iOctagon

Chapter II: Deceit and Distrust
It was three whole days after the murder of Mr. Osborne. The National Senate hastily convened in a hotel ballroom a few city blocks away from its original meeting place, now tainted with the permeating stench of bloody murder. The National Senate Palace was cordoned off by police, the residents of Friberne now in an uproar. The murder had shocked the Santo-Dominian capital, once a peaceful and tranquil city built on hillsides. Now, there were four suspects, and they belonged to the highest and lowest echelons of society at the same time: politicians.
President Paul Goldberg arrived for his interrogation session on a sunny Thursday. The weather was good, his emotions were not. A bloody murder, he thought, and a poor, innocent victim. Mr. Osborne did not deserve such a terrible fate. I would've taken a bullet for him. Regardless, a dapper man dressed in a neatly pressed black suit came into the interrogation office. The man closed the door, sat down opposite the President, and said, "Good morning, Mr. President. My name is Andy Albanese, and I'm a crime scene investigator here at the Police of the Federal City of Friberne. As the chief of the investigation into this terrible murder, I will be asking you questions. Your duty as a citizen is to answer them truthfully without reservation or deceit."
"I understand, Mr. Albanese." Goldberg replied. "Your job isn't easy."
"Thank you, Mr. President. Now, as an officer of the law, I must declare to you your rights. If you want access to a lawyer, you shall be granted that access. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the Government will provide one for you. You have the right to remain silent, but your silence may be used against you in a trial. Any testimony you offer can be used against you in a trial. Your testimony will be videotaped by this camera on the table here, but anything you say that is related to this case can be used and may be used against you."
"Thank you, Mr. Albanese. Now, we shan't waste time. What questions do you have for me?"
Albanese said, in a calm and collected manner, "Mr. President. Did you commit the crime? Did you murder Mr. Osborne that night?"
"No, I did not. I was alerted by a cry of shock that I presume to be uttered by Mr. Osborne as he was fatally attacked by the culprit."
Albanese continued, "Were there any other people in the National Senate Palace at the time of the crime?"
"Yes, Mr. Albanese. Vice President Donald Verbloem and Senators Jan Davis Lovings and Dennis Ford. All three were in the building, I presume. One of them alerted me to Mr. Osborne's death, but I am not sure who that was." Goldberg replied.
"Mr. President, did you come in contact with Mr. Osborne on the day of the crime?"
"No. I did not see or talk or contact Mr. Osborne in any way, shape or form. I was occupied with meetings and commitments throughout the day." This was evidently a lie, but the President collected himself. By now, he had become accustomed to the art of subtly lying to the most investigative of journalists and reporters. It was a necessary lie, Goldberg told himself.
Seeming to have sensed Goldberg's uneasiness, Albanese sat up and stared at him for a few moments. Goldberg did not respond, and Albanese backed down from whatever plan he hatched. Taking out a notepad and a pencil, he flipped to the first page and asked: "Mr. President, do you have any predictions on who may have committed the crime? Would Senators Ford, Lovings or the Vice President have committed the crime? Do they have any motive you were aware of that would make them murder Mr. Osborne?"
Goldberg replied: "I am not aware that any of my fellow colleagues had any motive to murder Mr. Osborne. I don't know if the Senators or the Vice President have any vendetta against Mr. Osborne, and I am not aware of such vendettas even if they do exist."
Albanese skeptically looked into the President's eyes. This guy is claiming innocence......perhaps too obviously, Albanese told himself. He edged his seat closer to the table and said: "And what about you, Mr. President? Do you have any motive or vendetta against Mr. Osborne? Did you have any friendship, relationship, feud or similar things with Mr. Osborne?"
Goldberg knew that he had to lie again. He was friends with Mr. Osborne, and had been so since they were in middle school. However, to save himself from looking guilty, he had to lie again. "No, Mr. Albanese. I was not friends with Mr. Osborne, and I did not have any relationships with him. I did not feud with him either. He was a man I did not know well."
Albanese looked even more skeptical. With frustration and harsh skepticism written all over the CSI's face, the President did not flinch. Both men were accustomed to people like the other, and neither side would back down, give up or tell the truth. For now, it was a stalemate, and Albanese said: "Mr. President, I believe that's all for now. You can leave."
"Thank you, Mr. Albanese. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact my office to schedule more appointments and meetings. Now please excuse me, as I have an appointment to attend. Have a good day, Mr. Albanese."
Andy Albanese did not respond.

