[Xiomera]

Slokais Islands presidential elections

Chavez comes under fire



A major scandal has erupted in the upcoming elections in the Slokais Islands, with National Alliance presidential candidate Joseph Chavez being accused of both irregularities in political donations and of refusing to support a child that he allegedly fathered in 2007.

As reported in the New Liverpool Daily, after a Freedom of Political Information Act request, it was discovered that the Sun Corporation, the largest company in the Slokais Islands, may have structured political donations to Chavez to skirt campaign finance laws. Under Slokais Islands law, a single donation must be less than 10,000 Marks and the company had four donations of 9,999 Marks. Liu Sun, the CEO of the Sun Corporation, said that the reason they donated was that Chavez used to work at SunMart in the late 90s. In a statement the Chavez campaign said that "Mr. Chavez worked at SunMart to pay for college and the Sun Corporation approached us and said they wanted to give back to an old employee."

In another allegation leveled against Chavez, a woman named Emma Hereswhin has alleged that Joseph Chavez fathered a child with her in 2007 and never paid any childcare or child support. The New Liverpool Daily was unable to fully confirm this allegation, and many have pointed out that Hereswhin is a member of the rival New Right party. Seizing on the allegations, New Right presidential candidate Micheal Spencer said at a rally that "not only is Chavez a liar, but he is also a child abuser and bad husband." The Chavez campaign has, so far, not commented on these latest allegations.

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Xiomeran civil war

Despite peace talks offer, Xiomera launches major offensive



Despite a recent offer of peace talks, the Xiomeran Empire has launched a major new military offensive in the region of Xiomera known as Quechtli, or the Neck of Huenya, and the city of Zapotlán.

In the early morning hours today, Imperial military forces launched a massive counter-strike, with several mechanized divisions backed by artillery, missile fire and air support. Huenyan forces appear to be in disarray and in retreat back to the city of Zapotlán.

In a short statement from the Palace of Flowers, General Zinahue, commanding the Imperial military, said that the offensive was "meant to regain control over what are indisputably Xiomeran lands" around the Intra-Xiomera Canal and Zapotlán. The offensive will end at the historic border between Xiomeran lands and those of the neighboring Tepiltzin tribe to the west, the General said, and added that the fighting "need not continue if the separatists simply relinquish control over historically Xiomeran lands they are currently occupying." The General added that the Xiomeran Empire "remains fully committed to peace talks after we have regained control over what is indisputably our territory."

There has been no public statement as of yet from the separatist government of Huenya, and observers have reported that there appears to be panic about the offensive in the separatist capital of Chuaztlapoc.

DTNS asked military expert Benjamin Hughes about what the motivation for the Xiomeran offensive may be. "It is highly likely that the Xiomeran government, heading into potential peace talks which may carve off half their Empire, want to regain as much territory as possible to emerge as strong as possible after a potential partition of their lands. Also, there is a nationalist component to it - Xiomerans in general, and their new leader Calhualyana in particular, are very proud and nationalist in nature. The territory in question is historically Xiomeran, and they won't want to part with it for that reason."

Hughes added that economics also is playing a role: "The Intra-Xiomera Canal handles two-thirds of the trade between the Tenebric Ocean and the South Xiomeran Sea. It is a hugely valuable trade resource, and neither the Xiomerans nor the Huenyans are likely to part with it without a fight."