Commonwealth swings into electoral mode

Tara, CCT- Electoral debate has flared up in the Commonwealth Capital with the current Taoiseach, Rakesh Ackbar, announcing his intention to run for a second term as Taoiseach against Aerlish Protector Lachlan Powers, who announced his candidacy some days earlier.

Ackbar and Powers made their first campaign speeches in the capital's Great Plaza during the week, with Powers speech "Plans for the Summer" followed by Ackbar's launch "Plans for the Winter". Whether the differences in proposed weather conditions will swing some voters is still undecided.

Powers stated in his speech that he wished to capitalise on the EIFA events coming to the Commonwealth over the summer to attract new visitors, while overhauling the electoral systems for both the Shahan-Ri and the Majlis-i-Dharma. He has also announced plans for the creation of a High Court and wishes to draw Commonwealth citizens back from Shireroth, where their participation is "...a sin to the rising sun itself...".

Ackbar focused in his speech on strengthening the power of the Commonwealth, and indicated taking action against nations of the Commonwealth who have recently moved away from democracy. He also seconded a number of the ideas put forward by Powers in his proposal. Powers was quick to attack the Taoiseach's proposal however, claiming it was a violation of the rights of the individual member states to run their affairs as they see fit.

It appears that, should no other candidate step up, this election may turn into a battle between those fighting for individual liberty in all nations and those fighting for the liberty of the member nations. Who will win, the National Liberals or the Individual Liberals? Find out by keeping tuned to the Apollo Inquisitor...

Treesia Celebrates Its Fifth Anniversary

HALBERD LIGHTHOUSE, SOVEREIGN ORDER OF TREESIA - Treesia celebrated its fifth anniversary today and the event was celebrated in style with key supporters being honoured with some unique awards.

Although it was originally founded back in the mists of micronational history by the infamous Thomas Hubert, it was refounded as the Barony of Treesia and Fabon on October 20th 2000 by Eoin Dornan, following a successful coup backed by the long-defunct Republic of Blackrock. Following a very successful period of expansion as the United Baronies, the focus in recent months has been as the Sovereign Order of Treesia, concentrating on preserving its heritage and co-founding the Grand Commonwealth.

The celebratory awards comprised the following honours:

The Medallion of the Orchids was awarded to Sir Thomas Cutterham in "recognition of his creative work for the Treesian Unorthodox Church", the Collar of Carradu was awarded to Sir Cesare Agosto for his "tenacious talents in the footballing arena", the Standard of the March Breeze was awarded to Sir Ardashir Osmani, for his efforts in "daring to invade Treesia every year for four years", the Golden Belt of Cynos was awarded to Squire Lachlan Powers for co-creating the Grand Commonwealth, while the Shield of the Silver Hind was awarded to Sir Eoin Dornan for "making it all possible in the first place".

World Cup Host Announced

Trenton-Corio, AU, Aerlig- EIFA Chairman Lachlan Powers today announced that the Republic of Karnali will host the fourth annual EIFA World Cup.

The Chairman made the announcement at the EIFA Headquarters in Trenton to a packed room, who were eagerly waiting to find out the host of the years biggest intermicronatonal event. The event has grown in past years with some 28 teams participating in last years Cup, which was held in Babkha.

Karnali is expected to get underway almost immediately with planning for the event, before calling for entries in early November. Powers stated that he was expecting around the same number of teams to participate in the competition again. It is believed that should large numbers of nations enter again, entry may be restricted to English speaking nations, after German nations invaded last years Cup.

Favourites for this year’s cup will remain Karnali, especially now that they have the home ground advantage. Traditional number ones Treesia are also expected to present a challenge for the cup, along with Babkha, who failed to make the finals when they hosted the tournament last year.

Camel Revolution Gives Democracy the Hump?

They call it the Camel Revolution. Named they say after the most distinctive traditional sights of Babkha, the omnipresent dromedary seen violating the traffic regulations of every souk and bazaar the length and breadth of the Kingdom, though cynics have questioned whether this represented an official branding exercise cashing in on the recent trend in naming illegal regime changes after objects or colours as part of an effort to make the changes seem popular.

His Imperial Majesty has been out in the bazaar addressing a band of loyal followers promising to turn around the Kingdom's fortunes by slaughtering one of the sacred cows of his majestic herd, the democratic constitution of Babkha.

For those browbeaten by the heady rhetoric of the Rakesh years and the bitter rivalry of the Behsaz and Rastakhiz parties the debate about ending the long established democratic traditions of the Kingdom must seem something of an anticlimax. That in some respects is the entire point.

