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Conservatives win vote with bolstered minority in Canada

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-16 09:07

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper won reelection with a significantly stronger minority government and called Wednesday for unity in staring down global financial crisis.

The Conservative leader came just 10 or 12 votes short of a majority in the 308-seat Parliament but both he and Liberal opposition leader Stephane Dion reached out in recognizing the seriousness of the economic challenges facing Canada.

"This is a time for us all to put aside political differences and partisan considerations and to work cooperatively for the benefit of Canada," Harper, 49, told a victory celebration in his home town of Calgary.

Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper pauses for a moment as he takes questions during a media availability in Calgary, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008. Harper's Conservative Party won a minority in Tuesday's federal election. [Agencies]

"We stretch out a hand to all members of all parties asking them to join together to protect our economy and to weather this world financial crisis."

Harper had run on providing a steady economic hand and his government was widely expected to offer public money soon to facilitate interbank borrowing to help Canadian banks.

He will still have to rely on the support of at least one of the three opposition parties to govern, but the Liberals said that they would cooperate at least for now.

"We stand ready to work with all political parties to make this Parliament work, because we have serious work to do," Dion said as he conceded defeat.

Political analysts said with nearly twice as many seats as the Liberals, the Conservatives were almost certain not to be toppled for now, particularly as Liberal coffers are nearly empty and the party could be facing an internal battle to replace Dion.

The Liberals will be licking their wounds after their worst showing in terms of seats since 1984 and their lowest percentage of the vote since the 1860s.

Preliminary results showed the Conservatives moved up to 37.7 percent of the vote from 36.3 percent in 2006, while the Liberals declined 4 points to 26.2 percent.

In terms of seats, Harper's party rose to 143 from the 127 they held before the election while the Liberals dropped to 77 from 95. The separatist Bloc Quebecois rose one to 49 seats, the leftist New Democrats jumped seven to 37 and two independents were elected.

Agencies