Page "Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale" Paragraph 4

In October 1967, the charismatic Quebec Liberal Party Member of the National Assembly and former cabinet minister René Lévesque left the Liberal Party when its members voted to not debate his idea of two independent but associated states ( Quebec and Canada ).

Shortly after, the Mouvement Souveraineté-Association was founded with Lévesque as leader.

The RIN ( as did the RN ) quickly engaged in talks over a possible merger with the MSA.

Bourgault and D ' Allemagne strongly believed that the forces for Quebec independence had to unite to challenge the " old parties " ( Liberals and Union Nationale ).

Andrée Ferretti notoriously opposed the idea of abandoning civil actions to jump into the provincial political arena.

There were disagreements between the two organizations, caused in part by the clash between Bourgault and Lévesque.

Lévesque had come to distrust the RIN because of its perceived rowdy behaviour.

A conflict began between the two men that would last until Lévesque's death.

Additional opposition to the idea of a merger came from within the RIN itself ; some militants were heart-broken at the prospect of the " end " of their party.

Ultimately, however, the desire for a strong independentist force carried the day.

The MSA came to an agreement with the RN but not the RIN.

By 1968, its left wing split to form the Le front de libération populaire ( FLP ), and most of what remained entered the Parti Québécois in 1969.