THE SNP are holding internal elections to their ruling body during the course of the annual conference this weekend.

Ballots will open at 8am on the first day of the online event on Saturday November 28 and will close at 3pm on Monday November 30 with the results to be announced later that day.

Among the National Executive Committee (NEC) positions, the contests will see the party elect a new President after former MEP Ian Hudghton is to stand down from the role which he has held since 2005. He succeeded Winnie Ewing.

Scottish Constitutional Affairs Secretary Michael Russell, former diplomat Craig Murray and former MP Corri Wilson are the contenders for SNP President.

The contests come in the wake of controversy over a decision by current NEC members to change the rules over SNP MPs becoming elected to Holyrood.

During the summer the NEC changed the rule which meant that an MP would have to stand down from Westminster before seeking election to Holyrood. The decision was widely seen as a move to stop Joanna Cherry, the MP for Edinburgh South West moving to the Scottish Parliament. However, the party denied that was the case saying it was to prevent a series of possible Westminster by elections.

In the wake of the row, the Common Weal Group, backed by Cherry, has put forward a list of 18 candidates who have signed a manifesto calling for more internal party democracy.

In addition to the role of SNP President, who is an NEC member, here is part one of the list of candidates for the other NEC posts.

Candidates who have signed the Common Weal Group manifesto are marked CWG.

We will publish the second part of the list online tomorrow.

* National Treasurer

Douglas Chapman CWG)

Colin Beattie

National Secretary

David Henry

Morgwn Davies

Stewart Stevenson

Lorna Finn

Kirsteen Currie

Organisation Convener

Rob Thomson (CWG)

Stacey Bradley

Local Government Convener

Lynne Anderson (CWG)

Jonathan McColl

Allan Stubbs

Kelly Parry

Women's Convener

Caroline McAllister

Delia Henry

Katherine Sanders (CWG)

Caroline Keenan

Rhiannon Spear

Equalities Convener

Siobhan Tolland

Fiona Robertson

Lynne Anderson (CWG)

BAME Convener

Sameeha Rehman

Graham Campbell

Disabled Members' Convener

Scott McFarlane (CWG)

Jamie Szymkowiak

Dylan Roberts

Policy Development Convener

Alyn Smith

Graeme McCormick (CWG)

Chris Hanlon (CWG)

Members Support Convener

Katherine Sanders (CWG)

Michael Blackshaw

Douglas Daniel

Simon Hayter

Greg Lennon

Elected NEC Member

Neale Hanvey (CWG)

Tommy Sheppard

Angela Constance

Alison Thewliss

Joanna Cherry (CWG)

Central Scotland Open List

Findlay MacGregor

John Allison

Ross Clark

Shahid Farooq

Greg Lennon

Cameron McManus

Lesley Mitchell

Farah Faranza

Lynne Anderson (CWG)

Central Scotland Female List

Lesley Mitchell

Farah Faranza

Lynne Anderson (CWG)

Glasgow Open List

Lorna Finn

Christina Cannon

Malcolm Balfour

Johnathon Mackie

Alexander Mitchell

Rory Steel (CWG)

Suzanne McLaughlin

Alex Kerr

Glasgow Female List

Lorna Finn

Christina Cannon

Suzanne McLaughlin

Highlands and Islands Open List

Laura Mitchell

Jeremie Fernandes

Ken Gowans

Will Mackay

Emma Roddick

Munro Ross

Ian Cockburn

James Duncan

Highlands and Islands Female List

Laura Mitchell

Emma Roddick

Lothian Open List

Katherine Sanders (CWG)

Callum Anderson

Frank Anderson

Michael Blackshaw

Robert de Bold

Sinead Collins

Andrew Diak

Findlay McFarlane

Lothian Female List

Catriona MacDonald (CWG)

Katherine Sanders (CWG)

Eleanor Bird

Sinead Collins

Mid Scotland and Fife Open List

Allison Graham

Kirsty Jarvis

Nick Cole

Jamie McDiarmid

Roger Mullin (CWG)

Mid Scotland and Fife Female List

Allison Graham

Kirsty Jarvis

North East Scotland Open List

Robert Rosie

Siobhan Tolland

Ross Cassie (CWG)

Dorothy Jessiman

Jack Boag

Doug Daniel

Ciaran McRae

Kate Monaghan

Jack O'Neill

Margate Rankie

North East Scotland Female List

Dorothy Jessiman

Siobhan Tolland

Kate Monaghan

Margate Rankie

South Scotland Open List

Corri Wilson

Heather Anderson

Amanda Burgauer (CWG)

Erin Mwembo

Laura Brennan-Whitefield (CWG)

William Mills

Simon Ritchie

Morgwn Davies

Robert Davidson

Fraser Thompson (CWG)

South Scotland Female List

Heather Anderson

Amanda Burgauer (CWG)

Erin Mwembo

West Scotland Open List

John Gatens

Delia Henry

Brian Lawson

Graeme McCormick (CWG)

Chris McCusker

Chris McEleny

Osama Nadeem

Callum Reid

Ellen McMaster

Malcolm Kerr (CWG)

Gavin Lundy

Ian Dickson

West of Scotland Female List

Emma Hendrie

Delia Henry

Ellen McMaster