Centre Party Looks Set to Abandon Party FounderDespite being the party's founder and current chairman, it's members are questioning whether's it time for a fresh face to lead the party.Christian Mayer arriving at party headquarter's earlier this morning.As is the case with political parties across Dorvik, the race is on within the Centre Party as to who will lead the party into the next election. Party founder, and current Chairman Christian Mayer, was widely expected to be nominated by party members at last Thursday's conference in Hauzenwald. However, support for the man who led the party into government three years ago has slowly ebbed away since January. Indeed, Mayer garnered barely half of the vote in his bid to remain party chairman; 48.3 % of conference attendees cast a vote against Mayer despite no other contender being on the ballot. The surprise result quickly put into doubt a second ballot that was due to be held later that evening that would confirm him as the party’s presidential candidate for the upcoming elections next year.
Within an hour of the result, Ulrich Bluhm, the party’s Education spokesperson, announced that he would now challenge Mayer for the candidacy. Speaking to DNS, Bluhm said:
The Centre Party and its members have nothing but respect for Mr Mayer; within the space of a few short years he took the party from nothing to the third largest in the country. However, times have moved on. We need a fresh face that won’t shun responsibility in the future.
Bluhm’s comments reflect the growing discontent among grassroot members. Many of them still don’t understand why Mayer didn’t take a cabinet position when the party entered into coalition with the ADA and KRA. His decision to support the government from the backbenchers was summed up by conference attendee Margarethe Fischer:
What’s the point of him? He led us into government and then decides he doesn’t want a cabinet post. Now he asks us to make him President? I think someone who is prepared to work hard deserves that job
Bluhm's decision led to the second ballot being postponed; it has been reorganised by the party's committee to take place in a month's time. His announcement was unusual given that the Education spokesperson is not a well-known, let alone popular figure, within Dorvik. Political commentators see him as a 'stalking horse': opening the way for more serious candidates to challenge Mayer.
Education Spokesperson Ulrich Bluhm has contested Mayer for the party's presidential nomination for next year's election.So far, however, Mayer has the support of the party’s senior leadership; the party’s four ministers have been reluctant to entertain the idea that anyone apart from Mayer will be the Centre’s presidential nominee for 4373. Nevertheless, it is becoming increasingly clear that Mayer will have to decide on his, and his party’s future: continue forward and risk dividing the party, or step aside and let more contenders enter the fray? A contested election would allow for open debate and it would surely do the party some good.