The hard-won victory was however marred by a fatal shooting incident that left one person dead and another wounded. PQ leader, Pauline Marois, was giving a victory speech in Montreal when shots were heard at the back of the hall, the BBC said. She was rushed off the stage and a man was later arrested. Marois had just expressed her desire for Quebec's independence when the shooting happened, Journal de Quebec reported.
Popular support within Quebec for another referendum is low, but Pauline Marois has promised to hold one if the right winning conditions are in place. Previous PQ governments held such votes in 1980 and 1995, but both failed. Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, is expected to receive demands from Marois, including those for further strengthening of laws to protect Quebec's French language and identity.
Pauline Marois, 63, becomes the province's first woman premier. PQ competed against the governing Liberals and a popular new party, Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ). Incumbent Liberal Premier, Jean Charest, lost his seat. His party is on course to lose 14 seats, giving it 50 seats; down from 64 in the outgoing Parliament. The almost six million people eligible to vote in the only majority French-speaking province of Canada chose 125 members of the National Assembly.
