Anthony I, Emperor of Saspearian and delegate of Saspearian to the Micronational Assembly, has won a second nonconsecutive term as Chairman of the MA, defeating the incumbent Chairman Amir Yusuf, delegate of the Free State of Taliban, in the February 2025 MA Chairman Election.
The election was among the most closely watched elections in the MA. It was a rematch between Anthony I and Amir Yusuf, who previously faced off in the highly competitive August 2024 MA Chairman Election. Conversely, the August 2024 MA Chairman Election saw Amir Yusuf narrowly defeating Anthony I by just one vote. Throughout the past year, Anthony I also previously ran for Chairman in the February 2024 and March 20241 Elections since being elected to a first term in 2023 but was unsuccessful.
Background
The February 2025 MA Chairman Election saw a wide array of discussions, with Anthony I and Amir Yusuf criticizing each other. However, their approaches to their campaigning strategies were very different. Anthony I sought to embrace reforms while holding criticism more minimally against Amir Yusuf’s character and tenure, whereas Amir Yusuf focused on a more negative campaign. Yusuf minimally campaigned on his record as Chairman, and his criticisms were more focused on attacking Anthony I’s previous term as Chairman. He argued against Anthony I, stating that he was not the right candidate for Chairman.
The key issues of the election broadly concerned the direction of the MA and the future of the organization. Anthony I campaigned on holding sessions regularly to increase participation, revisiting the discussion of executive positions, improving external relations with regional and other intermicronational organizations, prioritizing having events held regularly, such as an MA Summit, and upholding democratic reforms for the Charter and Statutes. Amir Yusuf held a different platform, touting his tenure as Chairman, particularly with the implementation of new statutes, productivity in the Court, restructuring of the admission system to written applications, and the advocation of new initiatives and ideas.
Anthony I received endorsements from Council Member Onyx A. Blackhawk of the Sovereign State of Nenggog2 and Niall MacDavid of the Juche Republic of Glaslend. Amir Yusuf received an endorsement from Jebediah Powell of the Free State of Wetherill, who has served as the 9th, 12th, 14th, and 19th Chairman of the MA.
Chairman Election
| Candidate | Votes |
|---|---|
| ✓ Anthony I (Saspearian) | 10 (58.8%) |
| *Amir Yusuf (Free State of Taliban) | 7 (41.2%) |
56.6% of the expected vote reporting (17 votes) | Final Results
Anthony I won the election with a comfortable margin of 10 votes (58.8%) against Amir Yusuf, who received 7 votes (41.2%). The turnout in this election was 56.6%, with 17 out of 30 delegates casting their vote, which was slightly lower than the previous election, which saw a turnout of 71.8% (23/32). Anthony I improved from his performance in his previous runs as Chairman and improved upon his previous electoral performance in the August 2024 Chairman Election by 11 points. In comparison, he received 11 votes (47.8%) against Amir Yusuf, who received 12 votes (52.2%).
Reactions and Aftermath
Following the election, Amir Yusuf congratulated Anthony I and wished him success during his term. Former Chairman Evan I of Ameristan also congratulated him, and other members congratulated him as well.
Additionally, following the announcement of the election results, which was announced at 11:08 PM yesterday (Unueco Time), Anthony I issued a victory speech thanking his supporters, reflecting on his past term and the vision for his second term as Chairman.
“It is a great honor to be elected as the Chairman of the Micronational Assembly once more. I would like to thank all of my supporters for believing in me and placing their trust in my leadership.
I acknowledge that I faced challenges and shortcomings in my first term as Chairman. However, I have learned from my experiences as the Chairman, and I am confident I can make ideas possible as we advance. Today, we turn the page to a new chapter, and this election marks a continuation of a long journey. As with life, there have been ups and downs along this journey, but I am committed to ensuring that our organization prepares for tomorrow, fostering opportunities for our member states and confronting our challenges ahead, and I look forward to working with our members to accomplish great things.
Over the next six months, I will prioritize bringing member states together and fostering discussions on important matters. Let’s continue to build a future where the MA will thrive from diplomacy and collaboration.
Thank you, and let’s continue to bring change!”
Anthony I
February 11, 2025