Jean Charest to launch Conservative leadership bid Thursday, Radio-Canada sources say

Jean Charest, the former premier of Quebec,is running to succeed Erin O'Toole as leaderof the Conservative Party of Canada andwill make his official announcement on Thursday, two sources have toldRadio-Canada.

On Monday, Charest won the endorsement of columnist Tasha Kheiriddin, who now says she will not be running against the former federal Progressive Conservative leader in the upcoming contest.

Kheiriddin told CBC News Network's Power & Politics Monday evening that she decided she shouldn't be fighting with Charest becausethey share avisionfor the country.

"My goals are really to rebuild a big-tent party, to see it become a party that's the alternative to government, that can win the next election, that can win in the places we're not winning, like the 905, like Quebec and still also of course keep our base in mostly the West," she said.

KheiriddinsaidCharest is a very likable personable to win over party members across the country and that he's coming into the race with the "noblest of intentions."

"He doesn't need to do this at this point in his career. He's doing this because he cares about Canada. I really respect that," Kheiriddin told host Vassy Kapelos. "So I feel really happy to be joining his team and supporting him."

While it had not been confirmed Monday evening that Charest was going to run,Kheiriddin told CBC that she spoke to the former Quebec premier late Sunday night about her decision and "he was very happy about this."

She said that when Charest met with members of the Conservative caucus in Ottawa last week, he was received favourably and has managed to secure a lot of support within the party.

Asked if she would be playing a formal role in Charest's campaign, Kheiriddin would not comment, adding she did not want to "scoop anything" the campaign might announce.

Pierre Poilievrefirst out of the gate

Charest is not yet an official candidate in the race to become leader of the Conservatives.Kheiriddinsaid she "doesn't think that his candidacy is a big secret."

But the official launch ofCharest's candidacy seems imminent.

After meeting with MPs and senators in Ottawa last week,Charest has strategic meetings scheduled for this week.

Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative MP for Carleton, was the firstcandidate toformally announce a run. Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis announce Tuesday that she's taking her second run at the leadership.

Prospective candidates have until June 3 to enter the race. The party will declare its new leader on September 10.

An official Charestwebsite appeared on Feb.2. The owner of the site, still under construction, remains anonymous.