In an outburst of populist anger, Quebeckers overturned the province's long-standing political order Monday and elected their first minority government in more than 125 years.
The Liberal Party of Jean Charest won the most seats, but it was Mario Dumont and his upstart Action Démocratique du Québec that emerged as the big winners of the evening, making gains everywhere except on the Island of Montreal.
"This is a cri du coeur that resonates everywhere," Mr. Dumont said. "This vote reflects a profound desire for change."
The Parti Québécois and its leader, André Boisclair, were the principal losers, with the sovereigntist party recording less than 30 per cent of the popular vote for the first time since 1970.
When the dust settled, the Liberals had 48 seats, the ADQ 41, and the PQ 36 in the 125-seat National Assembly. The last time Quebec had a minority government was in 1878.
[All three party leaders will hold press conferences at the National Assembly this afternoon, with Mr. Boisclair leading off at 2 p.m. EDT, followed by Mr. Dumont at 2:30 p.m. EDT and Mr. Charest at 3:30 p.m. EDT]
While it is not entirely clear how the three parties will align themselves, the Liberals almost certainly will continue to govern, even though Mr. Charest may be turfed as leader. Four of his cabinet ministers were defeated. Mr. Boisclair won his seat, but could also lose his job.
Premier Charest announced after midnight that he will accept the challenge he has been handed.
"Quebeckers decided to write a page of history and to challenge the political class in this province. I accept the challenge," Mr. Charest said to a cheering crowd of supporters in his hometown riding of Sherbrooke.
"The people of Quebec have now spoken and we now have a Liberal minority government. My government will serve each citizen in a spirit of openness and inclusion," the Premier said.
Ideologically, the ADQ is to the right of the Liberals; it has little in common with the PQ, aside from its nationalism.
But, when the PQ floated the idea of forming an alliance with the ADQ and holding a referendum on sovereignty, the "autonomist" ADQ flatly rejected the notion.
What is without doubt is that Mr. Dumont, at age 36, orchestrated one of the biggest political upheavals in the province's history, tapping into an undercurrent of voter dissatisfaction to redraw the political map.
With his appeal to middle-class families, seniors and those in the regions, Mr. Dumont is also well-positioned to be premier of Quebec next time around, if he is able to deliver on promises in his new position as Opposition Leader.
He said he will keep the Liberal minority government "under high surveillance."
Mr. Boisclair tried to put a positive spin on the loss, saying: "Only a few seats separate us from power." But he said voters sent a clear message that "they want to be listened to ... and governed differently."
Mr. Dumont's personal history — as a former Liberal youth president who went on to campaign for the Yes side in the 1995 sovereignty referendum — will make for an interesting dynamic in a minority government. So too will the fact that virtually all his candidates are unknowns.
The ADQ saw its popular vote soar to 31 per cent from 18 per cent during the 2003 election. The Liberals plummeted to 33 per cent from 46 per cent. The PQ dropped the least, to 28 per cent from 33 per cent, the second-lowest result in the history of the sovereigntist party. The left-wing Québec Solidaire and the Green Party each garnered four per cent of the vote.
Last night's mind-boggling outcome — pollsters and pundits predicted a minority government but not such a strong showing by the ADQ — was a fitting culmination to what was one of the most unusual provincial election campaigns.
First and foremost, there was a genuine three-way battle for power, rather than Quebec's traditional two-horse race.