Chapter II: Deceit and Distrust
It was three whole days after the murder of Mr. Osborne. The National Senate hastily convened in a hotel ballroom a few city blocks away from its original meeting place, now tainted with the permeating stench of bloody murder. The National Senate Palace was cordoned off by police, the residents of Friberne now in an uproar. The murder had shocked the Santo-Dominian capital, once a peaceful and tranquil city built on hillsides. Now, there were four suspects, and they belonged to the highest and lowest echelons of society at the same time: politicians.
President Paul Goldberg arrived for his interrogation session on a sunny Thursday. The weather was good, his emotions were not. A bloody murder, he thought, and a poor, innocent victim. Mr. Osborne did not deserve such a terrible fate. I would've taken a bullet for him. Regardless, a dapper man dressed in a neatly pressed black suit came into the interrogation office. The man closed the door, sat down opposite the President, and said, "Good morning, Mr. President. My name is Andy Albanese, and I'm a crime scene investigator here at the Police of the Federal City of Friberne. As the chief of the investigation into this terrible murder, I will be asking you questions. Your duty as a citizen is to answer them truthfully without reservation or deceit."
"I understand, Mr. Albanese." Goldberg replied. "Your job isn't easy."
"Thank you, Mr. President. Now, as an officer of the law, I must declare to you your rights. If you want access to a lawyer, you shall be granted that access. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the Government will provide one for you. You have the right to remain silent, but your silence may be used against you in a trial. Any testimony you offer can be used against you in a trial. Your testimony will be videotaped by this camera on the table here, but anything you say that is related to this case can be used and may be used against you."
"Thank you, Mr. Albanese. Now, we shan't waste time. What questions do you have for me?"
Albanese said, in a calm and collected manner, "Mr. President. Did you commit the crime? Did you murder Mr. Osborne that night?"
"No, I did not. I was alerted by a cry of shock that I presume to be uttered by Mr. Osborne as he was fatally attacked by the culprit."
Albanese continued, "Were there any other people in the National Senate Palace at the time of the crime?"
"Yes, Mr. Albanese. Vice President Donald Verbloem and Senators Jan Davis Lovings and Dennis Ford. All three were in the building, I presume. One of them alerted me to Mr. Osborne's death, but I am not sure who that was." Goldberg replied.
"Mr. President, did you come in contact with Mr. Osborne on the day of the crime?"
"No. I did not see or talk or contact Mr. Osborne in any way, shape or form. I was occupied with meetings and commitments throughout the day." This was evidently a lie, but the President collected himself. By now, he had become accustomed to the art of subtly lying to the most investigative of journalists and reporters. It was a necessary lie, Goldberg told himself.
Seeming to have sensed Goldberg's uneasiness, Albanese sat up and stared at him for a few moments. Goldberg did not respond, and Albanese backed down from whatever plan he hatched. Taking out a notepad and a pencil, he flipped to the first page and asked: "Mr. President, do you have any predictions on who may have committed the crime? Would Senators Ford, Lovings or the Vice President have committed the crime? Do they have any motive you were aware of that would make them murder Mr. Osborne?"
Goldberg replied: "I am not aware that any of my fellow colleagues had any motive to murder Mr. Osborne. I don't know if the Senators or the Vice President have any vendetta against Mr. Osborne, and I am not aware of such vendettas even if they do exist."
Albanese skeptically looked into the President's eyes. This guy is claiming innocence......perhaps too obviously, Albanese told himself. He edged his seat closer to the table and said: "And what about you, Mr. President? Do you have any motive or vendetta against Mr. Osborne? Did you have any friendship, relationship, feud or similar things with Mr. Osborne?"
Goldberg knew that he had to lie again. He was friends with Mr. Osborne, and had been so since they were in middle school. However, to save himself from looking guilty, he had to lie again. "No, Mr. Albanese. I was not friends with Mr. Osborne, and I did not have any relationships with him. I did not feud with him either. He was a man I did not know well."
Albanese looked even more skeptical. With frustration and harsh skepticism written all over the CSI's face, the President did not flinch. Both men were accustomed to people like the other, and neither side would back down, give up or tell the truth. For now, it was a stalemate, and Albanese said: "Mr. President, I believe that's all for now. You can leave."
"Thank you, Mr. Albanese. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact my office to schedule more appointments and meetings. Now please excuse me, as I have an appointment to attend. Have a good day, Mr. Albanese."
Andy Albanese did not respond.

