Liberal candidate concedes defeat in Quebec, then backtracks

Last Updated: Thursday, January 19, 2006 | 9:13 PM ET

CBC News

A Liberal candidate who conceded defeat in Quebec and urged his supporters to throw their support behind the Tories has apparently changed his mind and says he's still in the race.

Gilles Savard, the Liberal candidate for the riding of Jonquiere-Alma, told a local radio station Thursday that polls show he has only five per cent support and he has no chance of winning.

He said he was throwing his support behind the Conservative candidate in the riding, Jean-Pierre Blackburn, to stave off a Bloc Québécois victory. The seat is currently held by the Bloc.

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"It's certain that tomorrow I won't be the member here," said Savard. "That said, in my mind I'm sure that Mr. Blackburn should be the next member, that's how I see it."

But in a news release issued by the Liberal Pary Thursday night, Savard "clarified" his comments.

"I do not concede victory to any of my adversaries before the actual results of the election are known," Savard was quoted as saying.

He invited "all Liberal voters" to continue backing him. He added that, whatever they do, they should "support candidates with federalist convictions, keeping Canada's best interests at heart."

In the 2004 election, Bloc candidate Sebastien Gagnon won the riding by more than 11,000 votes over his closest rival, Liberal Daniel Giguere.