Rutanian Republican Party

Founded in 3622, United Voice was conceived as a union of political interests that thought themselves under-represented in existing political parties.

Socially conservative, yet with socialist economic leanings - United Voice has managed to build a core supporter base among conservative trade unions, agricultural industry federations, the manufacturing sector, as well as from several religious and nationalist groups.

Party membership to United Voice is defined either through direct association with the party, or through membership to an affiliated organisation. Preselections are held with both organisations and the membership base retaining a say, where each grouping is weighted at 50% of the total ballot.

Founding
Shortly after the 3621 elections, the beginnings of what would become the United Voice party first met. A small group of trade union officials upset with the neoliberal economics of the Urban Party, and equally with the progressive policies of Solidarity - they had originally hoped that the Rutanian Labourists movement would provide them with a party more in line with their vision for a worker's party. Let down by the few platform differences between Solidarity and the Labourists, these unionists began to plan - working on an initial policy document now known as the 'United Voice Initiatives'.

As this document began circulating throughout the community, the conservative unionists found themselves joined by several other groups - including their traditional enemies in the industrial employers associations and farmers groups. Nevertheless, the unusual coalition continued on and within a few months the foundations were laid for a new political party.

Taking on the name of the documents which brought their movement to the public attention, the 'United Voice' was officially registered in April 3622 under the leadership of Mal Costello, former managing director of the Rutanian Agribusiness Association.

Entering Parliament
The 3625 election saw the United Voice enter the parliament of Rutania as the party placed third (from four) in the national vote with 24.45%, picking up 138 seats. Its greatest victory was in Delvar Province, where the party took out 59.16% of the local vote - winning it's first gubernatorial contest. This was the largest provincial victory of the 3625 election, with the Delvar delegation comprising 48% of the national United Voice party representation.

Party founder Mal Costello won a spot in the parliament as apart of the United Voice delegation from Ardinia, where the party secured 18 seats. In spite of this, Mr. Costello failed to win his bid for the presidency after polling at 25.24% in the first round, placing third behind the Urban Party of Rutania candidate Adam Andrews on 28.66% and the Solidarity Rutania candidate and incumbent Diana Hammond on 46.01%.

With no party securing an outright majority - and each party holding a similiar amount of seats - government negotiations began in order to determine who would administer Rutania under President Hammond for the term ahead. United Voice ended up entering into a coalition government with the Urban Party, taking on six portfolios - including Mal Costello as the head of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

3629
The United Voice faced its second electoral test in the 3629 national vote. While all parties benefited from the dissolution of the Labourists, it was the United Voice which made the greatest gains - picking up 42 seats, making it the joint second largest party in the legislature with 180 elected representatives.

Mal Costello faced his second presidential vote, surviving to the second round before losing to Solidarity President Diana Hammond with 43.23% of votes cast to the President's 56.77% after the elimination of the Urban Party candidate.

The party fared well in local elections, picking up a second governorship in Borzarland, while retaining its leadership of Delvar province.

3633
The party went backwards in the 3633 election, finishing in third place in both the presidential and legislative votes. Mal Costello was eliminated in the first round after polling 28.21% and falling behind the Urban Party and Solidarity candidates. This was largely in part due to a resurgence in Urban Party support, which came at the expense of all other parties - and saw the UPR returned to the presidency under Mr. Oliver Slauson.

United Voice fared slightly better in the legislature, receiving 28.97% of the party vote. In spite of this, the party failed to top the polls in any province, losing its governorships in Bozarland and Delvar.

Following this poll, party leader Mal Costello made a statement in which he revealed his intention to stand down as the party's candidate for President, opening the field to preselections for the next Rutanian election. This decision lead to the first United Voice leadership election in 3634.

3637
New leader Diane McCormack faced her first electoral test in the 3637 election. In a contest which saw the return of formerly defunct party the Democratic Socialist Front, the United Voice's prospects for political gains diminished. The party ended up polling third (behind the DSF and Urban Parties, and ahead of Solidarity Rutania and the newly founded Conservative Populist Party) in both the presidential (23.13%) and legislative (22.21%) elections.

