Four names up for Plaid leadership (From South Wales Argus)

Four names up for Plaid leadership

NOMINATIONS for the next leader of Plaid Cymru have closed with four AMs in the running.

Elin Jones, Leanne Wood, Lord Elis-Thomas and Simon Thomas will go on to the ballot paper.

The person succeeding outgoing chief and Ynys Môn AM Ieuan Wyn Jones will be elected by the alternative vote system, under which candidates are ranked in order of preference.

Mr Jones announced he would stand down after his party's poor performance at the 2011 Assembly election.

The Welsh nationalists, who formed a coalition government with Labour during the last term, lost four seats. They fell behind the Conservatives, and ended up as the third largest party in the Assembly.

It prompted the party to conduct a major internal review which was revealed last week and made 95 recommendation to renew Plaid's fortunes.

Ceredigion AM Ms Jones was the rural affairs minister in the previous coalition government.

South Wales Central AM Ms Wood was elected in 2003 and speaks for Plaid on housing and regeneration. The 40-year-old is the only non-Welsh speaker among the candidates, but is learning the language.

Mid and West Wales AM Mr Thomas is a former MP and was a cabinet adviser in the former Labour-Plaid coalition government.

Dwyfor Meirionnydd AM Dafydd Elis-Thomas is also a former MP. He led the party in the 1980s and served as the Assembly's presiding officer for 12 years.

Nominations for the leadership closed at midnight.

A series of hustings will be held across Wales in February, with the new leader expected to be announced on March 15.