Dafydd Iwan is president and Ieuan Wyn Jones leads the assembly group

The party's conference this month will discuss giving the job to the Ynys Mon Assembly Member.

Mr Jones has led Plaid in the assembly since he stood down as president after poor results in the 2003 election and the party's top role was then split.

Party president Dafydd Iwan will move from his job to become the leader of the voluntary wing.

Mr Iwan, a Gwynedd councillor and folk singer, has welcomed the move.

Roles within that team needed to be clarified and that is why these changes have been proposed Plaid Cymru chairman John Dixon

Plaid party chair John Dixon said the amendments would be on the agenda in time for the conference on 25 February in Carmarthen.

Mr Dixon said: "Plaid Cymru has a strong leadership team and will continue to benefit from that. However, it was felt that roles within that team needed to be clarified and that is why these changes have been proposed."

Changes to the leadership have been discussed after Plaid failed to make ground in last year's general election.

In September 2005, Dafydd Wigley, a former president of Plaid, said the party faced an "horrendous" future without change.

Voluntary wing

He has also said the current leadership system had confused the public and media.

Senior Plaid figure and former party president Dafydd Elis-Thomas said the party had to "grow and adapt" to become a party of government.

Mr Jones stood down as president after the 2003 assembly poll

The latest plan, to go before conference delegates, would mean the leader of the Plaid group in the assembly would be the registered leader of the party.

Mr Dixon said: "The party president's role will be as leader of the voluntary wing of the party, and the vice-president will be deputy to the president."

At the moment Gwynedd councillor Mr Iwan holds the presidency, and Mr Jones leads the 12-strong assembly group.

'First minister in waiting'

Mr Iwan said the "leadership bears a collective responsibility".

He said: "This means that Plaid Cymru has made it even clearer that teamwork is the key.

"But clarification of roles within that team has become increasingly important.