CALGARY — Federal Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has made it official: he's not going anywhere.

In a letter Monday to the Conservative party, Harper said he intends to lead the party through the next federal election after "widespread consultations" about his performance in the June 28 election.

Political analyst Peter McCormick says Harper's decision to keep his job as leader of the official Opposition is good news for conservative forces, which have been in a state of upheaval for much of the last four years.

"At least they won't have to worry about a new leadership race, a new set of divisions and a new set of film clips that the Liberals can use in the next election," said McCormick, who teaches at the University of Lethbridge.

"They can put all that to one side and focus on the more immediate thing: coming up with a strategy for what is going to be the most fragmented, disorganized, potentially chaotic Parliament we've ever had," he said.

The newly united Conservatives took 21 more seats than the combined total for the old Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservatives in the last Parliament.

That reduced Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberals to minority government status.

But the 99-seat total was a disappointment to the political right after polls midway through the campaign showed the Conservatives leading the Liberals with a chance at a minority government.

In the end, it was never close and a disheartened Harper said he would consult party officials and his family before deciding on his future.

"I have detected no body of opinion in the caucus, in the party, or in the public at large that would seem to favour a leadership change at this time," Harper said Monday in a letter to Conservative president Don Plett.

"There is a consensus that our party has made rapid progress in a short period of time and has the capacity to make even more over the coming months," said Harper, who will announce his shadow cabinet on Thursday. "I want to lead that effort."

Observers say it was important for Harper to stress his longterm intentions and get on with building the party.

"You always got the feeling that Harper was happier off with the National Citizens Coalition, and heading up a research think-tank is the thing he'd like most to do: advising someone else who was prime minister," said McCormick. "I think he's got to get over that feeling."

British Columbia MP John Reynolds said Harper's decision means the Conservatives can focus on moving forward toward the next election.

"It's always difficult when you have a party that's just six months old," said Reynolds, co-chair of the party's national campaign.

"The Liberals used that to good advantage and certainly we helped them a bit with stories, but that will never happen again because we'll have a policy conference before the next election."