power in the eastern state of Bihar since 2005. It was formed after a series of splits and mergers in the Janata Dal in the 90s. It is credited with doing good work in the state on roads, electricity, and water, however it has failed to provide jobs & spur manufacturing. This, combined with its leader frequently switching between rival alliances, is causing anti-incumbency.
3. ***TDP*** - The TDP (*Telugu Desam Party* – “Party of the Telugu Land") follows a pro-Telugu ideology. It was founded as an alternative to the Congress hegemony, by emphasizing Telugu regional pride and serving as the party for farmers, backward castes and middle-class people. Since the 1990s, it has followed an economically liberal policy that has been seen as pro-business and pro-development as well as populist welfare measures.

The opposition I.N.D.I.A includes:

1. ***INC*** - The INC (Indian National Congress) is a big tent social-democratic/democratic-socialist party with its foundational pillars being equity, equality, and egalitarianism. They take broad commitments to secularism and class equality to be principal positions. The INC under Rahul Gandhi has taken strong positions on caste issues, shining light on inequities from past and current discrimination, and proposing active policy interventions. While the INC also holds a free-market/pro-liberalization consensus, they emphasize growing social and wealth inequality and seek inclusive and redistributive growth with strong state intervention. They also see some proposed liberalizing reforms to further inequality and take an 'anti-corporatist' position. They take a slightly less strong position to Indian foreign policy, stressing a more diplomatic approach (with minimal variance on actual positions to the incumbents). They embrace globalization in part, while emphasizing India's need for domestic development. They aim to industrialize India rapidly through stimulating private investment and aim to subsidize both supply and demand. They seek to maintain the Indian military with a focus on highly trained soldiers. They pioneered multi-alignment as the foreign policy for India.
2. ***AAP*** - The AAP (*Aam Aadmi Party* – “Common Man's Party"), part of INDIA coalition, currently holds power in two key states - Delhi and Punjab. Its chief figurehead and leader, Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate under an alleged liquor scam in the run up to elections. Barely a 10 year old party it has expanded very quickly to many states, running two of them, and now has national party status by the Election Commission of India (ECI). It leans centre-left to centre-right, with some play of soft *Hindutva*, while its economic platform comprises heavy spending in education, health, and free schemes of water and electricity. They rose to power on an anti-corruption program in 2013 and continues to have it as its central plank.
3. ***CPI(M)*** – The CPI(M) (Communist Party of India (Marxist)). They commies lol. The CPI(M) is one of the larger and more mainstrean communist parties in India. Since they operate within the Indian republic's constitution they have adopted more Indian characterisrics. They are primarily against privatisation in the public sector and in favour of universal education and healthcare. Their base has traditionally been in Kerala, one of the more developed states in India in terms of income levels and HCI. They're in favour of private sector reservations and in recent years have also been pro-FDI They promise non-aligned foreign policy, but largely are very anti-US and pro-China. They promise to restore Article 370 and oppose forceful seizure of land by government. They're one of the most influential parties in India due to a strong cadre and student union ecosystem. They've had an effect on the farmers protests as well as economic positions of the INDI Alliance.
4. ***DMK*** - The DMK (*Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam* - “Dravidian Progressive Federation") is a big tent broad left-wing party that is foundationally *Dravidian* (primarily Tamil) Nationalist, with strong emphasis on social equity and caste issues, while being staunchly secular and atheistic, and interventionist, statist, heavily welfarist, and industrialist in economic policy. They are primarily a regional party operating in the state of Tamil Nadu, led by M.K. Stalin, the state's current Chief Minister.
5. ***RJD*** - The RJD (*Rashtriya Janata Dal* – “National People’s Party”) is a caste-based (Muslims & Yadavs) political party in the Indian state of Bihar, which it ruled from 1990 to 2005. Its rule was one of extreme lawlessness & anarchy. It was called the “Jungle Raj”. Between 1990 & 2000, Bihar's per capita income and power consumption fell off a cliff due to mismanagement. Its CM, Lalu Prasad, was convicted of corruption in 2013.
6. ***SP*** - The SP (*Samajwadi Party* – “Socialist Party”) believes in creating a socialist society that operates on the principle of equality. Although the party previously ran on an anti-computer, anti-English, and anti-machinery platform, under its new national president Akhilesh Yadav, the party has made a 180° turn. Now, the Samajwadi Party declares itself to be the party of infrastructure while maintaining its commitment to social justice, with a special focus on teaching computer skills. The party's main base is in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which is the most populated state in India, with a population of 230 million. The only negatives associated with the party are the rampant dynasticism within its ranks and its perceived soft stance on law and order issues.
7. ***JMM*** - The JMM (*Jharkhand Mukti Morcha* – “Jharkhand Liberation Front") currently runs the govt of eastern state of Jharkhand. The party has historically centred tribal rights as its central plank and agitated for a new tribal state separate from Bihar until 2000, when their demands were met. It leans centre-left to left with their key issues being tribal control of land, mineral and mining rights, addressing issues of rehabilitation of tribals. The party is primarily run by the Soren family, with Champai Soren being its chief minister candidate in the current government after the last chief minister Hemant Soren was arrested by enforcement directorate. JMM is in alliance with the Indian national congress in the state, and part of the INDIA coalition for the Lok Sabha elections. They face charges of corruption and the image of dynastic politics.

The “It’s Complicated”, Unaligned, Split, and/or other Supplementary Parties include:

1. ***TMC*** - The TMC or AITC (All India Trinamool Congress) is a Bengali political party ruling over the state of West Bengal since 2011. It is led by Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. It is a center-left, welfarist, Bengali Nationalist party. It has been criticized for using heavy-handed authoritarian tactics against opposition leaders in the state, corruption, and political violence. It is credited with ending 34 years of communist rule in the state. West Bengal under the AITC has registered subpar economic performance and is largely stagnant. Pertinent to note Mamata used to be Congress leader till 1998, and AITC, in spite of being sympathetic towards the I.N.D.I.A. alliance at the national level, is fighting the Congress-Left alliance in West Bengal on all 42 seats.
2. ***AIADMK*** - The AIADMK (*All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam* – “All India Anna Dravidian Progressive Federation") is a broad centre-left/left-wing party adhering to foundational Dravidian philosophy, while emphasizing Tamil identity. Traditionally being less ethno-nationalist than their sister opposition party the DMK, they adhere to broad welfarist left-wing populism, focusing on social justice and communal equity, while being less economically statist than the DMK. They also focus primarily on Tamil Nadu as a regional party, currently led by Edappadi Palaniswami.
3. ***Shiv Sena*** - The Shiv Sena (*“Army of Shivaji”*) was founded by Bal Thackeray in 1966 as a populist, xenophobic party, although the party gradually added Hindutva ideology to its anti non-Maharashtrian plank. It was the long time senior partner to the BJP in Maharashtra till Narendra Modi's popularity caused a change in the dynamics. After power sharing talks with the BJP failed in 2019, the Shiv Sena switched alliances to join hands with their long time rivals in Congress and NCP in an arrangement that made Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav Thackeray the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. In 2022 again, The Majority of Shiv Sena politicians led by Eknath Shinde rebelled against the top leadership to ally again with the BJP, taking control of the party and toppling the Uddhav Thackeray government. The splinter group led by Uddhav Thackeray is called SS (UBT) and it is allied with the Congress in the INDIA Alliance.
4. ***NCP*** – The NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) were founded in 1998 by Sharad Pawar and a few others who left the Congress in 1998 after Sonia Gandhi was made Congress president. Despite it's formation, the NCP was a long term ally of the Congress sharing virtually the same ideology. In 2023 however, like the Shiv Sena, In a rebellion led by Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit, a Majority of NCP politicians switched alliances to support the BJP and took control of the party. Like the Shiv Sena, the Splinter group led by Sharad Pawar and his daughter is called NCP (SP) and it's allied with the Congress in the INDIA Alliance
5. ***YSRCP*** - The YSRCP (*Yuvjana Sramika Rythu Congress Party* – “Youth, Labour, & Farmer Congress Party”) was founded by the son of an old congress Chief Minister after he was denied the role of Chief Minister after his father. It's a populist centre-of-left party with strong focus on welfare schemes and cash benefits. It's mired in controversy due to its dynastic nature, its ties to Christian Fundamentalism and
6. ***BRS*** - The BRS (*Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi* – “Indian National Council”) was formed originally with a single-point agenda of creating a separate Telangana state with Hyderabad as its capital. They are largely neoliberal and are credited with rapid economic growth in Telangana.
7. ***BJD*** – The BJD (*Biju Janata Dal* – “Biju’s People’ Platform”) was formed by Naveen Pattnaik the son of the former CM of Oddisha, Biju Pattnaik. It’s a Odia regional party with a strong focus on poverty upliftment through welfare policies and equitable economic growth.
8. ***BSP*** - The BSP (*Bahujan Samaj Party* - "Majority Community Party") is a center-left party in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which was started to uplift Dalits and other marginalized communities in India by Kanshi Ram. Its current party president is Mayawati. BSP is considered as one of the biggest parties in India as per vote share, although it's currently in decline. At its height, this party had a strong base in many states across north India, but now it's only limited to the state of Uttar Pradesh, which is one of the largest states in India with a population of 230 million. There are strong suspicions of BSP working in secret with BJP, and maybe that's why the party is not fighting this election enthusiastically. Although they can still make the competition interesting on a few seats in UP.

