BREAKING: Jonathan I Abdicates, Aggelos I is Emperor of Austenasia

Announced on 29 September, 2024, His Imperial Majesty, Jonathan I, Emperor of Austenasia has abdicated the throne. Immediately following this, the Prince Regent, Aggelos I, had ascended to the throne as the Fifth Emperor of Austenasia. Aggelos’ ascension has now ended the Regency which began on 30 April of this year. Jonathan I had been in power as Emperor since 20 January 2013, his 11 year reign has now ended. The details of the abdication and ascension can be found in the following Imperial Decree signed earlier today in Imvrassia. https://docs.google.com/document/d/14kuDAMyw_uvreRmaLVS5B9NbAPEd9zc763ufo3M1B8o/edit It is clear from here on out, Austenasia has entered a new era. The future may be uncertain, but the hearts of her people remain unwavered. We wish Jonathan all the best in his retirement. Long Live the Emperor! Long Live Austenasia!

Musgrave Victorious in General Election

The results for the September 2024 General Election are in; Lord Andrew Musgrave is the new Prime Minister of Austenasia. The voting results are as follows: Musgrave:1 – Wrythe4 – Nahona5 – North Nahona2 – Caldari1 – Blue Ridge2 – Procyon10 – Nonresidentials25 – Total O’Halloran:1 – Wrythe1 – Nahona3 – Blue Ridge3 – Nonresidentials8 – Total Lord Musgrave is victorious with 75.75% of the total vote, beating out Lady O’Halloran in every region, except O’Halloran’s home town, Blue Ridge and the Capital, Wrythe, where they tied. The Times would like to congratulate Lord Musgrave on his victory and we look forward to a bright and productive future from his government.

Austenasia to Withdraw from GUM

Acting Prime Minister, Lord Andrew Musgrave, announced this evening via Discord that Austenasia would be withdrawing from the Grand Unified Micronational, effective 12:00 AM BST. Lord Musgrave made the announcement with the following statement: “Hello, everyone. After a lengthy discussion with the Emperor, and with consultation of the Regent, Austenasia will be withdrawing from the Grand Unified Micronational, effective midnight tonight (British Summer Time). This decision has not been made lightly. After careful thought and reflection, it is clear that the circumstances have become too concerning to ignore. The events that have unfolded, particularly the conduct of the Chair and Vice-Chair, have highlighted deeply troubling issues that can no longer be overlooked. Rather than engaging in a fair and respectful contest of ideas, these leaders have resorted to attacking their opposition candidate, Pio, with false and malicious accusations. The baseless claim that Pio is a fascist is nothing more than a deliberate attempt to assassinate his character—an unacceptable tactic used to discredit him for political gain. Such behaviour undermines the core principles of fairness and integrity that the organisation should stand for. As someone who has long voiced concerns about the direction of the GUM, I cannot remain silent any longer. Under the leadership of Henry Clemens, I have no confidence that these issues will be properly addressed. Clemens’ handling of this election campaign has revealed a troubling disregard for the serious concerns of bullying and harassment. His own conduct throughout this period casts doubt on whether the values of decency and respect are still being upheld within the organisation. By ignoring or enabling such behaviour, Clemens and his leadership are fostering a toxic environment where those in power can act without accountability. It is also deeply disheartening to see how far the organisation has strayed from its original mission. It no longer resembles the body that Jonathan fought so hard to build. Until meaningful change occurs, I cannot in good conscience continue to support an organisation that has allowed such behaviour to persist unchecked.” Austenasia has been a member of the GUM since October 2009. His Imperial Majesty, Jonathan I, was the brainchild of Austenasia’s involvement with the organization. In light of recent events which have been previously reported by the Times, Austenasia simply cannot come to terms with the GUM as an organization. The Times hopes that the GUM will resolves its issues in Austenasia’s absence, so that the two parties may establish a working relationship in the future; but for now it will not be possible. Austenasia Notes

