The former Fianna Fail constituency organisation of Mr Liam Lawlor is set to close ranks against him next Tuesday, selecting two new candidates to contest his seat in the new Dublin Mid-West constituency.
The news will come as a second blow to the controversial deputy, who was told by the Supreme Court yesterday that he must give evidence to the Flood tribunal concerning his financial affairs.
Mr Lawlor resigned from Fianna Fail after a party inquiry into payments by a lobbyist, Mr Frank Dunlop, to politicians accused him of being unco-operative and contradictory.
Until the controversy broke Mr Lawlor, re-elected a Fianna Fail deputy for Dublin West in 1997, had been expected to stand for the party in the three-seat Dublin Mid-West constituency. He has not stated his long-term political intentions and has not ruled out standing for the party again.
Under new party rules, nominations for selection closed on Wednesday. Mr Lawlor has not put his name forward, so will not be considered. Cllr John Curran from Clondalkin and Mr Des Kelly from Lucan have been nominated, and both are expected to be selected.
While there is speculation that Mr Lawlor will stand as an independent, political activists in the constituency see little prospect of his doing this. Mr Lawlor is in New York and was unavailable for comment last night.
Fianna Fail is expected to win one of the three seats, where oth er candidates include the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, for the PDs; Mr Austin Currie TD and Senator Therese Ridge for Fine Gael; and Ms Joanna Tuffy for Labour.