MONTREAL 鈥� Coalition Leader Francois Legault says the Quebec Liberals won the provincial election because of the omnipresence of threats of a sovereignty referendum.
Legault's party won 22 of the province's 125 seats Monday 鈥� just eight fewer than the Parti Quebecois.
Philippe Couillard's Liberals stormed to a majority victory with 70 seats after he focused their campaign on the danger of another referendum in the event of a majority PQ government.
Legault, a former PQ cabinet minister, insisted he will be around for the next four years.
"I want to build a credible, responsible and constructive alternative to the Liberals in every region of Quebec before the next election in October 2018," he told a news conference in Montreal.
Much of the Coalition's strength is limited to a few areas in the province, particularly on the north and south shores of Montreal.
Legault said he believes the referendum issue was the catalyst behind the Liberals' victory.
"I don't think it's healthy for one political party to be able, almost automatically, to take power without really proposing anything," he said.
"The omnipresence of a referendum or sovereignty allows the Liberals to win elections without too much effort."
Legault added that Couillard needs to work on bridging the gap in terms of wealth between Quebec and the rest of sa国际传媒.
"It's a question of pride."
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