OTHER KEY ISSUES -

1. Political Dynasticism:

Although dynastism is thought to be a good fix for internal chaos in a party, the current political leader of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi, is a fourth-generation dynast who has to carry the political baggage of everything which went wrong during the rule of his grandmother and great-grandfather.
Also because one family has been controlling the Congress for decades, it has caused various state-level leaders to either form their own party or join another one. They see no future in the Congress anymore because the door to leadership is always closed for them. This has destroyed the ground level cadre of Congress party in many key states.
Rahul Gandhi’s privilege combined with the lack of any real political acumen so far has led to the INC taking damage due to is infamy.
Nepotism and dynastic politics has been a key issue throughout the last 10 years as BJP positions itself as the ‘common man’s party’

2. The Ram Mandir:

A land dispute originating from the alleged destruction of a Hindu Temple, replaced by a Mosque built allegedly atop the site (the *Babri Masjid*) in the 16th century allegedly by Mughal Empror Babur in present day Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, the proposed birthplace of the Hindu deity Lord Ram.
Following a century of sporadic conflict, from 1853 to 1949, a revivalist movement in the 1980's would lead to rising communal tensions, culminating in the 1992 destruction of the Ram Temple by Hindu Nationalists and devotees.
The legal conflict over the land would continue until 2019, when the Supreme Court of India issued the controversial ruling that the land be handed over to government trust for the construction of a Ram Temple, with seperate land being allotted to the local Muslim community for construction of a Mosque.
Almost all elements of the dispute remain mired in controversy. From the historical and religious associations of Ayodhya with Ram, the existence of a definitively Hindu structure, the alleged deliberate destruction of the said temple, the times and events of construction and use, the participants, planning, and events of the 1992 destruction, the ASI Archeological Surveys that served as key evidence for the Supreme Court being tampered and politicised by both sides of the politcal aisle, the legality of the ruling itself, and other surrounding issues regarding justice against those alleged to have partaken in the destruction of the Babri Masjid.

3. Foreign Policy:

The BJP is campaigning on building a multi-aligned foreign policy where India is seen as the world’s friend as well as an upcoming regional power. This was at its peak during India’s G20 presidency. Many Indians claim the rise of India’s global stature is an electoral issue. This can be seen in the popularity of the government’s anti-terror operations in both Pakistan and beyond. The resurgence of an interventionist foreign policy has proven to be popular in projecting the strongman image of Modi. The country’s commitment to it’s strategic autonomy and multi-alignment have been a fixture right since Nehru.
**SUPPLEMENTARY SOURCES:**

