A rift in Quebec's sovereignty movement appears to be deepening by the day.

On Sunday, Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe called for "unity" in the wake of a public attack on him by Parti Québécois head André Boisclair.

"We need unity, unity in the Bloc Québécois and unity in the sovereigntist movement." Duceppe said while passing through Plaisance. But the Montreal Gazette reports that the two leaders had not yet spoken to each other at the time Duceppe gave the speech, which followed a weekend interview with Radio-Canada in which Boisclair implied the Bloc Québécois leader was after PQ leadership.

“It is said Mr. Duceppe goes to bed at night dressed up as the PQ leader. What are the consequences for the sovereignty movement?” Boisclair said in the interview.

Duceppe responded by calling himself "dismayed," but refused to rule out eventually taking control of the PQ.

Boisclair's statement followed a week in which his leadership was publicly criticized, a former cabinet minister called for his resignation in an open letter in Le Devoir and PQ member Louise Harel, who represents the Montreal riding of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, was rumoured to be planning a takeover of the party by Duceppe, the National Post reports. Harel denied these rumours on Friday.

La Presse points out that Boisclair's explosive interview must have come as no surprise to Duceppe - quoting an unnamed source, the paper reports that a Boisclair confidant called Ottawa Thursday to convey the PQ leader's discontent with rumours about Duceppe's possible bid for his job.

The majority of the PQ's Quebec City riding association presidents voted over the weekend for a convention calling for a leadership review in spring 2008 at the latest. The party's 125 riding association presidents will meet on May 26.

With files from Canadian Press

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