Stringent restrictions were introduced in regards to the Empire claiming new land this morning after Austenasian sovereignty over the town of Lichtenstein and the crown dependency of Heischierland was abandoned due to a single person wishing to leave the Empire.
Lord Charles Clarke – also known by a variety of pseudonyms throughout his political career – became an Austenasian in June 2013 after offering the then Territory of Emperorsland to Austenasia.
Emperorsland expanded in 2014, annexing a neighbouring house inhabited by Lord Charles and his family, to become the Town of Lichtenstein. Later that year, the family’s holiday home was annexed as the Crown Dependency of Heischierland.
Lord Charles has been an Austenasian official for over three years, and held four Cabinet positions at varying times. However, after announcing that he no longer wished to be a part of the Empire, the government found itself forced to cede Lichtenstein and Heischierland after losing the only person who was able to administer them.
In the Act of Parliament passed this morning which ceded said land, tough new regulations have been introduced to prevent any future annexations of land which could be rendered ungovernable by the departure of a single person.
From henceforth, any offers of land to the Empire must be approved by the Home Secretary before being considered by Parliament.
The Home Secretary must ascertain (amongst other criteria) that more than one person is willing to administer the offer of land, and that the majority of any inhabitants wish (rather than just consent, as was the case with Lord Charles’ family) to become Austenasians.
With the loss of the two areas of land administered by Lord Charles, the Empire’s population has dropped by three to 84.
