Liberals drop Rod Loyola as Edmonton candidate with less than a month to go before polls open

The Liberal Party has made the decision to remove Rod Loyola as a candidate in the Edmonton-area for the upcoming federal election. This move comes after a video from 2009 surfaced showing Loyola seemingly praising Hezbollah and Hamas, both of which are designated as terrorist organizations in Canada. Loyola acknowledged his comments in the video and condemned the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

In a statement to CBC News, Loyola expressed his disappointment at being dropped as a candidate but affirmed his commitment to condemning terrorism and advocating for the rights of Palestinians. He plans to run as an independent candidate in the riding of Edmonton-Southeast.

The video that led to Loyola’s dismissal was filmed during a “Say no to NATO” rally in Edmonton, where Loyola performed as a rapper under the name Rosouljah with a group called the People’s Poets. In the video, Loyola spoke about the importance of music, poetry, and building a counter culture to combat hate and war. He also made statements in support of Hezbollah and Hamas, which he later clarified as movements for national liberation.

Loyola’s time as a Liberal candidate was short-lived, as he had only announced his campaign in the newly formed Edmonton Gateway riding nine days prior. He had previously served as an Alberta NDP MLA for several years before resigning his seat in the Alberta legislature to run for the Liberals.

The Liberal Party has not yet announced plans to find a replacement for Loyola in the Edmonton Gateway riding. Loyola is the latest in a series of candidates to be removed from the Liberal Party roster, with previous dismissals over issues such as undisclosed criminal charges and controversial statements.

As the federal election approaches, both the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party have faced challenges with candidate vetting. While political parties have until April 7 to find replacements for disqualified candidates, the incidents highlight the importance of thorough vetting processes to ensure candidates uphold the values and principles of their respective parties.