Personal Statement on eBe Raw
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MaryamQ
Hello eBelgium,
I apologize in advance for what is going to be a wall of text. I consider what I am writing today to be a serious matter and not intended for your entertainment.
A few days after I was elected as CP of eBelgium in October, the Minister of Finance, Boklevski, called it to my attention that 50 gold from a national organization, eBe Raw, had been put on the money market and sold for 5 NLG. Neither Boklevski nor I nor Velitia, who was also working in the Ministry of Finance, could explain how this had happened. Boklevski and I both submitted tickets to the Administrators regarding this, but with little hope of help in solving this mystery, and indeed we got none. At the time this occurred, the people with access to this organization were MaryamQ, Boklevski, Velitia, Theneka and A Vegan, as the passwords had not been changed from the previous month. I take full responsibility for not getting the passwords changed more quickly, and for not bringing this issue before Congress when it happened. Indeed, I was reluctant to do so without waiting for information from our tickets.
Let us move forward a few weeks. You should be aware that it had not originally been my intention ever to run for CP. I believed I was lacking in the skills and commitment to deal with the economy and foreign affairs, and indeed I think that has proven to be true. I ran because I was asked by someone who wanted an alternative voice when Theneka was unable to run for re-election. Indeed, until this happened, I was seriously considering leaving eBelgium due to the constant bickering on the forum between A Vegan and Habraka Abrivianius, both of whom I considered friends but neither of whom I could wholeheartedly support in their disputes. When ThomasRed, who had been a truly valuable advisor throughout my presidency and was solely responsible for arranging those MPPs that gave us our first wars in months, asked if I would support him as the next CP, I was very willing to do that. He kindly offered me the position of Prime Minister in his Cabinet, and I have done my best to support him through the two months of his presidency.
Early on in ThomasRed's first term, Theneka and then A Vegan raised questions on the Congress forum about the missing gold in eBe Raw and demanded an investigation. Boklevski and I both shared what information we had, including our failure to obtain any answers. Nevertheless, ThomasRed undertook to find out who had bought that 50 gold for 5 NLG. He found the buyer was a company that was currently in the hands of A Vegan. A few days before the next CP election, ThomasRed announced a plan to get the return of the gold. I am not going to go into the methods that were used to achieve this. I understand that there are some who see them as devious. However, the gold was returned. Interestingly, A Vegan announced his candidacy for CP just as these events were playing out. I will also not go into the endless argument and accusations that followed this, except to say I tried to stay out of it as much as I could, which some may consider cowardly, but I could not accept A Vegan's claims that he was innocent but knew who was guilty when he was unwilling to give any more information about that. I will also say, as I have previously said on the forum, that I find it specious to claim that ThomasRed disclosed the results of his investigation only to protect his own run for presidency. He already had been endorsed by the largest parties in eBelgium, including the Belgian Communisty Party, before any of this information came out, and the subsequent mudslinging from both sides only hurt ThomasRed and helped A Vegan.
In his second term, ThomasRed has managed to get the first Supreme Court in eBelgian history nominated and accepted by Congress. This is no small achievement. I tried, and failed. Others have not even tried. Please note that on several occasions in the past, A Vegan asked to have a Supreme Court to hear his claims against other members of our community, including ThomasRed. Now, when we have one, it appears he has rage quit, but not without claiming that I, among others, have been unfair and judged him based on lies.
I am truly sorry these things have happened. I certainly made mistakes, and I take responsibility for them. However, I want to make it clear that I have done my best to be fair and found I had no choice but to make my personal evaluation based on the facts I was given. If there are facts that would exonerate A Vegan, he himself has withheld them from me and from all of eBelgium. Unfortunately, his leaving without revealing them forever casts a shadow not only on him, but also on Theneka, Boklevski, Velitia and me.
For those of you who feel that these issues have been “conveniently” brought up for some sort of personal vendetta, ask yourselves, which is more important - protecting someone who committed a crime against your eCountry, or telling the truth so it can all be put behind us? I know my answer.
Comments
This is haunting the entire Belgian community. It drives a wedge between our countrymen and women. I vote for it to stop. Who ever A Vegan is protecting is making this Country bleed!!
This is sad indeed. I've been hearing squabbles over here and there but never truly understood what the heck was happening until I read this article. You have explained it well Maryam and we acknowledge that you've done your best and you've certainly done a lot! I hope everyone involved or anyone that is being called for an investigation have the guts and courage to go through with it honorably.
I wish you all the best!
I appreciate you spelling out the facts, I had no idea what everyone was referring to as the "eBe Raw" scandal...
Indeed this is very disheartening. I'm glad that in the end the gold was returned.
Wow, you folks are starting to act like eAmerican politicians. Quite a way to go yet. You haven't got the petty squabbling nor back stabbing down, but you're getting there.
Seriously, sorry to hear of the trouble. MaryamQ has always struck me as an honorable person.
