The Chancery has published the unverified results of the 49th Cosa Election. After 199 of 200 seats have been provisionally allocated, and contrary to most expectations, the FreeDems have achieved their goal of overtaking the RUMP as the Kingdom’s largest party:
Votes per party
FreeDems: 39 votes (+9)
RUMP: 36 votes (-7)
ModRads: 22 votes (-7)
TNC: 17 votes (NEW)
Progressives: 2 votes (-7)
Republicans: 2 votes (NEW)
Seven citizens voted “present”, down from 9 in the 48th Cosa election. A total of 19 votes were cast for parties unrepresented in the 48th Cosa, compared to 16 for “new” parties in the last election.
Hailing the result as “historic”, FreeDem leader Miestrâ Schivâ invited the leaders of the other non-RUMP parties to contact her, stating “lets set up a government”. The FreeDem pledge to avoid traditional coalition, expand the role of non-political activities in Talossa and to maintain a hard line against royal “tyranny”” appear to have struck a chord with voters. With 66 seats, the FreeDem leader is however considerably short of a parliamentary majority, and will need to make arrangements with at least the ModRads to be assured of a clear majority in the Cosa:
Seats by party (199/200)
FreeDems: 66 (+19)
RUMP: 61 (-7)
ModRads: 37 (-9)
TNC: 29 (NEW)
Progressive: 3 (-11)*
Republican: 3 (NEW)*
* Provisional. Pending allocation of final seat
RUMP leader Sir Alexandreu Davinescu congratulated the FreeDems for their “strong showing”, and also congratulated the TNC for demonstrating that “new parties have a lot to offer Talossa”. Despite a series of ambitious campaign promises and an unsparing critique of what he claimed was the negligence of the coalition throughout its term in office, the RUMP leader appears to have been unable to convince voters that his party was essential to the next government. Critically for the RUMP, this new decline in support means that they have lost the blocking minority in the Cosa that gave them considerable influence in Organic Law matters. Sir Alexandreu also lost his bid to unseat ModRad Epic da Lhiun as Senator for Mariitimi-Maxhestic.
The ModRads, whose dramatic exit from the previous coalition led to considerable mutual recrimination between them and the FreeDems during the campaign, by contrast appear to have paid a price for their Christmas gambit. Having disavowed any ambition to lead the next government early in the campaign, the party appears to have suffered from the successful framing of the race as a Schivâ/Davinescu horse race, as well as competition from the TNC, led by ex-ModRad Breneir Itravilatx.
The TNC created the other surprise of the election, with a total of 17 votes in their first outing. With the “outsider” parties of the 48th Cosa apparently defunct, the TNC may have picked up support from heir now homeless voters. The party may also have profited from the decline in ModRad support, as well as the collapse in votes for the Progs, who were reduced to residual status with only 2 votes after a late start to their campaign.
Another minor party, Colonel Carbonel’s Republican Party, also has a total of two votes, leaving the Chancery to decide how to allocate the final seat between them.