Scottish Labour will have a new leader elected by the end of next month, the party has confirmed.
The Scottish Labour leadership election was triggered by the sudden resignation of Richard Leonard.
Now the party's executive has agreed a condensed timescale for any contest with the Holyrood elections less than four months away.
Glasgow MSP Anas Sarwar is considering standing for the Scottish Labour leadership after the shock resignation of Richard Leonard.
Sources expect Sarwar to go for the post in a bid to reverse two decades of decline for the party.
Health spokeswoman Monica Lennon is also weighing up her options.
Leonard, a left-wing supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, resigned on Thursday after leading his party for more than three years.
His resignation, which followed a series of election flops, leaves Scottish Labour a small window to elect a successor ahead of May’s Holyrood election.
Candidates have until midnight on Sunday to declare their intention to run and will require support from at least four of the party's MSPs or its sole Scottish MP by midday the following Tuesday to be formally nominated.
Scottish Labour members and affiliated supporters will be able to cast their votes from Tuesday February 9 until ballots close on Friday February 26.
The new leader will then be announced the following day, Saturday February 27.
Scottish Labour's chairwoman Cara Hilton said: "The Scottish Executive Committee today agreed that a new leader of the Scottish Labour Party will be elected by a ballot of party members and affiliated trades union members in February.
"The new leader will be announced on February 27 and will lead Scottish Labour into the Scottish Parliament election with a fresh energy to carry Labour's message and take the fight to the Tories and the SNP."
