OTTAWA -- The Bloc Quebecois will choose its new leader sometime in 2017, but former boss Mario Beaulieu won't be among the candidates.
Beaulieu confirmed Friday he won't seek the sovereigntist party's top job a second time after saying earlier in the week he was thinking about it.
"I decided not to participate in the leadership race (in order) to devote myself entirely to the campaign of promoting independence," said Beaulieu, MP for the Montreal riding of La Pointe-de-l'Ile, adding the choice is in the best interests of the sovereignty movement.
Beaulieu was leader for one tumultuous year -- between June 2014 and June 2015 -- before handing the reins to Gilles Duceppe and remaining party president.
His tenure was marked by party infighting and defections that saw the Bloc reduced to two seats in the Commons heading into last year's election, in which it won 10 seats.
The party is leaning toward a 2017 leadership convention but has not finalized a date to replace Duceppe, who quit after losing his own riding.
Rheal Fortin is serving as interim leader.
No one has officially declared, but three people have expressed interest in the job: current MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval and Denis Trudel and Catherine Fournier, who were both defeated in the election.
The Bloc will hold a general council meeting on Saturday in Trois-Rivieres, Que.
