Diasporic List Election Results
Earlier this morning, the results of the Diasporic List Election were published by His Imperial Majesty, Aggelos I. The results were as follows: The election took place yesterday, 9 December 2024 and allowed for all Non-residential subjects the opportunity to decide who they wanted to represent them in Parliament. The Times would like to congratulate all six candidates on their election to the House of Representatives and wish them all the best in their term.
Election Candidates Announced
Earlier this evening, Chancellor, HSH Lord Jonathan, announced the official candidates for the Diasporic List election. The candidates are as follows: – Lord Andrew Creed, Baron of Corinium Terentium– Lord Karl Friedrich, Duke of Bohemia– Lord Mick Griffin, Baron of Glainamar– H.E. The Right Hon. Sir Hugh McFarlane, KCA– H.E. Prof. Sir Sanjib Bhattacharya, KOB, KCA– Mr. Ortiz Augusto Javier Non-residential subjects will be contacted before the date of the election with further information on the candidates and instructions for how to vote. The election has been scheduled for 9 December 2024. The Times followed up with the Chancellor to inquire on candidates for the local Town elections. While no official list has been released yet, the Chancellor provided us with the following information:
Constitutional Crisis! PM Resigns
The new era of the Empire of Austenasia is off to a rocky start since the regency of Emperor Jonathon I in May of this year. Since then Chief Ambassador, Lord Hunter Prater, and Prime Minister, Lord John Gordon have both resigned from their positions, leaving the Government in a mad scramble to regain control of a turbulent situation. On July 22, Lord John Gordon announced via Discord that he was resigning from his position as Prime Minister, which he was elected to in February of this year. Following his announcement, Gordon appointed Lady Addison O’Halloran, Representative of Blue Ridge, as Acting Prime Minister, on the understanding that Lord Andrew had also resigned. After a week of radio silence, the situation was brought to the attention of Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Andrew of Corinium Terentium. Lord Andrew, who at the time, sat as speaker of Parliament , stated that according the Austenasian Constitution, he was lawfully Acting Prime Minister upon the resignation of Lord Gordon, and that Gordon’s appointment of O’Halloran was unconstitutional. Lord Andrew made the following statement via Discord: “The appointment of Addison as Acting Prime Minister is unlawful, and any ‘official acts’ done during her ‘Premiership’ are null and void. The succession of the Prime Minister is a settled fact, and cannot be altered by royal degree alone. As Deputy Prime Minister, I am the lawful acting Prime Minister, and was immediately upon the Prime Minister’s resignation. Addison is not to be considered “Prime Minister”, acting or otherwise, until they have won the general election.” Lady O’Halloran immediately followed up stating she had not had any knowledge of the appointment until that moment. Shortly after, it was confirmed by the Prince Regent, Aggelos I, that Lord Andrew was indeed Acting Prime Minister. Lord Andrew made it known that he intends to call for an election as early as possible, citing that Parliament requires a replacement speaker before that can happen. He also announced that he will be running for Prime Minister in the upcoming election. Palasian Independence Following Lord John Gordon’s resignation as Prime Minister, on July 25, Gordon announced that the Austenasian town of Palasia and its march, Caldari, would be separating from Austenasia as they declare their independence. Gordon made the following speech: “Palasians, Austenasians, Peoples of the world, I make this speech in both sad and jubilant circumstances, sadness because the chapter of being part of Austenasia has come to an end but jubilant because we can finally forge ahead and make our own history and decisions. I do, with the permission and acceptance of the Palasian people declare independence from the Empire of Austenasia and announce the creation of the Palasian Transitional Council to oversee Palasia during the time of a fully independent nation called the Republic of Palasia. The Palasian Transitional Council’s job shall be to oversee the day to day running of a Transitional Government and the creation of a constitution and functioning government system. The first meeting of the PTC which shall set out the form of governance Palasia shall take, its Administrative structure and national symbols shall commence on the 1st August 2024. We shall endeavour to publish our declaration of independence after the first meeting thus beginning a new age in Palasia. We thank Austenasia for being our home for the last 14 years and we hope close relations with the Empire will commence in a timely fashion. Thank you John Gordon President of the Palasian Transitional Council” Palasia and Caldari have been a part of Austenasia since 2013 and 2014 respectively, making them some of the longest standing settlements in Austenasia history. Austenasia and the Times would like to wish Lord Gordon and Palasia all the best in the future. Austenasia Notes
