(Montreal) The candidate of Quebec solidaire (QS) in the riding of Camille-Laurin, Marie-Eve Rancourt, who was filmed by the security camera of a house while she was stealing a leaflet from a mailbox of the Parti Québécois (PQ) to replace him with his own, withdrew his candidacy.
Updated yesterday at 6:13 p.m.
“It’s not a decision taken lightly, but I told Marie-Eve that she made the right decision. It is a decision that I support. Marie-Eve did not want to become a distraction for the Québec solidaire campaign, ”said party co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois on Monday.
Mme Rancourt, who is a lawyer and holds a master’s degree in international law and international politics, had previously apologized on her Twitter account, while hinting that she was staying in the race.
“This should never have happened. All candidates have their place in this race and I am committed to finishing this electoral sprint with respect and the rules of the art,” wrote Ms.me Rancourt. The PQ candidate running in his riding is the leader of the political party, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.
Earlier Monday afternoon, in a brief exchange with The Press, Marie-Eve Rancourt affirmed that she was still a candidate for Québec solidaire. What happened between this declaration and the announcement of his withdrawal from the electoral campaign?
The afternoon was full of twists and turns. There were different discussions in the different work teams. […] The conclusion is that the best thing to do was for Marie-Eve to withdraw her candidacy.
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire
“I think the message is clear. These are not actions that are acceptable to Québec solidaire. Moreover, Marie-Eve apologized very quickly for these gestures. She apologized for her serious error in judgement. She knew herself that this was unacceptable. She did not try for a second to minimize the impact of her actions, ”he added.
An “immoral” gesture, says St-Pierre Plamondon
Leaving the plane that brought him back from the Magdalen Islands, where he went to see the damage from the storm FionaMonday, the PQ leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, said that such a situation would not be excused if it occurred in his party.
“I accept the apology, but the meaning of the gesture remains the same. […] It’s at [Québec solidaire] to determine what is the appropriate reaction to a gesture that is immoral, undemocratic. If it was at the Parti Québécois, and then a candidate made a gesture like that, I think I would meet the person to say “I’m sorry, but you can’t be on the team anymore” “, he said.
“The candidates of Québec solidaire know very well that we want to campaign for fair play, that we want to campaign according to the rules of the art,” said Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. The latter tried to reach Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to offer him the party’s apologies and his personal apologies.
According to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), taking the contents of a mailbox without authorization, such as in this case a pamphlet that is not intended for us, constitutes an offense under the Criminal Code.
” It’s a flight. For thefts of $5,000 or less, it’s section 334 b) [du Code criminel] which applies. With regard to the legal consequences, we invite you to contact the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP),” said the Montreal police force. According to Québec solidaire, no formal complaint has been filed against Marie-Eve Rancourt.
A major turning point in Camille-Laurin
The withdrawal of Marie-Eve Rancourt’s candidacy for Québec solidaire a few days before the election marks a major turning point in the electoral campaign for this riding in eastern Montreal. According to the latest update of the Qc125 electoral projection site, the candidate of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) and incumbent, Richard Campeau, was leading the race. The leader of the PQ, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, came in second place, followed closely by Mr.me Rancourt. His withdrawal, however, shuffles the cards and it becomes even more difficult to predict the outcome of the ballot.
“A candidate may withdraw his candidacy at any time before the end of the ballot. She must then give the returning officer a signed writing signifying that she withdraws from the race. If the ballots are already printed, the name of the candidate will be crossed out by hand and all voters to whom the ballot will be given will be informed,” explained to The Press a spokeswoman for Elections Quebec.
However, advance voting has begun in Quebec and voters may have already voted for the solidarity candidate. “In this type of situation, if a candidate withdraws when votes have already been taken, the votes they have collected are cancelled,” added Elections Quebec.