ADQ merger with CAQ imminent: reports

Quebec's newest political party appears ready to take another step toward becoming a major force in the province.

The Canadian Press has learned that the Coalition Avenir Qubec (CAQ) could merge with the Action dmocratique du Qubec (ADQ)as soon as this week.

Montreal French-language daily, La Presse, is also reporting the merger is imminent.

The fusion is expected to be a boost for the new right-of-centre party that has promised to shelve the debate on sovereignty for a decade.

The ADQentered into formal talkswith CAQ's leader, Franois Legault, as soon as his party was officially launched in November. Legault has caused a stir in Quebec and was leading in opinion polls before his party even existed.

The ADQnearly won an electionin 2007, but its fortunes have been falling steadily.Its fate was sealed when it was barely able to capture two per cent of the popular vote in abyelection in Bonaventurethis month.

It appears as though the ADQ will be swallowed up by Legault's party, and that Legault refused to compromise with ADQ leader Grard Deltell on the content of the party's platform.

The CAQ wants to have his new parliamentary caucus ready by Feb. 14, the start of the next session at the national assembly, and it would reportedly include:

• Grard Deltell, ADQ
• Franois Bonnardel, ADQ
• Sylvie Roy, ADQ
• Janvier Grondin, ADQ
• ric Caire, former ADQ member who now sits as an Independent
• Marc Picard, former ADQ member who now sits as an Independent
• Benot Charrette, former Parti Qubcois MNA who now sits as an Independent
• Daniel Ratth, former Parti Qubcois MNA who now sits as an Independent

Deltell will remain the leader of the caucus until Legault is able to run for a seat in the national assembly.