Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to select a candidate for the upcoming by-election in Montreal has not been well received by three ambitious contenders who spent months campaigning.

The Liberals announced the formation of the Montreal city council last week and selected Laura Palstini as the party's candidate in the yet-to-be-announced by-election for the LaSalle—Émard—Verdun riding.

Three ambitious candidates—a local school commissioner, a businessman, and a former organizer for the Quebec Liberal Party—condemned the decision, with one describing it as "100 percent anti-democratic."

The co-chair of the Liberal campaign, Thria Martinez Ferada, stated that Trudeau's decision prevents party members from selecting the candidate and instead picks Palstini to represent the LaSalle area on the Montreal city council.

The Liberals have won all three elections since its inception, with former Minister of Justice David Lametti being re-elected with 42.9 percent of the vote in 2021.

Lametti resigned on January 31 after being excluded from Trudeau's government in last summer's cabinet reshuffle.