Chretien Ousts Possible Successor From Cabinet
A power struggle in Canada’s governing Liberal Party brought the second Cabinet shuffle in a week, with Prime Minister Jean Chretien ousting Finance Minister Paul Martin, the man considered the front-runner to succeed him.
In a letter announcing the move, Chretien praised Martin for outstanding service but said nongovernment issues made it impossible for them to work together.
An overt campaign by Martin’s supporters to position him as Chretien’s successor had angered the prime minister. He has blamed the undeclared battle to succeed him for recent leaks that contributed to allegations of influence peddling and cronyism by members of his Cabinet. Defense Minister Art Eggleton was forced to resign May 26 for giving a government contract to a former girlfriend.
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