Greens may elect non-MP as leader

The Green Party is facing the possibility of having to elect a co-leader from outside its parliamentary ranks.

Jeanette Fitzsimons, its sole co-leader since the death of Rod Donald in November last year, says the party will consider the situation at its summer policy conference in Whangarei at the end of this month.

A new co-leader will be elected at the party's annual conference in June.

It is party policy to have a woman and a man as co-leaders, but there are only two men among its six MPs and neither Keith Locke nor Nandor Tanczos has said they will stand for election.

Ms Fitzsimons said the vacant position would be a topic for discussion at the Whangarei conference, and the issue of whether the new co-leader should be elected from outside the caucus would be discussed.

She said there might be no choice if Mr Locke and Mr Tanczos decided not to stand.

- NZPA