A CAPITAL CRIME

Chapter I: The Beginning of the End
 
The clocks struck eleven, in the darkest of nights. As shopkeepers and residents of Friberne retreated to their study wooden chalets, the capital of Santos-Dominius seemed to go to sleep. But, as the saying goes: "The city never sleeps......"
The National Senate Palace shut its doors, with the last of legislators walking out into the wide, paved boulevards beyond its premises. The building's halls, old, storied and with a subtle hint of medieval flair, darkened as the last lights and electronic candles were switched off. The groundskeeper, Mr. Osborne, was to be the only person in the building under normal conditions. This was to be untrue on this fateful night.
Meeting Room No. 132 was like any other, but also different in that on this night, it was bustling with noise while its adjacent counterparts were empty and collecting the few scraps of dust Mr. Osborne had not cleaned. Inside the room, President Paul Goldberg, Vice President Donald Verbloem and Senators Dennis Ford and Jan Lovings were in a heated discussion. Just by looking, any observer would come to the conclusion that was a dignified affair, but in reality the words these men uttered hid sharp knifes and strong blades. Politics was a game of reputation, and the four of them knew that insulting one another was neither the best way to reach agreement nor the best way to give someone else a good impression. Instead, their words, though polished and reserved, were heavy and with subtle deceit. Neither side was willing to back down or strong arm the other.
As the night went on, the conversation finally deteriorated. What began as a simple insult lodged by Senator Ford and aimed at President Goldberg circled the drain, and soon the room erupted into strong(but still dignified and somehow polite) rhetoric. President Goldberg, who did not care for these arguments and insults, attempted several times to de-escalate the situation, all to no avail. Vice President Verbloem and Senator Ford kept hurling words of contempt at each other, while Senator Lovings, visibly annoyed by this petty argument, joined it constantly to rebuke both men, only to be yelled at and shut out from the conversation.
"Gentlemen, please, for the love of God, sit down and take a deep breath," Goldberg said.
"NOT A CHANCE!" Ford exclaimed. "You already have the Presidency. I won't yield any further concessions to you!"
"Do you SEE this repugnant man, Paul? How dare HE, a LOWLY SENATOR, insult ME, the VICE PRESIDENT!?" Verbloem shouted.
Lovings yelled: "BOTH OF YOU, SIT DOWN and STOP this MADNESS!"
Goldberg had had enough. He knew, out of years of experience in politics, that this conversation was not going to produce any useful results. Hence, he strongly exclaimed, in the most dignified and presidential way possible: "GENTLEMEN. This. Meeting. Is. Adjourned."
Verbloem, Ford and Lovings all looked at the bearded President, first with contempt, then with shock, and then finally with apologetic looks. No one wanted to infiuriate the highest government official of the country they serve. The four men shook hands with each other, whispered a few words of apology and disappointment, and exited the room into the few dimly-lit hallways of the National Senate Palace.
Goldberg, already burdened with the complications and work of the Presidency, strolled slowly down the halls, walking steadily towards the exit. Halfway down the third corridor he passed through, he met a jubilant Mr. Osborne.
"You look positively happy, Osborne. What made you so?" Goldberg asked.
"I successfully cleaned the portrait frame of our founding President, Bill Mulberry, without damaging the painting itself. It was a hard job, but I pulled it off!" Mr. Osborne replied in an excited manner.
Goldberg smiled, pat the satisfied groundskeeper on the back, and continued to walk towards the exit he used whenever he came to the National Senate. Mr. Osborne walked in the other direction, past Meeting Room No. 132 and down a dark, almost pitch-black corridor. Goldberg did not give this action of his much thought. The presidential exit door of the National Senate Palace was in sight when a muffled but blood-curdling cry of shock rang through the halls, followed by someone screaming: "MURDER! Mr. President, where are you? Poor Mr. Osborne has been murdered!"
Without even a second thought, Goldberg rushed out the building and out into the National Senate gardens. There, he rushed over to the safety of his limousine, and was swiftly escorted back to the Presidential Residence. This is going to be a long night, the President thought. This would prove true.

