With no clear successor to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his abrupt decision to step down as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party took everyone by surprise, throwing out several questions, including who will take over and how they will handle an impending federal election.
Trudeau has been governing Canada since 2015, when he brought the Liberals to power from the political wilderness.
Bowing to mounting pressure, Trudeau announces resignation, ending a long political chapter in the country, BBC reported.
The prime minister said he will remain at the helm until a new Liberal leader is selected.
Addressing the Canadian nation, the prime minister said the country's governor general had accepted his request to the Prórógen parliament, essentially a suspension that will stop all proceedings, including debates and votes, without dissolving parliament.
The latest prorogation will freeze Parliament until March 24, just four days before a scheduled March 28 vote on supplies to allow the federal government to operate.
Typically, Canada's Federal Party leaders are elected over a four- or five-month period, a process that includes a formal leadership convention.
On Monday, Trudeau said a new leader would be chosen through a “robust, nationwide, competitive process.”
“I'm excited to see the process unfold in the coming months,” he added.
However, former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Transport Minister Anita Anand and formal central banker Mark Carney could emerge as a possible successor to Trudeau.
On the other hand, polls indicate that if the elections were held today, the official conservative opposition party would receive a decisive victory.
