It is of course well within the right of any Alexandrian to organize a political party, and what a glorious right it is. The problem lies at the juncture between Alexandrian Conservatism and all other political ideologies. The Conservative movement, however unfashionable its logo may be, has got a lot going for it: clear policies, clear ideological standpoint and a large committed member base.
For as long as this is the case, the other parties, the Alexandrian Amelioration Party, The Federalist Party, and lately the Liberal Alternative, will have no real chance of putting into action their programs of reform. They will forever be minnows in the opposition, under whatever electoral system.
My recommendation? Well, surely it will not be a exceptionally popular suggestion, but I have seen it work elsewhere - Baracao and Talamthom are two that come to mind. I feel that the three smaller parties need to start to:
- find similarities in their manifestos and develop policies along the lines of these similarities;
- unite under one banner, thus acting as one party, for example the 'Popular Front', but still keeping their individual identities within this larger umbrella;
- decide on a system of rolling presidency for the party so that all of the component parties get a chance of having their leader as the leader of the umbrella organization.
If these parties are listening, then maybe now is the time to start talking amongst yourselves. I hasten to add, this article is not intended as a slight on the merits of the Conservatives, but is instead aimed at creating a stronger party-political arena within our Empire.
