Willard Phelps' fledgling political movement has official party status after the 69-year-old former government leader and ex-Yukon Energy Corp. chair registered the United Citizens Party of the Yukon with territorial election officials.

"We've made it official, and the next step is to do some work over the winter, quietly, and see where we're at in the spring,” Phelps told the Star this morning.

Recruiting enough qualified candidates to run for the Yukon's newest political party, said Phelps, would determine whether it would campaign in the next territorial election, which must be called no later than Oct. 14, 2011.

Phelps made news in June 2009 when he and three other directors quit the energy corporation board to protest what they viewed as Premier Dennis Fentie's designs to privatize the public utility in a deal with Calgary-based ATCO.

Since then, Phelps has been on a campaign to remove Fentie from power. In fall of 2009, he commissioned a poll, the results of which showed two out of three respondents were dissatisfied with the ruling Yukon Party and its opposition Liberal and New Democratic Party counterparts.

A meeting in November 2009 to float what Phelps called a "big-tent Unity Party” of concerned voters from across the political spectrum drew 100 people to the Gold Rush Inn in Whitehorse.

But between then and Sept. 21, 2010 – the date Phelps officially registered his party with Elections Yukon – support for his political movement has waned.

Last May, Phelps expunged a pair of would-be collaborators – Don Roberts and Mike McLarnon; two of three MLAs who in 2002 left Pat Duncan's short-lived Liberal government to sit as independents – from the Unity Party's inner circle.

Phelps' reason: McLarnon went public with some ideas for the party's constitution without Phelps' approval, and Roberts wanted to promote electoral reform – another idea that Phelps wants nothing to do with, then or today.

"(Roberts') big belief wasn't in the party but in his electoral reform ideas, and the two were inconsistent,” Phelps said today.

"And I don't agree with all those who say the golden answer (to improving the Westminster system) in the Yukon is to change the voting system.”

Adding to the support drain is the prospect of a territorial Green Party entering the political fray.

The November 2009 meeting attracted federal Green Party candidate John Streicker, who encouraged his supporters – many of whom were also in attendance – to consider Phelps' idea.

A year later, however, a faction of Streicker's team announced it would establish a territorial Green Party, further reducing potential votes for Phelps.

Nevertheless, Phelps continues to tout the United Citizens Party as one committed to attracting support from across the political spectrum.

"It will be made up of people who believe in the party's core values,” said Phelps, who listed transparency, a pledge to be government for the people, by the people and ultimately a party "that speaks to basic democratic values.”

Asked if his competitors could not also lay claim to those values, Phelps bristled.

"I guess the difference is really ‘walk-the-walk.' We really haven't seen the kind of honesty and lack of doublespeak in Yukon politics that is really essential to democracy displayed here for some time.”

And those who remain committed to the cause – including the party's campaign organizer Rick Steele and Greg Hakonson, who resigned his post on the energy corporation's board along with Phelps – helped garner 100 signatures of support from qualified voters – a requirement for achieving official party status in the Yukon.

Phelps, listed as the party's interim leader, said he would run in the next election, but was reticent to reveal other possible candidates.

"I do (know them) but I'm not going to share all of them. Certainly, one you know is Greg Hakonson,” said Phelps.

"Others are reluctant to commit, some having business reasons or careers (within the government) ... in other words, they're concerned about the vindictiveness of the current administration.”

As the Star has previously reported, Steele has also indicated his interest in running as a candidate.