General Election Prologue

With the General Election just two weeks away, scheduled for September 24, the candidates have been set and the first polling results are in. The two candidates for Prime Minister in the General Election are: The Times conducted a poll on Saturday to gauge the public’s opinion on the two candidates. The polling question was as follows: “Who are you currently supporting in the upcoming General Election?” The results of the poll are as follows: There were 13 total participants, Lord Andrew Musgrave received 85% of the vote with 11 votes, Lady Addison O’Halloran received 15% of the vote with 2 votes. The Times acknowledges that some participants of the poll were not Austenasian citizens, but the poll is only a gauge of public opinion. Interview with the Election Candidates The Times reached out to both election candidates to get an idea of their election platform and ask questions which have been on many Austenasian’s minds. Lord Andrew Musgrave was happy to conduct an interview, but Lady Addison O’Halloran declined to respond. The following questions were asked to Lord Andrew Musgrave: “I believe Austenasia has seen better days, that’s beyond denial. But I do believe the best of our days are ahead of us. I think Austenasia needs drastic constitutional reform, with nothing off limits. I believe with a streamlined and common sense alteration to the Consitution, we can bring our nation back into greatness. I also think allowing the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to be elected together, on a joint mandate, and establishing a clear line of succession for the office of Prime Minister, would avoid a situation like the one that occurred recently from happening again.” “Hopefully the planned reforms will inspire others back into the fold, as it inspired John Gordon to return to politics. If that doesn’t work, the reforms should allow other, more energised candidates to partake in mainstream politics.” “I think it’s more complicated than that. I recalled the GUM delegates because of the upcoming election, unaware of the 14 day limit. Once I was made aware of the limit, I actively negotiated with the two GUM chairs to resolve my concerns. My whistleblowing was met with discourse and me being removed from the lobby, which doesn’t give me much confidence in the future of the GUM, nor a working relationship if Newton and Clemems were to win the upcoming election. That’s why I’ve opted to support the Pio Lowe-Stefan campaign. Our relationship with the GUM may be salvaged if Pio and Stefan are elected.” “I can’t go into too much detail regarding this, but there’s been some discussions about the sustainability of the monarchy. That’s all I can say.” “All in good time. A full and detailed plan will be revealed in the coming days.” “Like I said, nothing is off limits in the reforms. It may be a case where we amend the current peerage system. But there’s no immediate plans.” “A complete redesign of the website, for starters. More incentives for people to become citizens and potentially (although this isn’t for definite), selling titles akin to Sealand to spike up interest. Theres been some pushback, but I think it would help Austenasia in the long term. I’d want to donate some of the proceeds to domestic abuse charities.” “Honestly? Get the hell out of dodge. The further we can get away from the MicroWiki community, the better. This problem only occurs within that sector.” “Not in all regards. But I’d rather we focused our energy on actual, in person engagements; rather then Internet chatrooms. It’s infantile. We’d try to focus our energy on more local micronations. I think Austenasia also has a bit of an identity crisis, too.” “Austenasia is a Christian micronation. The Emperor must be Christian, and marriage equality isnt recognised. But I’m a gay atheist, and I’m the (Acting) Prime Minister. My opposition is a trans woman of an unknown religious identity. I think removing the requirement for the monarch to be Christian, which really limits the pool, would be good. And marriage equality recognition.” “Absolutely. It’s fantastic that people are enquiring about becoming citizens. I do intend to make it easier for those with an interest in Austenasia to become apart of our great nation. I also intend to provide citizens with unique citizen IDs and streamlining the voting process too, as that’s equally confusing.” That was the entire interview with Lord Andrew Musgrave, General Election Candidate. The Times will conduct more opinion polls on Saturday September 14 and 21. Stay tuned to the Times for the latest developments on the upcoming General Election.

GUM Delegate Appointed

Following last week’s GUM Delegate Dismissal by Lord Andrew Musgrave, he announced last evening the appointment of former Austenasian Prime Minister, Lord John Gordon, as Austenasian Delegate to the Grand Unified Micronational. Musgrave made the announcement with the following statement: “As the deadline is running out, I have decided to name a new GUM delegate to serve until after the election, if I win it, of course. Please welcome Lord John Gordon as Austenasia’s Official Delegate.” He continued, stating he agreed with criticisers on the route Austenasia should have been taking in regards to the situation. “Whilst it is my full intention to withdraw from the GUM once the election has been won by myself, I do agree with some of my criticisers that this should not be done without a democratic mandate, which I believe I will be given post-election. Whilst I had good talks with the Acting Chairman, we came to an impasse that I do not believe, under the GUM’s current model, will be resolved. That is no fault of the Acting Chair, but rather the fault of the organisation he represents.” Musgrave continued, criticizing the GUM as an organization. “Unless the GUM reforms, and reforms quickly, it’s my firm belief it will die. I believe the GUM should reform it’s expulsion practises, for numerous reasons. It was my intention to withdraw our GUM delegates until after the election, as I do not believe that during an election, a time of uncertainty, that our nation should have any delegates that could vote against the interests of the upcoming premiership, and this is something that I intend to implement into law eventually – whether we remain in the GUM or not. Additionally, there are several bad faith individuals who are apart of the GUM, and are responsible for numerous harrassment campaigns against both minors, and adults, and should have been expelled long ago, who are still active participants in the organisation. The Acting Chair has assured me that the current matter will be addressed, and I hope the decision will be a no-nonsense approach to harrassment of any kind.” Lord Musgrave’s allegations against the GUM has taken a very serious and dark tone. It would come as no surprise now why Lord Musgrave has been so adamant that Austenasia sever ties to the organization. But the allegations have been brought to the attention of the former Chairman and current acting Chairman, Anthony Burauskis. Hopefully now, in light of the recent events, things will change within the organization for the benefit of all member states. Austenasia Notes Michael Simpson, KtC Lord of the Manor of Nether, Alias Lower Hardres In the Parish of Lower Hardres In the County of Kent

