*Samer Majzoub

Following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation, the Federal Liberal Party finds itself at a crossroads, facing the need for crucial decisions within a tight timeframe. Trudeau, who led the party for several years, has paved the way for an internal election to select a new leader. This new leader will oversee the party and also act as prime minister until the general election later this year. However, the challenges are not limited to leadership change; the party is grappling with a significant decline in popularity, with recent polls showing difficulty in maintaining widespread support across Canada.

So far, several prominent Liberal figures have announced their candidacies for the leadership position. The Liberal Party has set March 9, 2025, as the date for the internal election. Candidates must declare their intention to run by January 23, 2025.

While some figures, such as Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Foreign Minister, and Dominique Leblanc, former Finance Minister, have withdrawn from the race, other potential candidates are still being considered. Many of these individuals have a history of engaging directly with community issues, which could make their roles during this period particularly significant.

The new leader will be chosen through a direct voting process by Liberal Party members. Though the election is open to all members, there are specific eligibility criteria for voting. Members must be registered with the party by January 27, 2025, be at least 14 years old, and be Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or hold legal status under the Indigenous Peoples Act.

It’s important to note that, lately, the relationship between the community and the Liberal Party under Trudeau’s leadership has been fraught with tension, especially regarding the stance on sensitive issues such as the war in Gaza. Many community groups have criticized the Liberal government’s handling of the issue, leading to a loss of trust among community members in the party’s policies.

Despite these challenges, the political landscape in Canada requires that community concerns be integral to political party agendas. If the concerns of the community are not represented in party policies, this could have negative consequences, affecting the community’s well-being and its integration into Canadian society. Clearly, disengagement or distancing from decision-making could harm the community’s social and political standing, potentially exacerbating marginalization on key issues like civil rights, social justice, and economic opportunities.

The key questions now are: Should the community step back from the electoral process due to disillusionment with the Liberal Party’s past actions, or should it remain actively involved in the political process, ensuring its influence on policies that affect its identity and interests?

In fact, staying engaged is likely the best course of action at this point. Disengaging could have serious ramifications for the community’s future. The community must remain an active participant in the national political discourse, striving for positive change from within the political system rather than from the outside. This can be accomplished by supporting candidates who are attuned to the community’s concerns and who will ensure that its issues are prioritized in the political agenda.

The overarching question remains: Will the community actively engage in the selection of the new Liberal Party leader, or will it stay on the sidelines, deepening the sense of marginalization and weakening its ability to influence Canadian politics?