Palasian Left Unity founded
Lord John Gordon has founded Palasian Left Unity as a political party. The party supports an absolute monarchy, the legalisation of marijuana, national service, and a halt on expansion. Palasian Left Unity currently has two members, who have been appointed constables by Palasia’s Police Inspector Airan Bloomfield after strong arguments taking place in the town between supporters of the two candidates for next month’s general election. Palasian Left Unity is the second Austenasian political party, joining the Conservative Party, which was founded in October last year by Lord Charles (then known as Hengest) Crannis.
Countess Eritoshi and Lord Dux Joseph selected as General Election Candidates
Emperor Jonathan I has chosen the candidates for next month’s general election. Countess Eritoshi of Memphis, the incumbent Prime Minister, will be running for re-election against Lord Dux Joseph Kennedy. The general election will take place on 3 March, with campaigning now starting to get underway. Countess Eritoshi, Representative of Thanasia, is running on a left-wing platform and has announced a desire to found an Austenasian Green Party. Lord Dux Joseph, Representative of New Richmond, describes himself as a libertarian. Both candidates are leading figures in Austenasia’s legislative, executive and military spheres, and both hold the style of Imperial Highness, with Countess Eritoshi having been appointed an Augusta and Lord Dux Joseph a Caesar by the Emperor. Under the Austenasian Constitution of 2011, the Monarch selects applicant Representatives to run for Prime Minister three weeks after a general election is called, four weeks before voting takes place (general elections taking place seven weeks after being called). The announcement was made earlier this evening.
Snow in Greater Wrythe
Greater Wrythe saw a blanket of snow on the ground this morning for the first time since January 2013. Residents of Wrythe, Zephyria and Thanasia awoke to find roughly two inches of snow had fallen overnight. Although some snow has fallen already this winter in Greater Wrythe, conditions were not suitable for it then to settle. The snow fell over south London, including Roehampton, home to the university at which the Emperor currently lives on-campus. The snow had begun to melt by midday, with none remaining by the evening.
New Town joins from Norway
The Empire has gained six residents, two residential properties, and a small island with the foundation of the Town of Harenfall. Harenfall, located on the Norwegian island of Bolga, was annexed to Austenasia yesterday evening by an Act of Parliament after its people contacted the government and requested to join the Empire. One of the properties part of Harenfall borders the coast, and contains the island’s post office and local store. Lord Sivert MacLean, a resident of Harenfall, has been appointed its Acting Representative until the next local election.
Paper Jubilee of the Emperor celebrated
Emperor Jonathan I has today celebrated his Paper Jubilee – two years – as Austenasia’s Monarch. It was two years ago today that Jonathan I ascended to the Throne after his predecessor Declan I abdicated. As with last year’s jubilee, the Emperor marked the occasion with Prime Minister Countess Eritoshi, the two of them having lunch together at Roehampton. Several military units have held ceremonies in honour of the occasion. Jonathan I is set to become the longest reigning Emperor of Austenasia on 22 February later this year.
New Crown Dependency annexed in Africa
The Empire has once more expanded, with the Crown Dependency of Enfriqua joining Austenasia. Enfriqua has a population of four and is bordered by Algeria. It was annexed at a minute to midnight last night after a request was received from its residents to join the Empire. As a Crown Dependency, Enfriqua is to be administered autonomously by a Governing Commissioner. Mr. Akka Bey has been appointed to the position.
General election called for 3 March
Earlier today, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I called for a general election to take place in seven weeks time, on 3 March. The most recent general election was held in November 2013, with Countess Eritoshi of Memphis being elected Prime Minister. Up to four years can pass from a general election before another must, under the Austenasian Constitution of 2011, be called. In an exclusive statement to the Austenasian Times, the Emperor explained his reason for calling one so much earlier than necessary: “Although Countess Eritoshi won the November 2013 election with two-thirds of the vote, Austenasia has expanded so much since then that those who voted for her now make up a mere 16% of the electorate. We have called this election not out of any displeasure with how she has been fulfilling her role as Prime Minister, but out of a wish to ensure that the holder of said office has a genuine democratic mandate.” It is expected that Countess Eritoshi will run to be re-elected Prime Minister. It is also expected that Lord Joseph Kennedy – and maybe others – will run against her. Candidates will be announced on 3 February after being formally approved by the Emperor.
Consuls appointed as New Year Wimbledon Common walk goes ahead
New Year’s Day 2015 has been heralded with the appointment of the year’s consuls, with a traditional walk on Wimbledon Common going ahead despite participants dropping out. The Prime Minister, Countess Eritoshi, has appointed as the Consuls for 2015 her sister Lady Imogen Easton, Baroness of Thanasia, and the Heir to the Throne, Crown Princess Caroline. The two Consuls of Austenasia are the Empire’s highest judicial authorities, with the duty of passing sentence on convicted criminals. However, due to Austenasia’s amazingly low crime rate, their function is mostly ceremonial, primarily being used to name the year after. Meanwhile, a New Year’s Day walk on Wimbledon Common traditionally undertook by the immediate Imperial Family and their relatives the Boxalls went ahead, despite long-standing participants who would customarily have organised it dropping out. Since the early 1990s, members of Raynes Park Methodist Church had organised the annual walk on the common, but this is the first year when none of them were able to go on the walk, either due to old age or having moved away. However, the Emperor’s relatives decided to maintain the family tradition and hold the walk regardless, later going to a restaurant for lunch.
Imperial Family celebrates Christmas 2014
Christmas has been celebrated by the extended Austenasian Imperial Family over the past few days. Christmas Day (Thursday 25th) begun with the immediate Imperial Family opening presents in Parliament Hall. The Emperor Father then went to visit an elderly friend for the morning while the rest of the family attended the Christmas morning service at Carshalton Methodist Church with Emperor Grandmother Joyce, the Boxall family (the relatives of Emperor Mother Margaret) and the population of Zephyria. The Imperial Family and Boxalls then had Christmas lunch at the Imperial Residence, followed by opening presents and playing parlour games. Christmas Day ended with a light supper. Emperor Jonathan I released his second Christmas broadcast on YouTube. This broadcast reflected on the events of 2014 and on the concept of family, and can be heard here. On Boxing Day (Thursday 26th), the Boxalls hosted the Imperial Family for the afternoon and evening. The Austenasian Times hopes all its readers have had a Merry Christmas, and wishes you all a happy 2015.
Administrative changes coincide with more territorial expansion
The Empire expanded yet again yesterday evening with the annexation of a house in Bury St Edmunds and a patch of land in South America. Meanwhile, the Crown Dependency of Terentia (situated in North America) has been transitioned into a Town, with the now Lord Legate Jacob Lewis as its Acting Representative. A house in Bury St Edmunds has been annexed as a March, a new form of administrative division. Marches have been created as inhabited territories associated with a Town for electoral but not administrative purposes; effectively autonomous parts of a Town, voting for and represented in Parliament by the Representative of the associated Town, but not officially part of it and administered independently by a Margrave and/or Margravine living in the March. The house, annexed as the March of Caldari, has been associated with Palasia. It is inhabited and administered by John and Maria Alexis, the grandparents of Lord John of Palasia, who have been appointed its Margrave and Margravine. This has raised the Austenasia population to 61. Furthermore, a 35,000 square foot area of land in South America has joined the Empire as the Crown Dependency of Achem. Bordered by the Venezuelan city of Mérida, Achem is administered by Tarek Kârjasary, who has been appointed its Governing Commissioner. In other news, the Emperor announced the start of Winter 2014/15 in the Austenasian calendar on 1 December.