Havilland, Alston to regain capital status

Posted on Thursday, 14 November 2013 in Alston, Cambria, Government, Havilland, Hobson, Provinces, Rathlyn, Sirocco, Wellesley

DOWNGRADING: Rathlyn will no longer serve as Sirocco’s capital from next Wednesday, but will continue to be a part of the country’s Auckland claims.

Rathlyn, HB, Nov 14 – The capital-hopping Sirocco engaged in in February is set to occur again in reverse next week, with confirmation coming from the government that Rathlyn is to lose its capital status next Wednesday.

Premier Daniel Anderson said in a press statement this afternoon that arrangements had been made to leave the capital on Wednesday, 20 November, and return to Alston via Havilland between Wednesday and Saturday.

When asked by a journalist from the Siroccan Broadcasting Corporation if this will mean Rathlyn and its province, Hobson, will be returned to New Zealand jurisdiction, Anderson said it would not, at least for the near future.

“Even though we will not be returning to Rathlyn itself, we will not be dissolving the province just yet. We hope to use it to help us move to a nearby location in February 2014. If this is the case, then the province will shift and Rathlyn will be returned to New Zealand.”

A journalist for the Times then asked if it would mean Cambria reverting to its previous name, the National Capital District, to which Anderson said it would not.

“Alston will not be a permanent capital, only for about three months or so. While it will be the national capital, there is little sense in changing the province’s name again in November only to change it once more in February.”

The shift will mean that Sirocco will have changed between its three capitals four times in the past ten months.

Under the Transfer of Capital Act 2013, Rathlyn would not be able to retain its capital status past Monday, 2 December this year and would have to pass the status back to Alston. Havilland will however regain the title from Wednesday to Saturday, when it will return to Alston, Sirocco’s initial capital.

Rathlyn was claimed on the afternoon of 25 August 2012 with the intention of the city serving as the national capital in 2013, which it has done so since 24 February this year.

Alston served as capital from 4 November 2010 to 20 February 2013, when it was shifted to Havilland for just shy of four days.

Siroccan law dictates that the capital must be located at the Premier’s permanent residence. While Havilland is the notable exception to the “permanent” status, it is defined as where the Premier “lives”, even if just for a few days, to differentiate between a “home” and a place to stay, such as a hotel.