Justin Trudeau said Monday that he will resign as the leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party, an announcement that will fire the starting gun on a contest to replace him as prime minister.Trudeau said it was clear that he could not "be the leader during the next elections due to internal battles,

Trudeau's departure would leave the party without a permanent head at a time when polls show the Liberals will "badly lose" to the official opposition Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October.

The frontrunners for the Liberal leadership are former central banker Mark Carney and ex-Finance Minster Chrystia Freeland, whose abrupt resignation last month forced Trudeau's exit.