Federal Council Leader Ivan Tattar, the Unionist presidential contender, will become Polasciana’s next president after winning a clear majority against his Nationalist rival, former Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Sukhorukov. Tattar, 51, was declared President-elect in the early hours of this morning having beaten Sukhorukov in the run-off vote 66% to 31%. Speaking to assembled supporters in Arvi, Mr Tattar said that he was “humbled and honoured” to have secured four years as the country’s next head of state and would “work everyday for the people of this great nation to make us richer, safer and stronger in the world and here at home”.
Tattar had started the campaign in February as the outright favourite for the role, but originally lost momentum to both Katrina Fischer, the outgoing Governor of Béspura, who would be eliminated in the first round, and Mr Sukhorukov, the runner-up, at different points during the campaign. He was caught off-guard by Fischer’s early declaration in June, just weeks after the Nationalists launched their own campaign, and was originally expecting an internal battle to become the party’s nominee against Arvi mayor Taras Illyushin. Mr Illyushin eventually decided to run for governor of Amar instead which left the Federal Council Leader seeing off a behind-closed-doors battle for the party’s candidacy against Kamchetkan representative Leo Serrantes instead. Becoming the Unionist candidate in July, Mr Tattar started the election behind Ms Fischer in the odds for victory, but quickly asserted himself on the national stage as the Coalition lost traction and haemorrhaging support after a series of blunders which left the party leadership reeling and her campaign in meltdown. Fischer’s elimination in the first round was described as a ‘humiliation’ for the governing party – with rumblings continuing over its direction under Prime Minister Asta Dahn and the government visibly rocked by the result.
Conceding the race in the early hours of the morning, Sukhorukov, who has been a deputy since 2003 and the leader of the Nationalists since earlier this year, said that the result for his party was ‘historic’ and that they had ‘broken through as a major political force’. Criticised throughout the campaign for his aggressive rhetoric, slogans and extreme policy positions, the Nationalist leader said that the result represented “the next step in a major shift in our national politics” and that “there will be a lot more from the party – this is the start, not the end”. But critics commented that they believe Mr Sukhorukov has missed a vital opportunity to take advantage of the run-off and polled a long way off expectations. Regular PTV commentator and former presidential advisor Dmitry Nikolaevsky said “the Nationalists will have hoped to have moved forward more than they did between the first and second votes. They gained just 5% in that time, with the majority of the Coalition vote breaking for the President-elect. I believe that shows us the Nationalists don’t have much potential to increase that in further elections. This was the real test for the party, and a once in a lifetime opportunity, but it looks like they have quite a low ceiling.”
Preparations will now begin for Mr Tattar’s presidential inauguration in January. It is not currently known whether he intends to follow incumbent President Gennadiy Artamova’s decision to be inaugurated in Arvi rather than the capital, Karasicena. President Artamova will leave office after eight years as the country’s head of state. Mr Tattar now also faces decisions about his top team – including who will take over from him as Leader of the Federal Council where the Unionists have increased their majority. The current favourite for the role is Mr Serrantes, but Mr Tattar may choose to promote younger talent, including more women to the top of the party. The Unionists have a poor record on women within their top ranks, and Mr Tattar has commented that it will be a priority for his presidency.
