This post is a bit unorthodox. RON doesn't usually get a campaign thread. But as far as I can tell, it's not prohibited. If necessary, this can moved to the Assembly.

The ballot option to re-open nominations was created for the exact situation we now find ourselves in. We are being asked to choose between a candidate many believe hasn't done a good enough job, and a candidate who openly shares his disdain for the position and says he doesn't want it (but is running anyways). Neither of these are particularly good options.

We aren't forced to choose the lesser of two evils in TSP. We can re-open nominations and allow new candidates to run. I encourage my fellow TSPers to exercise this right for this Chair election.

The past year has made it clear that there's something systemically wrong with the position of Chair, even since we changed it in the last Great Council. There's simply too much to do, too much stress and pressure for one person. The Chair's responsibilities used to be split up between the Chair, the Vice Delegate, and the admin team. We now expect a single person to process all legislator applications (which isn't a quick & easy task), guide Assembly debate, act on all motions, hold all votes, manage the law book, oversee legislative agendas, and work closely with the Cabinet/CRS on security matters. Then you have to add on anything they're doing in other positions or in other parts of NationStates. Basically, being Chair becomes all you do, how you spend all your free time on NS. It's not sustainable.

I propose that we re-open nominations so that we can elect an interim Chair, whose only job will be processing legislator applications, while the Assembly reforms the position into something more manageable. I would be prepared to run for this position, but I believe anybody can do this. The Assembly should dedicate itself to reimagining the Chair, and hold another election next month under the new and improved position.

Chair shouldn't be a job people loathe. It should be a job people want to run for with enthusiasm. We shouldn't settle for the candidate who says "I hate this job" versus the candidate who people say has done poorly. We should re-open nominations and elect an interim Chair only. Then we should fix the job.