Constitutional referendum: ‘Yes’ option wins by a landslide

The controversial Enkâkourak, Shounn Virny, has resigned as leader of the National Artists’ Guild after the defeat of the ‘No’ option in today’s constitutional referendum, which he endorsed.

A resounding defeat for the ‘No’ camp has shaken the National Artists’ Guild to its core, with incumbent Enkâkourak Shounn Virny resigning as party leader. At 10 pm local time (AST) the results of the first constitutional referendum in Sabia and Verona’s history were announced, with the ‘Yes’ (to changing the present Constitution) option taking 74% of the vote. The results mean the present Constitution of Sabia and Verona, adopted in 2015, will be reppealed and a Constitutional Assembly will be convened to draft and adopt a new constitutional document.

The political class of Sabia and Verona, for the most part, rejoiced. Constitutional reform has been recently endorsed by two of the three political parties in the Kingdom: the Left Alliance and the Liberals, which together occupy 13 of the 20 seats in the Parliament of the Kingdom. Even the other party, the National Artists’ Guild (NNS) was divided on the issue: while the official position confirmed by party leader Shounn Virny was against the reform, some prominent NNS officials like Snø Jens and Anton Schubert-Moss publicly supported the ‘Yes’ camp.

The successful ‘Yes’ option was backed by the extensive Jer olemetsik (“Yes is right”) campaign, chaired by HID professor Simor de Jena, an up-and-coming Liberal figure. The ‘No’ campaign, Nize heshê (“No, thanks”) hardly stood a chance against the most popular choice.

Shortly after the announcement of the results, Enkâkourak Virny announced his effective resignation as leader of the National Artists’ Guild, though he will remain Enkâkourak heading the current NNS-Left coalition cabinet provisionally until after the Constitutional Assembly accepts the new constitution, when parliamentary elections are to be called. Virny resigning as party leader means he is not likely to run for a third term as Enkâkourak in the next election. For now, the NNS leadership has been provisionally assumed by Deputy Snø Jens.

Liberal and Left leaders have given statements thanking the Sabioveronese people for “making the right choice”. Left leader Apollo Cerwyn said he is “looking forward to working with all the other parties to forge the constitution Sabia and Verona needs”. Liberal leader Andrew Blackhorse, whose unlikely alliance with the Left has been analyzed by political commentators as a “marriage of convenience” to oust Virny from power, echoed Cerwyn’s sentiments.

The Constitutional Assembly will be convened for the first time on Wednesday, when all willing citizens of Sabia and Verona’s central regions will be allowed to take a seat and help draft the third constitution of the Kingdom. In the meantime, Parliament will be dismissed and the Assembly will serve as the Kingdom’s supreme legislative authority.

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