A provincial council meeting of the Democratic Party in British Columbia, Canada will illuminate the stance and future direction of leader Carole James and the NDP Party members.

After having faced severe challenges and accusations by numerous party members, James underlines: "I am drawing a line in the sand, a very clear line. The clear choice for provincial council will be if they support my leadership or not."

Today, considerations will be raised and discussed among the 135-member council and a decision will be made if James will stay to be Party leader within the next year. Among others, Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy represents one opponent of James, stating that her trust in James's leadership qualities vanished.

Criticism against James focuses on her dismissal of MLA Bob Simpson from the caucus of the NDP after he openly criticized James's recent speech in front of the Union of B. C. Municipalities convention.

Several Party members tried to convince James to let Simpson return as he has been an appreciated NDP member. Nevertheless, James is said to not having been open for negotiations on this matter. A critic of James underlines: "Certainly, part of what Katrine is doing [Friday] is a response to the failure of the leader to engage in a meaningful way in bringing me back in the caucus."

Since Simpson's dismissal, James underlined that he could only return after having made an official apology. Simpson, however, so far refused to apologize.