Thaindian News

Ottawa, March 26 (IANS) Canadians will go to the polls May 2 to elect a new government, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Saturday, a day after his minority government was toppled by the combined opposition in a no-trust motion over contempt of parliament.

The prime minister made the announcement after he met Governor General David Johnston and sought dissolution of parliament.

After the mandatory six-week campaign period, Canadians will elect a new parliament May 2.

“Given the disappointing events of yesterday I have met his excellency the Governor General who has agreed that parliament should be dissolved,” the prime minister said.

“The opposition parties have made their choice, now we Canadians get to make ours,” he said.

The prime minister said the election - forced by the opposition parties - could derail the economic recovery.

Harper, whose Conservative Party is ahead of the opposition Liberal Party led by Michael Ignatieff in poll surveys, asked his countrymen to give him a majority this time after his two successive minority governments.

“Canadians need to understand clearly, without any ambiguity: unless Canadians elect a stable, national majority, Mr. Ignatieff will form a Coalition with the NDP (New Democratic Party) and Bloc Quebecois. They tried it before. It is clear they will try it again. And, next time, if given the chance, they will do it in a way that no one will be able to stop,” the Canadian prime minister said.

On Friday, opposition parties joined forces to topple the government through a no-confidence motion. With the ouster of the minority government of the Conservative Party, Canadians will be heading to the polling booths for the fourth time in seven years.

Prime Minister Harper, whose government is credited with steering Canada’s economy successfully amidst the global meltdown, formed the minority government in 2009. It was his second consecutive minority government since 2006.

Recent surveys have put his Conservative Party ahead of the main opposition Liberal Party.

The non-confidence motion was triggered by a report this week by the opposition-dominated procedure and House affairs committee which held that the Conservative government committed contempt of parliament for failing to release information related to the costs of crime legislation and the purchase of stealth fighter jets.

As the no-trust motion came for voting Friday morning, all 156 opposition MPs belonging to the Liberal Party, the New Democratic Party and Bloc Quebecois voted for it.