A CAPITAL CRIME

Chapter I: The Beginning of the End
 
The clocks struck eleven, in the darkest of nights. As shopkeepers and residents of Friberne retreated to their study wooden chalets, the capital of Santos-Dominius seemed to go to sleep. But, as the saying goes: "The city never sleeps......"
The National Senate Palace shut its doors, with the last of legislators walking out into the wide, paved boulevards beyond its premises. The building's halls, old, storied and with a subtle hint of medieval flair, darkened as the last lights and electronic candles were switched off. The groundskeeper, Mr. Osborne, was to be the only person in the building under normal conditions. This was to be untrue on this fateful night.
Meeting Room No. 132 was like any other, but also different in that on this night, it was bustling with noise while its adjacent counterparts were empty and collecting the few scraps of dust Mr. Osborne had not cleaned. Inside the room, President Paul Goldberg, Vice President Donald Verbloem and Senators Dennis Ford and Jan Lovings were in a heated discussion. Just by looking, any observer would come to the conclusion that was a dignified affair, but in reality the words these men uttered hid sharp knifes and strong blades. Politics was a game of reputation, and the four of them knew that insulting one another was neither the best way to reach agreement nor the best way to give someone else a good impression. Instead, their words, though polished and reserved, were heavy and with subtle deceit. Neither side was willing to back down or strong arm the other.
As the night went on, the conversation finally deteriorated. What began as a simple insult lodged by Senator Ford and aimed at President Goldberg circled the drain, and soon the room erupted into strong(but still dignified and somehow polite) rhetoric. President Goldberg, who did not care for these arguments and insults, attempted several times to de-escalate the situation, all to no avail. Vice President Verbloem and Senator Ford kept hurling words of contempt at each other, while Senator Lovings, visibly annoyed by this petty argument, joined it constantly to rebuke both men, only to be yelled at and shut out from the conversation.
"Gentlemen, please, for the love of God, sit down and take a deep breath," Goldberg said.
"NOT A CHANCE!" Ford exclaimed. "You already have the Presidency. I won't yield any further concessions to you!"
"Do you SEE this repugnant man, Paul? How dare HE, a LOWLY SENATOR, insult ME, the VICE PRESIDENT!?" Verbloem shouted.
Lovings yelled: "BOTH OF YOU, SIT DOWN and STOP this MADNESS!"
Goldberg had had enough. He knew, out of years of experience in politics, that this conversation was not going to produce any useful results. Hence, he strongly exclaimed, in the most dignified and presidential way possible: "GENTLEMEN. This. Meeting. Is. Adjourned."
Verbloem, Ford and Lovings all looked at the bearded President, first with contempt, then with shock, and then finally with apologetic looks. No one wanted to infiuriate the highest government official of the country they serve. The four men shook hands with each other, whispered a few words of apology and disappointment, and exited the room into the few dimly-lit hallways of the National Senate Palace.
Goldberg, already burdened with the complications and work of the Presidency, strolled slowly down the halls, walking steadily towards the exit. Halfway down the third corridor he passed through, he met a jubilant Mr. Osborne.
"You look positively happy, Osborne. What made you so?" Goldberg asked.
"I successfully cleaned the portrait frame of our founding President, Bill Mulberry, without damaging the painting itself. It was a hard job, but I pulled it off!" Mr. Osborne replied in an excited manner.
Goldberg smiled, pat the satisfied groundskeeper on the back, and continued to walk towards the exit he used whenever he came to the National Senate. Mr. Osborne walked in the other direction, past Meeting Room No. 132 and down a dark, almost pitch-black corridor. Goldberg did not give this action of his much thought. The presidential exit door of the National Senate Palace was in sight when a muffled but blood-curdling cry of shock rang through the halls, followed by someone screaming: "MURDER! Mr. President, where are you? Poor Mr. Osborne has been murdered!"
Without even a second thought, Goldberg rushed out the building and out into the National Senate gardens. There, he rushed over to the safety of his limousine, and was swiftly escorted back to the Presidential Residence. This is going to be a long night, the President thought. This would prove true.

