Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s Parti Québécois returned to power in Quebec without the 64 seats needed for a majority and again pledged an independence referendum, timed after Donald Trump leaves office.
The separatist Parti Québécois won Quebec’s provincial election on Monday but fell short of a majority, the Associated Press reported. The party was on track for nearly 60 seats in the 127-member National Assembly, below the 64 needed to govern alone. The Montreal Gazette later put the count near 59 seats and 28 percent of the vote.
Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, 49, becomes premier-designate and returns the PQ to power for the first time since 2014. He told supporters in Montreal that voters had asked the party to work with others. A minority means the government needs opposition votes to pass laws and survive confidence motions.
He has pledged another referendum on independence, after votes in 1980 and 1995, but has said he would wait until US President Donald Trump is no longer in office. The Gazette said that points to a vote after 2029 and leaves open the chance of another election first. BBC reported polls indicating about 30 percent of Quebecers back independence.
The result tests Prime Minister Mark Carney. BBC noted possible friction over immigration and the monarchy, and a parallel debate in Alberta over whether to hold its own referendum. The Coalition Avenir Québec, in office for eight years under François Legault, lost heavily.
Liberals gained seats and Conservatives elected MNAs for the first time, the Gazette said. The next test is whether opposition parties will let a referendum bill reach the floor.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said Quebecers elected the PQ to work with other parties and that he heard that message.
- BBC reported polls indicating only about 30 percent of Quebecers support independence.