Introduced by Mme. Eva Fernandez, Leader of the Conservative Party, the bill was unopposed and passed 5 votes in favour and none against. Its provisions include a Board of Trusties to be chaired by a Chancellor appointed by His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor, and the creation of an Encyclopaedia of Alexandria.

The Imperial Central Bank Building (left) in Geneva

The Economy has slowly begun to emerge from the inertia that effected every level of Government recently.

Yesterday, payments were made to all those in Government employ for their services up to the end of the last Parliament. Discussions in the ICB’s corridor indicate that soon the San Martin Stock Exchange (SMSE) will be up and running after many months of delay which have inhibited economic growth.

In addition to the good news emanating from the Imperial Central Bank there is also talk of a possible change in the Imperial Government’s stance on membership in the Micran wide Small Commonwealth Unified Economy. The SCUE member nations have recently been meeting to discuss removing the organisation from the Small Commonwealth, which had always been a major roadblock to Alexandrian involvement. With this now almost certainly to be agreed upon, the Imperial Government may consider a review of its stance to not integrate completely into the wider micronational economy.

The Speaker’s reforms, none of which are concrete at the time of print, involve making Parliamentary procedure more efficient as well as introducing a set of standards for legislative draftsmanship. Yet what the dissent seems to taking offence to is the seemingly British slant such reforms will take.

The two new Liberal members in the Parliamentary Party, Mssr. Carlos Petrassi and His Grace the Duke of Breisenlau, have both objected to the Speaker’s use of existing Parliamentary procedures and his basic ideas on how to improve Parliament. Criticism from His Grace has been relatively demure on the floor of the Parliament, asking the Speaker to reconsider introducing aspects of Westminster as a result of their own peculiarities. Mssr. Petrassi, meanwhile, has pursued the argument into the Speaker’s Office itself challenging the Speaker’s preference for Westminster procedure. In one instance, Mssr Petrassi even accused the Speaker of a “breech [sic] of conduct.”

While many have looked at the ongoing intellectual battle with a certain degree of awe, political hacks have been taking decidedly different views. Conservative supporters have been touting the argument as a sign of the Liberal Party’s inability to govern with First Consul Alejandro Castillo declining to enter into the fray or stop it. Liberal Party Strategists are known to be in dismay at the public argument engulfing two senior members of their party. The fact that the argument has originated between two new Liberal MPs against a stalwart of the Carmichael administrations may just be a sign of Jean Carmichael’s Liberal legacy beginning to ebb away.

Eva Fernandez at a recent Conservative Rally in Rio Grande

Eva Fernandez, Conservative Stateswoman, has once again assumed the leadership of the party, this time in controversial circumstances.

We need active leaders at all levels of government, and it is the duty of any citizen both Liberal or Conservative to rise and do what’s expected of them.

Jean Carmichael, the new Duke of Evreux

The Emperor today announced a short list of Imperial Honours to celebrate the summer.

Two honours were awarded to two esteemed public servants, Mssr Jean Carmichael and Mssr Christopher McQueeny.

Mssr Carmichael has taken the title of Duke of Evreux following his retirement from active party politics. Although still mainitaining a role as the possible Minister of War in the Castillo Administration, Mssr Carmichael has indicated his retirement from Parliamentary politics and his intention to work on a number of projects during this retirement.

Christoper McQueeny, new Duke of Breisenlau

Meanwhile, Christoper McQueeny has received a double appointment at the Emperor’s grace. Mssr McQueeny, newly ennobled Duke of Breisenlau, has also been appointed as the Emperor’s Private Secretary and Chief Steward of the Imperial Court. The role for Mssr McQueeny, who recently turned down a Ministerial post according to sources, will involve acting as His Imperial Majesty’s personal advisor as well as entitling him to voice his opinions in Cabinet.

The Genevan Arrow wishes both men well in the future.

In a speech to the nation His Imperial Majesty the Emperor revealed that the Imperial Cabinet had discovered a plot by rogue military elements, right-wing paramilitary groups and “outside influences” to attack Parliament and install a new First Consul regardless of the democractic choice of the people.

The announcement made sense of heightened security around the Empire, especially in Geneva where troops were deployed on the streets. The rogue elements have not been publically yet but it is thought that they involved a wide cross section of the Imperial Armed Forces. The “outside influences” referenced in the speech are still not known according to sources in the secret services.

The involvement of the military in Imperial politics brings new questions about the management of the Ministry of War. Only a few months ago, General Patrick McMahon, commanding officer of the Royal Luthorian Corps, was arrested and tried for complicity in the murder of Professor Evette Cousteau through his involvement in the right-wing group Protectors of the Old Guard. Only yesterday, Minister of War Jean Carmichael dismissed rumours of a power grab as “ludicrous”. Now with his re-appointment for the Minister of War role under new First Consul Alejandro Castillo about to come before Parliament, many in the public are wanting their MPs to ask serious questions over his record in that office.

