Orion Kristian Bennet became the leader of the National Artists’ Guild in August of last year, after being elected by the vetha, the party’s decision-making organ
The National Artists’ Guild suffered yet another blow earlier today when its leader, Orion K. Bennet, announced their resignation. The MP and publisher, known for his Starlynn & Bennet’s publishing house, said they don’t think they can “bring the party back up [in the polls].” The resignation comes after the release of a TID poll which predicts a 6% vote intention for the Artists, their lowest dip in a poll since the formation of the party in 2015. Bennet took reins of the party last year, in the aftermath of its worst electoral result since its formation.
The future of the party looks now more grim than ever, as half its membership has quit since 2016 and its parliamentary party is at its lowest since the adoption of the 2015 constitution: only three MPs are currently affiliated with the Guild. Political analysts point to the newly formed Democratic Party, which now leads the polls in a tight race with the Liberals, as the main alternative for disheartened Artist voters.
The Guild’s secretary, Harmê Bertram de Asra, has assumed interim leadership until a new leader is elected. This is the second time she’s held the position, after her brief tenure following Snø Jens-Galieri’s resignation in June of last year.
Unlike after Jens-Galieri’s resignation, a snap election for a new leader is expected to occur soon, as the Guild’s high command scrambles to salvage its position and avoid the bleak result that polls predict it will recieve in May’s general election.
Likely candidates are former Prime Minister Shounn Virny, who led the party from its inception to March of last year, and Bertram de Asra herself.
The SiV Phonograph 