Following the resignation of the Speaker of Parliament, the Department of State has put out a new Special Parliamentary Election, to elect another MP to replace the now vacant spot. One problem would stop the election in its tracks however: a lack of candidates.
During the 24 hours in which the special election's option for declaring one's candidacy was open, no one applied. Following the 24 hours, the Minister of State Poemhunter decided to cancel the elections as no candidates have wished to run.
While there are many reasons as to why it could be, there is no clear reason as to this absense of candidates. According to the new Speaker of the Parliament Fred, the reason lies in two main components; the overcomplication of the parliamentary procedures, as well as the pressure on the Parliament. Fred believes that the long list of legislation passed over the couple of years has made it impossible to discern the correct way of action without spending a considerable amount and effort finding, reading and understanding legislation. On top of that, Fred believes the amount of pressure put on the Parliament from the general public is a considerable factor, stating:
I feel like that stress turns a lot of people away from running, as it can get to be too much and there's nothing fun or exciting to balance out the stress of being an MP.
The amount of public scrutiny towards the parliament is likely compounding to this factor, and the lack of positive feedback towards the parliament may be another multiplier in the hesitance of the general public in approaching such a position. At times, the Parliament can more critisized than the Prime Ministership.
In regards to possible solutions, Speaker of Parliament Fred commented:
My office has taken notice of these facts, and I will be enacting a multi-pronged approach to help address this problem. It is incredibly important that people feel happy and welcome here in Parliament, and it is my hope that these changes I have planned will create a more positive environment for future MPs. With the new map coming out at some point, I would like to see a revitalized and invigorated Parliament, and I sincerely hope that I can help make that happen. I wish to see Stratham grow! This is a community that I love and that I want to see succeed!