MONTREAL—Once the dominant force in municipal politics, defections from Union Montreal continued on Thursday as six more elected officials quit the party.
In the days surrounding Gerald Tremblay’s resignation from city hall last November, the party’s ranks were depleted by a wave of resignations that culminated in Union Montreal losing the mayor’s seat.
On Thursday, Anjou borough mayor Luis Miranda left the party, bringing the four other members of the Anjou delegation with him.
The five have indicated that they will sit as independents until the municipal election this November.
Earlier in the day, Montreal North borough councillor Chantal Rossi also chose to sit as an independent. On Wednesday, Gilles Deguire, the mayor of her borough, also quit Union Montreal.
With the seven defections over the past 48-hours, nearly half of the party’s once-mighty caucus has fled. With 66 councillors elected in 2009, only 34 are still left holding Union Montreal’s banner.
Following raids by Quebec’s anti-corruption unit on Tuesday which involved the party’s headquarters, more resignations are expected.
