Kevin Rudd resigned as Australia's foreign minister Wednesday, February 22 amid speculation of a challenge to Prime Minister Julia Gillard when the Labor Party meets in caucus next week, M&C reported, citing DPA.
Gillard unseated Rudd in an intra-party coup in June 2010 and went on to lead Labor to a narrow parliamentary election victory two months later.
Labor, without a majority of votes in parliament, relies on independents to stay in office.
“The simple truth is that I cannot continue to serve as foreign minister if I do not have Prime Minister Gillard's support,” Rudd said.
Rudd announcement may have been timed to pre-empt a move by Gillard to sack him and so seize the initiative in a leadership struggle.
Gillard, 50, had been urged by her colleagues to dismiss Rudd for undermining her leadership. Gillard, Rudd's former deputy, has taken the popularity of her party to record lows. Labor was expecting a thumping loss at next year's parliamentary election unless its fortunes changed.
Some see Rudd as the party's saviour, but the Gillard camp say he can count on the votes of only 30 of the 103 caucus members if a ballot were to be held when the parliamentary party meets in Canberra on Tuesday.
If Rudd challenged Gillard and lost, he could either move to the back benches or resign from parliament, which would force a by-election that might see Gillard's government crumble.
Opposition Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott said Rudd's resignation “confirms that this government is unworthy to continue in office.”