A CAPITAL CRIME

Chapter I: The Beginning of the End
 
The clocks struck eleven, in the darkest of nights. As shopkeepers and residents of Friberne retreated to their study wooden chalets, the capital of Santos-Dominius seemed to go to sleep. But, as the saying goes: "The city never sleeps......"
The National Senate Palace shut its doors, with the last of legislators walking out into the wide, paved boulevards beyond its premises. The building's halls, old, storied and with a subtle hint of medieval flair, darkened as the last lights and electronic candles were switched off. The groundskeeper, Mr. Osborne, was to be the only person in the building under normal conditions. This was to be untrue on this fateful night.
Meeting Room No. 132 was like any other, but also different in that on this night, it was bustling with noise while its adjacent counterparts were empty and collecting the few scraps of dust Mr. Osborne had not cleaned. Inside the room, President Paul Goldberg, Vice President Donald Verbloem and Senators Dennis Ford and Jan Lovings were in a heated discussion. Just by looking, any observer would come to the conclusion that was a dignified affair, but in reality the words these men uttered hid sharp knifes and strong blades. Politics was a game of reputation, and the four of them knew that insulting one another was neither the best way to reach agreement nor the best way to give someone else a good impression. Instead, their words, though polished and reserved, were heavy and with subtle deceit. Neither side was willing to back down or strong arm the other.
As the night went on, the conversation finally deteriorated. What began as a simple insult lodged by Senator Ford and aimed at President Goldberg circled the drain, and soon the room erupted into strong(but still dignified and somehow polite) rhetoric. President Goldberg, who did not care for these arguments and insults, attempted several times to de-escalate the situation, all to no avail. Vice President Verbloem and Senator Ford kept hurling words of contempt at each other, while Senator Lovings, visibly annoyed by this petty argument, joined it constantly to rebuke both men, only to be yelled at and shut out from the conversation.
"Gentlemen, please, for the love of God, sit down and take a deep breath," Goldberg said.
"NOT A CHANCE!" Ford exclaimed. "You already have the Presidency. I won't yield any further concessions to you!"
"Do you SEE this repugnant man, Paul? How dare HE, a LOWLY SENATOR, insult ME, the VICE PRESIDENT!?" Verbloem shouted.
Lovings yelled: "BOTH OF YOU, SIT DOWN and STOP this MADNESS!"
Goldberg had had enough. He knew, out of years of experience in politics, that this conversation was not going to produce any useful results. Hence, he strongly exclaimed, in the most dignified and presidential way possible: "GENTLEMEN. This. Meeting. Is. Adjourned."
Verbloem, Ford and Lovings all looked at the bearded President, first with contempt, then with shock, and then finally with apologetic looks. No one wanted to infiuriate the highest government official of the country they serve. The four men shook hands with each other, whispered a few words of apology and disappointment, and exited the room into the few dimly-lit hallways of the National Senate Palace.
Goldberg, already burdened with the complications and work of the Presidency, strolled slowly down the halls, walking steadily towards the exit. Halfway down the third corridor he passed through, he met a jubilant Mr. Osborne.
"You look positively happy, Osborne. What made you so?" Goldberg asked.
"I successfully cleaned the portrait frame of our founding President, Bill Mulberry, without damaging the painting itself. It was a hard job, but I pulled it off!" Mr. Osborne replied in an excited manner.
Goldberg smiled, pat the satisfied groundskeeper on the back, and continued to walk towards the exit he used whenever he came to the National Senate. Mr. Osborne walked in the other direction, past Meeting Room No. 132 and down a dark, almost pitch-black corridor. Goldberg did not give this action of his much thought. The presidential exit door of the National Senate Palace was in sight when a muffled but blood-curdling cry of shock rang through the halls, followed by someone screaming: "MURDER! Mr. President, where are you? Poor Mr. Osborne has been murdered!"
Without even a second thought, Goldberg rushed out the building and out into the National Senate gardens. There, he rushed over to the safety of his limousine, and was swiftly escorted back to the Presidential Residence. This is going to be a long night, the President thought. This would prove true.

