Section 23 of British Columbia's Constitution Act provides that general elections occur on the second Tuesday of the fourth calendar year after the last election.[1] As an election was held on May 14, 2013, the next election will be scheduled for May 9, 2017. The same section, though, makes the fixed election date subject to the Lieutenant Governor's right to dissolve the Legislative Assembly as he or she sees fit (in practice, on the advice of the Premier).[1]
In the 2013 general election, the BC Liberal Party under the leadership of PremierChristy Clark were re-elected with a majority government. The New Democratic Party, under the leadership of Adrian Dix, again formed the Official Opposition with a slightly reduced total of 34 seats. Despite the victory, Clark was defeated by NDP candidate David Eby in her riding, and was re-elected in a by-election in Westside-Kelowna.[2] The Green Party, under the leadership of Jane Sterk, won its first seat in the legislature, though Sterk herself was not elected. Dix resigned as NDP leader following the election, and was succeeded byJohn Horgan.[3] On August 13, 2013 Sterk announced she would resign as Green Party leader,[4] Adam Olsen was appointed interim leader on August 25, 2013.[5] The Conservative Party, under the leadership of John Cummins, failed to win a seat and Cummins resigned after the Westside-Kelowna by-election.
