Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): The most recent survey data shows that Eva De Bleeker is in front at 26.3 percent of votes For the Open VLD party heading onto Sunday. She sits in first place with 26.3% of all ballots cast followed closely behind her in second position on Saturday with a near-total but not quite 21.5 percent margin was Vincent Verbeecke.On Saturday the votes will be counted and a new leader will be announced for a party which has recently faced some tough contests following poor election performances.
The upshot of next voting around will be announced on Saturday. As the party lost January 9 election in big tim there are difficult tasks ahead for this winner. Aged 50 Eva De Bleeker once was the Federal State Secretary in charge of budget and consumer affairs.She now sits as a member in Flemish parliament. She earned 26.3% of votes coming to 2203 votes when party members went to cast their ballots. For his part Vincent Verbeecke-a helper in former Flemish minister Gwendolyn Rutten’s office-took 183 nods which counted equal 21.8% of total valid votes. Both candidates had big support within the party, but Eva De Bleeker led in the number of votes obtained.
What challenges will open VLD’s new leader face after voting?
In the first round of voting beginning today at 12:00 P.M. on Monday members Open VLD have an opportunity to change this situation and make their voices heard loudly and clearly The voting window will remain open from 12 on Saturday until 12 Saturday afternoon The outcome of the vote will be announced at some point in Saturday afternoon. The person selected for leading to take office as a result of her victory must still make it happen somewhere or to be precise within Bruges itself. Fresh party leaders face a tough challenge before them now that there is an enormous amount of work to be accomplished in the near future by the new party leade including rescuing from certain defeat her own seat as deputy directeur général for education. Not only do they have to get people to vote for Open VLD Class of 2007 but they must also bring together a party which has been divided ever since they first came into being. Rebuilding trust within the party is It’s a big task after all the factions in the past and getting everyone functioning harmoniously remain to be handled enter.
It was demonstrated by the voting statistics that less than a fifth of the party’s members voted in the first round. The Open VLD has been in the federal coalition for some time now and it will soon find itself in opposition which is like a complete turnaround. In contrast this suggests that the Francophone liberals are likely to join the forthcoming federal government coalition thereby shifting political power and influence in the country.