Administrations have come and gone, some popular like the Grand Vizierate of Tahmaseb, some competent like the Namvari governments, some visionary like the first Ackbar term of office. However all since the heady days of the first Rastakhiz, engineered by the well-nigh deified Abbas Namvari, have been to a greater or lesser extent treading water. Structurally the Kingdom remains stuck in 2003, the bills are paid and the infrastructure maintained, but the laws that have been passed by successive Majlis-i-Mellats have been only indifferently observed and the Babkhan populace has more often than not opted to favour Behsazi opportunism over high-minded ideals.

Indeed in recent months the Majlis-i-Mellat ceased to function as an organised body. When asked to consider dissolving the Majlis and calling for yet another round of elections the Shah replied

"At the present time I do not believe democracy in Babkha is fit to survive."

And with that the Camel 'Revolution' had begun.

Three days of level headed discussion in the Kamalshahr bazaar preceded to whittle down the options for replacing the democratic system. Both Grand Commonwealth intervention and a state of emergency have been more or less ruled out. The solution, which has the support of the Grand Vizier, the Attorney General and several Satraps appears to centre around appointing new delegates to the Majlis-i-Mellat to vote the constitution out of existence and replace it with a new text which provides for a new merged executive-legislature based on the Shahanshah who would be granted greater powers of rule by decree and an assembly of the satraps, appointed by the Shahanshah on account of their activity and loyalty, the Majlis-i-Satrapan.

A farman appointing the new delegates to the Majlis-i-Mellat is expected shortly.

Istvanistan's Independence War

VLADOGRAD, COMMONWEALTH OBLAST [CHAOCRACY] OF ISTVANISTAN - In the wake of a spate of mutual annexations worthy of Yardistan itself the conflict between Istvanistan and the Grand Commonwealth is settling down into a more familiar story of a plucky anarchic and eccentric community waging a liberation war against the dry bureaucracy of an evil empire. A tale of nuclear eclairs and sandworms being pitched against each other in epic combat.

In spite of the resistance led by the self appointed Minister of Entropy Increasement Spetzjoe, the Commonwealth led by Protector AK Osmani has continued the pacification and reorganisation of the oblast by appointing an Oblastsatrapfuhrer and the patriation of Istvanistan's Liber Laws to the Hall of Six Pillars, the legislative archive of the Grand Commonwealth in its capital Sahanshai-Tara.

In other news Oblastsatrapfuhrer Stjepan Veliki, whose motto is 'they pretend to pay me and I pretend to work' has announced in his first 'five-minute plan' a reorganisation of Istvanistan set around the Municipality of Vladograd.

Meanwhile Commonwealth occupation forces are rumoured to be terrified by reported sightings of Granny Spetzjoe's radioactive bloomers in the Barents Sea.

Elwynn Pays Tribute to Babkha's Anniversary

Today the Shah of Babkha was honoured as a new Count in Elwynn as tribute to Babkha's fifth anniversary celebrations. Elwynn is a Barony of Shireroth, and the Shah was created the Count of Lesser Zjandaria by the Baron of Elwynn, RicLyon, and was bestowed a new County of the same name, incorporating three detached communes within Elwynn.

In his decree, the Baron of Elwynn said: "In honouring the foundation of the Babkhan nation and recognizing that so many people of this great Land of ours feel affection for their Babkhan nationhood and ethnicity, the Baronial Authority of this State feels that it is with all right that a county shall be created for them in the areas in which they form a distinct majority."

Shah Ardashir Osmani, in an exclusive interview with the Apollo Inquisitor, said: "We have been pleasantly surprised and honoured by this unexpected and most generous award from the Baron of Elwynn. As Count we promise to rule wisely and firmly with traditional Babkhan humour and fair play, and also to demonstrate the respect and hospitality towards our neighbours for which we are so rightly famous."

Babkha Celebrates Fifth Anniversary With Multitudinous Honours

The Kingdom of Babkha celebrated its fifth anniversary today by awarding Honours to many prominent micronationalists, past and present. The Honours were announced in an Imperial Farman issued by His Majesty the Shah, Ardashir Osmani, to celebrate Foundation Day.

His Majesty said: "May all who have received these awards be rightly celebrated for their achievements and their contributions to the continued prosperity of the Kingdom and the Micronational community in general, as is their right. Let us also remember that Babkha has had a long and varied history and that this fifth anniversary of the declaration of sovereignty by the revered and immortal Babak Shahanshah back in October of 2000 is far from being the end of the Babkhan story. Gentlemen I pray I shall see you all for the sixth anniversary of our glorious kingdom, a leading light of the Grand Commonwealth of nations, the vibrant cultural legacy of our sector."

