The provincial New Democrats have picked a date to choose a new leader.
The party's provincial council decided last weekend to hold the next leadership convention in Saskatoon in 2013, either in February or March. The exact date of that leadership vote as well as the official start date of the race, will be announced in the coming weeks, the party announced in a news release.
As has been the case in the past two leadership contests, the provincial NDP will be using a one-member, one-vote process to pick a leader. The contest will use a preferential ballot with 50 per cent or more required for election.
Anyone with a valid party membership will be able to vote. The party adds that NDP memberships can be purchased for another person but are now restricted to members of the same family only. Potential candidates must post an entry fee of $6,000 with a spending limit of $200,000 per candidate.
As well, a five-member leadership contest committee was selected to oversee the leadership race, consisting of Deb Higgins, Rose Rothenberger, Tim Hutchinson, Stephen Bobiash and Mary Lou Senko.
John Nilson is serving as interim leader of the NDP and expects to continue on in that role until the new leader is chosen.
