Arabic version: حزب الليبراليين بقيادة كارني يحقق أغلبية في مجلس العموم

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has secured a slim majority in the House of Commons, solidifying its hold on power after being projected by Canadian media to win at least two seats in by-elections on Monday. The election gains come a year after Carney took office, and follow five defections by opposition members of parliament to the Liberals. According to BBC News, the Liberal Party now holds 173 of the 343 seats, allowing Carney greater flexibility in advancing his political agenda without needing opposition support.

The two Toronto-area ridings that the Liberals are expected to win, Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale, were previously vacated by former officials Bill Blair and Chrystia Freeland. Carney expressed his congratulations to the winning candidates, Danielle Martin and Doly Begum, on social media. Meanwhile, results from a third by-election in Quebec’s Terrebonne riding showed Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste with a slight lead over the Bloc Quebecois’s Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné at 22:30 local time on Monday (02:30 GMT), with about 30% of the ballots counted.

This majority marks a significant turnaround for the Liberals, who faced predictions of defeat in the previous election. Carney’s leadership emerged following the resignation of Justin Trudeau in January, paving the way for a minority government win last April. The current majority is notable as it is the first time in Canada that such a majority was formed through a combination of special elections and parliamentary defections.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the legitimacy of the Liberal majority, claiming it resulted from backroom deals rather than a general election. He asserted that the people deserve better representation and accountability, suggesting that Canadians will not accept complacency from the governing party.