Canada sees eve-of-poll vote push

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Canada's political leaders are making a final bid to win over undecided voters as the nation gears up for Tuesday's election amid growing economic worries.

Polls suggest around a third of voters are yet to make up their minds.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has headed a minority government since 2006, called the snap election in a bid to win enough seats to form a majority.

Polls suggest his Conservative Party is on course to win but will fail to

clinch a parliamentary majority.

Monday is the Thanksgiving Day holiday in Canada but the country's political leaders are far from putting their feet up.

Close battle

PM Stephen Harper and his main rival, the leader of the Liberal Party, Stephane Dion, were both set to fly coast to coast in a last-minute effort to whip up support.

Stephane Dion's level of proficiency in English has been criticised

Mr Harper called the snap election last month amid hopes in his party that they could secure a majority, but since then global economic woes have loomed large over the campaign, with the economy practically the only issue.

Mr Harper has come under sustained criticism amid perceptions he has not shown enough empathy with Canadians who have lost money during the upheaval on the stock markets, says the BBC's Lee Carter in Toronto.

He has reworked his message to try to convince Canadians that he is the one to be at the helm of the economy in such difficult times.

"At this crucial moment for our economy we need a realistic and credible plan to protect our jobs, our savings, and our future," he told a weekend rally.

But if the economy has cast a shadow over Mr Harper's Conservatives, many voters are not finding Mr Dion any more endearing, says our correspondent.

CANADA'S MAIN PARTIES Conservative Party: Elected 2006, led by Stephen Harper. Had 127 of 308 seats in parliamentLiberal Party: Led by Stephane Dion. Governed Canada 1993 - 2006. Had 95 seatsNew Democratic Party: Led by Jack Layton. Had 30 seatsBloc Quebecois: Led by Gilles Duceppe. Has candidates only in Quebec. Had 48 seats Green Party: Led by Elizabeth May. Never won Parliamentary seat but independent MP joined day before election called. 1 seat

Mr Dion, a French Canadian from Quebec, has been criticised as a weak leader with difficulty communicating in English.

"Stephen Harper's agenda is one of distortion and dishonesty. He may speak better English than I do. But I speak the truth better in both official languages than him," Mr Dion said recently.

Two of the smaller parties, the New Democrats and the Greens have seen their polling numbers rise, while the Bloc Quebecois will fight a close battle to retain its dominance in French-speaking Quebec.

The election is the third in just over four years and seems likely to produce the third successive minority government.