Anti-war activist wins reins of Liberal party in Canada convention

BY BETH DUFF-BROWN, Associated Press
LA Daily News
Article Last Updated:12/02/2006 08:25:44 PM PST

MONTREAL - A former environment minister who criticized the prime minister for "blindly" committing forces to Afghanistan for years won leadership of Canada's Liberal Party on Saturday.

Stephane Dion scored a surprise defeat of front-runner Michael Ignatieff, a scholar and human rights expert. Dion, environment minister under former Prime Minister Paul Martin and a strong supporter of the Kyoto Protocol to cut greenhouse gas emissions, came into the race in fourth place out of eight candidates.

"The most exciting race in the history of our party is over; let's get ready for the election," Dion, 51, told the party convention moments after winning more than half the votes of the 5,000 delegates.

Dion has attacked Prime Minister Stephen Harper for "blindly" committing Canadian Forces to Afghanistan until 2009. Some 2,300 Canadian troops are helping other NATO forces fight the Taliban in the south.

"Canada has a prime minister who thinks that the United States is not only our ally, but also our model," Dion said in his speech Friday night.

Ignatieff's opponents cited his early support of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, a highly unpopular war among Canadians. He initially argued the war was in the best interests of international security, but has since said President George W. Bush has made mistakes.

Ignatieff also supported Canada's role in Afghanistan.

Harper's Conservatives beat the Liberals in elections in January, unseating them after nearly 13 years in power. The stunning defeat left the party flailing, and delegates are now looking to the person who can rebuild the party and take back the House of Commons in the next elections, expected in 2007.

Ignatieff, 59, had only returned to Canada last year, leaving his position as director of Harvard's Carr Center of Human Rights Policy to win his first seat in Parliament and stake his claim to the leadership position.

He called on all Liberals in the convention hall to unanimously support Dion.

"This is a day in which every Liberal in this room can feel deeply proud of the party we love," he said. "We have chosen a great leader. We have chosen a principled man, a man with vision, a man with courage."