A Return to the Old Days? Imperial Troops on Patrol in the Geneva Suburbs

The Imperial Government has  once again plunged into serious crisis by a sharp rise in absenteeism.

Declaring an absence earlier this week, the Speaker of the Imperial Parliament, Mssr. Guy Ziegler, asked for a temporary speaker to take over his duties but no Parliamentarian declared themselves able to do so.

It then appears that nobody informed the Emperor of this absence on his own summer holidays, hiking in New Alexandria’s hills with the Imperial Family. The Imperial Cabinet soon issued an Order-in-Council temporarily investing Regency powers in HIH Prince Augusto as well as tweaking certain ministerial rules. Almost immediately, the Emperor returned, declaring the order null and void and putting the Imperial Armed Forces on alert.

The mixed responses from across the Imperial Government has created a profound sense of uncertaintly across the Empire. Jean Carmichael, former First Consul and Minister of State and War, was forced to rush back to Geneva to assume Cabinet leadership as senior Minister despite his retirement. In a statement to the Genevan Arrow, Mssr Carmichael said:

The notion that there is a bitter argument occuring in Cabinet, or even that there is a power grab going on, is ludicrous. I can assure the public that Cabinet has met with the Emperor now and all issues are resolved. Alejandro [Castillo] is now the First Consul, Eva Fernandes is now Speaker and I am soon to be retiring again. Wesloderia Palace is preparing a speech for the Emperor to be delivered this evening.

Yet the sight of Imperial Troops on the streets of the capital have not assured many who still remember the crisis that struck the Empire thanks to the FLI. Sources within the Ministry of War have downplayed talk of a new terrorist attack, but many Imperial Citizens are reported to be stocking up on tinned goods. Whether the Emperor’s speech calms the nerves remains to be seen.

Mssr. Guy Ziegler, Speaker of the Imperial Parliament

The new, but absent, Speaker of the Imperial Parliament Guy Ziegler has announced plans to overhaul Parliamentary procedure and tradition.

Releasing a statement from the Speaker’s Office at the Official Opening, Mssr Ziegler said:

I hope to consult on the re-organisation of the Opening of Parliament; in the British system, which we follow considerably closely, the House meets to elect a Speaker prior to the State Opening. I am loathe to call the House to order now, prior to the State opening, because to do so would go against the tradition and custom of this House. However, it is an area on which I wish to consult and will will hopefully revisit in the near future. It is such matters that I wish to consider more deeply in a committee created for the purpose, with which I hope to include the new Standing Orders.

The move to re-organise a key theme of the Alexandrian Parliamentary System’s traditions is likely to annoy members of the Conservative Party, who have in the past expressed discontent with the Anglicisation of Parliamentary Procedure. There has been no comment from either the Conservatives or the Liberals yet but any move to amend Parliamentary Procedure by the Speaker is likely to receive scrutiny on the House floor.

In Loredo, terrorist agents detonated explosives to destroy the statue of former mayor and current Conservative leader and Baudrix MP Eva Fernandez. Terrorists also struck at Loredo’s police department, detonating explosives placed inside three different police vehicles at three different localities around the city. Law enforcement agencies were able to react quickly to the attack, and apprehended the members of the FLI terrorist cell in Loredo. No one was killed in these attacks.

In Le Havre, the attacks were more deadly – fifth-term Mayor of Le Havre Bernard Beauchesne was assassinated, along with six policemen when the motorcade the Mayor was traveling on was attacked in broad daylight by FLI insurgents. Alexandrian police and military response teams were able to react quickly, and in the firefight that ensued, all twelve terrorist agents were killed.

The Ministry of War released a statement outlining the details of the attack, calling the military operation “Eternal Steel”. The Ministry of War claims to have killed the FLI leader, Ahuitzotl Maquahuitl Cuauhtli, in the midst of the fray. No other sources have confirmed this information as of the publishing of this article.

Resistance from FLI forces was strong, having drawn Alexandrian troops into battle for several hours before succumbing to the Imperial forces. However, most analysts as well as the Ministry of War were incredibly surprised by the quick collapse of the FLI resistance, with original estimates confidently stating that the Falange had the capability and resources to fight Alexandrian forces for at least a year. 980 guerilla bodies have been counted, and are currently in the process of being identified. Large ammunition, weapons and explosive caches were seized, as well as documents and other valuable information.

The Ministry of War is confidently stating that the “insurrection is over”. However, Lucia Montiel, a resident of Rennes, believes otherwise. “The Falange has wide support here in New Alexandria, it is said they even have infiltrated the colonial government itself. If we don’t fix the social and economic problems of the area, we won’t see an end to the insurrection for a long time,” she stated. “They will regroup, and come back.”