OTTAWA, Nov. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Canada's three opposition parties agreed on Sunday to force the minority Liberal government to call an early election or to face a non-confidence motion that could bring it down.

    "We agreed to support an NDP motion that will be moved at the earliest possible opportunity calling on the government to call an election the first week of January, 2006," Conservative leader Stephen Harper told reporters at the National Press Gallery.

    Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), announced last Wednesday that his party would introduce a motion that will call on Prime Minister Paul Martin to dissolve the House of Commons in the first week of January and hold a February election.

    Harper said the motion could be introduced as early as Tuesday when the Conservatives are scheduled to have an opposition day in the House of Commons.

    "Should the government refuse to debate this motion or refuse to abide by the motion ... I will move a motion of non-confidence in the government the following week," Harper said.

    Harper made these remarks in the wake of a closed-door meeting between himself, Layton and Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe on Sunday afternoon.

    Layton and Duceppe, who spoke after Harper, described their collaboration as being primarily motivated by what they characterized as the Liberal misconduct.

    All the three opposition parties have been pressuring the Martin government to step down in the wake of a judicial report on the federal sponsorship scandal.

    The initial report released early this month exonerated Martin but criticized his predecessor Jean Chretien over the diversion of more than 100 million Canadian dollars (85 million US dollars) to friendly advertising firms.

    The prospect of a winter election emerged early this week when the NDP, the sole group keeping the Liberal government alive, withdrew its support after Martin refused to support its call for banning private health care in the country.

    Martin has vowed to hold an election in April once the inquiry presented final recommendations on how to avoid similar misconductin future.

    The opposition parties are concerned that if an election is delayed until April, public anger over the corruption scandal would have faded. Enditem