Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has challenged her fellow Labor
Party rival, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, to a snap leadership
ballot, promising she will retire from politics if she loses.
Prime Minister Gillard says the ballot will be held at 7:00 p.m. local time (0900 UTC) Wednesday, saying this is the final opportunity for the party's lingering leadership dispute to be resolved.
The move comes after Rudd supporters were said to be preparing a party vote in an attempt to oust the prime minister. Rudd, who was replaced by Gillard as prime minister in 2010, later accepted the challenge.
Opinion polls show the Labor Party is set for huge losses in the upcoming September election. They also suggest that Rudd may be a more popular leader than Mrs. Gillard and could help the party hold on to more seats in the vote.
In announcing the ballot Thursday, Gillard said she would leave politics if she loses the vote and called on any challenger to do the same. But she said she would not put herself in such a position unless she has a "degree of confidence."
Prime Minister Gillard says the ballot will be held at 7:00 p.m. local time (0900 UTC) Wednesday, saying this is the final opportunity for the party's lingering leadership dispute to be resolved.
The move comes after Rudd supporters were said to be preparing a party vote in an attempt to oust the prime minister. Rudd, who was replaced by Gillard as prime minister in 2010, later accepted the challenge.
Opinion polls show the Labor Party is set for huge losses in the upcoming September election. They also suggest that Rudd may be a more popular leader than Mrs. Gillard and could help the party hold on to more seats in the vote.
In announcing the ballot Thursday, Gillard said she would leave politics if she loses the vote and called on any challenger to do the same. But she said she would not put herself in such a position unless she has a "degree of confidence."
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