Another day, another press conference. This one is clearly assembled on the fly, as the scene isn't the Chief of State's official pressroom or a known CoS transport, but rather it seems to be a refugee camp, with tents stretched in the background and diagrams and holos on the walls denoting logistics arrangements, almost as if the conference is interrupting something else. The Chief of State appears rather grim as she puts down the datapad she was reading, almost as if the 'go go go' sign caught her off-guard.
"I'm sorry to have to belabor a point on network news," she apologizes to begin with. "However, I need to briefly address some points brought up by Senator Ariston in his address to his colleagues in the Senate recently. I continue to stand by my rejection of the spirit and the text of his recent bill. I would also like to thank him for bring up the very points that are the basis of my refusal to sign the bill as it was originally presented in committee." A brief pause, and she adjusts a drooping strand of hair, quickly masking a weary expression with one that's more professional and determined.
"Bills have been passed throughout the history of the Republic, both Old and New, that the Chief of State or Chancellor had spoken out against before they were presented formally for signature or veto. This is nothing new. Thankfully, his colleagues in the Senate themselves decided that the bill should not proceed further. Had it been presented to me formally, I would have vetoed it, and then the Senate would have to review it and seek the appropriate majority to override my veto. That's the way this system works. However, the Senator's colleagues realized, as I knew, that such a bill with its verbiage should not be Republic law."
"The Senator spoke of justice. The New Republic is governed by laws that apply to all. One of the very basic tenets of our system of jurisprudence is that every defendant is considered innocent until PROVEN guilty. There is a whole series of rights that our people are ENTITLED to, and this includes a trial by jury and that the burden of proof is on the accuser. There are also a series of rules built into our code of military justice that deal /specifically/ with how we treat military prisoners and what their rights are. Does this mean that suddenly anyone accused of war crimes will go unpunished? Obviously not," she adds, her expression mildly scoffing that anyone would believe this. "That is the first step on a very slippery slope, however, to suddenly remove civil rights from our enemies. What's next? Who loses their rights next? The officer who was just following orders because his family was being held hostage? The enlisted man who was threatened with torture or death if he didn't press that trigger? These are issues that should be relegated to those trained legists who can follow our fair and equal laws to ensure guilt or innocence and deal fairly with each case, regardless of scale. Just because we reject treating our enemies as they'd treat us doesn't mean that the New Republic will suddenly stop trying to bring Imperials accused of war crimes to trial. THAT is justice. That is what the New Republic is all about. We are /not/ about, to quote the Senator directly, 'revenge'." The word is said with obvious distaste.
"The New Republic doesn't stand for revenge. We don't stand for 'blood for blood', and the Senator might be well-advised to avoid making personal attacks against people he knows very little about personally. If his 'soul screams for revenge', as he said, then I invite him to come meditate with me, and he will learn how I personally deal with the tragedy that befell /my/ people. Not his. Mine. And I would advise the good Senator to be mindful of remarks regarding linking the word 'hero' and his attempt to strip Imperial citizens of their basic rights. There's nothing heroic about instigating witch-hunts." Another word spoken with distaste.
"Thankfully, the Jedi have succeeded in calming the situation, so further bloodshed has been averted." The Chief of State's relief is almost palpable at this news. "I'm sorry, but that's all I have time for now, this is more important." And she gestures to the refugee camp's leaders, waiting in various states of patience or impatience, for her to return her attention to them. "Thank you for your time."
Once more, the talking heads have a field day with what was said, seemingly most startled by the offer of a face-to-face between the two political opponents.