After Denis Coderre's exit, Ensemble Montral names its new interim leader

Aref Salem, a longtime city councillor,is taking over the leadership of the official opposition at Montreal's city hall.

Salem was introduced as the interim leader of Ensemble Montral, during a news conference on Tuesday morning.

On Nov. 7, Valrie Plante handily defeated Denis Coderre, the party's previous leader, to retain her seat as Montreal mayor.

Last Friday, Coderre announced he was quitting politics for good.

During the most recentmunicipal elections, Salem was elected as a city councillor in the Saint-Laurent borough for a fourth consecutive time.

From 2013 to 2017, Salem was in charge of the transportation file for the city's executive committee, under the Coderre administration.

On Tuesday, Salem said party members chose him as their interim leader through a secret vote, and that he would remain in his new role for at least three years.

"We have a lot of challenges in front of us," Salem said, while also referring to Ensemble Montral as a party in need of a rebuild followingits latest defeat.

"My colleagues, they were behind me and I'm going to be there for them, too. We're going to build the party for all of them, for the newcomers, too, and to make sure, at least, that we're going to win in 2025 and be the next administration at the city."

WATCH |Aref Salem explains plan for Ensemble Montral under his leadership:

Aref Salem says Ensemble will offer "human" opposition at city hall

3 years ago

Duration 0:53

Aref Salem, the newly elected interim leader of Ensemble Montral, says his party will offer a "human" opposition at city hall going forward.

Under his leadership, Salem said Ensemble Montral will be a "human" and "rigorous" party that will work with the Plante administration for the benefit of Montrealers, while also holding them accountable.

The top priorities, he said, aremaking sure the Plante administration presents a budget that does not have more than a two-per-cent tax increase, and follows through on its commitment to hire 250 more police officers an election campaign promisethat was first made by Ensemble Montral.

Lionel Perez had served as the party's interim leader from 2017 up until March of this year, when Coderre announced he would try to win back city hall.

Earlier this month, Perez lost his bid to become the borough mayor of Cte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grce, although the result of that race is one of several his party is contesting.