Canada: Parti Québécois Seen Losing Power in the Province
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Version 0 of 1. An attempt to secure power in Quebec by calling a snap election turned against the separatist Parti Québécois on Monday. Based on early returns, four television networks forecast a victory for the Liberal Party. The results are likely to be viewed as a severe rebuke of the movement for Quebec independence. Before the election, the Parti Québécois played down the likelihood that it would seek a third referendum on separation if re-elected. For years, polls have shown that a firm majority of Quebeckers oppose leaving Canada. Yet the party’s attempt to avoid the issue, which was the basis of its founding, fell apart last month when its star candidate, Pierre Karl Péladeau, a media magnate, immediately vowed to make Quebec a nation in a rousing speech that concluded with a raised fist. |