Conservative Party accused of election fraud

ARCADIA, LUNA– Among a period of political tension in the Republic of Luna, allegations of election fraud have been brought up against current President Sadie O’Keefe.

Disagreements between the Social Democratic Party-dominated Congress and the Conservative executive branch led to a state of political gridlock wherein many suggested bills were unable to be passed after O’Keefe’s victory in the Dec. 2087 elections.

O’Keefe won the election in an unprecedented pattern of realignment from various other parties into the Conservative Party, with analysts unable to find a cause for the record-breaking change in support rates. This has led to controversy and allegations of a rigged election since the announcement of the victory.

Although discontent has existed since December, the introduction of new evidence has led to further calls for investigation of the O’Keefe administration. Recent economic auditing has shown that an abnormally high percentage of Lunar funds have been channeled towards foreign investments: in particular, those of a fellow International Security Pact member, Ausparia.

“This is clear proof of foreign involvement in our processes of democracy,” 2087 Green Party candidate Finn Delane stated. “There’s no other explanation for the rise in Conservative votes, and this economic pattern only confirms it. Of course, motives are yet to be realized, but at the moment we can assume that the elections were fraudulent and the Ausparian government had something to do with it.”

O’Keefe has denied the allegations, stating that any concerning economic patterns were the result of economic partnerships between ISP member states.

“Ausparia is our economic and political ally. Of course, we have free trade between our nations, and a rise in Ausparian investments simply is a result of the free market,” O’Keefe said in an April 29 press conference. “These allegations are, and I say this with the utmost confidence, an attempt to destabilize a Conservative platform by the nation’s liberal groups. The party denies all allegations of fraud.”

Citizens have raised calls for judicial action to investigate the cause of these recent issues and determine the Conservatives’ innocence or guilt in these allegations.

“It’s simple: we are a nation with a liberal majority. So why is it that we have a Conservative president in a nation with direct democratic elections? Unlike states before us with similar systems, we do not have an electoral college. Therefore, there is no reason that there would be such victory for the Conservatives,” an anonymous Arcadia citizen said. “In order to even uphold the principles of democracy we stand by, we must ensure that we investigate this situation.”

More information to come as investigations continue.