Leaders of the Forward Party of Dolgaria

The Forward Party of Dolgaria is headed by the Party Leader, of which there have been three since the party's creation in 3752.

Leaders are elected every four years, exactly one year prior to the Dolgarian federal elections. After being elected at the party level, the incoming leader is given a year of preparation before replacing the previous leader, which happens on the same day as the federal election. This happens regardless of whether or not the Forward Party's leader is elected as President.

List of Leaders
This list is accurate as of August 3774.

Randall Conagher
Randall Ansley Conagher (born 24 July 3716 in rural Lirath) is the founder of the Forward Party. He is credited with transforming Dolgaria from an intrusive, long-standing empire into a republic. He created the party in 3752 and sat as leader until 3764. He is currently the Minister of Defense.

Conagher was born at his family's farm in rural Lirath, close to the city of Apule. Growing up with a generally standard life in Imperial Dolgaria, Conagher attended the University of Lirath in Dariena, earning a Bachelor's in Biology in 3738. Unable to find work in this field due to the government's poor investments in science, he joined the Imperial Army in 3740 for the benefits and relatively high pay. He spent most of his time as a combat machinery operator.

Conagher served several tours, but was discharged in the summer of 3747 after a mechanical accident broke almost half of his bones. He recovered over the next few years, going into a massive amount of debt by being unable to find work or pay his medical bills. His disappointment with the government's disrespect for veterans, healthcare, and scientists was soon complemented by the disappearance of Kaiser Dolgarburg and his cabinet, which correlated with economic and civil unrest. In 3750, Conagher assumed the role of a public speaker, using his experience to inform the people with suggestions about what could be done about the declining quality of life in Dolgaria. Conagher reunited with former squadmate Misha Malkovich, an immigrant from Telamon, who was appalled at his second-class treatment despite his decorated service to the country.

Conagher's speeches went generally unnoticed except by a small few followers until a problematic rally he held in Dariena, during which Conagher and Malkovich voiced their concerns on immigration and immigrants. This angered a group of Dolgarian nationalists who were attending, who attempted to forcibly remove the two from the makeshift stage. Other audience members quickly jumped to their defense, causing several brawls to break out between the two sides. Major streets were blocked and property was damaged as riots and protests ensued from groups of both sides advocating for their respective policies. The event gained national publicity, and put the spotlight on Conagher for the first time. There became more demand for Conagher's insight, and seats at a few of his speeches were completely filled. His support was augmented by sympathy when he avoided an assassination attempt on his life during a rally in Kamerforts, where a sniper bullet missed him by several inches.

Conagher, with his increasing popularity, decided to make an attempt to bring his policies to the federal stage, and founded the Forward Party in January of 3752. He spent the next month drafting party policies and outlining his vision for the future of Dolgaria, in which the number one priority was dismantling the Empire. The party quickly gained members, and by the time the federal election rolled around in February of 3752, the party had enough representatives to sit in all 100 of Dolgaria's electoral districts. They were elected with a minority government.

Conagher spent the next eight years pushing for the deposition of the monarchy and the ending of the Empire. His efforts consisted of a number of legislative acts that systematically destroyed titles of nobility, created the position of President, and created the Republic while dissolving the Empire and severing all monarchical ties to it. This generally did not take hold until his second term, where he was elected with a vast majority. On January 1, 3760, Conagher made the formal declaration that the Empire was over and that Dolgaria had entered a new, optimistic age under the Republic.

Conagher was elected a third time with a landslide that February, and he spent his last term in office building the framework for his future vision of Dolgaria, which involved several acts that reformed the government's position and spending on science and technology. Conagher, foreseeing possible abuses of power in the still freshly created party, created the party election system in 3762. Near the end of the year, Conagher announced "my work here is done" and decided to not stand for the leadership election. Malkovich, the Minister of Defense, won the election in 3763. On the federal election day of 3764, Conagher was replaced by Malkovich, who was also elected as President. Conagher held a farewell address just before Malkovich was inaugurated, which was broadcast live and became one of the most viewed and most listened to events in Dolgarian media history. In the address, he thanked the country for their support and entrusted them with defending the foundation they had built for Dolgaria's future.

Despite his policy of removing the traditional monarchy, he was on friendly terms with Monarch Franz Georg I before and after his deposition, and refused to press charges for events that many citizens were calling abuses of power. He settled with the noble family to preserve their anonymity, wealth, and land on the condition that the monarchy would absolve all claims to Dolgaria.

Conagher did not resign from politics, as he traded positions with Malkovich, becoming the Minister of Defense. Conagher remains in the cabinet, and plans to retire in 3780 if he is not dismissed sooner. He lives with his family in Dolgariapolis.