FIANNA FÁIL has decided not to run a candidate in the presidential election in October for the first time in its history.
A meeting of the party’s TDs and Senators yesterday endorsed “by consensus” the party leader Micheál Martin’s view that entering the contest would not be in its best interests.
The decision not to contest the election marks a watershed for Fianna Fáil, which has fielded a candidate in each contested presidential election since the office was created by the Constitution in 1937.
Only once has a party candidate failed to win the election. That occurred in 1990 when the late Brian Lenihan lost to Mary Robinson.
Yesterday’s meeting, attended by at least 30 of the 33 TDs and Senators, lasted more than three hours, much longer than anticipated. Some 20 members spoke, about two-thirds of whom supported Mr Martin’s position that the party should not field a candidate.
Several TDs, most notably deputy leader Éamon Ó Cuív – who made a presentation on the role of the presidency – and the Laois-Offaly TD Barry Cowen, spoke strongly in favour of the party running a candidate. The Limerick City TD Willie O’Dea was said by colleagues to be the strongest speaker of those who spoke in favour of Mr Martin’s strategy.
Mr Martin made the opening speech and outlined the difficulties facing the party following the general election in February when its Dáil representation was reduced to a historic low of 20 seats. He also summarised the deliberations of the internal subcommittee on presidential strategy, which he chaired. The committee decided on Monday to recommend against running a candidate.
Mr Martin argued that the party should concentrate on rebuilding and renewing the party and broadening its representative base. He said the party’s primary focus should be on the 2014 local elections. Speaking on the Leinster House plinth shortly after the meeting concluded, Mr Martin said the party had made a “difficult decision” and added that “understandably there have been different perspectives and position” expressed by members.
He rejected the suggestion of failings in his own handling of the party’s approach, firstly through his approach to broadcaster Gay Byrne, and secondly for not being more encouraging to the party’s South MEP Brian Crowley, who had expressed a strong interest in contesting the election.
Mr Martin had offered to nominate Mr Byrne as an independent candidate in the election, but the broadcaster decided not to allow his name go forward.The Fianna Fáil leader said he had been criticised in the media for making a direct approach to Mr Byrne, but it was “old politics” to use an intermediary and he preferred using the “direct route”. His approach to the broadcaster was not a “dominant issue” at yesterday’s meeting, he said. Several other members confirmed the atmosphere was convivial and the exchanges lacked rancour.
Mr Martin said the party’s internal research suggested Mr Crowley was getting strong support in Munster but not elsewhere.