
ELECTIONS CALLED FOR VACANT COUNCIL SEATS -- ITSA CALLS FOR EAA HELP -- DID MISSILE DOWN ARTABANOS CRASH PLANE?

Telum, 21st July 2020 - Imperial Councillor and unofficial placeholder Emperor Wilfred Cocx has announced by-elections for the National Imperial Council seats left vacant by the recent airplane crash which saw four Imperial Councillors perish. Inimicians in Terra Centurio, Terra Domini, and Terra Questoris will be asked to go to the polls on August 12th to elect one new Imperial Councillor each.
The National Imperial Council (or NIC for short) is Inimicus's supreme legislative assembly, and comprises two delegates from each of the six Inimician provinces as well as representation from the executive, three delegates appointed by the Emperor, and the Emperor Himself. The NIC is the only constitutionally-defined body the Emperor cannot simply overrule, and also the only assembly to have the power to depose or temporarily suspend the ruling monarch. The NIC also considers general legislative affairs, including on areas such as defence, aviation, international affairs and trade, and border security.
"Although Inimicus is still handling the aftermatch of its worst disaster in modern history, our country cannot sit still", Wilfred Cocx IC announced this afternoon, "We will continue in our quest for good governance, and in this quest we cannot be hindered by an incomplete NIC. Inimicus requires and deserves a full set of competent legislators to guide the country through this difficult time. I hope the people of these Terras will turn out in droves to support the country through this ordeal, and I ask them all to consider their choice carefully and with reason."
Nuntius Inimici will provide rolling coverage of the election campaign as it unfolds, as well as live coverage of results night on 12th August.

Crest of the Imperial Transportation Safety Association
Following the fateful crash that caused the deaths of four Imperial Councillors and the Imperial Defence Officer, and the grave injury of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Artabanos, the Imperial Transportation Safety Authority, or ITSA, launched an official Emergency Enquiry, conducting huge amounts of fieldwork on and around the crash site. ITSA has now officially applied to the European Aviation Authority for assistance and extra manpower in handling the investigation. Incident Commander Hubert Manco commented: "ITSA is an incredibly potent investigative force, however, given the seriousness and scale of the current incident, we have felt it wise to enlist the help of our European allies to find out what nearly killed our Emperor."
It is expected co-operation between ITSA and the EAA will commence shortly, with EAA-mandated investigators arriving into the country within weeks, perhaps even days.

Carol Fencer, Chairwoman of the Imperial Transportation Safety Association (ITSA)
Meanwhile, several eyewitness reports of the incident that brought down Emperor Artabanos and killed four NIC members and the Imperial Defence Officer claim a projectile struck the plane shortly after it began descending towards Portus Inimici. "I was so close I heard it fire", reports Bas Mauller, who was in the area at the time, "It flew through the sky, and bang, exploded somewhere to the left of the plane if I'm correct. Couldn't really see where it came from, but I later thought it must've been launched from down south."
Other testimony, however, disputes the direction from which this projectile was launched, although it agrees with the presence of a missile in general. Froukje LeHave, a prolific blogger, writes: "I watched the plane from the south and saw something explode next to it, having come from the north. From miles away."
In a press statement on Sunday, Imperial Foreign Officer Sarah Gladwell refused to comment on these reports, preferring to allow ITSA to handle the investigation and coming to a full conclusion. Nuntius Inimici contacted ITSA chairwoman Carol Fencer for comment. "As you will understand, we are currently working day and night to establish the cause of this horrendous crash", Fencer commented, "We are fully aware of the rumours circulating in the press and on social media, and are at present investigating whether any sattelite images could illuminate the fatal moments just before the aeroplane in question came down. We would also ask anyone in possession of any photos or videos of the crash to email these to evidence@itsa.in."
Imperial Councillor James Cocx, an appointed delegate, was asked about these allegations this afternoon. "If true, this incident would encompass an attempted assassination of Emperor Artabanos, and a successful assassination of several high-ranking Inimician politicians, by a foreign power. It would constitute one of the grossest offences of the international order this continent has ever seen, and it would never be forgiven or forgotten. Inimicus would act with ruthless force against any nation, however potent, if we conclude said nation attempted to rob our people of our Emperor."