Fine Gael has defended its instruction to its county councillors not to support the presidential nomination of Ms Dana Rosemary Scallon, who, it says, is a direct political opponent and the party has no obligation to support her. Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent, reports.
Senior Fine Gael election strategist Mr Phil Hogan TD said yesterday that Ms Scallon had fought four elections against his party, and was also opposed to Fine Gael's position on Europe. "She has nothing in common with Fine Gael," and the party would not nominate her for the presidency.
As Ms Scallon continues to seek the nominations she requires from four county councils to allow her to run, a Fine Gael spokesman confirmed yesterday that the party's general secretary, Mr Tom Curran, contacted several Fine Gael members of Longford County Council over the weekend to remind them of the party position.
"They were told the party line, which is that we are not opposing Mary McAleese, and we are not supporting any other candidate," the spokesman said. They were told that the party regarded facilitation of a presidential nomination as an offer of support for a candidate.
Fine Gael headquarters yesterday contacted some of its members on Carlow County Council, after reports that it might hold a special meeting to consider a request from Ms Scallon for a nomination. The party whips on the council were meeting last night to consider the issue.
The intervention of headquarters appeared to have been effective yesterday. Fine Gael Carlow councillor Mr Declan Alcock, who suggested on Sunday that the council would support the nomination attempt, said yesterday that he "wouldn't be as enthusiastic about it today". Headquarters made similar interventions with party councillors on other local authorities which were considering the option of nominating Dana. However, three Fine Gael members of Kerry County Council yesterday defied the instruction and supported her unsuccessful attempt to win a nomination.
Mr Hogan said yesterday that the Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, had weighed up the options last January, recognised that Mrs McAleese had done "an excellent job" and decided on a pragmatic basis that the party should not contest the election. This was partly in recognition of the President's good record, the poor chance of defeating her, and the fact that the party should concentrate on winning the next General Election.
He said there were political lessons to be learned from the past when Fine Gael leader Mr Alan Dukes put forward Mr Austin Currie as a party candidate, and Mr Dick Spring put forward Ms Adi Roche. Nobody thanked them when these candidates performed poorly, rather it was used to seek to oust them.
He said Fine Gael "wants to change the Government, not the President".
We shouldn't have an election just for the sake of having an election, he said.