CANADA: The separatist Parti québécois lost its grip on Quebec in an election outcome effectively knocking independence off the agenda for the French-speaking Canadian province.
The Quebec Liberal Party won a decisive majority in the provincial assembly after polling on Monday, thwarting the separatists' attempt to extend their nine years in power.
"It's a mandate for change, a mandate for renewal that we have received," the Liberal leader, Mr Jean Charest, said. "It's not just Quebec that has changed tonight, but also Canada."
The Parti québécois narrowly lost a 1995 referendum on independence for Quebec and had revived the issue in the last days of the campaign in an effort to get out its core supporters. But the party fell victim to a desire for a change, and growing weariness over the interminable independence debate.
The Liberals campaigned on a five-year, $3.4 billion tax-cut proposal, as well as promises to reform the healthcare system and to rein in government spending.
The party targeted the English-speaking community and newly-arrived immigrants, while working its large base in Quebec's urban areas, especially in Montreal.
Mr Charest will form a new provincial government, with a majority of 76 seats in the 125-member assembly, according to partial results. The Parti québécois won 45 seats, while the Democratic Action of Quebec party trailed with four seats, according to Radio Canada's projections. In percentages, the Liberals got 45.7 per cent of the vote, The Parti québécois 33.3 per cent and the Democratic Action 18.4 per cent.
At the time the provincial assembly was dissolved in March, the Parti québécois controlled a majority of 67 seats, followed by the Liberals with 50 and the Democratic Action with five. Some 5.5 million voters were eligible to vote, but turnout was lower than in the last elections five years ago.
Mr Charest (44) vowed during his campaign to be "the premier for all people". He made a last-minute appeal to separatists eager for a change, and vowed to respect the wishes "of those who have a different vision for the future of Quebec". - (AFP)