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With the unofficial 'week of mourning' for Jack Layton now behind us, political pundits are musing about who will succeed him as federal NDP leader.
While no one has yet publicly announced their intentions, several names have surfaced in the early scramble for Layton's job.
To date, the front-runners appear to be party president Brian Topp, Quebec MP Thomas Mulcair and Layton's widow Olivia Chow.
Other individuals reported to be considering their options include British Columbia MPs Libby Davies and Peter Julian, Ontario MPs Paul Dewar and Peggy Nash, Winnipeg MP Pat Martin, and even former Toronto mayor David Miller.
Also making the leadership news is Karl Belanger, Layton's director of communications.
In Layton's letter, penned in his final days, he urged the party to choose a permanent leader as early as possible in 2012.
As one veteran NDP MP told The Globe and Mail that means the contest to succeed Layton unofficially starts this week.
Here's a look at some of the possible contenders:
Brian Topp
Strengths: Topp was a trusted adviser and friend to Jack Layton and is one of the architects behind the last election campaign that catapulted the NDP to Official Opposition status.
"(The NDP president) is a formidable candidate with deep roots in the party, excellent French and the ability to argue that he is poised to carry on with Layton's vision," notes PostMedia news.
Weaknesses: Topp's lack of experience as a politician is seen as a negative. Topp is also living with prostate cancer, the same disease that afflicted Layton before he died from a second, apparently unrelated cancer.
Thomas Mulcair
Strengths: As the NDP's Quebec lieutenant, Mulcair gave the party a voice in that province after winning a Montreal byelection in 2007. He is charismatic, eloquent, bilingual, and and is well-known throughout Canada.
Weaknesses: Mulcair comes with a lot of political baggage as a former minister in Jean Charest's Liberal government.
Moreover, it's becoming apparent Mulcair lacks support within the NDP caucus. A New Democrat MP told the Hill-Times Mulcair is "difficult to work with." Another NDP insider said Layton's inner circle "loath" Mulcair.
Olivia Chow
Strengths: The widow of Jack Layton would be an immediate frontrunner, political analyst Robin Sears told the Toronto Star.
"She is fortified by the strength of her own record as a politician, both municipally and federally. Plus, and this in no way detracts from her abilities, she has the benefit of the sympathy that's coalesced around Jack among party activists."
Weaknesses: Her French is not very good.
While no one has yet publicly announced their intentions, several names have surfaced in the early scramble for Layton's job.
To date, the front-runners appear to be party president Brian Topp, Quebec MP Thomas Mulcair and Layton's widow Olivia Chow.
Other individuals reported to be considering their options include British Columbia MPs Libby Davies and Peter Julian, Ontario MPs Paul Dewar and Peggy Nash, Winnipeg MP Pat Martin, and even former Toronto mayor David Miller.
Also making the leadership news is Karl Belanger, Layton's director of communications.
In Layton's letter, penned in his final days, he urged the party to choose a permanent leader as early as possible in 2012.
As one veteran NDP MP told The Globe and Mail that means the contest to succeed Layton unofficially starts this week.
Here's a look at some of the possible contenders:
Brian Topp
Strengths: Topp was a trusted adviser and friend to Jack Layton and is one of the architects behind the last election campaign that catapulted the NDP to Official Opposition status.
"(The NDP president) is a formidable candidate with deep roots in the party, excellent French and the ability to argue that he is poised to carry on with Layton's vision," notes PostMedia news.
Weaknesses: Topp's lack of experience as a politician is seen as a negative. Topp is also living with prostate cancer, the same disease that afflicted Layton before he died from a second, apparently unrelated cancer.
Thomas Mulcair
Strengths: As the NDP's Quebec lieutenant, Mulcair gave the party a voice in that province after winning a Montreal byelection in 2007. He is charismatic, eloquent, bilingual, and and is well-known throughout Canada.
Weaknesses: Mulcair comes with a lot of political baggage as a former minister in Jean Charest's Liberal government.
Moreover, it's becoming apparent Mulcair lacks support within the NDP caucus. A New Democrat MP told the Hill-Times Mulcair is "difficult to work with." Another NDP insider said Layton's inner circle "loath" Mulcair.
Olivia Chow
Strengths: The widow of Jack Layton would be an immediate frontrunner, political analyst Robin Sears told the Toronto Star.
"She is fortified by the strength of her own record as a politician, both municipally and federally. Plus, and this in no way detracts from her abilities, she has the benefit of the sympathy that's coalesced around Jack among party activists."
Weaknesses: Her French is not very good.
