BREAKING: John Carter Resigns From Government, Seat

In a shocking and unexpected announcement, Defence Commissioner John Carter has this afternoon announced his immediate resignation from the Cabinet, and more shockingly the Democratic Party, reportedly in protest against Prime Minister Walters’ hard right-wing economic policies. Carter, who has always been seen to be on the left-wing of the Democratic Party having formerly been a member of the Social Democratic Party before it joined with the DPE early this year, is understood to have originally accepted the posting of Defence Commissioner because of its generally apolitical and non-ideological nature. Under current laws, resigning from the Democratic Party means that Carter has resigned his seat in the National People’s Assembly as a consequence of a change in declared political allegiance. It is understood he will contest the resulting by-election, standing on a Social Liberty Party ticket.

Assembly to Debate Proposed New Constitution

The National People’s Assembly will this evening convene to debate the Democratic government’s proposed new National Constitution as it goes forward for its Second Reading – the first time legislators will be able to discuss the proposed new document, which began its legislative journey a week ago. It is the second of eight stages that a new Constitution must go through before it can achieve final ratification, and one of three in which it is debated formally by members of the Assembly. After tonight’s discussion, expected to be attended by most AMs, the proposed new Constitution will go forward to a committee phase where it will be subjected to extensive crossbrench scrutiny and be amended where necessary. Tonight’s debate will be the first time the government and opposition go head-to-head on a major political issue in the Assembly, and will be seen as a test of Prime Minister Walters’ strength and suitability to lead the nation in domestic affairs.

Post Claims Evidence of Lethler Corruption Scandal Unveiled

The Sacria Post, Erusia’s popular internal newspaper which is available solely to citizens of the nation, is reportedly printing a story tomorrow that alleges Robert Lethler may have seriously breached the corruption laws of his own government in one of his final decisions as Supreme People’s Commissioner of the Democratic People’s Republic in June 2009. The Post is expected to report that the former President elevated an active member of a religious institution to the National People’s Executive Committee, entirely aware of the conflict of religious and State interests – an act that constituted the criminal corruption under Erusian law at the time, and still does until the Religious Freedom and Liberalisation Bill 2010 becomes law sometime in the next two months. A spokesperson for the National Unity Party leader and former Communist Party chief officially denied the allegations if they are indeed to be printed, asserting that the story is “a complete and utter fabrication” and that “Mister Lethler would be found innocent of wrongdoing in any subsequent criminal prosecution”.

Under Lethler’s leadership, the Erusian National Communist Party took a hardline stance against allowing religious sympathies to influence the State, passing a range of laws that prohibiting “active members” of religious institutions from holding public office or standing for election. This ultra-secularism was opposed by the democracy movement, which alleges that such laws were used to repress its activities and prevent the appointment of more liberal, religious Communists to public office. Such assertions have been denied by all three major religious societies in Erusia.

Former Premier, ENCP Breakaways Form New Party

In a shocking announcement that will have sent shivers down the spine of National Unity Party leader Robert Lethler, former Communist Premier and long-time democracy activist James Marshall has this morning announced that he is breaking away from the National Unity Party to found a new political party – the Social Liberty Party – with the six Communist Party officials who left the ENCP after Kenneth Maisano was elected to serve as its leader. Marshall has not yet issued an official statement, but he has denied that the move is a result of his being snubbed by the NUP leadership and sent to the political wilderness after he lost his seat at the last election. No other NUP members are likely to follow, but the split will almost certainly hurt the party at the polls and risks dividing their vote in any future election. Another Social Liberty Party existed from December 2008 to January 2009 before being merged into the ENCP. The party is technically Erusia’s fourth political party, but the People’s Revolutionary Party failed to register with the Electoral Commission last month and so has lost its status.

Humphreys Confirms Emergency Budget

Taylor Humphreys, the National People’s Executive Commissioner for the Treasury and the man newly responsible for Erusia’s national economy and one of the leading figures on the right-wing of the Democratic Party, has announced at today’s session of the National People’s Assembly that the Government will be bringing forward an Emergency Budget Maintenance Bill for approval by the Assembly on August 15th – the beginning of the final quarter of this financial year – that will amend the Appropriations Act 2009 and make widespread changes to the final quarterly provisions of the budget passed by the Kai Roosevelt in November 2009.

In his statement to the Assembly, Humphreys accused the previous National government of destructive spending and reckless management of long-term successes, being particularly critical of his predecessor James Marshall. He said that the government’s promise of 22% economic growth at the end of this year had been an “unattainable fantasy” that “no sane person could believe”. Humphreys announced that he would radically cut the existing budget as much as possible and in doing so increase economic growth from approximately 11% to 15%, four points closer to the previous government target. He promised that in his first full budget in November the government would be brutal with austerity measures. Patricia Stewart, Shadow Commissioner for the Treasury, has denounced the cuts as “barbaric” and “totally unjusitifed”.

