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|Monday September 15, 2003 | BACK | NEXT
MARTIN'S TEAM EYES SUPER WEEKEND by Angelo Persichilli Hereıs how it works. In total, the Liberal members entitled to vote in the upcoming November convention are 531,536, spread out in 301 ridings, clubs and commissions across the country. "The Liberal Party," said the partyıs President Stephen LeDrew, "is being called the most successful political party in the history of Canada after membership numbers reached more than 531,000 last June." Contrary to what many might believe, the highest number of memberships has been sold, according to the official site of the Liberal Party of Canada, not in Ontario, where some 120,292 memberships were bought up and in the province considered the homeland of the so-called "instant Liberals," but in New Brunswick where some 148,213 have been sold. This is because of the different rules applied for the membership to the Liberal Party. Next weekend, each riding will elect 12 delegates for the convention. There are also almost 900 delegates to be elected by the Aboriginal Peoplesı Commission, the National Womenıs Liberal Commission, the Seniorsı Commission, and the Young Liberals of Canada Clubs. The Young Liberals of Canada Clubs have hundreds of branches throughout Canada and each club will elect four delegates: two men and two women. The Womenıs Commissions will elect one delegate from each club and two from each provincial and territorial organization and the two each from the aboriginal commissions. In total, in the upcoming weekend, the 531,536 Liberals members will elect a total of 5,400 delegates. Broken down, there will be some 4,500 delegates from the 301 ridings and 900 delegates from the clubs and commissions. On Nov. 15, Liberals will also vote for the so called ex-officio members. The ex-officio members include: sitting Liberal MPs and the Liberal candidates who ran in the last general election, the 301 presidents of the Liberal ridings, the Liberal Senators, members and former members of the Privy Council and members of the national executive committee, past leaders, the leaders of the Liberal Parties in each province and territories. The total number of the ex-officio members is almost 800, but the ex-officio members are the only delegates whose votes are not already committed after the "Super Weekend" next weekend. This means that if Paul Martin gets 59 per cent of the delegates next weekend, or 4,500, he can be considered mathematically the new leader of the Liberal Party and the next Prime Minister, and thatıs even if (of course itıs not the case) all the ex-officio delegates will vote against him in the next November convention. Of course, Iım taking for granted that Martinıs organization will bring all those delegates to Toronto on Nov. 15. Martinıs organizers say they will feel much more comfortable with a 65 per cent win. The vote will take place over three days, Sept. 19- 21. The 4,500 members engaged in the operation this weekend will have to vote twice: their first vote cast for the leader of the party, and their second vote for the delegates who will head to the convention in November. The most important is the first vote. In fact, it is this vote that will decide how many committed delegates the candidates will have for the November convention. The second vote, in fact, is needed only to select the names of the delegates belonging the slates presented by Paul Martinıs or Sheila Coppsı organizations. As for the results, the unofficial ones will be available almost immediately; for the official results you have to wait until Sunday for the votes obtained by the candidates, and Monday for the names of the delegates. Liberal Memberships by the Numbers in each Province: |