Suprabhat, Vannakam, Adab and Welcome to the 2024 LOK SABHA GENERAL ELECTION THUNDERDOME.
NO RULES, NO LIMITS, ONLY CHAOS.
THE CAGE -
India is a parliamentary democracy that follows the first-past-the-post voting system, similar to the standard Westminster System. The Lower House of the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) consists of 543 seats representing 543 constituencies that send 1 Member of Parliament (MP) each. These 543 MP's then choose a prime minister via simple majority.
For each constituency, a political party gives a ticket to a single Candidate. The Candidate with at least a plurality of votes in a constituency represents that Constituency in parliament as a member of the party.
There are no party level primaries in India, the candidate for a constituency is decided by the party high command and only one person from a party can be on the ticket for a particular seat. You can contest multiple constituencies though from the same party as both Narendra Modi (2014 BJP Candidate for both Varanasi and Vadodara) and Rahul Gandhi (2024 Congress Candidate for both Rae Bareili and Wayanad) have done. If no existing political party gives you a ticket, you can contest as an Independent Candidate or form your own party and contest as a member of your own party.
The government can be formed by the party or the alliance that has a simple majority of MP's. When no single political party has a majority of MP's, an alliance of various parties can be formed that contains the majority of MP's. This is called a post-poll alliance, where the parties contest elections separately but might come together after the elections in order to form the government or be part of the government. However there is also the pre-poll alliance where political parties join or form an alliance before the elections.
THE DATES -
THE RESULTS -
EXIT POLLS -
THE FIGHTS -
Economy & Employment:
The incumbent BJP-led NDA government makes the positive case of economic growth and development under its decade long tenure. It points to strong rejuvenated GDP growth with relatively low inflation, rising wages, a growing middle class, stable macroeconomic positioning, strong spending, slashing of multidimensional poverty, a strong and well administered welfare state, expanded free trade, sharp reduction in regulation, increase in select manufacturing and industry, a revitalized finance sector, and a thriving service market.
The government points to the large-scale infrastructure development undertaken, expanding roadways, delivering expansive electrification, and provisions of basic utility services. They point to the stagnation and policy paralysis observed under the tenure of the last Congress government (UPA 2), and further make point to the opposition's alleged proposed populist economic programs as untenable and unfeasible. They make the case that the opposition has leftist economic policies that are not grounded in economic reality.
The INC-led I.N.D.I.A opposition on the other hand, makes the negative case against the incumbents, pointing to large scale youth unemployment, even among educated youth. They point to an alleged inability of the government to tie growth to employment. They allege a failure of manufacturing capacity and sufficient industrialization of the economy, highlighting the lack of sufficient private capital inflows. They criticize the growth figures of the economy by casting doubt on the government's statistics, and focusing extensively on growing wealth inequality, alleging that growth only occurs for the rich billionaire class, with minimal relief for the poor, targeting specific attacks against domestic industrial magnates, Adani and Ambani. They allege favoritism on the part of the incumbent government towards their select base, highlighting the state of Gujarat as being prioritized over other states.
In making their positive case, they propose a more inclusive and redistributive model of growth, proposing heightened subsidization programmes, more welfare and support programmes, higher taxation on the wealthy and corporations, leveraging private capital inflows for infrastructure development, and prioritizing equitable growth through a caste census, developing corrective policies for inequalities between castes.
They aim to solve the employment crisis through expanding roles in state enterprises and filling government vacancies, alongside expanding labour intensive industries like manufacturing and mining, whilst pointing to high growth rates of the economy as well as committing to expand manufacturing through reforms and subsidy platforms like the PLI, FAME etc., further claiming that increased infrastructure spending will lead to crowding in effect thus enabling faster industrialization.
Social Justice:
The issues of social equity and justice have become major cornerstones of both the incumbent and opposition electoral platforms. This is most prevalent through the forthcoming section on sectarianism, but also focuses on key issues regarding class equality and - most importantly - caste-based discrimination.
The incumbent BJP-led NDA government point to their solid track record of universal poverty alleviation, targeted successful welfare and affirmative action programmes. The INC-led I.N.D.I.A opposition on the other hand, point to growing wealth inequality and apparent institutional and systemic discrimination against underprivileged caste communities in academia, employment, governmental programmes, courts, the military, etc. They allege that the government has not committed to taking resolute and definitive action against casteism through corrective policy.
This all boils down to the Reservation system, a large scale, affirmative action initiative, conducted through a systematic quota-based policy of allotment of institutional positions in education, governmental employment, schemes and programmes, direct political representation, etc.
With reservations estimated to have hit 59.5% of Central Government Institutional positions, there are now broader calls to expand the scale and scope of this drive. The opposition wanting to break the cap limits and even introduce this system into the private sector to potentially induce parity, while the government commits to more modest hikes of upto 62.5% while playing into incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi's identity as a member of an underprivileged caste community.
While the opposition campaigns on removing limits to the quota system to deliver equity, the government alleges these commitments to be populist and detrimental, while alleging that the opposition seeks to potentially appease its Muslim voter base by introducing expanded reservations for Muslims, thereby allegedly sabotaging the disadvantaged Hindu lower castes, and redistributing their wealth to Muslims, in a bid to gain their votes.
Communalism:
Both the incumbent BJP-led NDA government and the INC-led I.N.D.I.A opposition have framed communalism as a lynchpin issue of the Election. The incumbent government points to alleged casteist and bigoted rhetoric against select caste groups and Hindus. They allege the opposition panders to minorities for their votes, whilst not delivering on the real issues. They allege the opposition seeks to drive up divisiveness and shared social harmony in India. They further allege that the opposition engages in divisive rhetoric on key issues of Hindu-Indian culture like that of the Ram Temple, in ways that contradict the spirit of the Indian State.
The opposition on the other hand, accused the incumbent government of being bigoted against minority communities, from the large Muslim community, to the lower caste communities of Indian society. They allege use of hateful and divisive rhetoric against these communities, and point to select controversial government positions and policies on issues like the Ram Mandir, the controversial CAA-NRC laws, the proposed Uniform Civil Code, among others. They further allege institutional degradation of key offices including policing, academia, and the military in discriminating against minority groups.
Institutional Independence:
The INC-led I.N.D.I.A opposition alleges institutional degradation and capture of various independent governmental entities by the incumbents. They point to the use of Executive, Investigative, Anti-Corruption, Enforcement, & Tax authorities against opposition figures and media as evidence, highlighting specific cases of the detaining and arrest of two sitting opposition Chief Ministers, and the resignation of one. They highlight alleged selective targeting of opposition figures for raids, charges, and arrests, creating an alleged environment of impunity for the government. The opposition alleges heightened and blatant partisanship of members of the Judiciary in support of the incumbent government. They also allege illegitimate freezing of campaigning funds, crackdowns on press freedoms via capture of media institutions, and also critically alleges institutional capture of the Election Commission, casting doubts on election results primarily critiquing India's Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).
The Government rebukes these claims as part of a strong anti-corruption drive, highlighting a drop in governmental corruption cases since the previous Congress government (UPA 2, infamously riddled with such allegations). The government frames the opposition parties as corrupt and power-hungry, while further disparaging the opposition's alleged unfounded attacks on Indian institutions, apparent partisan attacks on the judiciary and critiquing apparent unfounded claims of election denialism.
THE FIGHTERS –
The election is primarily clash between two large coalitions, and their leading parties. On one side, you have the incumbent government of the BJP-led NDA, or National Democratic Alliance, and on the other, you have the opposition INC-led I.N.D.I.A, or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, a new mega coalition of more than 35 parties, with a few unofficial supporters too.
The following is a list of some key players in each of the alliances and is by no means a comprehensive or exhaustive list of all involved factions.
The incumbent NDA includes:

1. BJP – The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party - "Indian People's Party") is a Hindu nationalist party committed to Hindutva ideology, promoting Hindu culture, opposing Muslim immigration, and creating a nativist country wherein India embraces a fundamentally Hindu social fabric. The BJP government under Modi undertook strong reformist policies in promoting liberalization of the economy through aggressive regulatory reforms, furthering free trade through FTAs and privatization of underperforming state assets. They took aggressive stances on defense and counterterrorism against Pakistan and China, while pragmatically engaging other nations despite criticism on some foreign policy moves for being 'wolf warrior-esque'. They uphold a strong nationalist domestic and foreign policy, that simultaneously does not retreat from globalization. On National Security, they aim to make India a regional power with a strong emphasis on modernization & indigenization of military administration and technology, while also reducing bureaucratic and manpower burdens through varied recruitment windows.
   
2. JD(U) - The JD(U) (Janata Dal (United) – “People’s Party (United)”) is led by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and has been in power in the eastern state of Bihar since 2005. It was formed after a series of splits and mergers in the Janata Dal in the 90s. It is credited with doing good work in the state on roads, electricity, and water, however it has failed to provide jobs & spur manufacturing. This, combined with its leader frequently switching between rival alliances, is causing anti-incumbency.
   
3. TDP - The TDP (Telugu Desam Party – “Party of the Telugu Land") follows a pro-Telugu ideology. It was founded as an alternative to the Congress hegemony, by emphasizing Telugu regional pride and serving as the party for farmers, backward castes and middle-class people. Since the 1990s, it has followed an economically liberal policy that has been seen as pro-business and pro-development as well as populist welfare measures.
   

The opposition I.N.D.I.A includes:

1. INC - The INC (Indian National Congress) is a big tent social-democratic/democratic-socialist party with its foundational pillars being equity, equality, and egalitarianism. They take broad commitments to secularism and class equality to be principal positions. The INC under Rahul Gandhi has taken strong positions on caste issues, shining light on inequities from past and current discrimination, and proposing active policy interventions. While the INC also holds a free-market/pro-liberalization consensus, they emphasize growing social and wealth inequality and seek inclusive and redistributive growth with strong state intervention. They also see some proposed liberalizing reforms to further inequality and take an 'anti-corporatist' position. They take a slightly less strong position to Indian foreign policy, stressing a more diplomatic approach (with minimal variance on actual positions to the incumbents). They embrace globalization in part, while emphasizing India's need for domestic development. They aim to industrialize India rapidly through stimulating private investment and aim to subsidize both supply and demand. They seek to maintain the Indian military with a focus on highly trained soldiers. They pioneered multi-alignment as the foreign policy for India.
   
2. AAP - The AAP (Aam Aadmi Party – “Common Man's Party"), part of INDIA coalition, currently holds power in two key states - Delhi and Punjab. Its chief figurehead and leader, Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate under an alleged liquor scam in the run up to elections. Barely a 10 year old party it has expanded very quickly to many states, running two of them, and now has national party status by the Election Commission of India (ECI). It leans centre-left to centre-right, with some play of soft Hindutva, while its economic platform comprises heavy spending in education, health, and free schemes of water and electricity. They rose to power on an anti-corruption program in 2013 and continues to have it as its central plank.
   
3. CPI(M) – The CPI(M) (Communist Party of India (Marxist)). They commies lol. The CPI(M) is one of the larger and more mainstrean communist parties in India. Since they operate within the Indian republic's constitution they have adopted more Indian characterisrics. They are primarily against privatisation in the public sector and in favour of universal education and healthcare. Their base has traditionally been in Kerala, one of the more developed states in India in terms of income levels and HCI. they're in favour of private sector reservations and in recent years have also been pro-FDI They promise non-aligned foreign policy, but largely are very anti-US and pro-China. They promise to restore Article 370 and oppose forceful seizure of land by government. They're one of the most influential parties in India due to a strong cadre and student union ecosystem. They've had an effect on the farmers protests as well as economic positions of the INDI Alliance.
   
