In a major decision in the Canadian political space, the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has announced his resignation

Trudeau’s resignation follows polls that show his party is likely to suffer a heavy defeat to the official opposition, the Conservatives, in an election that must be held by late October.

Trudeau says he is stepping down to allow his party to choose a new leader as he suspends parliament until March due to political deadlock.

The 53-year-old said he will step down as leader of the country’s ruling Liberal Party, which he has led since 2013.

Trudeau, who has been prime minister since 2015, faced calls to quit from a chorus of his MPs amid poor showings in opinion polls.

Earlier in December, his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, resigned over clashes on policy.

The disagreements included how to handle possible US tariffs imposed by Donald Trump’s incoming administration.

His resignation means that Liberals must now name an interim leader to take over as prime minister ahead of a special leadership convention.