The president of the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox, has criticised the Progressive Democrats president and Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, for not consulting him about a proposal that he lead the PDs' 2004 European election campaign.
Mr McDowell has proposed in an internal party discussion document that the PDs establish a Dublin sister party to fight the local elections, and that it contests the European elections as the European Liberal Party (ELDR), with candidates possibly led by Mr Cox.
Mr Cox told The Irish Times that nobody from the PDs had discussed the matter with him at any stage, and the first he knew about the proposal was from the Sunday Tribune yesterday.
"It would have been appropriate that if there were any plans involving me I would have been consulted. This is not the way to do business with people," Mr Cox said.
He added: "This is a mere distraction. I have a series of meetings with EU leaders this week and this is sufficiently low on my radar screen not to register." Mr Cox was elected a PD TD in 1992 but left the party in 1994 in a row about his decision to contest the European elections.
Mr McDowell outlined the election proposals in a draft discussion document circulated to the 15-member PD national executive, as part of his brief as president to expand the party. He suggests the new group be called "Dublin First".
Party sources told The Irish Times the executive is to discuss the proposals in early December.
Senior PD members were furious yesterday that the document was leaked to the Sunday Tribune.
In the document, Mr McDowell warns the party against being complacent following its successful general election performance.
He says the party was lucky to win eight seats and notes its membership base is stagnant; it lacks policy innovation and has patchy organisation at constituency level.
Mr McDowell says the party must change its current image of being interested only in certain parts of the country and called for an intensive recruitment drive. It must contest every local election area in the 2004 elections, and the party should target between 75 to 100 seats, as opposed to its current 25 seats.
He argues it would be better for the PDs to contest the European elections as members of the ELDR. He suggests that a list of candidates, possibly led by Mr Cox, be put together including some high-profile independents.
It is understood Mr McDowell believes that by establishing the "Dublin First" party the PDs could present the image of a party concerned with local issues, such as transport and planning. Otherwise, the PDs would be seen as a minority Government party in Dublin, and the emphasis would be on national issues.
The PD chairman, Senator John Minihan, said last night: "Nothing has been ruled in or ruled out." Mr McDowell had taken on the task of developing the party.