Parti Quebecois Leader Pauline Marois came under some unexpected fire Thursday from one of her own party's high-profile candidates.

Serge Cardin, who is running against Premier Jean Charest in the Sherbrooke riding, said Marois' gender could thwart her ambitions of becoming premier.

The former Bloc Quebecois MP said some people might not be ready for a woman premier.

He told a radio network he is ''greatly disappointed'' by such an attitude.

Marois said later that Cardin's comments were misinterpreted, while the man at the heart of the controversy issued a statement to say his remarks did not properly reflect his thoughts on the matter.

The comments echo those of Claude Pinard, who said last November that a significant portion of the electorate wouldn't vote for Marois because she is a woman. Pinard, a PQ member of the national assembly at the time, is not seeking re-election.