Canadian Parliament suspended
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OTTAWA - Canada's opposition parties vowed to oust PM Stephen Harper's government next month after Harper shut down Parliament to avoid almost certain defeat in an imminent confidence vote, but infighting among the one of the parties cast doubt on whether the coalition will hold.
Harper asked the unelected representative of the head of state on Thursday for the power to close down Parliament until Jan. 26, hoping to buy time to develop a stimulus package that could prop up the economy.
Three opposition parties have united against Harper, charging he has no plan to steer Canada through the global financial crisis. The credit crisis and a global sell-off of commodities have slowed Canada's resource-rich economy, and the finance minister said last week he expects a recession.
Liberal leader Stephane Dion said the opposition would continue to seek to topple Harper unless he makes a "monumental change" in dealing with the economy and other parties. "For the first time in the history of Canada the prime minister is running away from the Parliament of Canada," said Dion.