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.

Fears grow for Austenasians in Ukraine

Two Austenasian residents have been drafted by the Ukrainian military to defend the country against the ongoing Russian invasion. Chersoneses, a large Austenasian crown dependency comprised mostly of farmland, was annexed from Ukraine in June 2020. Chersoneses is home to its governing commissioner Taras Oliynyk and his father. Concerns were raised for the Oliynyks after Russian forces crossed the border into Ukraine and fighting broke out. They were drafted into the Ukrainian military on 22 February, and as such are in great danger. The Ukrainian land bordering Chersoneses itself is not thought to yet be occupied by Russian forces, but missiles have hit the nearby city of Mykolaiv. Another figure who has been put in danger is Austenasia’s unaccredited Ambassador to Ukraine, H.E. Nitan Kumar. In communications with the Foreign Office, Mr Kumar confirmed his safety. However, he lives near to the city of Kharkiv, which is currently under attack from the Russian military. Mr Kumar has pledged to provide the government with any updates regarding his situation. Soon after Russian forces initially crossed the border into the separatist republics in the east of the country, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor publicly asked for prayers to be said for peace in Ukraine. In the past few hours, the Austenasian government has released a statement on the unfolding situation, authored by the Prime Minister, Lord William Wilson, and given the backing of the House of Representatives in a unanimous vote of support earlier today: “In light of the disgraceful events which have transpired in the past 48 hours, the Austenasian government makes its position clear and condemns the actions of the Russian Federation and its military. The unlawful invasion of the Ukrainian Republic, as well as the dangerous and inflammatory rhetoric used against former Soviet republics is not conducive to amicable relations. Our territories enclaved within the Ukraine and the Baltic state of Estonia and the residents thereof have become endangered by these actions. Peace, particularly in the continent of Europe, is paramount and any action which infringes it cannot be tolerated. We hope, that in the following days a ceasefire may be negotiated and hostilities completely terminated thereafter. We urge the greater international theater to impose whatever peaceable restrictions available to best incentivize a return to peace.”