(Calgary) Alberta Premier Jason Kenney steps down as leader of the United Conservative Party after narrowly winning the leadership vote.
Posted at 8:50 p.m.
Updated at 9:50 p.m.
Mr. Kenney received 51.4% support, according to voting results released Wednesday night in Calgary.
Jason Kenney told his supporters that this was not the result he was hoping for and that, for him, it was insufficient to continue leading the party.
If he had received less than 50% + 1, Mr. Kenney would have had to resign according to party rules and a leadership contest would have automatically been triggered.
Normally, the leaders consider 75 to 80% or more, the percentage of support necessary during a mandate to maintain credibility and continue to lead their party.
More details to come.
Mr Kenney had said earlier that he would accept a narrow majority, because the vote was rigged by last-minute MPs who only wanted to scuttle his Conservative Party.
“While 51% of the vote passed the constitutional majority threshold, it is clear that this is not enough support to continue to lead,” Kenney told activists in Calgary Wednesday night. visibly surprised by this announcement.
“I have informed the chairman of the party of my intention to resign as leader of the United Conservative Party,” he explained to them.
“We must move forward united. We must put the past behind us and a large number of our members have said so”, also affirmed Jason Kenney, while stressing that he recommended to the authorities of the party to trigger the process for the race for his succession at the time considered appropriate.