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Imperial News Service (Daitō)
Daitō:
Daitō celebrates Armed Forces Day Greetings, dear viewers, and welcome to a special broadcast by DHK! Today is, as you may or may not know, the 133rd anniversary of the Battle of Kokura, ending the Tottori Rebellion. We go now to our attaché in Shinkyō, Ichiro Asahi, who is covering the day's festivities for us. Over to you, Ichiro.
I: "Thanks Jiro. Anyways, as you can see, for the most part, the area around the palatial square has gone silent in preparation for the festivities. To our left and right" the reporter pointed to both sides for a moment before continuing "we have members of the Imperial Guard performing crowd control and performing their ceremonial functions as normal." He would finish before saying "I must say, today is a momentous occasion, as is often the case, although in particular due to it featuring troops from the Republic of Volhynia and our own sons and daughters, returned from a peacekeeping operation as its neighbor wages a civil war most cruel. What was that? Oh, alright, well, we're being asked to stop speaking for the time being." after which, he would go silent.
The sound of bells would ring out throughout the area. Once the last toll of the bells faded, the Imperial Music Corps would begin playing the National Anthem, "Umi Yukaba", as Crown Prince Eijiro, in full dress uniform, greeted his father, the Emperor, as well as Field Marshal Okimoto Esashi before giving a speech to the troops. Upon finishing, the Music Corps would begin playing a new song, the March of the Imperial Guards, as a group of soldiers made their way down the square, the flags of the Empire hoisted aloft for all to see. After a few minutes, when this too had come to an end, as jets flew overhead, Marshal Esashi would get in an automobile and begin his inspection of the troops. As he went down the line, things seemed normal, at least, until...
*Bang*
Two shots rang out in the square, followed almost immediately by the screams of panicked civilians. Almost on queue, some of the guards would rush to secure the area, all the while medical staff immediately jumped into action. The Emperor had been shot, two bullets piercing his chest, only barely missing his heart. A pair of guards would tackle the shooter and detain him, all the while two others rushed to get the rest of the Imperial Family out of the area and to a more secure location.
E: "I-I-I... By the kami... His Majesty... The Emperor's been shot!" Ichiro would exclaim, all the while an officer ordered for his subordinates to "Seize those cameras and end the broadcast!" as the town rapidly ground to a halt. The broadcast abruptly ends, television screens across the empire changing to the Imperial flag at night with the National anthem playing before suddenly cutting out.
Daitō:
Emperor officially states intention to abdicate, set for end of the monthAlthough it was anticipated that after the attempted assassination of His Majesty earlier this year, he would move forwards with a plan to abdicate the throne, up until recently there has been no word on such a matter. However, in light of a failure to fully recover from his injuries, as well as his wish to devote further time as a historian rather than the activities required by the state, he has decided to make this decision. At the same time, he has stated that in light of his dutiful fulfillment of his duties as regent, his son, the Crown Prince, would be better suited to the position of Emperor than he was.
The Imperial Household's statement regarding the Emperor's abdication further goes into detail regarding the process by which power will be handed over to his son, with the official date of his abdication being set for the 28th of August, with the new Emperor taking up further duties as the year progresses until the 31st of December, when as per tradition, the new Emperor's reign will be seen as officially beginning. It also states that, shortly after His Majesty's discharge from the Hospital, he made up his mind regarding the situation so as to prevent a crisis, should he die of further complications down the line.
The Imperial Diet passed a bill in late July during a session permitting the abdication of an Emperor under the current constitution, a bill which was further confirmed as being constitutional, which led to rumors regarding the Emperor's upcoming abdication. A timeline for the abdication has been provided at www.ImperialHousehold.gov.dt
It is anticipated that foreign dignitaries will be allowed to attend the Enthronement ceremony on the 28th of August.
Daitō:
Slavery and Freedom
We recently had the pleasure of interviewing His Majesty regarding last month's speech made during his Enthronement ceremony. Ichiro, our correspondent for the imperial Family, conducted said interview, which we will play for you now.
Ichiro- "Before we begin, I wish to once again congratulations on your accession to the throne. I have to ask, though... What was it like, finding out you were going to face such a burden so soon?"
HM- "Thank you, Asahi-san. As for your question, however... I suppose I felt a bit of fear, at first. I mean, the moment my father was shot I realized that this was quite possibly going to be the moment that kicked off the events over the last few months. Naturally, I felt afraid, confused, and... surprised. I mean, I'm only twenty-five, after all. The Emperor's heir, sure, but still only barely out of college."
I- "Would you say that your former position as the His Majesty's regent prepared you to take over entirely?"
HM- "Oh, definitely. I mean, sure, I took the throne only a month ago, but in practice I've held the responsibilities of the title since April."
I- "And did that shape your speech? I mean, you had to have had first-hand experience with handling the ongoing Human-trafficking crisis going on throughout the world, right?"
HM- "That's... A difficult question to answer, to be perfectly honest. I've always wanted nothing but the best for everyone... I even want to see the man who shot my father turn his life around, get the help he needs."
I- "Yes, as you've said before. Please answer the question, your Lordship."
HM- *sigh* "Fine. I'll admit it. Even though, as I just said, I've sought the best for everyone, I've... not always held up to that goal. I just cannot stand those who take an active part in the system of slavery. Y'know, the idea of owning slaves is diametrically opposite to the ideals our nation were founded upon. It is a cruel system that must, in my opinion, be opposed wherever it tries to take root. So yes, I would say it helped shape my views in general, though I'd argue that they've been around for as long as I can remember."
