Interview: TylerHarris, Leader of the Demarcian National Party

INTERVIEWER (PENSTUBAL): Hello there, Mr. TylerHarris, and welcome to the Demarcian Inquirer's interview before the 8 May elections. Are you excited to be here?

TYLERHARRIS: I'm very excited!

INTERVIEWER: So the first thing I want to ask you about; you have taken charge of a party that has been completely absent from the political scene for around six months before now. Now, you have taken control of the Demarcian National Party and it is going through a revival.

TYLERHARRIS: Indeed.

INTERVIEWER: Can you tell us what steps you have taken, within the party, to revive it, to make it electable again and to reach out to the people of this country?

TYLERHARRIS: The same parties are in charge all the time, it is like a cycle. I may not think or lead like past leaders of the DNP, but I believe it is a good thing. I'm bringing new, 21st century ideas to a party that needs a push. It's also a promotion for us. If we can revive this party, make people believe in the DNP again, then our citizens can believe in not only us, but themselves also.

INTERVIEWER: What new ideas are you bringing to the party?

TYLERHARRIS: We are trying to change the way people think. I've been constantly banging on about the ideas we have and want to bring. But the main focus for me, is taking care of our youth, and the safety of their future. Whether that's expanding the education system, ensuring there are several professional mental health facilities that are free and accessible for everyone. It all matters.

INTERVIEWER: I see.

TYLERHARRIS: Providing better days for the future of tomorrow is what we are about.

INTERVIEWER: So how do you plan on getting your agenda through, especially in a Parliament that's likely to have a very big partisan divide?

TYLERHARRIS: I'll speak in Parliament the same way as I will speak to the public. Politicians these days need to see the bigger picture. Everything we do, everything we work for, is for the greater good of our country, and most importantly the citizens who live here. If Parliament cannot see that we need to look after our citizens, then the blame is on nobody but themselves. I say fight, care and protect our citizens, at every cost. You should turn that into a headline!

INTERVIEWER: Alright, thank you. It will be, we will see... maybe other media report on it too. I would like to ask you though, is there any part of your agenda - any at all - which you personally believe might be controversial, might involve prolonged negotiations with Parliament on their passage?

TYLERHARRIS: Mhm. I'm not going to discuss or badmouth anyone in or to do with parliament until after the election. My main focus right now is working on what we can achieve together, not anything that could go wrong or interrupt our vision.

INTERVIEWER: It is not about badmouthing anyone, but about differences in vision. What do you believe could be points of contention in your agenda?

TYLERHARRIS: For me, education. It's been overlooked, slept on, underfunded and mistreated. And no matter who speaks about it, nothing ever is done. Perhaps people in power do not care about our citizens' education?

INTERVIEWER: To be fair, several months back, the Social Democratic government did commit an overhaul of our education system; a brand new school curriculum, free school meals, as well as some other things. Do you support that education reform, or do you oppose it, or support but believe we should go further?

TYLERHARRIS: That's why any educating buildings in Demarcia are underfunded. I support it, but I believe we can do so much more to improve. Having a new school curriculum is great, but how are they supposed to learn under that curriculum in an underfunded building? We together can change that.

INTERVIEWER: I see. Moving on, there is something I would like to return back to, and that is your party. Your party is a very controversial one, frankly, for its history. Are you aware of its history?

TYLERHARRIS: I am aware, and I chose not to think or care about the history of any parties in fact. Knowing what happened two, three, four years ago is irrelevant to me.

INTERVIEWER: That is nice, but it is your party that we are talking about, and your party has never talked about that history.

TYLERHARRIS: People know who I am and what I stand for, for me, that is enough.

INTERVIEWER: Recently, it has come up on the campaign trail, with the Social Democrats calling your party out and some expressing agreement that the DNP can not be trusted. Over events that had transpired, the amending the Constitution to make themselves the ruling party, and so on. Do you believe the DNP is different now? And why should the voters trust it?

TYLERHARRIS: There's a wise saying and it states that, you should never judge a book by its cover. Have I done anything wrong not to earn the citizens' trust? No. You have to look at it with an open mind. Every new leader or politician brings different ideas. I want to work closely with everybody, to let everyone voice their opinions. If the past is the past, then to your question, yes. We can be trusted. 100%.

INTERVIEWER: I see. But we are talking about your party here, on behalf of which you're running, not specifically you. So how do you quell the concerns then, that some people might have and that might prevent them from voting for you? How would you convince them it is a changed DNP?

TYLERHARRIS: I'd say these three simple things. Read our manifesto. Realise we want people's votes for the better of themselves. And most importantly, know your opposition. We encourage everybody to speak out and make sure they were involved in any says within the country. So if you want the difference, the change and your opinions voiced, vote for the DNP.

INTERVIEWER: Alright thank you. Final question; what are your criticisms of the Social Democratic Party's tenure in power? Your overall opinion, what you think was right and what you think was wrong, and your opinions especially on the wrong parts.

TYLERHARRIS I think it would be wrong for me to call out if anything was wrong. However, I will comment on mistakes they may have made. Again, I have said it over and over again. We have such a bright future and with the SDP, the brightness decreases every day. They don't care for people's mental health, so adding onto that, they don't care about the citizens in general. Now as much as I support it - they'd rather hand out a new curriculum instead of upping the resources and making the school buildings the best they can be. I will never talk about an opposition party unless asked.

INTERVIEWER: You can do both though, can't you?

TYLERHARRIS: You can. But have they? No.

INTERVIEWER: Also, are there any specific policies that the SDP has implemented that you believe were wrong? That you believe were bad for the country and that perhaps should be repealed or replaced?

TYLERHARRIS: For now, I will say no. It is without doubt that the SDP have done a great job in power; just, sadly, not great enough. I won't comment any further on their party. As I am not interested in them in the slightest. My main focus is my party, and our citizens.

INTERVIEWER: You are running against them though, aren't you? The point is for you to win, and you have to point out where the SDP's wrong.

TYLERHARRIS: In the obvious, yes. But I don't need to target their errors to show what they have done wrong. If they are true leaders, they'll act on it. I'm not running against them, I'm running for the DNP and for the citizens. It doesn't matter if it was the SDP or any other party. Our focus is being the best possible party we can be, not comparing to the one we face.

INTERVIEWER: Alright, thank you. Mr. TylerHarris, it was a pleasure having you here, good luck on saturday.

TYLERHARRIS: Thank you.