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PM White: New Virginian government “not legally dissolved”
New Virginia’s elected Prime Minister, Sir Simon White, together with other leading New Virginians, have come out in explicit opposition to Thursday’s “29th of July Movement” revolution supported by President Brooklyn Kennedy.
Prime Minister White released a statement yesterday afternoon New Virginia time, countersigned by Deputy Prime Minister James Frisch, Speaker of the House and First Ambassador James Stewart, Adam I in his capacity as President of the Senate, and local governor Lord William Wilson (who is titled as a ceremonial co-founder of the nation).
In their announcement, they argued “that the Revolution is an unlawful insurrection, that the President has abused her emergency powers, and that Parliament and the government were not legally dissolved. We stand for the Constitution of the Commonwealth of New Virginia; we stand against the great peril the 29th of July Movement places the Commonwealth in. We will be releasing a comprehensive argument against the Revolution, ideally in a week or two; thereafter, an alternative path forward will be presented […] Long live the Commonwealth!”
A “24th of July Movement” has therefore been formed, composed of the elected Prime Minister and other supporters of the constitution in opposition to the revolutionary “29th of July Movement” calling for its overthrow.
President Kennedy responded by calling them “reactionaries”, a label which White rejected, and asked whether they planned to put down the revolution by force.
The Prime Minister stated that the 24th of July Movement “isn’t a movement about stopping the Revolution by force” but “through good reasoning”, and that they “hope a rebuke will help you [i.e., Kennedy] to realize that you have not considered the voices of all New Virginians, only your narrow focus on those with socialist mindsets.”
White further called for a constitutional convention to be called to resolve the crisis and its underlying causes.
Imperium Park designated national monument
A charter was signed on Wednesday 28th July bestowing national monument status on Imperium Park in Nahona.
The charter, signed by Emperor Jonathan I in his capacity as Minister for Culture and by Lord William Wilson, Representative of Nahona, provides for the maintenance and preservation of the park.
Spanning just over 140 square feet, Imperium Park is a recreational area dedicated to Austenasian and Imperial history.
It was unveiled on Independence Day 2020, with work having begun in May earlier that year.
The most prominent feature of Imperium Park is the Imperium Monument, composed of the Columna Passus Imperatori and the Vallum Austenum. The former is a limestone column inscribed with the names of the incumbent Augusti and Caesari at the time of its construction, whereas the latter is a perimeter wall inscribed with heraldry.
The park also contains a seating area and spaces for the display of temporary art exhibits. Work on the continued beautification and maintenance of the park is ongoing.
Imperium Park is only the third site to be granted national monument status, giving it official recognition as a “site or structure within Austenasia of importance to the culture and/or history” of the Empire.
Coup underway in New Virginia
Chaos erupted yesterday in the Commonwealth of New Virginia as President Kennedy suspended the constitution in response to a declaration of “revolution” before joining it herself.
Events began when Elizabeth Lewis published a poster in the “Announcements” channel on the official New Virginian Discord server.
Headed by a picture of Karl Marx, this poster called for an overthrow of the constitutional order, the “building of a socialist… state and party” and “the deportation of dangerous right wing figures”, before declaring “Long live the New Virginian revolution”.
A second graphic was then posted calling for the removal of Bradley of Dullahan, the Leader of the Opposition.
President Brooklyn Kennedy responded by assuming emergency powers, using the authority granted to her by the Constitution to suspend it “for the time being”, and announcing that all powers of state would be exercised by the Presidency until New Virginia could “return to a state of normalcy”.
Under ten minutes later, Kennedy made a second announcement, declaring her support for the “29th of July Movement” revolution. Claiming that the New Virginian parliament was “rife with reactionaries, racists, and elitists”, she stated that the “time has come for these men to be purged”.
The President went on to announce that all political parties were immediately dissolved, and power would be held by a Revolutionary Committee comprised of three people appointed and chaired by herself.
Sir Simon White, the New Virginian Prime Minister, refused to support the 29th of July Movement, stating “I cannot in good conscience support this insurrection. To outlaw reactionary partisanship is indeed a noble policy, but the outlawing of conservatism in general is utterly repugnant to this nation.”
It is furthermore being reported that Adam I of Adammia, who also serves as President of the Senate of New Virginia, has called on the Constitution to be immediately restored and for a general election to be called, criticising the committee for its lack of democratic mandate.
Adammia has announced that it has suspended relations with New Virginia, and Wyvern has indicated that it does not recognise the Revolutionary Committee as the legitimate government of the country.
In Austenasia, meanwhile, Cabinet met online to discuss the situation, and the following statement was co-authored by Emperor Jonathan I, Prime Minister Lord Gordon, and Deputy PM Lord Wilson:
“A hand of friendship, as always, is extended to the New Virginian people, but we cannot recognise an illegitimate government. If the situation has not been resolved with respect to the democratic rights and representation of all New Virginians within the next 36 hours, we will consider the New Virginian government to have fallen and therefore be incapable of maintaining diplomatic relations.”
Talks had been in the process of being arranged between Austenasian and New Virginian officials to discuss the way forward following the events of last month.
However, following the news of the ongoing coup in New Virginia, the House of Representatives met and voted on a motion calling for the Empire to withdraw from the alliance it still formally held with New Virginia. Independently, eighteen minutes later, the Revolutionary Committee likewise voted to sever the alliance.
