Parti Quebecois Leader Pauline Marois has won support for the idea of dropping a requirement to hold a referendum on sovereignty within six months if her party forms a government.
The PQ held its national council meeting Saturday in Saint-Hyacinthe, and her decision was supported by delegates.
It was the first PQ meeting since Marois became leader in June.
There were 17 different proposals before the council on how to promote sovereignty. Marois won delegates over to her side, after she dropped her notion of using a "national conversation" to replace the referendum.
Marois had hoped to abandon the party's usual strategy to build the case for sovereignty. If the party won power in the next provincial election, it would slowly build the case for an independent country.
Marois dropped the idea of "conversation nationale," and instead amended it to the tougher terminology of a "national debate" on sovereignty.
Delegate Marc Laviolette, arguing Marois' strategy was too vague, had proposed an amendment calling for a referendum if 10 per cent of voters signed a register demanding one. It was ruled out of order but Marois insisted they debate it anyway.
Marois replied that her idea suspends the obligation to hold a referendum, but said she has not ruled out holding one when the time is right.
The workshop exploded in applause, and the vote in her favoru was nearly unanimous. Laviolette voted in favour, in the end.
Jean Charest's Liberal minority government is expected to survive a vote on its budget in early April, after the ADQ promised to support it, wiping out the threat of a snap election.
The Liberals have 48 of 125 seats in the legislature. The ADQ has 41 and the Parti Qu�b�cois has 34. Two seats are vacant.
With a report by CTV Montreal's John Grant
