The Hindu : Parties' merger may alter Canada equations

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 26, 2003

International

International

Parties' merger may alter Canada equations

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Ottawa OCT. 25. The announcement last week of the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance merging to come up with something called the Conservative Party of Canada has changed the political landscape of the country and has promised to add vigour and colour to the political environment here.

The formalisation of the `deal' is still some months away but already analysts and media pundits are talking about the implications of all this to the Government and politics of Canada.

The timing of the merger proposal is significant as well, for it comes when the Liberal Party is getting ready to bid goodbye to the Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, now making his `farewell' calls in the Asia-Pacific.

Mr. Chretien will be succeeded by Paul Martin, who is well known for his fiscal conservatism, a challenge of sorts to the Conservatives, to start with.

Mr. Martin, the thinking goes, is almost sure to call for elections in the spring of next year which in turn added an element of urgency for the Conservatives to sit back and wonder if sniping at themselves on the sidelines is going to do any good at all when the numbers make all the difference in the House of Commons.

Between them, the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance have about 80 seats in the 301-member House of Commons with the Liberals at a comfortable 170 seats.

The race for the numbers for 2004 may have been a factor in the Conservatives' calculations, but for the immediate, the leadership has something else in mind to worry about.

In the last few days, analysts and those in the media have been reminding the Tory leader, Peter MacKay, and his Alliance counterpart, Stephen Harper, of the need to sew up the merger with as little political bloodletting as possible; and the profound implications of any failure on this challenge.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section

North Korea willing to consider Bush offer

Hu calls for greater U.N. role to maintain world peace

Iraq donors pledge $33 b.

Ranil to meet Bush on Nov. 4 to review peace process

Labour expels Galloway

'Asian Davos' meet next month

Parties' merger may alter Canada equations

Insurgents receiving support in Bangladesh: Indian envoy

Tamil expatriates oppose defence ties with India

Steps will be taken to safeguard national security: Chandrika

India's attitude non-serious: Kasuri

Pak. doctors unhappy with India's gesture