4. DMK - The DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - “Dravidian Progressive Federation") is a big tent broad left-wing party that is foundationally Dravidian (primarily Tamil) Nationalist, with strong emphasis on social equity and caste issues, while being staunchly secular and atheistic, and interventionist, statist, heavily welfarist, and industrialist in economic policy. They are primarily a regional party operating in the state of Tamil Nadu, led by M.K. Stalin, the state's current Chief Minister.
   
5. RJD - The RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal – “National People’s Party”) is a caste-based (Muslims & Yadavs) political party in the Indian state of Bihar, which it ruled from 1990 to 2005. Its rule was one of extreme lawlessness & anarchy. It was called the “Jungle Raj”. Between 1990 & 2000, Bihar's per capita income and power consumption fell off a cliff due to mismanagement. Its CM, Lalu Prasad, was convicted of corruption in 2013.
   
6. SP - The SP (Samajwadi Party – “Socialist Party”) believes in creating a socialist society that operates on the principle of equality. Although the party previously ran on an anti-computer, anti-English, and anti-machinery platform, under its new national president Akhilesh Yadav, the party has made a 180° turn. Now, the Samajwadi Party declares itself to be the party of infrastructure while maintaining its commitment to social justice, with a special focus on teaching computer skills. The party's main base is in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which is the most populated state in India, with a population of 230 million. The only negatives associated with the party are the rampant dynasticism within its ranks and its perceived soft stance on law and order issues.
   
7. JMM - The JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha – “Jharkhand Liberation Front") currently runs the govt of eastern state of Jharkhand. The party has historically centred tribal rights as its central plank and agitated for a new tribal state separate from Bihar until 2000, when their demands were met. It leans centre-left to left with their key issues being tribal control of land, mineral and mining rights, addressing issues of rehabilitation of tribals. The party is primarily run by the Soren family, with Champai Soren being its chief minister candidate in the current government after the last chief minister Hemant Soren was arrested by enforcement directorate. JMM is in alliance with the Indian national congress in the state, and part of the INDIA coalition for the Lok Sabha elections. They face charges of corruption and the image of dynastic politics.
   

The “It’s Complicated”, Unaligned, Split, and/or other Supplementary Parties include:

1. TMC - The TMC or AITC (All India Trinamool Congress) is a Bengali political party ruling over the state of West Bengal since 2011. It is led by Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. It is a center-left, welfarist, Bengali Nationalist party. It has been criticized for using heavy-handed authoritarian tactics against opposition leaders in the state, corruption, and political violence. It is credited with ending 34 years of communist rule in the state. West Bengal under the AITC has registered subpar economic performance and is largely stagnant. Pertinent to note Mamata used to be Congress leader till 1998, and AITC, in spite of being sympathetic towards the I.N.D.I.A. alliance at the national level, is fighting the Congress-Left alliance in West Bengal on all 42 seats.
   
2. AIADMK - The AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam – “All India Anna Dravidian Progressive Federation") is a broad centre-left/left-wing party adhering to foundational Dravidian philosophy, while emphasizing Tamil identity. Traditionally being less ethno-nationalist than their sister opposition party the DMK, they adhere to broad welfarist left-wing populism, focusing on social justice and communal equity, while being less economically statist than the DMK. They also focus primarily on Tamil Nadu as a regional party, currently led by Edappadi Palaniswami.
   
3. Shiv Sena - The Shiv Sena (“Army of Shivaji”) was founded by Bal Thackeray in 1966 as a populist, xenophobic party, although the party gradually added Hindutva ideology to its anti non-Maharashtrian plank. It was the long time senior partner to the BJP in Maharashtra till Narendra Modi's popularity caused a change in the dynamics. After power sharing talks with the BJP failed in 2019, the Shiv Sena switched alliances to join hands with their long time rivals in Congress and NCP in an arrangement that made Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav Thackeray the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. In 2022 again, The Majority of Shiv Sena politicians led by Eknath Shinde rebelled against the top leadership to ally again with the BJP, taking control of the party and toppling the Uddhav Thackeray government. The splinter group led by Uddhav Thackeray is called SS (UBT) and it is allied with the Congress in the INDIA Alliance.
   
4. NCP – The NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) were founded in 1998 by Sharad Pawar and a few others who left the Congress in 1998 after Sonia Gandhi was made Congress president. Despite it's formation, the NCP was a long term ally of the Congress sharing virtually the same ideology. In 2023 however, like the Shiv Sena, In a rebellion led by Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit, a Majority of NCP politicians switched alliances to support the BJP and took control of the party. Like the Shiv Sena, the Splinter group led by Sharad Pawar and his daughter is called NCP (SP) and it's allied with the Congress in the INDIA Alliance
   
5. YSRCP - The YSRCP (Yuvjana Sramika Rythu Congress Party – “Youth, Labour, & Farmer Congress Party”) was founded by the son of an old congress Chief Minister after he was denied the role of Chief Minister after his father. It's a populist centre-of-left party with strong focus on welfare schemes and cash benefits. It's mired in controversy due to its dynastic nature, its ties to Christian Fundamentalism and American Missionaries targeting the marginalized.
   
6. BRS - The BRS (Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi – “Indian National Council”) was formed originally with a single-point agenda of creating a separate Telangana state with Hyderabad as its capital. They are largely neoliberal and are credited with rapid economic growth in Telangana.
   
7. BJD – The BJD (Biju Janata Dal – “Biju’s People’ Platform”) was formed by Naveen Pattnaik the son of the former CM of Oddisha, Biju Pattnaik. It’s a Odia regional party with a strong focus on poverty upliftment through welfare policies and equitable economic growth.
   
8. BSP - The BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party - "Majority Community Party") is a center-left party in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which was started to uplift Dalits and other marginalized communities in India by Kanshi Ram. Its current party president is Mayawati. BSP is considered as one of the biggest parties in India as per vote share, although it's currently in decline. At its height, this party had a strong base in many states across north India, but now it's only limited to the state of Uttar Pradesh, which is one of the largest states in India with a population of 230 million. There are strong suspicions of BSP working in secret with BJP, and maybe that's why the party is not fighting this election enthusiastically. Although they can still make the competition interesting on a few seats in UP.
   

OTHER KEY ISSUES -

1. Political Dynasticism:

Although dynastism is thought to be a good fix for internal chaos in a party, the current political leader of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi, is a fourth-generation dynast who has to carry the political baggage of everything which went wrong during the rule of his grandmother and great-grandfather.
Also because one family has been controlling the Congress for decades, it has caused various state-level leaders to either form their own party or join another one. They see no future in the Congress anymore because the door to leadership is always closed for them. This has destroyed the ground level cadre of Congress party in many key states.
Rahul Gandhi’s privilege combined with the lack of any real political acumen so far has led to the INC taking damage due to is infamy.
Nepotism and dynastic politics has been a key issue throughout the last 10 years as BJP positions itself as the ‘common man’s party’

1. The Ram Mandir:

A land dispute originating from the alleged destruction of a Hindu Temple, replaced by a Mosque built allegedly atop the site (the Babri Masjid) in the 16th century allegedly by Mughal Empror Babur in present day Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, the proposed birthplace of the Hindu deity Lord Ram.
Following a century of sporadic conflict, from 1853 to 1949, a revivalist movement in the 1980's would lead to rising communal tensions, culminating in the 1992 destruction of the Ram Temple by Hindu Nationalists and devotees.
The legal conflict over the land would continue until 2019, when the Supreme Court of India issued the controversial ruling that the land be handed over to government trust for the construction of a Ram Temple, with seperate land being allotted to the local Muslim community for construction of a Mosque.
Almost all elements of the dispute remain mired in controversy. From the historical and religious associations of Ayodhya with Ram, the existence of a definitively Hindu structure, the alleged deliberate destruction of the said temple, the times and events of construction and use, the participants, planning, and events of the 1992 destruction, the ASI Archeological Surveys that served as key evidence for the Supreme Court being tampered and politicised by both sides of the politcal aisle, the legality of the ruling itself, and other surrounding issues regarding justice against those alleged to have partaken in the destruction of the Babri Masjid.