GUM Dismissal Fallout

A lot has transpired in the last 24 hours since Acting Prime Minister, Lord Andrew Musgrave, dismissed all of Austenasia’s Delegates to the Grand Unified Micronational. As reported by the Quadrangle Gazette, Lord Musgrave has stood fast by his decision to not re-appoint any Delegates to the GUM, jeopardizing Austenasia’s position within the organization, as per the GUM’s 14 day expulsion rule regarding member state’s delegates. Link to the Quadrangle Gazette article: https://newsouthscotland.weebly.com/quadrangle-gazette/governing-commissioner-requests-legal-resolution-of-gum-dispute Lord Musgrave claimed he was not aware of this rule and had intended to simply pull all delegates until after the upcoming General Election, where it essentially would be decided by a vote wether or not Austenasia would remain a member of the GUM. With that being said, despite being made aware of the rule and it’s subsequent consequences, Lord Musgrave has insisted that he will not re-appoint any delegates until the GUM has taken his concerns on GUM-wide bullying and harassment seriously. GUM Chair, Newton von Uberquie, made it clear that he takes all cases of bullying and harassment seriously. The Wrythe Public House erupted this afternoon with arguments, rude comments, fights, and an overall lack of decorum. It started out with various people voicing their concerns with Lord Musgrave’s dismissal of delegates, most notably was Sir Hugh McFarlane, Governing Commissioner of New South Scotland. This eventually lead to an argument between Lord Musgrave and von Uberquie. The two later conducted a conversation in private which apparently has lead to a possible solution to Musgrave’s outstanding problems with the GUM. Lord Sander Koff was present and heavily sided with Lord Musgrave and his arguments. Former Austenasian Prime Minister, Vera Hewitt was also present at the time and weighed in on the subject. This eventually lead to a war of words between Koff and Hewitt, which was to say the least, distasteful on both parts. To prevent it from going any further, both were silenced in the Discord server. Through the madness and the chaos, it was suggested that the Prince Regent should intervene and get the situation back under control; to which Lord Musgrave responded with the following: “I have advised the Crown to not act in this matter, as doing so would undermine the people that I represent. Me and the Chair are in discussions, but no action should be taken until then. If the Crown is to act, and overrule my decision, I will resign as Prime Minister.” Sir Hugh McFarlane, who was adamant that the matter be settled democratically, provided the Times with the following statement regarding Lord Musgrave’s statement. “For the Acting Prime Minister to act in potential violation of the law and then threaten to collapse the government if that decision is reviewed by the Crown is the height of absurdity.” McFarlane suggested that the dismissal of all GUM delegates was in fact against the law. Lord Musgrave and Acting Deputy Prime Minister, Shiro Mephistopheles, both said that Musgrave was well within his right to dismiss the delegates.  To the Times knowledge, this political disaster has so far already spanned three Discord servers and countless private conversations. Some folks have already attempted to give the event a name, such as “Black” or “Red” August. Former Austenasian Prime Minister, Lord John Gordon, eventually broke his silence after conversing with Lord Musgrave. He announced that he will be ceding Caldari back to Austenasia and return to front line Austenasian politics. With that, he will be standing with Lord Musgrave as his running mate. The Acting Deputy Prime Minister announced that potential election candidates have until September 1st to announce their intention to run. He also encouraged any eligible and willing Representatives to please do so. As it stands, there are still only two candidates for the election, Lord Andrew Musgrave, and Lady Addison O’Halloran. At the time of writing this article, Lord Andrew Musgrave made the following statement:  “A new delegate to the GUM has been decided upon, and they will take their place amongst other GUM delegates to represent Austenasia’s interests once I have received that agreed upon written statement from the Chairman of the GUM, and am happy with the conclusion they have reached in said statement.” Lord Musgrave declined to comment any further on the subject as the situation has not yet been totally resolved.