The Honours awarded consist of five different ranks, relating to specific fields of achievement and loyalty. The foremost Honour is that of the Nishan i-Rastakhiz, awarded to foreign Heads-of-State, who best reflect the spirit and positive values of the Babkhan Rastakhiz on the international stage, and who are considered warm allies of the Kingdom.

The Nishan i-Rastakhiz was awarded to King Charles Augustus II of the Kingdom of Gotzborg, Emperor Harald Thorstein of the Sovereign Empire of Stormark, Kaiser Yarad I of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth, Emperor Edgard Portela of the Empire of the Alexandrians, King Chas Jar'go of Alteria, Ramu Taiçardainre I of Lemuria, Tribune Extreme of the Republic of Karnali, Protector Lachlan Powers of the Republic of Aerlig, and Chancellor Sir Iain de Vembria of the Sovereign Order of Treesia.

The next Honour is that of the Nishan-i-Taj, awarded for services to the Kingdom. The recipients were Shahan-Ri and Satrap Tahmaseb Abakhtari, Sultan Mohammed al-Baqir, the Amir Shervanis, Mirza Satrap Darius Rugahi, Satrap Yaghoub Ahmad Vembriani, Satrap Edward Benazir Shahzamini, Satrap Rashid Arsalani, Satrap William Bagram, Satrap Rakesh Ackbar, Satrap Yuri Zhivago, and the Honourable Hesam Jahandar.

The Honour of Nishan-i-Khurshid is a miltary order for service in the face of the enemy, and was given to the Amir Shervanis, Admiral Dugobert Wurmster, and Tribune & Commonwealth Defence Chancellor Extreme007.

Nobility is rewarded with the Nishan-i-Shir, for notable gallantry in the face of the enemy. King Charles Augustus II of the Kingdom of Gotzborg and Tribune & Commonwealth Defence Chancellor Extreme007 were the recipients.

Finally, the order of the Nishan-i-Liaqat, for those who deserve to be rewarded for their contributions to Babkhan and Micronational culture, arts and literature, was conferred upon Kaiser Yarad I of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth, Mirza Satrap Darius Rugahi, Satrap Yaghoub Ahmad Vembriani, Protector Lachlan Powers of the Republic of Aerlig, Satrap Rakesh Ackbar, the Honourable Hesam Jahandar, and the Honourable Arch-Infidel Scott Alexander.

Shireroth Gets Paranoid Over and Suspends Immigration

SHIREKEEP, SHIREROTH - Shireroth's much-vaunted recent recruitment campaign seems to have spectactularly backfired this evening, when the entire immigration process was suspended indefinitely as a result of the growing realisation that acquiring as many new citizens as it did was useless if they had nothing to do and kept disappearing as a result.

The unprecendented panic measure was introduced this evening by Minister of the Interior and
Director of Tourism, and Steward, Fax Celestis, who in a statement, said: "Due to the large influx of new immigrants who have yet to show their faces more than twice, and due to the recent additions of citizens for the express purpose of obtaining a means to an end, instead of the betterment of the nation, there is now a freeze on all immigration to Shireroth."

The Minister's statement also hints at Shireroth's first rejection of an immigrant application for many months, if not years. This evening he denied citizenship to Stormarkian Lady Vesteralen, on the grounds that he feared that she was only wanting to join in order to "join the nation simply [to] fight in the War of Vengeance and then become inactive." However, vigourous lobbying by the RicLyon, Baron of Elwynn and Lac Glacei, later convinced the Minister to make an exception to the new immigration regime, by permitting a decree by the Baron allowing her a "chance of proving herself", who explained that the decree "has no legal effect anywhere else. The decree simply states that in Elwynn she is to be regarded as a companion. That means that she can engage with us other Elwynnese on an equal basis in our community".

Both decisions were roundly condemned by many fellow Shirerithians, but it highly unlikely that the situation will be resolved until after the true Kaiser (who unfortunately is ill) is able to return.

Istvanistan takes over the Grand Commonwealth and Shireroth?

VLADAGRAD, CHAOCRACY OF ISTVANISTAN - After an unprecendented display of diplomatic showmanship, no-one now is certain whether Istavnistan controls the Grand Commonwealth, or the Grand Commonwealth controls Istvanistan.

Whatever the conclusion might, it is certain that there is no doubt that yesterday, the Cause of Istvanistan, Stjepan Veliki, issued a statement in which he granted "the Grand Commonwealth and the Imperial Republic of Shireroth the status of Autonomous Oblasts, under the ultimate sovereignty of the Chaocracy. This status entails that they shall have the the right to hate and kill each other, as well as to print their own postage. "

In response, the Protector of the Grand Commonwealth, Ardashir Osmani, decreed that: "As a Oblast of the supreme Chaocracy of Istvanistan the Grand Commonwealth in obedience to the precepts of the primordial hereby declares Istvanistan overthrown and to be an Oblast of the Oblast and accordingly the Grand Oblastoblast Commonwealth hereby annexes the Oblasts of Istvanistan and Shireroth to be held for all eternity, backdated to the beginning of time until this decree is countermanded by one even more ridiculous. May all who disobey be chewed for a millenia by a sandworm with chronic indigestion."

