Article by Geraldine Smithinson. From the New Iscu Post.

It is election season in Iscu, and the three main parties have started their campaigns. Elections are going to be held on the first of September. The incumbent party, the CIDP (Centralist Iscuan Democratic Party), led by Joseph Greyham, is in the lead, with a slim 51% majority. The right wing party, the IPP (Iscuan Peoples Party), lead by Justin Fatherson, is hovering around 30% in the polls. Justin, whose father was the president in the early 80s, has struggled to bring the parties image away from the corruption of the 1996-2004 term of Lara Sandus, who is currently in jail. The last major party, the GPI (Green Party of Iscu), led by Alexandra Aere is hovering at around 15% in the polls. This is a gain from the 8% last election.

The first out of two debates will be held in three days, and we can expect to see quite a bit of action there, as the environment, low growth, and political scandals come into play. However, it is beneficial to understand the platform of each candidate before watching the debate, so we’ve composed a short guide.

Joseph Greyham is running on essentially an updated version of his 2012 platform, to continue to make Iscu green, by continuing to expand wind power, as well as decrease emissions with a new carbon tax and policies to encourage better environmental behavior. He’s also planning to expand welfare and seek to improve the low-income and unemployment rate, expanding and continuing his current policies. Slogan: Making Iscu Better

Justin Fatherson is running on a platform of prosperity towards the Iscuan People. He’s trying to get away from the specter of corruption by emphasizing the justice system and better policing, as well as a set of plans meant to improve the economy of Iscu, with off-shore drilling and less taxes and welfare. Slogan: Lifting Iscu Up

Alexandra Aere is running on a platform very similar to that of Greyham, but with more focus on the environment and promotion of eco-tourism, as well as promotion of diversity and education. She is taking a harder leftist stance on many issues, and is especially ensuring that business is properly regulated. She is also talking about “dynamic relations with our neighbors in order to become a better member of the Asperic”. She also wants to join the OIOI. Slogan: For A Dynamic Iscu

So far the candidates have been un-confrontational, but all this will change at the debate. Stay tuned to INT to watch the debate live at 8:00 three days from now.