Day to lead Alliance Party

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

NEW YORK, JULY 9. Mr. Stockwell Day has been chosen the leader of the Conservative Alliance Party in Canada by a landslide margin. The 200,000 odd members chose Mr. Day over Mr. Preston Manning by a 63 per cent to 37 per cent margin bringing to an end a bitter battle.

``Together we will be going to the next step. We will be forming the next government,'' Mr. Day told cheering supporters as Mr. Manning, one-time leader of the Reform Party, conceded defeat. Both Mr. Manning and Mr. Day appeared anxious to set aside the divisive campaign of the last two weeks and work together to unseat the Liberals under Mr. Jean Chretien.

``If we stand tall this evening, it is because we stand on your shoulders. Preston, I need you, the Alliance needs you, Canada needs you. Thank you for being with us,'' Mr. Day told Mr. Manning. Mr. Day was also greeted by the Prime Minister, Mr. Chretien.

Though the Liberals have tried to play down the significance of the coming to the fore of Mr. Day and the Alliance itself, there is no doubt that the Canadian political landscape is heading for changes. One view is that Mr. Day and his Alliance will make a strong showing in the next elections to Parliament where the Liberals now have a seven-seat majority. For this, it has to do well in the Province of Ontario which has 103 members in Parliament.

At one time, the Liberals enjoyed a 40 percentage point lead over the Alliance, but the latest polls indicate that this gap has significantly narrowed. A survey early this month has indicated that the lead of the Liberals is now less than 20 percentage points. The Alliance runs a platform which calls for lower taxes and tough measures on crime.

Mr. Chretien, technically speaking, does not have to go to the polls until 2002 but not many times has the Canadian Parliament been stretched into the fifth year. The big question now is when the Canadian Prime Minister is going to dissolve Parliament - it could come as early as this Fall itself or by the Spring of 2001.

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Section  : International
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