Free Scoita Party

The Free Scoita Party, or FSP, is a minor Georgeland political party supporting Scoitan independence. They are also strongly identified with the Catholic Right. The FSP were established in 1968 with the goal of promoting independence for Catholic Scoita. In 1971 more radical members of the group formed the Scoitan Liberation Army, a right-wing paramilitary group. Although the FSP disowned the SLA in the mid 1970s, the ties between the groups have never really been broken. In some respects this is similiar to the relationship between Sinn Fein and the Irish Republican Army. The FSP believes Scoita should separate from Georgeland and become an independent, Catholic state. It believes in achieving this through peaceful, rather than violent means. It is also a far-right party, opposing abortion, euthenasia, gay rights and socialism. The party has had mixed electoral success. At the elections of 1997 and 2001, the party gained Senate representation, electing Sally Curtis, a former Conservative state minister, in 1997 and Brian Feldman in 2001. Curtis lost her seat at the election of 2002. Feldman still sits in the Senate. At the 2005 election, the FSP failed to win enough votes to win a second Senator. In state politics, the FSP has been more successful, winning 11 state seats in 1989. They presently hold 3 seats in the Scoitan legislature. Since the demise of the SLA and the fall of support for independence, the FSP has seen a marked drop in its support. Senator Feldman is expected to have difficulty retaining his seat at the next election.