Party conference

The terms party conference (UK English), political convention (US and Canadian English), and party congress usually refer to a general meeting of a political party. The conference is attended by certain delegates who represent the party membership. In most political parties, the party conference is the highest decision-making body of the organization, tasked with electing or nominating the party's leaders or leadership bodies, deciding party policy, and setting the party's platform and agendas. The definitions of all of these terms vary greatly, depending on the country and situation in which they are used. The term conference or caucus may also refer to the organization of all party members as a whole. The term political convention may also refer to international bilateral or multilateral meetings on state-level, like the convention of the Anglo-Russian Entente (1907). Within party conferences, there might be different offices or bodies fulfilling certain tasks, usually including: Chairmanship — Chosen from within the body's membership to preside over its business. Secretary — Responsible for keeping minutes of the conference's proceedings. Policy committees — Responsible for setting and maintaining review of current party policy, and preparing proposals for presentation to the full conference. Leadership convention In Canada, besides annual or biennial conventions, parties often hold special conventions to elect new leaders; often known as a leadership convention. The new leader of a party is often seen as that party's de facto candidate for Prime Minister (as the party leader almost always goes on to serve as Prime Minister should their party get elected to a majority government). Communist parties convene a congress to elect a Central Committee, which in turn sets up a Politburo. A Communist conference may also meet on occasion, to discuss a particular issue or plan an event, but would have no such official powers. ArdfheisAll Irish parties have annual party conferences, called Ardfheis, at which party policy is decided by the membership and the party chairperson and executive board are elected.