Where did he rage quit?
He did not. Those claiming he did are hoping for it.
@MaryamQ it is good to see that you are trying to stay neutral on this, but I just feel this isn't the time nor the place to debate on it.
Well some events have transpired...
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Sad to see that we will never know the facts about this one.
On the other hand, no one is pointing a finger at MQ. I'm also not pointing a finger to aVegan as the guilty one (everyone is still not guilty until proven otherwise), but I am blaming him for witholding information.
This is the end of this thing for me.
La vérité doit être dite !
Like I've mentioned before: this issue always gets more attention when elections arrive. How convenient...
I must say Theneka is right when he says you are trying to stay neutral. I would stress the word "trying".
The gold is back, that's the most important part. And the fact that A Vegan helped the investigation, and even asked for an investigation is a sign of his goodwill.
Let it all rest now, please, I'm getting tired. This debate is no longer about the truth. Only propaganda is left...
"this issue always gets more attention when elections arrive. How convenient..."
Hehe that 's so true! Lol
Like i said on the forum yesterday, i have nothing personal against A Vegan. But if he did rage quit, and come back in 2 months for example for the Presidency, i will, once again, ask him explainations on what happened with eBe Raw.
It's not about propaganda, this story have destroyed our community and we will all appreciate when it will be close for good, with the truth.
For me, it's a question of national security. Presidency Candidates will (the winner/the second one if the first is impeached) receive the key of our national bank, NBB-BNB, where there is ~800 gold and ~9k BEFs : we can't take any risks. We have to be serious about this matter. It's not about us, it's about eBelgium.
Again an article several days before the elections ?
Et alors ? La vérité dérange tant que ça !
Cet article a sa place ici. La vérité doit être connue afin que les belges ne soient pas dupés.
Is it time for me to return to Belgium and straighten things out again?
Helviro, nobody may be pointing a finger at me, but this happened on my watch and is therefore my responsibility. All of us who had access should have a stake in finding the truth.
Critically, I would not have made this statement if A Vegan had not approached me both at this time and before the previous election and wanted to know what I thought about it. I trust this will clarify that question, at least.
Blackshark, je vous remercie de votre intérêt pour la vérité. J'ai le même intérêt, maintenant et toujours.
Rod, thanks, but I'm sure you are much more needed elsewhere. 😉
Theneka and Misanthropist, none of us can do more than try to remain neutral. We are all operating on the information we have combined with our personal biases.
Rod, if you come back I will cream buckets.... BUCKETS I TELL YA!!!!
(plz come back)
I wonder why this article hasn't been published like several days before?
I'm really starting to hate this whole thing and i'm givin up on the eBelgium community.
it's always about the same people who are protagonists, same people rising concerns etc.
vive la france, as joanne d'arc said once upon the time.
or "they shall never take our freedom" (:
need a new protagonist? hmmmmmm
tiltas, this article was not published several days before because I was not going to publish anything at all until A Vegan made a request for my views on the matter. That he and the BCP do not like my views is not my problem.
MaryamQ
it's not about the views and I certainly have no problems with people having different opinion. By now you should've already got this part.
my point was only about the timing of the release of the article. THIS is the only thing I'm getting bored by. And it's not about you personally, but I really hate when there can't be any press silence before the elections. I'm not sure what's the english word, but I think you know what I wanna say (:
I was not aware of any request (have been more active at the hospital as my grandma is there hospitalised for more than 3 weeks already...), however, I slightly doubt that by asking for your opinion on the matter was asked to publish an article on the pre-eve of election day.
I would also like to add that the sole content of the article comes only in second plan.
tiltas, I am sorry about your grandmother. You would not have been aware of the request, as it was made to me personally; however, the article was published the day after.
I'm sorry, I don't really understand your last statement.
MaryamQ try to think by yourself. It is clear that isn't easy for you. Indeed it is strange when I ask you a private question that you start another SLANDER article the day before the elections.
Try to do more than only write articles. Try to think yourself without being the puppet of others. Sorry but my respect for you is gone. When friends betray you it hurts more...
MaryamQ
my last sentence was to stress the akward feeling when posting such articles the day before elections, regardless of the content (setting sides or even being neutral).
I would write the same complaint also if A Vegan would publish such article.
anyways, you say that he asked you personally and you reply to him by posting an article?
I don't know about your habits, but normally when people ask me something in private, I tend to answer in private as well. only later, if needed or even if asked by the same person, I tell things publically. But OK, nevermind, that's your style and sometimes it's good we're not all the same.
tiltas, I understand and respect your point of view. I first posted on the forum, which is what I believed I was being asked to do, and did not write this article until A Vegan reacted to me in what I considered an unfair and hurtful way. I decided it was time to make my role in the situation clear, in the hope that we can find the truth and put it behind us. Thank you for clarifying your comment. Sometimes even in the same language we have language barriers, no?