Court challenge: A Cork plumber yesterday failed in his High Court bid to get more time for Dana Rosemary Scallon to seek a presidential nomination.
Mr Harry Rea, representing himself, told Mr Justice Butler that he was seeking to have yesterday's deadline for presidential nominations suspended.
He told the court that the denial of people's voting right meant the country was "under tyranny" and that people appear content to allow the Republic to "lapse".
Mr Rea said the Constitution intended to protect people from tyranny and that the role of the President was established as "a champion of the people."
He said: "If the people of Ireland are not allowed one of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution - the right to vote for their President, the Republic is gone" and we are back "with a tyranny" where political parties "dictate" instead of "represent", he said.
Mr Rea said that senators, TDs and councillors from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been warned that they would be expelled from their parties if they nominated a candidate for the election.
Mr Justice Butler said the correct way of nominating a presidential candidate was laid down in the Constitution and rejected Mr Rea's application. Mr Rea also failed in his application to bring the case to the Supreme Court following the High Court ruling.