Michael McDowell will become the third leader of the Progressive Democrats today after agreeing a dramatic deal with possible opponents yesterday afternoon designed to kill off potential disunity, Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent.
Mr McDowell announced yesterday that Tom Parlon will nominate him to the post and he will be seconded by Liz O'Donnell. Both were once seen as possible leadership contenders.
He will then appoint Mr Parlon as party president and Ms O'Donnell as deputy leader, positions which are in the gift of the leader.
He also said he would ask the outgoing leader Mary Harney to stay on as Minister for Health, in accordance with her wishes.
Mr McDowell will hold a press conference after nominations close at noon today.
The deal with Mr Parlon and Ms O'Donnell was done only early yesterday afternoon, immediately after a senior PD figure and McDowell supporter, party trustee Paul MacKay, gave a radio interview which threatened to reopen the bitter divisions which emerged last June over when Ms Harney would quit as leader.
In his interview Mr MacKay said he was "delighted" at Ms Harney's resignation, that the party had been drifting for some time under her leadership and that she had gone back on her word to quit in the past. He denounced "a small number of people within the parliamentary party" who had "blackguarded" Mr McDowell when his ambitions to replace Ms Harney surfaced last June.
This was seen by party figures as a clear reference to Ms O'Donnell and Senator John Minihan, who had persuaded Ms Harney not to quit last June because they feared a McDowell leadership. Mr MacKay's attack on them came after Mr McDowell had held substantial meetings with each on Friday and Saturday in an attempt to heal the wounds from that time.
Having withheld an offer of the party presidency from Mr Parlon at a meeting on Saturday, Mr McDowell rang him very shortly after Mr MacKay's interview was broadcast yesterday to offer him the post.
It is a powerful position with responsibility for party organisation and preparing election manifestos. He also phoned Ms O'Donnell to agree she would be deputy leader, a post which has been unfilled for several years.
Ms Harney has said she will quit as party leader and Tánaiste as soon as her successor is appointed. Mr McDowell is therefore likely to be appointed Tánaiste in the next few days. The Taoiseach makes the appointment, and is likely to formally tell the Cabinet about it at a meeting on Wednesday.
While many in Fianna Fáil are fearful of the effect Mr McDowell's election as party leader and Tánaiste will have on the Government, the Taoiseach said yesterday he would have no difficulty working with him.
Mr Parlon said he was "honoured to accept the role of president of the party and I look forward to working closely with Michael, Liz and my fellow parliamentary party colleagues in increasing the number of seats we will hold in Dáil Éireann after the election."
Ms O'Donnell said she was "very pleased at the outcome of negotiations over the weekend. . . The entire party can unite under the new leadership team, headed by Michael McDowell."