Historic election in Canada in a polarized electoral scenario

Amid a polarized electoral scenario, more than 28 million Canadian citizens, of which 400,000 of Hispanic-Latin American origin, will cast their vote on Monday, October 21, at the 43rd federal election in the history of Canada. The electors will decide if they re-elect the Liberal Party, by Justin Trudeau, or if they prefer the change with the Conservative Party, by Andrew Scheer, to form the next Government. The new Democratic Party, of Jagmeet Singh, a young political promise also participates in this historic electoral contest; Yves Francois Blanchet of the Quebecois Block; Elizabeth May of the Green Party, and Maxime Bernier of the Popular Party.

But to better understand this electoral process, it is important to remember that Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy. While the monarch is inherited (today Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom), Canadian citizens elect members of parliament (MP) and the leader of the party that gets the most seats (seats) becomes First Minister. This is the head of the executive branch and, therefore, of the government. Members of parliament are elected in federal elections and each represents a Canadian constituency (called ridings), with a total of 308 in the country today.

Now, we said that the electoral scenario is polarized – that in politics it is the process by which public opinion is divided into two opposite extremes. This figure was clearly evidenced during the debate of the leaders of the six political parties in Quebec where personal, critical, indirect attacks and interruptions prevailed over the explanation of their government plans, among the main candidates for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Andrew Scheer To this we must add the fact that Liberals Y Conservatives they are virtually tied for voter preference, with the only difference that liberals have maintained an advantage in the seat projection who would win the October 21. According to the pollster Poll Tracker, the liberals have a 33.9 preferably conservatives 33%, NDP, 14.7%, GRN, 9.5%, BQ, 5.7 and PPC, 2.5%.

The panorama is open and any misstep of one of the candidates will mean his rise or his irremediable fall. The last days of the election campaign will be intense and will mean a vote-by-vote struggle to conquer the electors. Although the tendency is to say that votes are cast more on the basis of emotion than of reason, we must not lose hope that citizens think and decide with a cool head and taking responsibility for the future they will build for the next years.

So far, as reported by Elecciones Canada, more than 28 million voter information cards have already been sent. If you are one of the 447 thousand citizens with Hispanic-Latin American roots, you are 18 years of age or older, you are registered to vote and have your identity documents, you have the great opportunity to choose who will represent you in federal policy during the next four years. Today, as a citizen of this great country, he is called to cast a conscious and informed vote, paying special attention to the plans and proposals of each candidate (described in an earlier editorial column). We must be aware that the future of the nation is played in the next elections in terms of economy, health, education, housing, immigration and work, so we must take into account that each vote of ours is worth a lot for the future of Canada. Before casting your vote, reflect on the way in which current rulers have exercised power, since by means of suffrage you will make your satisfaction known or not, on how you have conducted the public thing, including in your evaluation the Achievements achieved and broken promises. That is why we insist on voting conscious and informed, paying special attention to the coherence of the proposals. We vote for that to happen and for the country to win with the new Government.

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