Parti Qubcois wins Gasp in recount as investigation launched into vote

The Parti Qubcois has gained a seat in the National Assembly after a recount reversed the election results in Gasp.

PQ candidate Mganne Perry-Mlanonwill now take the eastern Quebec seat in the provincial legislature.

"It was quite a long run, but the ending is quite satisfying," she told CBC's Quebec AM Thursday. "I am very happy today."

lectionsQubecannounced it will be investigating the ballot count.

The original vote count had Liberal candidate Alexandre Boulayup by 132 votes. The PQ requested a recount after the party said every vote counted at polling station 61 was marked for the Liberal candidate.

Not a single vote in that ballot box went to the PQ, CoalitionAvenirQubecorQubecSolidaire. Four ballots were rejected.

Perry-Mlanon said her team noticed the irregularity the next morning and immediately filed a recount request.

She believedit wasn'tpossible that all votes went to the Liberal Party considering the breakdown in otherballot boxes.

In authorizing the recount, Judge DenisParadishad identified "numerous anomalies" that have raised doubts about the integrity of the process.

In a statement, the province's chief electoral officer Pierre Reid saidhe intends to "get answers" the thequestions have been raised about the irregularities.

"The integrity of the electoral process is the foundation of our electoral system and demands that we act with rigour and speed," said Reid.

"Each of the stages of the counting of the riding of Gasp will be reviewed in order to obtain clarifications and make the appropriate corrections."

A report of the findings will be made public but, until then, Reid will not comment further, the statement says.

"I have to shed some light on what happened, especially on box 61," Perry-Mlanontold reporters Wednesday night while calling for "reflection" on the polling process across the province.

There's 'work to be done,' new PQ MNAsays

After the recount results were revealed, Perry-Mlanon, the first woman to be elected in the riding, said she is aware that she will have to work to convince voters they made the right choice.

There is "work to be done, both for the party and for [me]," she said.

Winning in Gasp puts the PQ at 10 seats in the provincial legislature matching Qubec Solidaire's seat count.

Parties must have no fewer than 12 members to be recognized as a parliamentary group, commonly known as official party status. Otherwise, the MNAs sit as independent members.

Therefore, even at 10 members, the QS's elected MNAsarecurrently listed on the National Assembly's websiteas independent members of the national assembly.

How much floor time the QS and PQ will have to ask questions is still to be negotiated, butPerry-Mlanon remains confident.

"I think our voice will be stronger at the National Assembly," she said.

Looking ahead,Perry-Mlanon said public transportation and public health will be her focus once she is sworn in asMNA. She said she will also work to keep youth in herregion.

BoulaycongratulatesPerry-Mlanon

Late Wednesday night,Boulaythanked his supporters and congratulatedPerry-Mlanon on her victory on Twitter, while sharing a link to a statement he published on Facebook.

He wrote that he accepted the judicial recount with "great humility." He described the recount process as "rigorous and transparent."

"As far as I'm concerned, I come out of this experience with my head up and the feeling of having lost nothing," he says. "On the contrary, I thank the 6,000 people who trusted me. It means a lot to me."

The loss means the Liberals will have 29seats, after Guy Ouellette was expelled from caucus last week and Philippe Couillardresigned.

The riding of Gasp isthe second recount that the PQ has won this week, with candidateJol Arseneau's win upheld inles-de-la-Madeleineon Wednesday.

Another recount, in the northern riding of Ungava, is expected to be completed next week wherepreliminary results put the CAQahead of the PQ.

With files from Radio-Canada