A popular consultation, in the form of a primary, involving registered members, activists, and supporters has become a strategic tool to revive internal democracy and provide significant legitimacy to the winner, in addition to energizing their electorate.
The situation may be complex, but it should not distract the various stakeholders from the main goal, which is to choose the candidate with the best chance of winning the 2014 municipal election. Any other approach should be set aside in favor of this objective.
The selected candidate must primarily be a unifier, capable of challenging a heavyweight in local and national politics, Christian Estrosi, and other equally formidable rivals.
For this reason, the choice must be widely supported, and the lucky winner should be seen not as a representative of a single party but as a “future” first citizen of the city of Nice.
An open primary is undoubtedly the most suitable choice for the left in Nice, given the upcoming electoral deadline.
The national Socialist Party, which must make the decision, might think otherwise but it’s well known that the people of Nice are not often swayed by the capital’s decisions.
Several elected officials have called for open primaries to nominate the socialist left’s candidate for the 2014 municipal elections in Nice.
This includes general councilors Marc Concas (PS) and Patrick Mottard (PRG), as well as the president of PRG 06, Jean-Christophe Picard. They have written to Harlem Désir, the national first secretary of the Socialist Party, to urge him in this direction.
“There may be a challenge for Patrick Allemand in rallying support. He will only be more legitimate and stronger for it. It is the only way to unite the left,” explained Marc Concas, who could be involved in the process.
The first secretary 06 of the PS, Patrick Allemand, is not quite in favor of this process, although he is ready to participate in it with confidence in the outcome.
To be continued…