1. Foreign Policy:

The BJP is campaigning on building a multi-aligned foreign policy where India is seen as the world’s friend as well as an upcoming regional power. This was at its peak during India’s G20 presidency. Many Indians claim the rise of India’s global stature is an electoral issue. This can be seen in the popularity of the government’s anti-terror operations in both Pakistan and beyond. The resurgence of an interventionist foreign policy has proven to be popular in projecting the strongman image of Modi. The country’s commitment to it’s strategic autonomy and multi-alignment have been a fixture right since Nehru.
SUPPLEMENTARY SOURCES:

12 minutes of Armenia coverage by Transcaucasian Telegraph. Follow for regular updates.

protesters led by Bagrat Galstanyan clashed with police while attempting to enter the Foreign Ministry building

The pro-Russian former regime continues to demand PM Pashinyan's resignation. Yesterday protest co-organizer Bagrat Galstanyan said he was preparing a "surprise" for the government.
On Friday, Galstanyan and a group of supporters clashed with the police after he gave FM Mirzoyan and other ministry officials "30 minutes to come down and talk" and said he would enter the building if they didn't come. Galstanyan said he wanted the crowd to enter the building, too, but the police was against it.
Galstanyan said that the police "would be responsible for any clash". He said he didn't care if the police brought 2,000 more officers because he was determined to enter the building. The crowd eventually clashed with the police. The officers pushed them back. Galstanyan threatened the police chief: "You will answer with your head." Galstanyan wasn't happy that the foreign ministry leadership refused to meet him. The police warned him not to incite the crowd. He blamed the police for the incident.
Galstanyan was rousing the crowd before the clash. He accused the police of hooliganism and using insults, and urged his supporters to treat the police "like they treat you". He held the loudspeaker at the police and gestured for his followers to shout at them. The situation began to intensify. Some officers began slamming their batons against their shields but the commander signaled them to stop, and they did.
Galstanyan instructed his followers not to back down: "Do not take a step back... Our patience has limits." Galstanyan kept accusing the police of inciting things while the police stood there without taking action. The police spokesman also brought a loudspeaker and accused Galstanyan of being an agitator and inciting the crowd.
7 police officers and several protesters were hospitalized after the clash. 28 protesters were arrested and are facing charges.
During the evening speech, Galstanyan said he doesn't regret today's events and urged his followers to take action and get arrested if necessary:
GALSTANYAN: If you do not get arrested today by this government, tomorrow you will have to answer for that. //
Hanun Republic party chief Arman Babajanyan, a former churchman, said that Church leader Garegin B will be responsible for future clashes incited by his "imprudent son" Bagrat.
BABAJANYAN: I hope FM Mirzoyan and others won't meet this clown and won't interact with him. This movement has become an entertainment for media outlets in Turkey and Azerbaijan. //
REPORTER: The number of protesters is small. Is the protest fading?
ARF MP GARNIK (co-organizer): It's not the protest that's fading, it's those people [Nikol]. We have many supporters in the state apparatus who will join us. //
Bagrat Galstanyan was nominated by the former regime as their candidate to replace PM Pashinyan. In response to observations that Galstanyan cannot be a PM because he must wait at least 4 years after ending his dual citizenship, Galstanyan's supporters say there are ways to bypass the restriction. For example, Serj-era Justice Minister Gevorg Danielyan claims there are no constitutional obstructions, while Galstanyan's supporter lawyer Arsen Babayan [Serj-era parliament official] suggests ignoring the Constitution altogether.
ARSEN BABAYAN: When the issue is to save the country, the Constitution and the law must be pushed to the background. This is very important. We cannot lose the country because of the law and the Constitution. Let's not forget that it's the people who decide how the Constitution should be. I want Galstanyan to be appointed as the PM and then amend the Constitution, not the other way around. //
RULING MP: The daily nonsense continues. In other words, Arsen Babayan admits that there is a legal obstruction but he wants that obstruction to be ignored and changed later.
REPORTER: ARF MP Garnik Danielyan says they have supporters in state agencies who are ready to join them when the time is right.
RULING MP: It doesn't matter what Danielyan says; he is just selling hope to his supporters.
REPORTER: Your administration failed to "clean up" the state agencies and carry out "lustration".
RULING MP: We promised after the 2018 revolution not to carry out a vendetta and to allow experts to stay in their positions. This is why so many employees with ties to former administrations continued to work and receive higher positions. It's another thing that they didn't understand and appreciate the opportunity to serve the state and not the government. Today the opposition is doing the [self-]lustration much better than we could have ever done.
Today the protest organizers are trying to bait the authorities to take certain actions against protesters so the organizers can present it as a valid reason to end the protests because they understand they have reached a dead end. The only thing they have accomplished is annoying the residents and obstructing their roads. //
The opposition doesn't have enough votes to initiate an impeachment process against Pashinyan, let alone succeed by securing a majority of votes. They are short of 1 vote to initiate the process. They are hoping to convince their former partyman Ishkhan Zakharyan to join the process but Zakharyan left their ranks a while ago to continue his service as an independent MP and doesn't seem to be eager to join the impeachment. On Friday Zakharyan was seen with Pashinyan's Chief of Staff Arayik Harutyunyan during the session of the Executive Committee of the Pan-Armenian Games. Zakharyan recently told protest leader Bagrat Galstanyan that he "doesn't reject" the impeachment process but there are no reports of him joining it either.
In other news. Bagrat Galstanyan's supporter Don Pipo, a criminal subculture figure wanted by Armenian authorities since 2022 for allegedly organizing a murder, is organizing groups of Russian-Armenians to travel to Armenia to join Galstanyan's protests.
In other news. The police announced the arrest of a protester who had a dispute and allegedly stabbed a fellow protester in the cheek and neck in the backyard of St. Anna church where Galstanyan regularly holds evening gatherings to announce the plan for the following day.
video, video, source, source, video, video, video, video, patgamavor mard end, video, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source,

Pashinyan spent Friday eating ice cream and attending the opening ceremony of a newly rebuilt amphitheater in Vedi

He distributed ice cream to kids.
video, video, full ceremony, source,

the Church owns hundreds of apartments that are not being taxed: ruling party MP

MP VARDANYAN: There needs to be a study to understand the volume so we can decide how to tax just as we tax other things under Armenia's law. //
The MP pulled out a phone with an Excel sheet reportedly displaying the list of properties owned by the Church and scrolled it for several pages to show it to the reporters.
MP VARDANYAN: There needs to be a study to understand how these properties are being used. The ones used for commercial purposes and manufacturing must pay taxes like everyone else does. This study is my personal initiative with a group of colleagues; it's not an official process yet.
REPORTER: When was this idea born?
MP VARDANYAN: We were discussing it some time ago and the conversation was revived after the recent public discourse about the Church and taxes. In the past, we discussed the import of raw paraffin under "charity" which was later re-categorized and today it's imported from EAEU. Perhaps all these discussions weren't interesting in the past while we were having it. Every citizen must pay taxes and no one should be above the law.
source,

will the Church be taxed?

