Pat Stogran quits NDP leadership race, slamming party for 'selfish, incompetent politics'

One of the candidates for the federal NDP leadership race is quitting, blaming party insiders who he says don't want to see him win.

Pat Stogran posted a video Saturday on YouTube, saying the inside workings of the NDP are "fundamentally flawed."

"The fight to take on politics incorporated while also trying to take on the insiders of a political party that has no desire to see me win has proven insurmountable," he said in the five-minute video.

He also said the party has put "major obstacles" in place for candidates trying to grow the party's base from the grassroots.

Stogran is a former military officer who served in Afghanistan and said serving for the greater good was his "calling in life."

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But he said, "As I enter my golden years, I came to the conclusion that my love for family far outweighs my love for politics, especially selfish, incompetent politics."

Stogran said the NDP will never form a government until the party itself is reformed and he doesn't see any possibility of reform.

He said he resigns with "huge sadness" from the race, and thanked his supporters and campaign team who stood behind him in his effort "to defeat politics incorporated."

There are now five official candidates in the race to succeed current leader Tom Mulcair, who didn't survive a leadership review.