Bianjie

[journey]

First elections under the new electoral system result in a historic victory
19 April 5713



GEMUN: In the shadow of the night, as the votes in the final constituencies are being counted, there is one person, who can be ecstatic about the events which have unfolded today. The 61-year-old premier Semken Tan, who led her Socialist People's Party to the historic and resounding landslide victory, can now be happy that her gamble to change the nation's electoral system has paid out, and paid out bigly, as the socialsts manage to secure whole 120 seats in the nation's supreme legislative body, making the best result in party's 98-year history, beating the record of 115 seats won in the 5658 election under the Abatai Soca leadership.

Pictured above: the final election result, according to the State Electoral Administration

Coming in the midst of New Englia oil bidding, swift rise of the pan-Dovanian institutions, Bianjie's major success in the 5710 Summer Olympics, and general popularity of the premier Tan, the election was widely expected to be won by Tan's own governing coalition of the SPP, alongside its junior partners, the Progressive Communist Party (PCP) and the daeniest democratic True Path Party (TPP), or the Shindotō. Nevertheless, the scope of the victory, was something that many did not believe would happen, as the party of the premier Tan has won almost 60% of the nation's 137 single-member constituencies, contributing to the resouding victory.

Gaining 32 seats in comparison to the last election, comes at the cost of practically every other party losing representation, with the right-wing opposition being affected the most, as the Democratic People's Party won just 54, the worst result for a pan-democratic party/coalition ever. The leader of the DPP, Erdeni Niri has announced his immediate resignation, with the deputy leader, and the Mayor of Lemurhan, in Irudai Province, Kun Zhang assuming the position of the acting leader of the largest opposition party. "I assume personal responsibility, and take action, because I see that voters did not like what DPP under my leadership proposed. And I am sorry to all of our militants for this result", said Niri. "However, one must also take into the account the unfair and unjust system that was introduced by this government". This sentiment was shared by the other DPP candidates who lost their respective races, as well as the leaders of the New Right Alliance, whose sovereignist co-leader Eidu Arakcou, accused premier Tan and her government of "manipulating the people's minds", as well "using the undemocratic means", to achieve the "unrepresentative majorities".

During the campaign, Tan has reaffirmed her political positions, her commitment to the representation of the rural Bianjie, as well as the moderation of the SPP, which some political pundits see as the attempt to move the party towards the centre, which would, in the minds of the Socialist leadership, making the SPP more appealing to the right-wing voters, which evidently has worked, as the ISUG exit poll numbers suggest, as up to 7-8% of the voters, who said they have voted for the DPP or NRA in 5708, switched their votes to SPP in the constituencies, but either kept the voter DPP or NRA in the PR vote, or did not vote at all.

Now, during her victory speech, the premier Tan has promised to be the "premier of everyone and for everyone", remaining open to cooperation with the right as well on certain issues, however, "they must settle down their aggression towards the half of the country", which voted for the left, according to premier herself. "We will continue our path forward, as promised to the people. The people saw, heard, and gave us their trust, to which we will be forever grateful for. Let's keep working together for the best of our country!", Tan said in her victorious speech. The current coalition is expected to continue in office, with SPP wielding even more power and influence within the governing coalition, but Tan's openness to work together and be cooperative might help PCP and TPP to have a strong voice.



毎日急行 (Daily Express) is a major daily newspaper based in the city of Namušun, Khani Province