Sanctus – Prime Minister Mark Kindle’s first speech post Parliament’s return from their Christmas break today confirmed that the House of Deputies would be dissolved this coming Friday, January 12th, with an election to take place on Saturday, January 27th. Kindle also confirmed he was not using his constitutional prerogative to dissolve the Senate two years early – sources inside the Sanctarian Conservative Party say this is because, at the moment, the Democratic Left have a slim 1 seat majority, whereas if an election was held, they would likely increase this. The Senate will be dissolved instead in February 2020, at the latest.
Kindle’s office also confirmed no emergency conference for the SCP would be taking place, signalling that Kindle intends to go into this election remaining the SCP leader – many political commentators had suggested that because of his declining popularity within the party, as well as the poor polling of the SCP as a whole, Kindle would have stepped down. While this decision will surprise some, it will also anger others, no doubt including Secretary for Homeland Security Kate Cruz who has emerged as the leading anti-Kindle figure in the party. Cruz is said to be “fuming” that Kindle has not taken the honourable route of resignation, and allowing someone else fight the campaign for the SCP and perhaps do better than they might otherwise do.
However members of the Kindle faction of the SCP are saying it’s precisely because he will be toppled soon that he is staying on through the election – he doesn’t want to lumber his successor with a failed election as their first official action as leader of the party. Sources not wishing to be named have confirmed that should the SCP lose the election, as most commentators believe, Kindle will then resign, giving the SCP opportunity to then elect their new leader.
On the other side of the aisle, the DLP’s leader Charlene Hendry also has her own personal popularity issues within her party, but after a decade at the helm, and with them so close to power, senior figures within the DLP are reluctant to push Hendry to retirement without giving her a crack of the whip as Prime Minister. One Shadow Secretary said “Charlene has wanted to be Prime Minister for years. She’s done her time as Leader of the Opposition. She may be unpopular personally, but she is a good captain, and we will win this election – she’s going to be the first female PM, but let’s not forget the Senate elections are in two years time. We’re definitely going to revisit the leadership at that time”.
Pundits are certainly expecting the DLP Leader to cruise comfortably to victory, with all signs in the polls and in column inches that Sanctaria will soon see her first female Prime Minister.
JOEY SESSIONS, Political Correspondent
