1984 Liberal Party leadership election|
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The 1984 Liberal Party leadership election was held in May-June 1984 to select a successor to retiring and incumbent prime minister Eric Edwards. It was the first leadership election held by the Liberal Party since 1938. Unlike a modern Liberal Party leadership election, there was no members vote and voting was restricted to the Liberal members of the House of Representatives, whilst Senate members were excluded.
Despite seven candidates originally entering, two withdrew before the first round - Pieter Murell and Marthinus De Klerk, both in favour of eventual winner Leander Kokkinakis. Nominations closed on 21 May, and the final of four exhaustive ballots saw Leander Kokkinakis elected leader of the Liberal Party, defeating Maximilian Dumfries. Edwards stepped down as prime minister on April 4 and Kokkinakis was sworn in later that day.
