The United Conservative Party has appointed 12 people to a commission to establish rules for electing a new party leader.
The party also says it will no longer accept cash payments for membership after June 1st at 5pm to “ensure the integrity” of the voting process.
The winner of the upcoming leadership race will replace Jason Kenny as prime minister and party leader. He announced his resignation earlier this month after winning 51.4 per cent in a review of the party’s leadership.
In a news release Friday night, UCP said labor lawyer David Price would head the leadership selection committee.
The Commission will determine the competition procedures, including the competition schedule, the requirements for participation, determine how the members will vote and appoint a person in charge.
Existing rules say that leader votes must use preferential voting, and each party member receives a vote.
Other voting members of the governing election commission include:
- Presidents of the Constituency Association Casey DeSham, Larry Spaniello, Tim Heger and Ron Young
- Former MPs Devinder Shory and Rick Casson
- Former Whitecourt Mayor Marian Cicak
- Former UCP President Ryan Becker
Members of the non-voting committee include UCP President Cynthia Moore, Chief Financial Officer Maxwell DeGroat and Vice President Joe Friesenhan.
Ahead of Kenny’s vote to review the leadership, his opponents expressed concern that six credit cards had been used to buy about 4,000 party memberships, leading to accusations of massive membership buyouts. Election Alberta has launched an investigation.
Last year, the legislature passed a law that allows people to buy party membership for others, among other reforms to fund elections.
The UCP’s statutes state that only a member or immediate family member can pay for their membership fees.
The RCMP is also continuing to investigate allegations of voting irregularities in the party’s 2017 race.
So far, former Wildrose Party leader and media personality Daniel Smith and former Wildrose Party and Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA leader Brian Jean have expressed interest in running for UCP leader.
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