Party Leader Nominations and Candidacies

[Ian Plätschisch]

It's time to elect a party leader to serve for the 51st and 52nd Cosas (from approximately September 2017 through January 2019).  If you want to run or want to nominate someone else, post it here.

[Lüc]

Right, so I have been quiet the last few days as I'm preparing for a couple of exams I have coming up next week (the timing of this campaign is unfortunate as, if stuff don't go to plan, I won't be 100% free until exactly Balloting Day) and to decide whether or not to seek a third term as leader. I have spoken to a few people about my prospects and my desires for the 51st Cosa, so here goes.

With today, I've been leader for 3 years, 2 weeks and 4 days. A lengthy amount of time for Talossan standards. Comparable parties have changed several leaders in the meantime, all of them for different reasons. For instance, AD, Cresti and Miestra all handed over control of their party to cope with external issues, I believe. That's not the case with me - I am not particularly burned out, or tired of my job, or anything like that.
If I left the party leadership through not running for reelection, it would be because I wanted to pursue different endeavors, or because I didn't feel to be fit for office anymore. And I'm sure the party would continue to thrive without me at the helm. We aren't lacking in resources, although we could admittedly use more activity. I have thought about retiring even though, as I've said before, I still love this party and my role in it. There's plenty of things I could do - being a more bipartisan Senator, for instance; devoting more time to legislative efforts or working on Senatorial bylaws; putting more effort on my own province's activities; taking a single issue at heart and striving to (immigration, for example, as catchment reform has admittedly, largely and predictably not been enough).

So my retirement plans are well laid out. And yet, my intention is to postpone them for another term - or even half a term, if by May 2018 I'll be satisfied with what I've done - because the term that has just ended has been the most fruitful of my Talossan life. I had yet to assist to such a productive term both in the Government and in the Ziu, and I've been blessed to have been at the helm of it throughout it all. It would be a shame if I didn't at least try to get the chance to defend this Government's achievements before the Talossan people, because there's a lot that still needs to be done, and we need to continue working in this direction to keep delivering on our promises as we have been doing in the last term. For once, "more of the same" is not a negative utterance.

Therefore, I will stand again for the leadership of the Moderate Radicals, with the understanding that, barring extraordinary circumstances (such as being the only active member when the next election takes place ), a third term whether full or partial would be my last.

Så vivadra Talossa, så vivadra el Partì Lait Radical!