Australian PM Gillard ousted by predecessor Kevin Rudd

   
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been ousted as Labor Party leader by her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, in a vote of party lawmakers hoping to avoid a huge defeat in upcoming elections.

The ballot took place on Wednesday three years and two days after Gillard ousted Rudd in a similar internal government showdown.

"We have just conducted the ballot, there was a spill for the position of leadership, I can announce the result. It is Kevin Rudd 57 votes, Julia Gillard 45 votes," said party official Chris Hayes.

Local media are reporting that the Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan has quit.

The vote makes Rudd leader of the party, but not prime minister.

He will likely have to demonstrate that he can command a majority of lawmakers in the House of Representatives before Governor-General Quentin Bryce makes him prime minister as early as Thursday.

Constitutional lawyer George Williams of the University of New South Wales said it was most likely that the government would retain power with the support of independent lawmakers with Rudd as prime minister.

If he cannot, opposition leader Tony Abbott could be asked to form a government or the elections could be moved up from September to August.

The September 14 election was a Gillard promise. Rudd could call an election as early as August 3.

Labor controls 71 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, Abbott's coalition holds 72 and the remaining seven are held by independents or the minor Greens party.


AP