REPORTER: Various representatives of the ruling party have lately mentioned the need to tax the Church. Is there a process to tax it?
CUSTOMS CHIEF: No. I'm not aware of any process.
REPORTER: A ruling party MP said today that they are studying the issue. Do you know anything about it?
CUSTOMS CHIEF: I'm not aware of the details. We will provide taxation statistics if they request it. No requests have been made so far.
REPORTER: Is the Church paying taxes today?
CUSTOMS CHIEF: They have some employees engaged in commercial activities so they pay income tax from their paychecks. The law grants tax exemptions to the Church for the sale of certain ceremonial products, property tax, and various other exemptions.
REPORTER: Why were they granted those exemptions?
CUSTOMS CHIEF: For various reasons. If there are activities relating to religion it can have exemptions but it's necessary to understand what's religious and non-religious.
REPORTER: Why was the taxation brought up now?
CUSTOMS CHIEF: We've been discussing changes to the tax law with the Church for several years. We discussed the law on charity. We suggested that they make payments for imports of paraffin and tserezin. We offered to cover the full cost of import duties on those items but for some reason the Church refused. [Pashinyan said earlier that they offered the Church to improve its financial transparency by having them pay taxes and receive all of the paid taxes back.]
REPORTER: Why did the Church turn down the suggestion?
CUSTOMS CHIEF: I don't know the reason.
REPORTER: The MP said they are studying thousands of properties owned by the Church and that they might prepare a resolution.
CUSTOMS CHIEF: As I said, we are ready to cooperate by providing statistics if necessary.
REPORTER: What is your personal opinion on taxing the Church?
CUSTOMS CHIEF: Things with religious purposes should not be taxed but when you sell something and collect a profit, that's something we can discuss.
REPORTER: Can you bring an example?
CUSTOMS CHIEF: No problem when the Church receives a donation, but if the Church sells an item for profit, including candles, it should be taxed.
REPORTER: Have you already studied the volume of such sales?
CUSTOMS CHIEF: No.
REPORTER: Protest leader Galstanyan said businessman Hayk Shahnazaryan's business was investigated because of supporting him. Is this policy applied in the case of other businesses as well?
CUSTOMS CHIEF: You just presented misinformation as a fact. The individual you mentioned has been at the center of customs checks since 2023 and the same violation happened again so that was the reason for the latest action as well. There is always an attempt to manipulate the enforcement actions by distorting the timing of events. Today one of the MPs said that a supermarket belongs to a ranking police official and asked "why do you not investigate them?". I published the list of investigations against that supermarket, showing ֏10 million in fines imposed on them. These manipulations are common. Everything is a conspiracy, starting from the weather.
source, source, source,

IRS chief about the 2023 budget:

• State budget revenues rose by ֏296B ($764M) or 15.4%.
• In 2023 we studied 2022's VAT/profit/income tax gap and it was 3.06% of GDP, down by 0.5% YoY.
• Tax-to-GDP ratio was 23.9%, and if we include the mortgage loan return program, that's +0.84% YoY.
• We returned ֏363B ($937M) to taxpayers. That's up by ֏100B ($258M) from the previous year.
• We built the Margara customs checkpoint [with Turkey], the EU is helping rebuild and modernize the Meghri checkpoint [with Iran], the Gogavan [Georgia] checkpoint was renovated, and Bagratashen [Georgia] is being widened.
• After the digitization reforms in the preliminary customs declaration procedures, the time for certain import procedures was reduced from 2-3 days to 2-3 hours. Businesses save time and money.
• 82 educational events were organized for businesses to help them. Around 1,030 hours of classes were held for 1,665 taxpayers.
• A survey shows the satisfaction rate for each agency: tax agency 87%, customs agency 78%.
• Several new digital platforms for residents and non-residents.
• We have successfully passed an audit for informational security and received an international ISO certification.
• We continue to improve the 49 analytical methods and the 66 risk criterions. These allow us to identify red flags.
• 31,000 inspections were carried out with the use of red flag systems, for a sum of ֏52B ($134M). That's +43% YoY.
more stats,

anti-corruption: prosecutors seek ֏20B ($51M) from former Ecology Minister Vardan Ayvazyan as part of asset forfeiture case

This includes 3 real estate properties, 2 vehicles, money-kasha, company shares, etc.
source, source,

anti-corruption: prosecutors seek to seize 23 real estate properties, 9 vehicles, and other allegedly illegally obtained assets from the former head of State Revenue Service Vardan Harutyunyan

Includes millions of dollars and a London property.
source,

other anti-corruption busts

source, source,

court acquits ex-President Serj Sargsyan on $1 million agricultural fuel embezzlement charges

Serj Sargsyan and co-defendants, including the owner of Flash fuel company, were accused of conspiring to embezzle fuel meant for farmers. The case was brought almost 5 years ago. Some of the key witnesses died of natural causes and COVID during the process, which lasted for so long that all the defendants qualified for release under the statute of limitations even if they were found guilty. The court returned a not-guilty verdict on Friday. Prosecutors will appeal it, which means the case will be heard by the recently-formed Anti-Corruption Court of Appeal.
source, source, source,

court instructs two media outlets to retract a defamatory statement against ruling party MP Hakob Arshakyan

It was regarding a story about the Engineering City in Yerevan. One of the outlets has already issued the retraction.
source,

NGO chief Daniel Ioannesian threatens to sue protest co-organizer ARF MP Garnik Danielyan for "defamation"

IOANNESIAN: ԱԺ պատգամավոր Գառնիկ Դանիելյանը հայտարարեց, թե իբր ես անցել եմ իմ ընտանիքի անդամների «նկատմամբ» կատարված ինչ-որ քրեական գործով: Գառնիկ Դանիելյանը պատասխան է տալու դատական կարգով։ Ես երբեք որևէ քրեական գործով չեմ անցել։ Երբեք որևէ քրեական գործով (կամ հետաքննությամբ) անգամ չի քննարկվել իմ կողմից՝ ընտանիքիս անդամի դեմ կատարված որևէ արարք։ //
Ioannesian accused the MP of spreading the "same fake news" that Tsarukyan's BHK allegedly spread about him in 2018.
IOANNESIAN: At least BHK was using its army of online bots to spread it to avoid legal consequences.
source,

Efes Insurance launches two health insurance products in Armenia

Cancer insurance and international health insurance. They are working with European companies.
source,

over 40 foreign diplomats visited the disaster zone in northern Armenia to learn about the flood damage and restoration efforts

Armenian Interior Ministry has officially asked the European Union to active its civil protection mechanism in order to receive assistance from the UN office to strengthen expert capabilities for more accurate assessment of the consequences

You can sign up to volunteer for cleanup. Hundreds of students and professors have joined the efforts.
video, source, source,

short video from Alaverdi showing the damaged railway track

source,

these are the main blockers of the AM-EU visa liberalization

• A comprehensive biometric passport system (on its way, procurement launched)
• A comprehensive medical insurance system (on its way in 2025)
• Certain border control procedures (on its way, possibly starting August)
• and other minor things
more,

the government has purchased devices to measure the strength of radio signals coming from neighboring countries so it can refer violations to the international organization tasked with distributing radio frequencies

RULING MP ARSHAKYAN: Often while traveling in border regions or even Yerevan, the car's antenna picks up radio signals from neighboring countries. This is difficult to prevent since we don't have a giant concrete-metal wall on our borders. Since we didn't have professional devices with international standards to measure the signal strength, we couldn't contact the international union to ask them to require our neighbors to reduce the power of their towers located near Armenia. This is why the Rohde & Schwarz measuring radio-monitoring devices were acquired and I'm glad they are in Armenia now. Have you measured the signals and contacted the international body?
HIGH-TECH MINISTER Hayrapetyan: The issue requires multiple steps and owning the $1.3 million equipment alone won't solve the issue. The government decided to first understand where these signals are coming from and the clarity in Armenian frequencies. We are hiring more staff in Goris station. We have not yet launched the measuring process. We are still preparing the infrastructure and qualified staff. We are competing with the private sector to attract specialists.
A lot of the problems will be addressed after the digitization of radio. The Finance Ministry agrees to allocate additional resources for this digitization in 2025-2027. //
source,