Results announced for Division elections
Results have been announced for yesterday’s election, the first for the new Divisions recently established for non-residential subjects. Three of the four Divisions had only a single candidate stand. Turnout in these Divisions was, as expected, accordingly quite low, although voters did have the option to vote for an abstention, which – should the majority of votes be cast for it – cause that specific election to be re-run with new candidates. However, the three Divisions with a single candidate all saw said candidate win comfortably. Lord Andrew Creed has been elected for the Britain and Ireland Division, Professor Sir Sanjib Bhattacharya for the Asia Division, and Sir Isaiah Burdette for the New World Division. Lord Creed received 100% of the vote, and both Professor Bhattacharya and Sir Isaiah received 80%. Many eyes were on the election for the Europe and Africa Division, which had three candidates standing; a record for a local election. With a turnout of 68.75% (11 out of 16 eligible voters), Dr Kalin Yanev narrowly won with 5 votes, with his opponents Nitan Kumar and Clemens Schumann receiving 4 and 2 respectively. The four newly elected Representatives take office today. Although, constitutionally speaking, new elections do not now have to take place for up to five years, the Prime Minister Lord William has stated he would prefer elections to take place much more frequently in Divisions so as to encourage political engagement and ensure democratic mandates.
Candidates announced for non-residential elections
Nominations have closed and candidates have been announced for the elections taking place on July 31st. The upcoming elections are a historic first, being for the Divisions established at the start of the month to represent non-residential subjects in Parliament. Any non-residential subject – that is, an Austenasian not living within an Austenasian land claim – will be entitled to vote for a Representative, depending on the region of the world in which they live. Of the four Divisions into which the Empire’s non-residential subjects were placed, three returned only a single candidate for Representative. Professor Sir Sanjib Bhattacharya is standing for Asia, Lord Andrew Creed is standing for Britain and Ireland, and Sir Isaiah Burdette is standing for the New World. The non-residentials of these Divisions will therefore have the option to either vote for the sole candidate or to abstain. Should the majority of votes be abstentions, the election will be re-run for that Division, with those eligible to do so invited again to stand. Professor Bhattacharya has served in various diplomatic capacities for the Empire since 2015, and has had an award-winning career in translation and education. Lord Creed is the incumbent Home Secretary, and took part in the Cabinet discussions for the naturalisation and representation initiative that has culminated in these elections. Sir Isaiah is one of the newly-naturalised Austenasians whose entry into the Empire made these elections so necessary, and has held various roles within the Grand Unified Micronational. The Europe and Africa Division, on the other hand, has had three different candidates stand. Perhaps the most well-known of these three candidates is H.E. Nitan Kumar, Austenasia’s ceremonial Ambassador to Ukraine, whose safety has been of concern due to living in the beleaguered city of Kharkiv, in which he has organised humanitarian relief. The other two candidates for the non-residential subjects of Europe and Africa are Mr Clemens Schumann and Dr Kalin Yanev, both of whom joined Austenasia in May. Mr Schumann is running on a liberal left-wing platform, and Dr Yanev has expressed interest in developing Austenasian culture, having been conducting research on the organisation of societies and cultures for over 15 years. Votes will be counted and the duly elected Representatives announced and take office on Tuesday 1st August, replacing four Acting Representatives appointed by Parliament upon the creation of the Divisions.
