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That decision isn’t sitting well with some Tories, however.

Philip Schuman, president of the Calgary-Fish Creek PC riding association, said he’s hearing from members concerned that the guaranteed place for board members — along with the potential 400 to 500 automatic delegates, such as party members and former MLAs — makes the race less democratic.

“There are people saying that 90 per cent of the general membership delegates could vote one way but the insider super-delegates, or whatever you want to call them, could totally sway that in the opposite direction,” said Schuman, who is supporting Kenney but not active in his campaign.

Jansen and Oshry said they supported the board’s decision as a reasonable compromise.

But McIver, another potential leadership candidate, said he was against how the delegate slates will be broken down.

“It is the general membership should decide who our leadership is and no subset of the general membership,” he said.

Ken Boessenkool, a conservative political strategist, suggested on Twitter the delegate selection rules, which also includes guaranteed slots for youth members, had been “stacked” against Kenney by restricting the leadership to “insiders.”

But Troy Wason, executive director of the PC party, scoffed at the notion the rules were focused on Kenney.

He said the provision to include board members on each riding’s slate is designed to ensure long-standing party members have a say in the process. Wason noted that board members have to win election to the slate and said he knows that Kenney has support on boards across the province.

Wason said he wouldn’t comment on how the rule on not damaging the PC party could be applied but said it’s only logical to have such a provision in place.

“If it is any candidate’s intention to harm this party, that would go contrary to the code of conduct and ethics,” he said.

jwood@postmedia.com