VICTORIA - Just as the BC Liberal party faces a leadership crisis after the sudden resignation of Gordon Campbell, the official opposition now finds itself leaderless as well. Carole James has now resigned as the leader of the NDP amid significant infighting within her party that still threatens to splinter the party in two.

In recent months, the BC NDP party has become increasingly divided along polarizing labour issues. The dispute, however, also centred on Ms. James' leadership itself. With the provincial Liberals in near-total disarray, many New Democrats are disappointed with their party's inability to capitalize. Indeed, thirteen members of the caucus - roughly 40% of the sitting NDP party - have stood out as clear dissidents.

Several weeks ago, the public was suddenly shown the magnitude of the divisions within the party. Ms. James was presented with a letter signed by the thirteen dissidents within her own party, in which they demanded a leadership convention to validate her leadership.

Though Ms. James' leadership was eventually upheld, the deep divisions within the party remained. The damage, so to speak, had been done. Many taxpayers, eager for stability in BC politics were disappointed that the divisions could not be overcome through negotiations. In the end, Ms. James was put to the ultimatum she sought to avoid - the dissidents knew that the party's cohesion was more important to James than her job.

It is unclear what options remain for James - whether she will remain an active figure in the party after an interim leader is chosen.