Prince Dionisiy elected Prime Minister
HSH Dionisiy I, Prince of Montescano and Duke of Lycaonia, has been elected the fourth Prime Minister of Austenasia with 52.27% of the vote in a closely-fought election. His rival candidate, Lord John Gordon, received 40.91% of the vote, whereas an option to Abstain – which, if it gained a majority, would have forced fresh elections – received 6.82% of the vote. This translates to twenty-three, eighteen, and three votes respectively from the forty-four Austenasian subjects who voted yesterday. With fifty-nine of Austenasia’s population eligible to vote, this was a 74.58% turnout. Lord Gordon campaigned on a platform of social democracy and progressivism, but also pledged to nationalise private businesses. Dionisiy’s campaign promises focused on promoting the Romano-Christian culture of the Empire, as well as implementing internet-based referenda on important legislative issues. Despite criticism from some quarters for referring to “climate change hysterica”, the Prince has also pledged to minimise Austenasia’s carbon footprint, and is currently overseeing the construction of a solar farm in Seleucia ad Cilicia. Prince Dionisiy is expected to release a Prime Minister’s Broadcast tonight detailing his plans for the rest of the year. As well as the general election, local elections for Representative took place in the towns of Palasia, Gebirgspark, Chalcedon and Nahona. Palasia saw its incumbent, Dionisiy’s rival Lord Gordon, re-elected, whereas the other three towns had the Acting Representatives appointed upon their annexations (Lord Kristof Fondrk, Lord Ismetcan Sarac, and King William I, respectively) elected to the position proper.
General election takes place after New Virginia given independence
Yesterday saw New Virginia set up an independent state under outgoing Prime Minister, Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy. Tomorrow will see the Lord Admiral’s successor take office as Prime Minister. Austenasia’s sixth general election is currently underway, as Prince Dionisiy I and Lord John Gordon battle for the public’s votes to become the fourth Prime Minister of Austenasia. As announced at Christmas, the towns of New Richmond, Terentia and Augusta were yesterday granted independence from Austenasia as the newly independent Commonwealth of New Virginia. An uninhabited part of Augusta has been retained by Austenasia as the territory of Fraternitas, which now borders both New Virginia and the United States of America. Yesterday also saw the Crown Dependency of Oregonia leave Austenasia. Although it did not likewise join New Virginia, the decision to dissolve the crown dependency by its governing commissioner, Adam I of Uberstadt, was based partially on the departure of Lord Admiral Kennedy from government. Although these losses only saw Austenasia lose 3.28% of its land claims, the population has dropped from 102 to 80. Outgoing Prime Minister, Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, has published a speech for the occasion: My fellow Austenasians – as you all know, yesterday, the Commonwealth of New Virginia seceded from the Empire. Today marks a general election, and my last day as Prime Minister of the Empire of Austenasia. Together, we’ve built this nation up as a testament to the success a small country can achieve. Our nation has gone from a small home south of London with four residents to a vast empire on which the sun never sets, from North America to Australia. We are one of, if not the, largest functioning democracies in the community of small nations, and it has been my absolute pleasure to oversee this growth for almost five years now. We’ve accomplished a lot since I assumed the office of Prime Minister back in 2015. We’ve expanded our territories exponentially and more than doubled our population. We’ve established ourselves as a military superpower in our community. We secured peace in New South Scotland, and returned full administration of that crown dependency to the central government. We’ve reformed the executive branch to ensure ministerial accountability to the Prime Minister’s Office and to Parliament through ministerial reports. We’ve made Parliament more accountable to the people through the reformation of our elections and the introduction of the Parliamentary Gazette. We’ve completely reformed our judiciary and introduced the Ministry of Justice. We’ve introduced the Ministry of Culture, which has undertaken various efforts such as a registry of historic locations. We’ve reformed the way Parliament operates through the Parliament Act 2019. We’ve amended our Constitution twice through national referenda. The Empire as it stands today, the last day of my term, is vastly different from the one I knew when I came to office, and I am very proud – not of myself, but of the Austenasian people, because my team and I couldn’t have accomplished any of this without your mandate and support. I cannot possibly articulate my appreciation for you, my fellow Austenasians, and for the opportunity you have given me to be your highest elected official. As I leave this noble office, I can say wholeheartedly that this Empire is better than ever. As I’ve said, I’m eternally grateful for my time as Prime Minister of the Empire of Austenasia. Personally, I’ve grown as an individual during my time in