Armenian government resumes the broadcast of Russian television Channel One over public multiplex after the channel pays the outstanding ֏2.5M debt

That was quick. 'Channel One paid its debt in full the next day.'
source, source,

Armenian National Supercomputing Center names Armenia's new supercomputer after Charles Aznavour: VIDEO

• Supercomputer's location: Engineering City in Yerevan.
• Purpose: Research, calculations, cloud computing, machine learning, data analysis, AI, etc.
• 1 petaflops
• 10 to 15 operations per second
• 24,500 cores connected by high-speed channels
• Access to 1,500 terabytes of storage devices
• Armenia is the first among the Eastern Partnership countries where such a computer was installed
• It's a gift from Toulouse University. It was upgraded by investments from the Armenian government and World Bank.
• Made by global giant Atos.
• Nikola Aznavour: My father Charles was a big fan of technology. He began using computers in the 1980s to write lyrics and record the music.
• Ապրեք 👏
source, source, video,

Armenia will not take part in the Russian-led CSTO Defense Ministers Council meeting on Friday

The cold war continues between Armenia and Russia.
source,

U.S. is sending military advisors to the defense ministry of Armenia to make them more compatible with U.S. forces and to move them away from the Russian model: Intelligence Online

The U.S. believes the government of Armenia is "keen to exit Moscow's orbit".

The effort, carried out by a private organization, will eventually pave the way to future procurement of their reformed armies

source, [source,](tass world/1796081)

foreign ministers of U.S. and Turkey discussed the opportunities to support peace and prosperity in Transcaucasus

No details.
source,

Experts more cautious than optimistic about Central Virginia's retail sector “The glass is half full. It’s a good news report, I’d love to see it be better news, but it’s a good news report.”
Admitted killer of Charlottesville mother, homeless shelter worker sentenced "This is a terrible case," said Judge Richard E. Moore. "I'm not sure I can conceive of a worse second-degree murder charge."
Virginia Breeze to offer Charlottesville-to-Virginia Beach bus service next year The Tidewater Current will run year-round and make stops at Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, Williamsburg, New Kent, Richmond, Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, according to a recent announcement by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
Maggie Heaphy has been a shining light for both Charlottesville High School and its baseball program At an institution that had just had three days of classes canceled after a series of brawls broke out on school grounds, more than 1,000 people awaited a strong, relatable voice that could help uplift the community. Maggie Heaphy delivered upon that hope.
UVa reverses course, allows nursing student arrested at protest back on Grounds UVa says that after reviewing "additional information," Mustafa Abdelhamid will be allowed to return to Grounds.
Teen tries to claw back guilty plea in Charlottesville minimart murder case The 18-year-old says he would've fired his gun earlier in the altercation if he intended to kill his victim.
Charlottesville man accused of operating East Coast sex ring wins himself a legal victory in federal court Judge rules an FBI probe of cellphone data was illegal and cannot be used against the man.
A blow to Bob: Trump endorsement could tilt 5th District GOP primary in John McGuire's favor A word from a Buckingham County Republican may have sealed the deal.
Charlottesville weighs bringing police back into schools School resources officers were removed in 2020 amid a nationwide reckoning over the role of police in American life.
Graves Mountain Music Festival keeping it 'all Virginia' this year "We're keeping it all Virginia bands," organizer Eric Starck said. "We're keeping a narrow focus and supporting our local people."
Even with so many options available, getting your news can be a challenge. The Weekly Progress is here to help. Here is a roundup of some of the week’s biggest stories from The Daily Progress, Charlottesville’s news of record and a resource for the community since 1892.
Check Reddit every Friday for a weekly digest of the most-read and most-shared stories from The Daily Progress.

Friday

• Final Friday, Academy Pavilion, Cary
• Melanie Martinez: The Trilogy Tour, PNC Arena, Raleigh
• UNC Health Championship presented by Stitch, Raleigh Country Club, Raleigh
• Summerfest: Salute to John Williams, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
• 2024 Raleigh Greek Festival, Jim Graham Building at North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh
• Good Moon Festival, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham
• Brooks Whelan, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• Room 861 at Goodnights: Justin Smith, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Special Event: Ralph Barbosa, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Elle King, The Ritz, Raleigh
• Gimme Gimme Disco, Motorco Music Hall, Durham
• Electric Carnival, The Blue Note Grill, Durham
• Fitness & Food Trucks: Yoga Night, Moore Square, Raleigh
• SFC 3 Mixed Martial Arts Pro Superheavyweight Bout, Durham Armory, Durham
• Intimate Evening with GRAMMY Award Winner, Susan Carol, Missy Lane's Assembly Room, Durham
• The Lion King, DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham
• Temple Grandin presents: Animals Make Us Human, Duke University Gross Hall, Durham
• Rabbit Whole Productions X Local Patch: Pop-up Show, 3210 Yonkers Rd, Raleigh
• Michael Hawkins and the Brotherhood, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• ~ Planet Rave ~, The Fruit, Durham
• RUSTY IS 40: JENNY BESETZT / OPIN / RIGGINGS, The Pinhook, Durham
• Justin West, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• Opening Reception: ‘Local Artist Forum’ Art Exhibition, Cary Gallery of Artists, Cary
• Snow Blind – Black Sabbath Tribute Band, Slim's Downtown, Raleigh
• The Night Rider Presents: Moneyshot, The Night Rider, Raleigh
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Rialto Theatre, Raleigh
• Tokyo Melody in Raleigh - A Japanese City Pop Dance Party, KINGS, Raleigh
• NCHSAA Softball Championships, Duke Softball Stadium, Durham
• NCHSAA Baseball State Championships, Ting Stadium, Holly Springs
• Sylvan Esso 'Good Moon' After-party, PS37, Durham
• Abbey Road - LIVE!, Cat's Cradle, Carrboro
• Last Fridays & the Art Walk!, Downtown, Hillsborough
• Carolina Mudcats vs. Delmarva Shorebirds, Five County Stadium, Zebulon

