EMBATTLED South Australian Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith has called for a second vote on the Liberal Party leadership despite winning a first ballot.
However, the close ballot result for the leadership, which saw Mr Hamilton-Smith beat former deputy opposition leader Vickie Chapman by 11 votes to 10, has turned the whispers of disunity to roars.
Mr Hamilton-Smith has called for a second vote in a bid to make the outcome clearer.
"I am delighted to have won the vote today but it is not good enough for me," he told reporters on Saturday.
"I feel that the outcome is not clear enough.
"To me the signal to the people of South Australia is not strong enough.
"I would urge all Liberals over the coming week to speak to their MPs and make their view clear."
Ms Chapman said she will contest the leadership vote again when it is held late next week.
Mr Hamilton-Smith said he hadn't made his mind up whether or not he would contest the leadership again.
The result of Saturday's leadership ballot, 11 votes to 10, means that one party member abstained from voting.
Senior Liberals had hoped that the vote, which was called for by Mr Hamilton-Smith, would end months of internal party tension and give the reeling party a hope of winning the 2010 state election.
The growing dissent over Mr Hamilton-Smith's performance as leader began several weeks ago when he presented to parliament documents accusing Mike Rann's Labor government of accepting illegal donations from a group with ties to the Church of Scientology.
The documents turned out to be forgeries and Mr Hamilton-Smith was forced to make a public apology.
Mr Hamilton-Smith welcomed Isobel Redmond, the shadow attorney-general, as his deputy leader after she defeated finance spokesman Steven Griffiths for the deputy position by nine votes to five.
A firm date for the new leadership vote has not been set, but it will be held before parliament sits again on July 14.
