OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the following public announcement on Monday:
"Every morning I've woken up as prime minister, I've been inspired by the resilience, the generosity and the determination of Canadians. It is the driving force of every single day I have the privilege of serving in this office. That is why, since 2015, I've fought for this country, for you, to strengthen and grow the middle class, why we rallied to support each other through the pandemic, to advance reconciliation, to defend free trade on this continent, to stand strong with Ukraine and our democracy and to fight climate change and get our economy ready for the future. We are at a critical moment in the world.
"My friends, as you all know, I'm a fighter. Every bone in my body has all told me to fight because I care deeply about Canadians. I care deeply about this country, and I will always be motivated by what is in the best interest of Canadians. And the fact is, despite best efforts to work through it, Parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session of a minority Parliament in Canadian history. That's why this morning, I advised the Governor General that we need a new session of parliament. She has granted this request, and the House will now be prorogued until March 24.
"Over the holidays, I've also had a chance to reflect, and have had long talks with my family about our future. Throughout the course of my career any success I have personally achieved has been because of their support and with their encouragement. So last night over dinner I told my kids about the decision that I'm sharing with you today.
"I intend to resign as party leader, as Prime Minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide competitive process. Last night, I asked the president of the Liberal Party to begin that process. This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election.
"The Liberal Party of Canada is an important institution in the history of our great country and democracy. A new Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party will carry its values and ideals into that next election. I'm excited to see the process unfold in the months ahead. We were elected for the third time in 2021 to strengthen the economy post-pandemic and advanced Canada's interests in a complicated world. That is exactly the job that I - and we - will continue to do for Canadians."
(Reporting by Promit Mukherjee, editing by David Ljunggren)
