05/09/2012 16:42
Separatist Parti Quebecois won a Quebec election
The separatist Parti Quebecois won a Quebec election on Tuesday but only gained enough seats for a minority government in the French-speaking Canadian province, effectively ruling out another referendum on independence, the Reuters reports.
Preliminary results showed the PQ won 56 of the 125 seats in the provincial legislature, ending nine years of rule by the Liberals. The results mean PQ leader Pauline Marois becomes the first female premier in the province's history.
Quebec's official election website showed preliminary results giving the PQ just over 32 percent of the vote and 57 seats, while the Liberals had about 30 percent of the vote and 46 seats. A new party, Coalition Avenir Quebec, followed with 27 percent and 20 seats. The separatist Quebec Solidaire party won 2 seats, the Huffington post reports.
A party needs to obtain 63 of the 125 seats to form a majority.