PQ loyalists are opting out after Lisée's election, Option Nationale leader says
Sol Zanetti says Option Nationale party membership numbers have spiked
The leader of Option Nationale claims the election of Jean-François Lisée as the head of the Parti Québécois has led hardline sovereignists to jump ship.
"After the election on Friday, between midnight and 3 a.m., there were more than 300 visits to the membership web page of the Option Nationale," Sol Zanetti said.
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Zanetti said hundreds of PQ loyalists are now opting for Option Nationale, a small separatist party that was founded in 2011 that currently holds no seats in the Quebec National Assembly.
He also said that the party launched an online membership campaign because of the shifting support to the Option Nationale.
"On social media, we saw people say they had given a last chance to the PQ and that it was over."
Zanetti claims PQ activists supported the "courageous and inspirational" leadership of Martine Ouellet, who said she would hold a sovereignty referendum in her first term as premier.
It was a stark contrast to her rivals, including Lisée, who promised not to hold a referendum on Quebec separation during his first mandate if the PQ were elected to power in 2018.
The Option Nationale represents a "clear option" when it comes to sovereignty, according to Zanetti.
With files from Radio-Canada and La Presse Canadienne