@iOctagon In the future, if you'd like to add or change things in the RP Spreadsheet, you can add a comment on the cell you'd like changed instead of making them here

A few updates: I've updated the Santo-Dominian capital to Friberne, so please update that. Also, the demonym for Santos-Dominius is Santo-Dominian(s). The Head of Government as well as Head of State is the President Paul Goldberg. Please make the Santo-Dominian calling code +2 38, and the time zone IAT +0.

Name: Santos-Dominius
Discord Name: iOctagon of Santos-Dominius(ABCHTNXYZ#1460)
A couple of sentences about your nation:
Sitting in the middle of the Yatasail Sea, between the Aura and Andolia continents, Santos-Dominius is an extremely progressive constitutional federal republic, led by 4th President Paul Goldberg and the unicameral legislative National Senate. The beautiful nation is mainly split into lots of islands, with the biggest one being Santos and the second-largest being Dominius. The Santo-Dominian islands are famous for their perfect weather, lovely and compassionate people and wonderful nature, as well as the unique tropical culture formed as a result of sitting in between two different continents. Santo-Dominians are overwhelmingly pacifist and intelligent, and are viewed as a welcoming people to most foreigners, much like Santo-Dominian nature. The Government of Santos-Dominius is famed for corporate and social welfare, compromises and strict international and inter-regional neutrality, preferring always to stay out of conflicts and hostilities if possible, hence the national motto: "Ensemble Pour La Paix"(Together For Peace).
Map request as an image:
I would like to place Santos-Dominius in this group of islands circled in by the broken lines, right south of Bobki and north of Wyvern. Please do not confuse with the islands not circled in southeast of Bobki.

Before you read......
Welcome to the first publication of the Santo-Dominian Post,
a newspaper publication focusing primarily on news stories,
information and content from the Federal Republic of
Santos-Dominius. We strive to conduct fair journalism. We are
funded by the Santo-Dominian Government, but strive for
impartiality. Our editorial is firmly independent and
devoid of political bias.

Today's Headlines
Elections In Santos-Dominius Hand President Goldberg
And Democratic Congress Party
Slim Victory
Today, the Federal Republic of Santos-Dominius held its 4th general election ever in its history. The young nation has a peculiar obsession with democracy, holding elections every few months as mandated by the Term Limits Act of 2020 and enshrining strict term limits in its Constitution. After a long night of vote processing, including absentee and mail-in ballots, the results were distributed to major news media companies and television networks for release and broadcast.
 
