CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called a snap party vote on her leadership for later on Wednesday, in a bid to squash a campaign to replace her with former leader Kevin Rudd less than three months before national elections. Polls show Rudd is more popular with voters and could help Labor hold on to more seats at the election. Gillard now rules with a one-seat parliamentary majority, with support from the Greens and key independents. Gillard said she would quit politics at a scheduled September 14 election if she loses the leadership to Rudd, whom she toppled in a leadership coup in June 2010. "I do think it's in the best interests of the nation and in the best interests of the Labor Party for this matter to be resolved," Gillard said, in calling the leadership vote for 7 p.m. (0900 GMT). "This is it. There are no more opportunities, tonight is the night and this is it. All of these issues need to be resolved tonight. We cannot have the government or the Labor Party go to the next election with a person leading the Labor Party and a person floating around as the potential alternate." The moves to oust Gillard and return to Rudd follow a series of opinion polls showing her minority government could lose up to 35 seats at the elections, giving the conservative opposition a massive majority in the 150-member parliament. But any return of Rudd as prime minister could force Australia's governor-general, as head of state, to intervene and initiate an immediate election, as Rudd does not have agreed support from independent lawmakers who wield the balance of power in parliament. The Greens and key independents have said Rudd, if elected, would need to test his support in parliament. With parliament due to adjourn ahead of the election on Thursday, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott suspended question time to urge Gillard to end the uncertainty over her future and call elections for August 3. "We see the tremors of leadership change shaking the foundations of this parliament," Abbott told lawmakers. "The poison inside the Australian Labor Party is paralysing government in this country. And every hour, every day, that this is not resolved, the paralysis inside the government just gets worse and worse. "Why should we limp on for another 80 days of confusion and paralysis under the current regime? Let's have an election." (Reporting by James Grubel; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) |
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