It seems the organizers of the Liberal leadership convention have found what they've been looking for -- U2 frontman Bono to add star power to an event that has so far seen lacklustre interest.

According to reports from The Canadian Press and The Globe and Mail, Bono won't be singing at the convention. Instead, he'll make a guest speech on the evening Paul Martin is crowned the new Liberal leader.

He will be speaking on the AIDS crisis in Africa. Bono has publicly led a campaign to help the faltering continent.

Canada's recent efforts to make generic AIDS drugs available to African countries helped persuade the Irish singer to attend the event, Martin's spokesman, Scott Reid, told The Globe.

Bono and Martin also share a common interest in relieving Third World debt. During a meeting of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 2000, Bono praised Martin's efforts on debt relief.

"He found it to be 'nuts', I think was his word, that we are still debating the issue of debt cancellation," Bono said of Martin, who was then finance minister.

"So I was grateful for him for that, and for sticking his neck out and getting in trouble with all the rest of the big shots here, because, you know, he has taken a moral position."

While Bono will be getting more support for his debt relief efforts, the Liberals will be getting star power for an event that has seen so far lagging ticket sales.

CP reported Monday that only one-third of eligible delegates have registered so far -- about 1,800 of an eligible 5,569 delegates.

Bono's appearance is in sharp contrast to the crooners that will sing Jean Chretien out of his term. Paul Anka and jazz legends Oscar Peterson and Oliver Jones will perform at his going-away party.