I- "And what about your statement regarding the Ardian population in Daitō? Though a minority, many in the nation have been confused by your statements on their plight."
HM- "Well, how do I put this... My father, while a great man, isn't perfect. He, like my grandfather, while not necessarily promoting it, didn't do much to improve their situation either. Sure, they moved into the lands beyond the Idaina mountains after the First Ardian war, but... I don't agree that they 'have no place' in Daitō, nor that they should be treated poorly for the actions of their ancestors. I mean, you may or may not know this, but many of the people who moved into the Idaina range after it was annexed didn't do so by choice. Why should we punish their descendants for what they themselves could not control?"
I- "A fair point, but I don't know that a history lesson is what we need at the moment."
HM- "Oh, quite on the contrary. After all, the History of the Ardian community in Daitō still breeds discrimination against them to this day, in some cases even among the provincial governments themselves. If you don't mind, I'd like to pose you a question: What good is a nation that promises equality to all within her borders when she does not see the descendants of an old enemy in an equal light to others who reside therein? Should we offer the same treatment to the Native Tsukishimans, the Rus', and the Teutons?"
I- "No, I don't suppose we should."
HM- "Then why should we not seek to better improve the lives of the Ardians?"
I- "I... I don't know, actually."
HM- "Exactly. They are just as deserving of the freedoms afforded by the Constitution as anyone else."
While his approval rating remains high, some have called into question the new Emperor's statements during the speech. Further coverage on the matter will be provided as necessary.
Daitō:
Army to adopt new rifleA Spokesperson with the Ministry of Defense recently confirmed rumors that the Army will be phasing out the Hazhai Model 76 in favor of the Yamano AR-311 for frontline service. This makes it the first time in the last 80 years that the Imperial Army has not made use of a Yamakawa-supplied Service Rifle. While there are some who believe that there were better choices for reasons including the occasional rumor that some designs were stolen from competitors, the spokesperson said that they will go forwards with the plan, with it being expected that the first units will be issued by the end of the year. Yamakawa has yet to make any comment regarding this development.
Election NewsAs of the present, analysts are now predicting that Former Prime Minister Fukumoto holds a narrow edge over the CDP's Ikumi Edano, this coming in the wake of a speech he gave in which he criticized her for her failures in handling the 2018 Nagato Earthquake and Tsunami.
--- Quote ---My opponent, Representative Edano, has repeatedly failed her own constituents, for instance, in the wake of the tragedy that was the tsunami back in 2018, she abstained from voting on a package that would grant billions in aid to those who were worst-affected by it. Thankfully, despite her own failure to vote, the motion passed, but I have to ask you: Is this someone you want leading the nation?"
--- End quote ---
At the moment, Representative Edano has not yet responded to this criticism, though it is expected that she will release a statement by the end of the day.
In other news, the DCP's candidate, Kazuhiro Seto, has officially dropped out of the running.
Daitō:
Daitō to enter talks with the Cross-Straits Treaty Organization
Shinkyō -- We have received word from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the national government will enter into talks with the Cross-Straits Treaty Organization regarding it's future relations with the organization. This comes on the heels of a recent vote by the CSTO's council to invite the nation, as well as a vote by the House of Representatives on whether to agree to such talks. It is anticipated that Makoto Asahara, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, will arrive in Rokkenjima soon, after which the meeting will begin. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had the following to say on this news:
--- Quote ---It is no surprise to us that the CSTO has offered us membership within their organization, after all, we share many of the same interests in the Sea of Kyne, as well as our cordial relations with our neighbors south of the border. If I'm being frank, we were prepared to request membership within the organization as early as July, but held off until His Majesty was formally enthroned. It is hoped, regardless of the implications such a move might have on the upcoming elections, that this meeting will prove fruitful."
--- End quote ---
Prime Minister Fujie's rivals have made varying statements regarding this move, calling into question whether the opening of diplomatic overtures to the organization were truly meant to help Daitō or if they were an attempt to bolster an already-failing campaign.
Election News
As previously stated, the recent move to open talks with the CSTO have been met with some criticism by the other candidates for the Office of Prime Minister as well as others within the parties. When asked about the situation, Fmr. Prime Minister Fukumoto had the following to say:
--- Quote ---While I will not doubt the judgement of my colleague, I cannot help but wonder whether his approval of the meeting between Foreign Affairs Minister Asahara and the CSTO was done out of a duty to better protect the nation or if it were out of his own self-interest. I can only say that, back during my first term as Prime Minister, I would've never agreed to it so soon to an election. If the Daitōjin people want to join, it will be determined by their vote, though I know that only a few are actively opposed to it."
--- End quote ---
On the other hand, Representative Edano had this to say on the proposed meeting:
--- Quote ---While I may have voted in favor of the meeting, it is important to note that, unlike the Prime Minister, I am not agreeing to the meeting simply because I believe it will help me hold onto power for four more years. Rather, I see it as a deterrent to foreign actors which would do us harm, which in this ever-treacherous world is a factor which we must ensure is on our side."
--- End quote ---
Despite these statements, Prime Minister Fujie's approval rating has increased since the news broke, with him now presently tied with Representative Edano.
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