The People's Press
Fresh Challenge for Former President
Former President Franklin Foster re-enters National Assembly as the Labour Party leader
Kaliburg, Ananto
May 26th 4141
After nearly a decade as President, Foster becomes Labour Party General Secretary
Kalistan's former President Franklin Foster has taken up a new role as the General Secretary of the Labour Party. In this month's elections, Foster did not stand for re-election instead allowing former Kalistani ambassador to the Security Council Oscar Machado to take the Labour Party's nomination. As a result of support from the Peoples Party, Revolutionary Liberation Front and Populist Environmental Party, Machado was able to secure victory on the second ballot and ensure a fourth term of Labour Presidency. He is expected to propose a cabinet bill in the coming months, which would see the PEP in the Premiership after a brief stint by Buccismo Genesis of the People's Party.
Internally, the Labour Party Congress kept its Central Committee relatively consistent. Mauro Curti, an experienced Assembly Deputy who has served as Justice Minister in the past, was selected as the party's Deputy Leader while Defence Minister Laura Michelakakis moved into Foreign Affairs to replace the outgoing General Secretary Jean-Baptiste Fabian. Yagami Kameko succeeds Curti as Justice Spokesperson while Monique Lyon enters Defence.
Overall, Foster is perceived to be somewhat similar to Fabian in his both his views and his style, which is to be expected given that he was the latter's Deputy Leader for over ten years. In the election for General Secretary, he faced almost no opposition. Former Ananto Governor Lia Schneider, who failed to beat Foster to become the party's Presidential nominee a decade ago, was the only other name on the ballot although Joost Kramer, who served as an officer in the navy before becoming a Deputy, pulled out at the last moment. Foster won a massive 71% of votes cast.
Early signs from within the party suggest that Foster will place a focus on individual rights in the coming term. While closely aligned economically, many of Labour's allies do not see eye-to-eye with them on some social issues. As a result, many of what they consider to be 'essential freedoms', like the ability to smoke tobacco, have been systematically eroded in recent years. The Liberal Reforms Act is the first attempt to restore them. Internationally, new President Oscar Machado is keen to utilise his own personal experience and connections to build Kalistani relations Terra-wide and has suggested the drafting of a replacement for the now-defunct Kalistan-Terra General Friendship Accord.