Mario Beaulieu named new Bloc Qubcois leader

Hardline separatist Mario Beaulieu was chosen as the new leader of the Bloc Qubcois on Saturday, but it didn't take him long to ruffle feathers within the party's membership.

The BlocQubcoiswill be the motor behind the relaunching of the separatist movement. Weve been waiting for this moment for 20 years, the time for waiting is over,Beaulieusaid in his acceptance speech.

In his speech, he also took the opportunity to assert that party leaders that came before him suffered from defeatism. Former Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe was in the audience and took offence.

Beaulieu's speech 'irresponsible,' Duceppe says

Duceppe said he was disappointed by Beaulieu's comments.

Duringhis acceptance speech, cries of Front de libration du Qubec (FLQ)'s slogan,"Nous vaincrons," or "We will conquer," emanated from the crowd. Duceppesaid Beaulieu also uttered the slogan as the crowd chanted.

The slogan was most famously used during the October Crisis of 1970.

Duceppe called using that language "irresponsible and unconscionable" and said he could not accept it.

The former Bloc leader also took issue with Beaulieu's assertion that the Bloc had suffered from defeatism over the past 20 years.

Talking about 20 years of defeatism is lying, its pure demagogy, period, Duceppe said.

He responded to a question about whether it was insulting by saying, "To me, to LucienBouchard, to MichelGauthier, toDanielPaill. [Beaulieusaid] all the predecessors lost their time, didnt do their job.

Bellevance had MP support

With 53 per cent of the vote, Beaulieuthe former head of the nationalistSocitSt-Jean-Baptiste beat out only one other candidate, Bloc MPAndrBellavance, for the job.

Beaulieuhas a difficult task ahead as he tries to rebuild the federal party devoted to Quebec nationalism.

The Bloc was reduced to justfour seats in the Commons in the 2011 electionfrom the 49 it held after the 2008 vote. Longtime leaderDucepperesigned after that election.

Bellavance had the support of the other three Bloc MPs but Beaulieu campaigned on a promise to make sovereignty a priority above all else.

The previous Bloc leader, Daniel Paill, resigned last December for health reasons.

Some 19,000 party members were eligible to vote and 58.5 per cent of them cast a ballot in the leadership race.