A new poll suggests that veteran politician Gilles Duceppe would be the candidate best able to revive the fortunes of the Parti Quebecois.
The CROP poll published in La Presse Tuesday suggested that the 66-year-old former longtime Bloc Quebecois leader would attract 27 percent support to the Parti Quebecois.
The party would attract 22 percent with Veronique Hivon at the helm and the same total for Pierre Karl Peladeau.
Hivon was only known by 34 percent of those polled, while 87 percent said that they knew who Peladeau is.
Other potential candidates such as Jean -François Lisée, Stéphane Bédard, Sylvain Gaudreault and Bernard Drainville would do little to increase the fortunes of their party according to the poll, which surveyed 1,000 Internet users between 17 and 21 April.
Duceppe had appeared interested in replacing Bernard Landry as PQ leader in 2005 but instead remained at the helm of the Bloc Quebecois until 2011 when the party lost 43 of the 49 seats it held in Ottawa.
It's unclear whether Duceppe would consider leading the Parti Quebecois now but sources tell CTV Montreal that he believes himself too old for the task.
The poll also indicated that 47 percent are "very or somewhat satisfied" that the Liberals were elected on April 7, five percent more than they received at the ballot box.
Fifty-one percent of respondents said that they think that Quebec is “going in the right direction” which is 12 percent higher than when the same question was asked prior to the election in March.
Support for sovereignty remains relatively low, as 29 percent said that they would vote Yes on a referendum, while 61 percent said they would vote No, while 10 percent said that they were undecided.
