David Johnston quits role investigating election interference in Canada
BBC A Canadian official appointed to investigate claims of election interference has quit, citing criticism from opposition parties.
David Johnston, 81, was appointed in March to investigate allegations of Chinese interference in Canada's federal elections in 2019 and 2021.
But in a letter to PM Justin Trudeau on Friday, Mr Johnston said he would leave his role by the end of this month.
He has been accused of bias because of his personal ties to Mr Trudeau.
Mr Johnston said his objective as an independent special rapporteur had been to "help build trust in our democratic institutions".
However the "highly partisan atmosphere" around his appointment "had the opposite effect", he said.
Last month, Mr Johnston, a former governor general, said the government had not ignored evidence of Chinese meddling and recommended against an official public inquest. He instead recommended a series of hearings into the claims.
