BREAKING: TESFAYE GOES HOMEPRIME MINISTER RESIGNS AFTER DOOMING IMPEACHMENT, EARLY ELECTIONS TO BE CALLEDSHARBA - Cobura’s Queen Aminatu Saksoure IX has accepted the resignation of the country’s embattled prime minister, the palace said in a statement, previous to the vote of the House of Representatives regarding a motion of distrust.
Diamo Tesfaye’s departure came after a crushing report, in which the House Committee On Meshtiki Bribery (HCOMB) found out the Prime Minister lied against the House in his adress, and used his power to deceive surrenders of the Meshtiki Liberation Army or MLA.
In the last few days, rallies have spread across the streets of the pro-Esinsundu nation, with protesters marching to the prime minister’s office and demanding that Tesfaye step down.
Having served for fifteen years, Tesfaye, a long-time diplomat and minister, presided over a popular government that implemented large economic reforms to make the Coburan Government the 4th biggest in the Majatran Alliance. However, his immense popularity was struck by the Meshtiki Liberation Crisis two years ago, when Meshtiki terrorists claimed independence for their lands in the Central High region. This led to the Tesfaye Government launching a large-scale military operation against the MLA called ‘’High Justice’’. The operation led to high casualty numbers on the Meshtiki side, which forced them to retreat to their capital of Myhardakir in the late summer of 4416.
Being surrounded by the Coburan Armed Forces, the MLA fighters claimed to have been offered a deal: surrender in trade for amnesty. Despite promises made by the CAF, the fighters were arrested and sentenced to jail shortly after their surrender. Several of their leaders called the House to investigate the matter, which was claimed to have been set in motion ‘by the Prince (nickname for Tesfaye)’. Following this, Speaker of the House Neshi Liberi launched an inquiry by the HCOMB to investigate whether amnesty was promised from the Prime Minister, and if he used his power to deceive the MLA surrenders.
The final report, which came out a month ago, had a simple conclusion: The Prime Minister was aware of the deal, and prevented amnesty on purpose after MLA fighters made the deal. His reasons were expected to be ‘’to end a very unpopular conflict in Cobura and save his popularity’’. The report also concluded that Tesfaye ‘’Used his status and power as PM to pressure army negotiators to promise MLA fighters amnesty and deceive them into surrender’’. Crown witness in the case was army general Makhail Newlati, who claims to have been present in the secret meeting with the PM when the deception strategy was created.
Following the report, the House immediately called for a debate, in which the PM fiercely defended himself, but admitted he knew the deal was on the table. ‘’I did all I could to prevent the filth in Myhardakir from harming who could be the last victims of the conflict’’, he stated. ‘’After challenging the nation’s sovereignty, slaughtering innocent Coburans and destablising the Central High, they deserved nothing more than what they have gotten. In my opinion, they are lucky things ended this way’’. The House, which consists entirely out of Tesfaye’s party members of the Justice and Prosperity party, reacted shocked and furious about the PM’s way of misusing his power.
The debate was followed by a two weeks long Supreme Court Trial, where the PM was accused of abuse of power. However, it ended in a failure of the prosecution to convict the PM when Newlati refused to take the stand. The defense quickly took advantage of this moment, claiming that the prosecution ‘’pressured the witness to much to give a false statement –because we all know he is lying- and therewith making him a tacky tool for reputation damage’’. In the end, the SC was forced to release the PM on a lack of evidence.
However, after the trial, the House lost all its confidence on the PM and a motion to make a vote for a possible motion of distrust was accepted, which scheduled a possible cabinet resignation by the House on Thursday. The vote was very likely to align with the public opinion, namely impeaching the entire Tesfaye cabinet. In light of the events, Tesfaye accepted his fate and resigned yesterday to save what was left of his reputation as 15 year Prime Minister of Cobura.
The resignation had been widely anticipated and Ameny Mouthrate, director of the Sharba Morning Post, said the move was likely to provide at least a temporary break to the protests.
Tesfaye’s departure will prevent the entire cabinet from impeachment, and give the House the right to call out new elections, after which it will have to find itself a new Prime Minister. Sources inside the House tell us the new PM is likely not to have any political experience, but as far as now that is just rumours.