The leader of Australia's opposition Labor Party announced Tuesday he will quit politics because of ill health.
Mark Latham, 43, was hospitalized with pancreatitis during the run-up to the October 9, 2004 elections, in which he was soundly defeated by incumbent Prime Minister John Howard.
He has been on leave since late last month, when he suffered a second bout of the illness.
Questions about Latham's leadership surfaced after the election loss, and his failure to quickly respond to the December 26 tsunami disaster heightened discontent within Labor's ranks.
Latham said Tuesday he decided to quit the party leadership and his Sydney seat in the House of Representatives, because his health condition was incompatible with the demands of political life. "Our conclusion is that I should look after my health and pursue normal life outside of politics," he said in a statement.
