Big shakeup as UPP takes the highest office in divided post- Pavia First landscape. /T. U. Omasz
In what came as a shock result to some, the UPP received a nearly immediate win in the first round of voting with 14 votes, leading to a 15 vote win in the second round. AMP and Renew were left trailing behind with 5 and 6 votes respectively in the first round and 11 votes for Renew in the second round. As the nation unites behind Gobblin, the results also reveal a deep political division.
To many poll agencies, in particular those who rely on online discussion platforms for their data, Gobblin’s win came as a surprise, as many were expecting a confident Renew win. According to political analysts for the Pavia Daily however, the contrast between the polls and the results was to be expected, attributing the UPP’s electoral success to a ‘silent majority’ among the nobility. Renew and AMP may enjoy popularity and vocal activism among the wider citizenry and in the inner city in particular, the elections for the office of Prime Minister are restricted. “People dont vote, nobles do”. Pavia is, of course, a constitutional monarchy, not a democracy.
Exit-polling suggests that many UPP voters previously supported Pavia First, whereas most of the additional support for Renew in the second round came from AMP. Inheriting the the demographic coalition of Pavia First voters, the new Prime Minister can likely expect reliable electoral support in the future, as long as he manages to balance traditional Pavia First concerns with the priorities of his own party.
In one of his first acts as Prime Minister, Gobblin has donated vast sums from his personal wealth to the Coast Guard, elimating the large debt this vital institution had accumulated. Cissonius, First Lord of the Admiralty for the Coast Guard and outgoing Prime Minister, and sheep farmer, has provided us with an exclusive statement for our readers: “I look forward to how best we can work with government going forward”. Gobblin’s administration is expected to continue to prioritize the Coast Guard going forward, as part of his own platform and in further strategic appeal to Pavia First loyalists.
The issue that is likely to define Gobblin’s administration however is the issue of citizenship. In a controversial move, the previous administration lowered costs for buying citizenship, sparking fierce debate on the future of Pavia’s legal hierarchy and political inclusion. Whereas AMP campaigned on expanding voting rights to dual citizens, UPP campaigned for increasing costs for buying citizenship to beyond the original cost and utilized strong language against what it saw as ‘political interference’ by potential hostile foreign agents. The UPP also subtly suggested the introduction of a resident rank, which would require a major constitutional overhaul. The new administration’s imperative will be to navigate this issue without fracturing its hard-won coalition, and without completely alienating Pavia’s many dual citizens.