PQ leadership hopeful Bernard Drainville is dropping out of the race to support Pierre Karl Peladeau.
"The vote has crystallized and Peladeau has assembled a net majority. We have to rally around him," Drainville said at a news conference Wednesday.
He said it was after the Quebec City debate that he realized it was too late to turn the tide. He said during that debate, he asked Peladeau questions, questions he believed needed to be answered on subjects such as his plan to achieve independence. Afterwards, Drainville said some party members told him to back off for the sake of party unity.
Peladeau has the support of 10 MNAs including Drainville. Five of the seven MNAs who supported Drainville will now throw their support behind Peladeau.
Drainville has said he was the only candidate who would make a proper opposition leader and potential premier, citing his experience as a minister and MNA as proof (he has been an MNA since 2007).
Just last week, Drainville warned party members to be wary of Peladeau.
“Beware of this idea that there’s going to be a saviour coming down from the sky and achieving independence in no time flat,” he said.
Drainville now says the party must unite in order to fight their true adversary, the Couillard Liberals.
Peladeau welcomed the new supporters into the fold, saying in a press release Drainville is "very appreciated and very respected" within the party.
“I don't consider that attacks,” he said later Wednesday. “This is just natural in a debate and this is what debates are all about.”
Peladeau said he did not promise Drainville a special role if he wins.
“I promise to make independence,” he simply said.
There are now four people left vying for the top job: Peladeau, the perceived front-runner, Pierre Cere, Alexandre Cloutier and Martine Ouellet.
Cloutier said he remains the best alternative, adding that his approach to immigrants in particular make him a better choice than Peladeau or Drainville.
“There's no doubt for me we're not going to make independence if newcomers don’t feel welcome in the Parti Quebecois,” said Cloutier.
Martine Ouellet said she has to stay in the race to represent the party's traditional centre-left roots, and that PKP isn't really saying where he'll take the party.
“That’s important to the members of the Parti Quebecois to know where we want to go,” she said.
The latest Leger poll had Peladeau at almost 60 per cent support among PQ supporters, furthering speculation the vote may be a coronation for the business-mogul-turned-politician.
MNA Jean-Francois Lisee withdrew from the race in January, saying at the time that he realized it was inevitable that Peladeau would win.
"It's not that I approve but that I accept this political reality,” he said.
The Parti Quebecois will elect a new leader at a convention May 13 to 15.
