LANGLEY (NEWS1130) – There could be plenty of fireworks this weekend when the BC Conservatives gather in Langley for their annual general meeting.

A splinter group dubbing itself the “Friends of the BC Conservative Party” is trying to force a leadership contest in a bid to topple current boss John Cummins. But at least one observer thinks getting rid of him now would be political suicide.

“Oust him now, go through a leadership convention this close to an election would be a very risky proposition,” warns Hamish Telford, a political scientist with the University of the Fraser Valley.

The argument against Cummins is that he’s taken the party as far as he can.

“He brought it up to 20 per cent [support] in the polls,” admits Telford. “But it seems to be stalled there, even though the Liberals haven’t recovered at all and the Conservatives failed to win either of the by-elections, which were in fairly conservative areas, especially the one out in Chilliwack.”

The result of the leadership vote is expected to be announced around noon tomorrow.