(Quebec) Despite the proximity of general elections, the Legault government has not taken the trouble to ensure that the Chief Electoral Officer (DGEQ) has free rein to carry out his work with complete peace of mind, when he need it most, in the months leading up to the campaign and during the October 3 election.
Posted at 8:36
In 2015, the National Assembly appointed Pierre Reid as Chief Electoral Officer for a seven-year term, which ended last June.
Two months later, when he must oversee the smooth running of the election campaign, Mr. Reid still does not know what to expect. Will his mandate be renewed? Will he be replaced by someone else? Nobody knows.
This unusual situation creates some discomfort for the principal concerned. “I would have liked to be renewed [mon mandat] before” the next election campaign, said Mr. Reid, in an interview recently with The Canadian Press.
But that has not been the case, even though Mr. Reid says he has expressed his interest to “authorities” government to obtain a renewal of mandate, in recent months. The message was therefore transmitted, but there was no follow-up.
Mr. Reid, who is 69 years old, has no intention of retiring anytime soon, still driven by the sacred fire for all these questions concerning the framework for the exercise of democracy and the right to vote .
His dearest wish: that he be given a second term of seven years. “The passion is there,” he sums up, inexhaustible when asked about all the subjects related to his position.
What happens next will however depend on the proposal of the next government, which will have to be endorsed by the opposition parties. The CEO is one of five people whose appointment must obtain the support of two-thirds of parliamentarians, to avoid any breach of their independence.
If the elected officials prefer another candidate, he does not hide the fact that he will not jump for joy. “I will be disappointed, because I really want to continue” this work which fascinates him.
Meanwhile, despite the uncertainty surrounding his immediate future, Mr. Reid does not intend to prevent himself from taking all the decisions required in the coming weeks to ensure the smooth running of the electoral campaign.
“If I have decisions to make in the next few weeks or between now and the election, whether it suits some people or not, I won’t mind,” he says, determined. fully assume its functions until the end, whatever the deadline.