Foiritan to Invoke Wartime Powers Act to Nationalize Federation Arms Manufacturers; Senate Calls Emergency Session

Ladistier - In what is clearly a response to Tibus Heth's auction of captured Federation systems, President Foiritan has issued an executive mandate to seize control of the nation's arms manufacturers. For the first time since the Caldari-Gallente War, this extraordinary decree invokes the Hueromont Act, which grants the president sweeping emergency powers in the event of national crisis. The Senate has decried Foiritan's act, calling it an "impeachable offense," and a session is underway to formulate a response.

The nationalization of Federation arms manufacturers-which includes behemoths CreoDron and Duvolle Laboratories-would give the President's office the legal authority to direct manufacturing and production operations without corporate consent, and thus to bypass any Senate approval for the measure.

The decades-old Hueromont Act was passed to mobilize Federation resources in the event of an emergency. It states that "such authority may be invoked directly, without approval from the senate, in times of extreme national duress such as war or natural disaster, for the express purpose of galvanizing the nation's resources toward relieving the imminent threat as quickly as possible."

Foiritan's invocation of the act implies that the Federation is in an official state of emergency, as the Caldari militia has controlled several lowsec Federation systems since May. The Presidential Office issued a brief statement that, by its interpretation, Foiritan's action was legal, "reflect[ing] the actions of a president who is determined to protect the nation from further harm by relying less on uncontrollable factors and asserting more control for the better good of its citizens."

Federal Intelligence Office Director Mentas Blaque has been assigned to enforce the directive, meaning it will likely be executed by the Black Eagles, the paramilitary arm of the FIO that has grown substantially in scope under Blaque's direction. It is unclear exactly how much power the director can wield to enforce the presidential mandate. Meetings between corporations and FIO officials are already underway, although SCOPE has agreed to honor a temporary request to refrain from listing exactly which specific corporations are "engaged in dialogue."

This is a SCOPE breaking news story. More coverage will follow as details emerge.