Interview: nilah., Leader of the Social Democratic Party

Conducted by Laura Cooper.

Hello, Ms. nilah., and welcome to the Demarcian Inquirer.

Hello, thank you for having me!

Like your opponents in the presidential election, MarcoDeVore and Serena., you are a newcomer to the Demarcian political scene. Please explain to us why you ran for the Social Democratic Party's leadership and why you want to become President of Demarcia.

After observing the previous leadership of SDP, as well as serving as a Secretary within the Government, I wanted to move to the forefront and want to effect change at a greater level. I think and know that the SDP will do well under my leadership. Running for President came from the overwhelming support of people from my party and it was also a huge personal decision. I was already determined to run, I just wasn’t sure of the support. Even if I had two people, I’d still run. I want to bring SDP to the forefront in our government. I would want our seasoned members, as well as new members, to form a better government in our name. I want all of us to work together to better our country, better our government.

Why should you be the next President? Tell us about your personal qualities and what makes you as an individual the right choice for the country.

My personal qualities stand out because not only am I a great leader, but I'm a leader who knows how to work with various types of people. Throughout my collegiate career, being president of several organizations, prepared me to work within the system. I am personable, I listen, I take note of genuine concerns, and I love ideas. Like my grandfather would say -- the idea comes from a precept, a thought, and/or a concept. I also believe and have been told, that I am a well-spoken person and am a great orator.

When it comes time to lead during a critical time of stress or financial hardship, I can work under that pressure with ease because being a president comes with a high level of responsibility, agency, and wits. 

Where do you stand on the ideological questions? What does the Social Democratic Party stand for under your leadership? Are you closer to the party's left-wing, or the more moderate wing, or something else entirely?

SDP's main mission is to create a fair society and democracy for our country to thrive. Equality, ambition, and bright ideas keep us going. What I can say about the SDP's stance for my leadership is that I have the backing of my colleague, Penstubal, who has been one of the driving forces for me wanting to better my party and my leadership. I think they're excited to see a new face like mine, ready to take the reigns of a budding party such as ours. We align with more left-center views. Sometimes, not everyone will be on one accord when it comes to certain matters -- but as long as we come to a general agreement about most things, that's even better. But that can easily be said of any party.

What are some ideas, some policy proposals, that you have in mind that you would implement, or might implement, as President of Demarcia?

I have several reasons you should vote for me, but I'll keep it concise and provide a preview of my plans and who I am.

I want to increase the population and active users within our country and our community. The decrease has proven itself quite impactful. I'd like to be more personable and hands-on with my approach to the citizens of our country. More events, action, and engagement get to know what we're about.

I'd like to focus on education and culture. As somebody who has served as Secretary of State in the Ministry of Education and Culture, I'd want to see more for the younger demographic. I'm rather young myself and have been through the school system. I think we can reconstruct the foundation of not only the cultural aspect but also the educational aspect. Rebuilding a curriculum that is more inclusive to everyone. I'd like to build more schools, pay teachers better, and better fund the college system. In terms of our culture, I'd like to see more national buildings that are at the forefront.

Working with law enforcement and the military to see how we can make our country safer, allowing the military to not feel so disregarded. In my opinion, these people work very hard to make sure we government officials and civilians are protected, we should pay it forward. I'd like to see more of what they have to offer.

Economic recalibration is very well needed. I'd want to work with policy-makers to see how we can increase tourism, income-generatin opportunities for big and small businesses, and making adjustments with tax policies.

For years, the country has been said to be, whether it's true or not, in a "crisis of activity". Activity has spiked in the last few days, but previous spikes in activity have always ebbed out after a while. What will you do to ensure that Demarcia maintains consistent and ever-growing activity?

The activity crisis has been a thing that I'm not a stranger to. I've seen the highs and the lows. I believe reaching out to our citizens and building bonds with them will help. We may be government officials and public servants, but we are also citizens of this country. I will dedicate my time to making sure that we peak at the top of the popular rooms list, I will try to attend every non-government-hosted event that I can, and I'll make sure to introduce our wonderful country to those who are interested. By putting ourselves out there in a more personable way, we can increase citizenship and better the relationships between everyone all around.

Finally, Demarcians have never been particularly trusting of their politicians. Over the course of the country's history, they've often made a bucketload of promises and then not fulfilled nearly a single one. How will you be different from so many other politicians who have betrayed the people in such a way?

Even if I am not able to hit every point in my presidency, I will make sure to make progress to get the process in motion. I also want people to have more realistic expectations of policymakers, we can't always get everything done in the time that we are allotted to be in this position. I will be holding politicians on both sides of the aisle accountable, as well as myself, to make sure we enact the promises and changes that we need to. We also will take the public opinion into heavy account.

Ms. nilah., thank you for participating in this interview.

Thank you very much for having me!