​
Saturday

• Raleigh's International Food Festival, City Plaza, Raleigh
• 2024 Raleigh Greek Festival, Jim Graham Building at North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh
• UNC Health Championship presented by Stitch, Raleigh Country Club, Raleigh
• Durham Brick Convention Lego Event, Durham Convention Center, Durham
• The Lion King, DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham
• Running of the Bulls 8K, Historic Durham Athletic Park, Durham
• The Monti: In Too Deep, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• An Orchestral Rendition of Dr. Dre 2001, The Ritz, Raleigh
• Ardbeg Day, Whiskey Kitchen, Raleigh
• Raleigh Foodie Fare, Raleigh Iron Works, Raleigh
• Custom Sk8 Decks - An Artspace Workshop, Artspace, Raleigh
• Carolina Roller Derby vs. River City Roller Derby Double Header, Dorton Arena, Raleigh
• Bike Ride to N.C. Museum of Art, Dorothea Dix Park, Raleigh
• Carolina Brass Band Festival, Apex Nature Park, Apex
• Family Fun 4 Everyone: Sensory-Friendly Concert, North Carolina Symphony, Raleigh
• Glitter Hour: Amateur Drag and Queer Stage Show, Ruby Deluxe, Raleigh
• NC Darkness RISING: Live 7 - Block Party & Black Mental Health Concert&mc_cid=508d1d6fa6), Moore Square, Raleigh
• NC Master Chorale: All The Colors of The World, Hayes Barton United Methodist Church, Raleigh
• NC SMOKERS BLOCKPARTY (LADIES DAY EDITION), 1604 North Market Drive #112, Raleigh
• 2nd Annual Bad Prom for a Good Cause, Botanical Lounge, Raleigh
• 2nd International Children's Day, City of Raleigh Museum (COR Museum), Raleigh
• ABACAB – The Music of Genesis, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary
• Southern Culture on the Skids, The Pour House Music Hall & Record Shop, Raleigh
• Summer Salute for Transitions LifeCare, North Ridge Country Club, Raleigh
• The Market at NCMA, Gipson Plaza, Raleigh
• Carolina Mudcats vs. Delmarva Shorebirds, Five County Stadium, Zebulon
• NCHSAA Baseball State Championships, Ting Stadium, Holly Springs
• NCHSAA Softball Championships, Duke Softball Stadium, Durham
• Old North State Antique Gun & Military Show, North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh
• Pablo Francisco, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• Room 861 at Goodnights: Justin Smith, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Special Event: Ralph Barbosa, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Good Moon Festival, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham
• Rumors Durham 5th Anniversary Block Party, Rumors Durham, Durham
• Boxyard RTP Birthday Bash, Boxyard RTP, RTP
• Reigniting Black Wall Street Festival, Black Wall Street Park, Durham
• Beaver Queen Pageant, Duke Park, Durham
• Nobody's Business with Nantahala, Huron Stage Music Venue, Durham
• Beaux Mondes--Swinging Speakeasy Jazz, Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen, Durham
• Back Porch Films Local Filmmaker's Showcase, Durty Bull Brewing Co, Durham
• Triangle Gay Men's Chorus Concert, Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Durham
• The Stinging Blades, The Blue Note Grill, Durham
• Crank Dat Dance Party!, The Pinhook, Durham
• Club ERA the OPENING, The Fruit, Durham
• Sylvan Esso 'Good Moon' After-party, PS37, Durham
• All Y’all Records, Local 506, Chapel Hill
• Chapel Hill Pride Promenade, Peace & Justice Plaza, Chapel Hill
• Hillsborough Handmade Parade, Downtown, Hillsborough

​
Sunday

• UNC Health Championship presented by Stitch, Raleigh Country Club, Raleigh
• Durham Brick Convention Lego Event, Durham Convention Center, Durham
• World Hunger Day Durham, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Desi Banks: The Purpose Chaser Tour, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Azul / Animal Prince / Elora Dash, The Pinhook, Durham
• Camacho, KINGS, Raleigh
• Eras Drag Brunch (Taylor's Edition), Raleigh Improv, Cary
• The Lion King, DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham
• Jazz Brunch, Lula & Sadie's, Durham
• Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch, Alley Twenty Six, Durham
• Speed Puzzling Mini Tournament, Boxyard RTP, RTP
• First Annual Celebration of Life 5K Walk/Run, E. Carroll Joyner Park, Wake Forest
• NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary
• Rooftop Jazz Brunch, The Willard Rooftop Lounge, Raleigh
• Special Event: EJ Speaks, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• 2024 Raleigh Greek Festival, Jim Graham Building at North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh
• Carolina Mudcats vs. Delmarva Shorebirds, Five County Stadium, Zebulon
• Old North State Antique Gun & Military Show, North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh
• Pablo Francisco, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• Kidzu Summerfest, Possible Future Home of Kidzu (Mt. Carmel Church Road), Chapel Hill

​
Join the Thingstodo919 email list here for a weekly events newsletter. Doing anything interesting this weekend? Let us know your plans in the comments

https://mailchi.mp/niocorp.com/niocorp-to-host-technology-briefing-webcast-on-railveyor-technology?e=8b2b97c99e
CENTENNIAL, Colorado – May 31, 2024 – NioCorp Developments Ltd. (“NioCorp” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq:NB) is pleased to announce that it will host a live Technology Briefing Webcast at 11 a.m. Mountain (1 PM Eastern) on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, on the Railveyor technology and its potential to significantly cut CAPEX and OPEX costs, help NioCorp reach full commercial production sooner, and operate with a lower carbon footprint by electrifying its proposed Elk Creek Critical Minerals Mine (“Elk Creek Mine“).
In the webcast, Railveyor executives (https://www.railveyor.com) will discuss the benefits and operational track record of their innovative mining bulk material handling system. The Optimize Group (https://optimizegroupinc.com/) will present the results of a recent scoping study[1] it completed for NioCorp estimating the potential impacts to the Elk Creek Mine of utilizing a Railveyor system in lieu of the two vertical shafts currently planned for the Mine.
The development of the Elk Creek Mine and receipt of any of the benefits identified by the Optimize study are subject to, among other matters, the receipt of sufficient project financing to construct the planned Elk Creek Project facility.
To register for the webcast and receive a participation link, please go here: https://bit.ly/3yEMgVn. Joining NioCorp CEO Mark A. Smith and COO Scott Honan on the webcast will be the following:
Tas Mohamed, Interim CEO & CFO, Railveyor
Jerome Rodriguez, Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Railveyor
Gavin Clow, Mining Manager, The Optimize Group
Following presentations by the guests, NioCorp will open up the webcast to questions from the audience.

Just heard on LBC that Iain Dale is no longer running to become an MP. This is because the Lib Dems managed to dig up a 2 year old podcast recording of Dale where he slagged off the constituency he was running to become an MP in. He basically said he's never liked the place and was living there against his will.
Sorry - no link / source at the moment as I heard it on live radio and the media don't seem to have picked up on it yet.
The recording that scuppered his campaign can be heard here:
https://x.com/RupertMyers/status/1795898114160681071
Edit:
Source - https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/iain-dale-withdraws-from-bid-to-be-tory-candidate-for-tunbridge-wells/

Ight so I recently bought this cheap wireless mic off of amazon, hoping that I could use it for voice chat on my pc. When my pc is on and I try to plug the thing in, absolutely nothing happens. The mic receiver is getting power, and the mic connects to the receiver, but both do not show up on my pc at all. The next day, when my PC is off and the receiver is in the port, I try to turn on the PC. Fans turn on and all that stuff, a good sign, but a completely black screen! I tried turning it on and off over and over again, nothing seemed to work. I finally tried unplugging the mic, and lo and behold! The PC turns on just fine, absolutely no issues. What in the hell is going on?? I have no idea how this is supposed to even happen in the first place.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, and I have the specs below:
Ryzen 5 5600X
Asus Tuf X570 Wifi
32gb of Corsair vengeance ram
PNY RTX 3050
Corsair power supply (Forgot the exact model, but it is 650W)
Corsair 4000D airflow (Not exactly sure how this will be needed, but just specifying just in case)
Also, just wanted to mention that I have been plugging the mic into the MOTHERBOARD USBC port, NOT THE CASE. My case usb-c doesn't work, so I never plug anything into there. Here is the mic, by the way:
The mic
Huge thanks in advance!
***EDIT: I completely forgot to mention, the mic works completely fine on my M1 Macbook air 2020, so not exactly sure why it's bugging out on my PC.

I recently purchased the Hori Octa for PC and it seems all the buttons are mappable to different inputs which is really nice however, in practice mode I have an issue.
I have this setup: SQUARE = LP
TRIANGLE = MP
R1 = HP
X = LK
O = MK
R2 = HK
Shoulder buttons are also mapped to different inputs
L1 = MK+MP
L2 = KKK
L3 = HP=HK
R3 = LP+LK
​
The issue is, in training mode some bindings are reserved I think? So in single player these buttons work as expected but in training mode they seem to start / end recording or show command list. Is there anyway to remove this binding?
An example would be, L3 or R3 starts and ends recording. In practice mode I don't want these shortcuts enabled.