Solidarity MP Haroun Bouazzi blames disappointed opponents for the allegations against him since winning the nomination in Maurice-Richard.
• Also read: Quebec solidaire: internal crisis surrounding Haroun Bouazzi’s inauguration
Mr Bouazzi on Friday refused to pay for membership cards for new members during the recruitment drive that preceded his election. “Never. Neither I nor people from my team and then of course I would have acted if I had heard of such a practice,” he said on the sidelines of a press conference in the National Assembly.
Le Journal announced on Friday that the local executive has resigned after Mr Bouazzi’s narrow victory by 5 votes en bloc. They called for Mr Bouazzi’s “immediate dismissal” “due to serious irregularities”. They claimed to have found 11 members who claimed their membership cards were paid for by Mr Bouazzi or his team.
According to them, “the number of these irregular memberships far exceeds the margin of 5 votes” that sealed victory.
“Unfounded”
After conducting reviews, Québec solidaire retained the membership of the targeted new members. However, the party declined to expand the scope of its investigation, although some people contacted said they had forgotten whether they had actually paid for their membership cards.
Haroun Bouazzi assures that these “unfounded” allegations are being promoted by his main opponent Raphaël Rebelo’s team. “You know I, I know what it’s like to lose a nomination, I also lost one in 2018 with very few votes. These are very difficult times. A nomination is not a pleasant moment, it is a moment when you compete against people from your own party. Losing is difficult,” he commented.
Despite everything, for Maurice-Richard, the MNA rejects the idea of an external investigation to put an end to any suspicions surrounding his victory. “You understand that it’s not me who decides,” he said.
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