Canadians back Liberal Party for third term
Wrapping up an election far more expeditiously than their southern neighbors, Canadians on Monday gave Prime Minister Jean Chretien's Liberal Party of Canada its third straight majority, sending Chretien to another term in the nation's highest office.The Liberal party will retain its majority in the Canadian House of Commons with 173 of 301 seats.Chretien, who has served in the nation's highest post since 1993, will be only the third Canadian prime minister to serve a third term in the nation's 133-year history.The current prime minister's victory came despite recent allegations about his questionable involvement in a bank loan scandal and concerns that he would step down if elected for another five-year term.The Liberals were distantly followed by the Canadian Alliance with 66 seats, the Bloc Quebecois with 37, the New Democratic Party with 13 and the Progressive Conservative party with 12.The Green Party of Canada, one of the more prominent minor parties in this election, failed to land any seats in parliament.Canadian political pundits say the Canadian Alliance was unable to oust the incumbent Liberals because of the Alliance's failure to gain support in Ontario, a Liberal stronghold and the province where the majority of Canadian voters reside.Liberals secured 100 of Ontario's 103 seats.The party was not so successful in Quebec, however.