WATCH: Gilles Duceppe is preparing to take the reins once again as leader of the Bloc Québécois and is expected to make an official announcement on Wednesday.
MONTREAL — Gilles Duceppe may be set to take the reins once again as leader of the Bloc Québécois.
According to La Presse and Radio-Canada, sources have confirmed Duceppe is expected to make the announcement Wednesday.
What has not yet been determined is in what riding Duceppe would run, nor how he would replace the Bloc’s current leader, Mario Beaulieu, who does not currently have a seat in the House of Commons.
READ MORE: Mario Beaulieu to run in La Pointe-de-l’Ile
Beaulieu noted on Twitter Monday afternoon that he had asked Duceppe to participate in the election campaign and that Duceppe had accepted.
“We are discussing what role he will play,” he added.
The news broke as politicians gathered in Montreal for the state funeral of former Quebec premier and fellow sovereignist, Jacques Parizeau.
READ MORE: State funeral for former Quebec premier Jacques Parizeau in Montreal
Duceppe was first elected in 1990, defeating then-Liberal candidate, Denis Coderre, He sat as an independent as the Bloc was not yet officially registered as a political party.
In response to the defeat of the Meech Lake Accord, the Bloc was formed in 1990 as an informal coalition of former Quebec Conservative and Liberal MPs.
In 1996, he took over from Lucien Bouchard to lead the Bloc for nearly 15 years.
READ MORE: Gilles Duceppe criticizes the Quebec Charter of Values
The possible return of Duceppe to politics has garnered a considerable reaction on social media:
https://instagram.com/p/3tmseky70F/
- ‘Shock and disbelief’ after Manitoba school trustee’s Indigenous comments
- Canadian man dies during Texas Ironman event. His widow wants answers as to why
- Several baby products have been recalled by Health Canada. Here’s the list
- ‘Sciatica was gone’: hospital performs robot-assisted spinal surgery in Canadian first
Comments