Had a problem with a AFK/DC ish leader the other day, on the last level before roar. His connection sucked, not really his fault, DCed about 4 times, so he decided to just lie dead on the ground and leech us as opposed to just leaving. Obviously I couldn't kick him becuase I wasn't the leader. I'd normaly just solo and invite freinds, but I couldn't becuase I'd get restricted, and I can't invite on the boss level afterward. OOO locked off both exits. Now, a freindly GM Helios wouldn't kick him, but was nice enough to offer letting me go solo without getting restricted becuase of this, though I just so happened to have to go somewhere.
We need to either be able to solo without restriction or vote kick the party leader. I understand that these both would have their own problems, but it would be less than what we have now. Since we've never been able to kick leaders, the one thing players could do when a party leader wasn't cooperating was to go solo, but they can't do that anymore in some cases, giving the party leader too much control. Not only can he force you out of the party, he can keep you in too.