Union of Democrats & Independents

The Caucus of Democrats and Independents (Kiravic: Kadastra Thāruāritarisēskya ú Vìutikulya ) is a in the Kiravian Stanora backed by the Union of Democrats and Independents party conference. Composed mainly of former members of the Shaftonist-Republican Alliance, the caucus describes itself as "a diverse and independent-minded caucus of problem-solvers", and is commonly described by the press as "the meeting of Delegates who are neither conservative nor socialist". Occidental analysts typically consider the CDI as centrist to centre-left.

In the current configuration of Kiravia's coalitional-presidentialist system, the CDI are part of the anti-administration camp, which is currently in the legislative minority.

The CDI originated as a working group and breakfast club within the SRA caucus called the Mimosa Group, made up of Delegates with a more liberal perspective on the Shaftonist-democratic political programme. A political conference, the Shaftonist Democratic Union, was organised along similar ideological lines in [YEAR], in response to a perceived "rightward" turn in the SRA/SRI and the militarist policies of the Candrin administration. The SDU affirmed its loyalty to the SRA caucus and its member-parties continued to participate in the SRI, but the SDU only operated more and more independently over time, even changing its name to the Independent Democratic Union in [YEAR] and dropping any explicit commitments to the SRA and SRI later that year when it took on observers from outside the traditional Shaftonist-Republican column. Delegates affiliated with the IDU continued to sit with the SRA caucus and pro-administration camp, but by [YEAR] were understood to be functioning as an autonomous caucus for most purposes, as often happens in Kiravian politics. The formal break with the SRA was made after the Treaty of Electorsbourg, when the IDU-affiliated Delegates crossed over to the anti-administration camp, stating their opposition to a Kiravian neo-colonial presence in Crona and intention to vote against ratifying the treaty; and notified the Chancellor that they would thenceforth sit as the Union of Democrats and Independents.