Québec Solidaire, Option Nationale to unite ahead of next election
Small, pro-independence parties threaten to steal votes away from Parti Québécois
The small, left-wing party Québec Solidaire is joining forces with the even smaller Option Nationale in the lead-up to the 2018 provincial election.
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, the co-spokesperson of Québec Solidaire, confirmed the long-rumoured merger this morning, as did Sol Zanetti, the head of Option Nationale.
"It's a big step forward for independence," said Nadeau-Dubois.
Québec Solidaire, a democratic socialist party, holds three seats in the National Assembly. Option Nationale doesn't hold any seats.
The deal still has to be ratified by members of both parties when they hold their respective congresses in December.
If approved, the two parties would merge under the Québec Solidaire banner, but would adopt a new look ahead of the election.
The merger of the two pro-independence parties could potentially siphon away votes from the Parti Québécois.
Option Nationale was formed in 2011 by former PQ member Jean-Martin Aussant after he felt the party was dragging its feet on the sovereignty question.
PQ Leader Jean-François Lisée brushed off the importance of the impending merger, noting Option Nationale garnered less than one per cent of the vote in the last election.
Earlier this year, Québec Solidaire opted not to form an alliance with the PQ.
With files from The Canadian Press