After initially being left out of the program celebrating the life of former Quebec Premier René Lévesque, Parti Québécois (PQ) leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has been invited to speak at the event next week.
Earlier in the day Wednesday, the PQ leader complained his party and the notion of "sovereignty" were being ignored as part of the celebrations marking the 100th birthday of the founder and first leader of the PQ.
"I find it difficult to see how we can celebrate René Lévesque, while dismissing the Parti Québécois and the fact that he devoted his life to the independence of Quebec, and to tell people: 'it is normal to consult you, then you are capable of building a country," St-Pierre Plamondon said.
He added that dismissing the PQ also dismisses the question of independence in Quebec.
"It is also in the air of time, to want to bury the word the 'S' word. We are no longer able to say sovereignty. The current events, however, constantly remind us of the need, even the urgency, to make Quebec a country."
According to a media advisory issued Wednesday evening, St-Pierre Plamondon has been added to the list of speakers. Also on the list is Premier François Legault, who served as a PQ cabinet minister before he joined the CAQ party at its founding, as well as a spokesperson for each of the opposition parties.
Other speakers include René Lévesque's son, Claude Lévesque, and former Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard, who is the event's honorary president.
The event, dubbed l'Année Lévesque, is being organized by the René Lévesque Foundation and will be held Monday evening at the Quebec National Library on Maisonneuve Boulevard in Montreal.
Polls show Lévesque remains one of the most beloved politicians in Quebec history.
With files from The Canadian Press
