For the first time in history, the head of CP is a leader chosen through a democratic process. The only candidate to throw his hat into the ring, the Ratttanjeetarr Foreign Minister was acclaimed the successor to the former Secretary-General on August 31, 2004.

More significantly, the new CP President is the first leader to not have come from Marcusburg. The past two Secretary-Generals have been a Foreign Minister and a history professor from Marcusburg respectively. According to observers, these former leaders' association with Marcusburg have harmed CP's claim to impartiality and international legitimacy.

These concerns, combined with the decline of the Mapp in general, led to the publication of the Reform Dossier on October 12, 2003 which advocated for a stronger CP. In light of the Dossier's scathing recommendations, the first Secretary-General resigned two days later.

His successor painstakingly pushed through the reforms in the Dossier but ultimately failed to steer the Mapp away from a dark age. This led to the publication of the December Plan later in 2003 which argued for a radical change in CP's leadership structure.

After some hesitation along with preoccupation with the rise of Terra Exortus, the December Plan was adopted in the Congress of Jangstown on July 24, 2004. Presidential nominations soon followed in August, culminating in the acclamation of the Foreign Minister of Rattanjeetland as the first CP President.

In his nomination speech, the President announced he would spearhead an initiative to define the CP policy of Responsible Determination in order to avoid misinterpretations and abuse of the term. He also argued for reexamining whether all member-states of CP deserve one vote in light of growing empires on the Mapp and their subsequent voting blocs.

The first challenge for the President, however, will be the looming annexation of Tamarak by Octavton. On August 14, 2004, the Commissioner of Tamarak handed over control of her country to CP, which then allowed Octavton to rule Tamarak under its auspices.

It will be up to the President to decide whether annexation of the country by Octavton is in Tamarak's best interests. Octavian officials have stressed that the annexation is in accordance with the will of most Tamarkians, who voted 88.8% in favour of annexation in a referendum held on September 12, 2004.

This case highlights the many challenges the Foreign Minister will face in his brief three-month tenure. Indeed, some observers are asking whether a three-month stint without consecutive presidencies is too restrictive for a President to act effectively.