to all candidates from Penelope

[Callipygian]

Q The art of compromise seems to have been lost in CDS; it's either all or nothing. How do rate your skills in encouraging opposing parties to compromise to reach a consensus?

[JerryDon Lane]

It's my way or the highway is an attitude that has no place in a democracy, Penelope. I think the primary methodology that may be employed to build consensus is to maintain an open channel of communications with one's constituency. People used to make fun of President Bill Clinton because he would do a poll on basically every action he would take in that office. His detractors tried to portray those polls as sucking up and that he was simply afraid to stick his neck out and lead....always covering his butt.

I vehemently disagreed with those detractors. Clinton seemed to understand that he was a representative of the people and he would make an attempt to understand the will of the people before he would make any important policy decision.

That's an effort to execute the duties of true representation and exhibits an understanding that in a democracy, elected officials are only the gatekeepers of a government for, by and of the people. I will act similarly.

[Patroklus Murakami]

I think I have demonstrated this ability in my many years as a member of the Representative Assembly and as Leader of the RA. We often had to work with differing viewpoints and compromise in order to find a solution that everyone could live with. Very often, as I was a protagonist as well as a consensus-broker, that involved pushing a particular viewpoint very forcibly. But, where everyone was willing to make some concessions, valuable law-making could take place for example on the initial proposal for a Chancellor where some wanted a directly-elected "President" and other wanted a British-style Prime Minister.

Sometimes, however, compromise can't be reached. We were not able to reach one on the first proposals for using the STV system for our elections; one faction included preconditions which were a 'red line' for others. In those circumstance, you bide your time. We were eventually able to reform elections and introduce STV when the make up of the RA was different.

As Chancellor, I would have to take a different role from the one I've adopted before. Less of a protagonist with a particular view and more of an enabler and neutral 'honest broker'. It's what I've tried to do when, for example some of my supporters have responded inappropriately to provocation.

[Bagheera]

Although when it has not worked out, it becomes very public, so the evidence you see may suggest otherwise; I have successfully attained compromises between individuals who were not going to budge at all in the beginning. Most of this I do one-on-one, so it happens quietly and once it is over, it is over. I meet each party in good faith separately to endeavor to achieve a compromise and listen to what each party wants and needs to achieve an agreement.