CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is heading into a leadership ballot as the firm favorite against the party leader she deposed two years ago, Kevin Rudd.
The ballots will be cast at a meeting on Monday of 102 lawmakers from the ruling Labor Party at Parliament House. It could take more than an hour before the results of the secret ballot are announced.
Gillard called for the ballot last week to confirm her authority after simmering leadership tensions that have destabilized the government for months led to Rudd quitting as foreign minister.
While supporters of both contenders predict a Gillard win, a narrow victory could leave her exposed to a second challenge if Labor continues to trail the conservative opposition coalition in opinion polls.
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