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COUNCILLOR CHITILIAN JOINS CODERRE'S TEAM
The Gazette (Montreal)
August 3, 2013 Saturday
Early Edition
by LINDA GYULAI, The Gazette
Councillor Harout Chitilian, who lost to Laurent Blanchard by two
votes to become Montreal's new interim mayor in June, has joined
mayoral candidate Denis Coderre's team.
The councillor from Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough becomes the second
former member of the onceruling Union Montreal party to join Equipe
Denis Coderre this week.
Lionel Perez, interim borough mayor of
Côte-des-Neiges-Note-Dâme-de-Grace, announced his move on Tuesday.
Chitilian, who is council speaker, was first elected to office in
2009 with former mayor Gerald Tremblay's Union Montreal. He has been
an independent since December.
"After the Nov. 3 election, I think we're going to be in rebuilding
mode not just in terms of infrastructure, but to rebuild the trust
with the people," Chitilian said Friday. "We have to get out there and
meet people and ... listen to them and listen to their frustrations."
Chitilian, who was born in Lebanon and is of Lebanese and Armenian
origin, said he considers Coderre accessible to constituents and a
good listener.
Mayoral rival Marcel Côte, of Coalition Montreal, and running mate
Vision Montreal Leader Louise Harel have talked of the need to unite
the east and west ends of the city. However, Chitilian said he doesn't
understand the message.
"I've never seen the divide myself," he said. "We're all Montrealers -
equal, of different backgrounds."
Côte and Coderre will join fellow mayoral contenders Richard Bergeron
of Projet Montreal and Melanie Joly, who is forming a party called
Vrai changement pour Montreal, in a first candidates' debate at
Universite du Quebec a Montreal on Aug. 16.
The topics will be youth and citizen participation.
The Gazette (Montreal)
August 3, 2013 Saturday
Early Edition
by LINDA GYULAI, The Gazette
Councillor Harout Chitilian, who lost to Laurent Blanchard by two
votes to become Montreal's new interim mayor in June, has joined
mayoral candidate Denis Coderre's team.
The councillor from Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough becomes the second
former member of the onceruling Union Montreal party to join Equipe
Denis Coderre this week.
Lionel Perez, interim borough mayor of
Côte-des-Neiges-Note-Dâme-de-Grace, announced his move on Tuesday.
Chitilian, who is council speaker, was first elected to office in
2009 with former mayor Gerald Tremblay's Union Montreal. He has been
an independent since December.
"After the Nov. 3 election, I think we're going to be in rebuilding
mode not just in terms of infrastructure, but to rebuild the trust
with the people," Chitilian said Friday. "We have to get out there and
meet people and ... listen to them and listen to their frustrations."
Chitilian, who was born in Lebanon and is of Lebanese and Armenian
origin, said he considers Coderre accessible to constituents and a
good listener.
Mayoral rival Marcel Côte, of Coalition Montreal, and running mate
Vision Montreal Leader Louise Harel have talked of the need to unite
the east and west ends of the city. However, Chitilian said he doesn't
understand the message.
"I've never seen the divide myself," he said. "We're all Montrealers -
equal, of different backgrounds."
Côte and Coderre will join fellow mayoral contenders Richard Bergeron
of Projet Montreal and Melanie Joly, who is forming a party called
Vrai changement pour Montreal, in a first candidates' debate at
Universite du Quebec a Montreal on Aug. 16.
The topics will be youth and citizen participation.