CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called for a leadership ballot Thursday as her party faces the growing prospect of a sound election defeat later this year.
She said the ballot of a leader and deputy leader of the Labor Party would be held in the afternoon, hours after a senior minister called on her to hold a vote.
Minister Simon Crean said he would nominate as the deputy and wanted former prime minister Kevin Rudd to stand as the candidate for the top post.
CANBERRA (Reuters) - Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd ruled out a challenge to incumbent Julia Gillard in a vote for the leadership of the Labor Party on Thursday.
Rudd, who was rolled by Gillard in 2010, said he gave his word a year ago that he would not challenge again, and that he would only return to the leadership if drafted with the overwhelming support of the Labor Party. But he said those circumstances did not exist at present.
Gillard has called a leadership ballot for 4.30 p.m. (05.30GMT).
(Reporting by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Michael Perry)
CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard faces a leadership challenge after rivals called for a ballot to resolve months of slipping polls and internal tensions that put her minority Labor government on course to be swept away at September elections.
"This is not personal. It's about the party, the future of the country," said senior Labor minister Simon Crean, calling the challenge to break a deadlock between Gillard and chief rival Kevin Rudd, who she deposed in 2010.
Crean said Gillard had told him she would not call a leadership vote and he urged the Labor party to now pressure her to stage a ballot.
(Reporting by James Grubel; Editing by Michael Perry)
