Trudeau resignation: Candidates who can replace him as Liberal Party leader and PM

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as per reports, is expected to announce his resignation as the Liberal Party Leader as early as Monday (Jan 6).

Citing three sources, The Globe and Mail on Sunday (Jan 5) reported that the embattled Canadian leader will announce his plans to leave the party leadership before a key national caucus meeting, set to happen on Wednesday.

Also read | Canada PM Justin Trudeau could resign this week: Reports

Here's all you need to know about Trudeau's potential resignation and who could replace him as the leader.

Will Trudeau resign as PM or stay on for some time?

As per reports, it is not yet clear whether Justin Trudeau would resign as Canada's PM also, or stay on till a successor is selected.

If he resigns, the Liberals will name an interim PM while the party sets up a special leadership convention, which usually takes months to arrange.

If an election takes place before then, the Liberal Party would be in the hands of a prime minister not chosen by the party; something that has never happened in Canada. 

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It is to be noted that, traditionally, whoever takes over as interim prime minister does not run as a candidate to lead the party. 

Who can replace Justin Trudeau?

These are the top candidates that can replace Justin Trudeau if he resigns. 

Dominic LeBlanc

 Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc is among the top candidates to replace Trudeau. As per reports, the Canadian prime minister had a word with LeBlanc on whether the latter would be willing to step in as the interim leader and prime minister. 

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Pierre Poilievre

 Trudeau's main conservative rival Pierre Poilievre has been a vocal critic, calling the Canadian PM "weak" and a "wacko". Poilievre leads Trudeau's Liberals by 20 points, 43 to 23 per cent, which, as per AFP, is enough to form a majority government after the next election.

Chrystia Freeland

 Freeland, the former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, is a potential high-profile replacement for Trudeau. In December, she presented the Canadian PM with his first open dissent from within his cabinet and resigned after a disagreement over how to respond to US president-elect Donald Trump's tariff threats. 

(With inputs from agencies)