The Bloc Québécois conceded defeated to Liberal candidate Pascale St-Onge on Tuesday, after the judicial recount of about 30 ballot boxes in the riding of Brome-Missisquoi, in the Eastern Townships.
“After verifications during this first day of judicial recount, the result remains practically the same. Consequently, we will not go further in our steps and recognize the result,” wrote Julien Coulombe-Bonnafous, a spokesperson for the Bloc Québécois.
Pascale St-Onge, a former union leader, was declared the winner with a gap of 197 votes in front of Bloc candidate Marilou Alarie.
The Bloc had called for a recount after the close result due to “irregularities” with several ballot boxes.
On Twitter, the co-chair of the Liberals’ national campaign, Mélanie Joly, congratulated the winning candidate.
“Pascale is a fighter who will tirelessly for her fellow citizens,” she wrote. “She has earned her place in Ottawa and the people of the Eastern Townships will come out ahead as a result.”
In Quebec, the results of the Sept. 20 elections therefore remain unchanged in terms of the number of seats. The Liberal Party has 35 MPs, the Bloc Québécois has 32, the Conservatives 10 and the NDP only one.
© 2021 The Canadian Press