MONTREAL—The national office of the Bloc Québécois threw its support behind its leader on Saturday, days after seven of the party’s 10 MPs quit the caucus over Martine Ouellet’s leadership style. The party’s administration made it clear that Ouellet had their support, despite an open letter published Friday in which more than 20 former Bloc Québécois MPs called for her resignation. “It is unanimously resolved that the national office renews its full and complete support of Martine Ouellet and relaunches the invitation she made to each of the resigning MPs to participate in a process to allow them to reintegrate the Bloc Québécois caucus,” Bloc member Benoit Lemieux said on behalf of the group. Ouellet announced that the MPs who resigned will be able to keep their party memberships and are welcome to discuss returning to caucus. “It was never a question of exclusion,” she said at a news conference, flanked by the remaining party members.

Source: thestar March 04, 2018 01:07 UTC