GUM Delegates Dismissed

On August 18, immediately after Lord Griffin, Austenasia’s Delegate to the Grand Unified Micronational, excused himself from the Quorum Chamber, he was dismissed by the Acting Prime Minister, Lord Andrew Musgrave. Lord Musgrave made the announcement in the following statement: “Within my power as Acting Prime Minister, I have recalled and dismissed all of the Austenasian delegates to the GUM. There will be no further appointments to the role until after the election, although my views on the GUM are quite clear, and will be a major part of my campaign, so that take as you will.” The news was then immediately relayed by Lord Musgrave to the Chair, Vice Chair, and Supreme Justice of the GUM. It was then confirmed by Acting Deputy Prime Minister, Shiro Mephistopheles, and Lord Griffin. Lord Griffin then declared the dismissal in the Quorum Chamber. Austenasia has been a member of the Grand Unified Micronational since June 4, 2016. Austenasia will now face a motion of expulsion from the GUM if they are without a Delegate for 14 days. It is Lord Musgrave’s intention to have Austenasia removed from the GUM altogether, if elected into office in the upcoming election. An altercation then took place in the GUM lobby between GUM members and Lord Musgrave. It resulted with Austenasia essentially burning it’s bridge with the GUM. Lord Musgrave then made the following statement to the nation: “As Acting Prime Minister, I have made the decision to dismiss all of Austenasia’s delegates, and based on the reaction in the lobby room, it is ultimately the right decision for our nation going forward. The organisation is not fit for purpose, and is rampant with bullying and harassment from several of it’s members. Austenasia does not wish to associate with any organisation that does not take harassment and bullying seriously, as I have been personally been made of several accounts from other members of how rampant this toxic culture within the organisation is, and witnessed it first-hand upon my announcement to them about our intentions. I will not be appointing any further delegates to the organisation, whether that means Austenasia is expelled or not.” Lord Musgrave was also removed from the GUM Discord Server. Despite this development, it should be noted that it was the wish of His Imperial Majesty, Jonathan I, for Austenasia to remain active within the GUM. Austenasia Notes

Major Election Developments, Parliament Dissolved

On the morning of August 12, following the fallout of Lord Hunter Prater’s supposed ineligibility for Prime Minister and subsequent appointment to Cabinet from the day before, Lord Hunter Prater, Duke of Dixie, renounced his candidacy in the following statement: “A renounce my candidacy and will be removing myself from public life within the empire. I will focus my efforts within the Duchy and any Counties or Baronies or Towns within Dixie may contact me with ideas for great social events such as Minecraft, voice chat, Call of Duty, book club, or whatever. I will also be continuing on The Grand Duchy of the Great Lochs and the Church of Christian Druids within the empire. However as far as anything political, I much say I rather not tie myself to what I believe is a piece of drift wood left over from the decay of time and inactivity. I encourage everyone to give their support to Lord Andrew Musgrave, though I disagree with some of his beliefs, he is active and that’s what the empire needs most of all is someone active and who cares. I also call all citizens of the continued Roman Empire all Romans to rise up and support your Regent and Prime Minister in positive change. The Church of Christian Druids will be open within the empire however will not openly advocate for conversion of citizens.” As a result, it was discussed by government wether or not the election could continue. It was announced by Acting Deputy Prime Minister, Shiro Mephistopheles, that it indeed could continue because the Prince Regent had already approved two candidates. Lady Addison O’Halloran, Representative of Blue Ridge, announced her intention to run for Prime Minister as a token opposition, and encouraged everyone to still vote for Lord Musgrave. It was also discovered that there was an error in the date set for the election. According to the Constitution, a period of 7 weeks must be given from the announcement to the election date, with four weeks from the dissolution of Parliament. With that being said, Prince Regent, Aggelos I, announced that Parliament had in fact been dissolved as scheduled. Due to the changes, the Acting Deputy Prime Minister announced that Representatives have been given a few more days to have the opportunity to stand for election. The Emperor, His Imperial Majesty, Jonathan I, reached out to the Times to let’s us know that the mix up regarding Lord Prater’s eligibility for Prime Minister under Act 1, Section 6 of the Constitution was a mistake on his part and that “Cabinet” should read “Representatives”. His Imperial Majesty apologized for the confusion. As it stands now, there are two candidates for election, Lord Andrew Musgrave, and Lady Addison O’Halloran. The Times will continue to monitor the situation and update as necessary.