In negotiations following the election, the United Voice decided to renew their longstanding coalition with the Urban Party - forming a cabinet under Urban President Oliver Slauson and United Voice Prime Minister Patricia Kennedy.

3641
The 3641 election saw the introduction of the Utilitarian Party to the Rutanian political system. In spite of their 129 seat gain as a new party, the United Voice managed to overcome the odds and gain 15 seats - the only established party to grow its vote share, making the United Voice the largest party in the parliament with a total of 138 representatives coming from the party.

Running on the slogan 'for reasonable Rutanians', UV Leader Diane McCormack faced her second electoral test for the Presidency - claiming 24.60% of the vote in the first round, and 52.73% in the second for the party's first executive win. On top of this, the party claimed governorships in two provinces, Kragusrov and Khodor.

In 3642, the Utilitarian Party, Democratic Socialist Front, and Solidarity Rutania parties conspired to bring down the Patricia Kennedy lead cabinet of Rutania, ending her Prime Ministership and making Diane McCormack the undisputed leader of the United Voice.

3643
The post 3641 Rutanian political scene, under the leadership of President Diane McCormack of the United Voice, was one filled with great divisivness and continued conflict between the President and the national cabinet - under Utilitarian Prime Minister Helen Glaves.

The main concern revolved around a Solidarity Rutania call to legalise public nudity and other obscene acts. This move was objected to by the United Voice - who began a campaign on the behest of President McCormack & Parliamentary leader Patricia Kennedy to 'clean up Rutanian politics'. After a failed attempt to bring the Democratic Socialist Front to change allegences and join the UV and Urban Party in creating a new cabinet, the President introduced an executive order investigating potential crimininal activity and electoral fraud committed by - in particular - Solidarity Rutania.

The order (http://classic.particracy.net/viewbill.php?billid=405056) prompted outrage among the Cabinet parties - with the DSF leader, during a heated parliamentary debate, threatening the President with impeachment - arguing that the executive order was illegal and beyond the powers of the executive branch.

Responding to these claims, President McCormack decided to take the issue to an election - putting her plan for a 'National Comission of Rutanian Values' to the electorate.

The 3643 election failed to give any side a clear mandate, with the United Voice's lost 9 seats translating into a gain for the relatively neutral Urban Party of Rutania of 10 seats (putting the UPR into second place, and the UV into third, in spite of the UV gaining more actual votes than the UPR). Votes also shifted in the cabinet coalition, with the DSF losing 35 seats - 26 of which were picked up by Solidarity Rutania.

The Presidential contest saw Utilitarian and United Voice candidates facing off in the second round. With a first round endorsement from Solidarity Rutania and a second round vote of support from the Democratic Socalist Front, the cabinet collusion was enough to give the Utilitarian Party's Viktor Eidel the win with 65.50% of the second round vote.

The United Voice managed to retain its two governorships.

The new parliament quickly moved to strike out Diane McCormack's executive order, with every party bar the United Voice moving to end the commission.

3647
United Voice saw modest gains in the 3647 election, with a second place finish in both the presidential and parliamentary races. The party maintained two governorships nationwide, in Khodor and Delvar - becoming the only party in the nation to hold more than one governorship (Solidarity Rutania, the Urban Party, and the Utilitarian party all having one a piece).

The following parliament saw little in the way of legislative or political action, with the exception of the authorization of an aid bill to Luthori, which found support from both the Utilitarian president and the United Voice opposition leader.

Transformation
The changing face of the United Voice, coupled with strongly polarized feelings about the McCormack presidency, led party leader Erich Gerhardt to begin the transition of the party into a new form. No longer just a coalition of interests, it was time for the United Voice - now one of the largest political players in Rutania - to reenter the arena as a mature and complete broadly electable party of government.

Thus, the National Republican Party of Rutania was formed.

Election Results
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Rutania