Justin Trudeau wins Canada elections but loses majority

OTTAWA: A weakened Prime Minister Justin Trudeau set out Tuesday to secure the support of smaller parties he will need to form a government after winning Canada´s nail-biter general election but falling short of a majority.

Trudeau’s Liberals took 157 seats in the 338-member House of Commons, down from a comfortable majority of 177 in the last one, official results showed.

Trudeau will thus have to seek some kind of accommodation with the Bloc Quebecois or the New Democratic Party. Before launching talks with these parties Trudeau greeted people at a subway station in Montreal and posed smiling for selfies. Trudeau received congratulations Monday evening from US President Donald Trump and on Tuesday from European Council president Donald Tusk and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Even though he came out weakened, Trudeau did better than expected. Up until election day polls had him neck and neck with Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer.

The Conservatives won 121 seats but beat the Liberals in the popular vote, taking 34.4 percent to their 33.1 percent. Scheer issued a warning to Trudeau. “Canadians have passed judgement on (Trudeau´s) Liberal government,” noting that the Liberals shed more than 20 seats. “We have put him on notice, his leadership is damaged and his government will end soon and when that time comes, the Conservatives will be ready and we will win!” –AFP

Our correspondent adds from Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday congratulated his counterpart Justin Trudeau on winning election in Canada.

The prime minister tweeted, “congratulations to Justin Trudeau for winning the elections in Canada. I look forward to working with him”.