The country's top job, the Presidency of the Federal Republic, was up for grabs. Incumbent President Paul Goldberg(D-FE), the fourth person to hold the position in the nation's history, defended himself from three other contenders. Chief among them was Senator Eliot Klein(L-SN), former President(the third) and Leader of the Opposition. Klein had a personal feud with President Goldberg after the latter forced the former out in the last election, winning a landslide victory that contradicted polls pointing to Klein's re-election. Klein represents the Country Liberal Party(CLP), the main opposition party of the country at the moment, and had launched a scalding campaign that nearly caused the President's approval ratings to dip below the golden 50%. The second competitor is found in the Split Conservative Union(SCU), a smaller, far-right version of Goldberg's centre-right Democratic Congress Party(DCB). The Union fronted Sen. Dennis Ford(U-YC), a firebrand politician and inflammatory speaker accused of xenophobic tendencies. Ford initially gained traction at the expense of President Goldberg, though his campaign slowly declined after Goldberg constructed a fragile but massive electoral coalition consisting of working-class voters, environmentalists, welfare state advocates and classical liberals. The third and final contender against Goldberg was Sen. Jan D. Lovings(C-SN), former President(the second) and Leader of the Communist Phalanx(SDCP), a far-left party that split from the Liberals after Klein forced out Lovings in a Liberal leadership spill to become President. Lovings was quickly dismissed as a fringe candidate by the press and public, and couldn't do much but prove these assumptions right by performing poorly in presidential debates.
 
In the end, when the votes were counted and the results televised, radioed and printed, President Goldberg won re-election, securing a second four-month term. However, this election signalled potential danger for the DCB: its vote share decreased sharply from a comfortable 65% to a paltry 51%. Goldberg's second term would be weaker than his previous, and now the doors were open for a possible leadership challenge from within. Senator Klein's vote share was a close second with 44%, while Sens. Ford and Lovings received 3% and 2% respectively, befitting of the latter two's fringe statuses. In the Santo-Dominian capital of Friberne, Goldberg declared victory in front of a cautiously optimistic crowd, saying: "Santo-Dominians have answered my call and graciously given me their votes of confidence in my administration. I will work hard, more so than last term, to repay this immense honour that has once again been mercifully bestowed upon me." In the CLP headquarters, things were much more saddening, and many supporters sobbed while Sen. Klein uttered the words of defeat: "I hereby concede my candidacy for the Presidency of the Federal Republic, and acknowledge President Paul Goldberg's victory. I have called the President to congratulate him on his win." Sens. Ford and Lovings conceded via statement, and both refused to make speeches in-person, the former claiming busyness and the latter claiming sickness.
 
With the presidential elections now over, President Goldberg reaffirmed his promises and priorities in his first speech since his victory. Offering an optimistic vision, the President said: "With the elections behind us, we must now confront the challenges of our time, and overcome them as united, strong and peaceful Santo-Dominians. As your president, I will commit to several campaign promises this term. I will expand the welfare state and the Citizenship By Investment Program. I will expand health insurance and give more funding to create Santo-Dominian universal healthcare. I will construct 100 elderly care and childcare centres, 50 hospices and 10 medical centres across the country. I will expand infrastructure and construct new ports, dockyards, sea cargo terminals, ferry and cruise terminals, medium- to small-sized airports and completely electrify present transportation methods. I will give funding to the automobile industry to create new, electric cars and slash public transport fees and costs. Santos-Dominius will become a beacon of responsible, open, free and fair social democracy with a competition-driven and continually growing economy."
 
Presidential Election Results Table
Candidate Party Nat. Senate Canton Incumbency Approx. Votes Approx. Vote Share Paul R. Goldberg
[WIN]
DCB Friberne Yes 1,558,050,000 51% Eliot Klein CLP St. Arlaine No 1,344,200,000 44% Dennis Ford SCU Yatasailie-Comte No 91,650,000 3% Jan D. Lovings SDCP St. Arlaine No 61,100,000 2%  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The official logos of the four parties contesting this election are attached below. From left to right, in order of party size: Democratic Congress for the Betterment of Santos-Dominius(DCB), Country Liberal and Santo-Dominian Unionist Party(CLP), the Split Conservative Union of Santos-Dominius(SCU) and the Santo-Dominian Communist Phalanx(SDCP).