The Cabinet is an institution entrusted with great power, and throughout the years we have always worked towards the good of the South Pacific, ensuring the welfare of all nations and the continued security of the region. While this often involves rewarding and enjoyable tasks that clearly show how the region benefits, sometimes we find ourselves in situations that require taking difficult decisions, and despite our personal preferences, those decisions need to be taken, if the safety of the region is to be ensured.

On 18 October 2014 it came to our attention that Belschaft led a plot called Operation Brave Little Toaster an attempt to unduly influence regional elections by importing votes, due to his desire to overturn certain government policies and to remove Unibot from the Cabinet in the November General Elections. When confronted, he accepted his actions and apologised. Despite repeated calls for treason charges, the Cabinet limited itself to recalling Belschaft from all his government positions, since we believed that his apology was sincere, and his recalls were enough punishment.

However, in recent days Belschaft has returned to political activity and denied any wrongdoing. While he has justified himself claiming his actions were a legitimate investigation of the possibility that Unibot was elected through fraud, there are no records of him approaching the Election Commission, the High Court or the Committee for State Security, nor do his suspicions justify the fact that he organised a plot to commit the very conduct that he was acting against, that he recklessly endangered the integrity of the region, or that he planned to abuse his position as Chief Justice to repeal the Treaty with the Rejected Realms, due to his personal opposition to it.

This is unacceptable behaviour from a Former Delegate and displays an extreme lack of respect for the South Pacific and its democracy, due process and freedom of speech, values that are at the very core of our institutionality. Everyone has a right to be upset and politically opposed to other citizens, but acting upon that opposition in a destructive manner, that could even threaten the sovereignty of the region, is unacceptable, and supposes a very serious threat to our security. In view of the fact that his continued presence is a risk to the security of the region, and pursuant to the authority vested in us by the Charter, the Cabinet has unanimously resolved to revoke the status of Belschaft as a Citizen of the Coalition of the South Pacific.

We regret the nature of this decision, and despite public pressure to take it, our discussions focused on the legal and security considerations of this measure, not on its potential popularity or lack thereof. It is our sincere belief that, while difficult, this decision is in the best interests of the South Pacific.

Thank you,

The Cabinet of the South Pacific