No response from Shireroth has yet been received, as they are believed (at time of press) to still be asleep and blissfully unaware of their unexpected fate.

Protector Enacts Section Three

Statesman House- Adelwin, Aerlig- For the first time in the history of the Republic of Aerlig, the Protector of the Republic, Lachlan Powers, has enacted Section Three of the Constitution, enabling him to take up the responsibilities of the Parliament.

The section, which has existed in the constitution since it was written in 2001, enables the Protector to take over the responsibilities of any national office that fails in its duties to the nation. Since the branch of government that the Protector says has failed is the Parliament, the Protector may take on the full legislative and executive functions of the Government, powers which were recently strengthened in the constitutional referendum.

The Protector declared today at 12:30 on the steps of Statesman House that the Parliament had fallen into inactivity, and had therefore failed the people, and as a result he would be taking over the Government of the nation.

The believed cause of this action is the fact that two pieces of legislation have been sitting in the Parliamentary chamber for debate for over a week now. The Protector was quick to rush through the National Gazette Act of 2005 and the Re-enactment Act of 2005 as soon as he assumed power.

How long the Protector will retain office for is yet to be seen, but his actions are expected to stir up some debate within the Aerlig community.

Beginnings of the Grand Commonwealth (Part I)

It has been suggested by a number of micronationalists that the Grand Commonwealth was designed from the outset to be a counterweight to Shirerothian supremacy in the microworld. Others have also resorted to referring to the Commonwealth as Greater Babkha, unaware of the true history that lies behind the formation of the grand nation. The first thoughts of a Commonwealth started a little under a year ago, when Lachlan Powers (Aerlig) and Sir Iain de Vembria met during an online conversation to discuss the direction of their two nations.

Powers and de Vembria had often discussed the plights of their two nations, which had suffered greatly from inactivity over the preceding months. It was time that some action should be taken. All of micronationalism was in a lul, and something was needed to create some activity and draw new blood into the hobby, but what? October 9th, 2004 was the birth of discussions for a new nation. While it took nearly six months from this date for the dream to become a reality, the wheels were put in motion that night for an idea that would grow much beyond the original dreams.

The removal of Apollo Foundation lands from the Micronational Cartographic Society Map was an action that was loudly criticized by micronationalists around Micras, from Shireroth to Treesia. One must often wonder how Ryan Caruso can continue his job at the top after all the hard decisions and criticism he has had to make. The decision had been made, however, and Treesia’s long lives existence on the map was being threatened. So on the 9th October, the Round Table was presented with two options- threaten the MCS or leave the Foundation and resume sovereignty over the traditional lands. Treesia had once covered lands ranging as far as Shireroth of the day, and the prospect of the nation being wiped off the map altogether was one that de Vembria couldn’t bare contemplate.

Powers, a member of the Round Table, came up with the initial laughable suggestion of Treesia becoming and Aerlish state. The suggestion though, however ridiculous it may have seemed at the time, was to give rise to what is arguably the largest, most powerful nation Micras has ever seen.

Not long after the suggestion of the Treesian state, de Vembria first floated the idea of a loose union between Treesia, Aerlig and Lemuria- A “New Apolloian [sic] Empire�. United for economics, foreign affairs and security in the first place. The laughable idea of admitting Antica was floated (which we shall see later was not so laughable), along with flooding Micras in the violent lime green colour which Aerlig possessed. Apollo fever took over, and notions were raised of contacting Harvey about the Flying Islands, Trevon about Istavanistan and considering how many different acronyms could be formed including the word Apollo.

By the 10th, Powers had spoken with Delphi Augustus of Antica, who was willing to join in discussions about the formation of a new Empire. For the next day, things stood idle, probably as life interceded, as it does. Something was clearly brewing though. With Aerlig, Treesia, Lemuria and Antica having expressed interest, there was a possibility of something big occurring. Note though that Babkha was not mentioned, nor was it even considered. As we will see, it was many months before Babkha was even associated with the project. Other nations will come and go before then, and yet the whole project will remain under wraps from Micras’s supposed top security agencies.

It was on the 9th of October that, what was so eloquently referred to at the time as the "Imperial Whatever of Thingummy" came into life as an idea.

To be continued...