Prater Ineligible? Problem Solved

On August 11, one day before the dissolution of Austenasian Parliament in preparation for the upcoming General Election on September 9, it was discovered by the Acting Prime Minister, Lord Andrew Musgrave, that his election opponent, Lord Hunter Prater, was ineligible to run for the office of Prime Minister, according to Act 1 of the Austenasian Constitution. Act 1, Section 6 states the following: “Candidates for Prime Minister must be Members of Cabinet” Lord Prater, was a member of Cabinet and sat as Chief Ambassador, but resigned from the position in July of this year.  Considering the fact that he resigned, he became no longer eligible to run for Prime Minister. Lord Musgrave consulted other members of government, including Acting Deputy Prime Minister, Shiro Mephistopheles, on what to do about the situation, as the Constitution also states that there must be at least two candidates running for Prime Minister. As a solution, it was decided to appoint Lord Prater to a ceremonial position in Cabinet. He was appointed Home Secretary, the previous post of Lord Musgrave. Acting Deputy Prime Minister, Shiro Mephistopheles, made the following statement, explaining the situation: “Note that this is a stop-gap measure because the Constitution states in one place that only a Cabinet official may run, and in others only a Representative may run. Additionally, the Prince Regent must approve at least two candidates, and it happens there are exactly two. This invites a paradox that the Government has summarily addressed. To refuse to do otherwise invites a constitutional crisis. Additionally, it represents a fatal flaw in Austenasia’s democratic process, and we cannot countenance even the appearance of undermining this process. So, in a spirit of good faith and a desire to avoid manufacturing a distasteful situation by lack of action, the Acting Prime Minister took this unorthodox move upon consultation with myself. The government will be expected to address the issue itself at the very first possible opportunity. Until then, we proceed as if Lord Hunter Prater is fully qualified.” Lord Prater has yet to comment on the situation, but we are sure he will be relieved to know that he is still in the race. Parliament will be dissolved today, August 12, from there the campaigning and road to the election begins. The Times will be following any and all developments and will report as necessary.

CLASH at the Wrythe Public House!

Following the August 8 announcement of the upcoming General Election date and Lord Hunter Prater’s announcement to run for Prime Minister, a heated altercation took place in the Wrythe Public House between the two election candidates. Prater’s opponent, Lord Andrew Musgrave, responded to his statement expressing his excitement for the election and disagreeing with Prater’s statement on the Empire collapsing and the prospect of it lasting a hundred years. Prater made a grand response, which could have been taken for campaigning, essentially saying that Musgrave was wrong. Musgrave made a response, attempting to take the moral high ground by trying to de-escalate the situation by telling Prater to “leave the campaigning until the 4 weeks allocated to it”. Prater came back, guns-a-blazing, accusing Musgrave of attempting to limit his freedom of speech in the Public House. Musgrave, again responded and belittled Prater’s knowledge of Austenasian laws. Prater then accused Musgrave of speaking with condescendence and back-handed comments, going so far as to call him a “bully”. “You’ve got a lot to learn” was Musgrave response, who also brought up his superior micronational experience to Prater’s and then brought Prater’s maturity into question. Former Austenasian Prime Minister and current New Richmond Republic national, Vera Hewitt, was also in the Public House at the time and she weighed in on the situation. Hewitt suggested that Prater not pick fights and re-worded Musgrave’s early comment stating that Prater’s campaigning up that point was unconstitutional. She cited her extensive knowledge of the Constitution and previous experience as Prime Minister. From here an argument occurred between Prater and the team of Hewitt and Musgrave. Prater’s basis was that the pair were limiting his freedom of speech as an ordinary citizen, whereas Hewitt and Musgrave’s was that Prater’s campaigning was unconstitutional, saying he needed to wait for the allocated 4 weeks. Prater argued that he was in fact not campaigning and was simply expressing his displeasure for the current government. He even challenged them to charge him for his actions. Hewitt and Musgrave kept citing the Constitution without actually providing the evidence for their argument. They instead told Prater that he himself should read the constitution, to which Prater insisted they show him. Hewitt made a sharp comment saying the following to Prater: “You aren’t very bright and I hope for the Empire’s sake you lose by landslide.” It wasn’t until a few hours later where Lady Addison O’Halloran dug up the section of the Constitution that was being referred to in the argument. It reads as follows: “During the first of the three weeks between the order for a General Election and the actual election, any Representatives willing may apply to stand for election to run for the office of Prime Minister. The Monarch must choose at least two applicant Representatives, who from the point of being chosen until the General Election concludes shall hold the status of Candidates. The remaining four weeks may be spent by the Candidates campaigning to attempt to persuade the subjects of the Empire to vote for them.” It can be argued wether or not Prater’s statements could be considered campaigning or not, but that is a decision that would be best decided by a Judge. Either way you look at it, here at the Times, we believe that we are in for an exciting Campaign Trail leading up to this General Election and wish both candidates all the best.