Operations are underway by the Saskatchewan Party as they begin the process of selecting a new leader to replace retiring Premier Brad Wall.

Sometime in the next month, the provincial council is expected to set a date for a leadership convention, according to Executive Director Patrick Bundrock.

The council is made up of the Saskatchewan Party leader, Wall, the party's president, James Thornsteinson, a member of each constituency association and youth representatives.

Locally in Swift Current, a by-election is expected to take place.

Wall said the new leader will call a by-election for Swift Current in the coming months.

"As soon as the party selects a new leader, probably in four or five months, then I will immediately be resigning my seat," said Wall. "The new leader will call a by-election, so we're very hopeful a number of great candidates are going to step forward and run in the Saskatchewan Party nomination. That's certainly going to be open here very soon - it's just a matter of months."

Brad Wall has been Swift Current's provincial representative since 1999 when the Sask Party won the seat from the NDP. Wall's predecessor as MLA for Swift Current was John Wall - to whom the current premier has no relation.