An even more unlikely coalition...

The Québécois political scene was recently very nearly turned on its head as it is revealed that before the electoral campaign of this past Autumn, up to the 8 December elections, the right-leaning autonomist Action Démocratique du Québec asked the Parti Québécois to reverse the government and take control in a coalition of shared power, to lead Québec through the economic crisis, with PQ leader Pauline Marois at the head of government.

Various senior sources have confirmed this unofficial and non-documented power play by the ADQ and Mario Dumont, and it has been denied by none, which makes one less likely to doubt its truthfulness. It does shed light on the minds of the adéquistes in the run-up to the election, they obviously knew how badly they would be defeated and needed to shore up support by any means necessary. This meant subjecting its political ideas of middle-class populist autonomist rhetoric to the nationalist populism of the Parti Québécois and Pauline Marois.

If anything demonstrated the basic sameness and inseparability of the current political formations of Québec, this does, with the exception Québec Solidaire, which is still in its formative stages and whose real position in Québec's national politics is still being decided. That the ADQ could bring itself to ask to become a junior partner in a coalition government while at the time (before the elections) the ADQ was the official opposition, (and not the Parti Québécois which was relegated to third-party, non-official status in the National Assembly) shows just how far the ADQ has fallen from its meteoric rise a few years ago...

Libellés : Mme Marois, Politique, Québec

par Borges à 11:30

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The Liberal Party rises again in Québec

The Liberal Party of Québec, as well as the Liberal Party of Canada, have made significant gains in la belle province recently, although it is difficult to understand exactly what that means. The Liberal Party on both levels of government is generally left-leaning, but then again so are the nationalist parties, at times...

The ways in which the Québécois electorate sways between nationalism and federalism is still a mystery to many, however there are plenty of different factors to be taken into consideration, as well as the constant fact that support for the Bloc Québécois or the Parti Québécois does not necessarily mean a firm support for the independence of Québec but rather a certain attraction at a given time to these parties political image and pondering, as well as their platform.

On the Federal level, for the first time in five years, the Liberal Party is ahead of the Bloc Québécois by 6 points at 37%, compared with a dismal 15% of the voting intentions for the Conservatives. The Bloc Québécois is probably suffering so badly to to the renewed energy and optimism in the party after the unofficial crowning of Michael Ignatieff in December. This really shows the incompetence and bad publicity that became Stéphane Dion after the October elections. Even among Francophones only, the Liberal Party is close to edging out the Bloc Québécois as the party of preference.

Provincially, the Liberal Party of Jean Charest is recovering from the scandalous winter of 2008-09, with the revelations of lobbying for the private sector by his former Health Minister, the mismanagement of CHUM, and a general decline in the level of competence of the Charest government in the face of the spiralling economic crisis in the country. The ways in which the Québec electorate moves, however it is safe to say that after a while, all people become discontent with discontent and will eventually follow their conservative conciousness which leads them to give another chance to those that have failed them so many times before.

As for the effects of this bounce in popularity for the Liberal parties in Québec, well, on va voir, on va voir...

Libellés : Libéraux, Politique, Québec

par Borges à 09:36

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Isreali Government confirms its opposition to a two state solution

The new right-wing Israeli government has signalled its opposition, nay, nullification, of the Annapolis Agreement of 2007 which committed the Israeli and Palestinian governments to a peaceful two state solution. This was of course the logical step in the Netanyahu (again...) government's affirmation of its new political power, and is of course a play to their Israeli nationalist base.

Concerning the rights of Palestinians to self-determination, M. Netanyahu is quoted as saying:

«Under the final accord, the Palestinians will have all the rights to govern themselves except those that can put in danger the security and existence of the state of Israel» Al Jazeera, 31.3.09

A fairly meaningless comment from a fairly serious man. Basically it means that until Palestinians willingly accept the political and economic dominance of the Israeli state, they will have to endure the suppression. This paradigm has been the unspoken dominant player in Israeli government policy, until the revolt of the Palestinians stop, they are not to be allowed the measure of self-governance that would normally be allowed under other circumstances.

This isn't a matter of racism. The Israeli capitalist class, which supports the government in whatever left-leaning or right-weaning slant it takes on, depends upon the subjugation of the Palestinian, and Israeli working classes. Their separation is an division give only more strength to the exploiters on both sides of the ethno-religious dividing line, but up by the capitalists themselves.

It is for this reason and this reason alone, the undeniable relatedness of the Israeli and Palestinian people, their already well-intertwined destiny, which makes a two-state solution impossible. No amount of peace accords and negotiations will wipe clean the generations of religious and nationalist propaganda from both the Palestinian and Israeli ruling classes, the claims of superiority, of «rights», of vengeance, of heritage. The wounds are deep on both sides, and sometimes it's more complicated than it seems.

In order to overcome the solidarity of the Palestinian and Israeli workers against their exploiters is paramount. A revolt against the oppressors must take place on both sides, and unifying act of class conciousness which would be thought by many impossible. The recent occupation activity in Belfast shows the emptiness of this claim, with Nationalist and Unionist workers taking action against their employers merciless policies.

Only when the yoke of oppression is cast off throughout the lands of Israel and Palestine, when the population realise a clear and utter unity against capitalist and feudal exploitation, can true peace be realised. And when that time comes, there will be no need for a two-state solution, for there will be workers democracy in control and peaceful and voluntary federation of Arab and Jewish people, for their mutual peace and prosperity.

Libellés : Israel/Palestine, Politique, Socialisme

par Borges à 12:28

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