Editor's note: This is an update of the Canadian Press report posted below. Comments have been disabled.
MONTREAL - A celebration of the Parti Quebecois' return to power was shattered Tuesday — first by a political disappointment, then by a stunning tragedy.
The party won a minority government with a weaker-than-desired result — 54 out of 125 seats —that could severely limit its ability to pursue its independence agenda.
A victory speech by premier-in-waiting Pauline Marois was then marred by an exceptionally ugly scene: she was whisked off the stage by guards during an attack in which two people were shot, one was killed, and a fire was set in back of the assembly hall.
Police tackled a masked, housecoat-wearing suspect to the ground and took him away in a patrol car. The two people shot were originally listed in critical condition, and one was later pronounced dead. Televised images showed a long gun being confiscated.
The middle-aged suspect, while being dragged toward the police cruiser, shouted in French, "The English are waking up!"
It was certainly the most tragic, and least jubilant, election win in the PQ's long history.
Even before the attack there was frustration at the Metropolis auditorium, where the partisan PQ crowd had assembled. The PQ has never governed with a minority in its history and, therefore, has never faced the need to table a referendum question, an inaugural speech, or any other confidence measure with the support of parties that oppose its core values.
Its score in the popular vote was lower than any time it has governed. The PQ took about 32 per cent of votes. That was just one percentage point more than the governing Liberals, who staved off the electoral annihilation many had predicted. The new Coalition party had 27 per cent.
The attack then took place, ironically, just after Marois spoke English — a rare occurrence in a speech at a partisan PQ event. She had promised English-speaking Quebecers that their rights would be protected, following an emotionally charged campaign that saw her party focus on language-and-identity issues.
"Quebecers made their choice," Marois said, in a reference to the limits of governing with a minority. "We will respect their choice by governing with all those elected."
