GOVERNMENT and opposition parties are unlikely to nominate their candidates to fight the Presidential election until September, according to spokesmen for the Government, Fine Gael and Labour yesterday, writes Geraldine Kennedy, Political Correspondent.
However, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has endorsed Mr Albert Reynolds's "credentials" to succeed the President, Mrs Robinson. Mr Ahern said in a newspaper interview he had "no doubt" that Mr Reynolds would make a good President.
But Mr Ahern has stopped short of confirming that Mr Reynolds will receive the Fianna Fail nomination to contest the election.
Government sources suggested last night that it would be a number of weeks, possibly September, before the Fianna Fail candidate is nominated. They added that Mr Reynolds is the only candidate "at the moment".
A Fine Gael spokesman said that the selection of the Fine Gael nominee for the Presidency would be decided by the parliamentary party in due course. The Dublin MEP, Ms Mary Banotti, is the only candidate who has indicated her interest in the position so far.
Labour sources said that the leadership had not addressed the issue seriously at this point. It would be some weeks, one source said, before the party decided on its candidate.