Bradley von Dullahan later announced the unilateral secession of Helinium – the New Virginian claim governed by himself – from the Commonwealth, interpreting the rhetoric used by Kennedy and the other revolutionaries as thinly-veiled threats against his own position.
Lord William Wilson, who also serves as a local governor in New Virginia, said the following: “This coup is of a blatantly authoritarian nature, with a small cabal of politically aligned individuals surrounding the President. They have suspended their constitution and legislature, threatened the exile of political opposition, and used rhetoric of death to ‘capitalists’ and ‘reactionaries’.” He also accused the revolutionaries of seeking to turn New Virginia into an “echo chamber”.
Kennedy and Lewis have objected to this summary of events, stating they were “not just removing people for disagreeing with us”. They pointed out that von Dullahan left of his own accord – although Lewis later commented that he “left before he could be kicked [out]” – and argued that he could not technically be considered a political opponent of theirs as they both hold non-partisan offices.
Bradley of Dullahan provided the following exclusive statement to the Times:
“For a long time Brooke [Kennedy] and Elizabeth [Lewis] have been dissatisfied with the partisan politics that they enabled through the creation of the now abolished political system. It actually worked fine and was stable. A true multiparty system was developing slowly, with in my mind at least another party in the make. However, the government cabinet, as foolish as they were, schemed with the President to declare a fake emergency to amend the constitution. Now it has come to pass, they used some random offensive argument to push through their ideas and abolished the whole lot. Not at all what the Prime Minister had in mind.
They enabled the President by feeding her ideas that this was a good idea, and then when she took it a step further they were shocked and angry. However, my disappointment with New Virginia doesn’t end there. The entire justification of this inside coup (all members were government officials, so no “people’s revolution” at all) was on the basis of my person. They do not mention me by name, but every accusation they give is directly relatable to a warped and sickening view that Elizabeth has of me, which the President of the Commonwealth has adopted and used for the declaration. Its inaccurate, misleading, and highly offensive.
The President of the Commonwealth of New Virginia and all her cronies in the so-called commission for the salvation of New Virginia and everyone who joined in on the revolution are traitors. The rightful head of government is Simon White. They destroyed a nation without giving it time to grow.”
New Virginian Deputy PM James Frisch, who has refused to join the “29th of July Movement”, rejected the allegation that the government had “schemed with the President”, noting that the majority of the Cabinet has either opposed the revolution or kept silent.
Lewis was approached for further comment, together with another member of the Revolutionary Committee, but neither have so far replied.
Further updates will be posted as the situation develops.
Gordon not to stand in September general election
Parliament has authorised an early general election to take place this September, in which Lord John Gordon, incumbent Prime Minister, has said he will not stand for re-election.
Under the Elections Act 2020 passed in November last year, general elections are meant to be held every four years. However, exceptions can be made by Parliament, as took place this morning.
Although the next general election was not due until February 2024, it will now take place on 17 September later this year.
Lord Gordon is currently training with the British Army, and the increasing demands on his time have led to his decision not to run for re-election as Prime Minister.
Lord Gordon has served as Prime Minister since 1 June last year. Uniquely, rather than being elected, he was appointed directly to the position by Emperor Jonathan I after the latter assumed emergency powers to calm the May 2020 political crisis.
The new Gordon premiership saw a quick return to stability and normality, reaching a record-breaking growth in Austenasia’s population and land claims and a flowering of culture. The demographic changes accompanying this growth are another factor in the decision to call an early general election.
The candidates for the upcoming election will be confirmed by 20 August.
Another territory claimed as Hoagland ceded
Saturday 10th July saw Hoagland ceded back to the United States of America at the same time as a new territory was annexed from the same country.
Hoagland was claimed in July 2017 as an Austenasian Territory after previous periods under the sovereignty of Adammia and the Holy Roman Empire, and was governed by its founder, Grant Hawkins, who lived nearby.
Consisting of a grassy area bordered by Ohio, Hoagland was administered by Hawkins until earlier this year, when he and his family moved aware from the area. Hawkins was unable to find a replacement for the office of governor, and so the decision was made to dissolve the claim.
In a symbolic nod to their previous claims over the land, Adammia and the Holy Roman Empire have both been given a nominal chance to reclaim Hoagland before it is ceded back to the USA.
Simultaneously, however, a new Territory has been established with the annexation of Travarn.
Travarn is comprised of a wooded area and contains a hunting post. It is the personal property of Lord Hunter Prater, who has claimed it for Austenasia and been appointed its governor, and it is an enclave of north Alabama.
Travarn measures 40 acres, whereas Hoagland was just over a third of an acre; this exchange of claims has therefore been a large net territorial gain for Austenasia.
Former PM Kennedy: “I am a transgender woman”
The politician formerly known as Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy has announced that she is a transgender woman, and has changed her name to Brooklyn.
Kennedy served as Prime Minister between 2015 and 2020 before leading the amicable secession of New Virginia in February last year. She currently serves as its elected head of state as President.
Dame Brooklyn will no longer use the title of Caesar, which is for men only. Her other Austenasian titles – three titles of nobility, a peerage, and three knighthoods – will henceforth change to their female equivalents.
With respect to her Austenasian titles, she will therefore henceforth be known as Lady Admiral Brooklyn Kennedy, Duchess of New Royton.
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