Quebec separatists vow independence referendum after winning local elections but falling short of majority

The separatist Parti Québécois (PQ) won Quebec’s provincial election on Monday but fell short of garnering enough seats to govern alone, returning to power with a promise to hold another referendum on independence from Canada. The result returns Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s party to power for the first time in more than a decade but denies it the majority it sought, forcing the separatists to rely on opposition parties even as they try to revive Quebec’s independence debate. The party was on track to win nearly 60 seats as the final votes were counted, falling short of the 64 needed for a majority in Quebec’s 127-member National Assembly, the provincial legislature.