Canada PM Calls Snap Election Amid Trade War, Trump's Annexation Threats

Canada's new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, who took over after Justin Trudeau's ouster, has called for snap election in the country on April 28. The ruling Liberal Party of Canada will be up against the main opposition party - the Conservative Party of Canada.

Prime Minister Carney said he has called for a snap election in order to ensure that his country gets a government with a stronger mandate than the Liberal Party currently has. This is important keeping in mind the trade war with neighbouring United States and President Trump's repeated threat to annexe Canada to make it the 51st state of the US - which Canadians outrightly reject.

"I've just requested that the Governor General to dissolve parliament and call an election for April 28. She has agreed," Prime Minister Carney said, referring to King Charles III's representative in Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.

During the sudden announcement, the prime minister said that "Donald Trump wants to break us (Canada)", but vowed that he will never let that happen. Claiming that Canada faces a serious threat, he said that to take bold decisions, his country must aim to provide a stronger mandate.

It has been just over one week that Mr Carney's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, stepped down due to mounting pressure from within his party as well as Canada's opposition, led by Pierre Poilievre. Mr Carney and an entirely new cabinet were sworn in on March 14.