Duceppe drops bid to lead Quebec separatist party

MONTREAL, May 13 (Reuters) Veteran politician Gilles Duceppe said he was abandoning the race for the leadership of the Parti Quebecois, just one day after vowing to leave Canadian federal politics in a bid to lead Quebec's top separatist party.

Duceppe, 59, leader of the separatist Bloc Quebecois, which has seats in Canada's federal Parliament, said he would throw his support behind Pauline Marois, 58, currently the only other candidate for the PQ leadership.

In a statement issued yesterday evening, Duceppe said he made the decision after assessing Marois' popularity within the Parti Quebecois and in Quebec generally.

A CROP poll of 932 Quebec voters published yesterday in the Montreal newspaper La Presse put popular support for Marois at 45 percent, compared with 21 percent for Duceppe.

''The message, 'Pauline in Quebec and Gilles in Ottawa,' also carried sway. For these reasons, I am withdrawing from the race and offering my unconditional support to Pauline Marois,'' Duceppe said in his statement.

Duceppe had announced a day earlier, also by press release, his intention to seek the PQ leadership.

Andre Boisclair quit as PQ chief on Tuesday, just days after accusing Duceppe of wanting his job.

Boisclair, 41, was the fourth PQ leader to step down in less than 12 years amid growing impatience from hard-liners inside the party who want Quebec to break away from Canada.

The mainly French-speaking province of 7.5 million voted against separation by about 1 percentage point in 1995 and by 20 points in 1980.

Under Boisclair's leadership, the PQ finished third in the March 26 provincial election in Quebec, the party's worst showing in 30 years.

The loss provoked much soul-searching in the party as some strategists suggested it should redirect its political platform away from pushing for Quebec independence at all costs and focus instead on economic and social issues.

Boisclair won the leadership two years ago by defeating Marois, who over a 30-year political career held top Cabinet posts in past PQ governments, including that of finance minister.

The PQ has not yet set a date for selecting a new leader.

REUTERS RJ RK0900