BREAKING: Government Regains Control of E-mail, Most Organs

The Government has tonight officially regained control of its official e-mail account and the vast majority of State organs, having succeeded in overturning the security provisions of Operation Luxemburg and regaining control of much of the nation, though the Liberation Army remains a strong military force to be dealt with. Though details are not yet known, it is believed that a plan developed by Prime Minister Walters and NUP leader Robert Lethler is responsible for the crucial victory, which sees the Government effectively restored to power. A statement is expected in the next few hours.

Government Alliance Issues Final Ultimatum to Rebels

At a demonstration by supporters of the Government today, President Jenkins – one of the most influential leaders of the NUP and the most respected figure in the democracy movement – has today announced that he has written a letter counter-signed by the Prime Minister ordering the rogue elements of the Army to stand down by 10pm tonight or “face the consequences”. President Jenkins said that the Government was “preparing to take brutal crushing action” that would “effectively turn the coup into less than a farmhold rebellion”, and urges rogue Army personnel to turn themselves in promising that the courts “would show mercy and grant clemency” to “those who simply followed orders as loyal soldiers”. The news was met by jubilation from demonstrators, who were made up of supporters of both major parties.

Crossparty Delegation Arrives in Yongheng to Seek Assistance

A crossparty delegation from the Government and the Opposition has this afternoon arrived in the People’s Republic of Yongheng, a long-time ally and largely isolationist micronation that borders Erusia, to meet with President Tong Zhi to discuss the possibility of extraordinary Yonghengese military support. It is understood that the Yonghengese government is not yet minded to support either side in the conflict, being the only foreign nation that has the potential to actually intervene in the civil war with serious effect. It is known that Foreign Commissioner James Brady is heading the delegation, and that a telephone conversation has taken place between the Prime Minister and the Yonghengese Premier prior to the meeting.

Katrina Walters Speaks For First Time Since Coup

Prime Minister Katrina Walters has tonight delivered a special address to the nation and the intermicronational community, rejecting the military coup and asserting that her government will soon have control of Erusia again, even if it means fighting a protracted civil war.

My friends,

You all know the simply awful events that have unfolded in our country. I really can’t believe that we find ourselves at the start of a civil war less then two weeks after our election victory. The liberation army has seized control of our country illegally. They hide behind ancient laws, but even the Communist controlled supreme court has declared this is a coup. I really don’t think any of us thought that the Communists would stoop so slow to try and regain power like this. But they have, showing TOTAL disregard for your democratic rights. They would deprive us of everything we have fought so hard to achieve and have been still fighting to win: democracy. Freedom. Liberty. The rule of law. The right to believe and say what you want when and where you want to say it. These are values EVERY Erusian should cherish, and they’re values that the army is treading on and trying to take away from us all.

It’s true that we’ve lost control of most government bodies. Sadly my friends, we hadn’t been in power long enough to even start closing all of the holes in our security left behind by the old regime. The army took advantage of this and decided to make their move when we were helpless to stop them. If they’d hit us earlier in the day we might have been able to hold our ground better, stop them from taking complete power. But don’t think that the situation is going to stay like this. When we came to power I promised you all we’d fight for reform and now we WILL fight for our right to government, for YOUR right to CHOSE YOUR GOVERNMENT. My government is NEVER going to accept defeat and let the army get away with what its done. Not even if it means sending our country into civil war.

This government very much remains in charge in Erusia. We have legitimacy. The People chose us to lead and the People will follow us, NOT the army who represent a tiny minority of this country. Even the Nationals and the army itself are divided in two by this action. President Jenkins has sided with us despite many of his comrades supporting the actions of the army. We have been joined in defending the democratic rights of the People too by Robert Lethler and Charles Ryan who are helping us to plan our response to the Army, and by other sympathetic Communist leaders like Yusuf Tehrani and Gerald Goldstone. Their help is invaluable and it warms my heart to see that they’ve joined us, accepting our right to rule even though they agree with virtually nothing we stand for. It’s a true testement to the spirit of our country that we can join together like this in the face of such a huge challenge.

So let me promise you all this now: we WILL defeat this coup and we WILL protect the People from the aggression of the army. By working together as a country and single people we can drive back this force, and restore the rule of law. I implore all citizens to take to civil disobedience against the armed forces and show them that you want democracy, not fascism. Don’t let them take away our dream for a better Erusia. I ask too that every country that values democracy and liberty join with us peacefully and keep denouncing this coup. Your support is cherished and invaluable. We don’t want foreign military support because we’re going to deal with this the Erusian way – independently and with the kind of courage and dignity that those bastards in the army lack. We hope to have a temporary e-mail set up soon to communicate with the world until we have control of the main account back.

Thank you friends. I promise this will be over as soon as possible.

President Urges Army to Stand Down

Carwyn Jenkins, the President of the Democratic People’s Republic and one of the most influential members of the National Unity Party, has today condemned the Liberation Army coup and has called upon “all soldiers loyal to the People’s Revolution” to “stand down and throw down their arms”. He cited the recent Supreme People’s Court ruling that the coup is completely illegal, and called upon the Erusian people to “rise up against this power clique and smash them before they implant themselves”. He said that the reform movement had “come too far to be defeated now”.