Canadian PM Dissolves Parliament, Calls Snap Election On Oct. 14

Ottawa, Ontario (AHN) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has dissolved Parliament Sunday and called an early election for 14 October.

Harper took the step, which he announced in a statement in Ottawa, to bolster his minority Conservative government on power.

On Sunday, Harper asked Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean to dissolve Canada's 39th Parliament to hold nationwide election, which will be Canada's third national ballot in four years.

The government has faced deadlock in the parliament as the lawmakers from the ruling bloc were looking for support from the main opposition parties on key issues including passing of legislation and adopting budgets.

Prime Minister Harper is positive of winning the elections as the recent polls indicate the Conservatives are ahead of the opposition Liberals and the Bloc Quebecois.

He will begin the campaign with up to 38 percent of popular support, which is the same as the results showed by the surveys over the last two and a half years.

During the Jan. 23, 2006, election, the ruling bloc gained 36 percent of the vote, followed by the Liberals trailing at 30 percent, and the NDP 17.5 percent.

The prime minister, who is 27 seats short of a majority in Parliament, is planning to contest on tough environmental rules and higher spending, which is largely supported by the Liberals.

In the Commons, the Conservatives hold 127 of the 308 seats, the Liberals occupy 95 seats, the Bloc have 48, and the NDP 30.

Harper recently rejected Stephane Dion's, the head of Liberals, proposal to fund C$15.4 billion ($14.5 billion) a year drawn from fuel rates and channeling the money in the new spending and tax cuts.

Canada is the world's eighth-biggest economy that is struggles with the slowest GDP growth in more than 16 years.