The Hermetian constitution provides for the convocation of a Grand Assembly to draft a new constitution. High Commissioner Strang announces that there will be such an Assembly when electoral procedures are in place. David Falkayn comments, first, that that means that Strang needs time to rig the procedures and, secondly, that all of this is happening under Baburite coercion.
Would Hermetians be able to unite around a boycott of any Grand Assembly until the occupation has withdrawn? The Liberation Front leader has already lost considerable support by welcoming some of Strang's reforms. David Falkayn proposes to rally Kindred, Followers and Travers to resist Strang within the Grand Assembly even though this would keep Falkayn on Hermes for several years. Fortunately, he soon gains intelligence that makes this strategy unnecessary. Instead, he must urgently return to Earth and report back to van Rijn.
3 comments:
If they did, the Baburites might decide to do something... very unpleasant... to the planet.
You are right and I realized that while I was writing or shortly afterwards. It is like a real scenario. The Baburites might also tell Strang to drop his reforms and just get back to ruling Hermes, as it is already constituted, in their interests. But probably the best Hermetian strategy would have been Falkayn's idea of opposing Strang within the Grand Assembly. He would gather a lot of support although the Hermetians are very far from being united.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!
Both: Exactly! More than once, in real history, I've read of tyrants sending analogous Grand Assemblies if/when they started balking at rubber stamping what the Glorious Leader wanted them to do.
Anderson, in "The Puglist," describes a US conquered by the USSR where the Soviets had a puppet Second Constitutional Convention remolding the US along Soviet lines. A hideous scenario!
Ad astra! Sean
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