QUEBEC BOLL

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33370, 31 October 1973, Page 17

QUEBEC BOLL

/N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) MONTREAL. October 29. The Liberal Party has emerged triumphant in the Quebec election results, indicating that the predominantly French-speaking province has firmly rejected separation from Canada.

Results from today’s polling show late tonight that the Liberals already have a

i firm majority in the Quebec Assembly, in which there •are 110 seats, having fended off a challenge from the jParti Quebecois, the party ■ calling for the separation of Quebec from Canada’s nine other provinces. The Parti Quebecois leader, Mr Rene Levesque, a long-time proponent of Quebec independence, was personally defeated in the election, for the Montreal seat, by the Libera! incumbent, Mr Alfred Bosse. The leader of the other main party contesting the Liberals, Mr Yvon Dupuis, of the Parti Creditiste, was also defeated in St Jean, by another Liberal, Mr Jacques Veilleux. The latest returns show that the Liberal Premier (Mr Robert Bourassa) and his party have won 91 seats, and are leading in eight others; the Parti Quebecois has won only four, and are leading in five; the Parti Creditiste has won one, and leads in one, and the Union Nationals, none so far. Standings in the Quebec Assembly before the election were: Liberals, 68; Union Nationals, 15; Parti Creditiste, 11; Parti Quebecois, 7 Independent, 2; vacant 5. Since then, two seats have been added in a redistribution of areas, making the total of 110.