Adam resigns as GUM Chair

BELLINGHAM, Washington – King Adam quit the chairmanship of the Grand Unified Micronational on 28 March, having served half of the six-month term for which he was elected. The reason cited for the resignation was an inability to spend sufficient time fulfilling the office’s duties. Henry Clement of Esse is to serve as acting chair until the GUM’s June elections.

Adam resigned in a statement given in the GUM Lounge given the day after he missed a meeting of the Quorum of Delegates he had scheduled specifically for his ability to chair on that date. Vice-Chair Henry Clement ran the meeting, and Adam indicated that he had missed it due to continued travel connected to his recent trip to New York.

At that meeting on 27 March, the Quorum of Delegates passed a motion requesting that the chair carefully consider whether he was able to give enough attention to his GUM duties, rather than holding a confidence vote. In his statement, Adam thanked the body for allowing him to assess his workload and make his own decision.

The king is in his final year of university and deeply involved in several extracurricular activities in addition to his political roles in small nations. The official explanation for his resignation published by the GUM Archivist on MicroWiki was “other commitments infringing on his available time.”

Upset over meeting attendance previously caused Adam’s first vice chair, Emperor Thomas of Zenrax, to resign his post.

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King Adam delivers UN address

BELLINGHAM, Washington – On 23 March, King Adam spoke in the United Nations General Assembly Hall on Überstadt’s place in the global community.

Though acknowledging that Überstadt would never have a permanent seat in the General Assembly, Adam affirmed Überstadt’s “commitment to the values of the UN Charter and the principles codified by the international system.” He expressed hope for the global community’s respect for the dignity of small nations, or micronations, in general. Speaking from the seat of the Republic of Macedonia, he declared Überstadt’s recognition of that state by its constitutional name.

As reported before, the king had access to the General Assembly Hall to attend the final meetings of the United States’ foremost Model United Nations conference. The General Assembly was not in session at the time of the address, but this is believed to represent the first time a micronational leader was able to speak in this venue, and Adam is known to be the first sitting GUM Chair to deliver a speech at the United Nations.

BELOW: King Adam speaks at the UN General Assembly Hall. Credit: Terrah Perera

Citizenship reform expected in Überstadt

BELLINGHAM, Washington – Überstadt’s parliament is likely to pass citizenship reforms, dramatically expanding the availability of full Überstadti citizenship.

King Adam has informed The Chronicle of his intention to bring forth a bill within the coming week that will alter the structure of Überstadt’s citizenship system. The partial-citizen rank of Auxiliary Citizen, created last September to allow more people abroad to become Überstadtis, is to be absorbed into full citizenship. The only nonstandard status will be Social Citizenship, an element of relations between states of the Social System which Überstadt shares with Kumano and Sandus.

New regulations on who may vote on what matters in Parliament are anticipated in the forthcoming bill. Überstadt is a direct democracy, a fact that prompted debate on potential political restrictions for non-residential citizens. Because the reforms will make residents into a minority of citizens, provisions will be included blocking non-residents from voting on matters pertaining exclusively to Rosewood, the kingdom’s sole population center.

In a 2 March debate in Parliament on the proposed change, the possibility of preventing non-residential citizens from holding cabinet office was also considered, although non-residents have held such posts before. This idea was abandoned in deference to royal discretion on ministerial appointments.

At this same debate, Adam emphasized the potential for more governmental activity and cultural advancement that would accompany a broadening of citizenship. He argued that the success of the Auxiliary Citizen program proved the willingness of people not directly connected to Überstadt to identify with and work for it.

The Baroness Rosewood expressed concern in that meeting about preserving Überstadti identity as it now exists.

“I would not like for us to be overrun with those who would do things differently,” she said.

The king replied that citizenship applications would rightfully include affirmations of core Überstadti values. The bill he intends to propose will also give him discretion over whether to grant individual citizenship requests.

In his Independence Day speech to Parliament, Adam described the anticipated reforms as a return to the inclusivity of early Überstadt.

“Everyone who shares our values, is willing to work for the Kingdom, and believes in the idea of Überstadt should get to be a full citizen,” he said. “I hope that in 2017, we find a way to make Überstadt work for everyone who truly wants to be part of it. Doing so will restore the inclusive spirit of 2010, and will only make us stronger.”

King Adam to speak at UN

BELLINGHAM, Washington – The Überstadti government announced Thursday night that King Adam will speak at the United Nations General Assembly during his upcoming trip to New York City.

The king is traveling to New York later this month as a member of Western Washington University’s International Affairs Association to participate in National Model United Nations – New York conference. A portion of the conference will take place in the General Assembly chamber, during which time Adam intends to make an address in his royal capacity.

Royal sources indicate that this speech, which is expected on March 23, will detail Überstadt’s position on UN membership and major issues in international politics. The king is expected to make special mention of the Republic of Macedonia, which his university’s team is representing at the conference and at whose place in the General Assembly he will be seated.

Adam and his entourage will also meet with staff of the Macedonian Permanent Mission to the UN, and the king may visit other diplomatic missions in addition to various sites of historic and cultural importance.

Überstadti officials are looking into possible meetings with other leaders of small nations.

Also on the trip will be High Chancellor Terrah Perera, who has offered to record the king’s UN speech.