▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁lawyer ▁Jean - M arc ▁Bel iveau , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁appointed ▁inter im ▁leader ▁by ▁the ▁party ▁executive ▁following ▁Las alle ' s ▁res ignation , ▁was ▁elected ▁Union ▁N ationale ▁leader ▁by ▁acc lam ation ▁at ▁what ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁party ' s ▁final ▁leadership ▁convention . ▁The ▁party ▁was ▁$ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁deb t , ▁but ▁appeared ▁po ised ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁National ▁Assembly ▁when ▁one ▁public ▁opinion ▁poll ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁showed ▁it ▁with ▁ 1 8 % ▁public ▁support , ▁its ▁best ▁showing ▁since ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁federal ▁election ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁Progress ive ▁Conserv atives ▁won ▁Quebec ▁and ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁a ▁lands lide . ▁However , ▁Bé live au ▁cont ested ▁a ▁June ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁by - e lection ▁in ▁Tro is - R ivi ères ▁and ▁was ▁defeated , ▁finishing ▁third ▁with ▁ 1 6 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁He ▁tried ▁to ▁merge ▁the ▁UN ▁with ▁the ▁fled g ling ▁Progress ive ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁of ▁Quebec , ▁but ▁negoti ations ▁came ▁to ▁nothing . ▁In ▁September , ▁after ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁veter an ▁party ▁members ▁demanded ▁his ▁immediate ▁res ignation , ▁Bel iveau ▁stepped ▁down ▁as ▁leader . ▁ ▁The ▁party ▁appointed ▁André ▁Lé ve illé , ▁a ▁minister ▁in ▁the ▁Johnson ▁government , ▁as ▁inter