Labour Party president Mr Michael D Higgins would almost certainly be unopposed if he sought a party nomination to run for president, according to Labour sources. Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent, reports
The chief executive of the 2003 Special Olympics, Ms Mary Davis, said last night she had not been approached by Labour. There had been speculation she might run as a Labour candidate. Ms Davis said she would not consider running against the President, Mrs McAleese, whom she believed would seek a second term.
Asked if she would consider running if Mrs McAleese did not go forward, she declined to comment.
Labour Party sources said they believed both the party's parliamentary party and national executive would back Mr Higgins should he seek the nomination.
Meanwhile, there has been some discussion among Independent deputies about whether they would come together with small parties to nominate a candidate. Independent TD Mr Finian McGrath said on RTÉ's The Week in Politics last night he had spoken to a number of colleagues about this, and that they had talked to a particular person "who had a vision of the country and reflected the Ireland of 2004" about whether they might be a candidate.
There are 31 TDs and senators who are either Independent or from small parties. It requires just 20 of them to nominate a candidate to run for the presidency.
Labour leader Mr Pat Rabbitte confirmed yesterday that Mr Higgins was interested in seeking the position, and rejected speculation that he would like to find an alternative candidate. "Michael D and I are on very good terms and have been since we were in University College Galway where he taught me," Mr Rabbitte said on RTÉ's This Week.
He refused to be drawn on the speculation about Ms Davis, saying only that he and she shared a concern about the disability issue.
Ms Davis said last night: "The President who is there is doing a fantastic job and I'm sure she will go for a second term."
Mr Rabbitte said his party believed "there ought to be a contest for the office of president". However, there were five months between the local and European elections in June and the end of the current President's term of office, so there was plenty of time for the party to make its decision and choose a candidate.
"If we decide to contest the election it will be on the basis of a positive platform that sets out the unique distinctiveness that Labour would bring to that contest, not a negative campaign against the present incumbent."
The Minister of State for Health and Children, Mr Brian Lenihan, accused Labour of turning the presidency into "a political football".