Saviso – Vodean Prime Minister Victoria Stobie announced that she will be stepping down from her role as Prime Minister and leader of the governing Federal Party next week. Stating that “the time was right” for her to step down, she thanked her supporters for putting their faith in her government.

This shock announcement comes even as her approval ratings reached new heights for her handling of the healthcare system and the economy. Since taking office in 2010 as Vodeo’s youngest and first woman prime minister, unemployment has decreased dramatically by at least 13% as she continued to open her country for foreign direct investments.

A ballot will be held amongst the Federal caucus early next week to determine her successor. Stobie had clearly stated earlier that she would not handpick her successor as party leader. Rather, she would let the party “decide for themselves” through democratic means.

The Federal Party has released an official statement, saying, “Victoria Stobie was a great and accomplished leader. She will be greatly missed by many members of our party. Nevertheless, her leadership has inspired new, younger members to take up the mantle, and move our party and the nation forward.”

The 51-year-old, who was born to a family of rubber farmers, was first elected to represent the Razorback electorate in the 1998 elections. Following Federal’s defeat in 2001, Stobie slowly rose through the party’s ranks to become the party’s deputy leader in 2006 and eventually succeeded George Aitken as party leader in 2008.

Securing a majority for the Federal Party in the 2010 elections, she went on to serve three terms as Prime Minister, becoming one of the country’s longest-serving and most electorally successful leaders. The party under her leadership continued to retain its majority in the subsequent 2013, 2016, and 2019 elections.

Besides resolving the country’s economic woes of the 2010s, she has also greatly expanded women and LGBT rights in the country. Her government has also loosened restrictions on abortion. Reducing her country’s reliance on fossil fuels, she has embarked on several eco-friendly measures such as sponsoring solar farms and having all public sector vehicles to be changed to hybrid or electrical.

However, she failed to deliver other promises, such as having a comprehensive national rail network and failed land tax reforms, over conflicts between provincial authorities and her government. Her social housing projects have also proved unpopular as they lacked proper amenities. Her government has also been blamed for the mismanagement of the Saviso tram network, although the network was under the control of local authorities.