New Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe told a press conference Thursday morning that his return has not been viewed in the same way as past political comebacks made by Robert Bourassa, Jean Charest, Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Ed Broadbent and others.
Those politicians were lauded for their perseverance and dedication, Duceppe noted.
Duceppe, who led the party from 1997 to 2011, said that his return should be seen in the same light. "I submit that it can also be for me," said Mr. Duceppe during a meeting with journalists in parliament Ottawa.
Duceppe, who jokingly called himself the Bloc rookie recruit, took aim at the New Democratic Party during his press conference, arguing that NDP leader Thomas Mulcair has failed adequately defend Quebec's interests in Ottawa despite its large presence in Quebec.
Not all onlookers expressed optimism about Duceppe's prospects.
Political analyst Jean Lapierre told CTV Montreal Thursday that the attempt to salvage the Bloc Quebecois might prove more than futile. "I don't know why they're fighting so hard to keep the Bloc alive," Lapierre said. "(PQ leader) Pierre Karl Peladeau is taking a risk. He has promised Duceppe that he will support the Bloc in an election campaign. He is risking his own prestige."
-With a file from The Canadian Press
