PQ leadership candidate Pierre Cere has withdrawn from the race, citing his inability to pay a fee required to get his name on the ballot.

He announced that he will urge his supporters to rally behind Alexandre Cloutier and Martine Ouellet.

The other candidate, Pierre Karl Peladeau is considered the frontrunner in the race.

Cere, who is seen as the most left-leaning of the remaining candidates, had trouble raising the $20,000 required to be on the ballot for the vote later this week.

He told reporters that he had fought an initial suggestion that the fee be set at $30,000. However even the lower requirement proved unreachable for his small campaign, which managed to pay the first $10,000 payment thanks to about 250 small donations.

Cere had just one percent support of PQ members, according to a Leger poll from April 9. Peladeau had 59 percent, Clouter 13, Drainville (who has since withdrawn and thrown his support behind Peladeau) nine percent and Ouellet had four percent.

Online and telephone voting will take place between May 13 and 15. The winner needs 50 percent or more in the vote or the vote then goes to a second ballot from May 20 to May 22. If not, a winner will be announced May 15 at 9 p.m at Quebec City's Centre des congres.