Senate Votes to Deny Votes to Occupied Systems

Villore - The Federation Senate passed special legislation today to deny occupied systems the right to vote in Federation elections. The bill, which is expected to be signed into law by President Souro Foiritan later in the week, passed with little opposition, the only dissenting votes coming from senators from Placid and Solitude.

The bill applies to any Federation territory occupied by a foreign power, which currently includes much of Placid, including population centers such as Intaki Prime.

Presidential candidate Senator Vilard Garioss, who voted for the bill, said, "[This bill] cleared up a potentially messy legal issue [that could have] potentially invalidated the results of the upcoming election." Other candidates have yet to comment publicly on the issue.

Senator Jolie Maurice of Reschard denounced the bill, saying, "The people who must suffer under Caldari occupation are the ones who will be affected the most by the election. We should have looked for solutions to their inability to vote, rather than passing a law that essentially tells them they don't count."