The Taixi Times is a daily print and web publication from Taixi, Anle, offering breaking news and analysis on politics, business, world national news, and entertainment.Embattled former-Grand Chancellor Yi Junkai fights to retain control of the Lotus PartyThe orphaned surgeon and one-term Grand Chancellor may soon be without a political home as voices in his party openly call for his resignation22 June 4335TIAN'AN, Han: Dr. Yi Junkai promised Indralans the Lotus Party would continue to fight for them in the National Conference, even after his party suffered a crushing blow on election night, with major losses in Han, Min and Shu.
Dr. Yi thanked voters for re-electing a number of his colleagues, but did not say explicitly whether he planned to stay on as leader of the Lotus Party. After his election night concession speech however, a LP spokesperson told the Taixi Times that Yi will not be resigning as leader.
"With this election, Indralans have asked us all to work for them," said Yi. "We will not let them down."
Following the departure of the eminently popular Lotus Party leader and three-term Grand Chancellor Kwan Zhiyong, Yi Junkai barely achieved victory in 4330, despite his party being reduced by 133 seats. In this election, with no first ballot endorsements, Dr. Yi placed 6th, and his party got reduced further to its worst showing since the Pua Dictatorship.
Dr. Yi thanked the people of Jiaozhi for "forgiving" the Lotus Party, as they placed third in their traditional home province, much better than their 5th place turnout in 4330.
Following the election, Dr. Yi has kept a low-profile. A move to depose Leader Yi Junkai by factions of the party is escalating ahead of a leadership vote at a party convention next year; after every election, the Lotus Party Constitution requires party members to hold a "Leadership Review" in which party members must vote as to whether or not they want to hold a leadership election for the party.
Lotus Party members have never practiced regicide, always returning their Leaders with massive margins, however some analysts have proposed that Dr. Yi may be the first Leader to lose his review as rifts in the party have been exposed to the public in recent days. Minister of Health and Social Services Zhou Huiyi has openly suggested that Yi should step down.
"Is there a tremendous amount of angst out there about the result of the election and how the election was run? No question about it, there is," Zhou said at a charity event in Tian'an. "I think it's only natural for people to look to our leadership to understand these decisions and whether or not our party has the leadership necessary to lead our party forward. I'm not sure we do with Dr. Yi."
Dr. Yi currently maintains a 52.2% approval rating with Lotus Party members at-large. This is compared to Kwan who left office with 83.6% and Huang who left with 91.1%. Noticing this, Yi has been fighting to gain political support for his continued leadership of the party.
Today, Dr. Yi visited the Longmen orphanage
in which he grew up, taking the time to play with the children. Dr. Yi also brought thousands of shapirs worth of toys. Speaking to Indrala Television (ITV) crews on scene, Dr. Yi said that "the Lotus Party is going to fight in the National Conference to bring support to our poor and low-income children, as [they] always have."
Dr. Yi would not answer questions with regard to his leadership, only saying that he "is excited for the opportunity" to be judged by his party members. Nonetheless, Dr. Yi has planned a number of rallies across the nation as he continues to reassemble the political coalition that elected him leader in the first place.