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.

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.

Countess Eritoshi elected Prime Minister

Her Imperial Highness Countess Eritoshi of Memphis has been elected Prime Minister of Austenasia in the General Election held yesterday, receiving two-thirds of the votes. The remaining one-third of the vote went to Lord John Gordon of Palasia, who has become Deputy Prime Minister. Surprisingly, Lord Marshal William – the third candidate, and Acting PM before the election – did not receive a single vote in the General Election. He and Eritoshi had been considered by many to be the two with the most chance of winning the election. A Local Election took place at the same time. All those elected Representatives gained 100% of the vote in their respective Towns, with nobody choosing the option to abstain from the election implemented in response to only one person running for each office. In Wrythe, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor was re-elected Representative, winning back the seat which he lost to his sister the then Princess Caroline in December 2011. In Zephyria, Lord Marshal William was re-elected Representative, a position he has held uninterruptedly since September 2010. In Thanasia, Countess Eritoshi was elected Representative, having been Acting Representative since Thanasia was annexed in May earlier this year. In Palasia, Lord John Gordon was elected Representative, having been Acting Representative since Palasia was annexed in July earlier this year. Emperor Jonathan I has congratulated Countess Eritoshi on her victory, and has also announced a Cabinet reshuffle, with his sister Crown Princess Caroline no longer a Representative. He himself has replaced the Crown Princess as Chancellor and Secretary-General, and Lord John Gordon has replaced Lord Marshal William as Home Secretary, but the Lord Marshal has kept his other two Cabinet offices as Minister of Defence and Minister for the Environment, and Countess Eritoshi has remained Chief Ambassador. Turnout was 81.8% for the Local Election and 60% for the General Election.

Candidates for Prime Minister announced

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has approved three applicant Representatives as Candidates for Prime Minister. Emperor Jonathan I made the announcement this morning on the Facebook group for Austenasia and in several Skype chatrooms used by various politicians and diplomats from around the community of small nations. HIH Countess Eritoshi of Memphis (Acting Representative of Thanasia), Lord Marshal William of Zephyria, and Lord John Gordon of Palasia have all been approved by the Emperor as Candidates. Under Austenasian law, any Representative or Acting Representative can apply to stand for Prime Minister, but must be approved by the Monarch to do so. A recent poll on the Facebook group “MicroGroup” revealed Countess Eritoshi as the clear favourite to win amongst foreign observers in the MicroWiki community, but it is unlikely that domestic votes will be so one-sided. It is expected for each candidate to secure the votes from their Towns – two from Thanasia for Countess Eritoshi, three from Zephyria for Lord Marshal William, and three from Palasia for Lord John – but it is not known how the three voters of Wrythe or the four non-residential subjects eligible to take part will cast their votes. The election will take place on 18 November, alongside a Local Election for Representatives. Even if the winner of the General Election loses their seat as a Representative in the Local Election, they will remain Prime Minister, as was the case with the now Emperor in the December 2011 elections.

Elections announced for 18 November

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has announced that a General and a Local Election will take place on 18 November later this year. All subjects of the Empire will be permitted to vote for the new Prime Minister, and for their local Representatives. Although General and Local Elections do not have to coincide, they also did so on the last time they were held, 23 December 2011. A General Election must take place at least every four years, and a Local Election must take place at least every two years. The Monarch has the power to call both kinds of election, but the Prime Minister has the power to call a General Election should they wish. Lord Marshal William has been Acting Prime Minister since his predecessor ascended the Throne in January as Emperor Jonathan I. It is thought that the Lord Marshal will run in the General Election, although no formal applications for candidacy have yet been made. Only Representatives or Acting Representatives can run for Prime Minister, but must be approved by the Monarch to do so. The Monarch must approve at least two Representatives. The following is a timeline of how events will play out: 30 September: From this date, any willing Representatives may apply to be approved as Candidates for the General Election by the Emperor. 21 October: The period in which Representatives can apply to become Candidates ends. The Emperor must have approved at least two Candidates by this date. The official campaigning period for the General Election begins. 28 October – 4 November: Any willing residential subject (or residents which fulfil the criteria of the Resident Representatives Act 2011) may publicly announce that they are standing for Representative of their Town. After this period, no new candidates for Representative may stand. 4 November – 18 November: The official campaigning period for the Local Election. 18 November: The General and Local Election. Every subject of the Empire may vote for one of the Candidates to become Prime Minister, and every residential subject may vote for one of those standing to be elected Representative of their Town. Votes are sent to the Monarch and the Secretary-General to be counted and verified. 19 November: The results are announced and the victors of the election take office.