Qubec Solidaire, Option Nationale to unite ahead of next election

The small, left-wing party Qubec Solidaire is joining forces with the even smaller Option Nationale in the lead-up to the 2018 provincial election.

Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, theco-spokesperson ofQubec Solidaire, confirmed the long-rumoured merger this morning, as did Sol Zanetti, the head of Option Nationale.

"It's a bigstep forward for independence," said Nadeau-Dubois.

QubecSolidaire, a democratic socialist party, holds three seats in the National Assembly. Option Nationaledoesn't hold any seats.

• WhyQubecSolidairerejected alliance with thePartiQubcois

The dealstill has tobe ratified by members of both parties when they hold their respective congresses in December.

If approved, the two parties would merge under theQubecSolidairebanner, but would adopt a new look ahead of the election.

The merger of the two pro-independence parties could potentiallysiphon away votes from the Parti Qubcois.

Option Nationale was formed in 2011 by former PQmember Jean-Martin Aussant after he felt the party was dragging its feet on the sovereignty question.

PQ Leader Jean-Franois Lisebrushed off the importance of the impending merger, noting Option Nationale garnered less than one per cent of the vote in the last election.

Earlier this year,QubecSolidaireopted not to form an alliancewith the PQ.