office. I was sixteen years old when I took office, and I am twenty-one years old as I leave. I’ve spent the most important formative years of my life as the head of government of a micronational superpower, and it has been a surreal and incredible experience. We have, as stated, accomplished a vast number of reforms and growth. Speaking now as Chairman of the Provisional Council of New Virginia, I affirm that the Commonwealth will take great measures to ensure the fraternal bonds shared by our peoples, for which the Territory of Fraternitas is so aptly named, continue to thrive. I am very, very excited to see where our national friendship will take us in the future. I am furthermore announcing the dissolution of the Imperial Party. The party has achieved a great deal of success in the Empire, however the bulk of its membership has amicably departed for the Commonwealth. I thank the party’s many supporters for the confidence they placed in me as Leader of the Imperial Party. After discussion with the Emperor, it has been decided that I will stay on as the Emperor’s deputy in North America as Caesar, the Chief Advisor of the Privy Council, and will assume a seat in the Illustrious Senate. While I leave my high offices and retract from political life within the Empire, I will remain a trusted friend and advisor to the Monarch, government and people of Austenasia. I wish the best of luck to whoever is elected to assume the premiership. I thank you, my fellow subjects, for your continued confidence in myself and my team over the past five years. Serving as Prime Minister has been one of the most challenging – yet rewarding – experiences of my life, and I’m proud to leave the Empire in a better place than I found it. God bless you all, and God save the Emperor. The results of today’s election will be announced on the morning of Thursday 13th.
Kennedy re-elected in landslide as Clark drops out of election
HIH Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, Duke of Bohemia has been re-elected as Prime Minister with 86.84% of the vote after his sole opponent, Lord Anthony Clark, announced the day before the election that he no longer wished to run. Despite the announcement, Clark – the Representative of Amerdansk – still received 5.26% of the vote; the option to abstain (which, if it gained a majority, would have forced fresh elections) gained 7.89% of the vote. The election saw a total turnout of 73.08%, with thirty eight of the fifty two subjects eligible to vote doing so. Every Town of the Empire saw a 100% turnout, with the exception of Clark’s town, Amerdansk, from which no votes were reported. Just under half – 47.6% – of the Empire’s twenty one non-residential subjects voted. Kennedy’s victory of 86.84% is the most decisive in any general election since that of January 2009, when the then Crown Prince Jonathan was unanimously elected Prime Minister by all four subjects of the new Empire. A victory speech from the re-elected Prime Minister is expected to be published shortly.
Lord Admiral Kennedy and Lord Clark selected as general election candidates
Emperor Jonathan I has chosen the candidates for next month’s general election. HIH Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, the incumbent Prime Minister, will be running for re-election against Lord Anthony Clark, Baron of Amerdansk. The general election will take place on 28 February, with campaigning now starting to get underway. Lord Admiral Kennedy is leader of the Imperial Party, the sole political party currently registered in Austenasia. Lord Anthony announced his intention to stand for election back in December 2018, and has already published a campaign website. Lord Admiral Kennedy has served as Prime Minister since the previous general election in 2015, and also holds the rank of Caesar. As Representative of New Richmond – the most populous Austenasian land claim – he holds a large advantage in terms of predicted votes. Lord Anthony Clark joined Austenasia in 2016 as the Governor of Amerdansk, which in August last year transitioned into a Town. Since 14 January, Lord Clark has served as Minister of Defence. 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).
General Election called for 28 February
His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has called a general election for 28 February 2019. Under the Constitution, the election would have had to have taken place on or before 3 March, which will be four years since the previous general election in 2015. Until 31 January, Representatives will be able to apply to the Monarch to be appointed Candidates for the election. The Monarch is obliged to appoint at least two Candidates from those who apply, with any others being appointed at his discretion. The month of February will be spent by the Candidates campaigning for election, with votes being cast on the 28th and the victorious candidate taking office on 1 March. The incumbent Prime Minister, HIH Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, is expected to run for a second term, and Lord Anthony Clark of Amerdansk announced on 31 December an intention to also stand for election. No other Representatives have so far publicly announced an intention to run, although Lady Vice Admiral Eryn Lewis of Terentia has indicated a desire to stand if Lord Admiral Kennedy decides not to do so.
