The BC NDP will elect a successor to Carole James this spring at the Vancouver Convention Centre, the party announced Saturday.
The party will hold a one-member, one-vote election on April 17, 2011 during a leadership assembly.
Anyone who has been a party member for at least 90 days prior to the election will be able to cast a vote either online or over the phone during the assembly. Advance voting will also be available.
Party head Carole James resigned early in December after infighting among caucus members threatened to critically rupture the opposition party if she stayed on.
James will remain party leader until early 2011, when an interim leader will be chosen.
A five-member leadership rules committee has been appointed and will be meeting soon to hammer out a set of rules to govern the election.
The NDP's assembly is scheduled almost two months after the BC Liberals' Feb. 26 leadership vote, where members will select a replacement for Gordon Campbell.
Campbell announced his resignation in November amid a record-low approval rating and growing public outrage over the harmonized sales tax.
Five people are running for the Liberal leadership post – Kevin Falcon, George Abbott, Moira Stilwell, Christy Clark and Mike de Jong,
So far, no NDP members have announced intentions to run for leader, though veteran MLA Mike Farnworth is considered a likely frontrunner.
