MONTREAL, Sept 17 — In a wild and closely watched election in Canada, 91 candidates vied yesterday for one parliamentary seat, in a political test for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Anyone can seek a legislative seat in Canada just by filling out a form, and the physical ballot in this vote for a district of Montreal is nearly a meter (three feet) long.

Many of the 91 candidates do not even want the seat; rather, they are running in a chorus of protest at the request of an activist group seeking election reforms.

"We continue to have fun and to urge Canadians to exercise their right to run for office,” the committee said in a statement sent to AFP. It organized a similar long-ballot protest in June in Toronto.

This so-called Longest Ballot Committee packed the list of candidates—it is the longest in Canada’s history—this time because it knows the election will be a closely watched test for the beleaguered Trudeau.

The prime minister, who came to power in 2015, is trailing far behind Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Elections must be called by October of next year.

Trudeau is unpopular because of his handling of major issues such as the economy, immigration and housing. And after nine years, Canadians seem eager for a new face.

The activist group behind the long ballot in Monday’s vote wants to replace Canada’s winner-take-all election system with a proportional one.

When he came to power in 2015 Trudeau promised to change the voting system but he has never followed through.

The election is being scrutinized around Canada because a loss in this stronghold by Trudeau’s Liberal Party might trigger questions about his leadership, said Frederick Bastien, a professor of political science at the University of Montreal.

"Justin Trudeau is in a position of weakness,” said Bastien. — AFP