Two Montreal opposition parties to merge, but can they beat Mayor Denis Coderre?

There’s change coming to Montreal City Hall. Two opposition parties, Projet Montreal and Vrai Changement Pour Montreal, are in merger talks.

Their goal is to defeat Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre in the next municipal election in 2017.

“We don’t have a day that goes by without a Denis Coderre moment,” political analyst, Karim Boulos, said. “Whether it’s the decision on pit bulls, the chiseling of a Canada Post mailbox, he’s been very visible. There’s no way anyone on the current landscape will take him down,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We don't have a day that goes by without a Denis Coderre moment," political analyst, Karim Boulos, said. "Whether it's the decision on pit bulls, the chiseling of a Canada Post mailbox, he's been very visible. There's no way anyone on the current landscape will take him down," he said.

READ MORE: Denis Coderre defends taking jackhammer to Canada Post concrete slab

City councillors from both parties refused to be interviewed before the merger is made official.

That announcement is expected Friday.

The big question is whether or not this new party could beat Equipe Denis Coderre.

“I’m not planning to vote for Denis Coderre in the next election,” one Montrealer in the Old Port, said Thursday. “If there’s a woman that presents herself, I think it’s time for us to have a woman sitting at city hall.”

“I think he’s doing a good job,” Stefano Garcia, another Montrealer, said.

“The way he handled the bylaw with the dogs, I’m not sure it’s a good thing,” Michel Laterre said.

READ MORE: Denis Coderre pens letter in response to pit bull controversy

The animal control bylaw is just the latest in a long line of controversies including Flushgate, personally removing a community mailbox and  a failed attempt to ban caleches.

A Leger Marketing poll published last November put the Mayor’s approval rating at 72 per cent.

One year later Boulous says Denis Coderre’s biggest political enemy might just be Denis Coderre.

“It’s been three years of this,” he said. “Some people have likened him to a dictator. The most recent scandal with the pit bulls has been more divisive than reuniting.”

In the last municipal election Coderre won by less than 10 per cent over Melanie Joly, who didn’t even run candidates in every borough.

Boulos said the new party will have a leg up this time around.

“These two parties coming together have an advantage of anyone coming in to form a party, they are structured, they have members, they have an organization in each borough, they have militants so you’re already beginning a step ahead.”

Montrealers will cast their ballots for mayor in November 2017.