Ieuan Wyn Jones wants Plaid to have a clear message

Plaid is currently jointly led by president Dafydd Iwan, Parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd and Mr Jones in the Welsh assembly.

Former MP Simon Thomas, who lost the Ceredigion seat last week, has urged the party to rebuild around one leader.

But Mr Jones said it must focus on its message and not personalities.

As well as losing Ceredigion in last week's general election, Plaid also failed to win its main target seat of Anglesey.

It was a disappointing performance which followed on from the 2003 assembly elections, in which Plaid lost five of its 17 seats.

I am the leader of the group and I will be leading into the next assembly election if the party wants me to - Ieuan Wyn Jones

But Mr Jones, AM for Ynys Mon, said the party's leadership team, which met on Monday, had unanimously rejected any suggestion of changing its structure.

"There are fundamental questions that need to be asked about the direction of Plaid Cymru," he said.

"I think everybody accepts that now, and I think we have got to get that right.

"What the party doesn't want is another six months of navel-gazing, of looking at itself.

"It needs now to consider the real problems that it faces about communicating its message, having a clear message and ... we need a thorough review of policy ahead of the 2007 election."

Mr Jones said that everyone in the leadership team had accepted a responsibility for the party's recent showing.

Simon Thomas called for changes to the party's structure

"I think currently the party wouldn't have the stomach whatsoever to enter into another sort of leadership speculation," he added.

"I think it is quite right the leadership team which met on Monday rejected that option quite firmly and unanimously.

"I think there are deeper issues - it is more fundamental than that - substantially more fundamental than that.

"What the people of Wales want is a party that has got a clear message, can communicate that message well and bring success on elections."

And Mr Jones said he would still be leading Plaid's assembly team in 2007.

"Of course I will. I am the leader of the group and I will be leading into the next assembly election if the party wants me to - it is not my decision eventually, it is the decision for the party."