Ottawa/New York  - Canadian liberal opposition leader Stephane Dione said late Monday he is ready to resign as soon as a successor is found, as his party accused him of having failed to successfully counter the ruling Conservative Party.

Dion failed to prevent Prime Minister Stephen Harper from forcing Canada's parliament into a seven-week recess to stave off a no-confidence vote against his minority government.

The Liberals and two other opposition parties joined forces to form a coalition government to replace Harper's Conservative minority government.

The Liberals suffered heavy losses in October's snap elections called by Harper which returned him to power but failed to give the Conservatives their desired majority.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Party was set to win an absolute majority in the French-speaking province Quebec, returning Prime Minister Jean Charest to a third term in office, the Globe and Mail newspaper said.

Charest, whose party held 48 of the 125 seats in Quebec's provincial parliament, called for early elections in the hope of securing a mandate at a time of economic crisis.

Mario Dumont, leader of the opposition rightist Action Democratique du Quebec, announced his resignation as first results showed the ADQ managed to retain less than 10 of its previous 39 seats. (dpa)