With speculation increasing about the two major political parties over the past few weeks, the presidential race made another unexpected twist late this afternoon when a source close to former candidate Stepan Michalvich has revealed the fifty nine year old is considering a second run for the top-job.
Michalvich contested the first Presidential Election in 2003 for the then centre-left Social Unionist party. Placing second to eventual winner and current Prime Minister Koruin Gruaman, Mr Michalvich resigned as party leader shortly after losing the presidential race and was replaced by his close ally Alexander Ivanchin-Pisarev.
Following his defeat, Michalvich initially stayed out of the political spotlight and served as chief advisor to the Mayor of Karasicena. He returned to the frontline in 2007 when he was elected as Governor of Kamchetka.
It had been thought that Federal Council leader and party Chairman Gennadiy Artamova would serve as the party’s presidential candidate. But an insider, close to the party’s election strategy unit, supported the idea that Mr Michalvich could make a second run for office. The advisor commented that the party was ‘actively engaging’ with the Kamchetkan Governor, discussing the possibility that the politician could face Artamova in a ‘primary’ race in June, ahead of the national poll widely expected to be called on November 6th.
Entertaining the idea that a primary contest could help boost interest in the national poll later this year for Unionist voters, the opposition is continuing to play a political game of speculation and manoeuvring.
Party insiders tonight are briefing their allies that Michalvich will run.
