Duceppe to step down, loses his Montreal riding to little-known NDP candidate

MONTREAL - Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe lost his Montreal riding on Monday after a 21-year run.

The 63-year-old Duceppe proved to be just another Bloc pushover as the NDP steamrolled to a crushing victory in Quebec.

Duceppe, who became the Bloc's first MP in 1990, was defeated by Helene Laverdiere in Laurier-Sainte-Marie.

``A month ago it was a dream,'' Laverdiere said. ``(Then), a few weeks ago seeing how people were listening to what we had to say, we started to think, 'Well, maybe the dream will come true.' ''

Laverdiere lived in Ottawa for years as a Canadian diplomat.

``As I like to say, I didn't sign up to race against Gilles Duceppe,'' she said.

``I signed up to let the people of Laurier-Sainte-Marie have a good, wide look at what the NDP would offer and obviously they seem to have liked it.''