The clock is ticking for Stéphane

It seems to be just a matter of time now before the Grits turf their hapless leader.

A movement to dump Stéphane Dion immediately has mushroomed within Liberal ranks, with former deputy prime minister John Manley calling for him to resign, and Grits from nearly every faction of the party exploring ways to pressure him to leave as early as next week.

Meanwhile, Michael Ignatieff, the front-runner to replace Mr. Dion, said the party is exploring ways to accelerate the choice of a new leader.

In an opinion piece published in The Globe and Mail Saturday, Mr. Manley calls for Mr. Dion to resign immediately so that a new leader can be chosen before Christmas.

Mr. Manley dumps cold water on the idea of a coalition with the NDP, arguing the Liberals must instead offer to co-operate with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to cope with the economic crisis, and prepare for an election in case he doesn't.

Manley also said that the "notion that the public would accept Stéphane Dion as prime minister, after having resoundingly rejected that possibility a few weeks earlier, was delusional at best" and...

Liberal MP Michael Ignatieff, a candidate to replace Stéphane Dion, says the party may decide to select a new leader much sooner than the scheduled May convention.

"I have been informed that discussions are ongoing," he told the Toronto Star when asked about expectations that Dion, the caretaker leader, might step down imminently.

We can expect Dion to be ousted as early as next week and an interim leader appointed by the Liberal caucus. An accelerated leadership convention could be held and a new leader in place by the time Parliament resumes on January 26th.

This should be the final nail in the coffin of Dion's ill advised coalition with the socialist and the bloc-head, Jack and Gilles.