The Progressive Democrats have been convulsed by a power struggle over the past week with Michael McDowell claiming he had an arrangement with Mary Harney that she would step down as party leader before the next election, writes Stephen Collins, Political Correspondent
Ms Harney refused to accept Mr McDowell's insistence that the timing was right for a change of leader and the party's TDs, Senators and trustees were involved in a furious effort to patch up the differences between the two founders.
Ms Harney's supporters say the crisis was precipitated by Mr McDowell issuing an ultimatum that he would not run in the next election unless she stepped aside as leader at that stage.
Mr McDowell's allies claim that the Tánaiste threatened to sack Mr McDowell from the Cabinet and remove him as party president if he went ahead and raised the leadership issue.
They maintain it would make sense for Ms Harney to focus solely on health in the run-up to the election and allow Mr McDowell to take over the running of the party.
There was a furious row about the issue at a meeting of party trustees on Monday night and there were fears that Ms Harney might try to implement her threat to remove Mr McDowell as president.
Before a scheduled meeting of the parliamentary party in Leinster House on Tuesday night, attended by TDs, Senators and trustees, there was fierce lobbying from both sides to sway the meeting.
At the meeting, which lasted for more than three hours, there was a frank exchange of views between the two sides but the consensus was that it would be suicidal for the party to embark on a leadership struggle with a year to go to a general election.
In the event, Mr McDowell withdrew his threat not to run in the next election while Ms Harney made it clear she would not be making any attempt to remove Mr McDowell as party president or Minister for Justice.
According to party sources, the consensus by the end of the meeting was that Ms Harney should remain on as leader until after the next election and that the issue could then be reopened.
There was also a pact among those present that they would not disclose the details of the meeting.
"The matter has now been resolved. It is off the table until after the election," said one senior party source.
The issue came to a head this week when Mr McDowell pushed his claim that he had come to a Gordon Brown-type agreement about the leadership of the party when he rejoined the PDs in January 2002 and was appointed to the position of party president.
Mr McDowell left the Progressive Democrats after his election defeat in 1997 but was invited by Ms Harney to become Attorney General in 1999, with no strings attached.
He opened talks about rejoining the party in autumn 2000 but they eventually foundered on his insistence that he become party president, with responsibility for running the organisation.
Party TDs rejected this proposal at the time as it would have involved Mr McDowell effectively taking over as leader with a mandate to develop and transform the party and to change its image. In January 2002, he did agree to come back and the position of party president was created for him.
He was appointed to the position by the party leader and did not have an independent power base within the party. Since his return, rumours have circulated that there was a deal Ms Harney would step down as leader before the 2007 election. The Tánaiste's supporters are adamant there was no formal deal but it is widely accepted she may have indicated she would not lead the party into another election.
A spokesman for the Tánaiste said last night that Mr McDowell did not issue an ultimatum to Ms Harney that he would not run in the next election unless she stepped aside and he made no request to her to step aside. The parliamentary party met on Tuesday night to discuss various matters including the upcoming election and the meeting ended in agreement, he said. Mr McDowell could not be contacted last night for comment.