Gillard announces leadership ballot

Australian prime minister Julia Gillard has put her job on the line, announcing yesterday a leadership ballot in hopes of quashing a comeback by Kevin Rudd, the colleague she usurped in a Labour Party coup nearly two years ago.

The vote by party MPs, scheduled for Monday, is an effort by Ms Gillard to knock down a power struggle that has been percolating for weeks, and that spilled over onto the world stage on Wednesday when Mr Rudd resigned as foreign minister during an official trip to the United States. The fight could lead to the collapse of the government and early elections.

In Washington, Mr Rudd would not say whether he will challenge Ms Gillard, telling reporters that he would announce his decision when he returns to Australia today. But he has said he believes the Labour Party will lose national elections scheduled for next year if Ms Gillard remains its leader.

MS Gillard yesterday said she will abandon her leadership ambitions if Labour MPs choose Mr Rudd over her on Monday, and she called on Mr Rudd to do the same if he loses.

“We need a leadership ballot to settle this question once and for all,” she told reporters in Canberra.

Analysts expect that Ms Gillard has enough support to remain in power for now.