His Imperial Highness Crown Prince John has been elected to a fourth term as Prime Minister with a landslide 86.5% of the vote.

No opposing candidates chose to run against the Crown Prince, but the ballot had an option to Abstain, which would have forced fresh elections should a majority of voters have selected it.

Out of 52 votes – a 61.2% turnout – 45 voted for Crown Prince John, and 7 voted to Abstain.

The previous Prime Minister, Laird Addison O’Halloran. endorsed the Crown Prince’s candidacy. Her own Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Otto Green, was selected by Crown Prince John as his own Deputy, and so remains in office as such.

His Imperial Highness – known as Lord John Gordon prior to being chosen as the Emperor’s Heir by the Senate earlier this year – last held office as Prime Minister for just under two weeks in June.

He succeeded to the premiership due to his predecessor Andrew Musgrave being expelled from office by Parliament upon attempting a coup. John’s initial success at restoring order came to an end after misinformation from Musgrave called his loyalties into question, with the then Lord Gordon resigning upon feeling that his position had become untenable.

An attempt later on in the year to retire from politics completely was cancelled after much protest from the many friends and supporters he has made over more than twelve years in Austenasia proved his popularity within the Empire, something today’s election result has reaffirmed.

Crown Prince John has pledged to continue the direction that the government has taken since Musgrave’s departure, diplomatically reintegrating into the community of small nations. Proposals have also been made for community outreach projects by Austenasian land claims in their local areas, with some suggesting a role in this respect for the mostly ceremonial Austenasian Armed Forces.

Yesterday’s vote also saw the election of a new Diasporic List, the group in Parliament who represent non-residential subjects. For the first time, there were more candidates than seats for this vote, which took place using the single transferrable vote (STV) voting system.

The following have been elected as Representatives to the Diasporic List:

• The Hon. Sir Andrew Perdomo
• Lord Mick Griffin, Baron of Glainamar
• The Hon. Anthony Aldmont
• The Hon. Caleb Sneeden
• The Hon. Dilly M. Johnson
• Lord Sertor Valentinus, Baron of Bosford
• The Hon. Nicholas von Uberquie
• H.E. Count Chris Ramsay
• The Hon. Sir Stefan Snagoveanu