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TRYVALA NADIYA, MAY 15 — Following the surprise visit by SSTO Under-Secretary Hawthorne, the 21st sortition of the Nadish Grand Assembly is poised on Sunday to come out in favour of the country joining SSTO, paving the way for an application soon after and abandoning decades of military non-alignment in the wake of rising world tension.

A distant prospect only months ago, the rise of world tension in various parts of Strangereal has seen the Nadish people of Nadiya rethink their security needs and move to seek out safety in the alliance they aligned with.

The Council of Elders headed the debate between the parties in the Grand Assembly to a deadlock. However, following a speech of "peace and democracy in our time" by Under-Secretary Hawthorne, the Grand Assembly soon moved in favour of the SSTO over the PH. The televised debate has also fuelled a wave of public support for SSTO membership nationwide.

Chairwoman Yana Hadjuk, acting Head of Government and State of the Nadiya, has also held public rallies over the past week over dropping a long-standing opposition to military alignment.
With the 21st sortition having said it will decide on Sunday and widely expected to drop its opposition, support for joining the alliance would command a broad majority in the Grand Assembly with much of the populace already in favour. A formal application by the Council of Elders would be sure to follow.

At peace since the Independence war of 1856, Nadiya has been more reluctant to cast aside its non-alignment, despite occasional border skirmish with the Kingdom of Vapia all the way up to the early 20th century.

A membership application could herald a tense wait during the weeks it takes to be ratified by all SSTO members, though the Under-Secretary has said she was confident any security concerns could be addressed in the interim.