Boisclair received 56,503 votes, representing 53.7 per cent support of those who voted. Just over 75 per cent of party members made their choice by telephone voting, after the longest leadership campaign in PQ history. The campaign lasted 149 days.
The polling system closed at 5 p.m. ET, Tuesday, with 104,577 ballots cast. Almost 2,000 of the party faithful gathered at the Centre de Foire in Quebec City as the results were made public.
One by one, the candidates marched on to the stage and then headed into the crowd before Boisclair was named as the winner of the vote.
André Boisclair celebrates his victory as leader of the Parti Quebecois at a rally Tuesday, Nov. 15. (CP Photo / Paul Chiasson)
The focus in the campaign has been on frontrunner Boisclair, who admitted in September to using cocaine when he was a PQ cabinet minister in the 1990s.
Boisclair said it will be up to party members to decide what he's capable of doing for the sovereigntist party.
Former PQ cabinet minister Pauline Marois was considered Boisclair's closest rival in a field of eight candidates vying to replace Landry.
Pauline Marois (CP file photo)
Marois had the support of Gilbert Paquette, who dropped out of the race.
The leadership race was called after Landry received the support of 76.1 per cent of the party in a June confidence vote. He said he didn't feel that was strong enough backing to achieve the party's goals.
The telephone polling system opened on Sunday morning. About 150,000 PQ members were eligible to vote.
The new leader will be expected to put the race for Quebec sovereignty in the fast lane. A PQ party platform decided in June states that a referendum on the sovereignty of Quebec will be held within the first mandate of the next PQ government.
The PQ would have to win the next provincial election for a referendum to be held anytime soon. However, Premier Jean Charest and his Liberal party are running very low in recent polls.
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