Ghazal campaigned in favour of a New Popular Front candidate, prompting a complaint from the National Rally’s Aurelien Nambride.
QUEBEC — Québec solidaire MNA Ruba Ghazal is being accused of engaging in “a form of interference” in French politics by a candidate for the far-right Rassemblement national.
Last week, before the first round of voting, Ghazal called on French voters in Quebec to block the path to power for the extreme right and campaigned in Montreal for a left-leaning Nouveau Front populaire coalition candidate.
Aurélien Nambride, an alternate candidate for the Rassemblement national in North America, says it is unfortunate that a foreign politician was campaigning in French elections.
Ghazal threw her support behind Oussama Laraichi, who will face off against front-runner Roland Lescure, a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s party, Renaissance, during a second round of voting this weekend. The Rassemblement national finished third in North America.
Québec solidaire rejected any allegations of interference, calling Ghazal’s support a personal initiative, albeit one the party supports.
The French electoral system allows citizens living abroad in 11 different districts to elect members to the national assembly, which has 577 seats.
Quebec is home to about 260,000 French citizens, including about 200,000 residing in Montreal.