[Lauchenoiria]

Lauchenoirian Guardian

Élia Agramunt to replace Javier Flynn as leader of the Communist Party
30th August 2019

The Lauchenoirian Communist Party have selected Élia Agramunt as their new leader at the party’s conference held today in Melissa City. Agramunt, who previously led the Communists in the provincial parliament of Butterfly Island, replaces embattled former leader Javier Flynn, who was accused of having an affair with Charissa Clarke during June’s election campaign.

Flynn resigned following the June election, in which the Communist Party fell from second to fourth place. The party also did not make it through to the second round of the presidential election – the first time the Communists have failed to do so since the end of the dictatorship in 1993. With support for the Communists at a post-1952 low, the party hopes Agramunt will change their fortune.

An investigation into Flynn’s alleged affair with Clarke is ongoing, after allegations that Flynn may have inadvertently provided Kerlile with classified information, or been ‘turned’ by the Matriarchy. Flynn has denied that such an affair took place, however his wife Jocelyn has begun divorce proceedings. Flynn was a member of Suleman Chaher’s controversial post-coup cabinet: something which has undoubtedly contributed to his unpopularity.

It was revealed a year ago today, during the peace talks in Haven, Sanctaria, that Charissa Clarke was a member of the “Aurora Programme”, an alleged Kerlian sleeper agent program. The existence of such a program has been denied by Kerlile. Clarke is presently in prison in Sanctaria. In light of these revelations, accusations have been made against multiple women accused of being “Auroras”, including former SDP leader Cassidy Laurens, though no action has been taken against her or others.

Agramunt, who did not voice an opinion in support of Chaher during the civil war, has announced her intention to ‘reform’ the Communist Party in light of the war, in order to ‘break fully with the 1952-93 regime, and the Chaher regime’. In her speech to the conference, she criticised the Alvarez government, claiming Alvarez is “under the thumb of the capitalist powers of the world” and accusing her of planning to “sell Lauchenoiria to the highest bidder”.

With the change in leadership, the Communist Party is clearly planning to attempt to re-enter Lauchenoirian politics as a major force, despite losing half their seats in June. Agramunt is known for being quick to criticise other parties loudly, but is also known for creating popular policies, having managed to successfully increase the Communists share of the vote on Butterfly Island in 2016 despite a general trend in the other direction.