ROTHESAY — Premier Ethan McAllister’s Liberal Conservative Party has won the most seats in New Ulster’s first ever general election – but has fallen short of a majority.
The Lib-Cons took 3 of the 7 seats up for grabs in the House of Assembly while ‘rivals’ the Democratic Party won 2 seats, thereby also falling short of expectations. Independent candidates, in a stronger than expected performance, won the remaining 2 seats.
Things were far less evenly spread in the popular vote, however, with the Premier’s centre-right LCP coming out on top with almost 43% to the centrist DP’s nearly 36%. The various independents finished just over 21%.
As incumbent premier, McAllister will have the first chance to form a government. However, with only 3 of the 7 seats, it will be either a minority or a coalition government.
Many observers in New Ulster consider it unlikely that McAllister and the Democratic Party leader Stephen Cameron would work together which would mean a deal — probably a confidence and supply arrangement rather than a full-blown coalition — with one of the independent MPs is the logical outcome.
While Cameron will doubtless be disappointed with his party’s result, there remains a remote possibility that he will be asked to form a government by Governor Marsden should McAllister prove unable to.
New Ulster’s first ever general election was called to decide the country’s future direction. Doubtless the result has left that future somewhat less clear.
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