Jagmeet Singh (photo) is the first politician from a non-Western minority to be elected leader of a political party in Canada.
The New Democratic Party of Canada has chosen Singh (38), who is Sikh, to lead the party into the upcoming parliamentary elections, reports the BBC.
Singh becomes the first non-Western minority politician to lead a major party with national representation in Canada. Haitian born Viviane Barbot was between May and December 2011 interim leader of the moderate centrist separatist party Bloc Québécois.
He himself described the victory as a fantastic honour. He further mentioned that he wanted to draw attention to climate change, that he wanted reconciliation with the indigenous population, and that he wanted reform of the country’s electoral system.
Colorful style
Earlier, Singh told US magazine how his personal style, with colorful turbans and well-cut suits, has become part of his political brand.
– Over the course of my life, I realized that people looked at me because I stood out. Some people might feel embarrassed… But I said to myself that if people still want to watch me, I might as well give them something to watch, he declared during the interview with the American magazine.
Currently, the New Democratic Party occupies third place in the Canadian Parliament with 44 seats out of 338.
“Passionate pop cultureaholic. Proud bacon trailblazer. Avid analyst. Certified reader.”
