Quebec's Chief Electoral Officer Marcel Blanchet said he won't force media outlets in the province to include smaller political parties in the upcoming leaders' debate.
Blanchet said he won't get involved in editorial decisions made by media broadcasters who will host and televise the leaders' debate in mid-March.
Quebec Solidaire has asked for an invitation to the closely watched verbal match.
The nascent party's leader, Françoise David, said she wants to be the first woman to face off with Liberal, PQ and ADQ leaders on television.
David said there's enough public interest in her party to warrant an invitation.
"The Green Party and us, we have more than 10 per cent of the vote [according to recent polls on voting intentions]. That's important, and that's new in Quebec. It expresses new preoccupations [among voters], and we have to express that on television," she told the CBC on Monday.
Quebec Solidaire, formed in February 2006, does not hold any seats at the national assembly, but is campaigning on sovereigntist, socialist and ecological policies it says will draw voters away from the Parti Québécois.
Some analysts consider the party to be a legitimate vote-splitting threat to the PQ in closely contested ridings.
The debate is expected to be held on March 12 or 13.
Related
| Party | Elected | Leading | Total | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIB | 48 | 0 | 48 | 33.08% |
| ADQ | 41 | 0 | 41 | 30.80% |
| PQ | 36 | 0 | 36 | 28.32% |
| QS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.65% |
| GRN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.89% |
| OTH | 0 | 0 | 0 | .26% |
| Last Update:March 27, 12:52:21 AM EDT | ||||
Quebec Votes 2007 Headlines »
- Que. Liberals take minority win with grain of salt
- Quebec Premier Jean Charest said he'll build bridges with the Parti Québécois and the Action Démocratique du Québec to ensure a stable minority government.
- Dumont will work with Quebec Premier Charest
- Quebec's new Opposition Leader Mario Dumont said he wants stability at the national assembly and pledged to work with the Liberal minority government on a case-by-case basis.
- Boisclair remains at helm after PQ finishes 3rd
- André Boisclair is staying on as leader of the Parti Québécois and vowed to help rebuild the fractured party after it suffered major losses in Monday's provincial election.
- Quebec election result 'good news' for Canada: PM
- Stephen Harper says voters in the Quebec election have used their ballots to reject calls for another referendum in a "great result" for Canada.
- Charest keeps seat as Liberals cling to power in Quebec
- Quebecers are waking up to a minority Liberal government — the first minority in the province in 130 years — and a new official Opposition.