Liberal Party of Quebec (Cinco De Mayo)

The Liberal Party of Quebec (French: Parti Liberale Québecois) or PLQ is a major political party in the Republic of Quebec and is the Official Opposition as of 2013. The party was affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada prior to independence. In the late 1990s, the Liberals formally removed their disapproval of sovereignty from their party platform and party leader Jean Charest acknowledged that the independence issue was "settled." Charest led the Liberals to an upset victory over the dominant Parti Quebecois in the 2003 general election, and that fall Stephane Dion was elected President of Quebec, to date the only Liberal to hold that post. The Liberals in Quebec are a center to center-right party, with two vibrant wings. From 2003 to 2007 the governed with a majority government, from 2007 to 2008 they governed in a coalition with the ADQ, and from 2008 to 2012 they once again governed with a majority. This gave Jean Charest three consecutive governments as Prime Minister.