As the National Council of Québec Solidaire (QS) opens in Jonquière, the party’s former spokesperson, Amir Khadir, maintains that his party is “pragmatic”, but that it is also there to make a “reform radical of the capitalist system.
“We are pragmatists. […] We took a lot of time, in a pragmatic way, to get our corner into the system,” said the former solidarity MP for Mercier, Friday, in a press scrum at the party’s National Council.
This event will be a pivotal moment for the solidarity parliamentary leader, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, who wants QS to become a “government party”.
He hopes to have the Saguenay Declaration adopted, which takes stock of the party’s regional tour. Mr. Nadeau-Dubois also wants the QS program to be lightened so that it is more “pragmatic”.
The will of the parliamentary leader, however, caused internal divisions which were manifested by a multitude of open letters published in recent weeks.
Amir Khadir admits that the QS proposals need to be updated, but affirms that no one wants a “refocus”, which would be “the worst thing to do”.
“We are for a radical reform of the contemporary capitalist system which wreaks so much havoc: wars, the growth of wealth, the influence of multinationals and banks on our lives […] There is no compromise to be made on this and Gabriel is the last one to want to do so as far as I know,” he says.
QS has been in crisis since the resignation of its co-spokesperson Émilise Lessard-Therrien just a few months after being elected. In a message where she explains the reasons for her departure, she criticizes the “small team of professionals woven tightly around” Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
“I’m not afraid that people will leave”
Verdun MP Alejandra Zaga Mendez thinks there will be “lively debates” during the weekend, but assures that activists are not “afraid to talk about prioritization” regarding the party’s program.
“I’m not afraid that people will leave. We are mature at QS. We are capable of having these debates,” said the supportive elected official. She says there will be rallying at the end of the exercise.
The National Solidarity Council takes place in Jonquière until Sunday.