EDMONTON, Alberta, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Amid plummeting poll support and political in-fighting, the Conservative premier of Alberta, Canada, Ed Stelmach, said in Edmonton he won't seek re-election.
The 25-year veteran of provincial politics made the announcement Tuesday, but didn't set a leadership vote date, the Calgary Sun reported. There is also no firm date for a provincial election, but one must be held before March 2012, the newspaper said.
Stelmach also acknowledged he had to break a 2006 campaign promise -- the provincial budget can't be balanced this year although it will more likely be in 2012, The National Post said.
The provincial Conservatives have been in power for 40 years, but under Stelmach's leadership the party has become fractious. Several caucus members have quit and changed over to the right-wing Wildrose Alliance and recent polls show Stelmach has only about 20 percent support among Albertans.
The Post said Stelmach described himself as a fiscal conservative, yet maneuvered around a provincial law that doesn't allow deficits and then gave himself and Cabinet members unprecedented raises.
