Plaid Cymru is "the right party" to lead Wales, Ieuan Wyn Jones has told grassroots members.

In a speech at the nationalists' spring conference in Llangollen, the Plaid leader said that the party was ready to govern.

Plaid Cymru is looking ahead to May's elections to the devolved assembly, where it aims to capitalise on any disillusion with the government's performance and seize control from the current Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition.

Jones appealed to disillusioned voters to back Plaid Cymru rather than abstain. "Staying at home will not solve anything. It will simply enable Labour to win by default," he warned them.

"The only sure way you can show your disillusionment is to make that effort to walk down to the polling station to vote for the only party that can defeat them."

The party would be putting its emphasis on "providing top class public services and a better economic future", he said.

With just over six weeks until the elections are held, the nationalists are seeking to win over voters with pledges to spend an extra £100 million on the health service and establish regional targets for job creation.

The party will also call for increased powers for the assembly, devolving control of funding the police in Wales.

"This will enable us to prioritise spending away from meaningless Home Office targets, and concentrate on more community policing, with more bobbies on the beat," said Jones.

He also pledged to establish a national convention to agree on what kind of parliament with law making and tax raising powers Wales should have.

In the meantime a Plaid Cymru led government would use the assembly's existing powers to the full, Jones added.

If successful in winning power, the Plaid Cymru leader promised a different style of government that would reach beyond "the M4 corridor".

"We will work openly with other parties to get the maximum degree of co-operation in governing Wales. We want to maximise the potential contribution of all its members," he said.

"A Plaid Cymru government will be committed to transforming the assembly into an institution that will merit credibility and respect.

"An institution that actually works for the people of Wales. An institution with real power for the people of Wales."