Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper planned to dissolve Parliament on Sunday, kicking off an election campaign he hopes will strengthen his minority government, reported ap. Harper's Conservatives unseated the Liberal Party in 2006 after nearly 13 years in power, but as a minority government the Conservatives have had a tenuous hold on power, and have forced to rely on opposition lawmakers to pass legislation and adopt budgets. The party must win an additional 28 seats to gain a majority in Parliament, and although Harper has played down that possibility, polls in recent days show the right-of-center party has a good shot at doing so in the country's third national ballot in four years. Analysts believe the Conservatives have a better shot of winning on the expected election day of Oct. 14, rather than waiting until being forced into an election by the opposition with a confidence vote when the Canadian economy might be worse off. «It's about who the best leader is to lead the country through uncertain economic times,» Harper spokesman Kory Teneycke said. Observers said Harper also might want a ballot ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November, which could put a Democrat in the White House and encourage Canadians to choose a more liberal government. Harper has said he is running on economic issues and an energy tax proposed by the Liberal opposition, but Robert Bothwell, director of the international relations program at the University of Toronto argued the move was political. «Harper is going for a majority government. That's really the only issue,» he said. Harper has said he expects an election to produce another minority government, but Bothwell argued that Harper is saying that because he does not want to stir up Canadians who worry a majority Conservative government would move further right. Harper officials dispute Bothwell's argument, saying that the Liberals were unlikely to inspire Canadian voters. Many expect Liberal leader Stephane Dion to be removed if he loses the election. «I've not met Barack Obama but I have met Stephane Dion and I think on all accounts he's no Barack Obama,» Teneycke said. Dion was a part of Canada's Liberal government that opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and turned down Washington's request to join. Harper supported the Iraq war when he was in the opposition. The Conservatives now fill 127 of the 308 seats in Parliament. The Liberals have 95, Bloc Quebecois 48, the New Democrats 30 and the Greens have one seat. Three seats are held by independents, and four are vacant. Harper is to visit Governor General Michaelle Jean on Sunday morning and ask her to dissolve Parliament. The governor general is the representative of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, who is Canada's head of state, but the position is purely ceremonial and obeys the wishes of the prime minister. The early election call violates the spirit of electoral legislation that Harper helped enact after he came to power in 2006. The law fixed the date for the next election in October 2009, but a loophole allows the prime minister to ask the governor general to dissolve Parliament. An Environics Research survey said 38 percent of Canadians would vote for the Conservatives and 28 percent for the Liberals. Some 19 percent backed the New Democrats, 8 percent the Bloc Quebecois and 7 percent the Green party. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Saturday if the Conservatives win next election he will lower personal taxes to make them more competitive with the U.S. in the next few years. Since becoming prime minister, Harper has extended Canada's military mission in Afghanistan. Canada has lost 96 soldiers and as the death toll approaches 100 the mission could become an issue on the campaign. Harper also pulled Canada out of the Kyoto Protocol, which commits industrialized nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
