[Lauchenoiria]

LBS Studio
11:00pm

[LIVE]

Maria is sitting at the same desk, across from the table, Oriol remains, accompanied by Noguera, with Pond and Agramunt absent.

Maria: We are still waiting on our first results here in the studio, but we are expecting results from Aeluria shortly. For those unaware, Aeluria often calls results much earlier in the evening due to its relatively small population, but such results are not often considered a good measure of the overall result due to the vastly different politics on the island. To discuss Aelurian politics in more detail, we have former First Minister of Aeluria, and former interim Prime Minister of Lauchenoiria, Keitha Noguera. Welcome, Ms. Noguera.

Noguera: Thank you for having me.

Maria: Now, it must be difficult for your party, the Aelurian Independence Party, after the negative referendum result in March 2019. Do you think this result will have an impact on how Aelurians vote this year?

Noguera: Yes, we at the AIP were disappointed in the result of the referendum, but we respect the will of the Aelurian people. I worry, however that pro-independence Aelurians will feel that none of the candidates in this election represent them. I could see many of their votes going to the Feminist Party, as the only party running who really supported independence in any great deal. Among those opposed to independence, though, it really will vary.

Maria: Do you anticipate a drop in turnout among pro-independence Aelurians?

Noguera: I hope not, but that’s my worry. The AIP has endorsed no candidate in this election, but we have urged our members to still turn out to vote. I could see a large number of spoilt ballots, though.

Maria: Thank you, Ms. Noguera, we’re getting indications that the results in Aeluria are going to be announced any second, so we’ll go to the count in Liaville.

Cut to a town hall, with wooden looking walls in the Aelurian fashion. A crowd of journalists is gathered in front of a small stage, on which stands a podium. An elderly native Aelurian woman carrying a pile of papers walks up to the podium and places the papers on it, before adjusting the mic.

Woman: I will now read the results of the first round of voting in the presidential election on Aeluria in Spanish, then English, then Aenian. The total number of votes cast was 73,057. Of these, there was a total of 214 rejected ballots. The number of votes for each candidate is as follows.
Samantha Clavell, Green-Pacifist Alliance: 10,929 votes
Paul Doberman, Lauchenoiria First: 4,152 votes
Emilia Obando, Liberal Party: 14,932 votes
Fabián Sandoval, Conservative Party: 20,177 votes
Katherine Wright, Feminist Party: 1,165 votes
Nataniel Zavala, Communist Party: 21,488 votes.
With that, I can announce…

Cut back to studio

Maria: well, it seems to be a clear victory for the Communist Party in Aeluria, followed by the Conservative Party. I imagine there will be celebrations at Communist Party HQ following this result, it seems that Ms. Agramunt was correct in her belief that the party would recover from last year. Ms. Noguera, what are your thoughts on that result?

Noguera: I’m surprised, if I’m honest, to see the Communist resurgence given what happened during the war. The Conservatives, however, do usually gain greater support in Aeluria than on a mainland as a result of our tendency to be more traditional, and the party’s support for religious freedom in the past. The Liberals tend to do much more poorly in Aeluria than on the mainland, so I don’t think Obando should be giving up quite yet.

Maria: Thank you. Well, by the looks of things, the Communists are optimistic, and the Liberals more worried than when the night began. But it’s early hours yet, and we shall need to wait to see what else occurs.