Fianna Fáil’s first ardfheis since its electoral drubbing last year will see the leadership try to steer though far-reaching organisational and policy changes.
This morning, the party launched the programme for the weekend convention at the RDS, which is expected to be attended by over 3,000 party activists.
Almost 200 motions will be debated by the membership on Friday and Saturday. It is the party’s first ardfheis in over four years.
The most fundamental change is a proposal to introduce a one-member, one-vote system in the party, rather than each of its cumainn (party branches) voting as a bloc. The motion will be debated in a closed session on Saturday.
While some of the more traditional figures in the party have opposed the change, including Wexford TD John Browne, the motion is expected to be supported by the required 50 per cent of delegates.
At the launch, the party's justice spokesman Dara Calleary portrayed the ardfheis as one of the most crucial in the party’s 86-year history and a critical moment for party leader Micheál Martin.
“Any leader’ first ardfheis is very important. The members have responded very well to him," he said. "I think you will see their appreciation of his efforts on Friday evening and Saturday evening as he lays out his credo.”
The other major suggested change will be a policy and ideological related one, with a debate on Friday evening about whether it should redefine its republicanism to be more in keeping with 21st century Ireland.
Mr Calleary denied this motion was being put forward as a guard against Sinn Féin. Insisting Fianna Fáil was the republican party, he said: “I think republicanism in Ireland is always centred on the island issue. Republican as an ethos is a far wider concept.”
In the wake of the party’s dramatic ouster from power last year, Mr Calleary accepted that it was a challenging time for the party. “We are not hiding from that.”
He and party general secretary Sean Dorgan said the ardfheis would have a dramatically changed format to facilitate discussion and debate. They said there would be "little stage management" as has been the case for many party conventions in recent years. Former leaders Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen have been invited to attend.
Another new development that may emerge from the ardfheis is a commission that will examine a role for the membership in electing future leaders as well as decisions on entering coalitions.
Responding to the weekend polls, Mr Dorgan said they were not predictors of what happened in an election, especially when an election was years away. The latest poll suggests that Fianna Fáil support is 16 per cent with Sinn Féin rising to 25 per cent, in second place to Fine Gael on 32 per cent.
“Our support levels are still at where they were last year. What we want to do is start building up policies and get a Fianna Fáil emphasis on policies.”
Addressing the indirect criticism of public expenditure spokesman Sean Fleming that Fianna Fáil and Mr Martin have been over-cautious and not been sufficiently focused in the Dáil, Mr Calleary said the focus of the party was not always on the Dáil as it continued its rebuilding task.
He also confirmed that the party has made a complaint to RTÉ about alleged bias by Prime Time in its coverage of the party. "We have difficulties with Prime Time. We have prepared a case. We represent 400,000 people. They have a right to be heard."