General Election Looms
With the first term of the Centrist Conservative Party coming to a close, a General Election is once again upon us. It seems like only yesterday that the CCP rode to a very narrow victory over the AAPA. How things have changed since then. The Progressive Conservative Party disbanded, the Liberal Democrats renamed themselves to Alliance, and the CCP and AAPA announced their intent to run together. Given that an election is upon us, the PEC performed an opinion poll, the results of which are as follows:

Coalition - 51.6% (+51.6)
Boo - 23.5% (-7.6)
Lord Davies - 13.9 (+13.9)
Alliance - 11.1 (no change)

[Note: Lord Davies has expressed an interest to stand in this election. Though nothing is yet confirmed, the PEC chose to include him on their poll anyway]
As we can see, the Coalition seems headed for a certain victory, combining the popularity both of the CCP and AAPA. Indeed, this is the first time since regular polls began that a single grouping or party has achieved a majority of support. It is interesting as well to note that, aside the Boo Party, Ostentia is now without much of a political left-wing, the moderate and right now dominating. This election would appear to be one between Inevitable and the Coalition, one which the Coalition should easily win if opinion remains as it is now. Despite suffering its first Parliamentary defeat, on the issue of compulsory schooling, the CCP does not appear to have taken much of a hit in popularity. Parliament is due to enter clean-up later today.

Political Cartoon
We now bring you a political cartoon, submitted by our anonymous cartoonist


Second Poison Murderer Found Dead in Cell
The man captured in Olin in conjunction with Valaxia's recent poison murders has been found dead in his prison cell at an undisclosed location. The second man, understood to be the Apeiron-based handler for the man who carried out the actual murders themselves in Valaxia, was found unresponsive in a prison cell where he was being held on Thursday morning. He was rushed to the hospital wing of the prison where he was announced dead on arrival. In his system were traces of the same morphine used to carry out the attacks in Valaxia itself. It is unclear whether this is a suicide or a homicide, though it is likely the former, as no-one has had uninterrupted access to the man since his capture several weeks ago. It is equally unclear though how, if this is the case, he managed to obtain the necessary drug to poison himself, being under complete surveillance the entire time and having been searched several times. While the death is a blow to the case against the former man, who is now being monitored at all times in case of a repeat action, it nevertheless clears up the argument between Olin and Valaxia over who should prosecute the man. The trial for the original murderer has now been officially set as September 15th at the Valaxian High Court in Nectaris...

OOC:You draw the cartoon? It's very good :)