Christy Clark remains B.C. premier until all votes counted

Absentee ballots still to come. final count to take place between May 22 and 24

A day after a historic election that ended with B.C.'s first minority government since 1953, Christy Clark confirmed she would remain premier until at least the final count of ballots by Elections BC. In a news conference. Clark con-firmed that British Columbia Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon asked her to stay on as premier.

Clark also appealed to be doing her best to woo the Green Party supporters and its three members of the legislature. Including leader Andrew Weave' "We have a lot in com-mon... she said. "I've walked with Dr. Weaver in the past and he's a smart and thoughtful guy."

Clark also deflected questions about her role in the Liberal Party's loss of seats "Whether its a majority or minority government that I lead, we are going to work hard with other parties ... and accept the message from the voters who clearly want us to do things differently." With all non- absentee ballots counted, Liberals were elected in 43 of: B.C.'s 87 electoral districts, one short of the 44 seats needed to form a majority.

There were approximately 51,000 absentee ballots in the 2013 election, and Elections BC will make its final count of yhis year's ballots between May 22 and 24. The NDP leads in one riding, Courtenay-Comox, by just nine votes -over the Liberals. Should the Liberals win that seat, the party would have a majority — but if the seat stays with the NDP, the New Democrats and Green Party could hypothetically form a coalition or governing arrangement that would make NDP Leader John Horgan the premier.