Green Ad’ihan force collapse of government
CITY OF AD’IHAN, March 7, 2150— Ad’ihan's prime minister, John Baines, has submitted his Cabinet's resignation to President L. Louis Edwards after less than a month in the job, triggering elections that will be held prior to the previously-announced date of May 29.
The move comes after the largest party in the coalition, Green Ad’ihan, voted to withdraw from the government, forcing the collapse of Mr Baines' government after just 20 days in charge. It is an acrimonious end to the partnership between the Greens and the Parti populaire, dating back to pre-independence and the first elections in 2144.
Making the announcement to a press horde gathered outside his office, Mr Baines confirmed his meeting with the president. "In our meeting we discussed a wide range of topics, including electoral reform and the current political situation. I offered my Cabinet's resignation and requested the president dissolve Parliament, which he has kindly done. It has been a difficult 20 days in government. We were, in hindsight, too optimistic.
"Kyle Adamson informed me earlier today that in an internal vote conducted yesterday, his party had overwhelmingly backed withdrawing from our coalition government. Unfortunately, that left us with a coalition which did not control even 50 seats — an untenable situation. I expressed my deep regret and disappointment over the Green Ad’ihan decision, but it has become obvious that this government was not going to work out from the start."
Many critics put the blame for the fall of the government squarely on the shoulders of Mr Baines himself, for his decision to load half his Cabinet with his own party members, despite the party only being the fourth-largest in Parliament. Mr Baines also announced his resignation as leader of the Parti populaire, saying the party needed someone new to guide it through the next elections, which will now be held on April 2.
The elections will be held in the same format as the 2148 elections, as proposed bills in Parliament to modify the electoral system were not passed prior to its dissolution. This leaves open the possibility that once again, Ad’ihan will end up with a coalition government unable to get anything done.
As things stand, opinion polling suggests two possibilities. One poll, conducted for the Islands Daily Express, suggests the Greens will win an outright majority, with many voters alienated by the Parti populaire gravitating towards their natural counterparts. However, another one, conducted for the Radio Ad’ihan Network, suggests the opposition pairing of the Front for Democracy and Action (AF) and the Conservatives will make far-reaching gains to allow them to govern in coalition.
