MONTREAL —  Eight candidates vying to become the next Liberal Party leader with a mandate to unseat Canada's prime minister made their final pitches Friday as thousands of delegates cast ballots in the tightest leadership race in a generation.

The two front-runners, Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae, made impassioned speeches that focused on the socially progressive policies that are the cornerstones of the Liberal Party, as well as protecting the environment and taking down Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Harper's Conservatives beat the Liberals in elections in January, unseating them after nearly 13 years in power. The stunning defeat left the party flailing and delegates are now looking to the person who can rebuild the party and take back the House of Commons.

Ignatieff called on the more than 5,000 delegates to vote for him as their new leader, vowing to inspire.

"We are Liberals of a new generation in a new century," said Ignatieff, a 49-year-old scholar, author and human rights expert. "Tonight we have a choice to make. Let us choose unity over division, direction over drift, courage over fear and compassion over indifference."

Liberals are convinced that when they cast their ballots, they're choosing Canada's next prime minister, believing they can beat the Tories in the next elections, expected in 2007.

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Observers say the race is the most wide-open and suspenseful since 1968, when a charismatic young Pierre Trudeau won the leadership on a third ballot and went on to become prime minister.

If no candidate garners 50 percent of the ballots in the first vote Friday night, as is widely expected, then subsequent ballots will be cast Saturday until a winner is named.

Though Ignatieff came into the convention the front-runner among the delegates who already had committed to a candidate, some 40 percent have yet to make their choice and new polls indicate he would not do nearly as well in second- and third-round balloting.

Some frown on Ignatieff's lack of political experience. He spent the last 30 years abroad, most recently as director of Harvard's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. He returned only last year to win a seat in Parliament.

Ignatieff's opponents also note his early support of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, a highly unpopular war among Canadians. He initially argued the war was in the best interests of international security, but has since said President Bush has made mistakes.

Rae, once a roommate of Ignatieff's when they were students at the prestigious University of Toronto, has gained momentum in recent weeks, winning crucial endorsements. He also has 18 years of elected office under his belt, was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford and comes from a family of diplomats and politicians.

Rae, 58, the former premier of Ontario, is more personable than his old college roommate. He focused on foreign policy in his speech, underscoring his differences with the current White House and attempting to set himself apart from Ignatieff on the issue of Iraq.

"I see a Canada where the resolution of conflict is just as important as any other focus for our country," Rae said in the only unscripted speech of the night. He praised former Prime Minister Jean Chretien for turning down the U.S. request to join the invasion of Iraq.

"I honor you for that remarkable decision; a decision that was right and fair," he said.

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