Separatist Pauline Marois, wins Quebec election; one dead after shots fired at victory celebration.

Liberal supporters watch the results of the Quebec provincial election at the headquarters of Liberal leader Jean Charest in Sherbrooke, Quebec, September 4, 2012.(OLIVIER JEAN/REUTERS)

Parti Quebecois supporters cheer as they wait for election results to be announced in Montreal, Tuesday,

 The separatist Parti Quebecois has won Quebec’s regional elections and will form a new government there, once again raising the possibility of a referendum on independence being held in Canada’s French-speaking province.

Canadian Broadcasting Corp and the Canadian Press reported that Parti Quebecois (PQ) won or were leading in nearly 60 districts, just short of the 63 needed for a majority government.

PQ leader Pauline Marois watches election results with her husband Claude Blanchette Tuesday, September 4, 2012 in Montreal.(Paul Chiasson/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The party’s leader, Pauline Marois, will replace head of the Liberal party, Jean Charest, as the province’s leader,  becoming Quebec’s first female premier. more

Shots, blast disrupt PQ victory celebration in Quebec

Her speech ended abruptly when several plainclothes police officers

from her security detail suddenly burst on stage and pulled her away, shouting “Go with us, madam!”

An emcee explained that a deafening bomb had been set off. The venue, the Metropolis club in Montreal, was ordered evacuated. As the crowd left, Ms. Marois came back on stage and calmly thanked her caucus.

TV footage outside showed flames burning at the back of the club and a  heavyset, bespectacled man wearing shorts and with a balaclava. 

“The English have woken up. That’s enough,” the arrested man said in French, with a heavy accent, as he was walked away in handcuffs.  Montreal police later said a 50-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion that he fired and critically injured two people.

Liberal supporters watch the results of the Quebec provincial election at the headquarters of Liberal leader Jean Charest in Sherbrooke, Quebec, September 4, 2012.(OLIVIER JEAN/REUTERS)

One dead as shots, blast disrupt

PQ victory celebration in

Quebec

A historic Quebec election ended in tragedy when a gunman killed one person and wounded another after trying to start a fire at the Montreal venue where Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois was celebrating her party’s return to power on a minority mandate.

 Short URL: http://www.newsnet14.com/?p=107931