abstract
| - Malcolm Gipson was elected to Parliament in September 3313. In 3318 he was easily elected leader of the Liberal Party. Shortly after his election, he was appointed Minister of Justice. In his first election as party leader, Gipson saw the Liberals gain eight seats in Parliament. This was the largest seat increase for any party in the 3321 elections. However, the Liberal Alliance lost 15 seats while the Conservative Coalition gained 13 seats. Overall, the Alliance was able to hold power thanks to the Rutanian People's Party. Less than two years into the parliamentary term, the government collapsed and fresh elections were called. The party did not have time to hold an extraordinary congress, so Gipson nominated Natalie Aiken for the presidency. Aiken unexpectedly won 40% on the first ballot and 57% on the second ballot. She secured an unofficial endorsement from the Rutanian People's Party. Gipson saw the party gain 143 seats in Parliament, bringing them to 218. Being short of an absolute majority in Parliament, Gipson formed a working coalition with the Rutanian People's Party and became Prime Minister four months after the elections. In 3324, Gipson was challenged for the leadership. He was easily reelected and defeated his two opponents by winning 90.32%. Rutanians went to the polls in 3327 and Gipson's Liberals were overwelmingly reelected. Shortly before the 3331 elections, Gipson met with his caucus to discuss his future within the party. He told the caucus that the Liberals would likely be defeated by a huge margin and that they would need to search for a new leader. In the 3331 elections, the Liberals lost a third of their caucus and Natalie Aiken was defeated in her bid to win a third term as President. Despite their losses, the Liberals still led the opposition and saw a tight battle for government control. The party coalitions stood at 302 to 297. Gipson left office as Prime Minister in May 3331 and announced his resignation as leader a short time after.
|