Gallente Financial Sector Blasts Foiritan

Luminaire - A storm of criticism followed the latest Presidential press conference, in which the Administration claimed that its "wait and see" policy toward recent events in Uphallant was both correct and justified. Scope financial analyst Normand LeVard said, "the fact that things didn't go horribly in Uphallant has less to do with President Foiritan's actions and more to do with how the Caldari do business." He further called Poksu's decision to halt the annexation a "happy accident."

This opinion was shared by Bank of Luminaire VP Donelley Desetier. "Lucky for us, the only thing the Caldari mega-corporations dislike more than everyone else is other Caldari mega-corporations. Had Poksu carried through with its plan, it would have set a dangerous precedent." But many feel that the danger is still very real, and that it's only a matter of time before other aggressive Caldari corporations seek to move into the Federation's former space.

As a response to this sentiment, the Foiritan Administration continued to reiterate its position. "Had we taken direct, drastic action at the urging of the financial sector, we'd have ended up doing the wrong thing at the wrong time," said a Foiritan press officer, adding that "the President's approach forestalled both rampant speculation on the one hand and investor panic on the other." 

Such explanations are falling on increasingly deaf ears, however. "This situation has dragged on long enough," stated Astral Mining spokesman Giles Bulonne. "One way or another, the President is going to have to face up to the fact that we need to come to terms with the Caldari. If he doesn't have the stomach to do that, he needs to step aside so someone else can."