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Party Opposing Independence for Quebec Leads in Poll Ahead of Election

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Voters in Canada's largely French-speaking Quebec Province are likely to back the Liberal Party over the independence-seeking Parti Quebecois in an upcoming provincial election on Monday, according to a new poll.

MOSCOW, April 4 (RIA Novosti) - Voters in Canada's largely French-speaking Quebec Province are likely to back the Liberal Party over the independence-seeking Parti Quebecois in an upcoming provincial election on Monday, according to a new poll.

Thirty-seven percent of potential voters back Philippe Couillard's Liberal Party, nine percentage points above the Parti Quebecois (PQ) at 28 percent, according a Wednesday Ipsos-Reid poll conducted for the CTV television network.

Support for PQ fell by 4 percent compared to a previous survey two weeks ago.

In the new poll, support for the Liberal Party and PQ was tied at 31 percent among Quebecers who opted to complete the survey in French, while the Liberals were backed by 83 percent of English-speaking respondents.

As for the defining issue driving Quebecers to vote, almost a quarter (24 percent) cite the possibility of a referendum on independence for the province, which is backed by PQ, according to another Ipsos-Reid/CTV poll.

Thirty-nine percent of those supporting the Liberals say they made their choice primarily to stop a referendum, while 19 percent are voting for PQ to support it.  Fifty-four percent of Quebecers think that a majority PQ government would definitely hold a referendum on independence.

The 41st Quebec general election is scheduled for Monday to elect members to the National Assembly of Quebec.

According to the PQ party platform, the party's main goal is to achieve national sovereignty for Quebec via a popular vote.

The Liberal Party has traditionally supported a form of federalism, with substantial autonomy for the province within Canada

Two previous referendums on independence for Quebec were both defeated, in 1980 and 1995, held under PQ-majority governments.

According to the poll released Wednesday, the remaining decided voters are backing François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec (19 percent) and Québec solidaire (13 percent).

 

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