<p>Jagmeet Singh, a 38-year-old Sikh criminal lawyer, was today elected the leader of Canada's New Democratic Party, becoming the first non-white politician to head a major party in the country.<br /><br />Singh, the Ontario provincial lawmaker, was elected on the first ballot to lead the party into the 2019 election against Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberals.<br /><br />He won the decisive first-ballot victory over three other candidates by receiving 53.6 percent of the vote.<br /><br />"Thank you, New Democrats. The run for Prime Minister begins now," he tweeted after the election.<br /><br />"That's why today, I'm officially launching my campaign to be the next Prime Minister of Canada," he added.<br /><br />Trudeau congratulated Singh and said he looked forward to speaking with him soon and working together for Canadians.<br /><br />Singh, who has a penchant for colourful turbans, is the first member of a minority community to lead a major federal political party.<br /><br />He now has the difficult task of rebuilding the party that lost 59 seats in the 2015 election.<br /><br />"This race has renewed excitement in our party," Singh said, calling the win an "incredibly profound honour".<br /><br />The New Democratic Party is currently at the third place in Canada's Parliament, with 44 of 338 seats. The party has never held power.<br /><br />In the 2011 general election, the party made historic gains only to lose almost a million votes - mostly to Trudeau's Liberals - four years later.<br /><br />Singh said he would focus on issues of climate change, reconciliation with indigenous peoples, and electoral reform, The Globe and Mail reported.<br /><br />He has received attention for his sharp style.<br /><br />Earlier this year, he told the American magazine how his personal style, which includes brightly coloured turbans and well-cut suits, became part of his political brand.<br /><br />During the leadership campaign, he raised far more money than his competitors did and he said he believes he can continue that success as a leader.<br /><br />Born in Scarborough, Ontario, to immigrant parents from Punjab, Singh grew up in St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Windsor, Ontario.<br /><br />He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Western Ontario in 2001 and a Bachelor of Laws degree from York University's Osgoode Hall Law School in 2005.<br /><br />He worked as a criminal defence lawyer in the Greater Toronto Area before entering politics.<br /><br />Sikhs account for roughly 1.4 percent of Canada's population. The country's defence minister Harjit Singh Sajjan is also from the community.<br /></p>
<p>Jagmeet Singh, a 38-year-old Sikh criminal lawyer, was today elected the leader of Canada's New Democratic Party, becoming the first non-white politician to head a major party in the country.<br /><br />Singh, the Ontario provincial lawmaker, was elected on the first ballot to lead the party into the 2019 election against Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberals.<br /><br />He won the decisive first-ballot victory over three other candidates by receiving 53.6 percent of the vote.<br /><br />"Thank you, New Democrats. The run for Prime Minister begins now," he tweeted after the election.<br /><br />"That's why today, I'm officially launching my campaign to be the next Prime Minister of Canada," he added.<br /><br />Trudeau congratulated Singh and said he looked forward to speaking with him soon and working together for Canadians.<br /><br />Singh, who has a penchant for colourful turbans, is the first member of a minority community to lead a major federal political party.<br /><br />He now has the difficult task of rebuilding the party that lost 59 seats in the 2015 election.<br /><br />"This race has renewed excitement in our party," Singh said, calling the win an "incredibly profound honour".<br /><br />The New Democratic Party is currently at the third place in Canada's Parliament, with 44 of 338 seats. The party has never held power.<br /><br />In the 2011 general election, the party made historic gains only to lose almost a million votes - mostly to Trudeau's Liberals - four years later.<br /><br />Singh said he would focus on issues of climate change, reconciliation with indigenous peoples, and electoral reform, The Globe and Mail reported.<br /><br />He has received attention for his sharp style.<br /><br />Earlier this year, he told the American magazine how his personal style, which includes brightly coloured turbans and well-cut suits, became part of his political brand.<br /><br />During the leadership campaign, he raised far more money than his competitors did and he said he believes he can continue that success as a leader.<br /><br />Born in Scarborough, Ontario, to immigrant parents from Punjab, Singh grew up in St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Windsor, Ontario.<br /><br />He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Western Ontario in 2001 and a Bachelor of Laws degree from York University's Osgoode Hall Law School in 2005.<br /><br />He worked as a criminal defence lawyer in the Greater Toronto Area before entering politics.<br /><br />Sikhs account for roughly 1.4 percent of Canada's population. The country's defence minister Harjit Singh Sajjan is also from the community.<br /></p>