Forty eight hours of high level talks between leaders at the top of the Union Party have failed to find a consensus regarding the party’s candidate for November’s presidential election.
The summit, called after the remaining candidates for the Unionist nomination as president, as well as those seeking to fill the vacancy for its permanent party leader, agreed to suspend the internal party member backed process that was underway to select its leadership team. Chaired by interim leader Dmitry Kreshnenvo, the talks were designed to finalise the party’s ticket ahead of the deadline for nominations for the national poll which passes on Sunday. Kreshnenvo said he was disappointed that discussions had failed to find a solution and in a letter wrote that he was ‘growing increasingly impatient’ with figures from across the party.
The original selection process – mirroring the successful primary model used to select President Artamova as the party’s candidate in 2011 – was pulled after Federal Council Leader Ivan Tattar refused to formally submit his application to become the party’s presidential nominee following Taras Illyushin, the mayor of Polasciana’s biggest city and his expected challenger, said he had decided not to stand. Announcing his intention to instead seek the role of Governor of Amar in November, Illyushin’s withdrawal left Tattar as the only candidate in the race. However, having been damaged by a series of criticisms issued by the mayor’s shadow campaign, even Tattar’s closest allies warned him he would need to secure a ‘mandate’ to become the party’s nominee. Tattar is still viewed by many campaign strategists as the ‘ideal candidate’ to minimise the threat of the Nationalist Party in the November election – given his Sar ethnicity and hailing from the former East. Many officials with responsibility for managing the Unionist campaign in November have therefore urged against appointing Kamchetkan deputy Leo Serrantes as the party’s candidate, who himself emerged at the talks as a potential ‘consensus choice’ to lead the party into the election.
On Sunday a party spokesperson said that Mr Tattar had still been the main focus of the discussion at the weekend but that concerns had been raised as to his ability to appeal ‘beyond the party’s base’. Mr Serrantes even presented detailed polling, the first of its kind in the country, that showed he had wider appeal across the country, albeit acknowledging that he was less well known.
Mr Serrantes, who had originally wanted to stand for the party leadership, changed his mind whilst commissioning the polling from experts in Eiffelland and after Mr Tattar declined to formally run in the internal party election. Aides close to Tattar said the Federal Council leader was frustrated and deeply angered by criticisms from the Mayor of Arvi, and that he blamed Mr Illyushin for the break down in the process to select a candidate, saying that he had ‘welcomed’ an election for the post. It is now thought that President Artamova will attempt to broker a deal by the end of the week between Mr Tattar and Mr Serrantes.
One scenario that has been floated is that Mr Serrantes will serve as the candidate in a November, with Mr Tattar remaining as Federal Council Leader while also serving as party leader. Aides have commented that Mr Tattar would not accept such a deal, and it is therefore thought that the party leadership now seems set to go to Vlad Marat after he rowed back on earlier comments about splitting the party. Mr Marat, the Amarian deputy for Bykiven and the son of former Eastern official Melor Marat, could be appointed over the summer following a membership ballot – the same process to confirm Lazar Ulanov in the role after President Artamova’s selection as the party’s presidential candidate in 2011. Having emerged as the favourite for the role amongst all factions at the summit, Mr Marat is likely to replace the interim leader immediately. He is seen as a ‘fresh new face’ and somebody who could help the party reach ‘new audiences’, an official said.
Negotiations between Mr Tattar and Mr Serrantes however are expected to be more difficult but the party’s leadership is wanting any discussions to be finalised by Friday night, ahead of the deadline for presidential election candidate registrations at the weekend. Mr Kreshnenvo warned both men and the President to ‘get going or get off the pitch’ and in his letter will tell members of the Party Executive to be ready to have to formally announce a candidate by default, if the men can not reach a deal. It is thought in that scenario Mr Tattar would be confirmed as the nominee given he is the most senior party official eligible for the role.
The eventual candidate will face Governor Katrina Fischer in the nationwide poll in November after she was confirmed as the Progressive Centrist Conservative Coalition candidate earlier this week, but concerns over the Nationalists appeal continue to trouble senior figures in both the major parties. Talks to minimise the threat of the Nationalist campaign between the Coalition and Unionist nominees are thought to be being planned when the latter’s candidate is in place.
